Static Port installation FAIL!!!

hi Folks!!

Just 10 min ago i think i did a major screw up!!

I was about installing the static port from Safe Air and just thought i knew how it works when..............

I drilled a 1/2" hole in the side skin of my Fuselage.........

It even says in the manual to drill a 1/4" whole, but somehow i thought i know better.

What shall i do know?

Option 1: Patch the hole from the inside, fill it up with filler, sand it and install the static port an inch up the Fuselage?

Option 2: Install the static port from the outside (cessna style like) and leave it as it is?

Option 3: other suggestions are more than welcome!

Anyone who maybe was in the same situation and now has experience with the system flying considering instrument readings???

i already read a few static port threads and it looks like there are RV?s out there with the static port put on the outside.

in deep anguish...

Daida

Let not your heart be troubled

The SafeAir static port is more than 1/2 inches wide. So you might consider installing it from the inside, just as though you were going to do before, just center it in the (now enlarged) hole. Then, from the outside, just fill in the gap with epoxy filler and paint it over. It will be like it never happened.
Look at it this way. If you had to make a mistake today, that is not a bad one to make.
Good Luck!

Steve beat me to it..

Sorry to hear about your situation. Things happen. I was concerned about mine after reading about all the static port sensitivities, so I took my Safeair ports and machined the protrusion off and used pro seal to fasten them to the skin, then I drilled the standard hole and used the factory rivet.

Now your situation, thinking in print,

1. Make a ring to fill the space, and pro seal the whole assembly to the skin from the inside.

2. Have a custom part machined to the 1/2 inch dimension and install it.
3. Mix up a flox epoxy batch and cast the area on the safe air part then machine it back down on your lathe, then install with pro seal from back side.

It does not appear to be a reason for great emotion. After repair and paint, it will never be found.

Happy repairing, I hope this helped generate some ideas.

Oops, slow typer. Too much thinking.

Cleveland tools

I think new ones from Cleveland tool need at least a 1/2" hole. Call Mike confirm and i will measure ours later. Might be as easy as buying new ports.

Here is the link for Cleaveland. Just being helpful.

http://www.cleavelandtool.com/Push-On-Static-Port-Fittings-pair/productinfo/SPF140/#.UubnQv16jq0

They don't appear the have NPT thread inside, though.

Yes they fit into the 1/2 in hole!!!!

As per Steve and Mike, build on.
I installed mine from the inside too. I forget the hole size,
but used pro-seal to bond it.
Regards

Install from the inside or replace with the Cleveland port. I recently retrofitted a set of the Cleveland ports on our -4 and was impressed. Pitot/static calibration and testing is a bit onerous, but the Cleveland ports are designed to mimic the classic pop rivet configuration and work as advertised--minimal source pressure error.

Cheers,

Vac

solved!!!

placed order at cleveland today........

thanks for your help!!

BillL said:

I took my Safeair ports and machined the protrusion off and used pro seal to fasten them to the skin, then I drilled the standard hole and used the factory rivet.

Click to expand...

Winner..

There are a couple of different ways to do this (depending on what parts one obtains for inside the skin) but the final configuration with Vans rivet on the outside and an NPT thread on the inside cannot be beat. Your static and xpdr cert should go without a hitch plus the ASI should be pretty darned accurate.