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Larry Winger's 601XL Project
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Date: 5-9-2009
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Number of Hours: 4.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Added steering rods and fixed rudder fairleads
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Some time back I made all my fairleads out of the 1/8" nylon specified, and per the dimensions. All the others worked great, but the rudder fairleads on the front of the center spar were just wrong. The hole was too big for the opening behind it, and it was set too far outboard. After numerous different measurements, including running string from the rudders through this opening and on to their next fixed point, I was able to determine the optimal location and size of the hole. It is only 1/4", but it should be fine since the cable is smaller. When I moved to the 650, I adopted most of the innovations, but also had some old parts that needed some modification. The steering rods are a good example. The 601XL had them threaded for their entire length. That was fine because they just went through a long slot in the firewall. With the 650, they have added a steering box slide and cover that surrounds the steering rod at all times, presumably for some additional fire protection. My solution was to buy some thin walled 4130 steel tubes that were 5/16" ID and to slide them over the threads. That worked great on one, but the other steering rod was actually slightly larger in diameter. I used a die to clean up the threads, but still no good. I then remembered that I had a 5/16" chucking reamer. I put it in the drill press, wrapped rubber hose over the surface of the tube and clamped it with vice grips. Then I oiled and reamed it. Voila. Sometimes there just isn't a straight line. No, let me rephrase that: there is never a straight line when you are building from plans. Oh, by the way, I could not use the factory dimensions for the steering rods because I moved my rudder pedals forward by about an inch. So I shortened them up accordingly and all is well. I can now steer with the rudder pedals, and at last I know how much leg room I have. Without putting the panel back on, it seems just fine.
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New rudder fairleads with smaller holes
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Steering rods installed
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