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THE FUSELAGE FLAP
CONTROLS
When I purchased this airplane kit, I decided that I wanted the electric flap actuation system. I ordered it as part of the original order. Come to think of it, I am not sure that manual flaps were an option for the RV 7. Anyway, this part of the kit has been waiting patiently for me to assemble it and on 11-7-2004, I finally got around to starting on it. When I started this, the fuselage was still inverted. The first 29 pictures below were taken while the fuselage was inverted.
The first thing that I did was to put the WD-613-EF actuator weldment in place. I had previously drilled the F-661-EF bearing blocks. I put them on the weldment and put the assembly in place. Something did not look right. There was no travel whatsoever. I double checked myself several times. I orientated the center bushing block bearing area per the plans (see arrow in upper right photo). After reading the RV 7/7A Yahoo group I realized what the problem was. The bearing area is not on the same side as the plans say it is. My first inclination was to order another weldment. After studying the weldment I figured that the bearing area was nothing more than part of the cross tube that was masked off when the assembly was powder coated. I decided that the easiest thing to do was to put the center bearing block on the opposite side floor panel from what the drawing calls out.
The first actual task that needs to be done (after you figure out which way the the weldment goes of course) is to drill the two mounting bolt holes in the F-680 center bearing block (above left). Then the bearing block gets sawed in half (abive right).
Next a notch gets put in the lower block to fit the forward cabin floor to baggage floor overlap. In the left photo I have the block clamped to the mini-mill bed and I am in the process of cutting the notch. The photo above right shows the completet notch (arrow).
In the photo above left I have installed the flap weldment upright with the bearing block to the right of center. At right is the bearing block bolted down. Two nutplates have to be installed beneath the floor so don't attach floor panels permanently yet. This photo also shows that the forward edge of the center baggage floor needs to be notched to go around the block.
The next four pictures are of parts that need to be fabricated. I have laid the raw material on the drawing. Above left is the F-766C plate that re-enforces the upper flap actuator attach bolt. Above right is the angle that will attach the rear of the flap actuator housing to the floor.
Above left is the raw material for the F-766B flap actuator angle. This unit will get attached to the rear flap actuator cover (P/N F-760) after it is manufactured. At right is the F-767 attach plate which I have already formed to the 151.8 degree angle specified on the drawing using the machinist protractor pictured. (151.8 degrees? No one can keep a tolerance of 1 degree much less .8) Drawing must have been constructed on an AutoCAD type program.
Fabricating, assembling and installing the flap actuator housing was one of the projects that I got so engrossed in that I forgot to take a lot of pictures. Above are two views of the assembly cleco'd in place. Actually it is straight forward assembly with few complications.
I match drilled the F-766B angle and the F-766C plate to the F-766A actuator channel. I clamped them together before drilling them on the mini-mill. See the two photos above.
After the bolt holes and rivet holes were drilled in the F-766 parts the F-766B needed some further trimming and shaping (above left). I then cleco'd all the parts together to make sure that theyfit and that the actuator was straight up and down. I also manufactured the F-766D spacer at this time (arrow in right photo above).
The left cover P/N F-760 needs a recess where the 1/4" actuator attach bolt goes through the F-766A channel. I cleco'd the cover to the inside of the channel and marked the hole with a felt tip (above left). I removed the cover and used a 1/4" washer for the pattern to make my cut.
I took a Dremmel tool with a miniature rotary file in it and cut to the line. Above right is the finished recess with a bolt in the hole for reference.
The next task was to countersink the rivet holes in the F-785B angle. The plans call out for button head rivets but I decided to install flush fasteners on everything in the cabin that I could. The counter sink with the stop attached went into the rivet holes with no problem because one side is cut away on it (photo above left). The screw holes however were too close to the vertical flange and the countersink stop could not be used. The mini-mill is equipped with a stop so I decided to remove the stop housing from the countersink tool and set up the stop on the mini-mill. The photo above right shows the stop on the mini-mill. The arrow points to the adjustment knob.
Above left is a photo of the countersink tool with the stop removed, countersinking the screw holes in the F-785B angle, using the stop on the mini-mill to prevent the countersink from going too deep. The photo at right shows the completed F-785B angle.
Above are two views of the fore and aft flap actuator housing channels after they were primed and riveted together. As I said, I did not take a lot of photos of the assembly process for some reason.
Above left is a photo of the interior parts including the flap actuator housing parts after they were painted with Whisper Grey Awl-Grip. The arrow in the photo at right is pointing to the flap actuator housing installed between the seat backs.
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