Feb 05, 2023     19-07 - Additional Wing Systems - (2.5 hours) Category: 19 Sys Route

2/5/23 – 2.5h
I jumped around a lot on this section of the build. I installed, uninstalled, and reinstalled wire harnesses a few times, replaced and reinstalled wires that didn't meet spec, and made minor wire harness modifications. This final step was a great opportunity to step back and ensure I didn't miss anything in the previous steps. It also gave me a chance to clean up the wire harness installation by lacing the wire bundles together. The difference with nicely bound wire bundles is amazing! I also ran some wire lacing through unused snap busing for future wire installations if needed.
[Lacing Tape, Scissors]

  Feb 03, 2023     19-02 - Wing Lighting Harness - (16.6 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
12/27/22 - 8.0h
I studied the lighting harness specs in the plans, integration with the RV-14 Common Fuselage Harness (WH-00125), and the various installation guides for the lights and sensors for each wing. My goal was to get as good an understanding of each wire in the harness as I possibly could before labeling the wires and routing the harness. I also wanted to see what (if any) modifications are required to the harness for the equipment I plan to install.

WH-00011 (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L147, 14 AWG, Red): WAT P36G3L landing light power

- - Pin 2 (L148, 14 AWG, Yellow): WAT P36G3L landing light ground to fuselage

- - Pin 3 (L149, 22 AWG, White): This wire runs to the landing light bay, and then gets terminated with a butt-splice. It appears to be there in case you need an additional wire for the landing light to maybe control the wig-wag function or a second power source for a combined taxi/landing light. I don't need this wire, so I plan to remove it and replace it with a 14 AWG wire for my pitot heat ground. According to the G3X/G3X Touch Installation Manual, “Aircraft power wiring to probe should be a minimum of 14 AWG up to 12 FT … (AC 43.13-1B).”

- - Pin 4 (Empty): The WH-00125 wiring diagram includes a note for the empty pin on the WH-00011 harness that says, “Use this location for pitot heat wire.” The note also says Van's does not support or recommend flight into IMC, which is why they don't include a pitot heat power wire with the WH-00011 harness. I will use this empty pin to run a 14 AWG power wire, twisted with the pitot ground wire in Pin 3, to the pitot/AoA probe

- - Pin 5 (Q427, 18 AWG, White): Resistance reading from the IE F-385B Fuel Sender.

- - Pin 6 (L420, 14 AWG, Black): Wire Harness ground to the inboard wing rib.

- - Pin 7 (L423, 22 AWG, Green): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe synchronization between the wing tip and tail strobe lights

- - Pin 8 (L424, 18 AWG, Yellow): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe light power

- - Pin 9 (L425, 18 AWG, Red): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS NAV/POS light power

Connector C401J (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L422, 18 AWG, Black): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS ground wire. The wire is routed to the ground terminal of the landing light, which is then returned to the aircraft fuselage ground location.

WH-00011 (Right Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L147, 14 AWG, Red): WAT P36G3L landing light power

- - Pin 2 (L148, 14 AWG, Yellow): WAT P36G3L landing light ground to fuselage

- - Pin 3 (Empty): I removed this wire from the molex connector since it will not be used with the lighting setup that I have planned.

- - Pin 4 (Empty)

- - Pin 5 (Q427, 18 AWG, White): Resistance reading from the IE F-385B Fuel Sender.

- - Pin 6 (L420, 14 AWG, Black): Wire Harness ground to the inboard wing rib.

- - Pin 7 (L423, 22 AWG, Green): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe synchronization between the wing tip and tail strobe lights

- - Pin 8 (L424, 18 AWG, Yellow): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe light power

- - Pin 9 (L425, 18 AWG, Red): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS NAV/POS light power

Connector C401J (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L422, 18 AWG, Black): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS ground wire. The wire is routed to the ground terminal of the landing light, which is then returned to the aircraft fuselage ground location.

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
12/28/22 - 0.9h
12/30/22 - 1.4h
The wire harness connectors are labeled before they are installed in the wing. The large inboard connector is “C400P” and the small connector for the wingtip lights is “C401J.” I also labeled the connector that mates with C401J. It is “C401P” according to the RV-14 Common Fuselage Harness drawing. The connectors for both WH-00011 wire harnesses (right and left wing) are labeled the same.
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
2/1/23 - 0.7h
2/2/23 - 1.8h
2/3/23 - 3.5h
I had to make a few changes to the wing lighting harness. The first change was to replace the wires to the wingtip nav/strobe. The wires in the supplied harness were about 10 inches short, and did not reach the nav/strobe molex connector when they were routed according to the plans. The wire harness spec says those wires should be 132 inches long, and mine were 122 inches. The new 132-inch wires worked great, and gave me 6 (3 on each wing) opportunities to crimp molex pins. The ground wire from the nav/strobe molex was also too short - 8 inches instead of 10. I installed new ground wires longer than spec to give me some flexibility when the ground wire gets connected to the negative terminal on the landing light.

I also added a ground and power wire for the pitot tube on the left wing harness. Pins 3 and 4 on the molex connector at the wing root are not used, so I repurposed those pins for the pitot heat wires. I ended up routing the pitot heat wires with the AoA tube, since the rest of the lighting harness wires maxed out the snap bushings without any additional space for the pitot heat wires. I think the routing I ended going with will work well.

The final task after routing the wires was to crimp a ring terminal on the wires for the fuel senders and connect those wires. I found it was easier for me to pop the pin out of the molex connector to give a few more inches to work with the fuel sender end of the wire, and then I pushed the pin back in the connector after it was attached to the fuel sender. I also attached the ground wire to the inboard rib as shown in the plan drawings.
[Flush Wire Cutters, Wire Stripper, Open Barrel (Molex) Crimper, Terminal Crimper]

  Jan 29, 2023     19-05 - Stall Warning Sensor Wiring - (0.3 hour) Category: 19 Sys Route

Assemble
1/29/23 - 0.3h
The ADAHRS wire harness includes a wire for the stall warning sensor. After the wire is routed through the spar, a spade terminal gets crimped onto the wire, and then that gets attached to the stall warning sensor. I decided to attach the wire to the sensor before attaching the left fuel tank, so I could access the wire and sensor through the leading edge lightening hole rather than trying to work through the access panel in the leading edge.
[Terminal Crimper]

  Jan 03, 2023     19-04 - Pitot Tube Installation - (1.1 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

1/3 /22 – 1.1h
I am going to install a Garmin GAP 26 heated (unregulated) pitot probe instead of the pitot tube supplied with the wing kit. Most of the modifications related to the after-market pitot probe will happen when I work on the bottom wing skins, so the only thing to do now is route the pitot and AoA tubing in the left wing. I made a path for the lines through the ribs before I attached the ribs to the spar. The idea was to route the pitot and AoA lines as close to the top wing skin as possible to avoid potentially getting water in the lines. The pitot probe has drain holes built in, so the likelihood of getting water through the probe and all the way up to the top of the wing should be pretty remote. I plan to install the pitot probe near the same location as the wing kit pitot tube, so I ran the pitot and AoA lines to that point in the wing.

  Jan 02, 2023     19-03 - ADAHRS Wire Harness Installation - (5.6 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
1/1/23 - 5.0h
The ADAHRS wire harness (WH-00012) that is supplied with the wing kit is designed to connect to the Dynon ADAHRS or the Garmin GMU 22 magnetometer. I planned to install a GMU 11 magnetometer in place of the GMU 22, which requires a change to the wire harness. The primary difference is the fact that the GMU communicates with the Garmin avionics via the CAN bus, while the GMU 22 uses a RS-232 communication network. That difference cascades into a number of electrical and mechanical changes to the plans. I reached out to Steinair about building a new WH-00012 for the GMU 11. Steinair responded very quickly with a recommendation to go with the GMU 22 per the plans. They confirmed that the RV-14 electrical and mechanical systems were designed for the GMU 22, and going with a GMU 11 introduces a lot of changes. In addition to sticking with a proven design, the GMU 22 removes the CAN bus from the left wing, which shortens the CAN bus overall length (limited to approximately 60 feet), and allows the CAN bus to be terminated at the roll servo in the right wing and the pitch servo in the tail. GMU 22 it is!

WH-00012 (ADAHRS/Magnetometer Harness) Pin Out:
- - C403J Pin 1 (F406, 22S AWG, WHT/RED)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 8
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-232 In

- - C403J Pin 2 (F404, 22 AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 9
- - - Garmin GMU 22 +12V Power

- - C403J Pin 3 (F406, 22S AWG, RED)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 4
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-485 A

- - C403J Pin 4 (F403, 22 AWG, BLU)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 5
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Not Used

- - C403J Pin 5 (W401, 22 AWG, BRN/YEL)
- - - Stall Warning Switch (Spade Connector)

- - C403J Pin 6 (F405, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 6
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Power Ground

- - C403J Pin 7 (F406, 22S AWG, WHT/BLK)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 2
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-485 B

- - C403J Pin 8 (F406, 22S AWG, BLK)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 7
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Not Used

- - C403J Pin 9 (F402, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 3
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Shield Ground (RS-232)

- - C403J (F784, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 1
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Shield Ground (RS-485)

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
1/2/23 - 0.4h
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
1/2/23 – 0.2h
The ADAHRS/magnetometer wire harness (WH-00012) is relatively short and easy to install in the left wing. The molex plug snaps into the top receptacle, and the wires get routed through the snap bushings to their final destination.

  Dec 30, 2022     19-06 - Autopilot Servo Wire Harness Installation - (7.1 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
12/28/22 - 0.5h
12/29/22 - 2.0h
The plans for this step and the WH-0125 schematic provide a lot of information on how the autopilot and roll trim servos are wired. I traced each wire through the diagrams and compared the diagrams to the physical harness supplied with the kit.

WH-00013 (Autopilot Harness) Pin Out:
- - C405J Pin 1 (C410, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 1
- - - WH-00119, Pin 7 (C2285, 18 AWG, GRN)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, ID Strap 3/RS-232 Out 1

- - C405J Pin 2 (C411, 22 AWG, WHT/BLK)
- - - C407P Pin 8

- - C405J Pin 3 (C412, 22S AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 3
- - - WH-00119, Pin 2 (F2287, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, CAN Lo

- - C405J Pin 4 (C412, 22S AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 7
- - - WH-00119, Pin 1 (F2287, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, CAN Hi

- - C405J Pin 5 (C414, 22 AWG, BLU)
- - - C407P Pin 5 - - C403J Pin 5
- - - WH-00119, Pin 8 (C2284, 18 AWG, BLU)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, ID Strap 4/RS-232 In 1

- - C405J Pin 6 (C415, 18 AWG, RED)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 6
- - - WH-00119, Pin 10 (C2282, 18 AWG, RED)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Aircraft Power

- - C405J Pin 7 (C413, 22 AWG, YEL)
- - - C407P Pin 4 - - C403J Pin 4
- - - WH-00119, Pin 15 (C2277, 22 AWG, YEL)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, AP Disconnect

- - C405J Pin 8 (C1029, 22 AWG, WHT/ORN)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 2
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, ORN)

- - C405J Pin 9 (C1030, 22 AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 3
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, GRN)

- - C405J Pin 10 (C1031, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 2
- - - WH-00119, Pin 11 (C2281, 18 AWG, WHT)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Trim In 1

- - C405J Pin 11 (C1032, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 10
- - - WH-00119, Pin 12 (C2280, 18 AWG, WHT/RED)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Trim In 2

- - C405J Pin 12 (C1033, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 6
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, BLU)

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
12/28/22 - 0.6h
12/29/22 - 0.5h
Labelling the autopilot servo wire harness is similar to the other harnesses in the section. One difference is the ES-00045 (C406J). That molex connector does not come with any wires inserted into it, so it is not included in the bag with the WH-00013 harness. The ES-00045 is packaged with other miscellaneous electrical components including ring and spade connectors.

I labeled the free ends of each wire with the names from the plans. This was a good time to also check the continuity of each wire prior to installation in the wing wire runs.
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
12/29/22 - 2.1h
12/30/22 - 1.4h
Routing the autopilot wire harness (WH-00013) in the right wing didn't pose any real problems. The molex plug snaps into place, and then it's a matter of feeding the wires through the snap bushings to their final destination. The real work is building the other two molex plugs (C406J and C407P) from the free ends of the routed wires. I'm glad I took the time to study the wiring diagrams and label each wire at the free end earlier. That up-front effort saved a lot of potential time and confusion building out the molex plugs.

The right wing wire harness (WH-00011) is installed after the autopilot harness is in place. It follows the same path as the autopilot wire harness and then continues to the wingtip rib. The red, yellow, and green wires for the nav/strobe light on my wire harness were too short to reach the wingtip connector (C401J). I can solve that issue by routing the wires along the spar for the entire length rather than jumping aft to the mid-rib pass-through at the ninth rib. There are pass-throughs by the spar for a couple ribs past the roll servo, but the three outboard ribs do not have pass through holes in them. I'll have to drill a hole and install a snap bushing in line with the other ribs to route the wires all the way to the wingtip connector.

  Dec 26, 2022     19-01 - Wing Systems Routing (Plans) - (4.0 hours) Category: 19 Sys Route

The fuel tanks in Section 18 of the plans are not complete yet, but the tanks need to sit for a couple of weeks to let the sealant cure before starting the initial leak testing. It is also way too cold to work in the garage this week, so I'm skipping ahead slightly to this section while I wait for the sealant and a warm front!

I started this step by scanning the safety directives and alerts, service bulletins, notifications and letters, and revisions and changes on the Van's support page to ensure my plans and parts are up to date. There is a revision for this step on the Van's website, and that revision matches the printed plans that Van's delivered with the wing kit as well as the electronic plans on the computer. With the latest plans in hand, I dove in to see what is involved in this section of the build.

Wing systems for this step in the build include the lighting harness for both wings, the ADAHRS harness in the left wing, the autopilot servo harness in the right wing and the pitot and angle of attack lines for the pitot tube. I have not 100% committed to an avionics suite, but I'm leaning toward a Garmin G3X system. I studied the plans for this section with the Garmin sensors in mind to get a handle on how the ADAHRS and autopilot wire harnesses integrate with the Garmin systems.

A question that involves the installation of the wing wiring is the location and wiring for the Garmin GMU 11 magnetometer. The G3X/G3X Touch Installation Manual includes a “Recommended Distance from Magnetic Disturbances” table for the GMU 11, which is identical to the table for the GMU 22. The left wing has an ADAHRS bracket in the left wing just outboard of the wing walk area, and Van's provides a mounting system for the GMU 22 that mates to the ADAHRS bracket (Plans Section 62). Based on the “Recommended Distance from Magnetic Disturbances” tables, the GMU 22/ADAHRS location should be suitable for the GMU 11. My plan is to modify the bracket to mount the GMU 11. It looks like other builders have successfully done the same thing with no magnetic disturbance issues.

Another question is the location of the Garmin GTP 59 Temperature Probe. The probe is wired directly to the G3X ADAHRS, so wiring isn't an issue at the moment. The primary consideration right now is a “clean” location for accurate temperature measurements. Van's East-coast demonstrator has the temperature probe adjacent to the aft, inboard corner of the inboard access panel on the left wing. I wonder if that is too close to the downstream engine exhaust for accurate temperature readings, but it's as good a starting place as any for placement options.

Finally, I am going to install a mast-mounted Garmin GAP 26 Heated (unregulated) Pitot/AoA Probe. I will dive more deeply into installation of the GAP 26 and after-market mast when I get to the bottom wing skins section of the build. Installation of the mast requires cutting a hole in the bottom wing skin and riveting the mast, wing spar, and bottom skin together. I will run the AOA and pitot lines now, and I will also try to run the power and ground lines for the probe heat.