Van's RV-9A in Aurora

The Big Picture

The Big Picture
Flying! 8/28/2011

Thursday, July 30, 2009

2.0 hrs
Didn't use the clock, so this is a rough estimate. Spent a bunch of time playing with the new toys purchased at Oshkosh. Used some of them to work on the center section. The new toys include a US Tools squeezer (as part of a complete kit, at a price that used tools are selling at, if you can be the first in line! Shouldn't ever have to buy a squeezer die again!), a Smart Level, a shiny new Andair fuel valve, various drill bits, AN3-56 bolts for the brake pedals, 2 AeroLED 1600's to complete the leading edge light installation, and a Artex ME406 ELT with the whip antenna. That last one is being shipped.

Stopped by the Hooker Harness booth, and discovered that the Van's recommendation for the crotch strap bracket separation is wrong for the Hooker crotch straps. The standard Hooker design has three layers of material, which is too thick to fit in the 1/8" gap spec'd in the Van's instructions. I had just drilled all of those holes. Crap.

Scot with HH said they could build a harness to account for it, it would just have to be upside down.

I looked at the instructions after I got back, and realized that I had drilled and dimpled the flanges that are flush to the seat skin for a AN426AD3 rivets. But the holes need to be for a #8 screw and nutplates. So I just dropped in a 3/16 drill bit to set the spacing, and final drilled the brackets to #19.
Problem solved.

Then clecoed the baggage skins on and final drilled to the seat ribs. Waiting for the new ELT to get here so I can mod the baggage skins for mounting the ELT under them.