Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
Online Community of Zenith Builders and Flyers
cabin frame
I joined the rear and forward fuselages and then made the jig for the instrument panel and firewall. When I went to put the cabin frame in, it pushes my firewall forward by about 23 mm (at the top of the jig). I have checked and rechecked all angles and measurements. In order to keep the firewall at the correct angle, I have to slide my rear fuselage back (disconnected from the cabin sides) about 12mm until the rear fuselage just slips out of the cabin sides (little bent flange at the rear of cabin sides). My wing attach points are about 2-3 mm wider than the standard listed but I can't change that. Rear fuselage is at correct angle. Firewall correct angle. Cabin floor correct angle. Jig is perfect. I am questioning the cabin frame forward tubes (that join at the center and mate to the engine mount). If they are long, that would push the firewall forward (away from the jig) but I can't get that measurement from Zenith. (I seem to get vague answers like "try fudging things in several different areas until it gets close," but that would change all the angles of wings, tail, and engine (somewhere I don't want to go right now). Any ideas? A good start would be a measurement of the cabin frame front tubes. Did anybody else have any issues like that?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Haas on
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It has been a few years since I built mine but I seem to remember some issues in that area too. The critical dimension is the spacing between the front spar pick up point and the rear point. You have to have that close to perfect or the wings won't fit. I recall having to make some rods/ jigs/ etc to get that spacing correct. The front tubes to the firewall did push my firewall out slightly if I remember correctly. I think I just tweaked that setting downward as a little goes a long way since the firewall is angled. In my case it didn't matter because I was building my own engine mount. A factory mount might not be so forgiving to an altered location though. Keep us informed on how this is working out.
Ben.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Fournier on
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In my case it is more than a little bit. If I slide the cabin frame down, I lose the connection to the engine mount altogether and by quite a lot. also the top of the cabin frame gos away from "level" and takes the wings with it. That would require a very high nose pitch to get a good angle of attack on my wings for takeoff or landing??? I am suspecting long front tubes on cabin frame(from top to engine mount attach bracket). a measurement would be appreciated.
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