REFLECTOR: Adding a door

[gattenby at tulsaconnect.com]

Hiroo,

I too decided that one door was not going to do...
(my wife's got a bum knee and recently hurt her back...)

I used aluminium foil and taped it over the port side door 
to make a template. (the wife wouldn't let me have 
Christmas paper)
The hard part so far was placing the template on the 
starboard side and make it even with the port side.

I marked around the template and cut out the hole.
I plan on using the "chunk" that came out as the door.
I'm thinking of cutting it in half and hinging it upper 
and lower.  The "armrest" in the strake would become a 
"stair step"

As for stiffing the fusalage...  My kit came with 2 carbon 
fiber beams both for "aft" of the door.
I have planed on adding the pair for forward of the door, 
and then adding carbon fiber BID to the triax door lip.
I've thought about adding a few ply of triax to the keel 
as well.

I won't be flying for years, so my plans may not help 
you...  but I think it's feasable.

Noel


On Tue, 2 Jan 2007 15:51:48 -0800
  Hiroo Umeno <humeno at microsoft.com> wrote:
> I guess there aren't enough single-door Velo's out there 
>for them to put the retrofit kit on the Velocity 
>Store<g>.  I'll definitely consider factory retrofit kit.
> 
> What I am not exactly certain is your statement about 
>the structure.  Looking at the door section of the 
>fuselage, and recalling how I have built that area, I do 
>recall it was essentially the fuselage that is cut open 
>to the cut line and bonded with the carbon beam and the 
>hinge area re-enforcements.  You, then, built up the lips 
>and other structure that will go along with the door.
> 
> As for the door itself, it looks to me like it is the 
>standard fiberglass sandwich with the frame all the way 
>around.  It seems to me that you should be able to 
>replicate a fairly similar setup (of course, why would I 
>do that if I can just get all the parts I need from the 
>factory).
> 
> On the other hand, this does present an interesting 
>opportunity for some creative modifications.  I think 
>Chuck was the one who has the handy "Airstair" mod that 
>opens up and down to help alleviate some of the 
>step-height issues.  I know he did that on the "pop-top" 
>variety but it seems to me that it can be adapted to the 
>Elite type as well.
> 
> Expanding on the dual-split "up and down" door concept, 
>I could imagine elongating the top portion of the opening 
>a bit to the rear so that the rear seat occupants can get 
>in a bit easier (the main benefit of the pop-top)...
> 
> Hiroo
> 
> ________________________________
>From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org 
>[mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Andy 
>Millin
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:31 AM
> To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Adding a door
> 
> Hey Hiroo,
> 
> I'm not sure the procedure would change much between a 
>completed plane and the kit.  You gotta do what you gotta 
>do...
> 
> The Texas Attorney, Mr. Chris Barber, added the second 
>door to his SUV, and is now the de facto authority.  :)
> 
> I'm not sure the part of the fuselage that gets cut out 
>could be re-used.  The door frames have quite a bit of 
>structure to them that just isn't there in the fuselage 
>wall.  Your beautiful, existing window will most likely 
>be cut out for the door opening and later discarded.
> 
> I'm finding out how much fun fitting and finishing the 
>doors can be.  It can be a bit tedious, but it really 
>isn't that bad.
> 
> Building the door was actually pretty painless.  You 
>could probably order a "fast build" door from Velocity. 
> (Window and latching mechanism already installed)  The 
>only downside could/might be a door window that isn't as 
>well aligned with the other windows.
> 
> You will need to:
>    Cut the hole
>    Dress the edges
>    Add the triax re-enforcement around the opening
>    Pot the pin tubes
>    Mount the gas spring
>    Fit and finish
> 
> I would imagine you could have it back in the air with a 
>couple of weeks of work.  If you have to install your own 
>window, then it will take a bit longer.
> 
> Would you be using Kitplanes Northwest to help?
> 
> Andy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
>From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org 
>[mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Hiroo 
>Umeno
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 1:37 PM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Adding a door
> Now that N21HV is in the air (sometime) we are starting 
>to think about what comes after all the tweaks are done. 
> My wife has signed herself up to doing the upholstery 
>(she has done a few cars and much furniture in the past). 
> She's also going to do the exterior paint scheme as 
>well.
> 
> But, before we get into those, there is the (sore) 
>subject of the door.  When I initially ordered the kit, I 
>ordered the SUV since I wanted the yoke control.  The 
>option to have SE with yoke wasn't offered back then and 
>the SUV was on "launch special pricing".  Of course, I 
>wasn't married and thought I might have an occasional 
>passenger or two and figured that single door wasn't a 
>big deal.
> 
> That was then, and now, the situation is a bit 
>different.  My wife loves to fly (with me, but not at the 
>controls) and after climbing in and out of the plane a 
>few times on the ground I hear no end about how 
>"un-ladylike" the whole process of getting to the right 
>seat is.  Particularly, since, even tough we are the same 
>height; she has legs full six inches longer than me.
> 
> So, in the interest of domestic tranquility and from 
>keeping her from insisting on me trading in the Velocity 
>for a Wichita Wonder, I need to think about adding a door 
>to the plane, and before the upholstery and paint goes 
>on.
> 
> Has anyone added a door to a completed plane?  How 
>difficult is that?  Since my kit was delivered with the 
>door pretty much all done, I have no idea how much work 
>it would entails.  Particularly, since the passenger side 
>window is already installed, it would be a real pain if I 
>had to re-do the window.
> 
> Can the whole passenger side fuselage panel (including 
>the installed window) somehow be re-purposed into a door? 
> My cursory inspection shows that I could potentially 
>build-up a frame forward of the carbon beam, then cut 
>around to create the door from the fuselage itself.  Is 
>this too simplistic?
> 
> Any pit-falls and considerations?
> 
> Hiroo