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Side Brace

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I had been "about to" do this for years, and finally got around to it today. Especially during build, this piece gets pressure on it and bends down, then you bend it back up - over and over again! Easy, cheap fix, I would recommend everyone do it!
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I had been "about to" do this for years, and finally got around to it today. Especially during build, this piece gets pressure on it and bends down, then you bend it back up - over and over again! Easy, cheap fix, I would recommend everyone do it!
2gwfhxj.jpg
[/IMG]

I do not get why it is needed?
 
I did exactly the same thing and it is much stronger and no more bending. Vans should evaluate making this change.
 
One time I was off balance while standing on the passenger step. I grabbed hold of F-1254-R and bent it. To prevent that from happening again, I riveted a 7" long channel to the underside of F-1254-R. The channel is not visible unless you put your head on the seat and look up. All that is visible are 6 rivets on the top surface of F-1254-R. The advantages of my fix are no compound curves, no exposed sheet metal edges, and no worry about minimum distance between rivet holes and edge of F-1254-R.
 
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I agree that this brace is a very useful addition to the RV-12 cockpit structure -- I installed it immediately following my A/W cert inspection. Simple to make and install. The only down-side is future access regarding the canopy's plastic guides on the rail should the guides become worn or loose (unlikely IMHO).
 
I installed one a long time ago. Mine's about half as long as Don's but works very well. This is something that Vans should incorporate in the kit.
 
Half of a inch to the vertical leg

If vans added a half of a inch to the vertical leg the problem would be solved

My view

Joe Dallas


I installed one a long time ago. Mine's about half as long as Don's but works very well. This is something that Vans should incorporate in the kit.
 
Don, do you have a template of your plate? For those of us challenged individuals, it would make life much easier to cut and trace your existing template. I would actually be willing to try to fabricate one and install it. Looks pretty straight forward.
 
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