Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I ordered rudder cables from you and installed them in my T-18... maybe you sold me T-18 rudder cables. It could be that something is just that different with my airplane. I don’t believe the T drawings specify a length for the rudder cables. I know my top and bottom rudder bushings are 2 different sizes.

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

That is correct. It doesn't. At least not directly. The top and bottom rudder Bushings should be the same size. Same as flaps as well. Drawing 581.
Cubes

One nice thing about homebuilt aircraft is that the drawings don't have to be followed verbatim. The down side of that is replacement parts per drawing don't always fit and I had to learn to be a little more cautious (measure first) when ordering parts.

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

I am confused. Please look at the photo of the tunnel and tunnel plans. The plans show an angle where my finger is pointing. My tunnel does not have this angle (in the background of the photo). I cant find the drawing that shows the "seat supports" on my tunnel. I am beginning to believe the 505 tunnel drawing you see in my photo has been superseded with a newer edition. You comments are appreciated.

I believe the seat installation was revised at some point. My aircraft has the angle in question but not the drawings. I don't have the standard Thorp seat installation. My drawing -505 has some indications that the angle was removed, drawing -855, seat installation, has the rivet locations indicated but not the angle. The drawings that you need are -855 installation, 852, 853, 854, 856 and 857.

My installation has a T section supporting a Cessna seat rail for a 150 seat.

Not the best photos but I think you get the idea.

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Auburn, WA USA

Dang Bruce, I love those seat rails. I often wondered if anyone had used those. Thanks for the tips.

Is everyone using rivnuts to install their canopy or some other method? If so, how do you make the keyed notch in the canopy frame for the rivnut to bite?

I used the knerled kind They bite with out the notch. Fastenal.

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Hi Ryan,

With "keyed" Rivnuts, I used a small, round "tool & die maker" file to make the little notch in the holes.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Thanks for the guidance on the rivnuts. I drilled my canopy last night. I haven't drilled the canopy to oversized holes yet, but everything went great last night. I was worried about cracking the canopy the whole time. Its my biggest mental hurdle of this whole project.

Well Done!

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

I have messed up 4 dang trim strips. The holes keep moving on me. I install the trim strip, mark it, drill it, mess it up by misdrilling holes in a few wrong spots, remove it, drill holes in the new trim strip using the old trim strip, install new trim strip, then I have other holes in the wrong spot! Dang it. I guess its trial and error, but if anybody has a trick to aligning the holes in the canopy with the trim strip, I would be all ears.

Cut trim strip over sized then use offset method to locate holes. Then trim strip to size.

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

well, bob, I did what you said it the trim strip is installed in about 20 minutes. sheesh, I cant believe it didn't strike me to do that in the first place.....

Great!

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL