Has anyone figured out what the changes are? Sure would be nice if Van's let us know which step was effected.
 
We have all asked Van's to do a more formal revision system or at lease stay with the one they say they have, but they do not seem to grasp the concept or care enough about their customers to hear our complaints or requests for a system of revisions that actually works.

Some have also ask for simple concepts like a listing at the front of each chapter listing all parts used for that chapter, a list of any parts or supply items the customer must provide, and the tool list for that chapter.

It would be nice if they could be consistent on nomenclature of hardware from the inventory list to the drawings when we are ask to use the parts.

I fear I will win the Lottery long before Van's can manage to make many of these changes as they do not wish to see the problem so there is no problem to be fixed.

Best regards,
Vern
 
RV12 plans are very good...

Being a customer of prevoius RV's I think Vans has come a long way improving their plans. The current RV12 plans are the best they have ever produced. That said there is still room for improvement.

There is always a balance to be struck between new features and reworking exisisting. I guess current they still workinging on the last bit of RV12 plans like engine and avionics kits. And don't have time to revisit earlier RV12 plans to introduce new features into them. (You want the entire set of plans to be consistant) The Engine and Avionics kits are already 'late' so I don't think people can wait any longer to get slighlty better plans. The current ones are functional...

Maybe when all is done can they sit back and say, ok what now, how do we improve it? Or they can focus on the next model.

My 2cents, Regards, Rudi
 
Rudi makes a lot of sense. Having worked in a high pressure industry all my life I can well image what things are like in Van's Engineering Department these days.
 
I can not speak for anyone but my self, but the fix they added is barnyard at best and is not well thought out. I am sure they made it work with their tools in the factory shop and got some result that they wanted.

There is no standard socket size, is it a cheap heavy wall socket or a good twelve point Snap-on socket or a nice thin wall socket? What size hole are we after?

Why not just do it right, call out a larger hole in the fire wall and then put in the correct size grommet?

This is a big mistake on Van's part as most of us do not have the tools to drill out the hole nicely, but that is no excuse to not do the firewall correctly. After causing us to spend a lot of money on Proseal to seal the firewall and now asking us to "Ham & Egg it" is just not right.

As they already need to send us some solution to the sight gage in the fuel tank they could add the correct grommet to that package for almost no cost and do things in a clean and "Aircraft" way.

It would sure be nice to hear what the solution to the fuel tank problem is as well.

Best regards,
Vern
 
vernhendershott said:
< SNIP>
Why not just do it right, call out a larger hole in the fire wall and then put in the correct size grommet?

<SNIP>
Best regards,
Vern
Click to expand...

I have to admit, looking at that Modification, it looks a bit crude, there should be a better mod for it than currently stipulated. At least dimensions should be given. You want a sound structured FW.

On a side note I think us RV12 builders are too pampared and too finicky now. Some of the older RV model plans don't even tell you where to punch holes in your Firewall. They give you an aproximate then tell you to eyeball it and drill 'your' correct size. Wire penetration was at your own discretion.

Anycase it does not solve the crudeness around the current mod. I guess someone will find a better method soon and post it.

Regards,
Rudi
 
RudiGreyling said:
On a side note I think us RV12 builders are too pampared and too finicky now. Some of the older RV model plans don't even tell you where to punch holes in your Firewall. They give you an aproximate then tell you to eyeball it and drill 'your' correct size. Wire penetration was at your own discretion.
Click to expand...

You are right Rudi.

There is a -3 on our field that was one of the 1st built in the country. The "plans" have hand written notes on them from Van himself. You were pretty much on your own with no internet, and no forums. I have a lot of respect for anyone who has built an airplane. Pretty amazing we have come this far to be complaining about little things. I guess it is because we strive to do better.
 
On the other Van's kits (being built as EAB) it is up to the builder to do things the right way, as he sees it, if wire needs to go through the firewall you can do it several ways and all can be done in a "Workman like way".

This is an RV-12 built to ELSA and we are not permitted to say that we do not like the way Van's wants it done and change it to a better way. We are required to build it just exactly according to the plans even when they are wrong.

This is why we are concerned and complaining, it is because we can not fix these simple issues on our aircraft until after they have been certified and the five hours flown off.

Best regards,
Vern
 
mystery grommet

The change on 31-02 calls for modifying a 3/4dia grommet with a 1/4 in hole. The grommet shown on 31-03 is a 1" dia with a 3/8 hole. So I suspect the modified grommet (3/4 with a 1/2 in hole ) goes elsewhere, but dwg does not specify location. (step 1 on 31-03) There are two as yet unused holes. One at 3/4 dia and one at 1/2 dia. Is the 3/4 hole the likely location?????
Dick Seiders
 
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