Remove and Reinstall Fuel Tank and Calibrate Fuel Gauge

I returned from Idaho as planned on Wednesday evening.  On Thursday Arlene and I went to the airport and spent 2-hours removing and reinstalling the fuel tank.  There were 4-screws behind the tank into the baggage bulkhead that could not be installed with the tank in place.  I removed the inspection plates from the bottom of the fuselage and disconnected the fuel supply and return lines.  I removed the carpet over the tank and removed the bolts.  There is no way to remove the tank without first removing the filler tube.  I pulled the screws holding the filler tube in place and using a knife, cut the Pro-Seal between the filler tube flange and the turtle deck skin.  Before doing so I put some blue masking tape over the tank filler opening.  After removing the filler tube the tank came out (with a little jostling and effort).  I installed the 4-missing screws into the bulkhead panel and then reinstalled the tank.  I mixed some new Pro-Seal and reinstalled the filler tube.  At that point we needed to leave.  I returned today and made the final connections to the tank and reinstalled the inspection plates under the fuselage.  I reinstalled the carpet and seats.

I moved the airplane out onto the ramp and put it on 2” blocks.  I turned on the SkyView and went into the set-up menu to calibrate the fuel gauge.  I have 2-five gallon gas cans which I had filled on the way to the airport.  I put the fuel in the tank 2-gallons at a time until all 10-gallons were added.  I then pushed the airplane back into the hanger, hooked up the battery charger so I could leave the SkyView on and went for more gas.  I returned, put the airplane back on the ramp, on blocks and continued to calibrate the fuel gauge by adding the rest of the fuel 2-gallons at a time.  I have made arrangements for my 2-grandsons, Cameron and Kaleb to help me move the airplane to the Tooele airport on Monday.  Before we move it to Tooele I am going to have them help me adjust the idle speed on Rotax.  The PAP says it should idle between 1450-1500 RPMs.  Currently the Rotax idles at about 1100 RPMs.  I need to fix that then we will remove the wings and take the fuselage to Tooele.  We will return for the wings and then reassemble everything there.  I am planning to take a small tool bag with tools with us so we can do the reassembly without any problems.

I also constructed some ramps to help move the airplane over the door track and up over the lip of the hangar floor slab.  They worked out really well.  Even with a full load of fuel using the ramps I was able to push the airplane back into the hangar without too much effort.

Getting Ready For First Flight Continues

Today I continued to put things together.  I installed the upholstery and carpets in the cockpit.  I installed the seats and put the cowlings in place.  Glenn and Loretta Olsen came by for a look.  They said they liked what they saw.  I asked Glenn if he thought I could or should do the first flight.  He said absolutely, so I guess I will fly it for the first time next week end.

I worked on the gascolator once again.  I could not remove a screw yesterday because of a bolt coming through the firewall just below one of the gascolator bowl retaining screws. I tried bending a hacksaw blade to get to the bolt without much luck.  I tired cutting down the width of a hacksaw blade so I get it to go through one of the holes in the nose strut brackets.  No luck there either.  After sitting on my work stool and looking at the problem I decided if I removed the clamp holding the radiator hose to the nose strut I could get a Dremmel tool with a cutting blade in there and remove the end of the bolt.  Accordingly I did just that.  I brought over my fire extinguisher just in case.  It took just seconds to cut off the end of the bolt with the Dremmel tool.  I removed the screws holding the gascolator bowl retainer and removed it.  My next problem was how to remove the gascolator bowl.  I recalled a post by Tony Testitorie on a gascoltor bowl removal tool.  It consisted of a pipe, a tee and 2-nipples.  I went to Lowe’s to see if I could come up with the parts to make a similar tool.  All I could find were some small brass fittings and nipples.  I purchased the parts I needed and made a gascolator bowl removal tool.  I really works wells.  I was able to remove and reinstall the bowl with little effort. There was no debris in the bowl and just a few fibers on the screen.  I put it all back together and we are good to go.  

I installed the lower cowl including all of the screws.  I set the upper cowl in place for now.  I still need to check the idle RPMs.  I think the idle is a little low so I will need to adjust the idle speed before I put the upper cowl on for good.  I rolled the airplane outside, closed the hangar doors and took some photos.  I am going to Idaho Monday morning and will not be back until Wednesday evening.  I am hoping to move the airplane to Tooele next Friday.

Balance Carburetors

This morning I took Arlene and Tim to the hangar with me.  We had a short window for them to help run the engine and adjust the carburetors.  I hooked up the CarbMate and we pulled the airplane out onto the apron.  I zeroed the CarbMate and checked to see where the lights were.  I had Arlene and Tim sit inside while I started the engine.  We ran the RPMs up to 2400 and it didn’t take too long for the engine to warm up to 122^o .  I turned the dial on the CM to 2 and the lights came on to the right of center.  I manually pulled the throttle to see what way to adjust the linkage.  I shut off the engine and made the adjustment.  I restarted the engine and the light was green.  I turned the knob to 1.5 and it stayed green.  I turned the knob to 1.0 and it stayed green.  I turned the knob to 0.5 and one light right of center came on.  I adjusted the linkage and the light went to green.  The carburetors are now balanced.  We shut down the engine and I got in.  I restarted the Rotax and ran the RPMs up to 4,000.  I checked the ignition as required in the PAP.  It is acceptable.  I advanced the throttle to WOT.  The indicated RPMs was at 4,895.  That is acceptable per the PAP.  We now have a Rotax engine with balanced carburetors turning at an acceptable RPM so I would say we are good to go.  I do need to complete the other things listed under the Engine Run section of the PAP before it can fly.

Getting Ready For First Flight

Today I did a lot of things to get ready for the first flight at KTVY.  I started by cutting a notch in the lock arm and installing the angle on the canopy rail.  I also took the reinforcing plate that came with the lock and modified it to work on the RV-12.  I cut the ears off the plate so it could work as a backing plate and reinforcement for the fuselage skin.  I took the angle home last night and primed it and painted it.  It is now installed and the lock is complete.  After completing the lock I ground down the edges of the end of a Boing can opener I got during the EAA Chapter 23 visit to the EAA facility in Salt Lake.  With the corners ground down and or coped I can now use it to open the fuel tank cap.

I installed the tail cone and the vertical stab fairings.  I had to replace one of the nut plates for the vertical stab fairing, but it all worked out for the best.  I also had to trim the stab trim on the left side of the tail cone.  I don’t know why there was a problem this time but there was.

While working on the empennage I decided to install the stabilator tips.  I clecoed and riveted the mounting plates to the ends of the stabilator.  By squeezing the timmerman nuts I was able to get them to stay in place while I put the tips in place.  It took a little work but I was able to get the tips on and I think they add a lot to the appearance of the airplane.  

Next I installed the lower engine cowl.  Each time I remove and reinstall the cowling it becomes a little bit easier.  Or at least I find some tricks that make it go on a little quicker.  I also reinstalled the spinner.

I decided to install all of the interior inspection plates.  That took quite a while.  There must be a bazillion screws holding the plate in.  

Before installing the rear baggage area bulk-head I decided to put some rigid foam fillers in the corrugations.  I cut them out of some rigid foam that fell out the hangar upper walls.

I attached the gap fillers with some clear silicone sealant.  

Next I installed the Kroger shade on the inside of the canopy.  

The last thing I did today was some more touch up.  I touched up the tan color in several places along with some more white and some more red.  It is looking better every day.

Red Letter Day!

Today Tom Gierhart – DAR – issued my airworthiness certificate.  I now own an airplane.  Tom and I spent 1 ½ hours together this morning at the hangar.  He checked all of the paperwork, took pictures of the paperwork and the airplane.  Using his inspections mirror and flashlight he looked into all of the nooks and crannies.  He concluded by telling me I have done a great job with my build.  He said he wishes he had an airplane as nice as the RV-12.  Of course there was a bit of disassembly for the inspections so I will need to put it all back together again.

Following the inspection I had to hurry home.  Yesterday Comcast buried a neighbor’s cable in my back yard.  The Comcast splice box is located in my back yard.  In burying the cable they nicked my CenturyLink telephone line.  Over the last 24 hours my phones and internet have become useless.  The CenturyLink technician laid a new phone line on top of the ground and hooked us up again.  In the next couple of weeks they are supposed to come back and bury it.  You have got to love the utility companies. 

I returned to the hangar this afternoon and began installing a canopy lock.  I will be taking the RV-12 to KTVY (Tooele) for the first flight and flight program.  Because it will be tied down outside I do not want people to be able to open it at will.  I went back to Jon’s Lock where I purchased the cam lock and bought a longer cam arm.  I cut a slot in the deck rail.  The arm comes through the slot and I will notch it to engage a small angle I will rivet to the canopy rail.  I am planning on installing a back-up plate to reinforce the fuselage skin.  I know it will only keep honest people out.  If someone wants to get into the cockpit they will find a way no matter what.

Touch Up Paint and Wing Seal

Last evening Dave left me a small bottle of clear coat to go over the red paint.  I touched up several spots today.  One on the spinner, one on the fuselage near the fuel cap, the tops of the air vents and a few other small places.  Along with these areas I also put clear coat on the canopy forward arms.  I touched up a couple of small white spots also.  Then I tackled the wing seal.  I set up my metal saw horses and put moving pads over them.  I pulled the spar pins and pulled the wings out one by one.  It was not to difficult.  I had previously marked the wing roots where the skins needed to be cut back to allow for the foam wings seals. I used my left and right snips to cut the wing root skins back to the lines I made yesterday.  The cut edge of the wing root skin came out just fine.  I deburred the edges and then put the wing seal on the fuselage on the left side and pushed the wing back in place.  I did the same on the right side.

The tube plugs I ordered came and I inserted one on each end of the step tubes.  These plugs look good and finish of the tubes very nicely.  The next engine run will have to wait until next week.

First Engine Start – SUCCESS!!!

Upon arrival at the hangar today I removed the lower cowl.  I pulled the airplane out of the hangar and put 4 gals of fuel in the tank.  I turned on the master switch and when the SkyView screen came up I put in the fuel pump fuse.  The pump began to make the normal racket.  I opened the fuel valve and fit began pumping fuel.  It was just a few seconds and I had fuel pressure at the engine.  I switched the master off and disconnected the fuel supply line from the gascolator fitting.  I attached a section of 5/16" rubber hose on a piece of tubing and attached it to the gascolator. I turned on the master switch and opened the fuel valve.  It took 120 seconds to pump 1 gal of fuel into a bucket.  The max allowable time is 180 seconds.  I hooked up the fuel line and returned the fuel to the tank.  The Moller gauge on the tank registers 4-gallons, so it seems to be correct.  There were no signs of a leak, no smell of gas so it appears there is not a problem with the fuel system.  

I reinstalled the lower cowl along with the oil cooler. I left the airport to pick-up Tim from work.  He agreed to help with the first start.  When we got to the airport we checked out the intercom to make sure it is working, and it is. Next we checked the brakes to make sure they are holding and they are.   We rolled the airplane out of the hangar and chocked the wheels.  I got inside and had Tim stand at the wing tip with a fire extinguisher.  I turned on the switches, called "clear" and started the engine.  It fired right up.  The engine ran and all of the things to be checked off in the PAP engine ground run were good.  After a couple of minutes I shut the engine down and we rolled the airplane back into the hangar. 

SUCCESS!!  It is good the have the first run out of the way.  I will go back tomorrow and run it again and sync the carbs. 

Wing Walk Compound

Today I put the final coat of wing walk compound on the wings and steps.  I removed the masking tape and everything looks good.  I also received an email telling me the tube caps I ordered to insert  into the ends of the step tubes have shipped.  They should be here in a few days.  I also removed the lower cowl and attached the oil cooler.  It was not seated in the guide bolts so I lowered the cowl, seat the oil cooler and installed the upper bolts so it is now ready for an engine start.  Of course I will need to remove the cowl again tomorrow to do the PAP fuel system and gascolater check.