Avionics Panel- Inventory and starting on the sub panel.

RV14 Build February

Avionics Panel

This section takes a LONG time since there isn't plans you have to figure it out and execute all on your own.

Ive been waiting on the FWF kit but lucky the panel came a few weeks early!

It's like Christmas morning!

How the panel comes packed, some stuff attached to the harness others not.

Big ball of wires.

Couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I have the V speeds on the right and 1 of those didn't print well and Stein shipped the panel back reworked it and had it back to me in 3 days!

All the other components

After I did the inventory and while I was waiting on the panel to ship out and return I started in on the antenna cables. Really this was just mostly running them through the airframe. I had stein terminate the end at the antenna and leave the other end for me to cut to fit and terminate.

I forgot how tight the turn is from the center tunnel to the com antenna under the control sticks.

After some doing I was able to get both comm antennas run.

Next I moved on to the remote Comm and GDL51 flip down tray. Since I had previously decided to go with Skybolt for the cowling I had the cowling hinges laying around that I repurposed.

Then I mocked up a tray using some angle and sheet of .032.

Then I drilled all the rivet/mounting holes, primed and riveted.

Drilling the mount for the flip down tray.

Assembled tray with the GDL on top and the remote com on bottom.

Gad27 and GEA 24 moch up to find the location I want.

Next I started to locate and drill the nutplates on the subpanel for all the other units.

After I mounted the first 2 boxes I remembered the canopy might extend down and cause interference so I sent and measured.

Sure enough I mounted the GAD 27 too high.

Re-drilled the nutplate holes.

Installed nutplates.

To make sure the BBS would clear the canopy I lowered it down the sub panel and had to trim the support flange for the map box since Im not using it anyway.

There wasn't a tone of wiggle room to get the nutplates for the IBBS into the mapbox doubler but it did just fit, lucky accident to have the doubler for the heavier battery.

Flip down tray testing and sub panel mounted!

Finally riveted on the panel frame from back in section 35. Ill take the .5 hour work in the total on this section though

Avionics Panel 25.5 Hrs

Section OP38 Electric Aieron Trim

RV14 Build August

Electric Aileron Trim

Installing the trim was relatively straight forward. First I cut the wing wires to length and re pinned.

After it was pinned I used lacing tape to clean it up.

Then I built the trim motor mount.

Installed the trim motor.

I used a "custom" 12V battery back I made to run the motor to get the arm at 90 degrees. I also previously had bent the arm so that it will hold steel springs off the push rod to help with chafing.

Next I marked on the pushrod the location of the cneter of the arm, then removed the pushrod for drilling.

I drilled and installed the mounts for the spring.

After installing the pushrod I installed the springs on to the trim motor. This is kind of a pain in the ass.

Section OP38 Electric Aileron Trim 6.5 Hours

43 Engine Installation: Engine Delivery, AntiSplat Moch up

 RV14 Build January

Engine Installation

WHOA!!! The engine is here!! But not the FWF so thats all I can do is be excited lol.

Can't wait to be able to work on this. I need to do all the baffling, install the fuel and oil lines and fitting, remove the impulse mag and install the PMAG, install the upright oil filter adaptor, and the oil/air separator. Lots of things basically.

Working on a double for the air/oil separator. Not sure if im going to install this on the firewall or on the engine mount with adel clamps. Need the engine on the hoist to look at it and decide.

For now I made a rivet pattern for a doubler, something to do while I wait.

Section 43 Engine Installation 1.0 Hours

OP62: New IO-390-EXP199 Mods: Changing the fuselage parts

RV14 Build January

Exp119 Mods

I wish I knew some of this before, but here we are. First change is to change the cowling attach plates. Now that the exhaust exits near the sides and not out the center channel the plates are too long and might cause interference.

First one drilled out and nut plates removed, cut to size and deburred. The black was rattle can paint that I removed and primed the parts with AKZO.

Somehow I managed to cut the wrong side off one of the plates and had to fabricate a new one. This was actually kind of fun rather than waiting on Vans to ship a new part out.

Re-installing these is a little tricky under the engine mount. There isn't enough clearance to use the squeezer so I had to use the rivet gun and bucking bar. Definitely a tight spot.

Getting ready to rivet.

Got it all installed, Time for the other side. I was able to use the squeezer for the nutplates. I put them on last so the wouldn't interfere with the bucking bar.

Next the plans have you "not rivet" these areas, but since the build is well past this point I had to drill these out. I'm waiting on the FWF kit to make sure the holes in the "cowl flap" metal parts line up before I drill these holes out larger for nut plates. Riveting the most aft nutplate on is going to be hard with all the control pushrods in place already.

Marking the rivets that need drilled out.

This is a step that's in the current plans, kind of annoying that its not called up in the normal build. For some reason the right hot air vent gets a cap install on the front and you have to remove the forward pop rivets to rivet it on, as well as sealing it with RTV.

Section OP62 New IO-390-EXP119 Mods 3.5 Hours

Section 40B: Landing Gear, Aircraft Specialty Brake Gear Lines

 RV14 Build January

Landing Gear and Engine Mount

After getting lost in the forums I wanted to go with MIL-PRF-83282 brake fluid for its higher temperature rating. So I ordered some Royco 782.

But this still left me with a weak point in the system. The O ring in the Grove calipers, so I upgraded these to M83248/1-222 O rings, surprising hard to find size.

Then I got after installing the aircraft specialty gear leg brake lines. First was to change out the AN fitting on the firewall for an AN3. I really wish I would have done this before the engine mount was one, because it was a tight spot to turn a wrench.

I didn't realize the fittings from the Vans kit were a larger size.

Next I started to route the brake lines. I was a little worried about chafing, even though the braided line is inside a clear tube, I still wrapped some rescue tape around the are near the bottom of the engine mount.

I also still followed the Vans plans and cut some tubing and installed it over the brake line and secured these areas to the gear legs with friction tape.

Friction tape on and the line wrapped around the axle. 

I am a little worried about the vibration and having the hoce chafe on the wheel fairings, I'll have to look into a grommet or sorts of this area. The line does get a little close to the mount bolts for the axle  so I think I'll add a piece of the plastic hose in that area and secure it with friction tape as well.

I figured changing the brake fluid might not happen that often but I might have to bleed them for various reason so I splurged and bought the ATS brake bleeder. It took a little getting use to getting the coupling on and off, but I think it's probably the best way to do the job.

Eventually I got smart and added a line from the reservoir to a catch cup so I wouldn't make a mess.

I did have small air bubble just magically appear over the next few days, so I kept bleeding the system to get them out.

Finally I think I have all the air out of the lines.

The fluid isn't suppose to be stored in the ATS tool so i poured it through a paint filter and into this cup. When I get air bubbles i pour it through a paint filter again back into the ATS bleeder and repeat.

Section 40B Landing Gear 5.0 Hours