Finish Kit Update May 2010 Updates
May 09, 2010
Jigs for Wheel and Gear Fairings.... - 4.0 hrs

My flex lines showed up from Bonaco so I am changing out the hardlines down the gear legs. I think this is just a better way to go long term. I know there are a bunch of planes flying with the hardlines but just something I wanted to change. Even though they are plastic coated I still used tubing to give stand off from the gear legs at the tape points and one at the top in case there is any vibration next to the clamp that holds the gear fairings on.

On the way to the hangar I stopped at Lowes for some wood to build some stands. I liked the way Jim used stands to run sting lines to get the alignment of the gear fairings. So I built up 2 stands. I built the stands the width of the fuselage roughly at the widest point. Then I will used 6 foot boards clamped in position to get the extra width of the gear legs.

I loose fit the left gear fairing and the wheel fairing with the lower intersection fairing to show how this will line up. You can see the rear stand in position behind the gear. The process would be to use the top one to run string lines further up the leg about 3/4 the way up. Then clamp another board to the stand in a lower position and then run strings on each side of the gear fairing in a lower position.

The Vans process is to do this in 3 positions. I may still do that but 2 may be enough. Just have to see. The process is time consuming because you have jack the fuse to get the weight off the gear so the wheels swing in place like in flight and then level the fuselage. Next put the stands in place and then since they will be on the floor and most likely not level the boards used for the stringlines will need to be clamped level off the fuselage.

Now that I have this process ready I need to rivet the wheel pants in place and then start the process. Maybe do this next Sunday. I still need to install the hinges in the gear fairings so that is a project in itself.



This website was built to document my work in compliance with the FAA requirements needed to certify my aircraft.
My experiences and comments are by no means to be considered as instructions on how to build any aircraft.