... And I'm glad it's done: Little fun and lots of aggravation!
Here is the result:
A few tips for the builder as VANS instructions are deficient IMHO :
- Forget about doing this installation with the top wing skin closed it's difficult enough to access inside with the skin partly riveted. The instructions from VANs are misleading because they are mute on these accessibility issues. For example when they say "if your hands are big, mount the led unit on the ribs before riveting the ribs. My take: there is no way to screw in the led unit with the ribs riveted, big hands or not.
- VANs instruction are mute about the difficulties of working on the plastic lens. The plastic is brittle and you should drill it very slowly, even with the plastic drill bit. Same thing when countersinking the plastic holes. To trim the plastic into the correct dimension, use a band saw with a metal blade, better than the abrasive wheel suggested by the instructions.
- You can do the whole installation including the electric connections with the landing light installed on the ribs and the ribs clecoed rather than riveted. If anything goes wrong you can remove the unit and restart.
- To mount the lens it is necessary to flex it to make it pass the opening. Absent any tip from VANs it took me several unsuccessful attempts to conclude that it would not get in with its natural shape.
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