Home

Section 5 - Van`s Aircraft, Inc.

1. AN822 8D VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 28 CONCLUSION The manual now changes from general information to specific building instructions for your new airplane The information is presented in logical step by step order This DOES NOT mean that the construction sequence given is the only way to do things depending on factors such as available help available space or just personal preference you might well alter some procedures with good results Nor does it mean that you should simply follow the instructions blindly one step at a time without thinking ahead While the manual has been crafted in such a way as to minimize contradictions between the instructions provided by Van s and the instructions provided with a part assembly that is included in the kit wheels and brakes for example should there be an instance where the instructions from Van s contradict the instructions provided with a particular kit component those of the component manufacturer shall take precedence over those provided by Van s Successful use of this manual requires your active participation Before you begin building READ THE ENTIRE SECTION Read it two or three times Visualize the operations described think about what might come
2. ww PROBLEM RIVETS z MINIMUM EDGE DISTANCE F G x RIVETS 3 6 8 RIVETS 14 FIGURE 1 RIVETING PROCESS NOMENCLATURE amp COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS Artwork by Tony Bingelis 5 4 continued VAN S AIRCRAFT INC METHODS FOR SETTING RIVETS FIGURE 1 SETTING BLIND RIVETS B MFG HEAD NOT FLAT ON PART SET RIVETAT A 90 ANGLE TO PART DOES NOT APPLY TO CHERRY RIVETS CR 32XX X X BELOW HOW TO SET A BLIND RIVET THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATIONS IN A DIFFICULT LOCATION SHOW PROPERLY SET BLIND RIVETS LP4 X AS WELL AS SOME POORLY SET SET CORRECTLY USE PIECE OF VINYL CLAD SCRAP RIVETS MATERIAL TO PROTECT FINISHED 90 SURFACE SEE FIGURE 2 FOR INSTRUCTIONS amp ON FABRICATING THE WEDGE TOOL B STEP 1 ALIGNING RIVET amp PARTS SCRAP f CORRECT REPLACE SHEET SURFACE PART DEFORMED AND PARTS CS4 X UNDERNEATH SEPARATE RIVET SET CORRECTLY APPLY ONLY ENOUGH PULLER 4 FORCE TO HOLD MFG 90 HEAD FLAT ON PART WEDGE TOOL al mmm i aut MAX DIM 009 Z STEP 2 RIVET PROPERLY SEATED REPLACE REPAIR OR IGN
3. 5 SCUFF THIS AREA O bw RESIN FLOX MIXTURE FIGURE 2 RESIN APPLICATION When the resin has hardened overnight lightly sand off any mixture that overlaps the tape as shown in Figure 3 Remove the tip and the tape Complete installation of the tip per kit instructions The interface can be sanded to leave a perfectly co planar surface with a consistent gap 17 FIGURE 3 SANDING 5 19 ACRYLIC CANOPY AND LEXAN WINDOW HINTS DEFINITIONS Plexiglas or Poly methyl methacrylate PMMA is a transparent thermoplastic often used as a light or shatter resistant alternative to glass This material is specifically used for canopies and windows contained in RV Finish Kits Beware of aftermarket canopies made of material other than Plexiglas that promise easy installation because of resistance to cracking yet may not break in a roll over accident and will be difficult to break by hand preventing egress from the aircraft Lexan or polycarbonate resin thermoplastic is the brand name for polycarbonate sheet and resin in a wide range of grades This material with a fuel resistant coating is used specifically for the RV 12 aft window The Plexiglas canopy bubble and Lexan window are two of the most expensive and fragile components in the kit Mishandling scratching or cracking them are some of the most disappointing and gumption robbi
4. FIGURE 3 MOLEX CONNECTOR 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued INSULATION WIRE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BARREL NOTE Terminals should be crimped but not necessarily soldered Ifa termination is soldered the wire should be supported near the solder joint to ensure there is no movement of the wire at the solder joint The point where the wire goes into the solder joint is subject to breakage if the wire is allowed to move freely i e normal vibrations and flexing COPPER SLEEVE CLOSED BARREL TERMINALS Closed Barrel Terminals include Ring Terminals Spade Terminals and Butt Splices as shown in Figure 1 While the exposed ends may be of a different configuration the common feature of a closed barrel terminal is a precision formed metal wire barrel and a copper sleeve encased in insulating material made of nylon polyvinyl chloride PVC or polyvinyl flouride PVF 2 The insulation is color coded SPADE to correspond with a specific wire size or wire size range TERMINAL These terminals are crimped in two places first where the wire is stripped and second where the wire insulation fits inside the terminal The first crimp retains the wire and provides a good electrical connection between the wire conductors and the terminal The second crimp supports the end of the insulation thus protecting the wire conductors at the end of the insulation where they would otherwise be likely to break The barrel comes in various si
5. 130 150 ES 00014 MOLEX PIN 093 156 218 ES 00015 MOLEX SOCKET 093 156 218 ES 00046 MOLEX MICRO FIT SOCKET 100 115 FOR 26 AWG WIRE DOUBLE STRIP LENGTH amp FOLD OVER ES 00047 MOLEX MICRO FIT PIN 100 115 FOR 26 AWG WIRE DOUBLE STRIP LENGTH amp FOLD OVER ES 00079 FLOATING CONNECTOR PIN 150 ES 00080 FLOATING CONNECTOR PIN 150 ES 31890 RING TERMINAL 8 203 234 ES 31906 RING TERMINAL 1 4 203 234 ES 320559 BUTT SPLICE 250 281 ES 320562 BUTT SPLICE 250 281 ES 320565 RING TERMINAL 8 203 234 ES 320571 RING TERMINAL 1 4 203 234 ES 320619 RING TERMINAL 6 203 234 ES 321045 RING TERMINAL 1 4 203 234 ES 323990 RING TERMINAL 10 188 219 ES 324043 RING TERMINAL 10 313 344 ES 324044 RING TERMINAL 5 16 313 344 ES 324082 RING TERMINAL 1 4 313 344 ES 36152 RING TERMINAL 6 203 234 ES 36154 RING TERMINAL 10 203 234 ES 421 0107 SPADE TERMINAL 203 234 ES 421 0108 SPADE TERMINAL 203 234 ES 640903 2 SPADE TERMINAL 203 234 ES DV18 188 M SPADE TERMINAL 203 234 TABLE 1 WIRE TERMINAL INSTALLATION INFORMATION 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued OPEN BARREL TERMINALS The following text has been reproduced from The AeroElect
6. CCR 246SS 3 2 CR 3212 4 2 CR 3212 4 3 CR 3212 4 6 CR 3213 4 2 CR 3213 4 3 CR 3213 4 4 CR 3213 4 5 CR 3213 5 6 CS4 4 LP4 3 LP4 4 LP4 5 MK 319 BS MSP 42 N BSPQ 5 4 oD 42 BSLF EE T AN Part No NAS Part No AN960 4L NAS1149FN416P AN960 4 NAS1149FN432P AN960 6 NAS1149FN632P AN960 8 NAS1149FN832P AN960 10L NAS1149F0332P AN960 10 NAS1149F0363P AN960 416L NAS1149F0432P AN960 416 NAS1149F0463P AN960 516L NAS1149F0532P AN960 516 NAS1149F0563P AN960 616L NAS1149F0632P AN960 616 NAS1149F0663P AN960 716 NAS1149F0763P AN960 816L NAS1149F0832P AN960 816 NAS1149F0863P AN960 916 NAS1149F0963P AN960 1016 NAS1149F1063P AN960 1216 NAS1149F1290P AN960 2016 NAS1149F2090P VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 27 FLUID FITTINGS FIGURE 1 ROD END BEARING REFERENCE CHART PART NO STUD BEARING HOLE LENGTH THICKNESS 5 26 continued Up F3414M 3 16 1 3 4 7 16 E F3514M ae 3 16 1 3 4 7h6 MM 3 1
7. ws iF Ep b REPLACE a t CLAMP SKINS AND 2 FEELER GAUGE MUST NOT RIVET GUN WAS ALLOWED REACH RIVET SHANK _ SEPARATE SKINS TO TILT SKIN DAMAGED CEBURR CORRECT N ALL RIVET HOLES DIMPLE SHANK B SET RIVET GUN ae p p t COMPRESS DIMPLES BUCKING BAR WITH LD T1 7 D FLUSH SET CRIMP EDGES OF EXTERNAL SKINS RIVET NOT DRIVEN TIGHT RIVET DRIVEN AT HOLE TOO BUCKING BAR RIVET HOLES RIVET UNDER DRIVEN BUT eon INSTALLATION AND CLINCHES BETWEEN A SLANT HOLE BIG OR SLIPPED MISALIGNED RE STRIKE 00 SKINS HOLES NOT TOO LARGE ELONGATED RIVET LINE XTERNAL SKIN arrears 2 DEBURRED REWORK Ww RIVET TOO LONG V BENDS CLINCHING b TENDENCY E DRILL USE RIVET BENT NEXT SIZE RIVET NO SOUD INSERT OR SKIN MANUFACTURED HEAD UPSET HEAD BUSHING SMALL EDGE GAP CRACKED 76 CREASED NORMAL SETTING A RIVET HEAD RIVET HEAD 2 USING A HAND DRAW SET NOT FLUSH BECAUSE THIN SKINS TEND TO CURL UP ALONG THE EDGES ESPECIALLY WHEN RIVET EDGE DISTANCES ARE TOO GREAT RIVET LINE a EXTERNAL SKIN RIVET GUN ALLOWED HOLE SMALL RIVET TOO STRUCK TOO MANY PUSH PULL TUBE TO BOUNCE RIVET rum ULL RE STRIKE OR 0 TIMES RIVET TOO DISTORTED REDO BUT LOOKS REDRILL AND HARD REPLACE WORKING WITH FLUSH RIVETS BAD REPLACE RIVET REPLACE RIVET LINE
8. 1 4 tubing it is table top On parts with prepunched holes a straight edge can be used to check that the prepunched holes are aligned The more 40 65 inch pounds for 3 8 tubing it is 75 125 inch pounds Later you can leak test the system curve that a flange has the more fluting that will be required On parts with a varying amount of curve such as a wing rib a different amount of fluting will be required in different areas of the part Do a little at a time until reaching the desired flatness 5 15 STEEL NOTE Do not confuse the twist in a part with a curved flange It is normal for light pressure to be required to hold a twisted part flat on a table Fluting does not remove twist from a part Most of the steel used in RVs is 4130 normalized mostly in the form of thin plate and thin wall seamless tubing This 4130 high carbon steel is used extensively in the aircraft industry because of its high strength and relatively good workability If you have overdone the flutes and curved the rib or bulkhead the other way gently squeeze the flutes with smooth pliers to straighten the ribs Most steel parts supplied in RV kits are powder coated at the factory meaning that there is little for the builder to do except install it On a few parts where the sequence of welding or forming operations makes powder coating at the factory impractical the builder 5 13 1 STRAIGHTENING THICK ALUMINUM PARTS may paint the part The best method of c
9. 8 MALE 3 16 11 4 5 16 TER CM 4M 1 4 MALE 1 4 1 94 3 8 M3414M 14 MALE 3 16 1 94 7 16 ea Was 38 MAE LIMEN e 45 1 4 1 4 STUD 1 94 PIPE THREAD FITTINGS Many fittings used in RV plumbing systems have tapered pipe threads Tapered pipe threads have an outside diameter which decreases toward the opening Therefore as the fitting is threaded into a normally threaded hole the clearance between the two diminishes until the fitting becomes tight To a large degree this interference fit is what provides the high pressure seal Some fittings have 45 or 90 degree angles which require positioning clocking in a specific direction and may prevent them from being turned to the fully seated point though this should be done on all straight fittings that allow doing SO NOTE There are a few locations where the fittings used have straight threads usually fittings or sensors installed on engines In these cases some type of crush gasket or O ring is used to provide the seal no paste or liquid sealant is used One obvious indicator of a straight thread fitting sensor is that it can easily be fully threaded in until it bottoms out in the hole All of the threaded fittings used in RVs are NPT National Pipe Thread which is a U S standard for tapered threads used on threaded pipe and fittings There is often con
10. EFIS dimming level This constant voltage will never reach ground The interior lights will only turn on when the control signal goes to ground VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued EMS Problem My EMS display values randomly spike causing warnings Solution If for example the value of an EGT is randomly going high enough to generate a warning on the EFIS check the quality of all the harness connections Check if wiggling the spade connector between the thermocouple wires and the wires going back through the firewall recreates the problem Also move the harness back and forth that goes into any d sub type connection If the connection is severed some EFIS systems we default to an error value that is very high which will in turn generate a warning If you have a bad connection that intermittently becomes disconnected you will then be generating intermittent warnings Some values that spike can be fixed by changing the sampling rate of a signal or by changing how the data collected is averaged and over what amount of time the average takes place Consult the instructions provided with your EFIS system or the EFIS manufacture Problem My EMS values randomly spike during transmit Solution RFI leakage from the com antenna may affect the EGT or MP wires This is a common issue with the Van s gauges and has not been a major problem If using a Dynon Avionics SkyView system and the CHT and EGT readings spike during COM trans
11. FROM SHEET Some of Van s kits require forming several ribs and bulkheads from flat aluminum sheet This can be a useful skill in the Standard kits as well Sheet metal press brakes are only capable of producing straight bends so parts with flanges along curved edges must be bent over formblocks formblocks are made of hardwood or dense particle board They are cut to the contour of the finished part with allowances for the thickness of the material Edges are radiused so as the part is bent around the block it does not bend too sharply and crack A blank part with the appropriate material for flanges notches at the corners etc is cut from sheet stock and sandwiched between the formblock and a tool cap This tool cap looks very much like a formblock but does not have to be exact The tool cap functions to keep the part from bowing or distorting when the flanges are bent The formblock blank and tool cap are all aligned with tooling holes and clamped together with bolts The protruding edge of the blank part is bent around the formblock with a mallet or lead bar Final adjustments to the flange are made with a hand seamer and fluting pliers 5 12 VINYL COATING Many of the alclad parts are supplied with a thin usually blue vinyl coating to prevent scratching during the manufacturing of the parts The vinyl may be left on during drilling but should be removed for dimpling priming and final installation It is possible to remove s
12. How visible will it be to pilots of other aircraft in flight With the dense air traffic and haze of air pollution encountered around many airports see and be seen should be a major safety concern to all pilots Light colors are generally considered to be the most visible against typical backgrounds found while flying in the USA Yellow is probably the most universally visible and can also be trimmed to provide very attractive paint schemes The question of whether a painted or bare aluminum airplane goes faster is often raised Experience with the prototype RVs has not provided a definitive answer It would appear that there is little difference in skin friction drag from a typical painted surface to a typical bare aluminum surface PAINTING HEALTH HAZARDS WARNING PLEASE TAKE PAINT CAN TOXIC WARNINGS SERIOUSLY Spray painting can present a health hazard particularly with most of the newer two part paints Chemicals used in the hardeners of urethane acrylic enamel and epoxy paints cause them to be potentially very hazardous if breathed and can be harmful even through excessive exposure to the skin For this reason the painting area must be well ventilated and a UL approved respirator must be used A simple particle filter is just not good enough Keep in mind that many paint systems now contain chemicals for which a conventional filter type respirator is not considered sufficient protection Only a forced fresh air respirator system is recomme
13. as close to the device as practical If all the wires will not go through the choke make sure to at least capture the power and ground wires Try also adding a capacitor to the power line The larger the capacitor the more effective but at some point the inrush current current filling the capacitor when the circuit is turned on will blow the fuse on that circuit If the above options have not resolved the problem try shielding the wires for nav strobe if they have not been shielded already If the noise is coming in on the mic line volume of the noise increases when the intercom volume increases with the intercom squelch broken as would be the case if you were talking through the intercom inspect how your mic line is configured If the shield for the mic wire is used to provide the mic lo any noise picked up by the shield will be transmitted into the audio system Older Van s kits were wired this way and in many cases there have been no problems If this is deemed to be a problem replace the mic wire with a multi conductor wire that will allow the mic ground to be a separate wire within the shielded bundle Dimming when controlled by Van s control module Problem Interior lights do not come on at all Solution Double check that your EFIS is emitting a pulsed dimming signal compatible with LED lighting Check the EFIS manual or contact your EFIS manufacturer directly Older EFIS s may output a constant voltage that varies in voltage level with the
14. be applied is for the size of the bolt shank not the wrench size Use the standard torque table provided as a guide for tightening nuts bolts and screws whenever specific torque values are not provided in the builders manual These values are for clean and dry threads Note that on the smaller bolts the torque is quite low and is in inch pounds Do not use a foot pound torque wrench on these bolts but instead use a torque wrench calibrated in inch pounds The propeller manufacturer and the engine manufacturer have specific torque requirements for their equipment Consult the appropriate manual for that information Apply a smooth even pull when applying torque When using the 1 4 in drive snap over type torque wrench we recommend practicing with it off the aircraft first until you get the feel of the particular tool s snap over feature since it can be rather light depending on the size of the fastener Apply the torque to the nut and not the bolt whenever possible This will minimize rotation of the bolt in the hole and reduce wear When the bolt is rotated for final torque the chart values must be modified When applying torque to a bolt be sure to have a washer under the bolt head and lubricate the bolt shank Add to the overall torque value the torque required to overcome the friction associated with turning the shank of the bolt within the assembly When tightening fasteners with self locking nuts the chart values must be modified Due to the fricti
15. be sure the threads on both parts are clean and dry since most sealants will not tolerate any oil contamination First determine what the clocking position needs to be by installing it finger tight and marking the desired clocking Remove the fitting and apply a small amount of sealant to 2 3 threads but leave the first 2 bare to prevent contamination inside the fluid path Remember this is an interference fit so not much sealant is required Thread the fitting in with your fingers until you just begin to feel resistance and then an additional 1 5 2 turns This is a general guideline you must still use judgment to not over tighten and damage the threads but a properly installed fitting is quite tight If the installation requires a specific clocking when approaching the correct position you must determine whether you will be able to make another full rotation and still be within the 1 5 2 turns stopping range You must avoid turning the fitting backwards in the loosening direction because it will have a high probability of leaking If you must do this it is best to completely remove the fitting clean up the threads on both parts and try again q AN816 2D 10 9 16 UM AN832 4D ll AN823 4D i 5 27 FLUID FITTINGS continued 1 FLARED FITTINGS For identification see Figure 2 for a selection of flared fluid fittings AN81
16. clear water rinse To prevent water spots blow dry with compressed air or wipe dry with soft cotton flannel Plexus Sprayaway 848 Industrial Plastic Cleaner or All Clear can also be used for day to day cleaning Grease oil tape residue etc may best be removed with mineral spirits refined kerosene white gasoline naphtha or isopropyl alcohol Wash approved solvents off the canopy with Dawn dishwashing liquid and water It is best to avoid using products on your canopy that are not specifically formulated for acrylics such as Rain X or Lemon Pledge SCRATCH REMOVAL Small scratches can be buffed out with Meguiar s Mirror Glaze Plastic Cleaner 17 For deep scratch removal use Scratch Off Micro Mesh or 3M Window Repair kits Avoid removing scratches in critical areas where clear visibility is important as the process will usually result in some degree of optical distortion CANOPY PROTECTION AND VENTILATION If the aircraft is tied down outdoors and subject to weather elements for any length of time then the use of an aircraft canopy cover is highly recommended The cover will protect canopies and windows from abrasive dust dirt and sand kicked up by wind or prop wash Before purchasing verify that the canopy cover is NOT waterproof as the trapped moisture and heat from the sun can be deleterious Acrylic subjected to this treatment over a period of time may turn slightly milky and eventually craze Keep your canopy ventilated or covere
17. component contains an acid which can be dangerous if breathed Similar precautions must be taken for spraying any of the two part primers and paints Check with the paint supplier for exact precautions required Primers like P60G2 Vari Prime and others are relatively inexpensive light and easy to apply These characteristics make them appeal to many builders They do need to be sprayed with a gun which is awkward for some but the pain can be minimized if you prepare large batches of parts to reduce set up and clean up time Some aerosol primers are useful for small parts when you don t want to set up to spray a whole batch Usually there will not be a problem with mixing and matching the type of primers used but we do not know for sure They are impractical for painting the whole airplane or large skins Though some disagree it is generally accepted that two part epoxy primers provide the best corrosion resistance However they are expensive toxic heavy and dry slowly making them problematic for the home builder If one can tolerate these issues and desires an RV that would be in good shape for grandchildren to inherit then two part epoxy primers may be the best solution Van s Aircraft does not have an approved primer We use Sherwin Williams P60G2 This is used on the Quick Builds QBs and prototypes made here The QB s primer has no pigment so it just makes the interior surfaces slightly darker and less shiny In the US this primer has a
18. green tint so the two will not match exactly We use this primer because it is inexpensive dries fast and is easy to apply Sherwin Williams will tell you that the primer needs a top coat While this is true for optimum corrosion resistance we feel that this is not necessary for the way in which most owners will maintain their RVs Whatever you use prepare the surface as per the manufacturer s instructions This can be as simple as washing with water or as complex as acid etching and alodining We have nothing to add to whatever they may advise RV ALL VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 1 ALUMINUM PRIMING amp PAINTING continued Historically not many manufacturers primed the interior of their products but there are still many flying 50 year old airplanes without corrosion problems One favorite analogy around here is the car paint parable Two cars leave the factory as identically primed and painted as is humanly possible Five years later one looks as good as the day it left the showroom while the other looks fit for the wrecking yard Same primer paint different result How you treat it has a much greater effect than the primer you choose How do you intend to treat your airplane An entire book could be written on the subject of aircraft painting and still leave many questions unanswered There are many surface preparations primers and paints available and more on the market every day Paints range anywhere from the older enamels and acryl
19. next consider what consequence your actions might have NEVER do anything in a hurry A great deal of a homebuilder s time is spent staring into space making odd motions with the hands as he or she imagines how things might fit together This is not wasted time It is essential to forming a clear mental image of the task ahead Head Section 5 again and be familiar with the proper techniques needed for construction
20. or hand operated puller Two styles of AN rivets are used universal head AN470 and 100 countersunk head AN426 Three rivet diameters are used AD3 3 32 AD4 1 8 and AD6 3 16 older kits only While all the numbers and letters may be confusing at first they convey useful information as shown in the sketches at the end of this section AN rivets are set with either a rivet gun and a bucking bar or a rivet squeezer Driving universal head rivets requires a rivet set of a size corresponding to the rivet head size Main wing spar construction uses 3 16 rivets which require a very high setting pressure necessitating a heavy duty rivet gun or a fairly large rivet squeezer RV kits have pre assembled spars so builders do not have to set 3 16 rivets Rivets must be the correct length Too long and they tend to bend over like a nail or cleat Too short and there is not enough material to form a full shop head While the plans usually call out the rivet length required there will still be places where the builder will need to know the correct method of determining rivet length The rule of thumb is that the length of the rivet shank should equal the thickness of the material being riveted plus 1 5 times the rivet diameter For example if a 016 skin is to be riveted to a 032 rib the material thickness would equal 048 If a 3 rivet 3 32 diameter is to be used 1 5 times the rivet diameter would be 9 64 Checking a decimal equivalent chart we
21. start the drill turning slowly then increase the RPM after the drill is centered and stabilized in the hole Drill a straight hole by aligning the drill with its reflection in the shiny aluminum surface The small drills that we use in RV building are of the split point style and need special equipment to sharpen As many as a dozen each of 30 and 40 will be needed to complete the project Do not skimp on drill bits when they get dull replace them See Section 5 19 for tips on drilling Plexiglass DRILLING TERMINOLOGY Fundamentally and unless otherwise noted drilling shall be understood as comprising the following basic sequence of procedures having material s in hand acquiring hole size and position from the drawing transferring hole location to the part through measurement or other means marking the hole location center punching hole location drilling through the material or materials Match drill refers to drilling a stack of two or more parts in which a hole is already located in the first part Drilling through the existing hole in the first part results in a matching hole s in the other part s in the stack Final drill refers to drilling one or more parts that already have a hole in the location to be drilled A final pass is made through the existing hole with the specified size drill bit Deburr all drilled holes before dimpling or riveting VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 24 DRILLING TAPS AND DIES continued 5 26 HARDWARE
22. system Note for this reason adding a battery charger may introduce noise into the system Problem Rhythmic jjgt jjgt noise or banjo noise in the background Solution This noise can be caused if a battery charger has been placed on the battery Temporarily remove the charger and see if the noise goes away The noise may also be caused by serial data transmission along a wire Try turning off devices that transmit and receive serial data one at a time for example autopilot transponder com radio ADS B GPS etc Although Van s Aircraft has done their best through the use of twisted wires shielded wires and the use of ground planes this still can be a problem Try removing tie wraps from your harnesses and moving wires relative to each other and see if the sound changes Using an alternate routing path for a noisy wire or shielding wires may be a solution RS 232 data lines especially GPS signals using 9600 baud 9 6 kHz frequency are particularly susceptible to this the range of human hearing goes up to 20kHz If possible use a higher baud rate for the offending RS 232 data line If the problem noise is not related to the solution above try the troubleshooting steps listed for a random static noise 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued Problem A random static noise comes through the headset Solution Adjust the volume and squelch on the intercom and determine if this will make the noise disappear If the noise can be controlled with the int
23. systems are stereo not mono Double check that all headsets are set to stereo mode Setting some headsets to mono will short the left and right channels together resulting in no audio Check that the radio and transponder if applicable are properly fully inserted into their trays FIGURE 1 TYPICAL HEADSET SETTINGS VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued Problem Isolation There are several quick easy steps to isolate an audio noise problem Try turning the intercom volume knob If the problem is controlled by the intercom volume the problem is the intercom itself wiring from the intercom to the headset jacks the headset jacks or the headset As stated above try different headsets in different jacks Try turning off each device individually EFIS COM transponder ADS B GPS unplug an aux music device such as an iPhone and any connecting cable a car charger plugged into the 12V power outlet etc to help isolate the source of the problem Some circuits may only be controlled by removing a fuse Remember to shut the master off before removing a fuse When calling for tech help first isolate the problem this will save time Problem The Audio levels are much different using the same headset in the pilot and co pilot positions Solution If one side is different than the other the problem may be in the headset jacks Inspect the wiring below the headset jack that is not receiving transmitting properly to be su
24. 6 4D ll AN823 6D AN816 6 2D UI a il AN833 4D AN816 6D AN823 8D NOTE Fitting depictions are intended for general identification purposes only All threads except for those at or adjacent to flared ends are tapered NPT threads even though they may not be shown tapered dE SE a AN816 8D 1 8 PIPE PLUG il AN822 4D UM cy L 1 4 PIPE PLUG FIGURE 1 FITTING IDENTIFICATION SEE VAN S CATALOG FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTIONS AN833 6D SCALE 1 1 J d il il VAN S AIRCRAFT INC AN822 6D AN837 4D FIGURE 2 FITTING IDENTIFICATION SEE VAN S CATALOG FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTIONS SCALE 1 1 AN837 6D
25. Conduct this test outside and away from the source of any electronic signals that may be picked up on the antenna If the noise is not affected by the squelch or the radio try the troubleshooting steps listed for a rhythmic noise If the problem still persists disconnect the mono and stereo inputs from the back of the intercom one at a time and determine if the noise goes away This may help isolate where the noise is coming from Turn the audio level pots up or down in the control module If the sound level of the noise problem changes the problem is between the device generating the audio and the control module If the sound level does not change the problem is between the control module and the intercom in the intercom or between the headset and the intercom If turning off a device removes the noise from the system check that the unit is properly grounded First remove any wires that are dedicated to audio ground and run the device off its own primary ground If this does not change the noise run an extra wire from the case of the device to the structure of the aircraft If the noise still persists consider using a ground loop isolator GLI on the wires coming from the device When troubleshooting a stereo music input first disconnect the ground from the music lo or music ground input Noise coming into an audio system may be transmitted through ground connections to the audio system and most often the music ground lo By removing the music lo
26. GES 5 17 5S FUEL TANK SEALANT 5 27 FLUID FITTINGS 5 7 5H RIVETED TRAILING EDGES 5 18 5T FIBERGLASS 5 28 CONCLUSION 5 9 5J ROLLEDLEADING EDGES 5 19 5U ACRYLIC CANOPY amp Lexan WINDOWS 5 10 5K LAP JOINTS 5 20 5V NUT amp BOLT TORQUES NOTE This section is not intended to be a complete manual on aircraft construction Supplement this information with some of the publications listed in Section 1 5 1 ALUMINUM PRIMING amp PAINTING The aluminum skins used on RV aircraft are all 2024 T3 alloy They are alclad meaning that both sides of the sheet are coated at the mill with pure aluminum This forms aluminum oxide a corrosion resistant material which need not be primed or painted for adequate service as an airframe material However if the airplane is to be kept in a salt air environment or if a greater margin of corrosion protection is desired priming the entire inside of the airframe is a good idea Remember that priming will add cost weight and time to your project WARNING When installing threaded fittings rod ends into primed tube be sure that the primer has cured fully Failure to do so could result in seized bearings All non alclad aluminum parts such as 6061 T6 must be primed Control System Pushrods must be primed both inside and out Do not prime inside of fuel or brake lines To prime the inside of pushrods with liquid primer pour primer into one end and swirl it towards the other end coating the entire inside su
27. ORE DEPENDING ON LOCATION A TO REPAIR GRIND EXCESS SHAFT FLUSH WITH MFG HEAD SETTING RIVET J ECE r7 H U LY STEP 3 RIVET PROPERLY SET REPLACE REPLACE A A RIVET SWELLS MFG HEAD NOT IN BETWEEN PARTS CONTACT WITH PART HOLD PARTS HOLD MFG HEAD FLAT TIGHT AGAINST ON PART WHILE MFG HEAD FABRICATING THE WEDGE TOOL The wedge tool provides assistance when blind riveting in locations where it is not possible to align the tool and the rivet The wedge tool s will be placed between the rivet and the riveting tool enabling the riveting tool to pull the rivet from an angle yet still achieve a properly seated manufactured head Step 1 Cut a length of VA 140 Trailing Edge to the length shown in Figure 2 centered on a 094 hole Step 2 Remove the hatched area from the length of VA 140 Trailing Edge as shown in Figure 2 REMOVE HATCHED AREA FIGURE 2 WEDGE TOOL FABRICATION CCR 246SS 3 2 CCR 246SS 3 2 blind rivets that are specified in many locations should not be considered a replacement for 3 32 AN426 rivets that are being used in structural applications They are acceptable for installation of nutplates or in other low load locations When installing the CCR blind rivet it
28. REFERENCE SOME NOTES ON TAPS A tap is a tool used for cutting internal threads into an existing hole Taps come in several styles The most common hardware store variety is a four flute tap The flute is the groove along the length of the tool When using a tap on metal some lubricant should be used Common motor oil is OK for steel while kerosene works well on aluminum Plastic needs no lubricant Starting the tap straight in the hole is very important Most broken taps are due to hole misalignment The best way to get the tap started straight is to use a drill press Clamp the work in a vise and with the tap in the chuck turn the chuck by hand K1000 4 MS21051 L06 When tapping a deep hole it is best to back the tap out about one turn to every two turns in In this way the resulting chips are allowed to clear from the flutes Do not allow the tap to get stuck by turning too many times without clearing another cause of broken taps An 8 32 tap means that the screw size is 8 and it has 32 threads per inch pitch Fractional sizes like 14 20 mean the screw is 1 4 and has 20 threads per inch K1000 5 K1000 6 MS21051 L08 MS21053 L08 3 25 DIMENSIONS FIGURE 1 FRACTION TO DECIMAL CONVERSION 0 082 17 32 0 531 K1000 06 FIGURE 2 NUTPLATE nn 0 063 9 16 0 563 odia em a three decimal place accuracy We
29. Step 1 Cut tube squarely and remove any burrs Step 2 Place insertion mark 625 15 9 mm from end of tube See Figure 2 Moisten marked end of tube with water MALE NYLON TEE NOTE Nut keeper collar and O ring are in place on the fitting at this point O ring SEAL PLACE INSERTION Step 3 Install plastic tube into nylon METAL KEEPER MARK nut by pushing end of moistened HEHRE tube straight into the nut until the tube bottoms on the tee s shoulder NYLON NUT Step 4 Finger tighten nylon nuts Additional tightening should not be necessary but 1 4 additional turn may be added if desired DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN nut or threads will strip and fitting will not function properly A proper assembly will not show insertion mark extending beyond the nut If insertion mark is visible then repeat steps 3 and 4 SHOULDER 625 15 9 NYLON COLLAR PT 062X1 4 a TEE FIGURE 2 MALE NYLON TEE EXPLODED VIEW VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 24 DRILLING TAPS AND DIES Material alloy and hardness as well as the makeup of the cutting tool determine the speed at which metal is best drilled For the purpose of this discussion we assume that the drill used is High Speed Steel HSS Cutting speed is stated in surface feet per minute or abbreviated as FPM and is a measure of the peripheral speed of the drill Softer materials can be cut at a higher speed than harder materials Smaller drills have to turn faster than larger
30. TOTAL PLE FFORMA MCE VANS AIRCRAFT 14401 Keil Road NE Aurora Oregon USA 97002 PHONE 503 678 6545 e FAX 503 678 6560 e www vansaircraft com e info vansaircraft com Service Letters and Bulletins www vansaircraft com public service htm REVISION DESCRIPTION 05 05 15 05 14 REV 3 Added 5 13 1 STRAIGHTENING THICK ALUMINUM PARTS Added Figure 2 REVISION DESCRIPTION 10 02 14 05 01 REV 1 Added text To prime the inside of pushrods with liquid primer pour primer into one end and swirl it towards the other end coating the entire inside surface Alternatively spray primer into one end of the pushrod turn the pushrod around and spray again from the other end SECTION 5 GENERAL INFORMATION VAN S AIRCRAFT INC NOTE Plans pages may refer to Section 5 by a letter designation Please refer to the conversion chart below to find the corresponding section s numerical designation LETTER LETTER LETTER 5 1 5A ALUMINUM PRIMING amp PAINTING 5 11 5L FORMING ALUMINUM PARTS FROM SHEET 5 21 5W ELECTRICAL 5 2 5B EDGE FINISHING DEBURRING amp SCRATCH REMOVAL 5 12 5M VINYL COATING 5 22 5X COMPRESSION FITTINGS 5 3 5 MARKING PARTS 5 13 5N FLUTING 5 23 5Y NYLON FLUID FITTINGS 5 4 5D RIVETING 5 14 5P ALUMINUM TUBING 5 24 5Z DRILLING TAPS amp DIES 5 5 5 COUNTERSINKING amp DIMPLING 5 15 5Q STEEL 5 25 DIMENSIONS 5 6 5F BACK RIVETING 5 16 5R INSTALLING NUTPLATES 5 26 HARDWARE REFERENCE 5 7 5G FOLDED TRAILING ED
31. V with its conventional configuration and non laminar flow airfoil the effects of surface irregularities are relatively minor However a rough paint trim line within the first few inches of the wing leading edge would probably cause a measurable effect on stall and top speeds Trim lines more than 8 9 inches from the leading edge have a minimal effect but even then should be rubbed out as smoothly as possible 5 2 EDGE FINISHING HOLE DEBURRING amp SCRATCH REMOVAL Aluminum sheet of the 2024 T3 variety is relatively hard and brittle Maintaining the high strength of this material in use requires that care be taken in its cutting bending and finishing Because it is a hard material it is scratch and notch sensitive This means that sharp or rough edges corners and scratches can cause stress concentrations which will greatly increase the possibility of local failure usually in the form of a small crack The problem with small cracks is that they soon become large cracks one piece of aluminum becomes two pieces etc Obviously we do not want this happening in our airframe particularly when separated from solid earth by a lot of very thin air SHEARED ALUMINUM SHEET FINISHED EDGES SHARP EDGE TEAR MARKS FROM SHEAR 0 040 OR THICKER 0 016 0 032 BURR FIGURE 1 EDGES All aluminum edges and corners must be smoothed and radiused to prevent this stress concentration from occurring Any sheared edge whether sheared by hand or by mach
32. a manual installation instructions for more information Wire colors are called out in the building plans as needed Wire call outs are followed by their color in brackets WIRE COLOR STRIPE COLOR Colors are abbreviated as follows BLK BLACK BLU BLU BRN BROWN GRN GREEN GRY GRAY ORN ORANGE PRP PURPLE OR VIOLET RED RED WHT WHITE YEL YELLOW Harnesses are supplied with multi colored wire or white wire with a label D SUBS PLUG IN SIDE PIN INSERTION SIDE PIN 1 FEMALE D SUB PIN INSERTION SIDE VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 15 PIN D SUB CONNECTOR PIN 1 MALE D SUB puo I CH QOO X C e E FIGURE 1 INSERTING D SUB PINS REPAIRING D SUB PINS If the proper crimping tool is unavailable machined d sub pins and sockets may be soldered on If unfamiliar with soldering it may be prudent to practice this procedure on a sample wire before repairing the flight article wire Step 1 Strip wire back per the dimension in Figure 2 otep 2 Tin the end of the stripped wire by heating up the wire as it exits the insulation while holding solder against the tip of the wire When the solder wicks into the strands of the stripped wire remove the heat and solder It is very important to not let the solder wick beyond the end of the exposed wire under the insulation This will make the wire brittle fatigue and break where it exits the back of the pin otep 3 Slide the tinned portion of the wire fully int
33. ace must be entirely de glossed Many builders think they have scuffed the surface well when it is not nearly enough Fully scuff the surface using 60 80 grit sandpaper Use an overhead light source to inspect the surface carefully Look between the scratches there should be absolutely no sign of any shininess whatsoever Just to be sure go over the entire area once more this time using a circular motion Clean the area with a lint free cloth and denatured alcohol To prevent contamination of the surface avoid touching it with your hands Cracks Avoid jeopardizing or cracking the canopy at all costs If the unthinkable happens and a crack appears it may sometimes be repaired using a solvent adhesive such as Plasti Fix or Weld On 3 Stop drilling the crack is typically required to keep it from running CLEANING AND USE OF LIQUIDS CAUTION DO NOT use Loctite aromatic solvents acetone benzene ethyl acetate carbon tetrachloride lighter fluid lacquer thinners gasoline toluene window sprays concentrated alcohols ketones scouring compounds ammonia or 409 cleaner on or around acrylic or Lexan canopy materials The adhesive used on some brands of electrical tape may be incompatible with acrylic or Lexan Test the tape on a scrap of material before use In all cases do not leave the tape on the canopy for extended periods of time more than two days For general cleaning use Dawn dishwashing liquid or equivalent and water followed by a
34. at may seem too short in some places but will do the job adequately RIVET DIA DRIVEN HEAD THICKNESS INCHES MIN MAX 3 32 038 050 1 8 050 070 3 16 075 105 FIGURE 1 TYPICAL FORMED RIVET DIMENSIONS FLATTEN TOP amp REMOVE BEVEL To avoid the possibility of deforming thinner material when removing a rivet modify a pair of long handled side cutters as shown in Figure 2 This will allow the blades to grip as close to flush with the surface of the material as possible while twisting on the shop head of the rivet to remove it REMOVING RIVETS Use the method described in Figure 3 for removing rivets from thinner material Use the method described in Figure 4 for removing rivets from thicker material FIGURE 2 MODIFY SIDE CUTTERS Note that the method used in Figure 3 can also be used for thicker material when punch and hammer access Is limited 3 PRY OUT MANF HEAD 2 DRILL RIVET DIAMETER N 1 CENTER PUNCH 4 MODIFIED SIDE CUTTERS 4 ROTATE SHOP a T HEAD THEN PRY Ee FIGURE 3 REMOVING RIVETS IN THIN MATERIAL One of the common calls we get is had to drill out a bad rivet and now the hole is oversize What do do Sometimes this is done multiple times in the same hole and now the hole is so large that the builder has to use a bolt and nut instead of a rivet To relieve the anxiety sometimes associated with an imper
35. attened and the pre set in the skin edge will tend to hold it flush Except for very rare circumstances the amount of bend break is very small and when done properly is almost undetectable with your eye The goal is to do just enough to keep the skin lying flat but not too much or it will be obvious that it was done There are several methods that may be used for making this slight edge bend Using a hand seamer and moving progressively down the sheet making a very light bend to avoid bend marks between succeeding grips with the seamer On long thin pieces put the sheet on an even edged table with about a 1 4 inch overhang and draw a block of hardwood or plastic along the edge with just enough downward pressure to cause the slight bend as the block moves UHMW blocks with different depth slots to set the bend depth may also be used Slip the slot over the skin apply a bending force and pull the block towards you sliding it along the edge of the skin Do not try to form the bend all in one pass Some tool suppliers sell tools for this purpose usually two small rollers mounted on a variety of different tools The edge of the aluminum sheet is placed between the rollers and a bending pressure is held as the tool is drawn down the edge Use these with caution as they may tend to stretch a long edge and make it wavy Avoid over bending the edge and causing a worse visual effect than before Experiment with scrap material first 5 11 FORMING ALUMINUM PARTS
36. basic back rivet set has a spring loaded sleeve that helps keep the metal pieces firmly together and prevents the rivet set from accidentally slipping off the rivet Back riveting works well for all of the moveable control surfaces where skins are the lightest and riveting distortion and or skin damage potential is the greatest Back riveting is also possible on some wing skins and most of the fuselage skins This is a two person job and requires bucking bars which are larger than those typically used with specialty back riveting sets We use this procedure extensively in our own shop RIVET GUN WITH FLAT OR BACK RIVET SET STIFFENER TYPICAL SHOP HEAD MANF HEAD Ly STEEL PLATE INSET IN TABLE WW FIGURE 1 BACK RIVETING VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 FOLDED TRAILING EDGES The shape of control surface trailing edges affects the feel and performance of the aircraft s controls This cannot be over stressed For proper handling qualities and trim all surfaces should be checked and adjusted before the first flight Many flying RVs have had bad roll trim or stability issues completely resolved just by using a straight edge to check and adjust all of the control surfaces On surfaces having folded trailing edges the skins are provided partially pre bent This allows room to install stiffeners and end ribs Plans pages will have de
37. connection the music will have no connection to ground and the lo will be become a floating ground Use an aux music device to determine if the music input is still useable Since the ground is floating possibly higher the magnitude of the signal will be smaller A signal with less amplitude will result in less volume VAN S AIRCRAFT INC Problem My EFIS warning tones are too quiet can t change the sound levels using the audio mixer on the control module Solution Check that your headsets are turned to stereo not mono mode On some headsets this may be a small and hard to find switch see the manual that came with your headset to be absolutely sure you have the headset in stereo mode Problem My EFIS is generating a high level of background noise when turned on Solution See the troubleshooting section on a random noise comes through the headset Problem Strobe noise in the headset Solution There are multiple ways the strobe noise will enter the audio system Try turning the COM radio off and see if the noise goes away Is the noise only present while the radio squelch is open during receive or transmit If so the noise is a high frequency RFI noise being picked up on the radio com antenna some strobes use circuitry in this band most light manufacturers are now aware of this and have changed their products to remove this issue Add a choke magnet that goes around a wire around the wires coming from each strobe device Add the choke
38. ct number F9460PC VHB for this purpose In the past fuel tank sealant has been used on RVs for this application To apply the tape prep all surfaces to be bonded with isopropyl alcohol wipe them down and wait until the excess liquid has evaporated Apply a continuous piece of tape to both sides of the wedge as shown in Figure 3 Avoid touching the adhesive since skin oils can degrade its effectiveness over time Allow the tape to bond 15 20 minutes before proceeding further At this point there are several possible scenarios one may encounter involving the bonding of riveted TEs but two predominate They are A when one skin will be rolled into place onto another and B whenever both skins are already in place at the time the wedge is to be installed Scenario A One skin rolled into place on another Once the adhesive on the wedge has had a chance to bond see above remove one protective strip from the surface of the tape and adhere the wedge first to the control surface skin that will remain flat Insert a small number of clecos from the outer skin surface poking them through both tapes and the remaining protective strip to aid in aligning the wedge Use finger pressure to compress the joint and bond the entire length of the wedge to the skin Lay the opposite skin onto the wedge using the clecos as a guide Install enough clecos to the opposite skin to ensure the skin will maintain its correct alignment and then roll the skin back as describe
39. d dive back into the center of the strands from both sides You ll want to squeeze the tool with as much force as you can with one hand When you ve got a nice LOOKING crimp put a 5 8 pound pull on the wire to make sure it doesn t pull out easily from under the wire grip If it does you need to squeeze harder next time Use tool pocket A to form the insulation grip wings down onto the wire s insulation You ll have to rotate the pin in the tool so that the ends of the wings are pushed into the circular bottom of the pocket As the ends of insulation grip wings collide in the bottom of the pocket don t compress the tool any further Take the pin out and use the end pincers of the tool to deflect the end of one insulation grip down against the insulation Return the pin to pocket A and rotate the pin in the pocket as you form the insulation grip wings down smoothly around the wire The goal here is very different from the electrical connection The conductor strands need to be held very tightly while the insulation gets a only snug bear hug as shown here If you look at similar pins installed on PVC insulated automotive wire the fabricator may have turned the insulation grip wings into the insulation not unlike the wire grip DO NOT RECOMMEND this on the aircraft wire the insulation is too thin For airplanes we want a simple snug support of the wire behind the wire grip without penetrating the insulation Note also in Figure 6 how short th
40. d in the construction manual Follow the process described in the manual for completing all of the internal structure riveting Lower the upper skin when complete Keep the control surface TE on a flat surface Use a straight board and small weights to hold the TE straight Lift the un bounded skin slightly and begin progressively pulling the backing from the tape Once the backing is started the skin can stay close to the wedge while pulling the backing out from between As clecos are encountered remove them before pulling the backing past to avoid tearing Once the backing is fully removed apply finger pressure along the entire length of the wedge to get a good bond to the second skin Insert rivets into the TE holes with the manufactured heads oriented up on a rudder it s builder s choice The double sided tape covering the holes should keep the rivets in place though it might be necessary to apply an additional strip of regular tape VAN S AIRCRAFT INC Scenario B Both skins already in place With the skins and wedge prepared as described in scenario A insert the wedge between the skins Use several clecos to hold the wedge to one of the skins and maintain alignment Peel the backing from the side that corresponds to the un clecoed skin clecoing and pressing the skin in place on down the length of the TE See Scenario A for the remainder of the process for the second skin Now for the riveting Trailing edges are riveted with double flus
41. d on the device end of the wire should not be connected to ground CONDUCTOR WIRE CONDUCTOR WIRE INSULATION 1 IN MIN When stripping the inner conductor wire s remove and discard the shield as shown in Figure 2 Cover the exposed shield with heat shrink This will ensure that when the conductor wire is crimped to a connector there will be no possible electrical connection between the connector and the shield or between the shield and the fuselage structure LENGTH AS REQ D BRAIDED SHIELD HEAT SHRINK OUTSIDE INSULATION FIGURE 2 STRIPPING SHIELDED WIRES MOLEX CONNECTORS NOTE When installing wire pins into Micro Fit connectors the pin will only fully insert and lock in one position If it fails to insert rotate 90 degrees and try again Note the orientation when it properly inserts and position all subsequent pins the same This also applies to sockets Lightly pull test each wire after insertion to verify it has hooked into the connector body If inserted incorrectly Micro Fit pins and sockets may be removed by using a Micro Fit Extractor When installing Molex sockets into Molex receptacles the socket will only fully insert and lock in one orientation To ensure proper orientation always face the socket seam which appears along its length toward the receptacle s retaining lever as shown in Figure 3 This also applies to the pins RETAINING LEVER SOCKET SEAM RECEPTACLE
42. d when your aircraft is parked in the hot sun Cabin temperatures can easily reach 150 200 degrees F even on a mild day The acrylic can generally take these temperature conditions multiple times without any apparent adverse effect It is the cumulative affect that will cause shortened service life of your canopy The use of a Van s Aircraft Canopy Cover will significantly reduce the internal temperatures inside your aircraft to just a few degrees above outside ambient temperatures Additionally it will also protect your expensive avionics from heat and your upholstery seat belt harnesses from harmful UV rays In winter conditions ensure that the cabin and canopy are warmed adequately prior to flight whenever possible A heat lamp or small low output ceramic space heater can raise the cabin temperature to warm the acrylic keeping it free from ice or snow It will also be less prone to cracking VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 20 NUT AND BOLT TORQUES The importance of correct torque application cannot be overemphasized Under torque can result in unnecessary wear of nuts and bolts as well as the parts they secure Over torque can cause failure of a bolt or nut from over stressing the threaded areas Uneven or additional loads that are applied to the assembly may result in wear or premature failure The following are a few simple but important procedures that should be followed to ensure that correct torque is applied NOTE Insure that the torque to
43. d with resin for building up and filling Using Peel Ply will result in a very smooth finish that is also ready for glass to glass bonding without sanding Most supplies can be obtained from a local marine boat store or from one of the mail order supply houses like Aircraft Spruce NOTE When setting solid rivets in fiberglass composites use soft rivets or do not fully set normal rivets shop head height approximately 1 2 X the hole diameter PREPPING THE COWLING FOR PAINT Fit the cowling to the fuselage with all the hinges retaining screw holes and nut plates installed but leave the oil door installation for later Van s recommends use of a Poly Fiber product called Smooth Prime We follow the manufacturer s instructions EXCEPT that we apply the first coat straight out of the can and un reduced using a Bondo squeegee rather than a roller or spray gun Using a squeegee to apply the first coat forces the filler into surface voids TIPS FOR FIBERGLASS FAIRINGS When installing fiberglass tip fairings especially wingtips ensure that the trailing edge extension is aligned with the control surface trailing edge On wingtips this can lead to inconsistent gaps between the skins and the joggled edges formed into the parts at the factory For instance there may be a smaller gap on the bottom than on the top differing along the length from leading to trailing edge Once the part has been positioned to where the trailing edges align well and the par
44. drills to achieve the same FPM cutting speed For the most part the materials we are concerned with in RV construction are aluminum and steel The aluminum is of various alloys but we can use 200 FPM as a cutting speed for all of them The steel is 4130 chrome molybdenum alloy We can use a cutting speed of 60 FPM for 4130 Drilling most of the aluminum in RV construction can be done dry without any oils or cutting fluid When drilling holes more than three diameters deep a few drops of kerosene or Boelube helps For holes larger than 1 4 in thin material a Unibit makes a cleaner hole Steel is best drilled with at least some oil Practically any oil WD 40 etc can be used There is no need to get sloppy Use just enough oil to lubricate and carry off some heat Drilling steel requires considerably more feed pressure or thrust than aluminum The chart below is general in nature Interpolate speeds for sizes not listed Notice the drill speeds for aluminum are higher than any of our hand held drills are likely to go This is why air drills are superior to electric drills when drilling aluminum It is also assumed that the drills are sharp and the setup is rigid as in a drill press Drill RPM 40 30 12 Drill Size 0 098 0 128 0 189 0 250 0 375 0 500 Material Aluminum 200 FPM 7796 5946 4198 3056 1748 1528 Steel 60 FPM 2339 1784 1213 917 611 459 When drilling with a hand drill it is advisable to
45. e stop tabs are Trim with caution as you learn how to deal with each style and size of pin Cut the tabs off too short and the pin will not be properly retained when installed If the tabs are too long the pin will simply resist insertion into the back of the connector housing VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued OPEN BARREL TERMINALS continued Now you can install the pin into the connector s housing In Figure 1 you can see the barbs that snap out to keep the pin from being pulled backwards through the hole The stop tabs will bottom out in the hole from behind to keep the pin from coming on through The technique I ve just described is typical of the AMP Mate n Lock and the larger 093 pins sized Waldom Molex connectors The smaller Waldom Molex connectors 063 pins use pockets E for wire grip and B for insulation grip Wires of up to 14AWG and carrying up to 10 Amps may be routed through this style of connector The wire illustrated here is 20AWG Use pocket C to crimp 16 and 14AWG wire 22AWG wire is somewhat dicey in 093 pins Waldom Molex connectors also come in a smaller size having a nominal pin diameter of 063 Use pockets E and B to install the smaller pins like D subminiature pins found on many instruments and avionics products Some connectors may be supplied with loose pins In this case you will not have to trim the stop tabs they will be the proper length as supplied You may stil
46. e the hole is enlarged and the rivet will be more likely to buckle and form an imperfect head Tests have shown that very small rivet heads are sufficient to develop the strength of the rivet shank even when the rivets are subject to a straight tensile pull where a large head is not needed for appearance smaller sizes of drive head should be used to decrease the required driving pressures FIGURE 4 REMOVING RIVETS IN THICK MATERIAL DIMPLED INSTALLATION SHANK fio pi AN426 RIVET 100 COUNTERSUNK HEAD NOMENCLATURE USED WITH THIN SKINS p o 1 5 x RIVET DIAMETER ES MANUFACTURED VAN S AIRCRAFT INC RIVET GUN FITTED WITH A CUPPED RIVET SET TYPICAL RIVET SPECIFICATION N 426 AD 3 4 MM NL ba LL me ALLL LE ZB NORMAL FIT 9Q A lt ASA AA AMM SS ASS Em 4 6 LONG 44 COUNTERSINKING COUNTERSINKING RIVET DRIVEN TOO HARD AND OR IS TOO SHORT 217 TA ALUM ALLOY OUNTERSUNK 100 HEAD NORMAL RIVET INSTALLATION p m a EP p aA ye und c AVY HAND HELD DRILL BIT ARMY FAILURE TO DEBURR HOLE AND REMOVE CHIPS RIVET DRIVEN RIVET HOLE IN BOTTOM RIVET BUCKING BAR RIVET DRIVEN O K REPLACE TOO HARD TOO SHORT SKIN TOO SMALL TOO LONG HELD AT A BUT BUCKING BAR RIVET m an RE DRILL HOLE SLANT HELD AT A SLANT LONG i O K BUT
47. e will affect the flying qualities of the airplane Strive to build a trailing edge that does not vary more than the dimension called out in Figure 3 NO GREATER THAN 0 1 2 5 mm p Wu FIGURE 3 STRAIGHTENING THE TRAILING EDGE 5 9 ROLLED LEADING EDGES Before the empennage control surfaces can be installed on the stabilizers the leading edges must be formed The object here is to achieve a smoothly curved surface that fits neatly between the skin overhang of the stabilizer Simply pulling the overhanging skins together results in an angle or crease where they cross the edge of the spar To avoid creasing the skins the curve is started by rolling the edge of the skin A piece of 3 4 or 1 inch diameter steel water pipe a broomstick or something of similar diameter about four inches longer than the skin will be needed Tape the edge of the skin to the pipe along its entire length Use vise grips or a small pipe wrench clamped to the pipe as a handle and roll the skin around the pipe Maintain pressure down toward the work surface and away from the spar to prevent the skin from bending right at the spar This will not produce the final shape but it will produce a curve in the skin that allows the skin to be closed with a minimum of spring back If working solo it will be easier to use a shorter pipe and do each skin sec
48. ed on the screw head Besides the control of the pitch trim audio mixer dimmer flap landing light pulse and roll trim as well for non RV 12 installations the control module makes connections between different avionics systems sensors and electrical devices in the aircraft For these circuits the control module is nothing more than a connecting wire between an input and output pin taking the place of many complex wiring harnesses When troubleshooting a problem in the electrical system it is tempting to assume that the problem lies inside the control module or unknown black box Although it is possible that the control module could have a defect there is a very low probability since each unit is tested before shipment Instead in most instances the control module should be treated like a wire Problems occurring with wiring rarely occur in the wire itself but more often at the connections between the wires or within the devices being connected Some connections on the control module besides the circuits stated above do contain discrete components such as diodes and resistors Such components are shown on the overall electrical schematic available from the downloads page of the Vans Aircraft web site Continuity Test CAUTION Checking the wrong pins is a common error made by even the professionals Triple check you are checking for continuity on the correct pins One of the most useful troubleshooting steps is the continuity test Many multi mete
49. ength has always been that up to three thick washers are allowed if more than three are needed the next shorter bolt should be used and that at least one but no more than three full threads of the fastener are to be showing beyond the nut This rule of thumb works for the AN365 nuts that have been commonly used on RVs for years Some of the newer RV kits use the all metal MS21042 self locking nut The long standing rule of thumb will not work for these nuts because they are shorter in height than the AN365 nut For these nuts modify the rule of thumb to at least three but not more than five threads showing This rule of thumb will still allow for meeting the maximum use of three washers rule You may have to educate any technical councilors or airworthiness inspectors that perform inspections on your project Some inspectors are not familiar with these smaller sized nuts 5 21 ELECTRICAL ELECTRICITY There are three primary units of measure or terms to know to successfully wire the aircraft voltage current and power The battery we will be dealing with is known as a 12V battery Batteries in good charge will have a terminal voltage between approximately 12 8 and 13 volts When a battery is installed in an airframe and the alternator or generator is operating the system voltage will be 14 to 14 5 volts The second term is current which is measured in units of amps A Current is a value representing the flow of electrons through a wi
50. ercom volume and squelch it means that most likely the noise is being generated by the headset microphone mic jack mic hi or mic lo wires Unplug the headset If the noise goes away try a different headset If the noise still persists remove each mic pin from the wiring harness one location at a time and see if the noise goes away checking the wires connected to the headset jack wires connecting the headset jacks to the control module and the wires connecting the control module to the intercom Check that d sub pins and solder joints all make a proper connection and do not generate the noise when the wires are wiggled If the noise is not affected by the volume and squelch turn off your radio If the noise goes away the sound is being generated by your COM One of the most common issues is the COM receive squelch being broken A COM radio has an internal squelch setting to control what level of input from the COM antenna will open the COM squelch similar to how the squelch level is set for the mic on a headset using the squelch knob on an intercom If set too low bursts of noise picked up by the antenna may break the squelch Consult the user manual supplied with your COM radio and turn the receive squelch up slowly until the noise disappears Note setting the receive squelch too high will prevent your radio from receiving faint transmissions and therefore great care should be taken to set the squelch as low as possible while still eliminating any noise
51. etrates the opposite surface slowly It is important to deburr both sides of the hole lightly with a machine countersink No hole should have a sharp corner Practice drilling holes in scrap pieces until you are familiar and confident with the process It is worth remembering that excessive heat caused by machining and drilling may alter the acrylic s properties which may in turn allow even approved products to negatively affect the material For this reason it is important to cut slowly and avoid overheating the acrylic To enlarge holes the use of a step drill Unibit or reamer is recommended CAUTION DO NOT use a regular twist drill A twist drill tends to fracture the acrylic due to its tip design Using a regular twist or plexi drill to enlarge a pre drilled hole is not recommended and will practically guarantee a cracked canopy as a result VAN S AIRCRAFT INC FIBERGLASS BONDING CRACKS ETC CAUTION DO NOT use Polyester resin of any type as it will cause crazing Be certain to use ONLY epoxy resins Do not use the more common polyester or vinyl ester resins since they are not compatible with Plexiglas and cause crazing that will ruin the canopy We have had excellent results with West Systems Epoxy products available from boat yards and mail order houses The three keys to getting a good bond between fiberglass and acrylic canopies and windows are proper surface prep proper surface prep and proper surface prep The bonding surf
52. face due to stem fracture at top of manufactured head See Figures 1 and 3 Typical fastener flushness acceptance criteria is shown in Figure 3 and listed in Table 2 Locking collar is to be flush with top surface of rivet head Collar flash permissible is 020 max Stem flushness shall be as indicated Base of manufactured head should be tight against surface of material being riveted See Figure 1 Stem will not be pulled fully into rivet body at shop head end but rivet body should have formed closed up around stem See Figures 2 and 4 for acceptable blind head formations VAN S AIRCRAFT INC LOCKING COLLAR B MAX A MAX FIGURE 3 FLUSHNESS RIVET CROSS SECTION NOT TO SCALE RIVET DIAMETER A MAX B MAX 4 1 8 3 2mm 010 25mm 015 38mm TABLE 2 Ce TYPICAL IRREGULAR TYPICAL MIN GRIP FORMATION MAX GRIP MIN GRIP FIGURE 4 ACCEPTABLE BLIND HEAD FORMATIONS VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 5 COUNTERSINKING AND DIMPLING Flush riveting requires that a flat or mushroom set be used and that the skin around the rivet hole be countersunk either by dimpling or machining Be sure to remove any vinyl coating before machine countersinking or dimpling the parts Dimple countersinking will be simply referred to as dimpling for the remainder of this manual For ADS rivets a total material thickness between 016 4 mm and 032 8 mm must be dimpled Ma
53. face of aluminum can have the same weakening effects as rough edges corners and holes The alclad sheet used is very easily scratched because of the thin surface layer of soft aluminum Scratches within this layer will have little effect on strength but deeper scratches will The greatest difficulty is deciding how deep a scratch can be before it is a potential problem The best approach is taking extra care to prevent scratches in the fist place When a scratch does occur sand or buff it out no matter how small Very light scratches can be removed with 600 wet sandpaper Deeper ones will require 400 or perhaps more coarse sandpaper followed by 600 for finishing One thing to remember when removing scratches is that in doing so the corrosion resistant alclad surface of the aluminum is also removed Therefore any area that has been sanded for scratch removal must be primed RIB FLANGE FACETING As a skin wraps around the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer vertical stabilizer or wing among others the skin must pass over the forward edge of the rib flange See Figure 3 Shape the front edge of the flange to prevent this edge from forming a dent in the skin as the rib is riveted in place A similar effect will occur at the notch between rib flanges During manufacturing as flanges form over the curved edge of a formblock the ends or surface of the flanges may remain straight or flat rather than conforming to the curvature of the formblock Thi
54. fectly set rivet and to avert potential problems arising from ill advised attempts at repair not to say never repair a rivet guidance in the form of an excerpt from the Alcoa Aluminum Rivet Book dated 1984 is provided here 5 PUNCH OUT SHOP HEAD 4 PRY OUT MANF HEAD 3 DRILL OUT USING A DRILL BIT ONE RIVET SIZE SMALLER EX FOR AN426AD4 RIVET USE A 40 DRILL BIT 2 DRILL RIVET DIAMETER 1 CENTER PUNCH x 124 2 e 4 I The standards to which driven rivets should conform are frequently uncertain In addition to dimensions and perfection of shape inspection is concerned with whether the drive head is coaxial with the shank not clinched and whether there is excessive cracking of the heads It has been determined that even badly cracked heads are satisfactory from the standpoint of static strength fatigue strength and resistance to corrosion Poorly set and cracked rivet heads were tested in tension to determine how well formed a head has to be in order to develop full strength The tensile strengths of all the rivets were within five percent of the strongest The test indicated that minor deviations from the theoretically desired shape of head are not cause for concern or replacement The second rivet that is driven in any one hole is likely to be more defective than the first becaus
55. find that 9 6420 140 By adding 0 140 to 0 048 we arrive at a rivet length of 0 188 Rivets come in increments of 1 16 so the nearest rivet would be an AD3 3 3 16 or 0 1875 This formula works well for rivet lengths up to about 1 2 For thicker material such as the wing spar a greater rivet length allowance is required In general a properly set rivet will have a shop head diameter of 1 5 times the shank diameter and a height of 1 2 the shank diameter See Figure 1 A simple gauge is available from tool suppliers As you gain experience you will find that your eye is very accurate and the gauge is needed only to recalibrate it Specification MIL R 47196A for rivet installation allows for smaller shop heads The specification is available free online is informative and worth reading In many instances particularly in the newer kits a shorter rivet will be called out than the one that would meet the guide line above The shorter rivet will still meet the MIL Spec requirement This is done to avoid using a rivet size that may be slightly long and more difficult to properly install m DIAMETER 1 1 2 RIVET DIA TYP HEIGHT 1 2 RIVET DIA TYP EN 4 NOTE There are times when the correct rivet length is not available Depending on the application a shorter rivet can be used or a longer rivet cut to the proper length Using a longer rivet as is can result in the shank being bent over like a nail We have chosen to use a rivet th
56. fusion regarding the size designations because it pertains to the nominal inside diameter of the fluid passage not the outside diameter of the fitting Two methods are provided for tapered fitting identification See Page 05 29 Figure 1 for full scale drawings or refer to Table 1 for use in identifying a fitting s designated size To use the table measure the maximum outside diameter OD of the tapered thread locate this value under the Actual Size OD column and read the corresponding NPT fractional value from the Designated Size column Actual Size OD Designated Size 0 405 in 10 29 mm 1 8 0 540 in 13 72 mm 1 4 0 675 in 17 15 mm 3 8 TABLE 1 NPT SIZES Because we cannot always fully tighten tapered thread fittings and because even after fully tightening the fitting a small spiral leak path remains along the full length of threads a thread sealant must be used during assembly Two sealants popular for use on aircraft are Tite seal and Permatex 2 Teflon based pipe dopes and sealants and some of the anaerobic thread sealants are also used by some builders with success Do not use Fuel Lube It is not a sealant It is meant for lubricating moving parts in fuel valves etc Teflon tape is also not recommended Small pieces of this tape may be cut by the threads become loose and cause all kinds of problems in aircraft systems Teflon tape has even been the cause of engine stoppages When installing the fitting
57. h rivets These are standard rivets but instead of setting the shop head on a flat surface it is set in a dimple and ends up flush with the skin surface However a double flush rivet will not look the same on both sides The factory flush head will set almost perfectly flat The finished shop head will be flush with the skin but it will not fill the dimple completely This has been described as an acorn sitting in a dimple Do not fall into the trap of trying to use a longer rivet to fill the hole Rivets used in this manner will bend over instead of setting properly and the force involved in trying to drive more rivet material flush into the dimple will cause puckering and waviness Place blocks on either side of the back riveting plate to allow the control surface to lie flat as it slides over the plate Note because RV rudders vary in cord and thickness from top to bottom the skins are not entirely flat so they can not be laid flat on a table Instead position the rudder so that only the aft couple of inches are on the back riveting plate and spacers Then place shims under the spar as needed Weight the control surface down to the work surface so it remains straight while riveting TRAILING EDGE AEX WEDGE Starting at the MIDDLE of the control surface to minimize pillowing back rivet about every tenth rivet just enough to lock everything in place Do not set the rivets all the way yet Continue with the
58. her fairings The typical part consists of several layers of bidirectional fiberglass cloth and resin Fiberglass parts supplied with RVs come in two resin types polyester and epoxy Polyester parts can easily be identified by their white or gray gel coat surface The wet layup epoxy parts are translucent green Some parts typically large parts such as cowlings are manufactured from epoxy pre preg cloth which requires baking in an oven to cure These parts can be gray exterior opaque green or pink They are easily identified by the honeycomb pattern visible on the inside surface of the part Polyester resin is not compatible with epoxy and can only be used on polyester parts However epoxy resin is OK to use on either epoxy or polyester parts Many builders have had good results with West Systems epoxy resin Molded fiberglass can be cut filed and drilled with any tools used for metal working Though it is softer than steel or aluminum glass fiber is very abrasive and will quickly dull tools Set aside some drill bits for use exclusively with fiberglass Use sanding blocks and sandpaper rather than files Like welding fiberglass molding is a specialty skill Fiberglass parts lend themselves more to production methods than do most other parts Thus VAN S AIRCRAFT offers most fiberglass parts pre molded To make the parts that are not supplied in the kit any fiberglass cloth of medium weight will do Flocked cotton fiber and micro balloons are mixe
59. hine countersinking in order to receive a dimpled skin A simple method of accomplishing this is detailed below Some set up time is required but with a little planning ahead a number of these pieces may be done at one sitting resulting in a big time savings To avoid confusion the wedge shaped filler piece will be referred to here as wedge and the trailing edge in general as TE Use scrap aluminum strips that are thinner than the max thickness of the wedge to be countersunk Cut a small V shaped notch into one strip to prevent interference with the countersink cutter pilot Position the strips so that the foot of the countersink cage contacts the top face of the wedge squarely flush and the countersink pilot aligns with the centerline of the hole pattern Attach a piece of safety wire or string between the countersink cage and the post of the drill press so that the cage does not spin Use a low speed setting on the drill press See Figure 1 4 23 AA b Dx Y e A Lt Es x 3 LI y Q Y 4 IB gt FIGURE 2 COUNTERSINKING WEDGE Building a truly straight TE is one of the more difficult things to do in aircraft construction To help keep the TE straight we advise adhering or bonding the components together before setting the rivets Use of double sided adhesive tape makes it possible to keep the wedge aligned all the way through the TE build process We recommend 3M tape produ
60. ht channels are shorted together with a mono headset it will be impossible to change the left or right volume level for any stereo item such as aux music or EFIS warnings The audio mixer was designed to give the most usable range of the volume setting potentiometers for the most common input impedances If the impedance of the device you are trying to connect is significantly different than the most common impedances the circuit was designed around you may experience a loss of useful range of the volume adjustment potentiometer In most cases you may only find that 6 of the available 24 turns in a pot are usable We still find this situation more pleasant than trying to use a small range of a single turn potentiometer The usable range will always start at the full clockwise end of the potentiometer range A short note on the concept of an audio mixer The mixer potentiometer is acting as a voltage divider dividing the signal and sending part of that signal to ground and the rest to the audio amplifier As you turn the potentiometer clockwise the resistance to ground becomes less and more of the signal is sent to ground thus reducing the volume of that signal In short you are reducing the volume of each signal with the potentiometer to a desired level The signals small in volume are then added together for example Aux1 Left Aux2 Left and EFIS Left and amplified to a useable volume The amplified signal is sent out of the control module on a single wi
61. hten which can start thinning the material in the area of the flare Turn the cone just enough to fully form the flare flange with special pliers The flutes effectively shrink the flange material and pull the part into line Inspect the flare Take a good look at the stretched aluminum around the circumference of the flare You will probably see some tiny stretch marks but there should be no cracks or splits Fluting diagrams are shown on the plans where required Otherwise the flutes are simply centered between the pre punched FIGURE 1 BASIC TERMINOLOGY Install the tube on the flare fitting Mate the flared end of the tube with the conical end of the AN fitting Slide the AN 819 collar holes in the flanges When making flutes be sure they are formed down the tube until it rests on the back of the flare It must be square to the fitting Any slight angle will make it difficult to start the towards the inside of the part so that the outer face of the flange nut and if you do get it started runs the risk of splitting the aluminum flare remains flat for the skin to lie on Slide the 818 nut over the far end of the tube and engage the threads on the AN fitting Tighten to the specified torque You Straighten the ribs bulkheads with fluting pliers and check for straightness by sighting down the web or by laying the part on a flat should have a Standard Aircraft Handbook with the torque tables for these things assuming aluminum fittings for
62. iameter is present on the skin surface the dimple has not fully formed The amount of force required to accomplish this varies depending upon material thickness and dimple size Thin material like 016 and small dimples require much less force than 040 material and a 8 screw dimple It takes practice to learn good technique The goal is learning how to judge when a dimple is well formed When using a C frame tool listen for the sound produced when striking the arbor The sound of fully seating dies is different from the sound of not fully seating dies This sound varies depending upon the type of hammer used but there is always a noticeable difference The dimple countersinking process stretches the metal around the perimeter of the hole being dimpled It is very important that holes drilled to final size be well deburred beforehand to reduce the likelihood of cracking The bigger the dimple the more stretching occurs and the greater the chance of cracking 5 6 BACK RIVETING When riveting thin aluminum skins to light ribs or stiffeners it is difficult to avoid getting some slight indentations in the skin around the rivet Particularly on shiny unpainted aluminum reflections make the skin look much rougher than it actually is One way to lessen this effect is back riveting Back riveting means holding the bucking bar on the factory head of the rivet and driving instead from the shop end with the rivet gun and a special back rivet set The
63. ic lacquers up through the newer acrylic enamels urethanes and epoxy finishes Which one is best probably depends on the end result desired by the individual builder However the urethanes seem to be favored by most builders now because of their relative ease of application and shiny maintenance free finish The purpose of this section is only to present some general ideas not to provide the best way of applying the best paint COLOR SCHEME Before getting serious about the type of paint to be used and the method and technique of application most builders spend many months or years while building trying to decide their paint scheme Toward this end little can be offered other than the suggestion that conservative colors and paint scheme will always look good on the basically good lines of an RV More daring combinations of colors and patterns may result in a fabulous paint scheme or could result in an eyesore too busy or gaudy to be appealing Unless you have a very good eye for colors and patterns it may not be worth the gamble We have provided a three view drawing on which to practice Just run off a few dozen copies on your office copier when the boss isn t looking buy a box of colored pencils and start sketching out your dream scheme Aside from the aesthetic aspects of color scheme selection you might also give serious thought to recognition i e how well will your combination of colors stand out from the background when in flight
64. ine has sharp corners and has a burr on one edge as shown in Figure 1 This burr must be removed and the sharp edges rounded off This can be done a number of ways with a file a Scotchbrite polishing wheel sandpaper or an edge de burring tool In most instances the tool followed by a pass or two over a Scotchbrite wheel mounted in a bench grinder is the best and quickest method A good test for the edge finish of aluminum sheet is to run your finger over it If you can t feel any roughness and there is no chance of drawing blood the finish is OK You should not be able to see the original cutting marks on the material In other words if the sheet had been sawed bandsaw or hacksaw the saw marks should be removed in the process of smoothing Corners particularly inside ones must be cut with a radius to prevent cracking See Figure 2 This radius can vary from 1 16 for 016 thick aluminum to 1 8 for 040 aluminum The radius edge then must be smoothed just as the straight edges discussed above A small round file works well for this This is especially important where a bend line is intersecting the inside corner in question Cracks are likely to occur at the sheet edge even if the bend radius is great enough FLAT PATTERN All drilled holes or prepunched holes that have been final drilled to a larger size should also be deburred Holes that were factory punched to final size can be inspected and only deburred if needed with the e
65. installation of flush screws It is also done where multiple layers are already riveted together and on material that is too thick to dimple such as a wing spar flange MACHINE COUNTERSINKING DIMPLED SKIN EDGE OF MACHINE COUNTERSUNK HOLE GIVES POOR EDGE SUPPORT FOR RIVET HEAD AND BODY MACHINE CTSK OK WHEN HELD BETWEEN SHEETS GOOD SUPPORT OF RIVET SHOP HEAD FIGURE 1 DIMPLING Machine countersinking removes metal and is done with a stop countersink tool and a drill motor Machine countersinking can only be used in areas where the skin thickness is sufficient CAUTION Check the machine countersink depth frequently since variation in part shape hand pressure and tool sharpness will cause the depth to vary ADS RIVETS TYPICAL 0 032 0 032 EXAMPLE 2 MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE THICKNESS OF TOP SHEET EXAMPLE 1 TOP SHEET TOO THIN COUNTERSINK ENLARGES HOLE 0 050 0 040 EXAMPLE 3 MORE THAN ADEQUATE THICKNESS OF TOP SHEET FIGURE 2 RIVETS AND SHEET THICKNESS Where the skin thickness is insufficient the countersunk hole for the rivet head enlarges the original rivet hole and no longer supports the shaft of the rivet Only a portion of the rivet head is now contacting the skin so it cannot achieve its design strength which is based on full head contact See Figure 2 Example 1 When using the minimum acceptable thickness the full rivet head is supported and the
66. ires about 14 in lbs friction drag torque just to turn the nut We subtract 14 from 28 and arrive at only 14 in Ibs of torque torque being the measurement of friction not tension applied to induce preload clamp load in the bolt Not a satisfactory result Portions of this information has been adapted from AC 43 13 1B Section 7 40 AN Bolt Bolt Size otandard Nuts oelf Locking Nut Size Threads Per Inch AN310 AN315 AN365 MS21042 3 MS21042 4 INCH POUNDS FOOT POUNDS INCH POUNDS FOOT POUNDS ANS 410 32 20 25 1 6 2 0 28 23 AN4 1 4 28 50 70 4 2 5 8 85 7 0 AN5 5 16 24 100 140 8 3 11 6 ANG 3 8 24 160 190 13 3 15 8 AN7 7 16 20 450 500 37 5 41 7 ANG 1 2 20 480 690 40 0 57 5 AN9 9 16 18 800 1000 66 6 83 3 AN10 5 8 18 1100 1500 91 6 125 0 MS21042 3 10 32 28 23 MS21042 4 1 4 28 85 7 0 FASTENERS AS PIVOT POINTS In specific cases bolts are intended to be used as axis of rotation The most common example is the attachment of control system cables Here it is intended that the cable end fitting pivot on the bolt In these instances the nut must not be torqued to the standard torque value Instead a castellated nut safetied with a cotter pin is used Finger tighten the nut then install the cotter pin The cable end fitting must pivot freely when the installation is complete MS NUTS A common rule of thumb for evaluating whether an installed bolt is the proper l
67. is normal for the stem to pull entirely out of the rivet 5 4 continued CHERRYMAX RIVET INSTALLATION CHERRYMAX CR32XX style blind rivets are aircraft grade fasteners of high strength but only if properly installed NOTE To achieve maximum rated strength use only the manufacturer s recommended method of installation The CHERRYMAX Process Manual was the source of information for Tables 1 2 and Figures 3 4 and may be viewed and or downloaded at http www cherryaerospace com files pdf catalog CA 1015 pdf KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER RIVET SIZE Hivets must be accurately sized for each application Proper grip length selection is critical Only use the rivet lengths called out in the builders manual RIVET HOLE Hivets require close tolerance holes in parts where they are being installed See Table 1 TOOLS CHERRYMAX rivets require a greater stem pull force than common blind rivets but can still be installed with most common blind rivet installation tools Though the PRP 26A tool recommended for RV 12 construction is not compatible with CHERRYMAX rivets neither is an expensive Cherry brand tool required ALIGNMENT Unlike other blind rivets used in RV construction the CHERRYMAX stem cannot be pulled at an angle relative to the rivet axis If stem is not pulled straight parallel to rivet hole axis premature stem breakage can occur resulting in a rivet that has not fully formed or locked DRIVING ANVIL This
68. l have to shorten either wire grip or insulation grip wings to work well with your wire of choice It s always a good idea to experiment with extra pins on scraps of wire to see what it takes to achieve the smooth and tight crimp grip shown on Page 05 23 Figure 6 Each manufacturer of these connectors offers an extraction tool that will let you remove a pin without damage for re use in the same or a different location on the connector Female pins are installed the same way 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING NOTE Van s Aircraft has tailored each avionics component for the combination of aircraft and avionics by supplying each component with a specific set of default presets Although not supplied in the kit a list of these presets are available upon request WARNING Never run an electrical system using power from a battery charger only Always have a battery connected to the system Always connect the battery charger on the battery side of the master relay so that if the relay is turned off the charger will not be left as the only device providing power to the system Battery chargers alone may produce voltage levels that will damage components connected to the electrical system Control Module CAUTION The potentiometers used to control audio levels and trim speed etc can easily be damaged by excessive force Use only the supplied adjustment screwdriver tool TOOL 00000 and use only light pressure to keep it engag
69. leaning is bead blasting but some work with a stiff brush and solvent will do the job PADDED VICE Steel parts should be primed and painted immediately after cleaning to prevent rust NOTE Some thick 125 3 2 mm or thicker aluminum parts such as the F 01411C Horizontal Stabilizer Attachment Bars in the RV 14 may be Stainless steel will quickly dull cutting tools drills deburring tools reamers etc Use plenty of lubricant Van s Aircraft uses bowed due to the punching operation used during their manufacture Boelube and keep the cutting speed low Use a step drill if creating holes over 250 6 4 mn in diameter Use the following process to straighten any other thick aluminum part prior to installation Stainless steel edges can be very sharp Handle with care Clamp one end of the part in a padded vice padded with wood aluminum etc Pre load the free end of the attachment bar in the direction required to straighten it Using a rubber mallet firmly strike the part once near the vice Slide the part further into the vice pre load and strike the bar again Repeat as necessary until the part is straight within 1 16 1 6 mm along its entire length See Figure 2 FIGURE 2 STRAIGHTENING A THICK ALUMINUM PART 5 16 INSTALLING NUTPLATES Nutplates are almost always installed with flush rivets When the structure is too thin to machine countersink there are two options The first alternative is to dimple both s
70. lled from below Pry the backshell halves apart to insert the jack screws through the aft side of the assembled backshell halves The jack screw shoulder will be captured by the top and bottom backshell halves and extend through the corresponding hole in the d sub assembly With the jack screws and saddle washers captured tighten the top and bottom screws to complete the assembly See Figure 1 The clamshell style backshell has a plastic strain relief that nests in the bottom half of the clamshell and the wire bundle is secured with a metal strain relief on the top as shown in Figure 1 Jack screws snap into molded receptacles in the bottom half of the clamshell and extend through the holes in the d sub assembly To complete assembly the top half of the clamshell is closed and snapped into place with the molded posts and integrated side latch TOP HALF SIDE LATCH CLAMSHELL STYLE BACKSHELL D SUB JACK SCREW STRAIN RELIEF HOLE D SUB POSTS SNAP TO CLOSE BACKSHELL STRAIN RELIEF WIRE BUNDLE mE STRAIN RELIEF RECE CES 2 PLACES SUEDE BOTTOM HALF WIRE BUNDLE Raia JACK SCREW W 2 PLACES H TWO PIECE BACKSHELL CLAMSHELL BACKSHELL FIGURE 1 BACKSHELL ASSEMBLY SHIELDED WIRES Some wires included in the kit are shielded with braided wire surrounding the main conductor wire s Unless otherwise stated all shields are connected to ground at the d sub connector that the wire is coming from The shiel
71. mit This is a known issue with older SkyView SV EMS 220 modules which Dynon can fix Contact Dynon Technical Support Mention that you have a SkyView system and CHT EGT is spiking during COM transmissions GPS Problem My EFIS is not detecting a GPS signal Solution Check that the output format of the GPS signal is set correctly You may have no control of the output format of a GPS puck but for a device like a Garmin handheld GPS etc there will be a menu driven option allowing different formats Check that the wire carrying GPS data to the ELT has not been accidentally grounded by a crimping the shield to main wire conductor Refer to Section 5 in your builder manual for the proper termination of shielded wires b no connection to the ELT thus the wire is dangling and grounding out on aircraft structure Cover the end of the conductor in heat shrink Trim Problem Trim motor does not move or low voltage present at trim motor Solution The trim speed is controlled by a pulsed voltage ie the power is turned on and off quickly the longer it is off the slower the motor moves Adjust the trim potentiometer CCW to increase the speed Most voltmeters will average the pulsed voltage as something less than buss voltage for example a pulsed voltage with a peak voltage of 12V off 5096 of the time would be seen as 6V on a typical voltmeter Glossary of Electrical Terms These definitions are not meant to be scientifically correct but rathe
72. nded Also full coverage clothing should be used to prevent skin exposure Builders sometimes disregard warnings on the likes of paint cans because they become indifferent after daily exposure to warnings on all sorts of relatively benign household items But where modern paints products are concerned warnings should be taken very seriously PAINTING Painting an airplane obviously adds to its weight The amount of weight depends on the type and amount of paint primer and surface filler used A keep weight to a minimum paint job will weigh about 15 Ibs A really elaborate paint job with all the extras could add two or three times this weight In addition heavy paint jobs will tend to shift the Center of Gravity rearward because of the paint weight on the empennage Control surface balance on the RVs has not been found to be critical A normal light paint application on the ailerons and elevator will not upset their balance to a noticeable degree However a heavy paint job will require that these surfaces be re balanced and additional counterbalance weight added if necessary MASKING Application of masking tape for color separation and pin striping is perhaps the most time consuming part of painting Masking a straight line is tough enough but getting just the right curve or sweep to a line is an art Common hardware store masking tape usually gives poor results for distinct line separation because it permits too much bleed under Plastic dec
73. ne FIGURE 1 NUTPLATE JIG VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 17 FUEL TANK SEALANT The recommended sealant MC 236 B2 often called ProSeal is available through the VAN S ACCESSORIES CATALOG Mixed unused sealant may be kept in the freezer for up to 4 days Although the sealant used to seal the tanks is not particularly noxious only use it and the solvents used in tank construction with adequate ventilation Use a respirator gloves which also keep oil from your skin off the surfaces to be sealed and protective cream when sealing the tanks Why expose your skin and lungs if you can prevent it Working with tank sealant can be a messy proposition but it does not have to be By taking care and thinking things through it can be painless Handy things to have on hand disposable surgical gloves a box of Popsicle sticks a supply of clean rags paper towels butcher paper not newspaper to cover the bench surface Rough all mating surfaces using a Scotchbrite pad Don t be bashful score the aluminum well so the sealing compound will have more surface to grip After scoring thoroughly clean all parts including rivets with naphtha MEK or an etching acid like Alumiprep or Twin Etch After cleaning do not pollute the areas to be sealed Don t even touch them The oils from your skin will affect the bond of the sealant The tank sealant should be mixed as accurately as possible This can be done by using a homemade balance scale a hand l
74. ng experiences a homebuilder can have Below are a few general Do s and Don ts SAFETY Most of us understand the importance of Shop Safety Eye ear and respiratory protection are essential when fabricating Plexiglas and Lexan Die grinders will cut fingers without a second thought turn at very high rpm and can throw chips and dust at un dodgable velocities Two hands are recommended to guide this tool Drill bits can also break and become flying hazards Eye protection is a must Remember to support your work well and use gloves when it makes sense HANDLING The canopy is most vulnerable to cracking when moved or flexed before edges or holes have been deburred Be especially cautious when the canopy is in this state Plexiglas and Lexan are dramatically less brittle when warm Do not try to work on these materials in a cold shop Cutting or drilling the acrylic transparencies in temperatures under 60 F is asking for trouble Heat the shop to 75 80 it may be uncomfortable to you but your canopy loves it Many builders will put a small space heater under the canopy when trimming just as insurance Take care not to overheat the canopy Too hot is when any part of the canopy is hotter than warm to the touch More than one builder has melted a canopy in an attempt to make sure it is warm enough Localized heat is as bad as no heat and can deform the canopy Be cautious when fitting your canopy over small protrusions and or transitions in canop
75. nto a machine gun For our use we need to cut individual pins apart similar to what you see here in Figure 3 Note that part of the material that joins adjacent pins is left in place It s too long in this view and will be snipped off again later VAN S AIRCRAFT INC Strip the wire about 3 32 Note that I ve shortened the insulation grip wings on this pin These connectors are designed for automotive applications where wiring insulation is MUCH larger in diameter than for the same AWG size in aircraft wire Left full length as supplied it s difficult if not impossible to get a proper bear hug on the wire s insulation See Figure 4 Note shortened wire grip wings I ve also shortened the stop tabs but they will prove to be too long If left in as supplied shape the wire grip and insulation grip wings tend to rotate the pin in the tool s dies as they close This can result in a poorly shaped crimp or even broken wings Use a pair of pliers to bend the wings into a U shape with sides parallel or even tilted inward toward each other slightly See Figure 5 Now comes the fun part Grip the pin loosely in pocket D with the ends of the wire grip wings pointing toward the pocket s butt cheeks Insert the stripped end of the wire so that exposed strands are inside the crimp area Close the tool while being watchful of dreaded pin spin If things go as they should ends of wire grip wings will do a 180 degree turn an
76. o the pin or socket Use a soldering iron to heat the barrel of the pin or socket while inserting solder wire into the witness hole This will require a solder wire of a small diameter Melt solder into the witness hole then remove the heat and solder Be careful not to get excess solder on the barrel of the pin or socket otep 4 Check that the wire is properly soldered to the pin by gently pulling on the pin or socket and the wire 4 5 32 WIRE INSULATION STRIPPED WIRE BARREL WITNESS HOLE FIGURE 2 SOLDER WIRE TO PIN VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued BACKSHELL ASSEMBLY There are a number of connections which make use of d sub assemblies sheathed with a backshell There are a variety of backshell styles two of which are discussed here and illustrated in Figure 1 For both styles of backshell ensure that the wires are properly installed and heat shrink tubing is installed to secure the wire bundle The two piece backshell contains two metal strain reliefs These are secured around the wire bundle with two screws One screw is installed from the top and one from the bottom as shown in Figure 1 Position the strain reliefs so that they will fit the recess in the backshell halves Install the d sub assembly in the bottom half of the backshell Loosely attach the top and bottom halves of the backshell with the hardware as shown in Figure 1 Note that one screw is installed from above and one is insta
77. oader s scale a postal scale or nearly any of the small inexpensive digital scales that are available Follow the instructions supplied with the sealant When mixing sealant do not mix too much at one time A batch the size of four or five golf balls is usually enough for one work session The sealant provides 45 to 90 minutes of working time less in warmer temperatures To use the sealant as soon as possible after mixing have all the work well planned and tools all laid out Have a container of acetone MEK or lacquer thinner nearby for the frequent tool cleanings necessary during riveting You can peel away overflow on areas you want to keep clean by strategically applying plastic tape before spreading the sealant APPLYING SEALANT Use plastic freezer bags A small amount of sealant can be put in one the corner of the bag cut off and the bag squeezed like a cake decorator s pastry bag to apply sealant to parts Purchase some plastic disposable syringes from a farm supply store Monoject 35cc syringes cost very little Drill the end out a little larger for better flow of the thick sealant After filling the syringe with sealant using a Popsicle stick and squeezing out the air you now have a miniature caulking gun VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 18 FIBERGLASS Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic FRP or Fiberglass as it is more commonly known is used in numerous places in RVs for non structural parts These include the cowl spinner and ot
78. on of the locking device noticeable torque is required just to turn the nut onto the threads and does nothing to actually tighten the parts together and stretch the bolt clamp load This is called friction drag or prevailing torque The friction drag torque must be determined and then added to the standard torque from the table Run the nut down to where it nearly contacts the washer or bearing surface and check the friction drag torque required to turn the nut At least one thread should protrude from the nut Add the friction drag torque to the standard torque This sum is referred to as the final or total torque which should register on the indicator or setting for a snap over type torque wrench As an example illustrating the importance of determining the friction drag torque consider a new AN3 bolt and MS21042 3 all metal lock nut Our tests showed an average friction drag torque of 14 in Ibs your results may vary The standard torque for this nut bolt combination from the table below is 28 in lbs This results in a final torque setting on our wrench of 14 plus 28 or 42 in lbs Though we exceeded the 28 in Ib value listed in the table by using a final torque of 42 in lbs we are still well within the capability of the nut Incidentally this nut must meet a maximum torque test value of 60 in lbs per the military standard spec sheet Now what if we completely ignore the friction drag torque and set our wrench to just 28 in Ibs Recall that it requ
79. orator tape yields a nice crisp edge but is rather expensive Plastic electricians tape works fairly well and is relatively cheap Scotch tape also works well but is hard to remove after painting There is no doubt that a smooth wave free surface offers less aerodynamic drag than an imperfect one but it is not known how much effect this will have on the speed of an RV Probably not much unless the entire airframe is filled and smoothed before painting and then the paint is rubbed out perfectly smooth This would entail much work add weight and probably not be advisable unless the builder wanted a 100 perfect airplane rather than a 98 perfect one The price for that last 2 would be high in terms of added work required For the typical paint job the builder obviously should try to work in a dust free environment so the paint surface will be as smooth as possible without the need for rub out Spanwise trim stripes should be avoided very near the wing leading edge Much is being written about the effects of spanwise surface irregularities on the boundary layer control on airfoils particularly those on canard configuration airplanes The concern is that any surface irregularity near the wing leading edge particularly spanwise ones can disrupt the boundary layer airflow upset laminar flow and cause an increase in drag and a decrease in lift On canard airplanes this can seriously affect not only performance but also stability and control On an R
80. original hole is not enlarged as shown in Example 2 Example 3 shows not only the fully supported rivet head but also contact with the rivet shank Use the appropriate rivet or screw as a gauge when you machine countersink Stop when the rivet or screw is flush For a dimpled skin riveted onto a machine countersunk surface the countersink must be slightly deeper as mentioned earlier Proper depth is 007 deeper than when the rivet head is flush This depth correction corresponds to seven clicks on a microstop countersink tool indexed in 001 inch increments When countersinking for a 8 or larger screw the countersink cutter is removing so much material that it can easily chatter resulting in a rough surface finish and an out of round countersink A good process for obtaining a smooth finish is to set the microstop countersink tool 005 inch short of the final depth make the first cut at a slow speed applying heavy pressure readjust the microstop to the final depth and make the final cut at high speed applying light pressure DIMPLING The dimple dies can be used in most tools traditionally used for riveting such as hand and pneumatic squeezers and special dimpling tools such as one commonly referred to as a C frame which is used for dimpling in the middle of large sheets It is fully acceptable and common practice to use a rivet squeezer hand or pneumatic to dimple substructure that will be covered up since the dimples will not be vi
81. properly part Verify that the flanges on parts are perpendicular to the web unless otherwise specified so that they will mate correctly with the skins Adjust flanges with hand seamers or small wood blocks with slots cut in them as necessary A pair of duck bill pliers can also be very handy for Preparing the tube Soft aluminum tube should be cut with a tubing cutter not a hacksaw The resulting end will be square After making the cut deburr the interior edge of the tube end and polish the end of the tube with fine crocus cloth emery paper ora Scotchbrite wheel adjusting small flanges RIB Mounting it in the flaring tool First put the AN 818 nut AN 819 collar on the tube and push them out of the way There is The process used to manufacture parts with curved flanges will tongue on most flaring tools that serves as a stop Make sure you have selected the right diameter Most RV s use 3 8 tubing for leave them slightly bowed and sometimes twisted Before fuel lines and 1 4 tubing for brake lines insert the tube from the far side of the tool until it hits the stop then tighten the clamp parts are installed the flanges must be straightened any twist in the part can be ignored This is done by fluting Making the flare Put a drop of light oil on the cone of the flaring tool Spin the cone down into the tube and watch it make the flare that is putting small creases or flutes along the edge of the Do not over tig
82. r a definition understandable to someone not technically familiar with electrical systems EMI and EMR RFI Electro Magnetic Interference A magnetic field if oriented correctly near a wire will move electrons within the wire inducing a current and causing electrical noise This is referred to as near field since the effect falls off rapidly This is why moving wires relative to or away from a source may solve an EMI problem A common source would be a wire carrying a fluctuating high current Electro Radiation Interference or Radio Frequency Interference when in the radio frequency spectrum is energy absorbed or emitted from a charged particle and will continue to travel through space away from the source This is referred to as far field and in such cases a solution should if possible be applied to the source of the radiation A common source would be a COM and the transmit wire antenna With any electromagnetic radiation interference small signals such as audio are more likely to be affected Gain Amplification of a signal for the sake of this manual audio signal Impedance The equivalent resistance of an electrical device Quiescent Current Consumption Power consumed by a device in the idle state Side tone Sound from a headset microphone fed back into the earpiece of that same headset or the level at which you hear your own voice in the head set when transmitting For more information consult your COM radio installation and use
83. r manual Squelch A level setting used to cancel background noise so that only signals above the set level will be heard The term breaking the squelch means that an incoming signal has a level high enough to be above this level and will be heard 5 22 COMPRESSION FITTINGS IN PLASTIC TUBING Install compression fittings to plastic tubing using the OUO WINY Steps SLEEVE INCLUDED WITH ELBOW ASSEMBLY Step 1 Drill 29 the inside of the tube Step 2 Blow out the tube using compressed air from the end opposite the one which was drilled PLASTIC TUBE Step 3 Slide the nut and sleeve over the plastic tube then locate the sleeve about NUT INCLUDED WITH i ELBOW ASSEMBLY 1 8 inch from the end See Figure 1 APPROX OW ASS Step 4 Press the brass insert into m uM the end of the plastic tube as far as Pd possible by pushing it against some solid object Place the end of the assembly in boiling water for one minute then immediately press the insert in the rest of the way until it bottoms against the end of the plastic tube BRASS INSERT BRASS ELBOW Step 5 Tighten the nut finger tight then one full turn thereafter NUT WITH SLEEVE ATTACHED INCLUDED WITH ELBOW ASSEMBLY BRASS INSERT BRASS 45 ELBOW FIGURE 1 COMPRESSION LINE END FITTINGS 5 23 NYLON FLUID FITTINGS IN PLASTIC TUBING Install nylon fittings to PT 062X1 4 Plastic Tube using the following steps
84. re An analogy would be a measurement of the flow of fuel to the engine in gallons hour The amount of current amps flowing in a circuit will determine the size of the circuit breaker or fuse the type of switch to use and the size of wire to use The last term we must understand is power more specifically the power being consumed by a circuit which is measured in units of Watts W Items such as lights are typically rated in watts WIRING Stranded wire is preferred over a solid conductor Solid conductor wire a single strand of wire is more susceptible to breakage from the normal vibrations of an aircraft Automotive type wire can be used in most applications The only exception would be where shielded wire is desired Wire should be supported such that it does not sag or swing freely When passing through a bulkhead use a grommet or support the wire in the center of the hole with clamps to prevent chaffing which could result in an in flight electrical short Bundling wires together is acceptable except when a noisy wire is included with a sensitive circuit An example of this would be including the transponder antenna lead or a strobe power lead in the same bundle with the mike wire or headset leads The impulses created by either the transponder or the strobe could be picked up by the audio wiring WARNING Antennas must be hooked up before turning on the transponder or radio or damage may result Refer to the transponder radio and antenn
85. re that no wires are shorted out Move the wires to check for a loose connection If you can hear or transmit but very faintly then the problem could be a loose connection Problem can t hear myself when transmitting but can hear COM transmissions Solution Check the COM side tone setting For more information see the manual supplied with your COM radio Remember to check both sides of the aircraft for this condition The COM side tone applies to both sides of the aircraft equally so using the same headset on both pilot and co pilot headset positions should yield the same conditions Problem Received COM transmissions are fine but my transmitted voice sounds distorted or there is a high level of background noise Solution The setting of the COM side tone may be set to automatically adjust with the volume level In some cases this works well but in most instances the side tone may need to be adjusted manually especially when using modern headsets that are more sensitive Problem Only when the COM is turned on there are random loud bursts of noise Solution The default setting of the COM squelch should be adjusted See troubleshooting section on a random noise through the headset If you hear Strobe noise only with the COM on read the problem solution for strobe noise below Problem Only a small portion of the control module volume adjustment potentiometer range is usable Solution Check that all headsets are in stereo mode If the left and rig
86. re to the intercom or audio panel The volume range may also be dependent on the type of intercom in use In recent years there has been an increased use of music players designed to drive small ear bud headphones This results in low volume output from older intercom designs To compensate some intercom manufactures have increased the gain level oversimplified they have turned up the internal output volume knob within the intercom as high as possible As the mixer output is increased the high level of gain in the intercom causes the signal to become distorted the top of the signal is being chopped off because the intercom cannot handle that high of input Problem Constant background hiss noise when the aircraft engine is turned off Solution It is normal to hear a faint ocean sounding noise with the engine turned off with the electrical system powered on When the engine is running this noise will disappear The noise will disappear not only because of the sound of the engine which is much greater in magnitude but also because the voltage regulators especially 12V regulators in the system will have a greater differential to regulate from when the engine driven alternator or generator brings the bus voltage up to 14V The greater the difference between the bus voltage and the regulated voltage the better the voltage regulator will be able to maintain a steady voltage for a device such as an intercom A fluctuating voltage can introduce noise into the
87. realize 3 92 0 094 19 32 0 594 K1000 08 COD T SCALE 14 18 0 125 5 8 0 625 MEE 5 32 0 156 21 32 0 656 oe Holes as provided in the kit will be called 3 16 0 188 11 16 0 688 K1000 08D pe refered to by the sizeusedto 7 32 0 219 23 32 0 719 holes in the dingus Dimple the 40 holes 1 4 0 250 3 4 0 750 aws CD E In many cases use of the nearest 9 32 0 281 25 32 0 781 dimension butuse D 16 0 313 13 16 0 813 cs requ high precision to ft correctly 11 32 0 344 27 32 0 844 K1100 08 All dimensions are also depicted in metric 3 8 0 3 5 718 0 8 5 13 32 0 406 29 32 0 906 7 16 0 438 15 16 0 938 w 1 5 32 0 469 31 32 0 969 DIMPLED RIVET HOLES 1 2 0 500 1 1 000 1 000 eo cg N N Q 0 Vo 9 Vg Qv S VAN S AIRCRAFT INC FLUSH HEAD PROTRUDING HEAD AACQ 4 3 5 26 continued AACQ 4 4 AACQ 4 6 AD 41 ABS im gt AD 41H gt AD 42H FIGURE 2 NAS1149 AND AN960 WASHER SUBSTITUTION AD 62 BS T NAS1149 washers may be used anywhere a AN960 washer is called for However DO NOT use a AN960 washer where a NAS1149 washer is specified AK 42H i Manufacturing tolerances for the NAS1149 washers are tighter than are those for the AN960 washers FIGURE 1 BLIND RIVET IDENTIFICATION SEE VAN S CATALOG FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTIONS SCALE 1 1
88. remaining rivets by doing one rivet midway between others that have already been done and working back and forth along the trailing edge until all are initially set FIGURE 3 DOUBLE SIDED TAPE RV ALL VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 8 RIVETED TRAILING EDGES continued Set the rivet gun pressure low it should take about three seconds to fully set a rivet This will allow time to vary the angle of the rivet gun while driving the rivet Start with the rivet set parallel to the rivet shank and tilt it to set the rivet flush to the skin as the rivet sets Repeat the initial pattern until the rivets are completely set See Figures 1 and 2 FLAT FACED NARROW DIA RIVET SET C FRAME RIVET SET WILL ALSO WORK SUPPORT BOTTOM WITH FREE HAND E d RIVET GUN PARALLEL TO RIVET SHANK MANUFACTURED HEAD tT STEEL PLATE INSET IN TABLE FIGURE 1 RIVETING THE TRAILING EDGE INITIAL m RIVET GUN PERPENDICULAR TO SKIN MANUFACTURED HEAD STEEL PLATE INSET IN TABLE FIGURE 2 RIVETING THE TRAILING EDGE CONTINUED Check constantly for any deformation of the trailing edge If deformation over 1 2 in 2 5 5 cm in length is observed place blocks near the curved area and lightly bend the trailing edge back down Take your time and work as precisely as possible An excessively wavy or bowed trailing edg
89. rface Alternatively spray primer into one end of the pushrod turn the pushrod around and spray again from the other end The majority of the parts in the kit have been coated in our plant with vinyl to protect them during manufacturing We suggest that you remove the vinyl as soon as practical after inventorying your kit See 5 12 The pre assembled spars are anodized and need no additional protection All aluminum bar angle and tube used is Brand Product not alclad and must be primed to assure DITZLER DP 40 50 EPOXY PRIMER corrosion resistance The traditional DUPONT VERI PRIME PRIMER 615 and CONVERTER 6165 primer used on aircraft aluminum has been Zinc Chromate With proper surface MARHYDE Self etching primer available in a spray can as well as quarts cleaning this is still a good primer PRATT amp LAMBERT Vinyl Zinc Chromate EX ER 7 and T ER 4 Reducer However there are many newer primers TEMPO Chromate in a spray can SHERWIN WILLIAMS WASH PRIMER P60G2 and Catalyst Reducer R7K44 available which are superior Most of these are two part catalytic curing primers CAUTION When spray painting ANY primer work in a well ventilated area and wear at the very least a UL approved respirator with carbon filters Systems providing fresh filtered air have become more affordable in the last few years and provide the operator a superior level of comfort and safety As the name Metal Etching Primer implies the catalyst
90. ric Connection http aeroelectric com articles matenlok matenlok html opecial thanks to Bob Nuckolls for allowing us to reproduce this information OBC 1 CRIMP TOOL FOR OPEN BARREL TERMINALS Figure 1 is a closeup of the business end of our Open Barrel Terminal Crimp Tool Note that pockets C D and E have butt cheeks formed into the upper surface These pockets cause the end of wire grip wings to curl over and dive into the approxi mate center of the wire strands Pockets A and B have a smooth circular shape used to shape the terminal s insulation grips into a bear hug FIGURE 2 Figure 2 shows a typical nylon connector housing and a strip of open barrel pins This particular connector is a Waldom Molex product purchased in a blister pak from Radio Shack The techniques described here are typical for all connectors of this genre If you wish to mount the connector in a hole the tabs visible at the rear of the connector housing can be folded flat against the side of the connector Barbs molded into the wings will slip through the appropriate sized rectangular hole and hold the housing captive in the hole Check the original manufacturer s data for recommended hole dimensions Pins supplied in strips are intended for application by automatic machine The pins come in reels of perhaps 10 000 and feed into the side of an application machine like a belt of cartridges i
91. rs today have a setting for performing a continuity test Touch the leads coming from the tester to each end of a wire and if there is an electrical connection then the multimeter will generate a tone indicating a good electrical connection If your multimeter did not include this setting use the resistance setting If the resistance is a very large number in the Mega Ohm range then there is not continuity If the resistance is zero or nearly zero then continuity exists If for example an EFIS is not receiving data from another device Test for a connection between the end of the wire that connects to the EFIS and the end of the wire that connects to the device This will by default also test the connection through the control module as well If there is continuity the wiring is not the problem hopefully you have already double checked for a proper setup within the menus of the EFIS and the device If there is not continuity then each portion of the wiring harness for that circuit path will need to be checked separately for continuity to find the problem the control module itself the harness from the control module to the device the harness from the control module to the EFIS Audio Basic Checks Always check that your headset is plugged in properly Try a different headset or even a different headset type Try one headset at a time or the same headset in different positions Check that ANR headsets have fresh batteries Van s Aircraft audio
92. s not occurring just on the wire Yo strands A B C FIGURE 2 CRIMPING VAN S AIRCRAFT INC TOO LOOSE TERMINAL CRIMP AT WIRE INSULATION END OF TERMINAL WIRE INSULATION METAL p E 7 TERMINAL AA e Lj TOO TIGHT CRIMP AT WIRE END OF TERMINAL SMALL AMOUNT OF SPACE BETWEEN FIGURE 3 WIRE CONDUCTORS CORRECT amp INCORRECT AND WIRE BARREL EXAMPLES E eee EX TO OVER STRESS MARKS ao WIRE CONDUCTORS APPARENT ON INSULATION VISIBLE WITHIN THIS AREA TOP VIEW FRONT BELLMOUTH EVIDENT WIRE INSULATION INSIDE METAL SLEEVE BUT NOT INSIDE WIRE BARREL b Emi Pc EM CN NO REAR f NO FLASH IN BELLMOUTH THIS AREA SIDE VIEW WIRE FLUSH TO END OF WIRE BARREL OR BOTTOMED ON STOP INSIDE CENTER OF SPLICE 50 d BUTT SPLICE FIGURE 4 CRIMPING OF CLOSED BARREL TERMINALS 5 21 ELECTRICAL continued Strip the wire according to the WIRE STRIP LENGTH found in Table 1 then use the crimp tool VAN S AIRCRAFT INC TERMINAL INSTALLATION TABLE PART WIRE STRIP RECOMMENDED NUMBER NOMENCLATURE LENGTH CRIMPING TOOL TOOL USE NOTES ES 00003 MOLEX PIN 093 130 150 ES 00004 MOLEX SOCKET 093 130 150 ES 00005 MOLEX PIN 093 130 150 ES 00006 MOLEX SOCKET 093
93. s results in faceted instead of uniformly curved mating surfaces A skin riveted on top of the rib would appear faceted and a bump would occur in the skin in the area of the notch between the rib flanges Shape deburr the edges of the flanges especially in the area of the flange radius as required See Figure 3 FLANGE RADIUS FACETING FRONT EDGE OF FORWARD FLANGE FIGURE 3 RIB FLANGE PREP RV ALL rast 05 03 VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 3 MARKING PARTS WARNING NEVER use a scribe to make layout lines or other marks on aircraft parts Due to engine vibration part failure can occur along these scribe lines The use of an ordinary lead pencil will cause the aluminum to corrode We recommend that you only use an extra fine point Sharpie pen For some unexplained reason the blue ones seem to last longer than other colors The sharpie ink will bleed through primer so you can still see the ID marks after priming the parts Be sure to remove any markings in areas that will be visible after completion as the ink will bleed through primer and paint coatings 5 4 RIVETING Two types of rivets are used in the construction of an RV AN rivets and blind rivets Blind rivets are often referred to as Pop Rivets although Pop is actually a brand name See the blind rivet identifier chart in 5 26 Van s designs utilize blind rivets in specific locations to simplify and speed the construction process and they are set using a pneumatic
94. sible The best exterior finish quality possible starts with well formed rivet dimples When dimpling any rivet hole that will show on the exterior it is best to only dimple with a C frame or other tool that can produce crisply formed quality dimples Most rivet squeezers particularly a hand squeezer cannot deliver comparable results especially on the large dimples required for flush screws When dimples are not fully formed the aluminum skin around the perimeter of the dimple approx 5 radius from hole center will have a dished shape Once you learn what to look for this can easily be detected with your eyes by evaluating the reflection in the skin surface When viewing the reflection of an overhead light source across the top of a dimple the only place the reflection should be distorted is inside the dimple The skin should look clear and distortion free all around the perimeter of the dimple Under formed dimples are a rather common problem Fortunately it is difficult to over do it by hitting the arbor too hard when using a C frame tool for dimpling that is unless extreme force is used which may cause localized stretching of the material When correct technique is used dimple dies will scuff the surface of the skin within the entire die contact area This scuff mark indicates the dies have fully seated together with the aluminum materiel tightly sandwiched between them On the contrary if only a circular ring formed by the dimple die outer d
95. small washer like device located above the manufactured head is a critical component of the installation process and must not be removed It will detach on its own after the stem breaks See Figure 1 RIVET DIAMETER DRILL SIZE HOLE SIZE MIN MAX 4 1 8 3 2mm 30 0 129 3 3mm 0 132 3 4mm TABLE 1 STEM DRIVING ANVIL INSTALLED FIGURE 1 MANUFACTURED HEAD m INSTALLED INSERTED FIGURE 2 SHOP BLIND HEAD PROPER INSTALLATION Step 1 Verify tool and CHERRYMAX rivet compatibility by performing a test on an easily removed rivet in the event that removal becomes necessary For removal see the CHERRYMAX Process Manual mentioned earlier Step 2 Verify correct rivet grip length The grip range of all CHERRYMAX rivets is in increments of 1 16 1 6mm with the last dash number indicating maximum grip length in 16ths CRXXXX X MAX GRIP LENGTH Example 5 grip rivet has a grip range of 1 4 250 6 4mm to 5 16 313 7 9mm Step 3 Insert rivet in hole and verify manufactured head fits square and flush to material surface See Figure 1 Step 4 Slip tool over rivet stem Step 5 Operate tool while taking care to not lean tool or bend rivet stem while doing so Continue to pull rivet stem until it snaps free as shown in Figure 1 Step 6 Inspect rivet to confirm proper installation per the following criteria Nearly flush sur
96. t has been match drilled and clecoed into position make sure the metal edges are not riding up onto a fiberglass edge radius as shown in Figure 1 FIBERGLASS PART ALUMINUM PART P S a M S 1 8 1 16 VARIABLE GAP OPTIMUM INSUFFICIENT GAP FIGURE 1 FIBERGLASS GAP After the part is prepped for final installation either with screws and nutplates or rivets the gap can be filled using the following steps Step 1 Clean the part around the perimeter with solvent to remove any residual release agent Step 2 Scuff deeply with coarse sandpaper the recessed area that falls between the normal finished surface and the edge of the metal through the gel coat will ensure the best possible bond After scuffing clean thoroughly Step 3 Wrap electrical tape or equivalent around the inside surface of the metal part See Figure 2 Insert and secure the fiberglass tip with either screws or clecos as appropriate then finish wrapping the tape snugly around the edge of the metal The tape will act as a release agent for the next step Mix up a small batch of epoxy resin and add flox until it reaches the consistency of peanut butter Fill in the groove between the tape and fiberglass with this mixture Ensure that the thickened flox fills in the entire gap The flox should come up to the level of the tape or slightly beyond so there is room to sand it back down after it has cured
97. tail drawings depicting the proper radius for the final bend A homemade bender can be fabricated from a pair of 2X8 boards and a number of door hinges to achieve the final bend See Figure 2 Prior to final riveting place a dab of RTV or tank sealant about the size of a wad of chewing gum at the inside of the skin where the two stiffeners overlap near the trailing edge This will tie the stiffeners together and prevent the skins from cracking at this point due to vibration OVERHANG PROVIDES HANDLES SKIN DOOR HINGES FLAT 2 X 8 BOARDS FIGURE 2 HOMEMADE BENDER RV ALL rast 05 09 gt VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 7 FOLDED TRAILING EDGES continued After riveting the stiffeners in place and bending the skins check that both sides of the skin are flat and form a straight line from the spar to the tangent point of the trailing edge radius Avoid bulged or over bent trailing edges See Figures 1 3 FIGURE 2 PROPERLY BENT TRAILING EDGE FIGURE 3 OVER BENT TRAILING EDGE For adjusting buldged trailing edges fabricate a squeezing tool like the one shown in Figure 4 Join two 1X2X6 hardwood blocks with wire springs made from welding rod or left over hinge pin The wire will help maintain the block s alignment Note the shallow radius formed at each end so that the sharp edge at the end of the block will not put a crease in the skin To add addi
98. terial thickness between 032 8 mm and 040 1 0 mm should be dimpled but a countersink may be used if necessary Finally for a thickness of 050 1 3 mm and above the material must be countersunk For AD4 rivets 050 is the minimum thickness that may be countersunk Metal thicker than 040 is difficult to dimple so it is common practice to machine countersink any material thickness that is more than 040 There are a couple of reasons for this First although RVs are designed so that a countersunk joint is acceptable the interlocking nature of a dimpled rivet line is stronger Second dimpling leaves a thicker edge for the shop head of the rivet to form against meaning that the metal deforms less and there is less chance of working rivets later This recommendation is meant as a guideline not an absolute rule There may be instances where countersinking 0 032 stock makes the job easier and certainly can be used One example is when a sheet is sandwiched between two other sheets In this case the sheet receiving the rivets manufactured flush head is dimpled the sheet underneath is machine countersunk to receive the dimple and the third sheet is left full thickness When countersinking the second sheet you must go slightly deeper than you would for a rivet See Figure 1 There are a few instances on RVs where it is considered acceptable to enlarge holes when machine countersinking Primarily this is done to countersink for the
99. tion individually NOTE Not fully forming the skin but instead just pulling the two halves together and riveting causes a lot of pre load on the skin and is a common cause of skin cracking at the forward end of the skin stiffeners Finish the bend by hand squeezing the skin until the holes match Drill the holes full size then clean up the holes it is hard to get to the inside of the curved skin with a deburring tool but in this case a quick rub along the holes with a scotchbrite pad is good enough and rivet Blind rivets are used here They are simple to set with a hand pop riveting tool but difficult to drill out Make sure that the heads of the rivets are firmly against the skin before squeezing See the Leading Edge Detail on the appropriate drawing RUDDER MAINTAIN PRESSURE DOWN amp AWAY FROM SPAR WHILE ROLLING TAPE TABLE FIGURE 1 ROLLED LEADING EDGES VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 10 LAP JOINTS When riveting a lap joint the expansion of the aluminum caused by the setting pressure and the expansion of the rivet causes the overhanging edge of the sheet to bend upwards slightly This creates a number of problems like making the lap joint appear wider than it is making painting more difficult etc One easy method of minimizing this effect is by pre bending the last 1 4 inch of the skin downward just a small amount before it is clecoed and riveted When the rivets are driven the skin will be fl
100. tional bend remove buldge position the tool as shown in Figure 5 then squeeze the trailing edge TE using large channel lock pliers Large channel locks provide a lot of leverage which allows for very fine control Apply many small squeezes moving the tool at least an inch or so after each one Work back and forth along the TE checking the skin often with a straight edge and adjusting local areas as needed until the entire control surface is uniformly flat Occasionally it is difficult to completely finish the bend in areas where stiffeners or ribs are located Correct or un squeeze an over bent TE using another wood block as shown in Figure 6 Again put a large radius taper on each end of the block as was done on the squeezing tool Move the tool back and forth along the TE of the over squeezed area while lightly taping with a hammer If no change results tap a little bit harder It is best to do this adjusting before the control surfaces are painted because some paints are hard and can crack from the flexing If adjustments are needed on surfaces that have been painted glue thin felt to the wood blocks to protect the paint finish FIGURE 6 UN SQUEEZING 5 8 RIVETED TRAILING EDGES Control surfaces with riveted trailing edges have a wedge shaped filler piece whose cross section and degree of pre fabrication may vary Whether or not the part comes pre drilled it will need holes and these holes will need mac
101. trips of vinyl along rivet lines with a soldering iron Carefully round and smooth the tip of the iron so it will not scratch the aluminum The time in labor required for this added protection during construction should only be considered of value if you intend to leave the airplane polished bare aluminum If you intend to paint the preparation process will include scuffing deglossing all of the skin surfaces anyway to provide good paint adhesion The adhesive on the vinyl strengthens with age so if the coating is left on for more than a few weeks it may become very difficult to remove Corrosion has been found under the vinyl in some instances If vinyl covered parts must be stored for long periods remove the vinyl first VAN S AIRCRAFT INC 5 13 FLUTING 5 14 ALUMINUM TUBING There are some conventions when referring to parts of parts Terms like flange and web have specific In RVs 3003 soft aluminum tubing is used for the fuel lines inside the cockpit and for the brake lines These lines must be bent with connotations and using them correctly makes the job of Van s Builders Support personnel much easier See a tube bender to avoid kinking and to get a professional looking installation The flared ends of these lines are 37 not the 45 Figure 1 found on automotive lines A good quality flaring tool is a necessary tool to do the proper job Properly installed aluminum lines will SPAR last for many years Here are a few tips on the
102. tructure and nutplate In order to dimple the nutplate it is sometimes necessary to use a reduced diameter female dimple die so it will clear the threaded or countersunk portion of the nutplate Simply grind away that portion of one side of the die that is in the way If carefully modified the die will still give good service in dimpling other parts Only the female half of the die needs to be modified When installing single leg nutplates MS21051 etc temporarily install a screw to insure it remains aligned while riveting The second alternative when attaching nutplates to thin material is to replace AN426 rivets with NAS1097 rivets which require a much shallower countersink and are still acceptable Nutplate mounting holes that are not prepunched must be match drilled using a nutplate drill jig Commercial nutplate jigs are quick to use but may be unusable in situations with limited access A compact nutplate drill jig may be fabricated from an appropriately sized nut plate and screw Insert the screw finger tight in the nutplate and then remove the head of the screw with a hacksaw or die grinder cutting disk See Figure 1 This also works well with single leg and corner nutplates For application insert the screw in the screw hole and rotate to the desired alignment Match drill one of the mounting holes and cleco Match drill the other mounting hole When the attach holes in the nutplate begin to get worn enlarged replace the nutplate with a new o
103. xception of large holes to be dimpled for screws see below This is an easy but time consuming chore and can be done with an oversize drill bit either held between your fingers and twisted or in a variable speed drill running very slowly Special swivel deburring tools are also available from tool supply houses These work better and are much quicker Burrs around holes are a problem mainly in riveting and dimple countersinking The burr can prevent a rivet head from seating properly and can make dimple countersunk holes more prone to developing cracks radiating from the hole Many novice builders deburr excessively deep Deburring should not produce a significant chamfer counter sink on the edge of the hole Be particularly careful deburring holes in 020 or thinner sheet By the time both sides have been deburred the hole could be enlarged BEND LINES BEND RELIEF AFTER BENDING FIGURE 2 BENDING SHAPE EDGE OF EACH FLANGE TO REMOVE VAN S AIRCRAFT INC The finishing procedures just described will constitute a sizable portion of the total building time However they are important for structural reasons as well as cosmetic Most of these holes edges etc will be inside the airframe and out of sight when the airplane is finished This is no reason to consider them unimportant The need for good edge finishing is most difficult to impress on new builders unaccustomed to aircraft standards Scratches in the sur
104. y frame tubing diameters You might elect to shim the tubing surfaces so that the acrylic is not pinched or bridged over any given area CUTTING CAUTION DO NOT use a saw of any kind You might get away with it once or twice but eventually you will crack the canopy Cutting discs supplied with the kit do an excellent job when used in a high speed die grinder If a die grinder is not available an electric drill will work but several passes will be necessary going a little deeper each time to complete the cut Practice on the flanges of the canopy for both the cutting and drilling operations Work slowly at first pass to begin cutting an initial slot and to gain confidence with the procedure Once the initial slot is made continue cutting through the material Once cut the edges should be smoothed and rounded with a scraper For a scraper use an edge from a pair of quality scissors Do not leave the edges rough Ensure that no edge has a sharp corner DRILLING opecial Plexiglas Lexan drills are available from tool suppliers Van s recommends two such tools Diamond Dust drills and Unibits Clamping a piece of wood behind the acrylic material and drilling through into the wood can eliminate chipping on the backside of drilled holes Start drilling the warmed acrylic with slow speeds and light pressure Increase speed and pressure as you progress As the drill bit starts to go through the canopy reduce speed and pressure so that the drill bit pen
105. zes The most common will be for wire sizes AWG 22 16 16 14 12 10 8 for the alternator and the 2 gauge battery wires Smaller barrels will accommodate more than one wire size whereas the larger barrels are designed specifically for one wire size Sometimes the barrel has insulation which is the terminal type used in most of our applications The larger terminals for 2 gauge wires are usually not insulated BUTT While some barrels are continuous or braised the industrial quality barrel will be a SPLICE folded or rolled barrel When crimping it is important to note where the seam is to ensure that the crimp will not cause the barrel to spread open FIGURE 1 TYPES OF CLOSED BARREL TERMINALS CRIMPING There are several types of crimping pliers on the market Most of them will flatten the barrel when the crimp is made Figure 2 view B from its original round shape view A while others will form a crescent shape when crimped view C It is important when crimping to not squeeze the crimp so hard that the wire strands are broken or cut by the squeezed barrel yet hard enough that the compressed barrel will securely hold the wire strands SEAM Most quality crimp style connectors require two crimping operations The first crimps the conductor portion of the wire within the connector and the second crimp clamps the insulation portion of the wire providing a strain relief If the wire flexes or vibrates the movement i

Section 5 - Van`s Aircraft, Inc.

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents