Kinnerhatz

Any time. Glad to help. As rickh mentioned, you could use 1/16" extruded aluminum angle for LB18 instead of bending from sheet.

The LB18 is 0.063" 2024T3. The LB9 is 5-ply birch plywood, 1/4" or 5mm thick. You can substitute dark red PVC with 3-plies BID both sides.

LB7 is made from a sheet of 0.25 inch thick phenolic. It is a square 2 inches by 2 inches with a 5/8 inch diameter hole in the center (ream it if you can). The edges are beveled back so that the flat on top is a square of 1.05 inches by 1.05 inches. LB8 is also made from 0.25 phenolic. Make it by drilling and threading two 1/4x28 UNF holes 1.25 inches apart. Directly between these two holes, drill or ream a 5/8 inch diameter hole. Form the outside of the part by creating a 5/8 inch radius around the center hole and 0.25 inch radii about the end holes. The shape of LB9 is not critical, but look up the Long-EZ Plans Change LPC#65. The pivot axis going through LB9 is 2.4 inches above the bottom of the cockpit floor and 1.45 inches away from the back of the seat back bulkhead (measured perpendicular to the bulkhead). LB18 is a 90° angle formed of 2024T3 aluminum sheet. The #10 hole is 5/8 inches above the mounting surface. The length of the mounting surface is 2 inches long by 0.8 inches wide. The radius around the #10 hole is 7/16 inches.

I use the ACS belts and the end fittings are aluminum, but they were purchased years ago. I did make one modification to them. I added a strap of seat belt webbing with loops stitched to each end. The strap goes between the two shoulder harness belts and holds them about 9-inches apart just behind the occupants neck. This compensates for the Long-EZ mounting points which are too far apart.

The aluminum end fittings on the Aircraft Spruce belts shown in the above link bother me. I'd like to know if they were engineered and to what loads they have been designed. They may be fine, but who knows?

Lap belts with adjusters between the buckle and the airframe mount can work, but ideally the adjuster should be flipped around from normal practice so that you pull up on the strap to tighten rather than pulling down. Kent is right, pulling down on the loose end to tighten is very hard in our cramped cockpits. Most any custom harness maker can flip the adjuster around if asked.

I have a straight prop and can't get 7-2. Should I use 7-1 or 8-2? Maybe 7:30-1:30?

If you can keep it dry, internal surfaces oiled and in a dark place, it should be fine. Keep it at a constant temperature if possible to minimize condensation. I kept an engine in a desert hangar for two years with dehydrator spark plugs and a desiccant bag on the breather with no corrosion. The desiccant must be refreshed regularly. Rubber parts will of course age. I am also looking for an O-360. Is this a unique deal or can you share info on it?

I know that the cove is the surface of the main canard element ahead of the elevator, but what is a "cove lip"?

Roger, If you change to a different type of cap you will have to cut out the existing filler neck and bond in a new neck designed for the new cap. There is no standard filler neck. If you have the original Rutan style gas cap -- the one where the cap engages a small rod running across the filler opening -- then you may just need to replace the o-rings. There is one large and one small o-ring in each cap. I have some of these and will send you a set if you PM me your address. Kin

Roger, The nose tire and tube on the Long-EZ are size 2.80/2.50-4. The meaning of this designation is as follows: 2.80-inch tire section width, 2.50-inch tire section height, 4-inch wheel rim diameter. Aircraft Spruce and others sell a McCreary (now Specialty Tires of America, STA) 4-ply tire with zig-zag tread in this size. Another option is the ribbed tire (looks like a standard aircraft tire) by Aero Classic. It is available in 4 and 6-Ply versions from: http://www.desser.com/ The 4-ply should be sufficient for a stock Long-EZ. You will have to take the wheel halves apart to get the tire off. Be sure to deflate the tire before doing this. On reassembly, coat inside of tire and outside of tube with a dusting of talcum power; it will reduce friction between the two. Use care not to pinch the tire between the wheel halves on assembly. To find the bolt size needed for your nose gear axle, measure the outside width of the fork at the point where the bolt goes through. Measure this in fractional inches. This is the "grip" of the bolt you need. Go to the Aircraft Spruce web site. You need a 1/4-inch diameter bolt, so search the site for AN4 bolts with your grip length. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/an4.php Cheers, Kin

Looks great! It's refreshing to see such a stock build. Is that urethane foam on the nose? Some people have trouble with the long-term durability of that stuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NavAid-Autopilot-Wing-Leveler-AP-1-Long-EZ-Vans-RV_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1240Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem335178300eQQitemZ220410163214QQptZMotorsQ5fAviationQ5fPartsQ5fGear

I measured a new 2.80/2.50-4 4-ply STA tire inflated to 50 psi. It was 8.9-inches outside diameter. A Desser Tire rep quoted an OD of 8.62-inches for their Aero Classic 6-ply ribbed tire.

Anyone know of a source for the smooth 2.80/2.50-4 nose wheel tire? This place can no longer get them: http://specialtytirestore.com/smooth_tires_p.htm Ken Miller does not have them either. 6-Ply ribbed Aero Classic tires are available here: http://www.desser.com/ and of course Spruce and others sell the standard McCreary (now Specialty Tires of America, STA) treaded tire. Where to get the smooth style? On another note, does anyone know what the inflated diameter is of the above Aero Classic tire? Many thanks!