The canard is now installed and all the wires have been run.

The TCW Trim Controller works like a champ.  When I first tested it, I thought there was a problem since it would only run for about three seconds and then stop.  But then I remembered that there is a “trim runaway” protection feature which prevents a stuck switch from resulting in the trim being run all the way.  So you just have to re-activate the switch if you ever need more trim.  There’s also a reverse trim function that also works perfectly.

There is also a high and low speed trim function so that when you’re flying slow (like in the pattern) the trim motor runs at a higher speed than it does when you’re flying fast.  I haven’t tested that function yet.

I also powered up the landing lights.

With the new battery installed, Audio Panel moved, and GPS installed, it’s time to reassemble the instrument panel for (I hope) the last time.  During this install, I’ll be using locking hardware and securing wires.

Once everything was back together it was time to fire up the electronics for the first time in quite a while.

I was so very happy that everything powered up properly!

Since the glareshield is now installed, I can test the panel lights as well.

And since the wings were now on and wired, I was able to test the Nav and strobe lights.

Next, I’ll install the canard and connect the landing lights, trim motor and heater fan and test those.  I’ve also got to find a headset and see if the radios work.

The battery that I have been using is a used one which came out of another airplane.  The dimensions are pretty standard so I used it as a template when I was building the battery tray.

It was a standard flooded cell, lead/acid battery.  And the cover plate was also the hold down strap.

But I decided on a sealed battery.  Which means that I don’t have to worry about putting in an overflow drain.  But the new battery doesn’t have an intergated hold-down.  So it’s fabrication time again.

The battery has these two little… tabs sticking up.  I could have just gone over top of those but I was worried that pressing down on those would cause trouble in the future. So instead of using flat plate, I used I picked up some 3/4″ square stock and cut it to length and notched the square stock. Then drilled two holes for the rods.

Here’s the hold-down bar on the new battery.

I got the old mounting bracket and relocated the audio panel.

Before:

After:

I got the battery yesterday but had to make a change in the instrument panel today so I won’t get all the electrical hooked up and test to verify clearance from the pitch trim spring until (hopefully) tomorrow.

Now that I (finally) have an IFR capable GPS, I need an antenna.  I could have purchased one from Grand Rapids for $550, but I decided to check with the manufacture of the antenna they sell.  Sensor Systems sold me the same antenna for about $425.  Sweet!

Usually the antenna is mounted top of the fuselage.  On aluminum aircraft, you have to put it outside otherwise the metal blocks the signal.  That’s not an issue with a composite aircraft.

Most Velocity builders put the antenna on the canard under the cover known as the “doghouse”.  Other builders create a shelf under the doghouse.

Me and Malcolm went back and forth on the best approach.  Under the doghouse and you have lift up the doghouse and reach in to disconnect the antenna before removing the doghouse completely. On the canard and it’s one more thing competing for space in a very busy area with things that move (trim motor and autopilot pitch servo). And it’s got to be elevated to allow for the antenna cable.

In the end I decided to put it under the doghouse.

So Malcolm did what Malcolm does best: Create things out of resin and fiberglass.

Here’s the GPS Antenna Shelf.

With the antenna installed

Attached to the underside of the doghouse.

With the doghouse installed on the canard.

I finished the re-securing of the smaller wire bundles.

Here’s the left main gear leg with the wire bundle for the landing gear position sensors.

You’ll notice quite a few of those crappy, nylon wire mounts were loose. Not only could that damage a wire which would indicate an unsafe landing gear but it could also affect the mechanism itself and prevent the landing gear from locking in place.

So I removed all of those pads and replaced them with the new style. Which are not epoxied in place with structural adhesive.

These puppies aren’t going anywhere!

One of the tasks with the electrical system is securing the wires. Larger wires like the main power distribution wires and large wire bundles are secured by Adel clamps. 

It’s also possible to use Adel clamps for smaller wire bundles. This is the autopilot roll servo wire harness.

But in some places, Adel clamps are difficult to use if there’s limited space/access since they have to be screwed in and they’re a bit overkill for small wire runs.

One of the places they won’t work is on the gear legs.  I don’t want to do anything that could affect the integrity of the gear leg like drilling a hole in it.

So I picked up a bag of plastic wire tie mounts with self adhesive foam backing at Oshkosh.

Because the gear leg is not smooth, I made some “pads” with epoxy/cabo covered by some small 1″x1″ pieces of wood covered with duct tape.  Once the epoxy cured, I popped off the wood and had a perfectly flat surface to attach the foam mount to.

Here’s the gear leg with the wire mount.

It held pretty good… for a while.  Then it came loose.  The amount of pull on the wires when the gear retracts is just more than the foam adhesive can handle. I even found some other places that didn’t have much stress on them which came loose as well.  And since it’s made out of nylon, finding a glue that can adhere to it would be a pain. There are probably some of these available that have NASA quality adhesive but they’re also probably $5 each.

So fellow builder Erik Franks mentioned these guys.

Since they’re made out of aluminum, Resin Research epoxy will bond to them very well (RR epoxy is real good for bonding to aluminum!).  They’re small, light and have a lower profile than the plastic mounts.

So next week when I’m down in Sebastian, I’ll swap out the old plastic POS mounts with the new ones.