Craig

Craig

Well Known Member
I almost overlooked these bolts that are supposed to go in the main spar. There is nothing in the textual instructions or the drawings in the manual that refer to them, as far as I can tell.

I was just about to install the wings for the final time, and I was going through all of my related parts bins. There was one bin with a note from Van's labeled something like "tail wheel conversion bolts". Since I had ordered a quick build tailwheel model, I didn't see any need to convert anything, so I had forgotten about them.

It appears that the quick build wing spar is made to use with either the nosewheel airplanes or the tailwheel airplanes. If you have a tailwheel airplane, you must install 12 of these bolts. They are located on the front side of the center section spar, six on top - six on the bottom. Out of sight - out of mind.

My concern is that others might have missed this too, so here is a picture of some of the bolts. You can see three of them in this picture. They are the ones with the nylon lock nuts installed.

 
Thanks!!
I've been looking at those too!
I'm pretty close to installing the wings, so your post is timely and helpful.
 
Those

are the holes where the 8a steel gear weldments get attached. I bet if you left them out there wouldn't be a big problem.
 
8a

Since I don't have an 8A, I'm not positive. The note that came with the bolts said something to that effect, though.

I don't think a note in a parts bag is a very good way of communicating a construction procedure.

The note did say that the bolts must be installed if you have the taildragger. They tie in the web to the spar carry through members. I wouldn't leave them out.
 
Sid;
What do you mean 'spacer'?
Did you make a plate similar to the main gear weldament for the 8a? How thick? Aluminum or Steel?
Was that to distribute the bolt 'squeeze' on the carry thru to be similar to the original? :confused: Or were the bolts too long without the weldaments?
 
I used a piece of the thick wall aluminum tubing and cut it down so it fit neatly between the front and rear center section. For some reason I thought the instructions said to do this on the -7 but it's been a long time.

SHIPCHIEF said:
Sid;
What do you mean 'spacer'?
Did you make a plate similar to the main gear weldament for the 8a? How thick? Aluminum or Steel?
Was that to distribute the bolt 'squeeze' on the carry thru to be similar to the original? :confused: Or were the bolts too long without the weldaments?
Click to expand...
 
no spacer

The bolts that I showed only go through the front carry through spar, not both of them.

Therefore, they do not need a spacer.

I think there is another location were the bolts go through both the fore and aft carry through spars. Maybe the crotch belt fitting.
 
I just checked this out some more.
These bolts are in Bag # 999. I noticed in Craig's picture that he mounted these with the nuts forward. Any reason for this Craig?
I thought the convention for airplanes is 'top-down, front to back' for bolts & nuts unless otherwise stated?
Van's installation document does not state anything about this. It does state to torque these to 50 - 70 in-lbs. It would be easier to torque the nuts (prefered to torquing the bolts) with the nuts facing forward into the cockpit. Then your torque wrench would be easier to read...;)
 
I installed some of the nuts facing forward, and some facing aft.

Some of the locations are very difficult to access especially with the control torque tube installed.

The forward facing nuts were easier to torque, the aft facing ones were required because of interference with a bolt on the aft spar opposite those locations.
 
I just did it the same way as Craig. It took me about 2 hours to get 12 little bolts in, slip on the washers and install/torque the nuts up. I made a special bolt holding tool to slip into the spar carry through cavity, used and extension magnet, and a 7/16 wrench taped to a length of aluminum angle to install bolts, washers or nuts. Even the wife's arms are too big to fit inside the spar cavity.
 
How old was your QB? In my QB fuse, (recieved in June 2008), The bolts were already installed. A friend who is building an older QB had to install them, they were just in a parts bag.
 
It's there

I can't explain why you can't see the picture, assuming that you're talking about the one in the first post. Perhaps your computer has a security feature blocking it. If you click on where the placeholder is for the picture, maybe it will take you to the website where the image is stored.
 
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