Static System and Another Vacation

Another vacation makes for a break in building the plane and it's updates. Yep, we took another vacation, this time boating with the in-laws. This is a yearly trip for us and I can't wait to be able to fly to the lake instead of driving the 10+ hours. I currently rent an airplane when I need to fly, but renting an airplane is only feasible if it's for a short trip. A week long boating venture would cost me a great deal as I would pay for the airplane to sit on the ground all week (major negative to renting). So, we load up the car every year and begin our trek. This year we had the baby for the first time which slowed us down a little, but the trip was long before she came along, so what's the difference.

After returning from vacation and completing my duties around the house I was able to get back to the plane. With the wings being finished it's time to prep the tailcone for attachment to the fuselage. The first step was installing the static system. As I stated in an earlier post I am using the SafeAir1 pitot/satic kit. I installed the static system before installing the aft skin on the tailcone for accessibility to the area. The static system install was easy and I finished everything in a few short nights. Next is riveting the aft upper skin and then the big shuffle day when the wings move to the loft and the whole shop is rearranged in preparation for the tailcone install.

Mon 29th -0.75hrs- Started static system install
Tues 30th -1.25hrs - Prosealed static ports in place, made adel clamp tabs for stringer
Wed 31st - 1.5hrs- Riveted tabs to stringer, installed clamps and hose

Static tubing runs from each static port to a tee and then down the upper LH stringer.

 

 



I made little tabs to attach the adel clamps to. This avoided drilling large #10 screw holes in the stringer. They are attached using two 470AD3 rivets.

The static ports are installed with Proseal. Riveting the ports in place can create a puckered look in the skin caused by having so many rivets in a close proximity. The proseal is still drying and I plan on giving them a good test pull to be sure they are secure.....otherwise I'll try plan B - rivet in place anyway.

Prosealing the ports in place does make a really nice finished look.

Back of Static port. The adel clamp picks up an existing tooling hole in the frame.

I made a small angle to attach the tee port to. It attaches in place using an existing hole as well.

"I'm ready to go swimming!"