Fuselage - Cabin

2006-09-16 - Forward covers. (6.0 Hrs).

Cut a little foam, just to get an idea of how the seats felt. Then, I worked on the forward covers, which cover the fuel lines from the spar to the firewall.

I cut some foam from a used foam bed cover, just to get an idea of how the seats might feel. The foam feels pretty good, but I think I need a little heavier foam for the bottom. I was going to sew a test cover, but the sewing room is not in order right now. I moved on to the next step in the manual.

I was looking at Dan C's website a few days ago, and read about problems routing the rudder cables through the snap bushings in the AFT side baggage panel. After checking my cables this morning, I am happy to report that this was not a problem. One end of the cable is small enough to fit through the snap bushings. Either Van has specified larger snap bushings, changed the rudder cables, or Dan pushed the wrong end of the cable through the holes.

I spent a half-hour hunting down the parts and getting ready for the next step. These parts have been collecting dust for awhile, so they needed a little cleaning up before working with them.

Used cleco clamps to clamp F-982D to F-782C, so we can match drill the parts.

Drilled F-982D to F-782C.

Getting ready to rivet F-982D to F-782C. Unless you have a very long squeezer, this hole needs to be dimpled with the C-frame.

F-982D riveted to the F-782C center cover, and nutplates installed for the F-982E access plate.

Screwed-on the F-982E access plate, just to make sure everything fits, and to ream out the nutplates a little.

Bending out one of the heating vent tabs on F-782C. Not sure how much to bend these out. 45° looks about right. These took forever to deburr before bending.

All of the heat vent tabs bent out on F-782C. BTW, Van says to use your fingers to bend the tabs out. After I was done, I figured out that it works better if you push the tab out with your fingers, just a little, then use the hand seamer to get a nice straight bend. I was able to clean-up the wavy tabs with the hand seamer afterwards.

Van says to insert F-782C between the floor angles and make sure that you do not push F-782C down too far, otherwise the angle inside radius will cause F-782c to bend inward. Seems like the best way to insure that F-782C fits right is to use a piece of scrap angle to mark the side of F-782C so it is pressed down to the right depth.

9/16" looks about right. Now, don't push F-782C past the line.

F-782C is in place.

F-983A valve plate, initial deburr, and two nutplates installed.

The next step is to put everything together. Unfortunately, you really need these two nutplates in order to pull F-983C up agains F-782C. So, I removed everything, and installed the nutplates.

Everything in place. Line on F-782C matches the top of the center angles--drill it.

FWD hole is 3 3/4" back from the bend in F-782C. Drill to #40 first, then come back and drill to #19. The white mesh is a plastic grid from my wife's old needle work stuff. I use it to protect the floor when I use the angle drill. I've had a problem in the past with some scratches, and this solves the problems.

After drilling those holes, we need to install nutplates for them.

	I cut some foam from a used foam bed cover, just to get an idea of how the seats might feel. The foam feels pretty good, but I think I need a little heavier foam for the bottom. I was going to sew a test cover, but the sewing room is not in order right now. I moved on to the next step in the manual.
	I was looking at Dan C's website a few days ago, and read about problems routing the rudder cables through the snap bushings in the AFT side baggage panel. After checking my cables this morning, I am happy to report that this was not a problem. One end of the cable is small enough to fit through the snap bushings. Either Van has specified larger snap bushings, changed the rudder cables, or Dan pushed the wrong end of the cable through the holes.
	I spent a half-hour hunting down the parts and getting ready for the next step. These parts have been collecting dust for awhile, so they needed a little cleaning up before working with them.
	Used cleco clamps to clamp F-982D to F-782C, so we can match drill the parts.
	Drilled F-982D to F-782C.
	Getting ready to rivet F-982D to F-782C. Unless you have a very long squeezer, this hole needs to be dimpled with the C-frame.
	F-982D riveted to the F-782C center cover, and nutplates installed for the F-982E access plate.
	Screwed-on the F-982E access plate, just to make sure everything fits, and to ream out the nutplates a little.
	Bending out one of the heating vent tabs on F-782C. Not sure how much to bend these out. 45° looks about right. These took forever to deburr before bending.
	All of the heat vent tabs bent out on F-782C. BTW, Van says to use your fingers to bend the tabs out. After I was done, I figured out that it works better if you push the tab out with your fingers, just a little, then use the hand seamer to get a nice straight bend. I was able to clean-up the wavy tabs with the hand seamer afterwards.
	Van says to insert F-782C between the floor angles and make sure that you do not push F-782C down too far, otherwise the angle inside radius will cause F-782c to bend inward. Seems like the best way to insure that F-782C fits right is to use a piece of scrap angle to mark the side of F-782C so it is pressed down to the right depth.
	9/16" looks about right. Now, don't push F-782C past the line.
	F-782C is in place.
	F-983A valve plate, initial deburr, and two nutplates installed.
	The next step is to put everything together. Unfortunately, you really need these two nutplates in order to pull F-983C up agains F-782C. So, I removed everything, and installed the nutplates.
	Everything in place. Line on F-782C matches the top of the center angles--drill it.
	FWD hole is 3 3/4" back from the bend in F-782C. Drill to #40 first, then come back and drill to #19. The white mesh is a plastic grid from my wife's old needle work stuff. I use it to protect the floor when I use the angle drill. I've had a problem in the past with some scratches, and this solves the problems.
	After drilling those holes, we need to install nutplates for them.