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RV-7 Wing: What would you do differently next time?

Bullseye

Well Known Member
After reading through the following thread...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=127998

... I did a quick search of the -7/-7A forums and couldn't find an existing thread.

So, If you'd build another RV-7 Wing, what would you do differently ? Any features you would add to improve the serviceability of your aircraft, and that would be easier to implement while you'd be building the wing?
 
RV-7 Fuselage: What would you do differently next time?

After reading through the following thread...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=127998

... I did a quick search of the -7/-7A forums and couldn't find an existing thread.

So, If you'd build another RV-7 Fuselage, what would you do differently ? Any features you would add to improve the serviceability of your aircraft, and that would be easier to implement while you'd be building the fuselage?
 
No QB

I would go for a SB and not ? QB!
I found out very difficult to achieve certain build task that wasn't achieved on the QB fuselage.
Exemple drilling for the rudder pedals when the fuselage is almost done; not easy to do it properly and so easy to do it at the beginning of the build ( SB).
Installing the tail wheel support WD-409 was also a pain in the *** and the work will always be not as well done as if you build a SB.
So because I like the things well done I would avoid the QB!
 
I installed the Super Track while building and very glad I did. The one I wish I'd done is the Almost -14 mod to provide more room for taller passengers. I set mine up for my 5' 8" frame but anyone over 6 feet is cramped.
 
What I would do the same:
- Wet rivet (sikaflex pro) all skins on the lower half of the fuselage for corrosion protection.
- Titanium belly plate 14" wide and 2ft aft of firewall with 1/16" fiberfrax insulation.
- Mounting brackets for wing root gascolators on each side of the fuselage.
- Fiberfrax (I used morgan superwool as it is biosoluble) firewall insulation behind 2thou stainless foil. I used 1mm superwool, but next time I would use 2mm. I think the pillowing is too much with the 3mm (1/8").

What I would to differently next time:
- Perhaps get a QB so that I would not make so many customizations and not have to spent days wrenching on those longerons.
- I pre-fabricated many of the components according to the plans ahead of time. This was ok regarding edge finishing of sheets, but for many of the more intricate angle components (e.g. rudder stops) they had to be later modified regardless (or fabricated a second time) for a custom fit. Sure, prep and prime all your skins in one go, but for the smaller components build them as you need them and just hit them up with some quality zinc phosphate etch rattle can primer as you go.
- Wet rivet/fay seal the top skins on the fuselage. I did just the bottom skins for corrosion protection, however I should have in hindsight taken the time to do it to the top skins also.
- Baggage floor hatch and extra conduit running aft under the baggage floor. I thought I had plenty of room to run everything aft, but I don't. Way easier to install early.
- Give yourself plenty of room for fuel line bends. I used an andiar pump and didn't give myself enough room for the flaring tool to be placed on the pipe after I had completed the bends, so I had to spend a lot of time modifying things.
Cheers,
Tom.
 
I'd order the delux fuel caps before I started the tanks. I got halfway through the tanks and realized that the standard tank caps and flanges are sub par, then had to wait a couple of weeks for the delux units to arrive.
Tom.
 
Pretty happy here

I bought the QB fuse and could not be happier it came in good shape.

Saved me hundred or more hours of build and as i am time constrained when building this helped me immensly.

Just my thoughts.
 
Thanks for the notes, guys, all great for planning.


Moderators: Any reason why you combined my Wing and Fuselage threads?

I was hoping to keep them separate to let the building planning wing mods have a different place to go than the builders planning their fuselage mods.

Can we split them back out?
 
To each his own, but...

Hard to see what a wingroot gascolator will do that the quickdrain in the tank and a decent filter (or an automotive style 'sock' pickup in the tank) won't do better. Except add to weight, build time, complexity, money, etc.

The fuel caps that came with my early 90's vintage RV-4 are still working fine, and the -7 came with the same style caps.

I did add aux fuel in the leading edges, and it's honestly difficult to imagine at this point that it will be worth the effort.

I did add access panels to the outboard curves of the forward top skin (not endorsed by the factory, but I'm not the 1st to do it), and I don't regret doing that.

Just another perspective...

Charlie
 
Hi Charlie, the gascolators are used for as a filter because I didn't want the filter in the cockpit, and pre-filtering is a requirement for use of electric fuel pumps. They have the same filter mesh diameter as the inline filters. I was going to put the inline filters in the wing root, however in the 7 there is not a lot of room between the wing and the fuselage, so Andy recommended using a gascolator, as it is easier to change in this tight confine. Regarding the fuel caps, I had a dog of a time trying to bend the flanges to match the skin profile, and they would deform the skin when I had it clecoed in place. The deluxe flanges fit perfectly. Those capable of bending stiff flanges to fit the wing profile should be fine. I wasn't.
Tom.
 
Makes sense, if you're averse to a cockpit filter. If we're not comfortable with what we're flying, we'll never really enjoy it. A gascolator bowl should be easier to service than an in-line filter.

My plan (auto style high pressure injection) is to do what the autos do; use an automotive filter sock on the pickup tube. The mesh is designed to protect in-tank pumps, the large media area makes it almost impossible to block it, and the shape sheds trash instead of allowing it to accumulate. In cars, they last the life of the pump with no maintenance.

My original final-filter plan was to use one right after each pump for redundancy, but I'm now considering a single final filter just before the fuel rail, more for convenience than worry about having them in the cockpit. The 'other' school of thought on fuel is that if it's in the cockpit, you know immediately if there's a problem, instead of when you get the radio call that you're smoking. :)

The tank sumps are the lowest points in an RV's fuel system, so I'm happy with that to clear water/trash.

I guess I got lucky with the filler flanges; they really didn't give me any trouble (I did four, so I had some practice. :) ) Wish I could say the same for some of the other parts of the build....
 
If I could do it again I would have considered two things. (maybe more will come as I'm still working on the wings)

1. Buy a QB if I could afford it

2. Since option 1. is not going to work for me I would buy myself an extra box of tissues for rib deburring to soak up the tears.

:D

Seriously though, I have been pretty happy with the wing kit as is, definitely install conduit run and ignore the plans for the fuel tank z-brackets, look at Mike B's website instead. (thanks Mike!)
 
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