Powerplant

I picked up the powerplant kit at VAN's and it weighs in at about 400 pounds.

Note: As of 10/2016 the cooling shroud is no longer in the Powerplant build and has been deleted in future builds.

After unpacking the kit, I detached the four bolts holding the 912ULS engine to the Rotax box. I purchased a 1000 pound pneumatic rolling lift from Harbor Freight. It was a fairly easy two man lift from the Rotax box to the elevated pneumatic lift. Having the engine on the lift really makes it easier to maneuver and work on the engine prior to installation.

45A-02

Installation of the battery went smoothly.

46-03

Rotax no longer uses a lock washer to attach the wiring harness clamp. I called Van's and used a drop of Blue Loctite on the M5X45 screw.

You will need to rotate the crankshaft to _check_ the trigger coil gaps. There are four trigger coils and a rev. counter. See Section 2.1.2 in the Rotax Heavy Maintenance manual for a diagram. The gap IH02 is also available in this manual. I needed to set the gaps as instructed in the Heavy Maintenance manual. Be aware that a M5 hex screw is a screw with a 5mm shaft diameter and does _not_ refer to the hex drive required to install/remove the screw. There is a list of default torque values in the manual for a given size hex screw. The default torque for an M5 screw is 55 inch/ pounds.

46-05 Step 1

Earlier builders were instructed to customize and install a cooling shroud on the engine. This step has now been deleted. Installing the cooling shroud required the removal of the ignition boxes, intake manifolds and cooling hoses. I had to remove a LOT of fiberglass for a good fit. I used a dremel drill, mask, cutting disks and tubular sander.

I cut the top of the sides flat. Using a contour gauge over the cylinders would most likely produce an even tighter fit.

46-06 Step 3

I could not get the engine mount to fit as instructed in the plans. First, remove the factory installed shipping plates as they use two of the engine mounts. Then remove the wiring clamp as suggested. The new engine mounts have added gussets not pictured in the instructions and these gussets interfered with the installation. I tried to position the right upper mounting point as illustrated in the photo and it did not work despite an evening of attempts. Thanks to a post on the VAF forum, I tried placing the right upper mount over the right upper engine mounting point. I was then able to rotate the mount into position although it was a _very_ snug fit. I needed to use the palm of my hand to "hammer" the mount over the left lower radiator fitting.

46-08

Here is the engine after reinstalling the intake manifolds, ignition box and coolant tubes:

46-09 Step 4

I installed a dollop of fuel tank sealant to the carb drip tray as instructed and I am not sure this is still a necessary step as the most current carbs easily clear the tray and the 1/4 dollop.

46-10 Step 2

Consider drilling the 3/8 opening in three passes, 1/4, 5/16 and then 3/8. Also consider using new cobalt drills, low air pressure, glacial drill speed and cutting oil. I used a deconstructed adjustable square to align the drill bit at right angles. If the drill bit starts to chatter, check the bit for chipping. If you are not seeing metal shards, slow down the drill speed. If the drill bit gets stuck, twist the chuck by hand and use less pressure. A step drill can help in initiating each drilling.

I used two 1000 pound ratcheting straps to support the engine.

Success at mounting the engine!

Installing the Throttle

Tighten the throttle so that it cannot accidentally extend. Do not worry too much if the six little bearings fall out. You can call McFarlane and  get replacement parts and a link to the repair utube.

Installing the Cowling

I elected to install the Cowling after installing the engine. I was able to trim the cowling kit to allow about a 1/8 inch clearance from the "prop." It may two people to install the longer of the two top cowling pins. I had an assistant push in on the cowling to align the hinges as I push in the hinge pin.

Shin Guards

I tired of banging into the steps with my legs!

38-07 Step 2

I would advise modifying a #19 drill for use in fiberglass. I simply used a standard #19 drill and drilled into a piece of concrete to dull the tip.

49-02 Step 3

You may want to cut the spring that goes into the shorter radiator hose to allow for a one inch sleeve at each end.

49-03 Step 7

I was unable to match drill #30 through stainless steel without wobbling. On my second attempt, I marked the holes in the hinge and used a drill press to drill the #30 holes through the stainless steel hinge.

49-05

Radiator installed after slotting inboard mounting holes.

49-12 Step 2

For some reason my plans call for a K1000-08 nut plate in figure 2. This is incorrect. The proper nut plate is a K1000-03.

Cowling 

Here is a picture of the bottom half of the engine cowing with heat shielding applied.

Oil lines and cooling duct installed.

It is important to check the rubber seal on the bottom of the radiator and to add RTV to any areas of contact between the oil hoses and engine frame/mount after installing the lower cowling.

Moving the Fuselage to the Airport

I ended up renting a 20 foot tilt trailer locally. There was only 1 inch of clearance on each side between the fenders. More importantly, I needed some 2X4s to bridge the "gaps" in the "tilt ramp." The loading was made easier using a ladder, a tow strap, and an electric 12volt "Marine Lift." We unloaded the fuselage using gravity and two ropes to control the fuselage as it rolled down the ramp. The RV12 is so light, we could lift each wheel to reposition the fuselage on the ramp.

Wings On!

I had read about the difficulties of fitting the wings. I had already opened up the wing slots and inserting the spars went well. 

We used an adjustable saw horse to suspend the wing tips during the final installation. It was helpful to understand the relationship of the spar tip and the plastic retaining stop. We used two padded C clamps on the spars and a ratcheting strap to line up the spar openings. We used Boelube on the pins and bushings. The left pin went in and the right pin would not go in fully, stopping at the rear bushing. We removed the right wing and noted inadequate clearance in the right rear opening for the rib rivets. After opening the right rear wing opening we reinserted the wings and locked both pins in place. There was no need for C clamps or ratcheting straps on the second wing fitting.