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Rv12is Pre Fabricated Rigid Fuel Lines

Aircraft Specialty

Well Known Member
The Rv-12is fuselage has a multitude of rigid fuel lines that are required to be fabricated by the builder.

Aircraft Specialty and TS Flightlines have been undergoing a joint infrastructure project to increase our rigid tube capabilities. We currently offer a complete rigid tube package for the rv-14, and a multitude of rigid lines for the rv-7/9 series of aircraft. We are well along into the development of a complete rigid tube drop in package for the rv-12is fuselage.

We are looking for two beta testers who are building the rv-12is fuselage and will be ready to install cabin lines in the April time frame. If anyone is interested in participating in this project, please email us at [email protected].

When we are ready to test fit lines, we will send out an email to everyone on the list with the final pricing as well as an offer of a substantial discount for helping us to beta test the final fit of the lines. The first two to accept the project will be our beta fit testers. Everyone else on the list at that time will receive a 15% discount off the tubes if they purchase upon completion of beta fit testing.

Thanks in advance for your help. We really appreciate all the builders who work with us on these projects.

For those who are interested in how we design and fabricate the rigid tubes, go to this link and click on the rigid tubes. This is an old video which will be replaced in the next several months as we have significantly upgraded capabilities for reverse engineering, prototyping, producing and verifying tube accuracy.

http://aircraftspecialty.com/howwemake.html

Have a great week and happy building

Steve
 
Thanks to everyone that has emailed us about this project. We have a great group of beta testers lined up.

Here is a sneak peak of the first few of the initial pre production prototype tubes.
RV12iS%20Rigid.jpg
 
I spent a couple of days at Steve's shop last week to work on a few things as well as this project. He has spent considerable time and resources to prototype these tubes. Similar to what we did on the RV14 tubes. The investment of the time and resources will make a better product for all of you RV12IS builders. AND save you quite a bit of work. There are a couple of longer tubes in this fuselage that we havent done yet--thinking of several options for it. One of the things we are thinking about is shipping a long, precisely bent tube in a pretty big box. That in itself is expensive!

As we move forward, we'll have more information.

Tom
 
We are looking for 2 more beta testers who have ordered the RV12iS Powerplant kit and will be ready to install the F12127 E, F, G, H and J lines once they have received it.

We have the data for the tubes and they match the templates, but we want to do an actual aircraft test fit verification before we release them to other builders.

Please send me an email to [email protected]

Thanks in advance for your help
Steve
 
Van's has finally begun shipping Engine kits and we have now been able to do fit verification tests on our CNC bent Rigid Tube kit for the RV-12iS.


AS Flightlines has decided to offer the F12127E, F, G, H, J, and K lines. They will come pre bent and pre flared. The cost of the kit is $324.95, and we will be happy to buy back the unused AN Nuts and Sleeves from customers for $25 that won't be needed if you purchase this package.

In addition, we will offer the F12127B and F12127C lines for those customers that have not yet completed the bottom skin installation in Section 21. These tubes need to be slid through the bulkhead into place and then flared by the customer due to going through a grommet. The only way to offer these lines pre bent is to install them at this point in the build. These tubes will add $75 to the cost of the above package.

Below are some pictures of the pre bent tubes as well as what they look like once installed.

If you would like to see the design/fabrication process of these tubes, more information can be located at http://aircraftspecialty.com/howwemake.html under the "Rigid Tube" Section.

Have fun building!!!

Steve and Tom

RV-12iS%20Pre%20Flared%20Tube%20Kit.jpg



Installed%202.jpg


Installed%201.jpg


F12127BC-1.jpg


F12127K.jpg
 
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That's the plumbing for the fuel-injected 12? Am I looking at that right - its behind the rear baggage bulkhead? I think I'll stick with my Bing 64's...
 
That's the plumbing for the fuel-injected 12? Am I looking at that right - its behind the rear baggage bulkhead? I think I'll stick with my Bing 64's...

Jim,

That's correct! It's quite an interesting setup. But it was fun to prototype and CNC bend all those little tubes.

We will wait and see if people start to order the "new" rv-12 with the ULS engine. If so, we will start to work on rigid tubes for that setup also.


Steve
 
That's the plumbing for the fuel-injected 12? Am I looking at that right - its behind the rear baggage bulkhead? I think I'll stick with my Bing 64's...

Yes it is.....

I can't help but smile when thinking back to all of the comments from when people were questioning why "Van's" was resisting doing the engineering and modifications to revise the RV-12 to use the new Rotax 912iS engine.

The common refrain was "how hard could it be?" "It should be done already!"

Writing the story to answer that question would read like a short novel. :D:D:D
 
Scott----are the fuel pumps going to be made available before the engine kit ships? With the delay in getting the engines, if the pumps were available during the fuselage build, it would save a considerable amount of time for the builders.
Those that are doing their own plumbing will need the pumps and filters to test fit their bent tubes, and tweek and bends.

Tom
 
Maybe I shouldn't be asking but...

How do you access all this fuel plumbing behind the rear baggage bulkhead once the airplane is final assembled and put into service?

Also, It looks like several short rubber hoses in/out of the high pressure fuel pumps - what is lifespan of rubber? 5 year replacement again?
 
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Baggage bulkhead access panel

There is an aft baggage bulkhead access panel that allows access to this area.

Vic
 
Jim----those 2 short pieces of hose are part of the Rotax supplied fuel pumps. They connect the tubes to the stub ends on the fuel pumps. With out changing the design of the pumps to have an AN Male on them, that was the only way Rotax could connect the tubes. I'd imagine getting a pump of sufficient fuel pressure with male AN fittings AND fit into the allotted space might be troublesome.
So yes, there are short hoses, most likely automotive fuel injection hose. Dont think that Rotax has specified --yet---what that replacement cycle will be. Maybe by then there will be a conversion.

Tom
 
Scott----are the fuel pumps going to be made available before the engine kit ships? With the delay in getting the engines, if the pumps were available during the fuselage build, it would save a considerable amount of time for the builders.
Those that are doing their own plumbing will need the pumps and filters to test fit their bent tubes, and tweek and bends.

Tom

Having already built a couple of RV-12iS's myself, I am aware of the benefit of having the fuel pumps early, but the fuel pumps are an accessory that ships in the engine crate from Rotax.
There would be higher costs to get them separate in advance.

That is why the 12iS build sequence specifically recommends not installing the tail cone to the fwd fuselage until much later in the build process to enable easy installation of the fuel pumps and related plumbing (along with numerous other benefits).
 
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