Whats important, looks or following the official installation
Ted RV8 said:
Not wanting to open a can of worms here. I've read the threads on ELT antenna mountings on this site and really don't have a clear answer.
[1] Wanting to keep legal and pass my airworthiness inspection, where does one mount the antenna on an RV-8?
[2] Manufacturer states mount external and vertical (within 45 degrees). So where does it get mounted.
[3] Lots of RV-8's flying, I'm pretty sure they all have ELT's. Has anyone had difficulty getting airworthiness inspection with the above mentioned antenna locations?
Input would be appreciated!
[1] Based on you word "legal" you would mount it externally and vertical. That would typically be on the top rear fuselage, aft of the slider rail. Because the ELT needs to be close to the antenna and the ELT accessible (per the TSO'ed instructions), the ELT unit needs to be in the rear fuselage and a fuselage access panel will likely need to be added. (Having the ELT near the antenna keeps the coax short. It's kind of a bad idea running coax long distance due to increased likelihood of damage during a crash is the logic. Also after an emergency langing you may want to retrieve the ELT from the plane and use a portable antenna for many reasons, like your plane is on the shore and the tide is rising or the the fuselage antenna is inop.
[2] See [1]
[3] Builders hide their antennas all over as you know, wing tip, tail intersection fairing, in the cockpit and externally. You ask if anyone had problem getting it approved by a DAR is an unknown. I have not heard of any complaints. If you don't want to have a problem and a do it by the book guy, i.e., follow the manufactures instructions, than you can answer your own question, its in the manufactures installation manual. What your DAR buys remains to be seen. Some DAR's are picky or have pet peeves, like ELT installations. Most are cool and understand the experimental nature of our planes. However a DAR can make the argument the ELT is a TSO'ed device required by the FAR's, which applies to experimental's (which I believe is true). Part of a TSO'ed device is the installation, so the installation manual becomes part of the approval or compliance to the TSO.
WHY Deviate? Looks Looks Looks Looks. Guys want to hide it because it looks better, cleaner. Its not like a COM or GPS antenna you use all the time. Some are fatalist and feel it does not matter and is just a box to check but will do nothing in the real world no matter where the antenna is. I don't agree but to each his own. Second reason builders justify internal antenna mounting is drag, but at loss of 1/8 mph to 1/4th mph at top speed its pretty small.
Bottom line another decision you have to make. I do think the best of all the "internal" options is the cockpit, its vertically and plexi transparent. Also the EBC brand of ELT's has set the precedence for installing the ELT and antenna in the cockpit. For my RV-7 the ELT on the baggage floor (protected by a cover). A short coax run to the cockpit antenna protruding next to the canopy. You have ELT access and a short coax run.
I figured my plane will come to rest upside down at worst so this picture shows some of the options (cockpit, back, tail intersection, wingtip, plus glare shield/fwd windscreen).
Of course the plane can be in any final resting position after a emergency landing but upside down cockpit is OK. Wing tip and back look better, but if the wing tip gets ripped off than you are SOL. The intersection fairing looks blocked even if its sitting on the ramp on it's gear, much less upside down, where the horizontal stab will block it. Remember VHF is basically LOS, Line Of Sight. (click thumbnail)
