veze mods

does anyone know the best way to add inspection cover on nose of veze to get at battery I presently have to take the canard off to get at my battery. not that I have to get at it very often but it is a hassle to do it thanks for any tips rebel.

The fellow who built our VariEze installed a very well reinforced inspection/access door in the nose of this plane. It is round, large enough to access not only the battery but also to install rudder pedal extenders, and there is no chance that it jeopardizes the structural integrity of the nose. This is because it is a very thick and deep flange which is covered by a round aluminum plate, .065 thick, and with four screws into Tinnerman nutplates. If you still need specifics/photos of this please email me at curt<at>vigilanceaero.com.

I don't know if this will work with a VariEZ, but this is how I did it on my LongEZ. I was also concerned about structural integrity, especially with a 30 lb battery sticking way out there in the front.

I have a couple photos of the cover layup on my web site:

http://www.iflyez.com/LongEZ_Construction_Photos_Nose.shtml

Also look at some of the other photos and you can see how it looks with the cover off.

I made a quick drawing, hope this helps.

I did my nose cover AFTER I had the nose laid up. Basically, I covered the nose are with plastic sheet, then laid up 4 layers of BID a little larger than I wanted the cover to be. If I were doing this today, I would put peel ply on the bottom and top, and may use the LO-VAC system.

When cured, pop it off, and cut it to the shape you want.

Transcribe the lines from the new cover to the nose. Now redraw the line on the nose, but subtract about 1/2 inch. The opening will be smaller than the cover by 1/2 inch all the way around.

Cut through the skins with a dremel. Cut the inside skin (if there is one) so its approximately 1/2 inch LARGER than the cover. The outside skin will become the LIP that the cover mounts to.

Clean up the foam between the two skins. The inside surface of the outer skin needs to be clean and sanded back to at least 1/2 inch for good bonding.

Layup 3 layers of BID between the two skins, it should completely cover the inside of the outer skin, and go an inch or two over the outside of the inside skin. (read this again very slowly and carefully). Knife trim when ready.

This should form a nice 1/2 lip all the way around your opening that is at least 5 layers of BID thick. Place the cover over the lip and drill mounting holes. I mounted nutplates to the bottom side of the lip.

Prep the area (maybe 2 or 3 inches) around the lip for micro filler. Put duct tape on the cover so micro won't stick to it, bolt the cover in place, then put micro on the nose, all the way around the cover. When cured, sand the micro until its flush withe the cover.

Waiter

Those are excellent photos, drawings and descriptions Waiter. The way that J. Kendrick built the access door in our N111JK is VERY much heftier. It forms a tunnel or short tube inside the nose and perpendicular to the outer skin surface, about TWO INCHES deep, and with glass/foam/glass walls of the tunnel more than a half-inch thick. This tunnel is about 4 inches in diameter. This method reinforces the skin surface of the upper nose about ten times more than is necessary, and yeah I guess it was/is kind of an overkill way of doing it.

If you have access panels/doors, over-doing their structure is not a bad thing.

thanks for all the info about access panel for battery. I am in the process of replacing the canopy so will incorporate the gas strut for canopy stay. also making I fly EZE a favorite site love the vedios thanks again the rebel.