Original Posted By:
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Pietenpol-List Digest: 7 Msgs - 10/21/02In a message dated 10/21/02 11:54:11 PM, pietenpol-list-digest(at)matronics.com writes:
Pietenpol-List: Re: Pietenpol-List Digest: 7 Msgs - 10/21/02
RE: Pietenpol-List: Re: Pietenpol-List Digest: 7 Msgs - 10/21/02
Original Posted By: "walter evans"
Carl,I didn't try to let the plates into the bottom of the fuselage--my feelingwas that there are enough lumps in the bottom as it is from the controlmountings that a few more external fittings wouldn't look too much worse.Of course, you could do stringers on the bottom too--it's been done before.I didn't worry about fuselage curvature over the length of the fitting. Ifigured that with a thousand pounds or so of force from the bolts, therewill be good contact between the wood and the mounting plate--the bolts willeither flatten it out, or crush the plywood wood a bit, or something. This also means that the fittings won't be completely aligned with eachother. Make this up when you mount the landing gear bushing, if you'reusing the design on the plans. I used cub-style gear, and only drilled oneend of each mounting bracket. The other end will be match drilled throughthe gear. I drilled the outside fitting before welding, left the inside fitting blankfor the time being. I held the fitting up to the side of the fuselage, andmarked the hole positions by drilling through the fitting hole a bit intothe fuselage. Just do the side at first--easier that way. I then used acup bushing to drill through the fuselage side. This is a clear plastic cupwith a drilled bolt screwed into it. You place it on a surface to defineperpendicular. They're available at exhorbatant cost from places likeUSATCO or Brown Tools. They make holes that is visually perpendicular, butnot quite accurate enough to line up a fitting.After I drilled the sides, I shot bolts through for alignment and repeatedthe process on the bottom, still without the inside brace.After all that, and with the outside fitting being held on by four boltssticking into holes in the fuselage, I drafted a passerby in the hanger tohold the inside angle brace in position while I removed a bolt and markedthe hole locations by drilling through the outside fitting and fuselage.After marking, I finished the hole in the drill press, and then pushed thebolt through the inside angle for alignment, and did another hole.Actually, I think I wound up marking two holes at a time. It was still lotsof assembly / disassembly, but all of the holes came out connecting withsomething.Gene________________________________________________________________________________
Carl,I didn't try to let the plates into the bottom of the fuselage--my feelingwas that there are enough lumps in the bottom as it is from the controlmountings that a few more external fittings wouldn't look too much worse.Of course, you could do stringers on the bottom too--it's been done before.I didn't worry about fuselage curvature over the length of the fitting. Ifigured that with a thousand pounds or so of force from the bolts, therewill be good contact between the wood and the mounting plate--the bolts willeither flatten it out, or crush the plywood wood a bit, or something. This also means that the fittings won't be completely aligned with eachother. Make this up when you mount the landing gear bushing, if you'reusing the design on the plans. I used cub-style gear, and only drilled oneend of each mounting bracket. The other end will be match drilled throughthe gear. I drilled the outside fitting before welding, left the inside fitting blankfor the time being. I held the fitting up to the side of the fuselage, andmarked the hole positions by drilling through the fitting hole a bit intothe fuselage. Just do the side at first--easier that way. I then used acup bushing to drill through the fuselage side. This is a clear plastic cupwith a drilled bolt screwed into it. You place it on a surface to defineperpendicular. They're available at exhorbatant cost from places likeUSATCO or Brown Tools. They make holes that is visually perpendicular, butnot quite accurate enough to line up a fitting.After I drilled the sides, I shot bolts through for alignment and repeatedthe process on the bottom, still without the inside brace.After all that, and with the outside fitting being held on by four boltssticking into holes in the fuselage, I drafted a passerby in the hanger tohold the inside angle brace in position while I removed a bolt and markedthe hole locations by drilling through the outside fitting and fuselage.After marking, I finished the hole in the drill press, and then pushed thebolt through the inside angle for alignment, and did another hole.Actually, I think I wound up marking two holes at a time. It was still lotsof assembly / disassembly, but all of the holes came out connecting withsomething.Gene________________________________________________________________________________