| Author | Message | ||
     llacy |
Does anyone have a set of instructions for mounting the nose wheel pants.I have the instructions for the main wheel pants but nothing for the nose wheel. Some pictures might help llacy@netease.net | ||
| Jerry Sjostrand |
Hi Louie, The best instructions that I know of is to use those put out by Glasair for their fixed gear model. Ken Wheeler copied the Glasair gear and pant design. Their instructions are great. Hope you can find something locally. I have copies and can make additional and send to you if needed.I also can post some pictures or send them direct to you. Jerry Sjostrand | ||
| tom ware |
any one have proceedures for updating linkage from teflon style bearing to needle type? is it worth the effort? i would think so . my wings are still open. also any one with proceedures for installing speed brakes with the wings open? how about the new io540 cowls with round induction ports, anyone have one and are they happy with the design and workmenship?i have one of larrys first io540 cowls which he claims he will replace due to poor quality 2 years and still waiting. | ||
| Kevin Dennes (Kdennes) |
Has anyone had any experience with installing a fresh air blower to the overhead channel for the pilot and passengers? I have made and installed a fresh air channel and Larry suggested that they use a 2" NACA duct and SCAT hose but have not used the blower. I made my channel with a 2" flange to take the SCAT hose. It sits right behind bulkhead 162. Here in Australia we can get some very hot days in summer (a bit like Southern CA or Florida etc) and most aircraft have a blower system installed so that they can get forced cool air when taxiing etc. I have located a 3" bilge blower that I am sure that will do the job. A 2" one is not available. The 3" blower costs about US$30. I would use a 3" NACA duct and SCAT hose and then make a step-down flange for it to enter the overhead duct that I have made. I would be pleased if any of you experienced builders have any opinions on this for me please. | ||
| John Harlow (Jharlow) |
Kevin, I live in South Florida and have installed the upper duct w/out a blower. I considered it at first but choose to wait until I flew to see if it was required. Now that I have gone thru one summer with my plane flying I can say that I don't feel the need to add it. When I taxi and even go thru my run up I keep my door adjar and this supplies all the air I need. Once underway there is no need for aux help. I do have 2 vents coming out of the inst panel that are effective when the engine is running which helps during taxi also. My NACA scoop is installed on the Vert Stab and feeds the upper duct with 3 in scat tubing so I can adapt in a blower at any time in the future but for now I will not add the weight or power drain. BTW, where do you live in Australia? My wife and I be there in April on a tour and if we are close to your area I would like to stop in. John | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison (Tomhutch) |
When I closed out my vertical stab. The factory plan was to install a "cut out" vent along the leading edge with 2" duct to the overhead console. This is what they did on the factory demonstrator N511EX. Now I hear they are installing NACA ducts on the side of the vertical stab with ducting to the overhead console. I would like to go with the NACA duct instead of a leading edge cut-out. But with my vertical stab closed out, is it possible to install a NACA duct from the outside? Has anyone had experience with this procedure? Tom | ||
| jharlow |
Tom, That's how I did it. In fact I used the hole that I cut in the vertical for access to help with glassing some of the vertical bulkheads. I built a Auriga so it was a little different, but would be similar to what you have now. Also I built a plenum in the vertical and installed a alum tube in the front to attach the scat tube and lead this forward to bulkhead 162 where I again used an alum tube and formed a diffuser to the overhead panel I fabricated. After the plenum was glassed in I used the same technique as installing a wing access port to form a flange. The piece I removed for access was used to mount the NACA scoop and then this assy was mill fibered in place. I did put a drain in the bottom of the plenum. Am I as clear as mud? John | ||
| Kevin Dennes (Kdennes) |
John & Tom. Thank you for your info re the fresh air vents. I may just take your advice John and try the system without the blower. John, I am in Sydney at Bankstown Airport (the busiest in the Southern Hemisphere) and I would be delighted to see you. I met up with Mal Parmerlee in March last year here in Sydney. If you can manage a night off some time if you are in our town, we should get our feet under the table of a nice restaurant and chew the fat a bit. Regards. Kevin | ||
| Reinhard Metz |
Concerning fresh air: I didn't like the idea of cutting any extra holes for fresh air, either inlet or outlet, so I have a pair of ducts that pick up air in the top front of the cowl, which provides ram pressure (adapted from an approach I learned from Ed Bernard). From there, the air is routed through rectangular, flat ducts along the top of the cowl, then through the firewall into a distribution that sends it to panel vents and rear vents, via ducts along the sides of the fuselage. The passage through the firewall includes a pair of stainless steel butterfly valves for shut-off in case of an engine fire. These are also usefull for regulating the total airfow into the cabin from one place, regardless of the positions of individual vents. The transition from cowl to firewall is via a pair of mating slightly funnel-shaped pieces, so that the cowl can be removed and installed without futzing with hoses. I have no special outlets - air leaves via the various holes, most likely aileron and flap tube exits. I get an incredible amount of flow, good even on the ground due to the prop, which wouldn't be the case with NACA ducts. I have been extremely happy with this approach, and the only difficulty with it is the effort to make the mating connector for the cowl to firewall feed-through tubes. If anyone is interested, I can provide pictures. Reinhard Metz | ||
| Kevin Dennes (Kdennes) |
Reinhard. I would be most grateful for any pictures, drawings or instructions that would help me in building our aircraft fresh air system. regards. Kevin | ||
| Mark Rich |
Same here, I've been contemplating side channels with NACA ducts in the channels. Thanks Mark | ||
| Sven-Ake Eriksson (Sven) |
Reinhard Seems like a lot(at least 3) of people are interested. Me too. Sven Eriksson | ||
| LOUIE LACY (Llacy) |
Mark If you decide to use side channel duct with a NACA duct on the side of the fuselage I suggest getting one that will close really makes a difference in the winter Lou Lacy | ||
| LOUIE LACY (Llacy) |
Has anyone had a problem with static electricity build up. I was in some light rain yesterday and could feel just a little discharge when I touched anything metal Lou Lacy | ||
| John Harlow (Jharlow) |
I have only been in one rain storm and don't remember any problem but then I may not have touched anything metal. What metal did you come in contact with? Dash, throttle, or metal shaft of stick? Very interested in this subject since I live in So Fl and rain is a fact of life | ||
| James Butler |
I have flown in fairly heavy mist, rain and snow with no static electricity problems at all. | ||
| Tom Hutchison (Admin) |
I have reposted Reinhard Metz's message with his images. I suspect the problem with the image upload he experienced was because all JPEG format images must have a " .jpeg " file extension on the file instead of just " .jpg ". An anoying quirk in the Discus software. Folks, Here are the pictures of my ventilation system. The first is the inside of the upper cowl, showing the ducts along the top.  Second is a close-up of the intake area of one duct, next a close-up of the funnel transition piece at the back end of the duct:   Next, the tubes that feed through the firewall, with the butterfly shut-offs visible, the mating funnel pieces, and a close-up. (The funnel pieces are molded over styrofoam coffee cups)    The last two are pictures of the rear seat area outlets, which terminate the ducts along the sides to the back, and also include the headphone jacks. These, insidentally, require an internal cover, a flap of silicone rubber sealed leather in my case, to keep air from comming out through them.   On the subject of static, I also have flown in heavy and light rain with no problems, but that can be very conditional. I know Jim Warner once had a huge spark jump from a cowl flap cable mounting bracket to his knee, but it was a "floating" subset of metal. I have every last piece of metal in the plane tied together, in a grounding sense. Reinhard Metz | ||
| Jeff Dingbaum (Aviators) |
Is there anyone out there that has installed the Vision Microsystem fuel probes? The kit that I purchased has 4 of them and I am looking for feedback from people that have installed them in the dual tank configuration. Did you make an access panel and slide them in after closeout? Thanks for any input, Jeff Dingbaum | ||
| tom ware |
jeff i have installed them in a dual tank setup outboard can be removed by removing the wing tip inboard thru access panel added to lower skin i have not closed my wings yet and can send pics if you need them. tom ware ace595@aol.com 973-835-1099 evenings and weekends | ||
| Jim Lewis |
I have run out DERAKANE 411-45 and replaced it with the 411-35 ( The new and improved resin ) and with a small test project noticed the following: 1. the color and clearity is great - (means nothing) 2. I flows better ( means nothing ) 3. Air entrapment is less ( mean something but not much ) 4. It's consistancy is more like taking the 411-45 and adding thinner so that instead of "Karo" syrup its more like the thinner "Log Cabin". The only down side which I noticed was that it seemed not to be willing to hold the glass to the surface of the part IF the glass must conform to a compound surface like the "OLD UNIMPROVED" resin. This is my "nickle's" worth. ( that's about all it's worth anyway) JIM | ||
| LOUIE LACY (Llacy) |
As I was coming home yesterday with a 40 knot headwind I thought this would be a good place to talk about the Express. I know a lot of people log on who haven't finished their airplanes and maybe somtimes need some encouragement ( I know I did at times). This airplane is a great cross country machine. If I had been in a Cessna 172 I still wouldn't be home. If you need to go up 1000 ft all you do is pull back and climb at 1500fpm. There aren't any airplanes that don't cost $300,000 out there that will do any of this. LOU | ||
| Kevin Dennes (Kdennes) |
I am waiting on parts to finish the rudder control assy. I note from photographs received from the factory that sound dampening insulation is installed on the aft side of the firewall. Could someone advise me of the specifications of such material and tell me how it is installed please. Regards. Kevin Dennes (from "Downunder") | ||
| Brian McKinney (Bmckinney) |
The attached picture is hardware I have for the rudder & elevator (Auriga version). From what I can tell, the EDI & EAC version is not like this, so only the Auriga builders may have some info for me. For the items shown in the picture, I'd like to know how the hinges were installed. Item #1 is used in three places on each side of the elevator (6 total) & three places on the rudder. Item #3 is for the elevator (3 on each side again), and Item #4 (3 pairs)is used on the rudder.  Now the question. The flat plates pictured are obviously used for backing on the bolts. From the number of plates I have, am I right in assuming that 2 of the smaller plates(#2) are used for each of items #1 & #3, and then #5 is used for #4? If so, are the smaller plates installed on the shear webs on each side of the rib to handle each bolt? Here's a quick diagram of what I am thinking...  I have documentation for EDI's version of the Series 90, but the hinges appear to be a different style. Thanks! | ||
| John Harlow (Jharlow) |
Brian, I'm a Auriga builder and yes the plates are back up for the nuts. I would suggest that you rivet sliding nut plates on so that you can remove the bolts. As I remember you will need to glass the spar area between the skins after closing and I then used modeling clay in the bolt holes to keep the resin out and once the glass was cured I then drilled out for the bolts. I did not install my hinges final until after painting. By using the sliding nut plates you also have limited adjustment for alignment of hinges at final assembly. Also note that with three hinges that the alignment is critical because the uniball brg is worthless when more than 2 are used. For this I had a 1/4 SS rod centerless ground down so it would slide thru the hinge area. As long as I could rotate the shaft easly with my fingers with it going thru all three hinges I felt I had the best alignment I could obtain. | ||
| Brian McKinney (Bmckinney) |
Hello Express Builders, I am finally in the process of building my Express (although not too quickly) and I have started an informational website on my progress. (http://www.ics-mn.com/express-project/) I will be updating it frequently with pictures & details as I progress. I am also putting whatever other information I can find about the Express. I already have various pictures of other completed kits that I have taken at the airshows or clipped off other websites. I'd like to ask all of the builders (and flyers) out there to send me pictures of their kit whether completed or in progress along with a bit of information on the building "experience". Send the pictures and info through email if possible, or in the mail so I can scan them in. I think it would be nice for other builders and future builders to have as much Express information at their fingertips as possible. I've learned so much about the kit from the websites Tom H. & Jerry S. have put together and I like to provide additonal information for others. Thanks! Brian McKinney bmckinney@ics-mn.com | ||
| Ali Moghaddas (Ali) |
FYI: This paragraph details the problem I had with my elevator counter weight. I purchased an Express project(with 2000 tail conversion) from Mike AuClair in April. I hauled the project from Arizona back to Los Angeles. When I was unloading the elevators, I noticed that the counter weight in one of the elevators has come loose, and it was moving quite a bit in the cavity. I found out the counter weight is the diver's lead weight type. I removed a portion of the inboard/ edge rib in the forward area, removed the loosen block weight. Then I used a flexible curve(a type of French cure for those who are familiar with drafting tools), duplicated the curvature of the cavity, made a rib with 3/8" blue foam, covered with BID on both side. After the rib was dried, I place the rib as a dam in the cavity, added BID in all 4 corners, waited for about two hours to get the epoxy cured, mixed lead shots (the type used in shot guns, mixed with epoxy & mill fiber(measured the weight), poured into the cavity, & let it cure for a couple of days. I am planning to use the spray type urethane foam in the unfilled area of the cavity, enclose the inboard(edge) rib, and add two layers of BID on the edge rib. As suggested by Larry Olsen, I am planning to paint the elevator, the balance the elevator by removing the excess lead by drilling into the lead through the edge rib. | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison (Tomhutch) |
The following is an e-mail from Bill Copeland. Just in case you missed his mass e-mail announcement. BTW if you are a member of AOPA you undoubtably received the annual offer of Christmas cards from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Take a close look at the sample card called "Santa's Helpers". It's a dead ringer for an Express CT. Tom ------------------------------- Hi all: If you do not subscribe to Custom Planes Magazine, make plans to get a copy of the November issue at your local news stand. If you do subscribe, or if you get your copy from your newsstand, check out page 28, I think you will enjoy what you find there. Now we're having fun!!! Thanks to all the entire EXPRESS "family" for making this possible. Bill C |