Van's Air Force
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fuselage question
- Thread starter wyoflyer
- Start date
Steve Sampson
Well Known Member
Dayton Murdock
Well Known Member
Bottom Skin
Hi Dave
In your photo it appears that you trimmed the bottom skin flush with the side of the fuselage. The bottom skin bridges the gap and is screwed to the bottom of the wing
Hi Dave
In your photo it appears that you trimmed the bottom skin flush with the side of the fuselage. The bottom skin bridges the gap and is screwed to the bottom of the wing
wyoflyer
Active Member
I did leave an overhang. It stops an inch or so past the rear fuse spar mount.
[/URL][/IMG] Unless I misread the plans, hopefully, that will work out. Steve, does the rear portion of that fairing rest on the fuse or is it riveted? I have a hard time visualizing that part smoothly being riveted to the rest of the fuselage.
Steve Sampson
Well Known Member
Dave, if I remember correctly it comes from VANS with a close to 90 degree bend. My approach was to change the 90 degree bend into a radiused curve for the last 2" or so. I thne drilled it to the fuse and clecoed it.
I was going to rivet it, but in the end I decided that it will all fit better if I just pro sealed it on at the top/ bottom / rear. That appears to have worked well.
I can take a picture explicitly of it if that would help you.
Cheers, Steve.
I was going to rivet it, but in the end I decided that it will all fit better if I just pro sealed it on at the top/ bottom / rear. That appears to have worked well.
I can take a picture explicitly of it if that would help you.
Cheers, Steve.
Steve Sampson
Well Known Member
When to add F-466?
I went looking for this fairing in my fuselage kit parts pile last night and it's not here! After a couple of calls, Van's says it's included in the finish kit I just ordered. I asked them to send it now. Is there a reason why it wasn't part of the fuselage kit? Is it best positioned after the wing/flap is installed to better align with the fold?
Also, I made a poster board pattern per the drawings to test the fit and there's a 1/2" gap where it's supposed to butt against the side skin edge. Is the delivered part oversized for trimming?
I went looking for this fairing in my fuselage kit parts pile last night and it's not here! After a couple of calls, Van's says it's included in the finish kit I just ordered. I asked them to send it now. Is there a reason why it wasn't part of the fuselage kit? Is it best positioned after the wing/flap is installed to better align with the fold?
Also, I made a poster board pattern per the drawings to test the fit and there's a 1/2" gap where it's supposed to butt against the side skin edge. Is the delivered part oversized for trimming?
Looks nice!
Thanks for the pix. However, I'm still interested to know if there are any flap-to-fairing alignment concerns or if this part just needs to lay smooth and butt against the side skin. The fact that the fairing comes in the finish kit might suggest it gets installed after the wing and flap are installed.
Thanks for the pix. However, I'm still interested to know if there are any flap-to-fairing alignment concerns or if this part just needs to lay smooth and butt against the side skin. The fact that the fairing comes in the finish kit might suggest it gets installed after the wing and flap are installed.
Fairings
There are differing ways to deal with the wing root fairing. I found the curved skin that van supplied to be a real pain so I made some custom fiber glass fairings.
I have seen a lot of 4s that have to have an S shaped curve in the lower flap skin where it overlaps the fuselage, mine is no different.
There are some photos of the upper fairing being made at the very bottom of my blog. I will attach the trimmed down upper fairings onto the fuselage for you today so you can see the fit there. The wing won't be on but at least you will be able to see the fit onto the side of the fairing you are concerned about.
Now posted on blog. There are of course other ways to do this, you could consider some Sam James fairings which are similar to mine.
There are differing ways to deal with the wing root fairing. I found the curved skin that van supplied to be a real pain so I made some custom fiber glass fairings.
I have seen a lot of 4s that have to have an S shaped curve in the lower flap skin where it overlaps the fuselage, mine is no different.
There are some photos of the upper fairing being made at the very bottom of my blog. I will attach the trimmed down upper fairings onto the fuselage for you today so you can see the fit there. The wing won't be on but at least you will be able to see the fit onto the side of the fairing you are concerned about.
Now posted on blog. There are of course other ways to do this, you could consider some Sam James fairings which are similar to mine.
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The Plot Thickens
I still don't see why the fairings come with the finish kit and not the fuselage? It appears all the builders incorporate them before inverted the canoe! I had Van's forward them to me ahead of the finish kit. They showed up quickly, but bare little resemblance to the drawing. Mostly, they're bent to an acute 70 degrees but the installation needs an obtuse 125 degrees, tapering aft to nearly flat. Van's says they're correct as is. Can't be!
I still don't see why the fairings come with the finish kit and not the fuselage? It appears all the builders incorporate them before inverted the canoe! I had Van's forward them to me ahead of the finish kit. They showed up quickly, but bare little resemblance to the drawing. Mostly, they're bent to an acute 70 degrees but the installation needs an obtuse 125 degrees, tapering aft to nearly flat. Van's says they're correct as is. Can't be!
Photo
Perhaps you can post a photo of what you have got so we can confirm we are talking about the same thing. I actually made mine up from a de-skinned door off a crashed kitfox. I don't remember why, perhaps it was as you say they appear to come in the 'wrong' kit.
Perhaps you can post a photo of what you have got so we can confirm we are talking about the same thing. I actually made mine up from a de-skinned door off a crashed kitfox. I don't remember why, perhaps it was as you say they appear to come in the 'wrong' kit.
They have always come in the wrong kit
They should come in the fuse kit so you can attach them while the canoe is still inverted.
If they are about 15" long and made from .016 then you got the right ones.
Tuck the front under the bottom skin then push down hard at the back end to force the crease to just about touch the back skin.
Carr
They should come in the fuse kit so you can attach them while the canoe is still inverted.
If they are about 15" long and made from .016 then you got the right ones.
Tuck the front under the bottom skin then push down hard at the back end to force the crease to just about touch the back skin.
Carr
Over bent
I know I can force this to conform by un-bending it by half, but my question is why is it bent so much? As you can see, the aft end mates with the generous radius of the bottom skin so the fairing has to be un-bent from 75 degrees to an almost-flat 170.
Between this and the inexplicable reason the part is included in the finish kit and not the fuselage, Van's builder's support, isn't.
[/IMG]
I know I can force this to conform by un-bending it by half, but my question is why is it bent so much? As you can see, the aft end mates with the generous radius of the bottom skin so the fairing has to be un-bent from 75 degrees to an almost-flat 170.
Between this and the inexplicable reason the part is included in the finish kit and not the fuselage, Van's builder's support, isn't.
Bend
Hi Bill
I think mine were bent like that too, They are not structural l just cosmetic so I did not worry about unbending them. However, because of the over bending its difficult to get the rear end to sit flat on the fuselage. I think that's why I made new ones from a kitfox door skin.
Why it comes when it does is beyond me???
Hi Bill
I think mine were bent like that too, They are not structural l just cosmetic so I did not worry about unbending them. However, because of the over bending its difficult to get the rear end to sit flat on the fuselage. I think that's why I made new ones from a kitfox door skin.
Why it comes when it does is beyond me???
