<Archive Thread> Building the EX3 - Tips & Hints

[lbell]

Thanks. To be sure I understand, you first painted with the DUHS and then came back and put the FDGH over it and it worked? That's what Cubcrafters has told me too. I have some DUHS paint left and wanted to put it over the new FDGH as stripes and they said it works OK.

That’s correct. I also did my red stip with FDGH

[smalls]

Dave, is it possible to wrap one nose skin section at a time working from outboard to inboard with the nose skin clamps? My thought is to fit all four sections on the top of the spar and drill/cleco the first two holes in each nose rib for all sections. When it comes to wrapping the nose skin and using the clamps, if it's possible to work one section at a time it would leave more access from the side for adjusting the lower half of the nose ribs into place prior to drilling. Thanks.

"Next I take the outboard skin (the one that does not wrap all the way around the bottom of the front spar) and just wrap it around the nose skins, lift the end of the wing at that spar and then just set the spar back down and let the skin sit there for now. All we are doing now is just getting the skins into a position so we can install the clamps.

Go to the next skin (from this outboard skin) and then just wrap it around and kindof horse it around until you can get that lip of the bottom of the skin to go around the bottom of the spar and pop up in place. You can then just put some clamps there for now to hold it in place. Note that the ends of the intermediate nose ribs will go inside the cutouts in the skins.

NOTE: As you wrap it around, look up at the very end of the nose rib and see if that rivet hole (outboard, bottom) is going to hit that rib centered over the blue line. If not, it's easy to now move it into position before wrapping the skin."

[aflyer]

First, as a new cub builder, thank you Dave very much for all your hard work in compiling this manual.

And, a question for you and the other experts. I have just finished my boot cowl. It makes sense to me to go ahead and fit the cowling, before I have new paint on the boot, and while the board is reinforcing the shape of the firewall.

Is there a reason not to do this?

Thanks, John Huft

[Daveembry]

Hi John. Welcome to the club!

Yeah you need to wait for a couple reasons. The cowl has to be fitted around the prop spinner equally and the correct distance from it and there are baffles installed on the engine which the cowl fits against. So, you need to wait. You just put some tape around the boot cowl when fitting the cowl for the paint. No worries.

First, as a new cub builder, thank you Dave very much for all your hard work in compiling this manual.

And, a question for you and the other experts. I have just finished my boot cowl. It makes sense to me to go ahead and fit the cowling, before I have new paint on the boot, and while the board is reinforcing the shape of the firewall.

Is there a reason not to do this?

Thanks, John Huft

[aeroaddict]

I maybe confused but if you are asking if you should fit the 'boot cowl' before painting, the answer for me was yes. Take your time fitting the boot cowl especially on the bottom where it joins in with bottom triangular skin and fuse.

In regards to fitting the actual cowling (not the boot cowl), Dave is correct.

[aflyer]

Thank you both. Of course I need to fit the cowl to the spinner. I remember now doing this to my RV8. Now that my fuse finally starts to resemble an airplane I got carried away.

Now for fabric.

[Daveembry]

Adjusting the new Acme Stinger Tail Suspension.

This is a GREAT suspension and I could not believe how great it improved the landings. I thought I would discuss just a bit of how to adjust them to our airplanes.

The tail weights of the last 4 airplanes I have build using the Baby Bushwheel and either 4 leaf spring system or this Stinger came in around 62 lbs. CC says the average FX3 with 3200 is about 58 lbs and the baby bushwheel adds right at 4 lbs more, so that would be 62 lbs, exactly what mine weighed. With the Stinger on, it weighed 65 lbs so the Stinger is about 3 lbs more than the weight of the springs.

Of course it will weight more in the 3 pt. (normal) position and with fuel, baggage, people, etc.

According to Matt McSwain (Owner at Acme); the average tail weight of cubs is near 200 lbs so we need to "soften" up our installations of this on our airplanes.

First, look at the serial numbers of your Stinger. If it starts with a "49xxx", that is the correct one for us. If it starts with a "69xxx", that is one designed for a heavier tail and you should change it out.

To soften the shock, there are 3 things we will do.

1. First loosen the locknut on the shock itself and screw that heim joint out so you have about 1/8" or so between that lock nut and the shock (see photo)

2. Mount that heim (from the shock) into the most forward hole of the 3.

3. Extend the 2 heims up at the top a couple turns so that about 5-6 threads are showing past the lock nuts. These can also be adjusted to level (change the camber) of the tailwheel if needed later.

Try this out and see if when you pick up the tail with normal weight on it (what it would be with fuel, people, baggage, etc) and drop it and you should see the shock rod pull of a bit (maybe just 1/2" or so.

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A5A03FA0-27FD-45EB-B885-962A229D9E25.jpg

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[aeroaddict]

Sweet, new install?

[Daveembry]

Yes Acme, who has been asking the Black Ops shocks most people are now using, came out with this I believe just this year. Replaces the springs and like their shocks.....is a huge improvement. Check out their website videos tring to destroy one of these things! https://acmeaerofab.com/

Sweet, new install?

[aeroaddict]

Yup, great product, have them on the front but went the T3 on the rear. Makes it almost impossible to bounce a landing but I keep trying.