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Peterk

Well Known Member
My finish kit arrives today. I noticed from the revisions that wing installation is the first thing. Do the wings stay on? Do I need to position my fuselage today for a permanent change? Or can I expect to take them back off and put away until later? Thanks.
 
Trial only

If you want to see how they fit now, it is just temporary. You will want them back out of the way. I am going to wait on that step.

John Bender
 
A real thrill

For sure check to see if the 'rear' 7 wire AP harness is MORE than 70" long ( like the instructions say ). Don't do that step if they are 70" as per the instructions. They need to be 85" long. You may be short several crimp connectors also. Just leave those things hanging, but in place. You will not be able to install the control links etc. either until the wiring is finished. ( not easily anyway ).

John Bender
 
Peterk said:
My finish kit arrives today. I noticed from the revisions that wing installation is the first thing. Do the wings stay on? Do I need to position my fuselage today for a permanent change? Or can I expect to take them back off and put away until later? Thanks.
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Pete- My finish kit is supposed to come this week also, but Ann was kind enough to send me the plans for it last week, so I've been studying up ahead of time. I had pretty much decided to wait on installing the wings until I get the airplane on its gear- it seems to me that it would be more stable that way, rather than have it balancing on sawhorses. You guys that have the finish kit already- any thoughts on that? Steve
 
steve wyman said:
Pete- My finish kit is supposed to come this week also, but Ann was kind enough to send me the plans for it last week, so I've been studying up ahead of time. I had pretty much decided to wait on installing the wings until I get the airplane on its gear- it seems to me that it would be more stable that way, rather than have it balancing on sawhorses. You guys that have the finish kit already- any thoughts on that? Steve
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Becareful, the weight of the engine is not added yet so I doubt (don't know) the fuse alone can support the weight and not tip over. If this is an issue just add some weight, but just be careful where and how you attach the wings without the engine on.

JMHO.
 
Larry- I've already made an adjustable height tail stand, that attaches to the tie down ring on the far aft bulk head. This will keep the airplane from tipping backwards, but my concern was sideways tipping off the sawhorses- the main gear, being on, should be much more stable, I would think. Steve
 
My 2 cents

I have left mine on the 2 - 6' tables and am glad I did. I have found it necessary to get into the tailcone ( ya more than once ), to do things like run the wires to the magnetrometer (sp), and I found putting 2 - 5 quarters pieces of wood just long enought to fit between sections, to be helpful to keep from denting the bottom. I can go in and lay on the wood, and I don't think I have dented it ( yet anyway ). I'm a bigger guy, but can not reach to the first frame inside the tailcone. Hope that helps

John Bender
 
JBPILOT said:
I have left mine on the 2 - 6' tables and am glad I did. I have found it necessary to get into the tailcone ( ya more than once ), to do things like run the wires to the magnetrometer (sp), and I found putting 2 - 5 quarters pieces of wood just long enought to fit between sections, to be helpful to keep from denting the bottom. I can go in and lay on the wood, and I don't think I have dented it ( yet anyway ). I'm a bigger guy, but can not reach to the first frame inside the tailcone. Hope that helps

John Bender
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John- I have my fuselage lying on its side right now on two of those folding card tables from Costco. The Costco tables are height adjustable- I have the foreward fuselage on one table at the lowest height ( about 2 ft.) and the one supporting the tail at about 3 ft. and a couple of pillows I swiped from my wife (of course it cost me a new set of pillows and a VERY frosty reception when she dicovered them.) In this position, I find that I can sit on a shop stool, with my upper body up between the roll bar and the aft side skin, and from this position, I can fairly easily reach into the tailcone (at least as far as that 1208 bulkhead that you mention). I too, was not looking foreward to crawling inside that tailcone. We're not nearly as limber as we used to be, are we? By the way, with the fuselage on its side, everthing in the cental tunnel and even under the foreward instrument shelf, is much more easily reached. Steve
 
I have had mine set up like the picture in the Sec 30 plans since I finsihed riveting the tailcone to the fuselage. And of course I have crawled in and out many times (with tail section on). All has been fine. I was concerned if there was some "fitting" involved with the wings. Not much I guess huh. Thanks John for the heads up on measuring my wiring before moving on. I will for sure. Steve, have you had to crawl around in your tailcone yet...on the table?
 
Peterk said:
I have had mine set up like the picture in the Sec 30 plans since I finsihed riveting the tailcone to the fuselage. And of course I have crawled in and out many times (with tail section on). All has been fine. I was concerned if there was some "fitting" involved with the wings. Not much I guess huh. Thanks John for the heads up on measuring my wiring before moving on. I will for sure. Steve, have you had to crawl around in your tailcone yet...on the table?
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Pete, no I have not had to crawl into the tailcone yet ( and hopefully I won't have to). I ran the strings for the stab and rudder cables, so they should not be an issue, and, with the airplane on its side, I can pretty easily reach inside to the top and sides of that 1208 bulkhead, where the remote compass wires need to run. Steve
 
Hey Steve

Do you have the baggage deck sides on ? Seems like a long reach inside with them on. Must be at least 3 feet beyond the opening, into the first frame member where the wires need to go on top inside.

John Bender
 
JBPILOT said:
Do you have the baggage deck sides on ? Seems like a long reach inside with them on. Must be at least 3 feet beyond the opening, into the first frame member where the wires need to go on top inside.

John Bender
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Yea, John, I do have those skins riveted on, but with the fuselage on its side, and the front at the two ft. height of the Costco card table, I can kneel down and then stand up between the upper aft skin and the roll bar, and then I can lean in through the opening ( where the corrugated closeout goes) and fairly easily reach the entire perimeter of the 1208 bulkhead. Give it a try- you'll be surprised, I know I was! Steve
 
Good point

I have that stuff done now ( I hope ) , but I may have to reinstall the whole main wiring harness again. Not sure what they will suggest for me now. I need to have some method of getting the pins on the ends of some of the wires. I guess I'll just have to wait. Suggest you look over your harness and read thru all the wiring section FRST so you can see if all your wires and proper connections are there first. I just followed the instructions, and did not find out until the end that I had problems.

John Bender
 
JBPILOT said:
I have that stuff done now ( I hope ) , but I may have to reinstall the whole main wiring harness again. Not sure what they will suggest for me now. I need to have some method of getting the pins on the ends of some of the wires. I guess I'll just have to wait. Suggest you look over your harness and read thru all the wiring section FRST so you can see if all your wires and proper connections are there first. I just followed the instructions, and did not find out until the end that I had problems.

John Bender
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Thanks for the heads up, John. After reading about all the possible problems with the wiring harness, that's the first thing I'm going to go over with a fine tooth comb, when the finish kit gets here. When you guys mention the 85" length to the aft auto pilot plug, is that an over all length for the entire wire bundle, or just where should I be measuring from? I guess for some, the length was only 70". Is that correct? Steve
 
Ya Steve

The first wiring harnesses have some issues. To answer your question, the 7 wire AP wires run from the left side to the rear. They called for and sent 70" harnesses. They should be 85" it appears. I followed the instructions, and started to install the wires after I crimped them to 7 crimp connectors on the left side. Sounds like you will have the 70" 7-wire harness. Save it. Also check to see if you have pins where they say they will need to hook up later. Maybe you can install the small pins. I don't have the special crimpers to do that.

John Bender
 
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