<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="90%" align="center" height="!00%">
<td height="100%" align="justify">
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="190" align="right">
<td valign="top" align="middle">
<td valign="top">Elbow rests, ready for fill and
paint...</t>
I am currently trying to ensure that I get on all the welded tabs and
brackets that need to be done for painting of the fuselage. This is certainly a
long road! So, I have been installing lots of existing stuff so I can look for
potential clashes every time I add tabs for new additions. Example: Running fuel
lines and their respective connection tabs have to live with other stuff like
pushrods, andrudder cables etc. This got me started on looking at the fuel
system on the cold side of the firewall. I decided on an Allen valve. Strangely,
the day I was going to buy it from ACS, I was talking to an IA friend who by
chance, had a usedone on the shelf...he needed a hand for an hour, so the valve
was my compensation.
The valve is a three way [designed for 2 tanks], but I am almost certainly
going to use it as a simple isolation on-offvalve. I really like the positive
click of the valve action and its reasonably low resistance when operating -
which will lend itself to being a smooth operating deal once I attach the
extension tube to it. This extension tube will run back to the rear cockpit. I
managed to locate the valve on the outside of the fuselage, I like this set up,
since it eliminates any PAX interference. I created a steel box with folded
sides[first attempt was successful!] and welded it in place. The operating
extension tubes are usually made from 4130 tube, but I am looking at aluminium
with a thicker wall and half the weightto do the same job, the fastening method
would be rivets instead of welding.
While sitting in the rear cockpit, I realised I had nowhere to rest my elbow
in order to comfortably operate the throttle quadrant, so I decided to design an
elbow rest.I was going to have just the one, but it looked odd on its own, so,
a pair it was. The rests needed to be solid, but of course light. So they were
made from 6061-T6 0.50 (nasty to bend!), the stiffeners were 0.032, and there is
a central gussett in the middle. This gussett made a huge difference regarding
flexing. I planned on perhaps, a bit of foam on these rests, along with some
leatherette that will match the headrest and seat back panel, but they seem
comfortable as-is..time will tell. The rests are really the only creature
comfort in the cockpit, since everything else is planned to be bare..no wall
linings, no floor boards etc. The picture shows the rests just after running a
fine sanding board over them...[they looked much better before :0| ] I did the
sanding so I could identify the low spots for fill and paint.
The RV/Wittman gear conversion is now really over. The mount came
back from the TIG welder with the 0.040torsion straps in place. This deal is
now ready for blasting and paint :0).
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<td valign="top" align="middle">
Allen fuel valve now in place...
<td valign="top" align="middle">
Final torsion straps welded to landing
gear...</t></t>
<td height="100%" align="justify">
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="190" align="right">
<td valign="top" align="middle">
<td valign="top">Elbow rests, ready for fill and
paint...</t>
I am currently trying to ensure that I get on all the welded tabs and
brackets that need to be done for painting of the fuselage. This is certainly a
long road! So, I have been installing lots of existing stuff so I can look for
potential clashes every time I add tabs for new additions. Example: Running fuel
lines and their respective connection tabs have to live with other stuff like
pushrods, andrudder cables etc. This got me started on looking at the fuel
system on the cold side of the firewall. I decided on an Allen valve. Strangely,
the day I was going to buy it from ACS, I was talking to an IA friend who by
chance, had a usedone on the shelf...he needed a hand for an hour, so the valve
was my compensation.
The valve is a three way [designed for 2 tanks], but I am almost certainly
going to use it as a simple isolation on-offvalve. I really like the positive
click of the valve action and its reasonably low resistance when operating -
which will lend itself to being a smooth operating deal once I attach the
extension tube to it. This extension tube will run back to the rear cockpit. I
managed to locate the valve on the outside of the fuselage, I like this set up,
since it eliminates any PAX interference. I created a steel box with folded
sides[first attempt was successful!] and welded it in place. The operating
extension tubes are usually made from 4130 tube, but I am looking at aluminium
with a thicker wall and half the weightto do the same job, the fastening method
would be rivets instead of welding.
While sitting in the rear cockpit, I realised I had nowhere to rest my elbow
in order to comfortably operate the throttle quadrant, so I decided to design an
elbow rest.I was going to have just the one, but it looked odd on its own, so,
a pair it was. The rests needed to be solid, but of course light. So they were
made from 6061-T6 0.50 (nasty to bend!), the stiffeners were 0.032, and there is
a central gussett in the middle. This gussett made a huge difference regarding
flexing. I planned on perhaps, a bit of foam on these rests, along with some
leatherette that will match the headrest and seat back panel, but they seem
comfortable as-is..time will tell. The rests are really the only creature
comfort in the cockpit, since everything else is planned to be bare..no wall
linings, no floor boards etc. The picture shows the rests just after running a
fine sanding board over them...[they looked much better before :0| ] I did the
sanding so I could identify the low spots for fill and paint.
The RV/Wittman gear conversion is now really over. The mount came
back from the TIG welder with the 0.040torsion straps in place. This deal is
now ready for blasting and paint :0).
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<td valign="top" align="middle">
Allen fuel valve now in place...
<td valign="top" align="middle">
Final torsion straps welded to landing
gear...</t></t>
