aviator79's build

[aviator79]

I'm managing to keep moving forward as parts and supplies trickle in. Also battling a bout of strep and some long days at work. More wires are appearing here and there. I installed grips to the control sticks. I also started trimming the cowls. I think I have got the front to where I am satisfied. Final filling, sanding and trimming will be done after they are fit to the boot cowl and each other.

[Clark in AZ]

Things are really moving along for you Brian. Good job! What grips did you go with?


Thanks,
Clark

[aviator79]

Ray Allen G405. I considered Tosten grips, but didn't like any of the button arrangements. I don't think the hat switch makes much sense if you don't have aileron trim.

[efwd]

Looking great Brian. Other than the PTT switch, what else have you wired into that? I was so overcome with anxiety about the wiring that I figured I only wanted the PTT. Now, I think twice.

[Clark in AZ]

Ray Allen G405. I considered Tosten grips

Funny, those are on my list too. I have also been waffling on the hat switch. What are your switch assignments?


Thanks,
Clark

[aviator79]

The trigger will be ptt. There are four thumb buttons. The top and bottom will be nose down and up pitch trim. The left will be autopilot disconnect. I haven't really decided on the right. Maybe active/standby toggle for the radio? I'm open to suggestions, actually.

[Clark in AZ]

I was thinking similarly. I like the radio active/stby toggle.


Other ideas: map zoom, screen toggle between pages, transponder ident, landing lights on/off, camera record on/off.


Not sure if all of those could be done?


Clark

[aviator79]

I like the screen toggle between pages, and had the same thought, but I don't think there's a way to do it with the Dynon HDX I'm installing. Maybe other EFIS systems support this? I can't really think of a 5th function that I consider all that important, but that button needs to do SOMETHING, so it will probably be the active/standby toggle.

[jmodguy]

I have the Ray Allen G207. Up and down are trim, L is stored freq step, R is freq select, upper L is transponder ident, upper R is AP disconnect, and trigger is transmit.
A hat switch would add another switch. They typically have 5 switches, up, dn, L, R, and center

[aviator79]

I have my cowls mostly fit up. A few lessons learned:

-I was able to borrow a tool from another forum member that is really helpful in setting the prop flange spacing, and for ensuring that the circular front of the cowl is concentric with the prop flange. It's an 11.2" diameter aluminum plate with spacers on the back that would be specific to your prop selection. This assembly has at least four bolt holes of the prop flange pattern drilled into it. You bolt this to the prop flange, and cleco the lower cowl to it. This supports the cowl very securely up front, and positions the front of the cowl dead nuts. Getting the cowls fit and trimmed kind of feels like eating a soup sandwich, and I'm glad I wasn't doing it using only strapping tape to keep the front of the cowl in place.

-When drilling the holes at the boot cowl/firewall flange, check the hole locations to make sure they don't align with flutes in the firewall before drilling, and move them if necessary. Also, I had to move the most foreward holes at the upper/lower joint back to make sure they went through the flange on the lower cowl.

-I'm a little concerned that the camlocks on the firewall/cowl flange won't be perfectly square, making it hard to engage those. Has anyone had difficulty with that, or have any tips for installing the camlocks to ensure smooth removal and installation? I loathe changing the oil on our club cardinal just because the cowls are such a pain to get on and off. I'm hoping to have a painless process on my plane.

Initial fitup of the front. It won't be perfect after it's on the airplane because at this point the cowl is slightly deformed by the flanges you haven't cut yet. That's why god gave us Super Fil.




With the tool in place, you can mark the cowls, remove, trim and repeat, using strapping tape to try to hold the soup sandwich together. I did the joint between the back of the bottom cowl and the boot cowl first, and then fit the top to the bottom. A lot of iteration to get it all dialed in.






Everything clecoed in place. The clecos hold everything tighter than strapping tape, so I need to take a bit more off the edges of the top cowl to get it to fit in the joggle of the bottom and to leave some margin for paint thickness. Then I'll smear some Super Fil in various places and do some final sanding and trimming.