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DanFrazer

Member
Hello All,

I don't post that often, but thought I could use the help/experience to decide what to do next. Here is my status:

  • Empennage - Done
  • Wings - Done (except wing tip lights)
  • Fuselage - Done, on the gear in a week or two
  • Systems - Controls, Tank/Fuel lines done

I ordered the 912iS engine kit at the end of April 2023. I probably won't receive it until February 2024. Sooooo....that leaves me a few months with not much to do if I follow the order that I originally wanted. Here are the big major items that I need to work on next:

  1. Cowling - need engine
  2. Canopy - could do, but don't want to attach tail cone yet ALSO it's about to get cold in Ohio over the next couple months
  3. Stabilator counterbalance SB
  4. Wheel Pants - Could do, but wanted to save something to get my build fix when my -12 is flying. Plus, I don't want them on as I learn how to land the plane well
  5. Avionics - haven't ordered that one yet. Waiting till after I recover from engine kit cost

Could I cleco the tailcone onto the fuselage to do the canopy? I want to leave the tail cone not riveted to the fuselage as long as possible.

I need more room in the shop, so I'm also considering mounting the wings and drilling the torque tubes so I can move the wings to a friends hangar.

What do you guys think would be the best thing to work on next to keep myself occupied until the motor shows up?
 

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I did not attach my tail cone to install my canopy and rear window. The baggage compartment bulkhead and turtle deck skins gave plenty of rigidity for solid alignment. That said, you definitely don’t want to drill & cut acrylic in cool weather, so yes, better to hold off on that until warmer days. So for you, Dan, that’s probably August :). That was a joke. I grew up in Ohio myself.
 
Drill the torque tubes

You want to do that before you attach the tail cone anyhow. I was able (with my kids help) to mount the wings sticking out the garage door, drill the tubes and dismount the wings in a day, so I could close up the garage at night.

Down side is that it is a short task unless you run into a lot of difficulty getting the spar holes to align.
 
Canopy. You can do the canopy without the tail attached. It's one of the bigger jobs, my recommendation would be to get that done while waiting for the power plant kit. You're on a similar schedule to what I followed, with canopy and some loose ends being done during the winter before engine and avionics showed up the following spring/summer.
 
I will be there sometime this winter. My finish kit is scheduled to ship Jan-Feb.

I will be doing canopy late spring without the tailcone attached.
 
Brantel said:
I will be there sometime this winter. My finish kit is scheduled to ship Jan-Feb.

I will be doing canopy late spring without the tailcone attached.
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Weren't there some issues with doing the canopy without the tailcone attached? I don't recall for sure.
 
mbell said:
Weren't there some issues with doing the canopy without the tailcone attached? I don't recall for sure.
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After searching a bit, I couldn’t find anything related to that issue.
I cannot for the life of me imagine why doing the canopy without the empennage attached would affect it.

:confused:
 
mbell said:
Weren't there some issues with doing the canopy without the tailcone attached? I don't recall for sure.
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Have never seen a legitimate issue that would prevent doing so. Many have done it. Its not like that rear turtle deck skin can go anywhere once it is tied to the fuse and the aft end gets its shape from the baggage bulkhead.

If anyone finds a reason, please share! One never knows what they don't know. LOL
 
I found a bunch of posts on the RV-12 FB site about this (search for "canopy + tailcone"). Some said it's no problem, and others said it was. Supposedly the weight of the tailcone and stabilator pulls the roll bar aft and changes some gap or alignment. One post says that Van's has a weighted "fake tail" that they attach to the fuselage when building the SLSAs in order to avoid the problem. Would be easier to work on with no tailcone for sure.
 
DanFrazer said:
Could I cleco the tailcone onto the fuselage to do the canopy? I want to leave the tail cone not riveted to the fuselage as long as possible.

I need more room in the shop, so I'm also considering mounting the wings and drilling the torque tubes so I can move the wings to a friends hangar.

What do you guys think would be the best thing to work on next to keep myself occupied until the motor shows up?
Click to expand...

I done exactly that - I cleco'd on the tail cone and turtle side skins and completed the canopy and the rear window, without any issues.
 

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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I could try to get started on the canopy just worried about the ambient temperature. I don’t want to rush it and crack it. It’ll be a couple more weeks till it’s on the gear since I’m also waiting for shims from Vans to finish that. Thinking about getting the nose wheel fork powder coated along with the steps too.

I think once I get it on the gear, I’ll drill flaperon torque tubes, do the wing tip lights and get the wings moved out of my garage. Taking up too much space. We’ll see how long for the engine after I get all that done.

I guess I could always go with renewing Netflix subscription for a couple months!
 
I agree with the fiberglass idea. I’m doing the glass on my tips now waiting for my finishing kit (RV-7). I understand the 12 has less glass work though.
 
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I would be looking at some of the small thinks that will need to be done. Initial layout and cut of brackets. Plan and document your electrical system. Install your tip lights. Begin thinking about your paint scheme. Reserve a tail number. It doesn’t get that cold where you are to stop your progress.
 
Bruce said:
Dan
You could also start to Polish it.

Haven't seen a 12 polished
Boomer
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My Cyclo finally showed up a couple weeks ago. Currently practicing on some other sheet stock and a fuse skin I had to replace. Winter project. ;)
 
Start reading all of the manuals (there are many) for your engine and avionics. Granted that actually having the equipment on-hand to touch and operate helps, but reading in advance is a good time consumer and sleep inducer.
 
Build on, no reason to not connect tail, at most it just made a few things a little harder and it would be more frustrating trying to work around it. Building my second and just mounted wings and set flaperons and controls and trimmed wings. Finished painting interior, did fuel, brakes and wheels, fuselage electrical and controls prior. Doing paint prep for tail and wings next to get a full coat of epoxy primer before it gets too cold, then on to canopy and avionics while waiting on engine. You are right to wait on cowl since the cut lines are sometimes off.
 
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