I have been flying my RV-14 for about 3 years and I’m finally getting around to doing the landing gear fairings. Mine is a tail dragger, so I’m working in section 46B of the plans. I’ve followed the plans as carefully as always, including my best understanding of the placement of the hinge that holds the gear leg fairing closed. But my end result leaves a bit of a gap in the trailing edge, rather than the hinge “holding the trailing edge closed with a slight amount of pressure” as the plans say on page 46B-12 step 1. For you tricycle RV-14A builders, it’s the same as page 46A-20 step 1.
It’s not a huge gap, but it’s visible. My options seem to be:
1. Build on, accept the gap
2. Figure out a way to fill the gap with epoxy/flox mixture
3. Order new piano hinges and match-drill to my gear leg fairings but with them located slightly more forward to pull the gap closed (about $17 in materials)
4. Order new piano hinges and gear leg fairings and rewind to page 46B-10 (about $350 in materials)
Any thoughts from others who have faced this problem in the past?
It’s not a huge gap, but it’s visible. My options seem to be:
1. Build on, accept the gap
2. Figure out a way to fill the gap with epoxy/flox mixture
3. Order new piano hinges and match-drill to my gear leg fairings but with them located slightly more forward to pull the gap closed (about $17 in materials)
4. Order new piano hinges and gear leg fairings and rewind to page 46B-10 (about $350 in materials)
Any thoughts from others who have faced this problem in the past?