Van's Air Force
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Ordering Fuselage Soon - What Else Do I Need?
- Thread starter Naruto
- Start date
I'm also getting ready to order the fus. kit. Here is what I think I'm going to do. I was going to order both fus. and finishing kits together as well as this list of extra items:
Fuel injection pump kit
Flap Position System
Safety Trim system
Lights and strope kit.
I was hopeing to save a little bit on shipping this way.
Rick Maury
Tail and left wing done
Instead of a part owner in an airplane, I'm an owner of a part airplane
Fuel injection pump kit
Flap Position System
Safety Trim system
Lights and strope kit.
I was hopeing to save a little bit on shipping this way.
Rick Maury
Tail and left wing done
Instead of a part owner in an airplane, I'm an owner of a part airplane
Jeff R
Well Known Member
Get extra 3/8" tubing for the fuel lines and extra AN fittings.
The steps, if you want steps
Andair fuel valve
Autopilot pitch servo bracket
Brake kit for thet righ side
Aileron trim kit
Safeair static source kit
Stobes kit (though you can put that off)
ELT
Having the fininishing kit is nice. If you get the finishing kit (getting the engine mount prior to permanantly attaching the firewall is great), also order the battery and the wiring you think you will need. These items are heavy and having them shipped freight at the same time will save a bunch compared to shipping them UPS later.
But, realize that you will be making frequent orders to Van's and ACS, so some things you can put off some things a while if you want. At this point, I have all of my kits with the engine on its way, but I still have yet to order strobes or any instruments.
The steps, if you want steps
Andair fuel valve
Autopilot pitch servo bracket
Brake kit for thet righ side
Aileron trim kit
Safeair static source kit
Stobes kit (though you can put that off)
ELT
Having the fininishing kit is nice. If you get the finishing kit (getting the engine mount prior to permanantly attaching the firewall is great), also order the battery and the wiring you think you will need. These items are heavy and having them shipped freight at the same time will save a bunch compared to shipping them UPS later.
But, realize that you will be making frequent orders to Van's and ACS, so some things you can put off some things a while if you want. At this point, I have all of my kits with the engine on its way, but I still have yet to order strobes or any instruments.
grjtucson
Well Known Member
Some threads and thoughts...
Here are 3 threads that might be worth looking at:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=9072
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=14769
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=23973
Summary for me, particularly now that my fuse is nearly done is:
- right side brakes
- manual aileron trim
- Van's static kit
- parking brake
- fuel injection boost pump (still don't have it, and need it sooner than later for fitting)
- conduit for under seats & baggage compartments
- material to make access panel forward of sub-panel ala Checkoway
- removable left stick
- ELT
- battery box / starter contactor / master contactor
Other than Van's:
- long AN3 bolts for brake pedals
- ground buses (both sides of firewall)
- Alt. current limiter (big fuse)
- stainless steel heater valve
- a/p pitch servo
- Bonaco hoses for brake lines (wait until you can measure)
- AN fittings for brake hoses
- improved tailwheel fork (Bell for me)
- solid link vs. chains on tailwheel (can order later)
A lot of that stuff can come later, and there's other stuff not on the list that can be built when you build the fuse., but the list above works for the way I've done things. If you're eventually going to use the FWF kit, there's a lot of stuff on my list from that. Bottom line is you could order everything all at once if you knew exactly how you were going to build things and had made all your decisions in advance. That would be very unusual though
If I had it to do over again I'd start and the tailcone and work forward, building the firewall last. It's the first thing Van's has you build and you end up drilling out a bunch of stuff and cutting the firewall when it would have been MUCH easier to do that as the firewall was being built up. 20/20 hindsight...
George
Here are 3 threads that might be worth looking at:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=9072
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=14769
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=23973
Summary for me, particularly now that my fuse is nearly done is:
- right side brakes
- manual aileron trim
- Van's static kit
- parking brake
- fuel injection boost pump (still don't have it, and need it sooner than later for fitting)
- conduit for under seats & baggage compartments
- material to make access panel forward of sub-panel ala Checkoway
- removable left stick
- ELT
- battery box / starter contactor / master contactor
Other than Van's:
- long AN3 bolts for brake pedals
- ground buses (both sides of firewall)
- Alt. current limiter (big fuse)
- stainless steel heater valve
- a/p pitch servo
- Bonaco hoses for brake lines (wait until you can measure)
- AN fittings for brake hoses
- improved tailwheel fork (Bell for me)
- solid link vs. chains on tailwheel (can order later)
A lot of that stuff can come later, and there's other stuff not on the list that can be built when you build the fuse., but the list above works for the way I've done things. If you're eventually going to use the FWF kit, there's a lot of stuff on my list from that. Bottom line is you could order everything all at once if you knew exactly how you were going to build things and had made all your decisions in advance. That would be very unusual though
If I had it to do over again I'd start and the tailcone and work forward, building the firewall last. It's the first thing Van's has you build and you end up drilling out a bunch of stuff and cutting the firewall when it would have been MUCH easier to do that as the firewall was being built up. 20/20 hindsight...
George
David_Nelson
Well Known Member
Extra stock
Hi Dan,
In addition to the above items, I'd take advantage of the big box and order some extra stock. Namely:
- 24" of z-channel (handy for mounting stuff like ELT or strobe power supply)
- double up on aluminum tubing for the fuel supply (what they supply is enough if you know exactly what you are doing and get it right the 1st time).
- if you've decided on the AFP fuel injection w/ the purge valve, double up on 1/4" aluminum tubing (ie brake line stuff)
- some .030 aluminum sheet (say 4' x 3' or there abouts)
- some aluminum angle (couple of feet of various sizes and thickness)
Take care,
Hi Dan,
In addition to the above items, I'd take advantage of the big box and order some extra stock. Namely:
- 24" of z-channel (handy for mounting stuff like ELT or strobe power supply)
- double up on aluminum tubing for the fuel supply (what they supply is enough if you know exactly what you are doing and get it right the 1st time).
- if you've decided on the AFP fuel injection w/ the purge valve, double up on 1/4" aluminum tubing (ie brake line stuff)
- some .030 aluminum sheet (say 4' x 3' or there abouts)
- some aluminum angle (couple of feet of various sizes and thickness)
Take care,
How about a tailwheel?
Oh boy, I had considered a tailwheel and kept going back and forth and finally went with the "A" so I don't have to get a endorsement and more training.
osxuser
Well Known Member
I don't know if the gear is part of the Fuse or the Finish kit, but given the recent discussions on the -A models, I'd exclude the Matco nosewheel, and order one from Grove or Cleveland...
Also consider leaving out all the aluminum tubing and ordering some of the harder 5052 tubing from spruce... the 3003 aluminum tubing that Van's ships is a little on the soft side for making nice clean bends in.
Also consider leaving out all the aluminum tubing and ordering some of the harder 5052 tubing from spruce... the 3003 aluminum tubing that Van's ships is a little on the soft side for making nice clean bends in.
N941WR
Legacy Member
It was said earlier, this would also be a good time to install the bracket for an autopilot pitch servo.
IMHO, don't bother with a flap position or trim sensor. Just extra weight and complexity. You can look out the window and see where the flaps are and with manual trim, you can feel it through the stick and the position of the knob.
Other things I ordered at this time were an Affordable Panels panel, stick grips, and throttle quadrant.
As someone already said, this would be a good time to order a parking brake and while you are at it, order a bunch of wire, although Van's may not have the best price on it at this time.
From Aircraft Spruce (or other source), you might also wish to order the following:
1. An extra 1/4 pound of each of the more common rivets
2. Assortments of AN bolts, washers, nuts, and cotter pins
3. ssortment of every conceivable size of Adel clamp
4. A boat load of all the different plate nuts ( two lug, one lug, & corner nuts in 6-32 and 8-32)
5. A starter kit of assorted crimp on electrical connectors. (Affordable Panels used to sell a great set, maybe someone else is doing that now. Fabian, we miss you!)
In other words, now is the time to finalize your list of "options" and start ordering them.
Just remember to build the plane you want and not the plane others want you to build!
