Andrew,
You're right I now understand your question.
Proceeding with tank and controls in is fine, provided you do not build
a twist in when mounting the tank and controls.
Keeping two stands perfectly level while building it up is what we do.
They are just saw horses (trellis) that support the front and the tank
top module area. I don't seem to have a problem ever when installing
with tank and controls in.
No Reply Necessary
Bud
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Sarangan<mailto:asarangan@gmail.com>
To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Trial fitting cockpit module
<asarangan@gmail.com<mailto:asarangan@gmail.com>>
Thanks much for that detailed explanation. My cockpit module aligns
nearly perfect with the canoe without any cajoling. I could only
measure a 0.1-deg misalignment along the longitudinal axis, and that
is within the tolerance of my digital inclinometer. So I went ahead
and cleco'd the module to the firewall and canoe sides, then removed
it, and I am proceeding with populating the module.
On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 5:47 PM, Greg Fuchs
<gregoryf.flyboy@comcast.net<mailto:gregoryf.flyboy@comcast.net>> wrote:
<gregoryf.flyboy@comcast.net<mailto:gregoryf.flyboy@comcast.net>>
>
>
>
> Hi Andrew,
>
>>What I often find confusing with the manual is that it says what to
do, but
> it doesn't say why. As a scientist,
>> I hesitate to do something until I understand why.
>
> I am the same way, and predict many other builders out there are as
well. It
> makes for a lot of thinking testing and preplanning before
assembling. Many
> times one can create better ways (than what is in the manual) to put
this
> thing together but it also eats up a lot of time. I find myself
asking this
> question often when starting up a new task...Whats more important,
precision
> or time? Most often, precision wins out. It is an airplane after
all, and
> one can't expect to 'pull over' up there in the big blue skyways. Oh
well,
> long precise build it is :) .
>
> When building the module up, one needs to check for clearances
between the
> controls (plywood strengtheners, fuel lines, etc), and the bottom of
the
> fuselage ..many times. The bearings (or the flange lips) for the
control
> arms (or the lower side of the control arm bracket) can hit the
bottom of
> the fuselage. The manual tells you to get them as low as possible
..but they
> can be too low. I also remember needing to grind the top layer glass
and
> PVC away from the bottom of the fuse. (and re-glass to add the
strength
> back) in the rear where the controls were binding, because they
needed
> another 1/8" (or so) clearance (Bud has seen this too, apparently
..notice
> his reference to CS08). ...other things needed nips and tucks to get
to fit
> properly. A builder could easily miss these small clearance issues
if they
> are not careful, resulting in a lot of binding (and a bunch more
unexpected
> work) once the module is sucked up to the fuse while clecoe-ing or
strapping
> pre-gluing. During the process of populating the module with
controls (and
> stuff), I found it convenient to finalize the position of the module
at an
> early state. If that is not done, the module can slide around too
much, and
> it just makes it difficult to know where to do the nips and tucks to
get
> everything to work well together. I am sure you can wait until just
before
> bonding the cockpit module to the fuse before drilling the placement
holes,
> if you were very careful to realign it over and over again during
the
> clearance checks. I opted for aligning it just once in the
beginning. There
> are sure to be other methods, and possibly better ones out
there....but this
> one worked well.
>
> The two holes were placed up front where the module would not deform
over
> time. It is very strong up in the front around the tunnel area. The
lower
> part of the tunnel was positively contacting the inside of the
fuselage, so
> the small bolts went through the forward, lower flange of the module
and
> through the firewall in that area. The top of the tunnel was not a
good
> candidate for the bolts, because there was a slight clearance
between the
> tunnel top and the firewall (other planes might be different?).
Putting a
> positioning bolt there would cause instability and straining on the
module
> and the firewall. Better to let the glue fill that in when the big
day
> arrives.
>
> I hope that covered it a little better..
>
> Greg Fuchs
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com<mailto:owner-europa-list-server@ma
tronics.com>
> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Andrew
Sarangan
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 9:32 PM
> To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Trial fitting cockpit module
>
<asarangan@gmail.com<mailto:asarangan@gmail.com>>
>
> I think my question may have been misunderstood. I realize the
importance of
> CM alignment to the fuselage. My question is, isn't this alignment
best done
> after the control tubes and fuel tank are installed rather than on
an empty
> CM? I was thinking that some deformations to the CM may creep in
during the
> work, so drilling the alignment holes through the firewall may be
best done
> when the CM is nearly finished. Or, is the empty CM is significantly
lighter
> and hence easier to align?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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