Nose Wheel Pant

[Capflyer]

After a few hours of joy in phase 1 flying, it is time to put on the wheel pants and leg fairings. Yesterday I pulled out all the pieces and the two wheel pants for the mains look ok but the one for the nose wheel is really bad. I am wondering if this is normal or do I need to call our buddies in OR tomorrow? The front and back do not match up very well. It looks like it is the front that is very poorly cut around the section that mates to the aft section over the flange. Very crooked cut, fits way too tightly....had to force it on, and there is a huge gap where it meets. To me it appears the front piece was cut back too much.

Is this another normal Vans poor fiberglass work or is this one finally an exception?

 

[pierre smith]

Mike,

.......simply lay the forward piece down on the cut side. Lay a pencil or sharp marker on the table/floor and draw all around the nose piece and you'll have a nice, straight line. Then trim outside the line and sand carefully with a block to tidy it up.

Don't worry too much about it fitting. The nutplates/screws will pull it all together.

Happy flying,

 

[robertahegy]

Pierre is exactly right. True up the joint first. Then join the front and back halves making sure to start from the top, and work your way down each side. That way the excess will wind up on the bottom, and not a bulge on the top, like you have in the picture. The bottom will need to be trimmed out for the nose wheel and any excess will be ground away during that trimming process.

Van's makes good, sturdy fiberglass products. You make them beautiful. All part of the learning process.

Roberta