[Jamie]

I'm posting this to the general forum because it applies to the -6A, -7A and -9A.

I'm fitting my gear leg weldments (ARRRRHGHGHGH!!!!!!) and am wondering if I should go ahead and bolt them in permanantly now or if I should wait until I paint the interior. What have others done?

I'm not painting the floor (it's getting covered with carpet) so that's not a factor.

 

[Scott Will]

I waited to put them in until after painting. I ended up repainting the interior and pulled the weldments out to do it again.

I thought you were going the traildragger route now? Maybe that was someone else?

 

[Davepar]

Aren't those buggers fun (not)? After installing/removing them about a dozen times you can do it with your eyes closed.

One of the next steps is to run the fuel and brake lines, so you'll be permanently mounting them soon. I painted the side and bottom skins underneath them, but didn't really need to. I'm planning on using one of the interior kits that covers them up.

 

[Davepar]

Of course you could put off the fuel/brake lines for a while.

 

[Jamie]

I thought you were going the traildragger route now? Maybe that was someone else?

No Scott, sadly that was me.

I've drifted back and forth on the taildragger thing so many times I've now officially changed my mind more times than my underwear.

Although I've gotta tell you...it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new right gear leg weldment because in my haste I neglected to get it completely flush with the spar web. That thing is gonna cost me more than $160 bucks...which is probably the cost of returning the nose wheel parts and ordering the tailwheel parts. Not to mention the fact that I can't even get the left one in there and from what I've read from other people it looks like Van's basically refuses to admit that they're defective and send you another one, so that would be another $160.

 

[Kahuna]

There is still time

No Scott, sadly that was me.
That thing is gonna cost me more than $160 bucks.

THis is a sign. You should not have chosen the sissy wheel Jamie. THere is still time. Junk the weldements! Ditch the sissy wheel!

Kahuna

 

[Scott Will]

Well I guess if you see a sissy wheel on mine over at LZU, I'll be prepared for the hazing.

One thing that makes them easier to take in/out is if you remove a nutplate or two on the spar cap. Since you're doing a slow build you may not have those on there yet. But on my QB, I found out late in the process that if I remove those buggers, they slide in/out so much easier. You're right, I can do it blind with one hand tied behind my back now.

Did you make the cutouts in the bottom skin yet?

 

[mgomez]

Before you switch...

Let me tell ya, boys, getting the tailwheel bracket in the back end of an RV-7 is no picnic, either. At least not for a QB. It involves a lot of try-and-fit. The aft-most bulkhead, which bolts to the back end of the tailwheel bracket, does not come on and off the fuselage easily, and each test fit requires an on/off cycle.

So switch for whatever reasons please you, but don't think it's going to get any easier. The good news is: there's only one tailwheel, but two main gear weldments!

Cheers,
Martin

 

[rv8ch]

tailwheel bracket

Let me tell ya, boys, getting the tailwheel bracket in the back end of an RV-7 is no picnic, either. At least not for a QB.

Wow. The tailwheel was already installed with my 8 QB, thankfully.

 

[Jamie]

Wow. The tailwheel was already installed with my 8 QB, thankfully.

Probably because there are other differences in the 8's (gear towers) so they can't build a generic quickbuild. The QB -7 and -7A fuses are identical.

 

[Jamie]

Wow. The tailwheel was already installed with my 8 QB, thankfully.

Probably because there are other differences in the 8's (gear towers) so they can't build a generic quickbuild. The QB -7 and -7A fuses are identical.

And Scott: Yeah, I did cut the holes in the floor...and I also have my steps riveted in and of course the aft deck is riveted on as well so converting to a taildragger at this point is certainly doable but it's a bit of work.

By the way, have you all noticed that Van's doesn't list all their parts in the parts.txt file on their website? Was trying to price the TD parts just for giggles but can't find half of them on there (engine mount, gear legs, etc are NOT there).

 

[RV_7A]

No Scott, sadly that was me.

I've drifted back and forth on the taildragger thing so many times I've now officially changed my mind more times than my underwear.

Although I've gotta tell you...it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new right gear leg weldment because in my haste I neglected to get it completely flush with the spar web. That thing is gonna cost me more than $160 bucks...which is probably the cost of returning the nose wheel parts and ordering the tailwheel parts. Not to mention the fact that I can't even get the left one in there and from what I've read from other people it looks like Van's basically refuses to admit that they're defective and send you another one, so that would be another $160.

Jamie, check this out... its the left one as well...they replaced it when I called and had them go to this link while I was on the phone with them. I promptly returned mine in the box I received the new one in.

-Jeff
http://www.jeffsrv-7a.com/FUSELAGE/04-06-16.htm

 

[Stephen Lindberg]

I'm posting this to the general forum because it applies to the -6A, -7A and -9A.

I'm fitting my gear leg weldments (ARRRRHGHGHGH!!!!!!) and am wondering if I should go ahead and bolt them in permanantly now or if I should wait until I paint the interior. What have others done?

I'm not painting the floor (it's getting covered with carpet) so that's not a factor.

I fit the main landing gear weldments (including cutting the holes in the belly skin) while assembling the forward fuselage. It was easy to accurately drill the holes in the fuselage sides doing it that way, too. I didn't fit the brake lines nor the fuel lines until after I had painted the interior. Now that the painting is done I am bending fuel lines. The weldments will be permantently installed with the fuel lines (I think/hope) Steve

 

[Scott Will]

One thing that keeps bugging me is... will I need to pull them out if I can't get the wing bolts in? I just hope that when the time comes, the holes in the weldments will line up with the ones through the spar. Of course that means ripping out the fuel and brake lines.

 

[Highflight]

Scott, I wonder if you recall seeing a note that was tucked in with your QB kit inventory envelope that addressed what I think you are concerned with.

The note points out that when the QB fuse if built, it is built with a false spar used to maintain the alignment between the bolt holes on the bulkhead sides.
When this support is removed, things shift a little, and Van's says: "This apparent mis-alignment has caused a few builders, particularly those with QuickBuild kits, some concern".

It then goes on to explain what to do to get things back into alignment.

Did you get that particular service note and is that what's causing your concern?

 

[Derrell]

Scott, I've had my wings on with "Hardware Store" bolts thru the holes. they are accessable with the gear weldments installed. It will be somewhat of a challenge to get the nuts & washers on, but what hasn't challenged us while building. We just have to get inventive.

Derrell
RV7A
STILL Fighting Canopy

 

[Jamie]

Solution Found

I finally found the problem with my weldment fit and I thought I would post it here for posterity's sake so that any poor soul with this issue in the future may be able to find the solution here.

Here was the problem with my weldment:

Take note of the tiny red arrow (sorry 'bout that). The arrow points to a rivet that was interfering with the weldment. After I filed down the weldment a bit, it slid right into place without too much fuss and NO pre-loading...which is awesome. And to think...it only took me a week of very frustrating evenings to find the problem.

You can probably note from the picture that the weldment is still not sitting pefectly flush on the web of the center section. Did others have this same issue? My next step will be to try Roberta's solution of countersinking the holes for the rivets.

 

[RV_7A]

Jamie,

I too had the same issue. Its like they didn't cut away the weldment to clear that rivet head like they did for the others. The Dremel took care of it just fine.

-Jeff

 

[Davepar]

Yup. Now that you mention it, I remember grinding that spot as well. I think there's also a spot where you need some washers between the mount and the spar. Don't forgot those.

After doing all of that, one mount fit perfectly for me. The other one sat off the spar a tiny bit on one side like yours. It was maybe 1/32" gap. Once I put in the hardware store bolts and snugged them down, the gear mount sat nice and flush to the spar.

 

[pbesing]

Scott, I wonder if you recall seeing a note that was tucked in with your QB kit inventory envelope that addressed what I think you are concerned with.

The note points out that when the QB fuse if built, it is built with a false spar used to maintain the alignment between the bolt holes on the bulkhead sides.
When this support is removed, things shift a little, and Van's says: "This apparent mis-alignment has caused a few builders, particularly those with QuickBuild kits, some concern".

It then goes on to explain what to do to get things back into alignment.

Did you get that particular service note and is that what's causing your concern?

Whew boy, did I have trouble here. My QB gear weldments were so far off, Van's sent me two new ones, and gear legs to match. Fitting them to the fuse when they weren't drilled together with the fuse was impossible. The holes wouldn't even come close to lining up. I had to tip the fuse, clamp new ones in while maintaining gear leg alignment. With a floor pan already in the fuse, this task was monsterous. This was in 1999, and I don't think they knew much about it then. I had suggestions from them like putting a jack with 4X4 studs on each end and jacking the fuselage apart at the 604 bulkhead to make the fuselage "stretch and shift" so that the holes would line up. I didn't like that idea at all, so I just drilled new ones.