RV-9A, SoCal - Page 22

rightrudder · #**211** 08-21-2015, 01:01 PM

Yeah! I went a little crazy with the flox fillet at the windscreen base, but it does help define the shape of the curve. I ended up using 4-5 layers of 'glass, making patterns for the first layer (dyed with black pigment) and thereafter using a roll of 3" fiberglass tape. The tape approach is really handy as it provides ready-made straight edges. HF to the rescue for epoxy brushes...a 36-pack is only about $11.

The forward upper corners of the canopy skirts do stick out a little through the layup, but the thickness of the fairing will allow me to conceal the bumps when sanding/filling is completed. I used modeling clay in the gap between the windscreen and canopy to prevent epoxy from dripping on the insides.

The compressed air trick really helped to get the canopy free, as well as tapping around the edge of the fairing with a plastic hammer, and lifting up on the aft edges of the skirts.

Vlad · #**212** 08-21-2015, 02:06 PM

Keep posting your progress Doug. Good references for RV9 builders here on your thread. Over 25,000 hits means something

rightrudder · #**213** 08-21-2015, 03:30 PM

Thanks, Vlad. Posting helps with my motivation. Which I'll need entering the sanding phase of the fairing.

rightrudder · #**214** 08-25-2015, 09:49 PM

Sensation is slowly returning to my fingertips after a four-day marathon of filling and sanding. Feels like I have a Band-Aid on my right index finger, which has taken on an 80 grit texture. But I'm about 95 percent done!

It took three applications of epoxy/microballons, with plenty of sanding in between. In addition to a flat sanding block, I made one with about a 4" radius (for the front base) and another with about an 8" radius (for the "shoulders" as it transitions into the relatively flat sides).

The fairing lip that overlaps the canopy is four layers thick...pretty sturdy, but I will warn passengers to not put any weight on it while entering. It overlaps by about 1/2", just enough to cover the frame rivets when closed. Buzzed it off with a Dremel cutoff wheel, then block sanded.

Ended today's festivities with a thick coat of primer, which really lets you see the contours. They look pretty good for the most part, but there are subtle bulges on the shoulders, some sanding scratches and a little bump on the front base where you feather-edge sand it down to the aluminum. At least no more filler is needed; I'm down to Bondo spot putty to fill little voids and imperfections. So one more round of sanding and priming, and it'll be ready for the paint shop professionals.

To celebrate, I'm cracking open the poly-bagged wing plans for a little study.

exsterminator · #**215** 08-26-2015, 09:20 AM

Doug, would you mind sharing how much work you are putting in each week? What kind of schedule are you operating? Little bit every day or mainly weekends? Family considerations?

I go down to Laguna Beach for a weekend or 2 every Jan/Feb so might I be able to stop in to meet you and see your progress?

rightrudder · #**216** 08-26-2015, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exsterminator

Doug, would you mind sharing how much work you are putting in each week? What kind of schedule are you operating? Little bit every day or mainly weekends? Family considerations?

I go down to Laguna Beach for a weekend or 2 every Jan/Feb so might I be able to stop in to meet you and see your progress?

Hey Daniel,

I'm retired as of last November, and a single guy, so I have considerable time to work on the plane. For me, the sweet spot is about 4-5 hours a day, and lately to avoid some of the heat, I've been working the 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift. With the fiberglass stuff, the garage heat is great for epoxy cure time, so often I'll do a layer of 'glass at 10 a.m. or so, then it'll be ready to sand by 5 p.m. Typically, I take the weekends off, or work one weekend day with my normal 4-5 hours.

Come by pretty much any afternoon and check it out. I'll PM you my phone number.

rightrudder · #**217** 08-28-2015, 06:36 PM

Phew! So glad to be done with sanding for a while. iPhone refuses to recognize my thumbprint to unlock! Maybe Apple will come up with a DNA-based system.

Windscreen fairing is ready for the paint shop, after two applications of primer and more sanding. Inside, fillet over the roll hoop was done with DAP 3.0 caulk. I have some left over for siding...they say El Nino is on its way.

Lowe's Aviation offered this lovely, non-TSO'd stainless lift handle for the rear canopy, more commonly known as a U-bolt. I made a plate underneath that extends forward under the plexi to make it a bit more solid. Gotta love Experimentals!!

Last, I put the big aileron pushrods together. It takes forever for that last bit of primer to drip out the ends of the tube. On the smaller chromoly tubes, I got the wrong threaded end fittings from Van's...way too small. They are graciously sending out some new ones, no charge. I can't think of anywhere the smaller supplied fittings could be used, as flaps have the threaded hex rod.

rightrudder · #**218** 09-04-2015, 11:01 PM

First aileron test fit!! The QB wings allow light-speed progress, especially after the long, drawn out tasks of the canopy and windscreen fairing. Got the bellcranks in, wiring and plumbing for the pitot tube, Metal-Mastered the tank plates and fuel level senders, and put in a long day today riveting the aileron attach brackets. I fabled up the aileron stop Chiclets, but will wait till later to mount them.

I also destroyed one of the shorter chromoly aileron pushrods with a poor riveting decision. (Hey, you have to mess up occasionally to learn!). I first tried putting a female rivet die in a vise, and then using a back-rivet set on the shop head. This, plus a slightly too long rivet resulted in a horrible clench, and I made matters far worse by drilling it out. The hole in the pushrod was now jagged and nastily oblong, so into the trash it went. Fresh parts ordered from the Mother Ship.

The other pushrod turned out great. I used a conventional set, and put the shop head side on a back rivet plate (and used a properly sized rivet). Far, far easier to control this way.

A little clearancing will be needed where the pushrod passes through the spar, on the top and sides of the hole. It was nice to find that through the normal range of aileron motion, the rivets on the pushrod don't pass past the edge of the hole, so no chance of them snagging and impeding control function.

Tightening the nuts that secure the hinge brackets to the ailerons was a little tough until I ground down the outside of a 3/8 box-end wrench. The bench grinder is your friend.

rightrudder · #**219** 09-10-2015, 11:24 PM

I got the gap fairings on (after what seemed like an all-night deburring session!) and did the final adjustment of the right aileron pushrod with the aileron in the neutral position.

I needed a change of pace before starting to match-drill the bottom wing skins, so I decided to purdy up my pitot tube a little. It's essentially the Van's design, but cloaked in some airfoil tubing, plus some fiberglass at the base.

I bought some 3/4" K&S airfoil tubing at the hobby shop. That 3/4" dimension is the chord, but its size will just allow the 1/4" pitot tubing to slip inside, after tapping the trailing edge a little with a plastic-faced hammer to get it to bulge just a touch. Flare the tubing, install sleeve and B-nut, slide it inside the airfoil tubing and then make the 90-degree bend. Note the notch in the airfoil tubing on the inside radius, and the JB-Weld used to fill the void.

Tighten the B-nut to the bulkhead fitting securely, then file the edges of the B-nut to make a somewhat roundish shape. Rough up the airfoil tube, then wrap two layers of 9-oz. cloth around the whole mess, extending upward to the base of the bulkhead fitting. The fiberglass/resin will not want to stick to itself, so I used a couple of clamps, which hang down as the resin cures. The weight of the clamps also aligns everything nicely to the airfoil contours.

After it sets up, trim, apply a large blob of dry micro and ultimately sand away anything that doesn't look like a pitot tube. Aft of the fittings, the fiberglass had a void, triangular in cross section, that I filled in from the top with some runny flox...ought to add some strength.

A little heavier than stock, but I think it looks more sophisticated and most likely has less drag. The downside: As the B-nut is buried in the fiberglass, it's a little tougher to install. I'll have to reach through the inspection port and a rib lightening hole to final-torque the union nut down.

rightrudder · #**220** 09-18-2015, 10:18 PM

The wings are just about ready to button up. Skins/substructure are dimpled, countersunk, etc.; now it's just a matter of waiting till my riveting partner has a break in his schedule.

So now, the wingtips come out of storage. I can't final mount them yet, but I thought I'd mount the nav/strobes (Ztron) and landing light (Duckworks). I roughed out the hole for the latter's fiberglass mounting tube....will 'glass it in place once the wings are on the plane and I can aim it properly.