| BLEEDING BRAKE LINES Buy a small hand crank pump from your local radio control hobby shop, used to pump
fuel for the petrol engines. then buy pvc (we get them clear and normally at
the garden or hardware type shops). The clear pipes works well as one can see
what is going or not going on inside.
Next glue one pipe to the pump outlet ( high pressure
side) with quickset epoxy. The reason why
I use epoxy glue and properly clamped is that you do NOT want to get this fluid
squirting out under pressure while you pump. Make sure about that. I have played
in that movie before :-)
The other end of the pipe goes to a short piece of flared alu tube with
a size 4 AN fitting. Clamp the tube properly to the
piece of alu tube. You will also need a size 4 nipple (AN816 flared
tube to pipe thread). Completely undo the "bleed" fitting that is
on there now and put your AN nipple on there and then attach the
pipe.
Next
undo the breather cap on the fluid reservoir and also attach a nipple
and AN fitting with a short piece of flared tube on it and run another
piece of clear pvc hose into a container. This container can be hung
somewhere whre you can easily see it from both wheels, in line with the
reservoir and below the belly works well. Something like a 1 liter
clear plastic water bottle works well.
Now make sure that you have both brake pedals pulled back
and start pumping. Do one side first and when the fluid runs out of the
reservoir into the bottle, undo the fittings, put back and tighten the bleeder fitting and move
to the other side. Repeat procedure. When you see fluid running from the
reservoir again, you know the system is full and there will also be no air in
it. Take the reservoir pipe fitting off and when you undo the bottom one, let
some off the fluid "leak out" on purpose. This is to slightly lower the
reservoir level.
It should take you about 20 minutes to do both sides and
works very well.
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| GAP FAIRINGS Most RV's have a gap fairing each side of the tailcone, just below the HS. The plans call for quite a number of holes that one has to tap for screws to fit this. Not needed - just rivet the fairing on using LP4-3 rivets. |
| MAIN WHEEL SPAT ATTACH PLATES The spat attach plates on the main wheels, usually attach to the axle with 4 x AN3 bolts and Nylock nuts. I have seen a number of these locknuts get loose due to the heat build up in side the spats. It is a good idea to replace these lock nuts with metal lock nuts, number AN363-1032 (MS21045-3). |
| COWL HINGES. You might have seen reports of cowl hinges cracking, or rather the "eyes" cracking off. The reason for this is that the hinges are punched out and the inside corners are very sharp and therefore crack. Use a needle file and round the corners slightly. That will relief the stress and the hinge should never crack. CS. Another problem is that cowl hinges are subject to a lot of vibration. The plans call for tank sealant or resin to "glue" on you cowl hinges as well as riveting them. I find Sikaflex nice and easy to use and it also gives a very strong and slightly flexible bond. JH. |
| COWL HINGE RIVETS. I found that it is a good idea to apply one layer of thin glass, about 1 inch wide over your rivet lines. Then finish your cowls as usual. This will ensure that you will not have rivet heads showing. through the paint and gives a little bit of extra strength against the dreaded "smoking" rivets you sometimes see. Below is an example of what you do not want to see.  |
| ADEL CLAMPS Some times the plans call for two of these clamps to be fitted "back to back" and it can be really difficult to hold both in place and get the AN3 bolt fitted. Use locking wire to keep everything together and to pull it close. Insert the bolt and nut and cut off the locking wire later on. |
| D-Ribs. Very soon in your build you will encounter D-Ribs, for example on the FWD side of the HS main spar. An area often overlooked is the two FWD corners of the ribs - see circles in the picture below. Work these off quite aggressively and even bend the FWD ends of the flanges sligtly inward. This will ensure that you do not end up with those nasty little pips/buldges on the outside of the skin that one often see on finished RVs. JH.  |