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DONALD'S WEB SITE
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Date: 4-28-2012
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Number of Hours: 4.00
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Manual Reference: N/A
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Brief Description: NACA Vents Cut
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I cut the holes for my Van's Aircraft NACA vents, to provide ventilation inside the cockpit. I chose these for their look, and to avoid the factory "bubble" vents in the windscreen, which are simple but ugly. Other Sonex builders have used the Van's vents with success, so I was confident they'd work out well.
First is positioning. Other builders have said to place the vents as high and as far forward as possible. At first I didn't understand why it matters, but then I looked on the left (pilot's) side, and found that if you *don't* position them high and forward, you can run into interference problems with the flap and brake levers. I measured to put the vents as close to the forward angle as possible without interference, and as close to the upper longeron as I was comfortable with also. I carefully measured a longitudinal centerline (based on rivet locations), and a rear line to set the location in two dimensions. I then attached the Van's paper template, using clear tape over the whole surface so the paper would not shred when I cut through it.
I cut the vents using my trusty Dremel tool, which has become my favored tool for precision cutting sheet metal. I cut the vent slightly undersized, so I could fine tune to the shape and size using small files, sandpaper, and Scotch-Brite pads. In the end both vent openings came out looking great, and fit the plastic vents almost perfectly!
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Vent Template & Position
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Vent Rough Cut
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Vent Finished
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