Bill's First Engine Start! HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

A couple weeks ago, I got to watch my hangar mate, Bill, do his first engine start on his RV8. We have been racing each other to see who will do their first flight...first. Although, he did his engine start before me...we are still pretty neck and neck as of this writing. Its the usual bet between friends...a cold beer!

 

It was the first time I had witnessed a first engine start. Two things came to mind watching it. One, it was pretty anti-climatic...I kept thinking, isn't there more to it? He only did a very conservative one minute run so it didn't last long either. Beyond that, if you dig deeper however, to a guy like me (about to do my own)...and Bill, it was pretty gosh damn glorious! It marks the first time this expensive pile of aluminum and inanimate parts comes to life after many hours of building...that's pretty cool. Seeing him got me fired up to get mine done! Congrats to my hangar mate.

 

Lastly, we were all pretty surprised at how fast that puppy came to life. It really was only about two blades before she perked right up. It stumbled slightly as Bill fed in the mixture, but ran fine for the one minute. Hopefully mine will go just as well this weekend.    

 

Carbon Fiber Panel HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

 

As most of you know, I purchased the carbon fiber panel from Aerosport Products. Once I stop grumbling under my breath about how much it cost, I really have to admit I absolutely love this thing! The modularity and the look of it was well worth it to me, I can't imagine my panel without it at this point.

 

If you go this route, a couple tidbits to point out. First, although you cant really tell when you get it because it looks darn good, it doesn't have a finish on it yet. It is basically raw, right out of the mold. Carbon fiber, and fiberglass for that matter, do not like UV radiation. What you'll need to do is apply a clear UV coat to the panel.

 

First you need to scuff the surface. I used some fine grit sandpaper and scotchbrite to dull the finish. Don't go so deep to get to the fibers. Then scrub it with the scotchbrite and acetone to remove any leftover mold wax. Don't worry, it will dull during this process, perfectly normal and desired to get a good surface to paint.

 

I was planning to buy a quart of good quality clear UV. Don't buy cheap stuff, you don't want to redo this in a couple years. I found a local Sherwin Williams auto paint store here in Boulder and asked the guy about what he had. He asked me the size of my panel, and then said, I have just what you need. He pointed me to this rattle can. I recoiled...and said everything that comes out of a rattle can is crap...no? He said, not so fast...not this stuff. Its a patented delivery system. Its a actually a two part paint, it actually is the good stuff. You depress a plunger in the bottom of the can and it releases the catalyst. You shake it and you're ready to shoot. It will be usable for 48 hrs after mixing for touch ups. Best thing is, it was only $25...vs. $100 for a quart. Finally found a good deal during this build!

 

It worked flawlessly! I highly recommend it if you can find some. I put three coats on, although I probably should have stopped at two, which the paint guy recommended. I got two very small runs on the last coat...but you can hardly see them so I left 'em alone. It really came out great...considering I had never shot clear before. It is pretty glossy however...which I didn't think I'd like, but man does it look purdy. We'll see how bad the canopy glare is?

 

Anyway, bottom line, prep your panel with UV clear or it will turn yellow and degrade in the sun. These babies cost too much not to protect them well. Happy painting!

Baggage Compartment HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

As I get prepped for W&B...I need to get the last details on the interior done. I decided to tackle the baggage area first.

 

 

First task, eliminate cold drafts coming from the tail cone. I used expanding foam sealant in the triangular areas (white stuff) as shown. I then added some 1/8" weather stripping all the way around. When I rode in the backseat of an RV10 to San Diego for my Tiger Cruise, the draft on the back of my head just about made me numb going over the Rockies. This little step is important for a nice, comfortable cockpit...not only for moi, but especially for the little lady, who gets cold when its 75 degs outside. :) Heated seats are also part of the package.

 

I wanted to throw some outdoor carpeting in my baggage floor storage compartments. Mostly just to keep the bottom fuse skin from getting dinged up. I chose a floor mat with rubber backing. In hindsight, not sure if that was the best choice. This could be a corrosion problem if moisture gets under there. With the alclad, it has some protection, but I will keep an eye on this until I'm sure its not a problem. Carpet color?...RED of course.

Pitot Static Test HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

Bill and I planned to do our pitot/static/transponder certification at the same time. Yesterday, we had Mobile Transponder Services (Dan and Mike), based out of Meadowlake (KFLY) visit the hangar. Although, neither Bill or I are IFR rated, we decided to do the more thorough IFR certification on our planes vs. just VFR, since it is a new unproven system. If you do the VFR test, it will only be the altimeter and the transponder...and cheaper. This is required every two years.

 

First off, both guys were great to deal with. Friendly, helpful and thorough. I would definitely recommend them if you need this done. It was pretty cool to watch too. First thing they did was check the system for leaks. This was my biggest concern...and everything checked out, no leaks. First sigh of relief.

 

 

Then they launched into checking out the pitot-static system. They basically unhooked the lines going into the ADAHRS and hooked their instruments to the lines. They then simulated all sorts of scenarios to test the functionality of the system. I wont go into the details, but from an Engineering standpoint, it was fascinating to me. It was also cool to see my EFIS doing its thing for the first time...watching the altimeter, airspeed and vertical speed do their jobs.

 

Mike was very impressed with the Dynon system and my install, he said it passed with flying colors. In fact, the altimeter was holding to +/- 2 ft! I had to ask him...really? 2 ft? He said yep, well within the 25 ft max allowable. Very cool.

 

Once he was done, we hooked everything back up and checked again for leaks...to see if we created any? Everything was solid...except for the AOA. We were seeing a leak. What was puzzling is it was indicating a rather large leak. We checked the fittings going into the pitot, they were tight. 

 

As most of you know, the Dynon AOA is on the pitot. Although the AOA is not part of the testing/certification, Mike was nice enough to not only check it for leaks, but also troubleshoot it. After not finding the problem and scratching our head a little bit, I remembered how the AOA works. It has two static ports on the bottom of the pitot that measure pressure differential as AOA changes. They are very small and easy to miss. That's our bogey! We put a piece of tape over these and voila...no leaks. That explained why it was indicating a big leak.

 

When all was said and done, this cost me $420 and took about an hour and a half...$325 for the pitot-static portion and $95 for the transponder check. Definitely a little pricy, but that shouldn't surprise the pilots out there. I got a sticker for my aircraft logbook and a data sheet showing all test parameters and equipment serial numbers. The service was impeccable and I was a damn happy camper to cross another thing off my list as I advance toward first flight. Big sigh of relief!

 

If the day wasn't good enough with that news, I also got word that I was going to get the local EAA chapter scales on Saturday! Its all falling into place.

Gas & Oil HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

Last Sunday, it was finally time to add some fuel to the airplane for the first time. In getting prepped for this, I realized in some cases it isn't easy to get fuel in a new airplane. Our airport, KBJC, wont allow you to drive out to the self serve fuel pumps. They also wont deliver to a plastic gas can...only an actual airplane. We've had a lot of wind lately, so pushing the plane out to get it fueled was kind of a pain. I ended up going out to KFTG, a more low key airport near my house, to fill up two 5 gallon cans at their self serve pump. No one even questioned me...and I hauled the fuel back to the hangar.

 

 

Away we go, first I flushed the tanks with a couple gallons through the sump to try and remove any construction debris. I did this twice on each tank and got nothing...apparently the tanks were pretty clean? Or the debris just didn't dislodge?

 

I then disconnected my fuel line going into the fuel injection servo, hooked up a homemade hose and fed it into a painters bucket. If you look closely, I also made an attempt to ground the system....not sure how effective it was? I wasn't too crazy about doing this in the hangar and opened the doors while I did it. Once I got this setup, I turned on my fuel boost pump and pumped fuel through the system. The pump self primed in a few seconds and it was readily apparent by the change in sound when it was pumping fuel.

 

Again, I did this a couple times and then used a paint filter/strainer to clean the fuel as I dumped it back into the tank (rumor has it a coffee filter will also work). Although I didn't get a picture, there was debris in the filter...alum shavings, so watch for this.

 

 

Now it was time for a fuel flow test. I put the tail up in a level flight attitude...turned on the pump, started my iPhone stop watch and pumped for exactly one minute. The top picture shows the right tank and the one above shows the left tank. As you can see, they are essentially identical, as you'd expect with a good flowing system with no blockage. If I estimate 110 oz. and do some math, this give me roughly 51.6 gph. Well above anything the engine could burn at WOT.

 

 

 

The two videos (although they are kind of useless to see the readings on this post) above show my engine instruments during the fuel flow test. The fuel flow was topping out at anywhere from 54-56 gph, so slightly higher than my calculated figure of 51.6. Not sure if I should be worried about that, but the bottom line is, we are getting more than adequate fuel in a level flight attitude.

 

These two shots show the unusable fuel left in the tanks when I sumped them. As you can see, there is really just a mere ounces left, which surprised me. The procedure was to turn on the pump until it went dry. Then drain the remaining fuel in the tank...this is what I got. Van's says 1 gallon, my guess is that is a very conservative figure to account for varying build style on the fuel tanks.

 

Here is a gotcha to look out for with the Andair fuel selector. The assembly comes with the fittings loose...so you can orient them as needed for your install. I was aware of this a year ago, but forgot to address it then. I should have just taken care of it at the time.

 

I had done my fuel flow test and had no leaks...even at the selector. I realized I had the right and left tank plumbing switched up, so I went to unscrew my hose to swap it over and off popped the fitting!! It was only then I realized I hadn't installed the screws. Let your imagination go through a scenario of you missing this until your first flight...that could be ugly. BE SURE TO ADDRESS THIS!

 

Its really not Andair's fault either, they clearly tell you this in their instructions. Also notice they want you to use a punch to stage the screw heads. I've never done this before, but I just used the other screws as an example.

 

Next came the engine oil, but first I drained the preservative oil. I let this drain while I went to lunch since it was relatively cold and the oil was thick. Quick drain plug worked great too.

Close up the drain, check all the oil fittings and the oil filter. Start adding oil, SAE 40 mineral oil. Why mineral oil? Well, the ashless dispersant oil has anti-wear additives. During engine break in, we actually want to encourage wear to seat the rings properly, so we remove the anti-wear additives by burning straight mineral oil. For the first 25 hrs I will use mineral oil. I put 7 qts in, 6 plus one for the accumulator. I can add more later if needed, but that should be sufficient.

 

Once I got the oil in, with a few messes to clean up from an ill fitting funnel. I decided to hook up the starter for the first time, clear the prop, ensure the mags were off and crank over the engine to see if I could get oil pressure. Most recommend not going more than 30 seconds on the starter. I read this guideline somewhere: 30 seconds on, two minutes off, 30 seconds on, 30 minutes off. I didn't follow that to the letter, but just be careful not to burn up your starter. You'll also need a battery charger or you'll likely drain that down. You can also do this by hand, but I figure...work smarter, not harder...and its a good test of other systems.

 

First attempt...I conservatively cranked about 20 seconds...nothing, no oil pressure. I waited a couple minutes...tried again, this time about 25 seconds...again, nothing...dangit. I was bummed. I then checked my oil pressure transducer and the plumbing and wiring to see if everything looked good. It did, everything checked out. I waited about 15 minutes, checked to see if the starter was warm and tried a third time. About 25 seconds once again, nothing...I stopped in frustration, dejected, ready to leave it for now and do some research before proceeding. But...I glanced down at the EFIS to notice, right at the end of the start cycle, I got about 3 psi!

 

Now I knew the system was alive, it just took a while to prime, and that was cool. I waited another 15 mins and decided to see if I could get anything on my fourth try. Sure enough, the oil pressure slowly ticked up to about 25 psi...heehaw! After that session, I noticed a pretty good oil leak near the firewall. It didn't show itself sooner, because there wasn't any oil pressure. Before starting, as I mentioned, I checked all of the fittings...but one. The connection to the oil accumulator. The reason I didn't check it was, it is hard to get to and I thought, because of that I had tightened it before mounting the accumulator to the firewall. Nope! It was only finger tight. I got a wrench on it and tightened it up.

Later in the day, I did another cycle to check once again for leaks.  This time it achieved 30 psi. Doing another visual of the engine, I found some small drops up near the alternator. At first, I was puzzled as to the source of the leak. Tracing it upward...I noticed my oil line that feeds the prop was not even hooked up! Sheesh! I had it off for plenum fitting work and forgot to hook it back up. I didn't even think to check that during my initial oil line checks.

Oh well, definitely good to catch these now, before engine start. For now, that's all I will do prepping the engine. Fuel and oil systems seem to be working as designed. Next test will be the first engine start this weekend. 

Prop Install HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

Torqueing and more specifically, safety wiring, the prop is pretty much a pain in the ass! Here are a few pics to document the process.

 

 

This handy little tool, loaned to me by my hangar mate Bill, was a must have for my particular prop. Since you have to torque these bolts, you need to get a crows foot (wouldn't fit) or something like this tool on the bolt. If you keep the torque wrench at a 90 deg angle to the tool, you wont need to make any adjustments to your torque value.

 

Once the bolts are torqued, the fun begins with the safety wire. Since you really can't access both holes, I marked the bolts (as torqued) with a sharpie, backed them out to get the safety wire in place and then re-tightened. Its a trial and error process to finally get it done, with more than one piece of safety wire getting scrapped along the way.

 

Then, of course, when finished, apply your torque seal and call it good. One other thing, don't forget to make a note in your aircraft log when you install it, the DAR will want to see this.

Wing Bolts HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

 

A while back I finalized my wing bolts and I'm just now posting about it. Really not much to it, but I wanted to mention a couple 'gotcha's'. First, this picture is not correct! The RV7 plans call for a washer on the head side of the bolt. Although, I'm really not sure its needed...I mean the bolts are in shear and the washer is not oversized to spread the load so I'm not sure why they are there? The only reason I can see is the softer alum coupled with the harder bolt. I talked to my RV8 friends, and they say they don't see that washer in their plans?? Go figure.

 

But, at the end of the day, when it comes to my wings, if the plans call for it...I'm gonna put 'em in. The only reason not to do it would be pure laziness...and don't kid yourself, I am lazy--but how tragic would it be to die from laziness??

 

Also, in the above pic, notice the two bolt heads that have torque seal on them...don't forget those. They go into nutplates. Van's issued an SB about a year ago as they found people were not realizing they needed to put those in...you do, they are important.

 

Once I added my washers to the head side, I torqued the larger bolts to 60 ft-lbs and the smaller ones to their respective torque value that escapes me now but its in the book. These puppies are ready to fly!

 

Lastly, way back when you did your fuselage center section, you should have built these spacers. I did, and luckily put them with all of my wing hardware for safekeeping. Don't forget to install these spacers and bolts now.

Sub-Panel Cover HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

As all tip-up owners and builders know, the design is inherently weak in the area behind the panel when it comes to keeping water off expensive avionics. I get a kick out the fact that Van's states that they have no problems flying their factory planes in the rain...BS is what I say. I just think Van didn't design this plane to be an all weather plane so he has no desire to fix this flaw. That's fine, really...it give us builders something to do.

 

Most people buy a sail cloth to velcro into the area. There was a lady that was doing these, but from what I can tell, she has disappeared and is no longer doing them. The other option is take some measurements and send it off to your favorite upholstery shop to make one for you.

 

I didn't like that idea, the sail cloth, although it looks better than nothing...isn't the look I want on my plane. I wanted to design my own cover. Here is what I came up with...so far, not done yet. I've put this down my priority list since its not needed for first flight.

 

I bought a sheet of 0.018 alum from ACS and with just an idea of what I wanted...started doing some layout with cardboard, and then starting cutting sheet metal. After some trial and error...it wasn't as straightforward as I thought getting around those curves, this is what I came up with.

 

I plan to seal it up with paintable silicone (ProSeal would work too but I'm not in the mood to deal with it) when I rivet it together. The edge that contacts the sub-panel will have a compressed rubber seal from McMaster Carr. I will also add a 'wall' around the canopy hinge cutouts (not cut yet). This wont hold back a tidal wave of water, but I feel comfortable it will do quite well to keep my avionics dry in most conditions.

 

I know...I know...like most builders out there, you're saying...wow, you're adding weight to your plane. I say, my plane is built for comfort and functionality...I'm not trying to set any 'time-to-climb' records so weight is not a big deal to me. Second, its 0.018" sheet...its almost paper thin, I didn't weigh it, but its pretty lightweight.

 

 

Lastly, the other design goal was to make it easy to remove...there are a lot of components back there that I may need to get to. It uses a minimum of screws, it should be off in a matter of minutes when needed. As I said, not quite done with this yet...but I'll post more details later when I finish it up.

Panel Vinyl Details HOBBS 2699.0 hrs

After another whopping week of work, 37 hrs, clicking the ol' HOBBS up to almost 2700 hrs now! And that was done while taking a day off to celebrate Sheryl's birthday. Needless to say, I have been a busy bee. I finally brought the camera home from the hangar and downloaded the 50 pictures on it. So...without further ado, this is what I've been up to in the Factory.

 

 

To fill in some of the details of how I did my vinyl. I used Visio to create my 1:1 scale graphics. I then printed them out, again at 1:1 scale, to test fit them. It took a couple iterations to dial it in. Its tough to get it right without some trial and error, as its hard to get really precise measurements on the panel cutout locations.

 

Once I got it looking good, I saved the Visio file in a scalable vector graphic format. This is what Aerographics said would work well for them. After they received it, we still had to do some tweaking to get it just right. Some of the graphics details got lost in translation. But, they were great getting it all fixed up.

 

You've already seen the finished product, but here are a few more pics. I did plenty of research to try to determine exactly what placarding we need in our planes. Basically what I found is its not very clearly defined, but the two things you absolutely need are the passenger warning shown here and the "Experimental". Both need to be clearly visible. As you can see, I added two more that I thought were important for safe operation. From what I can tell, those are optional.

 

This shot gives you an idea how the panel wraps around the insert. Laying out vinyl wasn't as foolproof as I thought. Air bubbles were evident in mine. I am letting them sit awhile, and if they don't disappear I will pop them with a pin.

 

If you look close, you'll see that this isn't perfect, a professional would have done a better job. But...they would cost more. At some point, its just kind of nice to do things yourself and save some money. Although, its not perfect, it looks nice and I'm proud of it. You really have to learn to love the warts too when building one of these. I have yet to see a perfect RV...so do the best you can, breathe...smile and build on.

Panel Vinyl HOBBS 2662.0 hrs

 

After spending almost five years posting pretty religiously, I really have left you all high and dry the last couple months. I apologize for that. My only excuse is, when you get to this point in your build, you'll know what its like. Its crazy, I have been working like a dog lately! So many last minute details to tie up...so many things to get scheduled, etc. I also keep forgetting to grab my camera and bring it home to download pics. So...soon I will get that done so you can see what's going on in the Factory.

 

Here are a couple teaser iPhone shots from late last night, and they really don't do it justice, it actually looks better in reality. I disassembled the panel last week, painted everything--including a UV clear coat on my carbon fiber insert. I then ordered my panel vinyl from Aerographics in Loveland, CO, they were great to work with. As you can see, everything is finally going back together for hopefully the last time.

 

Just like the interior, I only had a vision in my head of what I wanted my panel to look like. To finally see it come to fruition is so satisfying, especially when you think to yourself..."nailed it!" These are the moments in the build that really rock and make all the hard work worth it. I had an ear to ear grin as I put this all together for the first time! I really dig how it came out, I couldn't stop staring at it. The vinyl is a matte red and the lettering is gray. I'll post more details on this process later.

 

Lastly, I am scrambling to get everything lined up for the next three weeks. My Dad is flying in at the end of February to help me get ready for first flight. Until then, I am  working on securing some scales for weight and balance next week. Bill, my hangar mate, is at the same stage as me now with his RV8 (he did his first engine start last weekend). He called a pitot-static/transponder guy and we're going try to get both our planes certified next week as well. While I do all of that, I am putting the plane back together for an anticipated first engine start this weekend. Before that however, I have checklist to work through:  fuel system leak test/flush the tanks/fuel flow test/add engine oil/add brake fluid.

 

Oh, and lining up my DAR in my free time. I have a list of things I need to get crossed off for him, before he arrives, as well...mostly paperwork.

 

Moments like this call for a cold beer to celebrate...we're getting real close now.

Vertical Power & Lighting HOBBS 2633.0 hrs

I'm not sure if I previously mentioned it, but my VP-X box wasn't giving me power to the "always on" starter pin. I tried everything to troubleshoot it, hooking up an external power supply to the circuit and getting the starter solenoid to engage - up to and including hooking a wire directly up to the pin and then attaching an LED to see if there indeed was power from the source? Nothing, so it wasn't a wiring or connector problem.

 

This snafu happened almost exactly when Vertical Power was bought by Ballard (Astronics). I was a tad bit worried that I would be ignored. I got Marc (previous owner and designer) via email and then Chad Jensen (the new customer service rep). Both were helpful and responsive. We decided to send the unit in for diagnostics and possibly repair. It turned out that a trace on that particular pin was burned on the board. We don't know how it happened (they were trying to reproduce it in the lab with no luck), although it was probably my boneheaded sloppiness that caused it. It was working at one point...I worry I might have shorted it out somehow my mistake with all the stray wires I had at during construction.  

 

Two things became apparent during this ordeal. One, I would hope that the unit would be more robust than this...I am putting a lot of my flying faith in that little red box. I want it to be bullet proof, is that too much to ask? And two, when that box went off to the factory...my aircraft electrical system, for all intents and purposes, was down. That didn't give me a warm fuzzy. I call it the "brains" of the electrical system...and that has good and bad consequences. Don't get me wrong, I love the product and its features and I don't have any regrets on the purchase...yet, I hope it stays that way. Fingers crossed. (disclaimer: I have multiple backups to a full VP-X failure built into my system...it will not bring my electrical system down in flight)

 

Lastly, the customer service with the new acquisition was very good. Chad has always been great ever since I exchanged emails with him during his RV7 build a few years ago. The turnaround at the factory was quick, it took them two days to replace the board and ship it back. No charge since its under warranty, no questions asked as to if it might have been my fault. They backed up my settings and then reinstalled them before shipping. It was like the box never left...except for that one week downtime shipping back and forth.

 

So, once I got the box back...I was anxious to hook up my wingtip lighting and see if everything worked as advertised...including the strobe sync. Here is a quick video of the results, worked like a charm...cool eh?

Plenum Details HOBBS 2598.5 hrs

 

As most of you know, I have almost the full Sam James system...cowl and plenum (Van's wheel pants however). I was very happy with the finish on the cowl and have no regrets with that purchase...the alum inlet rings are just cool looking, as is the entire cowl design.

 

The plenum is a different story altogether. It hasn't fit well from day one and here I am still messing with it at this late stage. Off the shelf fiberglass parts shouldn't need major surgery to work well in my humble opinion. But hey, on the bright side, I am getting to be a fiberglass expert!

 

So, Sam James expects you to mold your plenum in the front to the engine case. And that's what most guys do...put some mold release on the engine and do your layups in place. They then seal that gap with high temp RTV. To me, that's crap...there is no way I want that shoddy look on my plane (no offense if that's what you did/do), along with the fact, to remove the plenum you need to peel it off the engine. It wont come off often...but I don't want that scenario to deal with. So, how else to secure the front of the plenum??

 

Whatever I do, it leaves me with more work...ugh! It never ends, I feel like crying uncle sometimes. Finally, I decided I wanted to design a front mounting box for the plenum. Here are my first steps in going down this road...its still in progress as we speak. How I tie it all together is still being decided...and no, I don't always have it all figured out before I start, otherwise I might not ever start. Sometimes in life, we just need to jump and build our wings on the way down. ;)

 

I was very happy how my sheet metal box came out, matching the contour of the plenum...I find it fun doing things from scratch, although its so time consuming.

 

It took some doing but I designed and fabricated this engine attach bracket out of 0.060" alum sheet. Came out real nice. It was then riveted to the box structure, see below.

 

Here you can see how it all is coming together.

 

You'll see in my pics later, but I am fiberglassing the gaps now...this gives you an idea where I started from. This plenum work is one of my last major tasks...so I'll be happy to have this behind me.

Left Wing Details HOBBS 2598.5 hrs

I put in an order for the balance of my flexible fuel/oil lines from Aircraft Specialty. Its a nice alternative for ordering hoses that I found on VAF. I like the way I can pick/choose my fuel lines right on the website. This way nothing gets lost in translation during a phone call. Most hose suppliers require you to put your order in by phone. C'mon people, embrace technology.

 

 

I think I've said this before, but just in case, if I were to do this all over again I wouldn't order ANY hoses from Van's FWF kit. Unless you have an exact copy of their standard system (which I surely don't), the hoses probably are not going to be the right length for your application. Order them custom...save the headache. I now have several extra hoses that I am stuck with...and they aren't cheap.

 

With this order of hoses (I added the firesleeve myself...saves some money), I was able to get all of my oil/fuel lines done...including the auxiliary fuel tanks.

 

Because of not very good planning on my part, this vent line coming out of the main tank attaching to the aux tank was hidden behind a wing nose rib. I was forced to either cut an access hole in the nose rib or pull the tank to get to it. I chose the latter. I opted for a flexible line here just for ease of assembly. Here you can see the hose in place. Now its easy to put the tank back on.

 

The plans I followed for the aux fuel tanks specified putting a fuel transfer pump in between the two tanks for takeoff and unusual attitude scenarios. I wasn't convinced they were needed and had heard that the original designer didn't even use his. I decided to remove them...for once, deciding to simplify my system. In place of the fuel pump, I also decided to add a check valve as shown here. The "U" shape in the line was intentional to allow for flex between the tanks.

 

If you are using the capacitance plate system from Dynon, you will need to install one of these converters (I have four...one for each tank). I don't like this design...they look flimsy (one exposed soldered wire could render it useless), have an exposed circuit board and seem like the bayonet connector could easily come unplugged. But, alas...I am stuck with it, there are not any options.

 

The ones on my aux tank are connected directly to the tank since they are well protected from the elements inside the wing. The main tanks however are right where the wing root fairing attaches to the wing...I can imagine plenty of water coming through this lap joint during a rain scenario. I decided I didn't like that and remotely mounted them inside the cockpit. Looking closely you can see my RG58 running into the fuse, protected by corrugated conduit.

 

Here you can see my fuel line routing...I added that coupler for ease of assembly/disassembly. Also notice how I safety wired the front tank attach point. Really no instructions that I saw from Van's on how to do this? I drilled a #30 hole in the bracket and used that for the safety wire attach point.

 

Once I got these last tidbits done, it was time to close up the wing root gap with the fairing. Not much to this task...did a little trim work to get a 3/16" gap and then installed the gap seal.