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Pitot holes

cjensen

cjensen

Well Known Member
i've drilled the holes for the wiring coduit, but before i get to riveting the ribs to the spar, what provisions (if any) do i need to make for pitot lines? are the tooling holes near the front of each main rib already to size, or are these even used?
 
My opinion is that the tooling holes along the forward end of the main wing ribs are NOT ideal for the pitot run...at least not where it exits the wing and enters the fuselage.

There's a Construction FAQ on Van's site about where they suggest the pitot exits the wing. Here is a direct link to it.

My 2 cents is -- run your wires & pitot tubing low and aft relative to the first/forward lightening hole. This makes entry into the fuselage simpler, and it keeps stuff out of the way of the aileron pushrod.
 
okay, i may have made a boo boo here... :eek: i drilled the holes for the wiring conduit on top and aft relative to the first lightening hole.

i see that vans recommends to use the tooling holes forward of the lightening holes for pitot lines...

so, first, how big a mistake is the conduit holes where they are located? and second, if it will work in that location, should i drill the pitot holes in the lower portion aft of the first lightening hole?
 
Not a huge deal. The catch is that the location you picked will probably end up jutting into the fuselage *above* the seat pan...obviously not desirable. Imho you want your wires entering the fuselage beneath the seats.

If it's any consolation, I put my conduit in the top forward corner, which is equally undesirable...since it dead ends into the F-704 side doubler. Can't penetrate there. So in my case I had to "S" the wires to enter the fuselage. You'll probably have to do something similar. Not ideal, but not a huge deal.
 
Chad,

This may be too late to help but you never know.

At the top of my wing page I talk about the little jig I made to locate the conduit holes. Maybe you could do something similar for your pitot tube holes.

Here is a picture of where I ran my pitot tube and AoA lines, per the Van's document Dan mentioned.
 
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dan said:
Not a huge deal. The catch is that the location you picked will probably end up jutting into the fuselage *above* the seat pan...obviously not desirable. Imho you want your wires entering the fuselage beneath the seats.

If it's any consolation, I put my conduit in the top forward corner, which is equally undesirable...since it dead ends into the F-704 side doubler. Can't penetrate there. So in my case I had to "S" the wires to enter the fuselage. You'll probably have to do something similar. Not ideal, but not a huge deal.
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well, that does make me feel better dan. thanks! i'll deal with it when i get to that point, and i'll check out how you did it when i get there. :)
 
 
cjensen said:
ha! funny you should post that bill! i already copied your little jig idea to locate my conduit holes! thanks!

from my website:

3-23-06-010w.jpg


3-25-06-002w.jpg


i'm gonna run the pitot line as vans says to...learn something new each day! i didn't even know that document from vans website existed. :( wish i would've looked a little harder before i made the conduit holes. oh well, it'll work out. :rolleyes:
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It is good to know that web site helps someone every now and then. My goal was to add to the already great information on Dan's and other sites.
 
Pitot

N941WR said:
Here is a picture of where I ran my pitot tube and AoA lines, per the Van's document Dan mentioned.
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I'm getting ready to prime the ribs for the left wing (doing one wing at a time). I was planning to run the pitot as per the drawing (basically in the tooling tole at the front of the rib, with glands of course). One of the tooling holes is just the right size for the gland being used. I note from the picture that you are using plastic tube for the pitot line. I kind of assumed that the soft aluminium tube would run all the way back to the fuselage. Care to clarify for me? Thanks,

PS. Special thanks to Chad for being just a fraction ahead of me and asking all the questions I need answers for! Thanks Chad :D
 
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Jeff,

I am using the Pitot-Static Air Plumbing Kit from SafeAir1 rather than the aluminum tubing. There is no reason why you can't use the aluminum tubing, it has worked fine for many years and builders.

FYI, I have also installed the SafeAir1 static ports.
 
AntiGravity said:
PS. Special thanks to Chad for being just a fraction ahead of me and asking all the questions I need answers for! Thanks Chad :D
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well shucks... :eek: you're quite welcome! :D
 
Conduit holes

what would be the harm in making another set of holes per vans plans to run the coduit where it should be run? is there a structural issue if i did this?

also, i just ordered the safeair1 kit. nice kit and easy install! thanks for the easy link bill!
 
Do you guys know if the Safeair1 Pitot mast can be mounted to cover the hole that was drilled for the standard Van's Pitot tube? It looks like it overhangs the spar flange, just not sure if it would cover the hole or not if that is the same location...

Also, do you know if the Gretz heated Pitot will fit on the SafeAir1 mast?

- Matt
 
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