Re: REFLECTOR: Fuselage Leveling

[Dave Black <asterisk@erols.com>]

David,


> Question/Problem:
> ---Is the fuselage twisted in cases.. Or is it basically straight
> enough that no twisting is necessary to get side to side leveling
> without needing to twist it somewhat?


I am not the ultimate authority on Velocity kits, so what I say here is just
my opinion. I have, however, nearly completed mine, so at least I feel
qualified to get the discussion going.

To my knowledge, twisted fuselages have never been a problem with the
Velocity. There is an ongoing issue of the fuselage mold being slightly
asymmetrical. The asymmetry shows up in the Canard Bulkhead and the Main Gear
positioning. While it frequently causes concern, it does not present a
problem. 

Under normal circumstances, the fuselage comes to you with no twist or bends.
But yours may NOT be a normal circumstance, as your kit has been stored for
considerable time. Depending on the conditions of its storage, it's quite
possible the fuselage halves could have taken on some twist. 

Just for curiosity, what is your kit number? 

First of all, everything aft of the firewall eventually gets cut off, so if
the fuselage is straight from the firewall forward, you will be fine. While
it's true you use the parts removed from the rear to create the cowlings,
there is so much hand labor involved, you could reform the cowl into nearly
any shape you wish. So don't worry about the cowl at this point. 

I believe it's reasonable (in your circumstance) to level the major bulkheads,
as well as the rear of the Elite doors, and check the fuselage width at those
points. Having done this, it might be worthwhile to set the top half in place
to see if there are any problems with it matching up. It's possible it might
need a little twist, too. 

Depending on the results of this test, I'd either go ahead and commence
building, or level some more points. But in the end, don't worry if it is not
absolutely perfect. You will find most parts in this project must be adjusted
to fit. And in the case of the fuselage, even if it HAS a slight twist, no one
will ever be able to tell once you mate the halves -- the join line gets
completely covered over or removed. 

About leveling:
There is SO MUCH leveling required in building the Velocity, that I'd
recommend you purchase one of those digital levels which reads in 1/10 degree.
You don't really have to have this much accuracy, but it sure saves eyestrain
looking at the yellow bubble. And there are many times when it's convenient to
read a level from several feet away. Just one of a dozen or so tools I
consider essential to building a glass plane. 

I hope this helps...


Dave Black
SW RG TopDoor