Foreward Fuselage

1. Fuel tank attach brackets and supports (10th April 200606)

On both sides of the front fuselage, the inboard leading edges of the wings are the fuel tanks. They are attached to the front fuse via two steel brackets (see image 2 below).The brackets are bolted through a bulkhead and longeron, providing a strong support for the wing loads. At this stage in construction, I need to fabricate the support angles, some sheet spacers, and match-drill them to the fuselage. the instructions assume that the skins are open - no rivets. But a quickbuild fuse has rivets, including in these holes which actually should have been left open. Don't ask me why they decided to put rivets in there, but I suppose they think I need the practice drilling out their perfectly good rivets. Should I send Vans an invoice I wonder?

The first image is the relevant detail for this task. Not the clearest image the Vans draftsmen have created. It took me a while to figure out, mainly because I assumed that the rivets already in the fuselage were "bona fide". The second image shows the attach bracket in position (displaced) over the holes where the offending rivets are. The 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/8" angle pieces need to be fabricated from stock. Be careful not to include the thickness of the other angle face when you draw "centerlines". Because it is angle, the centerlines on each face are displaced. I fabricated everything with a hacksaw and a beltsander (best thing I ever bought). Image 4 shows the left angle piece in position in front of the bulkhead. Image 5 shows me drilling out the AN3 flush rivets that the Vans people so kindly supplied! Image 6 shows the two pieces of angle (they are stero-isomers, left and right) with rivet and bolt lead holes drilled. Finally (images 7 and 8) I had to match drill the sheet spacers, and the lower bolt hole of the tank attach bracket. Bracket holes will eventually be drilled out to # 12, but at this stage I am leaving them smaller, just in case. This all took about 4 hours.

1. bracket & support angle

2. why did they put rivets there?

3. you have to make this and more

4. support angle in position

5. match drilling angle through skin

6. the holes all line up reasonably well

7. match drilling the two sheet spacers

8. match drilling where #12 bolt holes will be

2. Foreward fuselage superstructure

There are a few ribs and sheet components which, together, give form and strength to the foreward upper fuselage which supports the roll-bar centre post and the instrument panel. Image 1 shows the drawing. there are quite a few pieces which need to be fabricated from stock angle and sheet. These are shown in image 2, and the fabrication of two pieces is shown in images 3 and 4. Image 5 shows whayt happens when you get careless. Compare image and drawing and you will see what UI mean. I had to order more 3/4" x 3/4" sheet from Vans to replace these. Image 6 shows the package from Vans with these and other bits and pieces, including snap-bushes which wree missing from the original kit. The final image shows one of teh advantages of the Affordable Panels XL option. The eyeball flow director fits right into the panel.

superstructure

make these 1st

any way you can

marked from DWG

oops!

replacements - Vans

all put together

My XL panel is great