RV-14 Build – Page 17 – Building a Vans RV-14

Right brakes and wheel

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Neal

Tonight I was finally able to install the right axel and wheel.

On the right wheel I ended up with the following:

– 2×0.75 degree toe shims, shimming toe-in

– 2x NAS6604-27 bolts on the aft two holes, with standard 1x thick washers

– 1x NAS6604-27 bolt on the forward bottom hole, with 1 thick plus 1 thin washer

1x NAS6604-22 bolt on the forward upper hole, with two thick washers

All secured with standard MS21044N4 nuts, torqued to 95 inch pounds per the Beringer manual.

The close tolerance bolts required some tapping with a dowel and hammer, and torqued using a crows foot on the harder to reach nuts.

I used Bel Ray grease instead of CA1000, as advised by Beringer tech support.

Right axel installed, bolts inserted and nuts torqued.

Banjo fitting and the bleed port were torqued to 148 inch pounds per the manual and Beringer support (I asked about the bleed port because I had to switch it from one side of the caliper to the other).

Wheel installed, fittings torqued, brake line taped to gear leg, and safety wire installed

I taped the brake line to the gear leg using 3M Temflex friction tape.

I used some short lengths of spiral wrap, secured with a high-temp zip tie.

Spiral wrap to protect the brake line on this corner where it will likely contact the engine mount and the cowling

Main gear legs

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Neal

Tonight we installed the main gear legs, and used tank sealant to install the firewall fitting for the cowl flap control.

The gear legs went were relatively easy to install compared with the tail wheel difficulties. Some grease and some gentle force were enough to insert both gear legs. Using drift pins we located the holes, then reamed the single bolt holes in both legs. With that done, caps were installed with silicon, and then the firewall fitting was installed.

I don’t have the right length bolts to install the Beringer wheels at the moment, so we are stalled on next steps.

Using drift pins to locate the right gear leg, before clamping and reaming the hole

End caps that are glued to the engine mount with silicone. A small gap in the silicone bead is left to allow airflow

Firewall fitting that will support the cowl flap control and throttle cable

Engine mount installed

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Neal

Today was a big day, we were able to get the tailwheel installed and the engine mount installed.

The tailwheel took some work. Before I had installed the tail wheel tube into the aft fuselage, I had primed the inside of the tube. This was a problem, and the finely machined flanges inside the tube were coated in paint and the tail wheel spring would not go in. We had to carefully sand the paint out of the tube before the spring could be installed and correctly positioned. Once that was done, we used a drift pin to locate the bolt hole, then carefully reamed the hole. With the bolt in place, we were able to finish installing the tail wheel components and torqued everything up.

The next task was drilling a hole through the firewall to accommodate the control cable for the EXP119 cowl flap modification. Using a step drill, I stepped up the hole, then carefully located and drilled the two smaller bolt holes used to clamp the fitting onto the firewall. Everything came out looking good, so we mixed up some tank sealant and installed the fitting onto the firewall.

With that job complete, we moved onto the engine mount. We installed 4 nut plates, found the right hardware, carefully framed the holes, and then installed the engine mount. Would have been impossible without a helper, so I was glad to have my dad assisting. We torqued up the 6 bolts, then called it a day/night.

Struggling to install the spring, prior to sanding out the primer from inside the tube

Using a drift pin to locate the bolt hole

Firewall holes. The two smaller holes still need to be enlarged here

Firewall before the engine mount is installed

Reaming main gear

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Neal

Today we were able to fit and ream the U-01421 and U-01431 parts, countersunk, prime, and install nut plates on the U-01418 attach brackets.

Clamping the parts to prevent any movement while reaming the single bolt hole

Drift pins being used to locate the holes, prior to clamping and reaming

Wheel pant attach brackets after countersinking, priming and installing nut plates

Wheels!

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Neal

With the sticks finished, the project is to install the wheels. With my dad visiting for a week, it was a great project for us to work on together. First I located all of the components we needed. Since I’m installing Beringer wheels, and using Aircraft Specialty brake lines, we had a few different sets of hardware. No progress today, just locating components.

Engine mount, main gear legs, and Beringer wheels

Control sticks

Posted on July 25, 2023August 25, 2023 by Neal

Tonight I wired up the d-sub pins on both sticks, using a d-sub connector on the right stick, and heat-shrink insulation instead of a connector on the left.

I’m not sure how much of a service loop is going to be appropriate here, so I may need to make some adjustments in the future to sort out the wiring runs.

Control sticks

Posted on July 24, 2023August 25, 2023 by Neal

Tonight I finished making a fitting to hold a d-sub connector, which will allow the right hand control stick to be easily removed. The fitting is made of three sheets of aluminum, and slips over the existing steel fitting for the molex connector. It’s held in place with rivets and is very solid.

On the left stick, since I don’t plan to remove it, I’m going to skip the d-sun connector and just use insulated d-sun pins held together with heat-shrink.

Control sticks

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Neal

Tonight I finished the left hand control stick. I still need to install connectors on both wiring harnesses, and plan to use d-sub connectors, vs the standard molex from Vans.

Having already done the right stick, the left stick was faster. I cut and fit the sleeve, installed the grip, routed the wires and checked the buttons to ensure they were working as specified.

My concern with both sticks is the possibility of chaffing on the wiring where it exits the tube. To counter the possibility, I covered the wire bundle with mesh, used (electrical grade) silicone around the hole, and will zip-tie the wire bundle to minimize movement. I wish there was more I could do, but I’m out of ideas. I may need to research this more…

This is where the wiring exits the stick tube, while I was routing the wires, and before using silicone and mesh. I have deburred and smoothed out the hole, but still feel that there’s a probability of this cutting into the wiring.

The inside of the stick grip before attaching to the stick tube

Control sticks

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Neal

Tonight I finished setting up the right hand control stick, by installing the stick grip. I still need to wire up the molex connector, but it’s great to see how it looks installed in the plane. The stick grip feels very comfortable, solid, and easy to manipulate.

The most time consuming part was cutting a slot in the control stick tube, and then drilling holes through the stick. However, the sleeve made for an easy guide and I was able to get it nicely finished. I primed the sleeve and then carefully routed the wiring down the tube and out the hole at the base of the stick tube. I had to enlarge the wiring hole with the step drill, then give it a slightly oblong shape to allow the wiring to pass through without difficulty. I used some mesh to serve as an anti-chaffing layer, and secured it with some shrink seal.

Front view of the right side stick. Note the wiring exiting the tube at the bottom.

Control sticks

Posted on July 13, 2023July 15, 2023 by Neal

I had been trying to decide what to do in terms of control sticks for the airplane, and finally decided to go with infinity stick grips. They offer a huge array of button options, but I decided to just get the standard configuration, without flaps.

The other option I was considering was Tosten sticks from Vans, which are ready-made and wired. I think the Infinity sticks look a bit better, and that was the deciding factor for me.

I might regret not getting flaps on the stick, but I feel more comfortable with the flap switch on the panel. The situation I was thinking about was a go-around. A last-minute go around involves applying a lot of nose-down trim, while also raising the flaps, and applying full power. I couldn’t imagine how my left thumb would be able to manage flaps and trim, simultaneously. Made more sense to me to have left hand doing pitch, and right hand doing power and flaps. Anyway, I can always make a change if I learn something that changes my mind.

So I started the work by stripping off powder coat on the top 2 inches of the stick, so the sleeve can fit over the stick tube. Then I drilled holes and cut a slot in the back of the stick tube. It is kinda tricky centering the holes, and I’m still working on final sizing the holes.