The Landing Brake - I'll detail the method in case anyone reads this and wants to try this other way.
This is extremely difficult to work out. I spent days with the help of a friend trying to get my head around his method. We are doing a cross between the Varieze plans and the Cozy IV plans. The long-EZ plans are just the VE plans with the brake bigger at 17.5" X 17.5". The reason for the new method is to reduce the large amount of micro filling required with the Varieze/LongEZ method. The Cozy has you cut it out of the thin floor they use so thats not totally applicable either.
First make a paper cutout of the final shape and size of the brake. This is just to get the concept clear OK? It will be 17.5" wide and I reduced the length a touch (for no good reason). Also mark out how wide the flange is. I used .9" for the glass to glass area. Some might use .75" many brakes seem to have more than an inch. I wanted a bigger cored area for strength. I'll also use the Cozy layup, as its lighter and proved on a heavier aircraft. i.e. 2 plys of UND not BID on the outside face.
Next you need to draw a line of the fuselage where the leading edge of the brake goes. Refer to the plans of the Varieze. My seat is 2" forward so I took the idea that the brake is relative to the back of the front seat. Mike Melville has done this so it is proven. I went to crazy lengths to ensure I had the right place (see laser level). I also drilled a small hole in the bottom (with a jig) to check that I was in the correct place and to use it as a reference. The brake needs to be positioned correctly so the actuator (or mechanical bits) are going to work OK in extending and retracting.
You have a line down the middle of your fuselage... and you need a line down the brake area. In the 3rd pic you can see I have a piece of foam ready to be used (about 12mm thick) but to the size of the core. NOTE this is in my case .9" all around smaller than the outside measurements of the brake. Got that?
