Section 17 Outboard Leading Edge QBW

 RV14 Build July and August

Outboard Leading Edge

This section doesn't look like it should be much work, but I am making it way harder than it needs to be. Because I was sloppy and have had to redo work. 

The plans start with making cradles for the leading edge. I knew i was going to take the tanks off so I went ahead and made these.

I cut the cradles from the top lid of the shipping crate from vans, and use a length of 2x4 as a leg brace.

Fuel tanks off the wings and into the newly made cradles. Taking these tanks off was incredibly hard. The amount of force it took to remove the 50+ screws on each tank left a bruise in my hand and I still stripped a few and have to order replacements.

After the cradles the plans have you cut the slot for the stall warning. The skin has 2 small holes that you enlarge, then remove the material in the middle.

Stall warning opening.

Putting the stall warning assembly together was a little challenging as there are a lot of little bits of hardware.

Countersinking where needed.

Pictures of it all together before priming the metal.

After test fitting I had to bend the sensors tab to get the stall warning vain to have the correct orientation per the plans.

After priming, reassembly and install. This was actually several days later. I was missing a washer that went with the screws to mount into the nutplate.

Nice looking stall warning vain.

Next I started to work on the brackets for the access panel and the landing lights. I went off plans for the landing lights and went with the FlyLeds so this required some modification of the bracket that came in the landing light kit.

I didn't need to do and work on the mount brackets and landing light lense backing plates other than dimple and nutplates, so they all were primed in the large batch of parts I did in the beginning. I used a rustoleum flat black, this comes back to haunt me later.

Landing light lense backing plates

Since I have different landing light I needed to modify the mounting bracket, so I needed to know how big a hole I will need.

The mounting holes in the corner of the landing light kit are for the lights Vans recommends. You can see where I marked the holes to be drilled in red for the lights I have. Really glad the modification is relatively simple.

Match drilling the landing light holes into the brackets.

Then I primed and "topcoated" the landing light hole in the wings. This is where things went a little south. I used the wrong size squeeze dimpler, and when I re-squeezed the dimples the black started to crack and i noticed it was bubbled up in other areas. Bad surface prep.

First time using this tool, but the dimple looks good.

All Dimpled.

Now time to spray it black.

When I went to re-dimple the pant chipped and I noticed it was peeling in other places.

So out came the acetone, and i took it all back out.Clean bare metal, well prepped this time.

Re-primes with the SEM gray rattle can, I ordered Tempo Aircraft enamel black from Aircraft Spruce to try for the black this time.

For the time I moved on to the landing light lenses. First you trace the lenses and do a rough cut. Then you use the backing plates to measure and and do a final cut, debur the holes, chamfer the edges, pilot drill, use double sided tape to mount the backing plates, and final drill.

You can see some cracking on the edges, I was lucky and this was all removed in the final trimming.

The scothbrite wheel did a nice job of removing material.

Dremel router bit for getting close on the final cut then back to the scotch brite wheel.

Homemade plunger to help put pressure for the final drilling and screws.

Countersinking, start by hand get close with the cutter, finish by hand.

Chamfering the edges.

Hoving on to the access hatch. I decided I want to prep this for ER tanks in the future, so I need an access panel on both wings and only the left comes with one. I used the doubler and panel to make the template and cut the hole in the right wing. I ordered an additional doubler and panel.

Dimpling and adding nut plates.

Using the panel as a template.

I drew the X to try and find the middle of the corners and measures in .250" and drilled a pilot hole.

Opened the corners with the step drill to .5"

Then I used the nibbler to cut away the material.

Flipped the doubler and panel into the hole and used it as a template for the backing plate rivet holes.

Final hole, just needs to be dimpled.

Outboard Leading Edge QBW 28.5 Man Hours

QBW Sections 13,14,15,& 16

RV14 Build July and August

13, 14, 15, & 16 QBW

These sections are suppose to be complete when you get the wings.

Section 13 Done

Section 14

Technically Complete, but i found from other people that the amount of wiring going into the wings made the smaller Snap bushing not work.

Per the plans I opened the 2 vertical holes in the first 8 ribs in the left wing to the larger SB500-6.

I bought a .5"  step drill and 12" extension to get to all the holes.

I found this online giving guidance on wing wiring. I may open up the holes that I plan on running the Pito and AOA down to 5/8 for SB625-7 or 8. This will allow both tubes to run through the same snap bushings.

Section 15
I thought that this section was complete, but I found holes that need to be final drilled, although I used a reamer, and Countersunk.

Section 16
The top wing skins missed Countersinking the wing walk cover screw holes.

After countersinking the holes, I noticed the doubler under the skin to help with the wing walk support showed signs of cracking.

I called Vans, they said the wing walk doubler isn't structural for wing integrity, just there to help carry the weight of a person without denting the wing skins. Im hoping this cracks dont get worse, but for now they said not to worry about them.

This kit I tried to get all the metal that I thought I needed to drill, cut, shape done and prime all at one time. First I needed to remove the corrosion on the flanges and other random areas that came with the kit.

Normal prepping the metal for prime.

Getting ready to spray

 

All primed!

13-16QBW 10.5 Hours

Seven Star Landing Lights

RV14 Build July 4

Electrical

The kit looks a little random, but the plans are solid and its very simple to build took maybe an hour. Nice little side project.

Testing it out!

Electrical 1.5 Hours

Quick Build Wing

RV14 Build July 24

Quick Build Wing

Prep and Inventory

A few months delayed because of COVID but they are finally here! Once I knew they were coming I called Stein Air and ordered all the things I could think of that will go into the wings. So its been like Christmas around here!

Magnetometer

Outside air temp probe, this I have decided to install in the wing root area on the fuselage. Save the wiring in the wing so easier to install and les drag lol.

Heated Pito, Roll Servo, Pito and AOA lines

I also ordered and put together the Seven Star Landing lights from FlyLeds. 

Okay back to the fun news. Stewart Transport for great! I would use them again and again for any quick build where you don't want it crated and possible damaged.

Just my wings and 1 more QB14 Fuselage left to deliever.
The wings hang on the side of the truck, makes unloading way simple.

In a previous post I made the wing cradle, its almost perfect. the carpet loops are too long but thats and easy fix. The crate is all the wing parts and control surfaces.

Inventory and inspection time.

There isn't a ton of parts which is nice. But the inspection takes some time. Reading the plans step by step and making sure everything is done.Wing selfie.I did have a decent amount of surface corrosion on the wing skins and the flanges on the bottom of the ribs. I talked to Vans about it, no real apology or offer to "make it right" more just the Philippines is a humid environment as is the shipping crate. While I knew all this, I guess I assumed they would have caught it in there inspection before shipping to me?More CorrosionMy very official record of the missing inventory parts.

The inspection the 3 SB187-2 missing.

And I found these hole not countersunk, but that was all I could find....so far.

QBW Inventory and Inspection 7.5 Man Hours