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Gap Seal

T

trackdom

Well Known Member
Hi,
I am cutting fwd and aft wing root fairings . I wonder what space is needed between wing root and fuselage . Actually I got 4mm gap, but when I try to screw the fairing it' s hard due to Gap Seal bending...it' s possible to cleco the fairing not to screw it.
I am afraid I could cut a too big Gap, I suppose Gap Seal has to bend a lip on the fuselage .
Any advice highly appreciated.
Thanks
 
4mm is enough. Dont cut it any further unless you plan to glue the rubber seal strip to the aluminum fairing.
 
It doesn't need to be glued, it is a friction fit. I believe the gap is called out in the plans. It does require some finesse to install, particularly around the leading edge. This is one of my least favorite fairings to install.
 
It's not easy to keep Gap Seal around the fairing as There is a lot of force tending to get it out...
 
RV-7 seal gap

I've got a RV-7 and I used a 0.188" (4.77 mm) gap and it worked out fine for me. Not sure if it's exactly the same for the -8 but I believe they use the same seal (not 100% sure on that however).

I hope this helps.

Jeff
 
I note your Numbers Jeff, I.ll Check tomorrow, I think I have to remove about 1mm. The good Gap depth is not so easy to determine....
 
Maintaining a constant gap width

What I did to maintain a constant gap width with respect to the side of the fuselage was to get a piece of scrape aluminum that was 0.188" thick. I then placed it against the side of the fuselage (with the wing root fairing in place) and used a fine point Sharpie to mark the wing root fairing. This makes for a very consistent offset. You don't want to use a wide piece of scrap for this. Only a couple of inches long since the wing contour varies so much. Just make a short mark and repeat along the wing root. I then removed the wing root fairing and used a die grinder with a sanding disc to remove the majority of the material and then "fine tuned" it with a hand file. Just remove the extra material and leave the "line". It worked out great for me.

I hope this helps.

Jeff
 
Another help for installing

After I trimmed for the right gap, I found the rubber seal and wing root fairing were easy to install at 75 to 80F; it was VERY difficult to install at 45F. The warmer temps really make the seal much more flexible, which is important where it bends up against the fuselage.
 
This worked great for me

1. Trim fairing just enough to screw into place
2. Take standard washer for AN3 bolt (960-3?) and place on top of fairing up against fuselage.
3. Use fine tip sharpie in the center of washer and roll the washer along fuselage the entire length of the fuselage.

The idea is to use the washer web to transfer the fuselage profile exactly to the fairing. The web distance is the perfect spacing to keep the fairing in place without glue.

Greg
RV-7
 
Something that really helps with this fairing installation and many other situations where you need to line up holes is to purchase several round pointed awls or what ever they are called. Basically a screwdriver with a tapered and pointy end on it. These can be used somewhat like clecos to line up holes. Put one in a hole adjacent to the one you are working with and you can move it around to get the alignment needed on the hole your working with. These are great tools to help align all the holes on the floor skins or wherever you need to align holes and get screws started.
 
gvouga said:
1. Trim fairing just enough to screw into place
2. Take standard washer for AN3 bolt (960-3?) and place on top of fairing up against fuselage.
3. Use fine tip sharpie in the center of washer and roll the washer along fuselage the entire length of the fuselage.

The idea is to use the washer web to transfer the fuselage profile exactly to the fairing. The web distance is the perfect spacing to keep the fairing in place without glue.

Greg
RV-7
Click to expand...
I think I.ll do like that, it seems so accurate.
Thanks to all of you ...
 
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