cjensen

cjensen

Well Known Member
This is a cross post from RBer's to get the most exposure...

I need to shorten the aft arm of my flap weldment (silver) so it is the same length as the electric weldment.

Where would the best place be to cut this? I am going to cut it, and then take it to a welding shop to get it welded properly. I'll be hacking about an inch and a half or so out of this.

Should I just cut it right in the middle? Fore? Aft? Help!!

1-30-07-007w.jpg


:confused: :confused:
 
So I can mount the manual weldment in the same location as the electric one. The arm is a bit too long to match up with the flap actuator link if left alone.
 
Cut

This might work

Cut under the U shape weldment thru the welded area, shorten up the remaining tube, grind the weld off of the "U" shape with out damaging it, and then re-weld it onto the tube
 
I see a possible problem...

This may not work very well.

Having shorter arms than the orig. manual flap handle will give you more leverage and make the handle easier to pull.

The problem with it is that because of the shorter arms, the handle will have to be pulled farther back to get the full travel for full flaps.

Many builders with manual flaps found it difficult to get the last notch because the handle was getting so high and far back beside them in the cockpit. Your modified setup will make that even worse.

Why not just install it in the normal location and patch over any existing holes in the baggage side panels?

As for your question... the easiest way to modify your weldment would be to use a cutting disk, cut the clevis off the end of each tube (and reuse if you do it properly), shorten the tubes the required amount, squeeze the tube slightly like the originals were and re-weld the clevises.
 
Take it to your local EAA welding dude (every chapter has at least one). Let him decide how to do it. I would personally make a scarf joint right in the middle with a smaller piece of tubing inserted between the 2 halves and a rossette on either side. But that's just me.
 
Just in front of the U

and grind off the remaining tube. You don't need to remove all the weld from the U bracket as this is a perfectly good joint. If gas welding (which I prefer cus I'm good at it) this will avoid distortion somewhat.

Then hack as much tube as you need and re-weld. This should be a little stronger than cutting a section of tube out but that would work also.

Either way its an easy welding job.

Frank
 
Got it!!

cjensen said:
So I can mount the manual weldment in the same location as the electric one. The arm is a bit too long to match up with the flap actuator link if left alone.
Click to expand...

Thought you going to do something else :eek: Find a shop with a steel bandsaw.

Keep pound'n away.
 
Cut

See AC 43-13-1. Can't rember chapter and verse at the moment but it is in the metal tubing section. To satisfy 43-13, you'll probably have to cut the tube at the proper angle, 30 deg. if I rember correctly, (scarf joint) remove the required material at the same angle and insert the next smaller dia. tubing inside, (at the prescribed length), and drill the outer tube with holes for "rosette" welds to hold the inner tube in place. You join the outer tube with the inner tube centered. As was stated above, your local EAA chapter probably has a welding "guru" with much more experience than I. I personally do not like welding over places that have been previously welded.
 
mannanj said:
See AC 43-13-1. Can't rember chapter and verse at the moment but it is in the metal tubing section. To satisfy 43-13, you'll probably have to cut the tube at the proper angle, 30 deg. if I rember correctly, (scarf joint) remove the required material at the same angle and insert the next smaller dia. tubing inside, (at the prescribed length), and drill the outer tube with holes for "rosette" welds to hold the inner tube in place. You join the outer tube with the inner tube centered. As was stated above, your local EAA chapter probably has a welding "guru" with much more experience than I. I personally do not like welding over places that have been previously welded.
Click to expand...

Yes, exactly...you explained it much better than me! :D
 
Thanks for all the responses guys! There are a couple of welders in my chapter, so I'll ask them for some help first.

:cool:
 
DON'T CUT THERE!!!

cjensen said:
I need to shorten the aft arm of my flap weldment (silver) so it is the same length as the electric weldment.

Where would the best place be to cut this? Help!!:
Click to expand...
Chad, don't cut at that spot, you want to use that part in that location. But you can cut the motor end. That part is 8" to center of eye. Measure from the face of the torque tube 3 1/2" up the motor arm and cut it off. SAVE the part so you can convert if you need to back to electric.

When you modify this part, the handle will be 3/4" taller at full flaps, but with less pull than the original set-up.

What you want to do is really no problem. I have the list of parts that you will need to get from vans. They have them in stock. The best part is that you use your wd-613 ef part and you don't weld on it.

I don't have time here..... got to go work! DROP ME AN E-MAIL and I will get the info to you!

Warren
 
Thanks Warren...I dont have any of the electric stuff anymore. It has long since been sold. I'm working with the full manual flap weldment from an RV-6, which had longer aft tubes. The guy who bought my EF stuff is giving his manual flap internals when he gets the switch done.

I'm not at all worried about this as I've had our A&P's look at it, and I've also just found out that one of our local welding shops, that does a lot of work for us here at Image Air, has a guy who is a master welder and is aircraft-grade qualified.

:)
 
Update

I took the weldment out to the guy to cut and reweld. Turned out perfect in length (although it was handled a little rough), and I'm happy with the $100 I spent for this. The brown weldment is from the RV-6 that was replaced with my electric stuff. It's the length that the silver one used to be.
4-13-07-002w.jpg


Now, my next problem? The weldment internals have been modified for a shortened handle as you can see here...
4-13-07-001w.jpg


I can understand why the brown one was cut to save some space, but wouldn't this make deploying the flaps more difficult?

What would be the best way to proceed here? Cut the silver tube down to match the internals, or order new parts from Van's to match the silver weldment?

:confused: :confused:
 
Cut it!

Chad, snip off 3" of the silver arm. You want it to measure 17" from the face of the torque arm. That will get the arm close to the floor and still have enough leverage. Do you have the wooden plug? You should also order plans page 42 for RV6. That page has all of the parts that you will need.

Another alteration that makes them easier to use is to move the arm closer to the pilot seat. This gives you more knuckle space and more butt space for the passanger. This does involve cutting X amount off of the left side of the torque arm, and adding it to the right side. NOT MANDITORY..... but makes a better system.

Let's talk later about F-658A, the flap anchor....... You will like this idea, it's an easy one.... with the most benefits. Also we will alter VA-110, also an easy to do thing :D :D

MANUAL FLAPS..... GOOD CHOICE. electric ones have been a constant :mad:

Warren
 
A hundred bucks

Chad....Don't you have any friends?...I would have done it for a beer!...:)

Glad you got it done though

Frank
 
Well, I probably could've gone that route, but I tend to get antsy to get things done when I get an idea, and I didn't want to wait. :rolleyes:

:)
 
gasman said:
Chad, snip off 3" of the silver arm. You want it to measure 17" from the face of the torque arm. That will get the arm close to the floor and still have enough leverage. Do you have the wooden plug? You should also order plans page 42 for RV6. That page has all of the parts that you will need.

Another alteration that makes them easier to use is to move the arm closer to the pilot seat. This gives you more knuckle space and more butt space for the passanger. This does involve cutting X amount off of the left side of the torque arm, and adding it to the right side. NOT MANDITORY..... but makes a better system.

Let's talk later about F-658A, the flap anchor....... You will like this idea, it's an easy one.... with the most benefits. Also we will alter VA-110, also an easy to do thing :D :D

MANUAL FLAPS..... GOOD CHOICE. electric ones have been a constant :mad:

Warren
Click to expand...
Thanks Warren. I do have the wood plug, but will probably cut a new one based on the drawings. I have DWG 42 already for reference.

Looking forward to the flap acuator discussion.
 
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