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super58d
Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 52
Location: Savannah, GA
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 Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:25 pm Post subject: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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I was browsing through "The SportPlane Builder" the other day, and ran across the section on access panels. Tony Bingelis makes some good points about the need to have access panels planned into the build. Almost on a "more is better" theory. Do any of you who have completed (or are almost complete) your -640 have any suggestions on where extra panels, that aren't already part of the plans, should be? I'm just starting the wings, and would like to plan these panels in now, before it gets too late. Had I thought of it, I would have placed one on the rudder near where the taillight is, so I could get behind the light mount to the wire bundle without having to pull it way out of the light hole. Any suggestions for any part of the plane would be great so I can start thinking about it now. Thanks.
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Mark
s/n 094
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Scott Stewart
Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 30
Location: Windsor, California
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:09 am Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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Hi Mark,
It's great that you are asking this question as you start the wings. Unfortunately, the plans do a poor job of suggesting appropriate access points for inspecting the fuel system in the wings. So think carefully about how you will access the junction between the fuel tanks and the fuel lines. You will need to periodically (every couple of years) drain the fuel tanks and remove the finger strainers at the tank outlet to make sure they are clean. And if you have resistive fuel senders, you will need to periodically remove and inspect them. This is why you use screws on these items instead of rivets.
The plans just show that you install the fuel tank and wrap the leading edge skin around it. No access holes, no inspection holes. Page 3 of the wing assembly IPL simply states "a small 4x4 inch access cover may be installed on the bottom skin, inboard of nose rib #4, for easy inspection of the fuel finger screen". It should say "nose rib #5", not 4, and 4x4 is too small to get access to the fuel sender. So think through what you will need to get access to and why, and what will be in the way inside the wing (fuel line, wires).
My technical counselor made a good point when I started to attach the leading edge skins to the nose ribs. He said there are two types of fuel tanks -- those that have leaked and those that will. A fuel system may be solid for 15-20 years or more, but eventually the tank sealant breaks down and the fuel tank needs to be refurbished. He has built seven planes on his own and restored several others, so I trust his experience. He thought that drilling out all of the leading edge skin rivets to be able to remove the fuel tank was just asking for trouble. He suggested that I break the inboard leading edge skin into two pieces, one that spans from nose rib 1 to 5, and another that covers the fuel tank between ribs 5 and 7. Then, install anchor nuts in nose ribs 5 and 7, install the far inboard and outboard nose skins as called out in the plans, and install the skin over the fuel tank with #10 screws. This way, the skin can be opened at each annual condition check, and the fuel tank, hose, and fittings can all be checked.
I can discuss the details of what I did if you are interested.
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Scott Stewart
CH-640 built from plans
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super58d
Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 52
Location: Savannah, GA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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Hey Scott,
Thanks for the good info in the reply. I'd love any info or suggestions you have to offer. Tony Bingelis did say that he'd make the fuel tank totally accessible as well. Any suggestions or pics on how you did it (if you did) would be greatly appreciated. Also, how did you find a technical counselor? I live in Savannah GA, and don't think we have an EAA chapter near us. I'll give you my e-mail if you'd rather send the suggestions that way.
Mark
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Mark
s/n 094
My Build Site:
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JohnDRead(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:53 pm Post subject: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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Macsmachine had a really good design for inspection panels. I am planning on putting them everywhere that I will need to check a bolt/fuel filter/level sender or strobe driver. On my 701 I have two at each wing root, one where the strut anchors attach, one out near the wing tip so I can get to the strobe driver and one near the tail so I can get to the elevator tension adjustment. I may replace this one with a large access cover incase I end up putting the battery out there for balance purposes.
Regards, John
CH701 - Colorado - Jabiru 3300
Cell: 719-494-4567
Home: 303-648-3261
In a message dated 4/26/2010 5:31:34 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, smarkburrows(at)gmail.com writes:
| Quote: | --> Zenith640-List message posted by: "super58d" <smarkburrows(at)gmail.com>
Hey Scott,
Thanks for the good info in the reply. I'd love any info or suggestions you have to offer. Tony Bingelis did say that he'd make the fuel tank totally accessible as well. Any suggestions or pics on how you did it (if you did) would be greatly appreciated. Also, how did you find a technical counselor? I live in Savannah GA, and don't think we have an EAA chapter near us. I'll give you my e-mail if you'd rather send the suggestions that way.
Mark
--------
Mark
s/n 094
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Scott Stewart
Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 30
Location: Windsor, California
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:08 am Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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Hi Mark,
I will pull together some pictures and other info in the next several days and email it to you. How long to do have until you need the details?
I am pretty lucky that I live near EAA chapter 124. We are quite large, with several very experienced technical counselors. We are also home to the CAFE Foundation -- http://www.cafefoundation.org/ -- where technical expertise seems to be limitless.
A quick Google search shows EAA chapter 330 in your area. I highly recommend talking with others who have built several other airplanes. Talking through an issue with experienced builders has gotten me through some tough decisions.
Scott
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Scott Stewart
CH-640 built from plans
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super58d
Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 52
Location: Savannah, GA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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John,
Thanks for the site. He does have a pretty neat idea for inspection plates. They look pretty simple too.
Scott,
I'm not in a huge hurry. Right now I'm just planning and setting out goals and ideas. I'm deployed to Afghanistan, so I won't get back to the wings for about 6 months. All I got done on them before I left was to install the wingtip extensions. Thanks for the EAA chapter suggestion. It's listed as Springfield, GA on the EAA find a chapter directory. It never even occured to me that that would be Savannah. No hurry on the pics and stuff. I'd appreciate anything you could give.
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Mark
s/n 094
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steveadams
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 191
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| Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:53 am Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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It is great that you are thinking ahead about this. While building you have open access to everything and it is very easy to forget about doing maintenance on the completed plane, which is completely different than building. Something as simple as checking the torque on a bolt can turn into an hour long game requiring 3 hands, a mirror, the skills of a contortionist and a lot of luck, so the more access you have the better. I have the standard sized access panels in the wing, and while I have changed out a fuel sender and replaced some pitot tubing through these panels, it was tight. While people seem to like the round access holes, I think the square or rectangular holes are better. For essentially the same sized hole in the structure, the extra room the corners give seems to make a big difference, especially in giving you a line of site to see what your doing. I also put an access panel on the rear seat bottom for direct access to the control cable pulleys under the seat. Another thing to consider is access behind the instrument panel and where you put everything. Try laying on your back with your head under the panel and see how well you can see and reach things, and how long you can stand laying like that (it's not a lot of fun). So it's best to have good, relatively easy access from the front of the panel. As far as the fuel tanks, there is no sealant or bladder to go bad, so most likely any leak you have will be either around the sender or where the fuel line attaches. Making big changes to have easy access to the whole tank seems a bit overkill to me. Good luck and keep thinking ahead.
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super58d
Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 52
Location: Savannah, GA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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Steve,
Great ideas, thanks. I never even thought about the seat bottoms. As for the instrument panel, where would you propose an access panel go? I was thinking of making the instrument panel hinge downward, or have sections that hinge down, so as to make maintenance and getting behind easier. I think It'd make wiring and install of the panel components much easier too. The top I'd secure with screws and decent sized anchor nuts.
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Mark
s/n 094
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steveadams
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 191
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 5:30 am Post subject: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels |
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My panel is just like the prototype, which with a few tweeks is actually a good design. A hinged panel would be pretty nice if the longer instruments don't get hung up on the glare shield when you try and fold it out. On the right is an open panel which gives pretty good access. I mounter the encoder, panel dimmer, and signal splitter for the VOR/glidesplope behind it for easy access, and I can reach a lot of the radio stack through this access as well. The panel is also modular, so I can pull the flight intstrument panel, VOR panel, and or radio panels out separately. It does become a challenge to keep all the wiring and tubing neat and secured, while still allowing enough slack to slide the panels out.
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