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Drilling tank attach brackets to fuse 8A

N208ET

Well Known Member
Ok, maybe I am missing something here. I have got the wings on and have prepared the tank attach brackets that attach to the fuse, question is, do you drill the holes from inside the fuselage and out through the bracket. I already made the holes in the bracket per the plans, maybe that was a mistake. What am I missing here.

Randy
8A
 
Any answer

Ok, maybe I am missing something here. I have got the wings on and have prepared the tank attach brackets that attach to the fuse, question is, do you drill the holes from inside the fuselage and out through the bracket. I already made the holes in the bracket per the plans, maybe that was a mistake. What am I missing here.

Randy
8A

Randy did anyone answer this. I just made my brackets and have not drilled the fuselage attach holes in the bracket, I only marked the location. I have wire and fuel lines back there, my thought was to drill from the fuselage side after marking locations that will best suit where my wires run.

Cheers
Mike
 
I think you can drill from the inside of the fuse

Since you didn't drill out the tank attach bracket hole like I did. I ended up using a close quarters 90 degree drill to drill mine from the outside in.
 
I had some plexi from Home Depot and made a clear template. Easy to see the holes, drill from the outsie and then transfer to the bracket.

One more thing. Measure the clearance with a straight edge to the top of the wing skin, to simulate the gap fairing. I made mine exactly per plans and the gap fairing was hitting the top of the bracket. Had to file it down some. Talked with a new neighbor who just had the first flight of his -8 and the same thing for him as well. Much better to correct now.
 
I just did this with my -9A. I was able to get the drill on the attach bracket from inside on one hole and used the angle drill for the other hole.
I just started the holes, then took off the bracket and drilled them out the rest of the way on the drill press.
 
confession

I goofed: I predrilled the 1/4" hole in the fuselage bracket and then tried match drilling into the tank bracket with less than optimum results.

2m85d2w.jpg


What I SHOULD have done is do a careful measure of both brackets overlaid and then drilled from the front - tank bracket into the fuse bracket.

However. I rechecked all my dimensions, and had I done the latter, I would have found that when mounted to the tank and the fuselage, the brackets do not overlay nicely like the picture on the plans. I would / will reshape the fuselage bracket to put the center of the radius in line with the center of the radius on the tank bracket - about 1/4" lower. I'm just hoping I don't need to redo the tank because of the too high hole. :confused:
 
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