REFLECTOR: Adding a door/modification of elite doors for stair access

Tue Jan 2 18:17:53 CST 2007

Hmnnnn….Extreme caution on opening up the fuse any further than the already
large cutouts of the gull wing doors Hiroo!  …think the amount of
reinforcing required (to counter any further weakening of the structure to
enlarge one or more doors) would really negate doing this.

I too pondered why the doors were separately supplied already reinforced by
the factory, rather than allowing the builder to reinforce the side of the
fuselage where the door was cut out (i.e.: the cut-out simply becomes the
door)….there must be a reason.

Would be very interested to see any examples of elite doors being split and
used as stairs into the aircraft….would make a heap of sense for ease of
access and lessen gas strut forces to open the top half of the door….also
think it great for taxi-ing.

Greg in Sydney

HYPERLINK "mailto:gregpoole at saaachapter11.com"gregpoole at saaachapter11.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Hiroo Umeno
Sent: Wednesday, 3 January 2007 10:52 AM
To: amillin at sbcglobal.net; Velocity Aircraft Ownersand Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Adding a door

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

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