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RV-7A rebirthing

Heck ya dude!

I think replacing that Z-bracket would be a beotch! Okay, not that bad but I wouldn't want to play around with more proseal if it wasn't necessary. I think I would fill the holes and move on. With this one being on the inboard end I might also send an email to Van's but I'm betting they would say the same. Never know though I guess.

I will call tomorrow but I have already decided to fill them. This wing has some hours on it and I don't see and cracking of any kind. I might put a backing strip on it all the same and go up a bolt length. If I rivet it on and get it nice and centered I think I'll be good. I have a bunch of wiring done Jereme...I don't have pictures yet. I have realized that if you buy premade cables they have outer insulation and they seem pretty sano.
 
I will call tomorrow but I have already decided to fill them. This wing has some hours on it and I don't see and cracking of any kind. I might put a backing strip on it all the same and go up a bolt length. If I rivet it on and get it nice and centered I think I'll be good. I have a bunch of wiring done Jereme...I don't have pictures yet. I have realized that if you buy premade cables they have outer insulation and they seem pretty sano.

Can't wait to see some pics man! I'm about to upload some progress myself. I've been hittin it hard lately so I can hang the engine soon.

I really liked the premade stuff that just had the black finger trap stuff on it (I think I got em from Stein). The Dynon cables with the white insulation on the other hand... I hated that stuff! Difficult to work with.

Keep pluggin away man, I was thinking about your progress lately as we haven't talked on the phone for awhile.
 
So I have two of these and hope to figure out an adequate wiring plan for these and the rest of the plane...with some help...

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[/url]IMAG1278 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

I am going to be in uncharted territory on this plane so I hope to find some sound advice.
 
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So I have a bit of work done. I have been trying to get a handle on the wiring and John Bright set me up! Without John and B. Knuckles my plane would not get off the ground. It became clear that my rudementary electrical skills were woefully inadequate.

But I am learning SO much, it is awesome!

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[/url]Main buss avionics buss by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]SDS ECU's by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
Trying to get something done and decided on mounting the engine bus here to get those wire lengths down to as close to 6" as possible.

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[/url]IMAG1429 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

I may still be a bit longer but not by much.
 
What is the unit with the heat sinks-----looks to be some kind of diode setup, but not one I have ever seen.

Looks like it could handle a bit of current. What are the specs?
 
John is the horse's mouth on this one. And as usual, adds the .pdf's for good measure.

I am using John's complete wiring scheme as we have the same all-electric planes running the same components.
I was lost in wiring limbo until he came to my rescue. A full nod to Bob K. for his continuing work to help us newbies make our aircraft safe and fun!

I am building again after several months trying to figure out a good wiring plan!

More to come...
 
diode

Got it, thanks for the info.

Looks more robust than the setup I am using, something out of the Aerolectric Connection.

Might have to switch mine out for this setup.

Bob Nuckolls/Aeroelectric Connection shows using one leg of a silicone bridge rectifier. "NTE53016 or equal" is called out in his latest Z dwg, Z101 rev B, which is titled "Single Battery Dual Alternator with Dual Feeder Aux and Engine Buses". Z101 is the template from which I developed my schematic.

I chose to use a Schottky diode which at $16 is almost 3x the cost of the silicone diode but it's obviously still low cost. The Schottky drops about half as much voltage, approximately 1/2 versus 1 volt, so it makes about half as much heat. (voltage drop varies with current and junction temperature so you can't put a hard number on it) My calculations indicate the heat sink is conservatively large, overkill really, and in fact the silicone diode could be used.

The SDS dual EM-5-F four-cylinder system draws a little over 9 A at altitude and a little over 14 A with both fuel pumps on at low altitude so that gives an idea how much heat the diode generates.
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Fuse stand etc

I am moving to the hangar early in the build, my spouse wants her garage back haha!

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[/url]IMAG1596 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]IMAG1591 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

I whipped up a fuse transport deal and a control surface stand. I have several additional assemblies and am parsing through which ones will be used. All need work, some more than others. Vans has a few QB assemblies that need work and may be used depending on their condition relative to what I have on hand.
 
What's with the Stingrays? Collector items?

-Marc

That is a Stingray "Mini-Twin" tandem bike. Collector's item of my wife grandparents, they bought it back in '69 for the grandkids to ride when they came to visit. It is a single-speed bike from hades to ride.
 
Tail mounting

I have wanted to mount the HS for months but did not have room in my garage as it was partitioned for work stuff. Now I can get to it!

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[/url]IMAG1676 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]IMAG1681 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]IMAG1680 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

I have to do a bit more as the HS bars that it mounts to have been previously drilled. So off to the lathe to make a custom drill bushing so I can accurately get the holes drilled. The same goes for the front spar attach points.
 
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Elevator stuff

I have started the elevator tip install and just need a bit higher temperatures to do the fiberglass work. Trimming and such to follow...

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[/url]IMAG1658 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]IMAG1657 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

Sure is cold in this hangar...I may have to delete and/or add a rivet as I think I messed up the placement of the aft-most rivet here...oops
 
looking really good Kent! This is exactly where I am in my build, so I appreciate the pictures. Last night I drilled the holes in the elevator horns that attach them to the horizontal stab bearing.

Ryan
 
looking really good Kent! This is exactly where I am in my build, so I appreciate the pictures. Last night I drilled the holes in the elevator horns that attach them to the horizontal stab bearing.

Ryan

Thanks, Ryan! I have those up next after I get the HS mounted and sorted. We just have to keep at it and sooner or later we will be done!

I hope...HAHA
 
Thanks, Jereme! I am still rolling. I am not looking forward to the unbuilding of the right-wing before the building but...I will persevere!

By all means keep us informed. Your updates are worth the price of admission many times over!

-Marc
 
torque stripe

Kentlik,
Good morning Looks like excellent work done on the HS. Please note that the proper use of torque stripe is from the fastner(nut, bolt head) to the base metal. If it is used in the nut to bolt this does not show you any rotation if the 2 rotate together. Keep up the great work.
 
Kentlik,
Good morning Looks like excellent work done on the HS. Please note that the proper use of torque stripe is from the fastner(nut, bolt head) to the base metal. If it is used in the nut to bolt this does not show you any rotation if the 2 rotate together. Keep up the great work.

Thank you!
Thanks for the tip on the torque goo! I put it on to tell myself I had torqued the nut. Frankly didn't think of the actual area to place it and it seemed like a good place to see if the nut was slipping off the bolt. Good to learn something new every day!

I actually have to remove the darn thing as I got ahead of myself and forgot to drill the other side of the elevator horn...oh well, reset the darn thing.
 
Elevator horn drill

I got the horns accurately drilled last night. I made a jig as you would do normally to ensure the holes are straight and true. My horns were basically dead on and it was a push on which one was aft of the other.

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[/url]drill jig by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]elev3 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]elev2 by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

50985978667_27bdfe0095_c.jpg
[/url]elev by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

I didn't have an aluminum block the correct dimension or the milling machine I sold last year to mill it so I stacked up material to get to the correct dimension. As it turns out the AL on the back worked well to ensure the last bit of transition to the second horn worked well and kept it nice and straight.
 
Heck ya man, that will work nice. My horns were certainly further off than yours although not nearly as bad as some others I have seen.
 
Heck ya man, that will work nice. My horns were certainly further off than yours although not nearly as bad as some others I have seen.

Thanks brother!
I was hard-pressed to figure out which one was aft. It turned out really a none event, the drilling.
 
Vertical stabilizer mounting

I moved on to the Vert. Stabilizer and found that getting this thing mounted and drilled to be quite a challenge, but one that I am up for.

Cut off a portion of the front spar but found I need to take a bit more off, about 0.185

51004386122_e1b4e8e0f3_c.jpg
[/url]Vertspar by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]HOR by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]Aft by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]Emp by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

Haven't drilled any holes in the new emp to mount it but have found the procedures to get it done.
 
Mounting Vert.

Well...this was about what I expected. Had to use the 90° drill head to get the holes started through the existing holes. I have done this before on other projects and have a few special tools to get it done correctly ie. drill bushes etc.
this one wasn't too bad as I could just get the tool square in both axis with the clamps on.

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[/url]intaft by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

51007291237_86300fa06c_c.jpg
[/url]extaft by Kent Luttrell, on Flickr[/IMG]

The bottom two will require another tool to manufacture. Just an extension for the 90° drill head.
 
Maybe it won’t be the case with yours but I think you might find that with nuts positioned aft, the bolts will interfere with the rudder.
 
Maybe it won’t be the case with yours but I think you might find that with nuts positioned aft, the bolts will interfere with the rudder.

Thank you, Scott! I am sure they will interfere...haha. I pulled it off shortly after this photo to finish the F-781 Vert. Stab. plate so I will reverse those bolts at your recommendation! Thank you again! Any helpful hints like this in advance are appreciated.
 
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