When to get her on the Gear/wheels???

hi there.....

i just finished my empenage, built my wing rack and have a question about the fuselage.

When is the right time to get her on her wheels??? I searched the web and found all different kind of solutions for easier handling of the fuse in my shop. Building a device where the whole fuse can be rotated is, in my opinion, way too much and not worth the effort. And before building a cart where the whole fuse just sits on i thought to just attach the original gear and wheels, the tailwheel as well, and also can move her around in my shop more easily?!?


i have a RV-8 QB kit, so lets hear what you think about it or how you did it!!!
May be the answer just stands in the builders manual, but i thought to ask here first!

thank you in advance!!!

daida

After 99% of the fuselage wiring is complete and just before you want to hang the engine. You will kill your back standing on a ladder or step stool to reach in, bend over the sides, to wire up the interior. If I were to do it again, it would not go on the gear until the interior was 100% complete. Not to mention, you will trip over the gear leg at least 100 times.

Daida said:

.......Building a device where the whole fuse can be rotated is, in my opinion, way too much and not worth the effort....

Click to expand...

Daida,

Having built RV's both ways, my conclusion is you are seriously kidding yourself if you think a rotisserie is not worth the effort. Using a rotisserie is a huge timesaver and GREATLY simplifies accessing and working on just about anything. Many two-man tasks become one-man tasks because much can be accessed and completed while seated on a stool outside the airplane. Attaching the landing gear is made much easier too. If you think NOT using a rotisserie is the best way for you to build an RV8, well then by all means have at it because you are far more dexterous than this builder.

Here's another back saving tip

Alton's message was right on. You may also find it easier to mount the gear legs to the engine mount then secure the mount to a level table. This will put the gear legs parallel to the floor. With this arrangement, you will find it much easier to position the gear leg stiffeners and fairings and mount the wheels, brakes and lines. This works well on the planes where the gear mounts to the engine mount. It probably won't on an 8.
Woodman

Start from the bottom and work up....

Two thumbs up for the rotisserrie

I will second Rick's comment. The rotating stand was easy to make and really saved the back not to mention made easy many tasks. A padded Black and Decker workmate held the tail. I initially made a padded cart that provided low work height access and excellent support but after seeing Rick's stand I duplicated it and never looked back.

I would also agree with Alton, finish all you can before putting it on the gear. And Dan your post is about a week too late but I love it!

I thank it depends on how tall you are. If you are 5'6" and have a bad back probably not for a while, if you are 6'4" and have a good back sooner. I am 6"4' and have a decent back and put it on the gear when 90% of the wiring was done, the front top skin was ready to installed permanently, control system done and panel cut and ready to be installed permanent. I am in the process of FWF and think it is easier when it is up in the air.

Rotisserie then legs

I used the rotisserie quite a ways into the project then put it on the legs with only wiring left. Not for any practical reason though.

My friend Smokey Ray suggested that saying [when building his 4], it was a massive mental lift just to see a 5 year project looking like an airplane.

Not so much practical as motivational for me.

What Rick and Sandy said.

There is absolutely no way I would build an RV-8 again without using a rotisserie.

You can build one in a morning using an engine stand from HF. To keep things simple, I used a padded, adjustable stand for the tail to rest on.