VELOCITY XL FG
N478B
FUSELAGE
Velocity’s
Fast Build Fuselage option includes installed instrument panel tabs,
windshield
and side windows, with fuselage halves permanently joined,
glassed and
finished through primer. The carbon beams
are also installed.
Upgrades /
Options:
Interconnected
rudder pedals and dual toe brakes.
FAST LINKS TO:
CARBON FIBER
BEAMS SPEED BRAKE CENTER KEEL KEEL ACCESS COVER
NOSE ACCESS COVER SEATS
SEAT BELTS INSTRUMENT PANEL / GLARE SHIELD
NACA FRESH AIR OVERHEAD PLENUM OVERHEAD PANEL MAIN SPAR
FIREWALL REINFORCEMENTS PRIMING/SANDING
1. Carbon Fiber
Beam Installation (1) (2)
The beams come installed
with the Fast Build kit and were installed while I was already at the factory.
1. Speed Brake
Installation (1)
(2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
The speed brake cutout
pattern came drawn in the fuselage from the factory. The cutout on the floor
was made with an air saw. Edges were
sanded and space was made for the hinges in the fuselage and the speed brake by
removing the foam and the inner skin.
The surface and borders were grinded and sanded for glassing. The inside of all the hard points, both in
the fuselage and in the speed brake, were glassed with 5 plies of TRIAX,
followed by a radius of microglass on the edges and a final layer of BID
extending about one inch around the hard points. Finally, the hole was glassed over with TRIAX
per the manual.
NOTE: I was coached to install the speed brake
during my first few days at the factory and directed to glass over the speed brake
hole before glassing the edge. I would
have finished the edge before covering the hole for an easier and cleaner
finish. I found out that the factory
does not necessarily follow the manual in many instances. This taught me early on not to go by what I
am told, or by the manual instructions, without giving things some
thought. I believe this has turned
invaluable throughout my building experience as I have done many things
differently and in a different order to better accomplish many of the
tasks.
2. Speed Brake
Actuator Installation (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
I installed the actuator
per the manual and had to use a thin wood spacer between the keel top and the
top bracket. I was told by the factory that
it should lower to an angle as close to 60° as possible from horizontal. I used a 12v household transformer to test it
and mine extended to 57°. I will make a
microglass bed to adjust the hinges flush to the surface when I finish the
edges of the speed brake space.
1. Center Keel Installation (1)
Center keel controls and keel installation were completed
per the manual during my stay at the factory.
RUDDER PEDAL / TOE-BRAKE Working
1. Rudder /
Toe-Brake Pedals (1)
(2) (3)
The pedals were assembled
and installed per the manual. I used
pieces of water heater rubber hose on the supports to increase grip. I cut them in the back such that they can clear
one end of the tube, by sliding it all the way to the other side, before centering
them in place.
2. Toe-Brake Pedal
Bellcrank (1)
Installed per the
manual.
I followed the manual
instructions. The access cover came
already cut from the factory. I
protected the edges with duct tape and inserted the cover in place. I then placed cloth over the access cover
extending about 1 to 1.5 inches all around and let it cure. Once cured I drilled the holes for the screws
with the cover in place and installed the nutplates.
1. Nose Access
Cover (1)
I place much more screws
around the nose cover than I would have liked, for it to sit tight against the
flange. I will probably modify it
somehow for less drag and a cleaner look before the airplane is done.
1. Seat Bottom
Hinge Location Jig (1)
(2)
The location of the
aluminum hard points for the seat hinges showed differences and the manuals did
not specify any measurements to determine the relationship between the bottom
pans and the back of the seats. I
requested some photos from the factory and based on them, I decided on the
location of the hinges. I drew some
reference lines and set up jigs with clamps and aluminum beams on the bench to
ensure the same position of the holes in all seats.
2. Seat Bottom
Hinge Installation (1)
(2)
3. Seat Back Hinge
Location Template / Jig (1)
4. Seat Back Hinge
Holes (1)
5. Hinge
Installation (1)
I prefer rather vertical
seat backs so I inverted the aluminum stops on the hinges to reduce the angle
between the bottom and the back seats.
They seem comfortable for me now but if they turn out too vertical, I
can always grind the stops to allow further extension of the seats.
6. Seat
Reinforcements (1) (2)
I did not like the
factory’s method for installing the seats to the rails. I determined the location of the rails on the
seat pans and installed tapped hard points in them. This allows the use of proper length bolts to
screw the rails to the seat pans from the bottom, without disturbing the
upholstery work.
7. Rail Installation
I moved the seat against
the rails to determine the height I wanted for the seat pans. I then moved the whole seat assembly (seat
and rails) fore-aft on the cabin floor to match my distance to the pedals. This gave the location for the floor hard
points. I did the same for the back
seats except that I decided to increase the angle between the rear seat pans
and the fuselage floor by inserting a piece of wood between the rails and the
hard points. The installation of the
floor hard points was done in two steps.
First, I tapped and screwed the hard points to the rails. I then potted them in place with the rails
aligned and leveled. Once cured, I
unscrewed the rails and finished shaping the microglass transition and covering
them with BID and peel ply.
Once installed, I noticed
there is some misalignment of the seat hinges which cause the arms to rub
against each other. I straightened them
somewhat by placing washers, as needed, between the pans and the hinges. I noticed that slightly separating the arms
helps to align them also, making their rotation smoother. For this, I placed 1/16” thick wide “Teflon”
washers between the arms.
1. Seat Belts Hard
Points. Front (1) (2) (3) (4)
All seat belts will attach
with the 7/16” bolts provided with the seat belts. In the front, I installed the steel hard
point angles that came with the seat belts against the keel and floor to
reinforce the area on top of the speed brake (F1). I tapped the aluminum point for the front
seat belt retractable mechanism and tightened the bolt on it. I then glued the assembly in place with the
bolt head against the fuselage side potted in flox (F2). I installed tapped aluminum hard points on
all other attachment points (F3, F4, R3), including inside the keel for the
rear seat belts (R1, R2). I plan to use
steel angles to attach the back seat belts’ retractable mechanism to the
firewall with the corresponding engine mount bolts.
INSTRUMENT
PANEL / GLARE SHIELD
1. Instrument
Panel (1)
(2) (3) (4)
I trimmed the instrument
panel and glare shield in place. I
opened the holes for the throttle, propeller and mixture control knobs. I also have started to tentatively locate
items in the panel. I am sure this setp
will change many times.
1. Scoop
Installation (1)
(2) (3) (4)
After installing the fresh
air NACA in the nose, I have been told that there is no significant air flow
coming from it and that more than enough fresh air comes from the overhead
console. I am thinking about either
closing it or using it for a different purpose.
1. Map Lights /
Switches Openings (1)
I bought reading lights and
switches from Velocity for each seat and opened the holes for them on the
overhead plenum.
2. Sealing and Area
Reinforcement (1)
I waited for the airplane
to be upside down to conntinue work on the plenum. I sealed the inside of it with a coat of
EZ-Poxy and reinforced two areas with TRIAX where I plan to install bases for
the ventsthe vents.
3. Access Covers
and Bases for Vents (1)
(2)
I made a couple of covers
for the areas on the plenum where I wanted to install the air vents. I used one layer of TRIAX between two of BID
to make the covers, and finished with peel ply.
I installed the vents on the covers and then screwed the assembly to the
overhead plenum. This way I have access
to the inside of the plenum and can easily change or tighten the vents in the
future, if necessary.
4. Overhead Plenum
Drain (1) (2)
The plans call for
installation of an aluminum tube between the back of the overhead plenum and the
bottom of the fuselage for drainage of water entering through the roof’s fresh
air NACA. I believe this to be an
overkill and a cumbersome installation. I decided to install one short piece of
aluminum tubing on the plenum and another one on the bottom of the fuselage
with flox and connect them with a plastic hose.
This is a much simpler installation with the ability to inspect for
possible obstructions and easy replacement the hose, if needed.
5. Overhead Plenum
Installation (1)
(2) (3) (4) 
I sanded, primed and filled
the plenum as needed. I installed a 3/8”
plastic hose inside to feed the wiring for the reading lamps and kept it in
place with fiberglass strips. I removed
foam between the plenum and the overhead panel, glassing over it and making a
channel for the plastic hose. The hose
extended into the overhead panel in the front and exited the plenum in the
back. I marked the position of the rivet
holes around the plenum’s edge. I
positioned the plenum in place, traced the contour and drilled four pilot rivet
holes; two in the front and two in the back.
I sanded the inner skin about one inch inside the contour marking and
cleaned the area with denatured alcohol.
I placed flox on the fuselage and a very thin coat on the plenum’s
flange. I placed toothpicks in the four
pilot rivet holes to guide the plenum in place.
I then replaced the toothpicks with rivets, one at a time. I continued drilling and riveting the
plenum’s flange. I finished by making a
radius in the back, against the firewall, removing the flox excess around it
and cleaning everything with alcohol.
1. Overhead Panel
Installation (1)
(2)
I couldn’t find the
instructions for installation of the overhead panel in the manual. I asked the factory and it can be installed
permanently or screwed to the carbon beams.
Therefore, it is not considered a structural part of the cabin. I decided to install it permanently without
much reinforcement. I marked and grinded
the flanges with a 36 grit sanding disc on the air grinder to make it fit in
place, between the front carbon fiber beams.
I then removed foam and glassed over it to make a channel for a plastic
hose between the panel and the plenum for wires. I bonded the panel in place with
flox-cabosil. The match with the carbon
beams was very close. I will reinforce
with a radius of microglass around it and fill with micro as needed for
finishing.
The center main
spar-firewall BID reinforcement layups were made over a micro radius, per the
manual. For easiness, the lower cap reinforcement
was made while the fuselage was upside down.
2. TRIAX
Reinforcements (1)
(2) (3)
All main spar reinforcements
were made per the manual and covered with peel ply.
My spar came without the
bushings from the factory. I got a set,
cut them slightly shorter than the corresponding hole and installed them with
structural epoxy and flox.
1 Firewall
Reinforcements (1)
(2)
After buying a Lycoming
IO540, I placed the corresponding firewall reinforcements for the dynafocal
engine mount, per the manual.
1. Fuselage
Underside Priming (1)
(2)
I rolled 3 coats of
Poly-Fiber UV Smooth Primer and filled as necessary before the final coats and
a lot of more sanding with 80, 180 and 320 grit sandpaper.
LINK TO
CONSTRUCTION IMAGES ON THE OFFICIAL VELOCITY WEBSITE
THIS SECTION
IS UPDATED REGULARLY.
PLEASE
REPORT ANY MALFUNCTION OR BROKEN LINKS TO:
Jorge A. Bujanda / 2004