Airflow Systems

Hints

• The governor control cable needs to be routed across the top of the engine. The manual states "Reroute the prop governor control cable over the top of the engine utilizing the Van’s Aircraft bracket, part no. VA-153-PA or VA-183-PC (depending on your need). Note in the photos that the bracket may require modification to clear the pushrod tube." Neither of those parts are in the Vans store. The part is now called VA-153-PC.
  
• The Airflow AC comes with a replacement for the top part of the baggage compartment bulkhead close-out. It is a flat part and has cut-outs for the air intake and cut-outs for two cold air output vents.
  With this setup, it becomes optional to feed an overhead panel with cold air but there are two more 2 inch outlets at the evaporator to feed an overhead panel. Note: The instructions still show a central single large outlet and a corrugated part but the kit contains a flat bulkhead close-out and two 2 inch outlets for the overhead console.
  
  Note: if you install the BRS parachute, two brackets block the area in the bulkhead for feeding air into the overhead console. So either just go with the two close-out vents or feed the air into the overhead console from the side / holes in the bulkhead more towards the sides.
• Finding the center line of the scoop: one way of doing it: put the scoop on a wooden board, 16 inches wide with a marked centerline. Put the scoop on the board and check equal distance to the board edge at symmetrical points. Transfer the center line onto the flanges on both ends. Painters tape might be necessary as blank label to be able to see pen marks drawn on it rather than drawing directly on the slippery surface of the scoop.
• Finding the center line on the bottom skin: running a cord from mid firewall to the tail tie down isn't really giving you good center line location precision where you need it. Rather the cord is merely a secondary tool to proof that a specific rivet is indeed on the centerline, or that the center line is indeed running between two specific rivets near where the scoop starts and ends.
• The Airflow scoop has a planar top flange for attachment to the bottom skin, however, the RV-10's bottom skin has a 2 degree bend around the middle of the scoop (at the rear wing spar).
  
  A good way to reshape the scoop is to heat up the scoop to around 133F and then jam high density foam into the groove above the inlet opening and continuing with additional foam in same groove around the sides to the bend point. This pushes the flange up in the forward section to better mimic the bottom skin 2º bend
  
  
  
• The evaporator shelf touches the vertical bulkhead support on its front side and sits flush against the inside edges of the longerons. The manual states that this is roughly 3 inches back from the bulkhead but it's only 2 inches
  
• The rivets of the flat shelf support are spaced with a different distance than the side / upper skin rivets that aren't riveted yet. Due to this, it's unavoidable that some rivets will be at the exact same location as the side rivets. New holes need to be found that don't have a conflict.
• The evaporator shelf can be cut easily with a Dremel 543 Cutoff Wheel
• The rivets supplied for mounting the evaporator shelf are not usable for the purpose. They have a marking of "OIDC" instead of a small center dimple. They are made of a soft alloy. Use proper aircraft AD rivets instead. The rivets are not used in a shear fashion, rather the shelf hangs off the rivets underneath the longeron. They need to be strong.
• The kit has only one washer per bolt to attach the evaporator shelf to the side braces. Better to use a washer on the top and bottom to distribute forces across the soft fiberglass
• You need special oil to lubricate the o-rings before assembly, e.g. at Amazon.
• You need a nutsert tool to place the nuts into the bottom skin, e.g. this tool with this adapter 8-32.
  If you have a hydraulic knockout punch tool e.g. this one from Amazon, you can make an adapter for pulling rivnuts by taking a 2 inch piece of a 3/4 steel rod, cutting a 3/4-16 male thread onto one end and an 8-32 female thread onto the other. Use several strong fender washers and two small washers to support the nutsert towards the punch tool.