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Modifications that you have Made to your RV-12 after Certification? E-LSA Only!

Mounting for Drift HD Camera on RV-12

This is a quick detach mounting for a Drift HD camera, mounted to the bottom of the wing on our RV-12. Rather than leave it on Video, I normally set it to take a picture every 10 seconds. My longest flight so far with the camera on was 2 1/2 hours. The battery lasted the whole time and it took over 900 pictures. We then download them to a computer and only save the best ones. By the way, this location for the camera keeps the propeller out of camera range.
IMG_0495_zps614fe86c.jpg


This is a picture taken by the Drift Camera while I flew over the White Cliffs area of the Missouri River in Montana.
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COLD AIR CURTAIN - -



I feel cold air coming forward from between the seats when cold weather. I have used a beach towel accross this same area, but I had this flexible, clear, vinyl, and cut it to fit. I put 4 rivets with washers to hold it in place. Could use screws. Can barely see it, so this angle reflects it some. I used shipping tape on each side to seal to floor. Can take it out in 2 minutes if needed. Might just leave it there except when tank needs to come out.
 
No more greasy roller bearings for me!

So I've been thinking about doing this for a while now and finally bit the bullet and went for it. I sent my main wheels off to Allen at AntiSplat in CA to convert over to sealed bearings and I couldn't be happier. I fly a lot, over 100 hours a year and do a lot of preventative maintenance. So now I don't have to keep a gunk tank full of NAFTA and grease on hand not to mention the big mess involved. Our nose wheels have sealed bearings in them. Those roller bearings seem so archaic, kind of like magnetos. Left over from WWII. These bearings are used on cars we drive and should last a life time on an Airplane. If anybody is interested in this mod just go to:

http://antisplataero.com/Main_Wheel_Bearing_Mod.html

A few shots of the process.
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Final Product. Old versus New!
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John,

I have serial number 711 and mine came with sealed bearings all around. Perhaps Van's fixed this? Maybe I'm mistaken.
 
What kind of turn-around time

So I've been thinking about doing this for a while now and finally bit the bullet and went for it. I sent my main wheels off to Allen at AntiSplat in CA to convert over to sealed bearings and I couldn't be happier. I fly a lot, over 100 hours a year and do a lot of preventative maintenance. So now I don't have to keep a gunk tank full of NAFTA and grease on hand not to mention the big mess involved. Our nose wheels have sealed bearings in them. Those roller bearings seem so archaic, kind of like magnetos. Left over from WWII. These bearings are used on cars we drive and should last a life time on an Airplane. If anybody is interested in this mod just go to:

http://antisplataero.com/Main_Wheel_Bearing_Mod.html
]

Just wondering what kind of turn around time the Antisplat folks gave you.
 
John,

I have serial number 711 and mine came with sealed bearings all around. Perhaps Van's fixed this? Maybe I'm mistaken.

I'm number 610, and have the old style, greasy roller bearing type. Darn it. I really like those sealed units!
 
John,

I have serial number 711 and mine came with sealed bearings all around. Perhaps Van's fixed this? Maybe I'm mistaken.

I think you are mistaken.

You should have the same Matco wheels as everyone else, that have rubber seals on the bearing assemblies which makes them look like sealed bearings (but the're not, so they should be greased before putting them in service).
 
No more greased mess!

Just wondering what kind of turn around time the Antisplat folks gave you.

Turn around is one day. Call them and ask for Allen to disscuss what you want done. Add a note about what you want done as well as your email, phone number, and return address in the box with the wheels. Make sure you tell him it's a RV12 and include one of your old bearings in the box to. He needs one old bearing to duplicate the radius on the new inside bearing race. If you look at the pic of my axial you will see a small radius where the inside bearing race comes to a stop. That radius make the RV 12 different from other RVs. Without the radius on the new inside bearing race the wheel will not slide up far enough to put the cotter pin back in.;)
 
I think you are mistaken.

You should have the same Matco wheels as everyone else, that have rubber seals on the bearing assemblies which makes them look like sealed bearings (but the're not, so they should be greased before putting them in service).

Thanks Scott. I suspected that but mine look like the "after" picture above and are different than the old-style bearings on my RV-6 which did not have the rubber seal. Mine do have the rubber seal but you definitely need to grease them before installation.
 
Spar Box Covered Storage

The idle mind is a terrible thing to waste, so while I was waiting for my avionics kit to arrive, I..........built something.

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It's hard to see in this picture, but the inside of the fuselage spar assembly and the wing spars are not painted. I suspected that if I painted the spars white to match my interior, they would just get scratched up and in the end, would look even worse. I also know that the spar assembly is a good place to store small carry on stuff like the tie down kit, cleaning supplies, etc. So I came up with a lightweight, easy to disassemble cover that is hinged and allows me to use the area, close it up, and maintain a neat appearance.

finish75.jpg


Here's the finished product. It is held together with three hinge pins and two winged camloc fasteners. It's not super sturdy since I used the lightest sheet aluminum I had to keep the weight down, but it accomplishes what I wanted it to. I can hide yet use this storage. Total all in weight of this addition including paint, fasteners, carpet, etc. was 1 lb. 13.8 ounces.

It may not be for everyone, but the interior is really one of the few places one can distinguish their -12 from the next. Since this is not part of the kit, I will remove it during inspection and the initial fly off hours, then re-install it afterwards. I'll be doing the same thing for the interior panels anyway and will need to re-weigh the airplane after exterior paint.

More pictures can be found here.
 
Some reported Rotax sensor problems. One idea was that the ground of the Rotax engine itself was lacking, since it came through the starter motor. So several have added an additional engine ground wire.

A thick wire a few inches long is made with ring terminals on each end. One end of the wire is attached to the existing common ground point just aft of the oil tank. The other end is run to an unused tapped boss atop the passenger side rear cylinder. That takes either a short M5 or M6 (I forget which) metric bolt.

Similarly, many have also added a ground wire on the fuel tank itself since there were reported issues with fuel level sensing based on just the grounding through the support bolts.

Keywords rotax engine ground grounding wire fuel tank level
 
flap handle boot

Randy,

Maybe I missed it in an earlier post but where did you get the boot on the flap handle? Thanks
 
Remote USB access

This is a relatively simple mod. For those of us using Skyview and the SeattleAvionics database, we need to keep a USB drive attached to the Skyview system at all times. I actually like the existing location of the remote USB plug that Van's specifies as it is in a convenient location for quick access, but I don't think its ideal for the the SeattleAvionics USB to be hanging there while flying. I simply found a USB extension wire that I had around the house, and fed it from the back of Skyview unit over to the glove compartment and used some extra grommets in a few places. It has enough slack so that I could pull out the Skyview screen if necessary in future..

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Skyview currently only allows one USB driven to be used with the system at a time so this remote plug will become my primary location for S/W updates or downloading flight logs.
 
Remote USB access

Thanks for that post, Brent, I am about to do a similar mod. before closing up the avionics bay, but I have to ask how you got the bulky ends of the USB cable through the grommets? Did you have to cut one end off & reterminate? Thanks for any info., Cheers, DEAN....
 
Just fits.

Actually, both ends of the USB cable "just fit" through the various holes. I used the largest sized grommets I had left over in the parts bin (needed to cut them open in order to get the USB ends through them). Sometimes the simplest mods are the most practical. :)
 
Gee I could have had a V8!

You know how some times you have duhhh moment. I had one the other day while out flying with my sonex buddy.:eek: How can you always line up you needle valve to the right spot to air your tires through your access hole in your fairings? By putting a white line on your tire at the 1230 position while the needle valve is lined up at the right spot.duhh I used finger nail polish. I'll report back later if it works well, it may fleck off after a few landings.;)
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John obivously needs a higher-tech solution

I used stuff from the man cave: Torque seal (women stuff on your plane, yikkes ;) ). Holds well

In the spirit of Saint Rube of Goldberg, we should be able to take John's simple/elegant solution and overly complicate it: Each wheel should have a Hall effect sensor to sense the position of the valve stem, run the sense wires up to some spare inputs on the EFIS, such that, when you want to fill the tires, there is an indicator on the EFIS that it is rotated to the proper position. Then you could also use the sensors to run to counters/timers to tell "true" groundspeed, as in "speed when you are on the ground". Wait a minute--Rube is just getting started-- compare the relative speeds of the right and left wheels to tell you what way you are turning on the ground, the turn rate and radius. Then accumulate how many miles have been logged on each wheel, with an EFIS pop-up to tell you to rotate/replace tires. While in the neighborhood, lets add tire pressure sensors....
 
Custom Side Panels

Finally got my fiberglass side panels back from the upholstery shop. Learned some interesting things about what leather will and won't do.

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Here's the raw fiberglass part.

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Finished product installed.
 
Finally got my fiberglass side panels back from the upholstery shop. Learned some interesting things about what leather will and won't do.

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Here's the raw fiberglass part.

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Finished product installed.


Wow - that's nice!!!!!

Exactly what I've been wanting to see!

Bob
 
True, it appears that they would apply only to aircraft originally built as SLSA and then were changed to ELSA.

Original SLSA, ELSA & EAB aircraft not impacted.

Bob
 
Adding an Aux Fuel Tank!

For all you guys who want more fuel the easiest and cheapest way is to add an aux tank after you are done building. For non engineer types its easier than inventing the wheel. I've had the following setup in my plane for over 500 hours without a problem. The whole setup only weighs 9 pounds. If you don't need the fuel don't fill it up. Weight conscious, only add what you need up to a max of 6 gallons. Headed out beyond round trip fuel simple remove and stop at local gas station for what you need to get back to home base. Provides a lot of capabilities depending on what you need.
Parts:
Buy a Marine fuel tank from many on line vendors like Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops
Moeller A/D Portable Fuel Tank with Handle
http://amzn.com/B004APFK56

Buy Chrysler brand fuel fittings male and matching female also from Marine supply or Cabelas or Bass Pro, 3 pair
Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector Male
http://amzn.com/B000QU5S92
Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector Female
http://amzn.com/B000QUB10C

Buy another fuel pump exactly like the aux fuel pump in your plane from Vans
http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...8498-144-498&browse=engines&product=pump-carb

Buy two barbed fitting to put on the fuel pump to slide fuel tubing over
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/100845/10002/-1?parentProductId=1281861

Buy power port plug with built in on-off switch and fuse from Radio Shack
Custom Accessories 18713 12V 5 Amp Lighted On/Off Plug
http://amzn.com/B005LD2ONC

Buy inline fuel filter
Moeller Universal Inline Glass View Fuel Filter (3/8", 5/16", & 1/4" Barb In Kit)
http://amzn.com/B000MT94OM

Buy 2 inch wide nylon webbing with buckle
Cosmos ® 2 Inch Wide 10 Yards Black Nylon Heavy Webbing Strap+10 PCS 2" Black Color Flat Shape Plastic Side Release Plastic Buckles with Cosmos Fastening Strap
http://amzn.com/B008NH4POY

Buy 3/8 ID auto-ethonal fuel proof fuel line

Freezer water tubing from hardware store or left over brake line tubing from RV12 build.

3/16 inch long shaft pop rivet

6 hose clamps


Swivel air fitting
Tru-Flate 21-607 1/4" NPT Male Fitting x 1/4 NPT Female Fitting Air Line Swivel Fitting
http://amzn.com/B003V5LGYA

Nut needed to attach male fitting to filler neck.
http://www.jegs.com/i/Earls/361/AT592406/10002/-1?parentProductId=2433965


Let's start with the 6 gallon tank first. You are going to have to rivet two brackets to the floor of the baggage compartment for the 2 inch nylon strap to go through to hold the fuel tank in place. Put them far enough apart so the tank won't rub on them when in place. Just use some thick scrap aluminum left over from your build to make them. Next you need to vent the tank to the outside air so it won't expand or collapse. Take the swivel air fitting and install it in the filler cap of the tank. The fuel tank in the web link I provided has a vent in the fuel cap you will have to remove and you may have to drill and tap it for the swivel air fitting. Then you need to screw on a male Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector. The thread on the male fitting should screw into the swivel air fitting. You could probably leave the swivel air fitting off if you want but I liked its mobility. Now attach the nylon freezer line to the female Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector. You may need to use a larger piece of tubing to put on the barb of the connector and then push the nylon tubbing in side of it. What ever works for you. Then run the nylon tubing down through the hole in the center of the main spar, where the wiring come through, to the center inspection plate on the bottom of the airplane. In the center of this inspection plate install a long shaft 3/16 inch rivet with the nylon tubing on it like the static ports in the plane. Pop the Mandril out before you attach the other end of the tubbing to the female connector on the cap. Don't worry about the ethanol factor in this line, it won't have fuel in it accept for the occasional slosh when completely fuel on a bumpy ride and it won't be under pressure either. Also leave a little slack in the nylon line for future removal of the inspection plate. Next attach male Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector to the fuel pickup on top of the fuel tank. The threads should match, 1/4 inch NPT. Then connect a female Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector to the end of the 3/8 ID fuel line you can probably picked up at your local auto parts with one of the hose clamps. Remember that this tubing will not be under pressure either but should be ethanol compatible . Then connect this tubing to the barb connector screwed onto the in side of the facet fuel pump. You will need to attach the two Jeggs barbed AN fittings onto the Facet pump. Next attach another length of 3/8 ID fuel tubbing on the out side barb of the Facet pump. Run this fuel tubbing to the right side of the aircraft up past the ELT toward the fuel tank neck. About half way along the top of the airplane fuel tank install the Moeller inline fuel filter using a couple more hose clamps. Then add the last female Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector to the 3/8 fuel tubing. Next mark the airplane fuel tank filler next where you want to install the last male Seasense Chrysler/Force Connector and then remove it and drill a hole onto the filler neck to install the connector. When you insert the male Seasense Chrysler/Force connector into the filler neck you are going to need a nut to install on the 1/4 NPT thread to hold it in place. Which nut fits this? Would you believe a AN bulkhead fitting nut. An AN 6 as shown in the Jeggs web site link will work. It will be a little loose so don't over tighten or you will strip it. Put some proseal on the threads and smooth some around the hole then tighten the fitting on to the nut just slightly past hand tight. Remember this won't be under pressure either, you want it to hold firm but not leak. I mounted my Facet fuel pump inside the main spar using the same bolt that holds the fuel tank in place as you can see in the pics with this post. To do this you will have to cut the bottom mounting tab off so the other tab will line up correctly. Also if you were on a cross country flight and you in plane electric pump failed you now would have a temporary spare. I put 3/4 inch heat shrink over my hose clamps to give it a more pleasing look as you can see in the pictures. Next you will need to wire up your pump to the power port plug with the on/off switch. This will go into the power port when you want to use the aux tank. Couple things to remember. You have to burn off 6 gallons of fuel in your main tank be for you transfer your aux tank fuel. It takes about 20 mins to transfer 6 gallons. Hey it's only a 3.5-4PSI fuel pump. You don't want to leave the pump running dry for to long. Think about setting a count down timer on your Dynon to keep track of your transfer. Also the best part is you can look over you right shoulder and view the fuel filter just beyond the Moeller gage and see the fuel running through it and know for sure when you are done transferring fuel. I think I've cover most of what guys need to know to build and install their own tank. I reserve the right to have left something out or maybe posted the wrong link to a wrong size part. If I have then when you build your Aux tank feel free to post the correction here like when we find a mistake with RV12 plans. Also this is a very simple setup for use in an experimental airplane that can be removed in 5 minutes.;) Also if you improve on the design the let us all know. If you don't feel safe using it then don't use it.:p Remember as PIC you make the call.:)

Maybe the Flightline guys can come up with a hose kit for a cleaner installation.

Pics to follow!
 
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Keeping cool on the ground...

I hesitated to post this here as it's more of a useful tip than a modification. Not only that, but I'm probably the only RV builder out there who didn't know about this handy feature of the tip-up canopy handle. Anyway, here it is. All you need to lift the canopy a few inches and have some cooling breeze in the cockpit while taxying on a hot day is small piece of 1/2" dia. plastic tubing, an offcut of wingwalk material to protect the paintwork, and a couple of minutes of your time.

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Another canopy lock...

Of the various examples of canopy locks that have been posted previously, I thought the one Rob Reese did (post #200) was very neat and decided to make something similar. I recently did the canopy latch upgrade and found that the old F1231F latch plate was the right size to make a new canopy guide plate with a hook at the bottom. The two indents in the side are just the remains of the old holes, but that's what happens when you re-cycle stuff. :D
I bought a 10mm cam lock for about $12 and made a new arm out of a piece of old aluminium (or is it aluminum?) window frame I had lying around.

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I drilled a 3/4" dia hole in the fuselage side for the outer lock barrel. The barrel has two flat sides, so I used the cutout from a 2-1/4" instrument panel hole as a doubler to stiffen the area and align it properly. Since the plane is painted I didn't want to use a riveted doubler, so the plate was bonded to the inside of the fuselage skin with tank sealant.

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As the lock has a 180 deg throw and there is not much room under the UHMW guide block, the arm is only about 7/8" long measured from the centre of the lock.

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Latched...

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Finished lock with a rubber washer to keep the rain out.

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RV-12 baggage tiedowns

There are a lot of good baggage tiedown ideas on VAF, so I decided to make some for the RV-12 for those long cross country trips I have in mind. Unlike the bigger RV's the -12 only has a small baggage compartment so I figured that two or three anchor points would be plenty. My plane has the full Flightline interior kit, but the pieces that cover the aft bulkhead are quite heavy, and since I was happy with the look of the painted metal bulkhead I decided not to use them. However, the floor and fuselage side piece will be installed so I wanted the tiedowns to be above the baggage floor to avoid cutting carpet.

In looking around for some suitable attachment points, the logical places seemed to be to have one anchor point low down on the aft bulkhead and one or two more on the transverse channel at the forward end of the baggage compartment.

The bulkhead isn't particularly robust in that area so I strengthened it by riveting a spare piece of 3/4"x3/4"x1/16" angle to the back of the panel, and adding some extra rivets to the vertical channel frame, plus stiffener plates front and rear to help spread the load. The rear plate is a piece of leftover instrument panel and the front plate is .025 sheet. Picture below is of the installation before touch-up painting. The latch came from eBay and is bolted through the bulkhead with a couple of AN3 bolts. I also added a few small pieces of stick-on felt to stop it flopping around.

For the two front anchors I bought a couple of carabiners and made some simple lugs to attach them, using two AN3 bolts 1/2" down from the top of the channel flange, while making sure the outboard hole was well clear of the main gear leg bolt cutout in the channel. The lugs are also made from leftover instrument panel and should do the job, although 1/8" plate may be preferable. Time will tell.

The extra washers on the snug tightened lower bolt are just to ensure that the lug can rotate easily on the bolt to accommodate some movement. The carabiners are not really necessary but they do make attaching hooks or lines easier. A D-shackle would do the same job if you could find one suitable, but would probably need larger holes drilled in the channel, which I wanted to avoid. But if I can find the right type I may replace the lugs at some stage. There's nothing particularly innovative in all this, but it might be of interest.

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RV-12 Baggage tiedown - update

Keeping it simple. Found a 5mm diameter long-D stainless steel shackle to replace the lug and carabiner arrangement I had for the two forward tiedowns.

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Additional Engine and Voltage Regulator Ground Wires

Some have complained about instrument reading problems due to a poor engine ground. I finally took a pic of the engine ground wire I added. The Phillips head screw on the right is a short metric M6 that goes into an existing unused tapped hole on the aft cylinder. The wire goes to the master ground point aft of the oil tank.
Attachment%25201.jpg


I had to replace my voltage regulator at 120 hours. (It started being intermittent about "kicking in" until the engine had been above 3000 rpm.) I eventually plan to relocate it under the panel, like the new plans show. Now, the voltage regulator is not grounded by any of the wires on the connector. It is grounded through the bolts on the case (there is a symbol.) While that may be perfectly adequate, it is also a good idea to put some heat transfer paste under the regulator base. (I only put mine on the black plastic section, not the case body. Even so...)

Still, case contact did not seem to me to be a very good ground. I added the wire shown, using the same method as for the additional engine ground wire.
Attachment%25202.jpg
 
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Additions and Mods to 19-8519

Modifications.
? Battery base tray. (As per RGMWA)
? Tail cone F-1208 former side packers (.045? each side) to pack skin out.
? Under belly fuel drain (Directly off the fuel outlet of the tank as per Forum)
? Fuel tank fitting Anti-rotation tabs on fuel return and Fuel tank vent fittings
? Park brake valve and actuator cable
? Common earth block for return of all earths.
? Additional seat back adjustment hinge
? 3 blade whirlwind propeller
? Whirlwind 9? spinner using vans front plate and new spacers
? Double USB power supply outlet and circuit breaker protection
? Additional cowl pins for horizontal cowl attachment hinge at the fire wall
? Fuel vent system (prior to Vans vent mod release.)
? Baggage compartment floor and back wall modification, as per (RGMWA)
? Electric fuel pump isolation switch
? Alternator low charge warning light
? Strobe light fitted to Fin fibreglass cap.
? Additional landing light in port wing
? Dual light wig wag module for land lights to make aircraft more visible in the circuit
? Contour Camera mount fitted to roof support in the baggage area
? Audio input for camera
? Engine coolant hoses changed to silicone hoses
? Lower hose has an integrated anti collapse spring moulded into the hose (No restriction to coolant flow)
? 130? Alloy bend added to top hose to provide better routing and no chafing of hose
? Quick drain valve added to engine Oil reservoir tank
? Oil cooler cowl modification as per Forum mod to move cooler 1? forward away from muffler
? Baggage area tie down bracket at rear of baggage area and two baggage area front tie down brackets
? Additional fittings (1 vent and 1 fill) with self sealing fittings added to fuel tank front access plate for auxiliary fuel supply (when flying one up long distance.)
? Press studs fitted to fuselage to hold removable rear window protector sheet for use when filling fuel tank
? Plastic Protector sheet with press studs for window protection when refuelling.
 
Headrests

The RV-12 has a 5 point harness, which should provide excellent body restraint against forward movement in the event of a sudden stop. However, in an impact, your head will typically be thrown forward and then back. So what happens then? It didn't take me long to discover that the back of my head would hit the bottom edge of the rear canopy frame and roll bar, probably with enough force to do some serious damage. While I'm not planning to crash, it got me wondering whether I could install some headrests to improve my survival chances and add some extra passenger comfort on long trips.

Anyway, this is what I came up with. A lucky purchase of two`leather' Subaru headrests from eBay - not an exact colour match with the rest of the upholstery, but certainly good enough for amateur work (it actually looks worse in the photo than in real life), plus a couple of brackets to hold it all in place.

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I used a much heavier angle on the top of the seat back to take the major impact load, and the back of the seatback has been beefed up to restrain the base of the headrest. The bottom clips and rubber grommets allow easy vertical adjustment while holding everything securely in place. I did some rough calcs to get some idea of the likely impact forces, but it's mostly design by the TLAR method and using materials I had on hand. Each headrest weighs 1.9lbs, so all up I've added about 4lbs, which is fine by me. I now have 2.5" of good padding between me and the rear canopy frame, which is somewhat flexible, and another inch or so gap to the roll bar, which is not.

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I'm pleased with the result. To finish things off, I'll ask Abby at Flightline to make up some vinyl pieces to fit on the top of the seatback and velcro to the top backrest flap.
 
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RV-12 Mods

RV-12 I'm using a Viking engine(Honda a/c convertion)with a Whirlwind GA-RW3B 3 blade prop. Also going with a Dual Dynon 10" touch screen panel
 
COOLANT RADIATOR BAFFLE

This radiator baffle is quickly and easily attached or removed by pushing the hinge pins down and out of the hooks.
Blocking the air flow through the upper portion of the radiator keeps the coolant hotter and cabin heat warmer.
DSC00377a.JPG

DSC00387a.JPG

I used similar hooks to prevent the bottom cowl hinge pins from coming out.
 
Ducati Voltage Regulator Relocation

After many failures of the Ducatti Voltage Rectifier/Regulator due to overheating VANS decided to relocate it inside the cockpit to improve the cooling. I decided that a better option was to relocate it inside the cooling tunnel. Here are in a few pictures the steps I took to achieve the relocation:

The components I used, an Al angle 2X2 1/8" thick with one side cut to 1"wide and a counterplate also 1" wide:

100_3785s.jpg


Cuts in the fiberglass of the tunnel:

100_3787s.jpg


Regulator secured on the angle:

100_3786s.jpg


Regulator installed inside the lower cowl's tunnel:

100_3788s.jpg


Lower Cowl in place with Regulator connected including a ground cable:

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The ground cable goes to the battery housing:

100_3790s.jpg


As I decided to leave the initial connector untouched, I connected the extension I made to reach the tunnel with spade connectors but I had to secure the spade connectors with tie-wraps or risk a damaging disconnection of the alternator. On the picture you can see the stand-by Regulator located at the initial location on the firewall. In case of failure of the active located in the tunnel this standby unit can be switched into active by disconnecting the failed unit and reconnecting the standby.

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