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logansc

Well Known Member
I'm installing a new AFS/Dynon AOA-enabled pitot on my 7 year old Rocket. There does not seem to be an obvious way to string the additional pitot tube and wiring necessary through a long finished wing with only two small inspection plates. Complicating matters is the fact that Rocket wings fit pretty tightly to the fuselage with little space between the two. My wingtip antenna, landing light, strobe, etc wires were strung in the open through small rib holes with plastic grommet inserts. They are ty-wrapped by not otherwise protected or inside a conduit. Nevertheless that route is full with no more room (don't see how I could use them anyway.

Anyhow, long story short, has anyone figured out a safe/suitable/clever way to get the new lines (pitot and signal) out through the wing to the new pitot?

Thanks!


Lee...
 
Can you pull your 1/4" Pitot line and replace it with two 1/8" nylon air lines? I think the tubes in the Dynon AOA are 1/8" to begin with.
 
Chkaharyer99 said:
Please, do tell.
Click to expand...

We used a long aluminum tube (Lee's idea) extended with some aluminum angle (Tom's idea) and ran the AOA tubing through the aluminum tube to the root where Tom guided the AOA tube through the new hole into the fuselage.
 
Pitot Retrofit

I just retrofitted a Dynon tube to my -4 last Spring, and there is a good write-up in the RV-4 section by Randy. Here's the link:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=135628&highlight=pitot+tube. I'm unfortunately not familiar with the F-1 fuel tank configuration, and if it's completely different than the RV-4, unregard! If it's similar, removing the tank might the the trick.

Pretty straight forward with the tank removed. I used the Gretz mount as I thought the larger flange was beneficial since I couldn't tie into the adjacent rib. A small bucking bar and riveting is a one-person job. The trick to pulling the tank is to use cheap plastic signs to slip under the flange as the nested countersinks do a remarkable job of holding the tank in place! Not an issue if your tank screws are countersunk. A paint cutter is helpful on the screws, and I just painted the replacement screws to match the original colors in lieu of using the original screws. I ran the heater wiring and installed an additional OAT probe for my engine monitor in the old pitot hole in the wing when I ran the new pitot plumbing.

I did learn one lesson (if your fuel sender is in your inspection plate): if you have old-fashioned resistance type fuel senders, don't ever try to loosen the screw attached to the wire...cut it and splice the connection when you are finished with the job. In many cases, those screws are over-tightened or seized; and if you rotate them, you can break a solder joint on the inside of the sender. This will require you to remove the inspection plate, replace the sender and reseal. If you hated pro seal the first time, you'll like it even less later on...

It's a nice retrofit, and with all of the modern avionics requiring multiple pitot/static/aoa connections, I've just built a manifold for each behind the panel with the quick disconnects that Stein sells. Makes maintenance and modifications easier.

Good luck and don't hesitate to drop a line if you'd like more info!

Vac
 
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Mike---we didnt want to pull the tank, OR remove the upper skin :eek:.
We had a piece of 3/8 .035 that the tubing fit inside, so we removed the wingtip and pushed the tubing through some lightening holes to a new hole in the fuselage. the 'unique' part was getting 6 foot piece of tubing to reach the entire distance we needed. Thats were the 'extension angle' came into play. WE thought that someones arms were going to be long enough to reach what we needed, but naaaa. So we improvised and made special rocket tool number 115!

Tom
 
Raymo said:
We used a long aluminum tube (Lee's idea) extended with some aluminum angle (Tom's idea) and ran the AOA tubing through the aluminum tube to the root where Tom guided the AOA tube through the new hole into the fuselage.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to picture this.

I want to add AoA to my RV-8. It has the old school homemade pitot. I have a new Gretz and plan to buy a Garmin Pitot with AoA. My wing currently has only the one tube for Pitot. I will have to add the AoA tubing.

Did you place the AoA tubing in the lightening holes?

Maybe you have a few photos you could share.

Thank you
 
Because Lee's Rocket had no room using the existing snap bushings because of wiring and the Pitot tube, we ended up using a lightening hole. We'll figure out how to secure it without deskinning the wing. No Lee, we ARENT taking the skin off. Procedure to be determined.

Tom
 
Chkaharyer99 said:
I'm trying to picture this.

I want to add AoA to my RV-8. It has the old school homemade pitot. I have a new Gretz and plan to buy a Garmin Pitot with AoA. My wing currently has only the one tube for Pitot. I will have to add the AoA tubing.

Did you place the AoA tubing in the lightening holes?

Maybe you have a few photos you could share.

Thank you
Click to expand...

The Rocket wing has only two small round inspection panel near the middle of the wing, right next to each other, to facilitate aileron bell-crank maintenance.

The best we can do on the inboard section of the tube is to add some anti-chafe protection/tubing over the AOA tube. At the aileron bell-crank, we'll install snap bushings for mechanical control and protection.

Your RV-8 should be much easier!
 
Raymo said:
The Rocket wing has only two small round inspection panel near the middle of the wing, right next to each other, to facilitate aileron bell-crank maintenance.

The best we can do on the inboard section of the tube is to add some anti-chafe protection/tubing over the AOA tube. At the aileron bell-crank, we'll install snap bushings for mechanical control and protection.

Your RV-8 should be much easier!
Click to expand...

Thanks Ray
 
Dave: Not sure which "Van's pitot" hole you are talking about. The new Dynon AOA capable pitot tube fits into my existing Gretz pitot pylon. We are re-using the existing pitot tube (green plastic) into the fuselage and have added a second to handle the AOA signal. The pitot signal splits in the fuselage with one side going to the ADHRs (in the baggage area) and the other going forward to the instrument panel since I am retaining my existing airspeed indicator (mostly for esthetics).


Lee...
 
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