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Van's Mounting Bracket for Strobe P/S

Mike,

I've just recieved one. It mounts to the upper and lower J channel stiffeners with blind rivets immediately behind the bagagge bulkhead wall. It doesn't need rivets in the side skin and looks a fairly easy install.

I too had previously though of mounting the strobe under the baggage floors (and installed platenuts to boot) but now I think I'll just use Van's kit, mainly because it'll help with some slight oil-canning I have just below the upper J stiffener on the left hand side.

It's not installed yet, but I can take some pictures later with the bracket pushed in place if you want.

Richard
 
sporran said:
--- snip ---

I've just recieved one. It mounts to the upper and lower J channel stiffeners with blind rivets immediately behind the bagagge bulkhead wall. It doesn't need rivets in the side skin and looks a fairly easy install.

--- snip ---

Richard
Click to expand...
My RV-6 has been flying 9 years and 1,956 hours. I installed my ELT then relocated the tail strobe power supply to my homemade bracket that is mounted as you described above.
 
Photo update

Mike,

As promised, here are some shots of a rightside bracket. The bracket can slide along to whatever you want on the J stringers (the upper and lower bracket flanges can be adjusted with the hand seamers). The top flange lies under the upper J stringer and need drilled, the bottom comes pre-drilled and lies underneath the bottom of the lower stringer (if that makes sense). The whole mount lies proud of the side skin.

101006_Vans_strobe_mount.jpg


Here's a close-up. Sorry for the photographs, I'm no Doug Reeves...

101006_Angled_shot.jpg


The instructions are literally step-by-step. I can see why the -10 builders have it so easy! :)

101006_Instructions.jpg
 
Richard,

Thanks for all the info and pics. I think I'm going to go this route. I was going to put it under the baggage compartment floor but the net gain in forward CG doesn't seem worth the extra work (I'll just ask the wife to lose two more pounds). I also did not like the idea of mounting it to the skin.
 
How do you pull the rivets on the bottom?

I just received my brackets today. They look like they will work fine, but, I don't see how the pop rivets can be pulled on the bottom, there isn't room with the way the fuselage curves. Perhaps the bracket could be flexed out enought to pull them from the inside. The top rivets aren't an issue. Those who haven't skinned the fuselage yet should consider installing these first.

Maybe you can buy a really small pop rivet gun! Or maybe I'm missing something!
 
You don't have to mount it to the skin

I also did not like the idea of mounting it to the skin.
Click to expand...

Mike,

Just do you know, you can mount it under the seat pan without mounting to the skin. I used pieces of angle mounted to the seat pan ribs (not Vans premade piece).

Hugh
 
Yep, I agree that's the proper way to do it and the method I intended to use if I put it there. However, I implemented the KISS principle of engineering and decided to put it in the aft fuselage.
 
I have been struggling with where to put my ELT (Amer-King AK-450). I was originally hoping to put it under the baggage floor, but in all honestly I think it's a just a bit too thick to put it there.

After Van's started shipping their new bracket I thought I would give it a try. It seems like it would work OK, but what about the rudder cable passing behind there? It seems to me that there is too little clearance and you would start chaffing your rudder cable.

2006-10-22.1757.jpeg


....still looking for a good place to put that ELT....
 
I just put this thing in last night. I'm writing a review of it for next week's RV Builder's Hotline. Getting a pop rivet up into those bottom holes is a real PITA, at least with my pop riveter), but I guess it's an OK thing.

I too was concerned about the rudder cable, but after i got it in, the clearance seemed OK. I may take off a little off the flange though, just to be sure.
 
F-7129 Installation

I am in the process of installing the strobe/ELT brackets. The installation is straight forward with the exception of pulling the bottom rivets that attach the bracket to the stiffener. I see that the problem has been mentioned, but with no suggestions on how to do it. Is there a pop riveter that is small enough for installing these rivets? Has anyone just ignored the predrilled holes and drilled through the radius of the lower flange of the bracket into the radius of the stiffener? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks;
Jearld
Fuselage, 91066
 
I'm getting ready to mount mine, but have a question. The drawings that came with the bracket show it mounting with the flange underneath the bottom stringer(naturally) but it's shown not to touch the the part of the stringer that curves upward. It would be so much easier to press the bracket against the stringer to drill those bottom holes. For those of you that have mounted it, do your's touch the stringer or is it away from it? Can anyone see problem if it touches?
 
Bend the outside flanges around 45 degrees - doesn't remove much strength and gives more clearance for the rudder cable. I also put teflon tape on the edge after removing a little and smoothing.
 
pulled rivets on strobe p.s. bracket

The installation is straight forward with the exception of pulling the bottom rivets that attach the bracket to the stiffener. I see that the problem has been mentioned, but with no suggestions on how to do it. Is there a pop riveter that is small enough for installing these rivets?
Click to expand...

gee, i'm glad i didn't read this thread first, i wouldn't have been able to get mine done. ;) installed mine last week. when it came to pulling the rivets, i scratched my head a little, then tried the following (which worked for me):

insert the rivet into the hole first. "bend" the mandrel out far enough to slide the rivet puller on it. (don't acually "kink" the mandrel, just sort of curve it.) i was able to slide the puller all the way up to the head of the rivet and pull it that way.
 
Install the mount(s) as early as possible

preferably while the tailcone is assembled. That flash of inspiration came to me while lying across the sharp-edged baggage bulkhead trying to angle the pop rivet tool to the least-most carpal tunnel inducing position.

Steve
 
Van's just keeps on getting better and better!

Back in the day, like a year and a half ago, they didn't have such things so I elected to install my ELT and strobe power supply under the baggage compartment.

The ELT is mounted to the rib, not the skin and the strobe PS is mounted to the lid, as you can see. If I were to do it again, I would mount the ELT to the lid as well.

ELT:


Strobe Power Supply:
 
F-7129 ELT/Strobe Mount Plate

Finished attaching the Mount plate today. The trick is to use the LP3-4 rivets for securing the plate to both stringers. After clecoing 2 #30 rivet holes on the bottom flange have someone pull the bracket away from the fuselage. Insert the Pop Rivet and then place a round aluminum spacer 3/8 inch long over the stem of the pop rivet then place the nose of the hand pop riveter in place. The EAA web video site for Helpful Hints has a similar approach for pop riveting in close against structure. I made my 3/8 long spacer from 1/4 inch diameter solid Aluminum rod and drilled a hole slightly off center to accept the stem. the top of the cylinder was also cut at an angle to give it a wedge shape. I wish I knew how to post a picture to show how this works. I tried riveting with a AN470 AD4 and had to remove 2 and learn to use the pop riveter wedge.
 
I attached the strobe power supply on the floor behind the passenger seat back and straddling the mid pair of ribs. I used 4 of 10-32 rivnuts that are tucked in close to the ribs. The installation seems robust.
psmountum3.jpg


I rolled my own ELT mount with extruded angle stiffeners mounted on the back of the RH flap linkage cover. It is very robust.
eltmount2kh7.jpg

eltmount4wg7.jpg


Both were cheap and simple and keep the cg fwd. Plus the ELT is accessible in an emergency if needed. It does tend to clutter the baggage area though.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Wiring etc
 
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