Tri-R Technologies  TR-4

BUILDER'S MANUAL

This Builder's Manual is NOT the official manual as published by TRI-R Technologies.  

SPAR PREPARATION

LEVELING AND FIXTURING
SPREADER STICKS
TEMPORARY FITTING OF THE FUSELAGE TOP

FIREWALL
FIREWALL FRONT FACE
ADDED REINFORCING IN FIREWALL AREA

STATION 139.5 BULK HEAD
STATION 180.5 BULKHEAD

MAIN SPAR AND OUTBOARD SPAR PRE ASSEMBLY
REAR SPAR
MAIN SPAR LOCATION AND INSTALLATION
POSITIONING
SPAR MOUNTING LAMINATIONS

MAIN GEAR BOX REINFORCEMENT
SEAT FRONT BULKHEAD & CONTROL MOUNT
FUSELAGE BELTLINE CONDUITS
FRONT SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY
REAR SEAT BACK INSTALLATION
CONTROL CONSOLE - FRONT SEAT AREA
ELEVATOR IDLER BELL CRANK
SEAT BOTTOM ASSEMBLY
FRONT SEAT
REAR SEATS

FRONT FLOOR ASSEMBLY
STICK LINKAGE ASSEMBLY
FLAP HANDLE ASSEMBLY BRACKET
AILERON IDLER INSTALLATION
FLAP ACTUATION TORQUE TUBE INSTALLATION
RUDDER IDLER LEVER INSTALLATION

HORIZONTAL STABILIZER
INSTALL RUDDER POST

ELEVATOR AND PUSH/PULL ROD INSTALLATION
RUDDER CABLE ROUTING AND INSTALLATION
MAIN GEAR INSTALLATION
BRAKE LINE INSTALLATION

FIN RIGHT HALF INSTALLATION
INSTALL LEFT FIN HALF
HANGING RUDDER
INSTALLATION OF FUSELAGE TOP
BAGGAGE AREA BACK PANEL

DOOR PREPARATION
WINDOW INSTALLATION
DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY
MOUNT DOORS
LATCH PLATE INSTALLATION
AIR STRUT INSTALLATION
REAR WINDOWS

INSTRUMENT PANEL
WINDSHIELD

MAIN GEAR BOX REINFORCEMENT

The primary reinforcement of the landing gear "box" area is the multiple layers of BID applied in the high load areas. These are integrated into the rear seat front bulkhead which is bonded to the center of the main gear box.

• Fit and tack the bulkhead into place on top of the landing gear recess.

• Fillet the edges of the bulkhead.

• Make up Two, 2 inch wide, 2 ply BID tape and apply to each side of the bulkhead.

• Apply 10 layers (two sets of 5 ply) in the area for the gear mounting bolts, overlapping up the sides of the fuselage wall and the faces of the seat bulkhead as shown on figure XXX. Stagger the overlaps of these two sets of plies slightly to taper the edges.

SEAT FRONT BULKHEAD & CONTROL MOUNT

• Cut the front seat forward bulkhead from the supplied flat panel material, cutting to the outline provided.

• Insert 1/4 inch plywood hard points as per figure XXX and cover with two ply bid. A minimum of one inch overlap.

• Bond the bulkhead into place with 2 ply BID on both sides at STA. 31 (30). Make sure the bulkhead is square in the fuse and is vertical in alignment.

• Tack in place a strip of laminate 2 inches wide, on the top edge, forward side of bulkhead 31. This will form the support for the front seat bottom, at the front of the seat bottom.

• Make enough 3" wide prelam strips to bond the inside and top edges of this support strip. Fillet the inside edge and round and fill the top edge to give a smooth surface for the pre lams to form and bond too.

FUSELAGE BELTLINE CONDUITS

Two sections of plastic tubing shall be bonded to the fuselage in the ''belt-line'' area providing a conduit for antenna coax and electric lines. This also provides added stiffness along the edge of the cockpit opening.

• Use the supplied PVC tubing, roughen and tack in place from station 24 to station 95 with dabs of 5 minute epoxy.
  

• When the tubing is secured in the desired location, fill in the edges on each side of the tube with dry MICRO paste and overlay with 4 ply BID tape full length. Allow a generous overlap in the bonding areas, 1 inch if possible. Green trim any overhanging BID in areas where it might interfere with mounting the top skin. Review figure XXX for approximate location of the tubing and bonding BID. This tubing should be installed before any other structural bonding will limit access to this location.

 

Figure 131-133: Electrical Conduit Installation

Tacked into place with 1/4 inch plywood spacer used to position conduit level with the 0.0 waterline.	Micro mix used to fill the space between conduit and fuselage side on top and smooth transition into longeron.	Sand and layer a two ply bid over and around conduit finishes and provides very strong edge.

FRONT SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY

To help facilitate the installation of the front seat back and the rear seat back, the control console sides, (4 pieces), are cut following the outlines on the prepreg panel.

The lower end of the back of the front seat is mounted roughly three inches aft from the rear edge of the center main spar.

• Cut a 3 inch wide strip of prepreg panel and bond it on to the aft edge of the center main spar using the forward console sides as a guide to the correct angle. See figure XXX.

• Tie this 3" wide strip to the main spar center section with a 2 inch wide 2 ply pre wetted BID strip. Fillet slightly to make a smooth finish for the bid. (This must be a strong joint).

The front seat back will be installed to the back edge of this strip, and angled back to where the seat back joins the upper side rail at stations 55.

• Cut the seat pack panel from the proper section of standard prepreg panel and fit it into position.

It is recommended that this seat back have two cut out panels to permit a section of the seat to move forward for loading back seat passengers. A continuous panel would be lighter and more rigid, but access to the rear seat would be limited.

• Cut the panels away to the configuration shown in figure XXX, and fill the raw edges of the honeycomb panel with a dry MICRO paste. Note how the side edges are angled to allow the bid to move from one side of the panel to the other side.

• Use clear tape or plastic (acetate is best) to provide a "parting" surface for the flanges which will be added to the moveable panels.

• The flanges shall be a minimum of 4 plies thick with about 1/2 inch overlap to prevent the seat panel from swinging back under seating load. Apply two ply’s to one side, bringing them up onto the top, and then apply the other two ply’s on the top side overlapping the bottom ply’s. See figure XXX.

• The top edge of the seats shall be stiffened with some carved foam, overlaid with pre-wetted BID.

• The center section shall be reinforced with a section of plywood with BID on both surfaces (see figure XXX). Overlap the folding panels about 1" to insure a positive stop under heavy loading.

• Fasten the folding seat backs at the bottom with a strip of locally procured hinge on each panel using #8-32 flat head screws.

• Tack into place with dabs of 5 minute epoxy.

• Bond the lower edge to the 3 inch wide angled section bonded to the center main spar with two ply, 3 inch wide wetted BID on each side.

• Bond the seat edges to the fuselage inner wall with 2 inch wide BID both sides. Read the next instruction before doing this step.

• The load bearing points of the top edge of the seat back shall be reinforced with a gusset of plywood covered with at least 3 layers BID both sides, to keep the backs supported under heavy seating loads. If the seat back has been left at its factory height, the gussets should be installed after the top fuselage section has been installed.

REAR SEAT BACK INSTALLATION

• Cut the rear seat, back panel from the prepreg following its respective outline, and fit it into position (bottom at station 78 and top at station 86).

The center section of the rear seat back may be modified to provide easier access to baggage etc. by cutting and hinging a section of the seat back. Make one large folding piece with the bottom ending 1" above the elevator hard point that is to be installed. Follow the same procedures as in the front seat back fold downs fabrication. Allow at least 3 inches of material at the fuse edges to maintain strength as this seat back is a structural support. See figure XXX.

• Add a hard point for the elevator idler bracket in the location shown in figure XXX. Use 1/4 inch plywood, cutting away one surface of the panel and inserting the wood section.

• Close out with a four layer BID patch with at least a one inch overlap around the perimeter of the hard point.

• Install the seat back with the bottom edge at station 78 and the top edge at station 86. "Tack" the seat back in place with 5-minute epoxy, and verify the location while the epoxy cures.

• Fillet all edges. Bond the seat back assembly in place with 3 inch wide 2 ply BID. (see figure XXX).

• Insert a 1 1/2 inch square hard point on each side in front of and near the bottom of the seat back on the outside fuselage skin, for the rear seat lap belt attach points. See figure XXX.

• Apply a 4 ply BID on the outside and inside of the fuse’ with at least a 1 inch extra overlap over the seat belt hard point.

• Cut a 3 inch wide strip of the same honeycomb panel as used for the seat back, and install it to stiffen the upper edge of the seat back (see figure XXX). Follow the same procedures as with the front seat back as to installing support gussets and the fuse’ Top.

• Fabricate a 1 inch wide angle of 4 ply BID to serve as the rear support for the removable seat bottom panels. Use a piece of 2" angle aluminum, purchased from the local hardware store, to use as a mold for the angle lam. (apply a small amount of wax to the aluminum before appling glass and resin.)

• Lay out a straight line from the seat forward support ( this is the stiffener bonded onto the top of the landing gear box), over the rear spar, to the bottom of the rear seat back, to establish the height for attachment of this angle to the seat back. Bond the prefabricated angle into position onto the seat back front surface.

CONTROL CONSOLE - FRONT SEAT AREA

Many of the control functions are mounted to and/or routed through - the center "console" . The console has the form of a "tunnel" that runs from the front seat forward edge to the rear seat back and is boxed up between the seat areas on each side. The panels should have been cut out of the prepreg material in a preceding section.

• Test fit the panel sections into the location shown and do any fine trimming which may be required for a proper fit . The tunnel width will narrow from a 4 inch outside width in the front seat area to a 3.5 outer width at the rear seat back.

The rudder cables will be routed against the walls of this tunnel section to minimize friction and avoid interference or conflict with any of the other functions in the tunnel. To accomplish this, the cables will be run inside hard nylon tubing attached to these walls.

• In the front section, the nylon tubing should be held straight by inserting 1/8 in dia. rod into the tubing while the nylon tube is bonded in position on the inner wall with an overlay of 2 ply pre-wetted BID tape (Extend roughly 3 inches of free end of this tube forward of the panel, through the seat forward bulkhead).

In the rear seat tunnel area, a groove will be cut on the inner surface of each side panel. The plastic tubing section will be bonded into the side panels, to carry the rudder cables through this area with low friction and protected from damage or jamming.

• The locations of this channel will be marked on the second section console sides. Verify that this line is continuous and straight, and will just clear the upper surface of the center main spar cut out, and the cutout for the main gear box. Also check that the line is directed in a straight line which will project aft to the level of the rudder bell-crank.

• Cut away a strip of the inner skin about 1/4 inch wide, and remove core material along the cables path. Fit the supplied lengths of nylon tubing into these grooves and bond in place with thick MICRO paste. Close out the open face with a one inch strip of 2 ply BID.

Several "hard points" will be installed in each panel side. ?

In the forward section, there are two for mounting bolts for the flap lever quadrant ( on the left side panel), and two more hard points for the inner lap belt attach points for the front seat belts (one on each side panel).

• Use segments of the 1/4 inch aircraft plywood for the core fillers. The hard points for the flap brackets should be 1" square. See figure XXX for the locations of these "hard points".

• The hard points for the seat belts should be a minimum of 2" square. These hard points are a critical item. These areas should be covered with 8 layers of BID. Make sure that each layer has a minimum overlap on all three surfaces of 2 inches. A tapered overlap will spread the load more evenly and present a better appearance if neatly accomplished. The 2 inch overlap is MINIMUM for any layer.

ELEVATOR IDLER BELL CRANK

Fabricate from channel and mount to seat back

The desired routing of the elevator push-pull rod, and the rather extreme length of this rod assembly suggests the value of a two piece push-pull rod assembly, with an idler bell-crank located behind the rear seat assembly . This idler assembly will stabilize the long push-pull rod, and allow the path to be broken into two sections with a good stabilizing point near mid span. This idler bell-crank also establishes the desired ratio of elevator travel relative to stick travel. The bell crank slightly amplifies the travel by setting the shorter leg of the idler on the forward side hooking into the stick push rod. The longer, aft arm of the linkage hooks to the push rod leading to the elevator control arm. The kit supplies high quality rod ends for these joints to minimize friction and end play in the linkage .

• Use figure X-9 as a guide, and fabricate the elevator idler bell crank from a piece of the furnished aluminum "C" channel.

Figure -9, Elevator Idler Bell Crank.

• Use the rod ends from the push rods to establish the number of washers to provide a good fit in the channel sections as shown in figure X-9.

• Insert the bushings in the pivot end of the idler lever, and use the assembly, with the mounting angles (part KS-3 ) to aid in drilling the mounting holes (4) for this assembly. Make sure the holes are aligned square to each other and the bell crank to preclude any binding.

• Countersink these holes from the forward surface of the rear seat back and install the assembly using the 4 flat head #10 - 32 screws supplied (MS2469lS56). (See figure XXX as guide for these operations.). Four countersunk washers (A315-017-24A) are also supplied for the flat head bolts selected for the idler mounting area to minimize "fretting erosion" of the composite material.
  

Elevator Idler arm show on bottom.   Cut from aluminum "U" channel.	Elevator Idler shown mounted on back of rear seat.

SEAT BOTTOM ASSEMBLY

The seat bottom can be tailored to individual requirements, but the enclosed instructions describe the method which has worked well on the factory airplane. The seat panels should be fabricated from the 1/4 inch standard panel material supplied, or any other similar core material desired.

FRONT SEAT

The front seat bottom panel position is established as a straight line between the top edge of the panel which forms the front of the seat "box" (station 31 bulkhead), back to the top surface of the center main spar. The left and right seat bottom panels will be separated by the control tunnel between the two front seats.

• Draw a line on the outer faces of the tunnel, and the fuselage inner walls, and add seat support in the form of "glass" angles formed from about 3 layers of prelam tape. (use angle aluminum as a mold for the support lams).

• Make the seat bottom core section a little oversize, (read the next instruction) and trim to fit.

• Cut through one skin of the panel in two places. One place about 3 inches forward of the aft line so this part of the seat can sit flat on the spar, and again along the edge of the forward support panel so the seat can be bent flat under the passenger knees.

• Reinforce with one ply BID overall on each surface and an extra ply of BID tape at the bends.

• Cut a generous opening in the front edge of the seat to allow full control stick travel, and dress the edges of the opening with flox.

• Trim the edges of the panel to fit closely into place against the tunnel sides in the center, and the curved fuselage sides on the outer edges, to keep it from shifting position while in flight.

• It is desirable to hinge these seat bottom panels at the rear edge to provide access to the control mechanism, and to provide storage space beneath the seat . Reference figure XXX to clarify any questions.

REAR SEATS

The rear seat bottom placement is also somewhat controlled by the height of the panel installed for the seat front (on top of the gear "box"), and the location of the "glass" angle mounted to the seat back. The location of this seat bottom panel is rather non critical since there is a surplus of head room in the rear seating positions. A higher seat bottom will provide more storage space beneath the seat, and also provide better visibility over the pilot and front seat passenger. The fabrication of this panel should closely follow the procedure used for the front seat, With a higher seat placement, a bench configuration could be used in the back seat as long as adequate seat belt provisions are supplied, and total back seat loading does not exceed 340 lbs.