REFLECTOR: Leveling the plane

[Terry Miles]

Jim,
In the belief that the firewall is 90 degrees to level, then use your
firewall and a digital level...shim the nose until you get 90 degrees to
read on the level held up& down against the firewall. That incidence
(sp?) wing jig does look goofy, but it works as a eye ball if that's all
you have to go on.  Big thing, I believe, is to invest in a digital
level for considerably more precise readings.
Terry

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Jim Sower
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 3:24 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Leveling the plane


That sounds like what I need to do.  Problem is I have a "bought" plane 
with no references.that I can find.  Is there a place on the belly that 
is parallel to the reference plane, or anything like that?  The guy I 
bought it from told me to use the wing leveling jig to level the plane, 
but it's a piece of plywood that doesn't fit all that well and has a 
dime store level glued to it.  I'd like some way to level it for real 
and then drill the holes like Joe did.
Been at a loss how to level this beast for the longest time ... Jim S.

> <>
> Joe Ewen wrote:
> Scott,
> Once I had my fuselage level in pitch, I put in permanent references
> for future use. Once the lower cowl is cut away its hard to 
> reestablish pitch level. I made my reference points by drilling 1/4 
> holes in the fuselage side approximately 6" under the strake and 3' 
> apart. I then filled the holes with micro, after cure the center of 
> the filled holes was drilled with a 1/8 bit (level to each other.) Now

> when I want to put the fuselage in pitch level, I insert 1/8" bits 
> into the holes (shank into hole) and rest a
> 4 foot level across the bits.
>
> For roll level I use a theodolite (a transit would work) and measure 
> down to the top of wing bolts inserted into the upper outboard 
> bushings in the spare. Can read down to 0.005" from the horizontal 
> plane. Water tubes work pretty well but do not have as good an 
> accuracy level.
>
> Joe
>
>
>  
>
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