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Finish Kit

Y

YME

Well Known Member
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I am in a holding mode at this time as I am waiting for Wing Skins that are on backorder and a Fuselage Kit that should be crating in Mid August. The 912-iS engine was ordered last December and had a lead time of 9-11months.

So, thought I would order the Finish Kit which has a lead time of 26 weeks. Did not look at that before or else I would have ordered it sooner. Anyhow, questions about the options that are available. This is for those that have completed or nearly completed their build. Should I get them or not.

1 Grove Wheels/Brakes $1540
2 Wheel Fairings. $1290
3. Glare Shield $170. Is this a tint on windscreen?
4 Canopy trim Kit. $110. Not sure what this looks like

On the interior trim, are there other options that you builders have used that you are happy with.
1 Covering for sidewalls $745
2. Carpet. $545
3. Baggage trim $390

Thank you,
-Martha
 
The items on that list really come down to your preferences and priorities, so be careful about taking advice too seriously. The only right answer comes down to what you want on your airplane. I bought just about every options, but would not necessarily recommend that for anyone else. I will comment on a few things though.

1 - There is a strong consensus that the Grove doesn't offer much advantage. Supposedly a little easier on the maintenance end but I'm not sure how much it matters. I have the Grove setup, it's very nice.
2 - If you are going to do the wheel fairings, do them now while you are still building. They are a considerable amount of work and there is a lot of fitting and re-fitting. I waited until after the airplane was flying and really regretted that. The work will be much easier if you are in your build environment and you have the wings off.
3 - Glare shield is a composite piece that rivets onto the canopy frame and blocks some of the light from the EFIS from reflecting on the canopy. Most people who fly at night say the reflection can be a problem.
 
Take my advice with a grain of salt, as a lot of this does come down to preference. But here's what I did and why:

1. I went with the Grove wheels. Generally I had gained the impression they're a bit higher quality and easier to work with than the standard wheels. Comparing them with the standard wheels, I can see they are certainly an upgrade, but it'll be some time before I know whether it was really worth it.

2. Wheel Fairings: I skipped these. I didn't find any comments to suggest they give a noticeable performance improvement, but I did find comments that they can make it more difficult to access the wheels. I was planning on trailering my 12, so they would have been in the way. One thing to note, the axles are different depending on whether or not you're installing the fairings so it'll cost more to order one and then switch to the other.

3. Glare shield: I included this. I figured anything that might help make the instruments more visible in bright sun, or reduce glare at night would be welcome. It's a trim piece that attaches to the top of the instrument cluster if I remember right. I haven't installed it yet, however.

4. Canopy trim, & carpet: I have these. I'm painting the interior myself with relatively inexpensive paint. I'm pleased with how it's going, but I figured the carpeting would both look better and be more rugged and more attractive. I suspect if you were using a high quality epoxy paint, there wouldn't be as much need to cover the paint. I'm not and I have no experience with it, so I can't say.

That's my logic, right or wrong.
 
Here are the before and after photos of my canopy trim, if you’re interested in what they look like.

I went with the full interior too. Very subjectively I felt it would give better thermal and sound insulation, but just my perception as I’ve not flown it without it.

And regarding the glare shield, I used #6-32 screws to attach mine vs. rivets and am glad I did. I ended up removing it a couple of times trying to find the best way to eliminate the reflection from the top of the shield into my eyes. Matte paint wasn’t adequate. I ended up applying 2”-wide adhesive backed Velcro (the loop side) to the top. It works great. You’ll also want to use fiberglass filler on the underside if you want a clean finish, as the bottom of mine was pretty rough.
 

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N8DAV8R said:
The items on that list really come down to your preferences and priorities, so be careful about taking advice too seriously. The only right answer comes down to what you want on your airplane. I bought just about every options, but would not necessarily recommend that for anyone else. I will comment on a few things though.

1 - There is a strong consensus that the Grove doesn't offer much advantage. Supposedly a little easier on the maintenance end but I'm not sure how much it matters. I have the Grove setup, it's very nice.
2 - If you are going to do the wheel fairings, do them now while you are still building. They are a considerable amount of work and there is a lot of fitting and re-fitting. I waited until after the airplane was flying and really regretted that. The work will be much easier if you are in your build environment and you have the wings off.
3 - Glare shield is a composite piece that rivets onto the canopy frame and blocks some of the light from the EFIS from reflecting on the canopy. Most people who fly at night say the reflection can be a problem.
Click to expand...
Nate,
Thanks for the info. In regards to the Wheel Fairings, I read that it is hard to add air when they are on. I thought they would have an access door or pop-out button to allow easy access.
 
Bob Y said:
Here are the before and after photos of my canopy trim, if you’re interested in what they look like.

I went with the full interior too. Very subjectively I felt it would give better thermal and sound insulation, but just my perception as I’ve not flown it without it.

And regarding the glare shield, I used #6-32 screws to attach mine vs. rivets and am glad I did. I ended up removing it a couple of times trying to find the best way to eliminate the reflection from the top of the shield into my eyes. Matte paint wasn’t adequate. I ended up applying 2”-wide adhesive backed Velcro (the loop side) to the top. It works great. You’ll also want to use fiberglass filler on the underside if you want a clean finish, as the bottom of mine was pretty rough.
Click to expand...
Bob-Y,
Do you know if the Interior trim is sent out by FlightLine and are other color choices available?
 
YME said:
Bob-Y,
Do you know if the Interior trim is sent out by FlightLine and are other color choices available?
Click to expand...
Yes they are and you can work with Abby to customize and upgrade. I was amazed at how little she charged me for my upgrades.
 
YME said:
Nate,
Thanks for the info. In regards to the Wheel Fairings, I read that it is hard to add air when they are on. I thought they would have an access door or pop-out button to allow easy access.
Click to expand...
I made a whole about 1" that aligns with the stem when it is at a 9 clock position. Also got a tire pen and made a T on each tire so I can easily roll to a position to align. Along with the air chuck linked below it's not too bad.

Others have made access doors. That may be easier. Pick your poison. No matter how you go about it, it's kind of a lot for what amounts to mostly cosmetics but I wouldn't have the airplane without at least having the option. My daughter is starting to train in the airplane so I'll be removing them for a while to make it easier for her to check.
 
N8DAV8R said:
I made a whole about 1" that aligns with the stem when it is at a 9 clock position. Also got a tire pen and made a T on each tire so I can easily roll to a position to align. Along with the air chuck linked below it's not too bad.

Others have made access doors. That may be easier. Pick your poison. No matter how you go about it, it's kind of a lot for what amounts to mostly cosmetics but I wouldn't have the airplane without at least having the option. My daughter is starting to train in the airplane so I'll be removing them for a while to make it easier for her to check.
Click to expand...
Thanks Nate, I like the idea of an access door and will search the forum to see if anyone has posted such. At least I can put in the 1" hole with a button cap.
 
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