QBW Wing Section 21 & 22

 

RV14 Build August

QBW Aileron and Flaps

These 2 sections 21 and 22 are suppose to be complete in the quickbuild and I think this is where the money for the quickbuild really pays off. Lots of parts and lots of work by the look of it. I found 1 hole in the flap that wan't drilled.

I drilled out this last rib, I did hit the nutplate on the other rib so I hope that doesn't cause issues in the future.

Then on the same bracket, the metal was bent in and I couldn't get the rod bearing end in. Little bending back with a plastic scraper and that solved that.

Last this was to install the flap bushing in the wings.

Simple enough to install, but getting them to the right setting was a little tricky.

Section 21 & 22 Aileron and Flaps 1.0 Hours

Section 56 Garmin Autopilot Roll Servo

 RV14 Build August

Garmin AutoPilot Servos

This was one of the few things that I thought would go relatively easy and did!

First I mounted it up and noticed I didn't like the way the wires came in so I flipped the molex which required making the mounting bracket a little larger.

Then I had to make the pushrod.

A few attempts to install the hardware correctly and done.

Section 56 Garmin Autopilot Roll Servo 6.5 Hours

Section 19 Wing Systems Routing

RV14 Build August

Wing Systems Routing

I thought going into this section that it would be relatively straight forward, but I found a way to make it harder lol. First by wanting a Regulated GAP26 that required me to add some wires it also required 2 air lines. All this extra made for the snap bushings in the ribs to be WAY too small.

First I ordered a bunch of stuff from Stein to install in the wing before I closed it out. 

Regulated GAP26

Magnetometer

GTP-59. My plan at this point was to install this in the wing walk area on the fuselage, but turns out Vans has a hole in the left wing for it already so I need to make room in the snap bushings for this as well.

Starting the wiring process

Even with the stock wire bundles it became clear that the smallest size snap bushing the instructions call for was inadequet so I borrowed an idea from other peoples blogs and got a .5" step bit to open them up. This worked okay but I found a Vans article saying you can open tooling holes up to 5/8" and drill others to 3/4", going a little bigger would have been useful.

After I installed the new snap bushings I bought from Heyco and pulled the extra wires I needed I realized that I wanted to terminate my new wires into the same Molex connector if possible, but that means I needed to change this to a 12 pin.

New Wiring layout.

Got the dremel out an cut the bracket to size.

Since I was at it, I didn't like the way the Molex connector for the Autopilot servo Roll trim mounted so I moved that too. It gives it more clearance from the skin for the wires to bend down and make the turn.

This is what the molex would have looked like and the space the wires had to make the turn.

This is after, a lot more room hopefully less trouble with potential chafing.

Trimming the bracket.

Next I needed to clean up the wires, they all were a few inches too long so I trimmed and repinned where necessary.

I added heat shrink labels to the wing tip end of the wires...IDK thought it might be helpful in the future.

The nav and landing lights share ground and you have to splice these together. 

I used a solder sleeve to add the nav light ground into the landing light ground wire.

Connecting the GAP26 wires to the wires I added. I did twist the power and ground, but I was told its not necessary. 

Next thing left to do that I didn't get a good picture of was wire protection. I used a split braided wire wrap to protect the wire between grommets where it ran next to the spar, bolt heads, and rivets.

I used a spiral wrap for the wires going to the stall warning and the power ground wires a ran for a future ER Fuel Tank pump.

Finally all the wires are in and terminated.

Not enough room in a single snap bushing for both pito/aoa lines to a ran them down 2 seperate.

Wing Systems Routing 22 Man Hours

Section 18 Fuel Tanks

RV14 Build July and August

Fuel Tanks

I decided I may want to install ER tanks in the future so I am putting "Fuel Bung" kits from Hotel Whiskey in the tanks now so that if I do get ER tanks in the future the infrastructure will be installed already.

I struggled more than I should have in drawing out the rivet holes on the bung kit, thanks to Matt for recommending the protractor.

We used a flexible hose connected to the shop vac, and my iphone endoscope to get it in the correct location while we drilled.
Close up of the set up

View from the endoscope.

Final drilled and marked to install in the correct location.

Next I went on to work on the fuel float sensor. Checking the sensor with the Ohms meter.

Then I bent of the float wire. I broke 1 so this picture below is me trying to fabricate one from a steel rod that I bought. The rod was too soft so I ended up buying a new sensor since I couldn't find the part.

Simply screw the float sensor in and check the float.

I used the endoscope again to see how the float sits in the tank. Lots of tweaking to get the float to the correct orientation.

Against the top skin "Full" position.

Against the bottom skin "Empty" position.

Backed out view of the empty posistion.

Now that the fuel senders are in time to pressure test. First tank I had trouble right away with this plug. I tried 3 different thread sealants and could not get it to test well. After looking at it closer it would appear that the leak is coming from between the skin on the tank and the flange not the threads.

I used my endoscope to see inside and it does look a little light on sealant on the one side.

This is the plug location in question, I can't find a place that it ever gets used so I have no idea why Vans put it in?

Left the other tank overnight and still holding strong.

Used soapy water to check for leaks.

Sending the bad tank back to vans to repair.

Its nice that Vans stands by these and will do the repair, kind of a bummer that it needs done in the first place.

Fuel Tanks 24.5 Man Hours