Author: "r123rs" <rsuffoletto@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 1:00 pm PST Link
Yesterday I unpacked the tail kit for a RV-7 . It is obvious from a
number of emails I have read that many of you have solved problems
that are not addressed in the instructions or have discovered errors
in the plans or kit. Is there a listing somewhere of builders
suggestions or discoveries that might help a new builder? I would
hate to have to read all the emails going back a year or so to see
what others have found.
Thanks
Author: Clifford Dow <cdowjr@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 1:26 pm PST Link
Hello:
On this yahoo site - you can do a search and then
check out www.matronics.com - under the RV e-mail
archieves you can also do a search.
I STRONGLY recommend starting with the Vertical
Stabilizer - it's one of the easier parts in the tail
kit. Go to the archieves mentioned above and search
for "Vertical Stabilizer" then read ALL of the e-mails
on that topic and then go build your VS.
Good Luck
cliff dow jr
cdowjr@y...
Maine RV-7A builder
--- r123rs <rsuffoletto@h...> wrote:
> Yesterday I unpacked the tail kit for a RV-7 . It is
> obvious from a
> number of emails I have read that many of you have
> solved problems
> that are not addressed in the instructions or have
> discovered errors
> in the plans or kit. Is there a listing somewhere of
> builders
> suggestions or discoveries that might help a new
> builder? I would
> hate to have to read all the emails going back a
> year or so to see
> what others have found.
>
> Thanks
__________________________________________________
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Author: "Widebody" <widebody@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 1:31 pm PST Link
Happy building ! I´m sure you will love each and every minute of it !
There are of course "the files" for checking older messages but your best source is this group. We have seen issues such as `Priming` and `Dimensions not in Drawing` pass a number of times and all still get answered. Isn´t that just great !!
Simon Paul
Beek, The Netherlands
RV7A PH-SJP (reserved)
Finishing the HS
----- Original Message -----
From: r123rs
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 9:59 PM
Subject: [RV7and7A] Tail Kit
Yesterday I unpacked the tail kit for a RV-7 . It is obvious from a
number of emails I have read that many of you have solved problems
that are not addressed in the instructions or have discovered errors
in the plans or kit. Is there a listing somewhere of builders
suggestions or discoveries that might help a new builder? I would
hate to have to read all the emails going back a year or so to see
what others have found.
Thanks
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
www.vansaircraft.net
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: Mark Ruddock <mruddock_2000@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 1:37 pm PST Link
Unfortunately, the information is not in just one
place, though many builders have tremendous web sites
with lots of good, well organized info.
I recommend the Orndorf (sp? sorry George) videos
highly and the errors in the instructions are few
compared to what could be.
The time spent searching and reading can really save
time and money and head aches.
Welcome to the fun,
Mark Ruddock
--- r123rs <rsuffoletto@h...> wrote:
> Yesterday I unpacked the tail kit for a RV-7 . It is
> obvious from a
> number of emails I have read that many of you have
> solved problems
> that are not addressed in the instructions or have
> discovered errors
> in the plans or kit. Is there a listing somewhere of
> builders
> suggestions or discoveries that might help a new
> builder? I would
> hate to have to read all the emails going back a
> year or so to see
> what others have found.
>
> Thanks
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
Author: "Daniel Masys, M.D." <dmasys@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 2:26 pm PST Link
At 08:59 PM 1/7/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>Yesterday I unpacked the tail kit for a RV-7 . It is obvious from a
>number of emails I have read that many of you have solved problems
>that are not addressed in the instructions or have discovered errors
>in the plans or kit. Is there a listing somewhere of builders
>suggestions or discoveries that might help a new builder? I would
>hate to have to read all the emails going back a year or so to see
>what others have found.
My list of supplements to Van's instructions, as I remember:
1. Build the H jig with posts 114 inches apart.
2. The instructions talk about an HS810 piece, but the kit contains an
HS610 piece. They are the same. The instructions are lousy on this
particular item, as there is a paragraph that tells you to "fabricate the
HS810" and if you look on the prints you will see it is bent. You may
think you should go bend it right away. Wrong. What the instructions
should say is:
a. Lay out the holes in the HS610 and drill them with a drill press. Do
NOT drill the holes marked "Drill in assembly..." (Put X's on them so you
don't forget)
b. Lay out the taper on the ends of the HS610 and the angled part so you
get adequate rivet clearance on the last rivets.
c. Cut the tapers (on a band saw if available).
d. Then bend the HS610 to the proper angle.
3. Instead of trying to use the skins to line up the ribs (difficult
because you'll be reaching inside of them and working blind), consider
getting a roughly 24 X 48 inch sheet of 1/8 clear plexiglas an match
drilling it to one of your HS skins. Then you can cleco the plexi to your
HS skeleton and easily get the ribs lined up with the holes, for purposes
of marking and drilling the holes in the spar. See:
http://array.ucsd.edu/rv7a/plexitemplate_clamped.jpg
(template clamped onto outboard rib and clecoed to spars
http://array.ucsd.edu/rv7a/plexi_in_H_jig.jpg
(template on HS skeleton in the H jig)
4. When in doubt, build the structure to the skins rather than measuring
distances on the plans and transferring them (or using the H jig). The
skins will give you a perfectly straight skeleton underneath if you line
things up with the prepunched holes.
5. Whenever you rivet with a gun in one hand, and a bucking bar in the
other, always clamp the structure you are riveting down with a C clamp or
bar clamp so it doesn't bounce and move around the bench. You want only
the bucking bar bouncing, not the HS skeleton.
This is about all I remember; that was all about 300 shop hours ago...
-Dan Masys
-7a wings
Author: jmainjet@... Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 3:38 pm PST Link
Thank you for the great insight and hints on the assembly of the empenage!
J.B.M.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: "Collins, Bob" <bcollins@...> Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 3:47 pm PST Link
Up here in flyover country (Minnesota), the empennage has been quite a
learning experience. I got my tail kit in July and worked on it slowly, with
most of my time being taken up by building a workarea and trying to get my
very small garage configured.
In September, I started working on the HS more deliberately and had it in
the jig ready to add the skin when I looked at it and said I just wasn't
comfortable with the workmanship. So I took the skin off...pulled the front
spar off...folded it up and put it in the dumpster, and then salvaged a few
parts, went to the computer, and ordered about $300 in new parts.
Unfortunately, by then, winter was setting in in Minnesota. The jig had to
come down to get wife's car into the garage for the winter. But, oddly
enough, the second time around, I felt more confident. The rivet gun didn't
scare me quite as much and, oddly, the rivets were better. Even the third
(!) building of the HS 610 and 614s went off quickly and much better.
I can't really explain it, although someone commented here earlier last week
that one wing took months, the second took days.
So as soon as the spring thaw comes, out goes the wife's car...up goes the
jig and we'll get back to serious plane building.
I was watching "From the Ground Up" on Discovery Wings last night (and
incidentally, they're restarting the series at episode 1 of building an
RV-8). And they talked to a builder, whose name I can't remember but maybe
he's on the list, who said the hardest thing is knowing what is the
acceptable deviation from excellence (or words to that effect).
I couldn't agree more. Looking back, riveting isn't hard, measuring,
cutting, fabricating isn't hard. Hard - at least for me - is knowing what
"less than" decent quality is acceptable..and what needs to go in the
dumpster.
It also would be advisable to see if there's a Van's Air Force wing near
you. The Internet is nice. But being in a room of other builders is even
better, and it's almost always possible to find therein, someone who is at
the same stage as you.
I also would tend not to read too many Internet posts. If you do, you'll
conclude that everyone else who's building one of these things is smarter.
<g>
BC
-----Original Message-----
From: jmainjet@a... [mailto:jmainjet@a...]
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 5:38 PM
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [RV7and7A] Tail Kit
Thank you for the great insight and hints on the assembly of the empenage!
J.B.M.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
www.vansaircraft.net
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Author: jmainjet@... Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 3:54 pm PST Link
Yea......Don't ya just hate it, when ya find out they really are smarter?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: jtanon@... Time: Mon Jan 7, 2002 5:48 pm PST Link
The biggest break you could give yourself is to build the Vertical Stab
first. It is MUCH simpler than the horizontal stab. You will need to read
the section on the horizontal stab since it contains some building tips which
are not repeated in the vertical stab section.
BTW - When you start your collection of fouled up HS 814s give me a call.
After I screwed up my original, and its replacement, I ordered two more. The
third one worked out so I have an extra you can have as a gift from one
newbie builder to another.
You will avoid all sorts of headaches (bending, reading more complicated
drawings, figuring out complicated junctures) while you gain experience and
confidence building the Vert stab first.
Biggest thing when starting out is to read a section all the way through and
figure out the whole operation before you start. (How does this all go
together, why do they do it this way) Watch out for rivet callouts. Just
get a gauge from Avery and check all lengths before you take the plans as
gospel. Pay attention to edge distances and leave some extra room when you
can. Measure everything three times before cutting or drilling.
Ask questions on the list, lots of questions. Don't be afraid to look
stupid. What is really stupid is to proceed without understanding, screw up
a part, then find out we all had the same problem.
Best wishes, it's fun.
John McDonnell RV7A Fuse
Author: "rp10294648" <rpflanze2@...> Time: Tue Jan 8, 2002 5:51 am PST Link
Great advice Bob. I agree that one of the primary reasons that my -
7A is going so much faster than my -6 is just knowing what is
acceptable. Of course the other reason is that today's prepunched
kits are such a higher quality than the older ones, but that's
another argument for another day.
Find yourself some local builders. They are out there. Contact
Van's for a list of builders near you. See their projects because
talking to them face-to-face is the best way for you to cull advice.
As I said in a previous post, for every question asked, you will get
expert advice on both sides of the question so ultimately, you will
have to decide for yourself anyway.
Randy Pflanzer
RV-6 (sold)
RV-7A (waiting for wings)
--- In RV7and7A@y..., "Collins, Bob" <bcollins@m...> wrote:
> Up here in flyover country (Minnesota), the empennage has been
quite a
> learning experience. I got my tail kit in July and worked on it
slowly, with
> most of my time being taken up by building a workarea and trying to
get my
> very small garage configured.
>
> In September, I started working on the HS more deliberately and had
it in
> the jig ready to add the skin when I looked at it and said I just
wasn't
> comfortable with the workmanship. So I took the skin off...pulled
the front
> spar off...folded it up and put it in the dumpster, and then
salvaged a few
> parts, went to the computer, and ordered about $300 in new parts.
>
> Unfortunately, by then, winter was setting in in Minnesota. The jig
had to
> come down to get wife's car into the garage for the winter. But,
oddly
> enough, the second time around, I felt more confident. The rivet
gun didn't
> scare me quite as much and, oddly, the rivets were better. Even the
third
> (!) building of the HS 610 and 614s went off quickly and much
better.
>
> I can't really explain it, although someone commented here earlier
last week
> that one wing took months, the second took days.
>
> So as soon as the spring thaw comes, out goes the wife's car...up
goes the
> jig and we'll get back to serious plane building.
>
> I was watching "From the Ground Up" on Discovery Wings last night
(and
> incidentally, they're restarting the series at episode 1 of
building an
> RV-8). And they talked to a builder, whose name I can't remember
but maybe
> he's on the list, who said the hardest thing is knowing what is the
> acceptable deviation from excellence (or words to that effect).
>
> I couldn't agree more. Looking back, riveting isn't hard, measuring,
> cutting, fabricating isn't hard. Hard - at least for me - is
knowing what
> "less than" decent quality is acceptable..and what needs to go in
the
> dumpster.
>
> It also would be advisable to see if there's a Van's Air Force wing
near
> you. The Internet is nice. But being in a room of other builders is
even
> better, and it's almost always possible to find therein, someone
who is at
> the same stage as you.
>
> I also would tend not to read too many Internet posts. If you do,
you'll
> conclude that everyone else who's building one of these things is
smarter.
> <g>
>
> BC
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jmainjet@a... [mailto:jmainjet@a...]
> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 5:38 PM
> To: RV7and7A@y...
> Subject: Re: [RV7and7A] Tail Kit
> Thank you for the great insight and hints on the assembly of the
empenage!
> J.B.M.
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
> www.vansaircraft.net
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/