Damazio family's RV-10 project: 2026

Panel vents and overhead air connected

I tried to install tubes and clamps connecting the forward air vents to the panel vents. When I did this, it became apparent that there's some contact between the vent extension tube (where the tube is secured) and the subpanel structure, since I couldn't get the tube in. . When we installed the panel it required a little bit of force to get it to align with all the screw holes vertically, and we couldn't figure out why - now it makes sense, when I originally assembled the panel I did not have the back part of the vent in place.

Interference between the panel substrate and the air vent

We trimmed that tip with the Dremel (awkward positions involved), primed the tip again, and finally installed the vent and connected it to the air intake (and at this point, we secured the tube to the vent extension before screwing the vent in place, which made it a lot easier):

Trimming the panel substrate to clear the vent extension

Trimmed panel substrate

SCEET tube secured between the left vent extension and the air intake

SCEET tube secured between the right vent extension and the air intake

We also attached Clickbond standoffs to the tailcone to the hold the overhead air ducts, and installed those:

Clickbond standoffs attached to top tailcone skin for securing overhead ventilation ducts

Overhead ventilation ducts secured in the tailcone

With this, section 50 is complete!

Time lapse:

Total cabin heat and ventilation rivets: 34

Total cabin heat and ventilation time: 22.4h

Coil packs, control cables and MAP tubing progress

I permanently attached the coil pack mount to the engine mount:

Coil pack mount secured in place

To secure the heat control cables to the firewall, I got a custom two-0.19in-hole TTP-S fitting. Installing it and then installing the dual Adel clamps with the engine and everything else already in place was...not easy, but we managed it:

TTP-S firewall fitting for the heat control cables

Installing the TTP-S in place on the firewall recess

We also installed the cabin heat control cables (I insisted on not using servos for this 'cause I want to be sure that the valve can stay closed in case of an engine fire, and servos would melt away pretty quickly):

Heat control cable routing on the firewall

Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that that was the wrong way to clamp the wire - it was even breaking the washer in half - so we instead switched to a 222-4 B nut, which seems much better:

Heat control cables attached to valves with regular washer/nut, showing the broken washer

Heat control cables attached to valves with B nuts

I installed some of the MAP sensor tubing, though the tube coming from the throttle body can only be trimmed to the right length once the bottom engine bracket gets here (and I'm still designing it):

Manifold pressure tubing connected to EFII sensors

Manifold pressure tubing connected to sensors and fuel pressure regulator (but not yet to the throttle body)

Manifold pressure tubing connected to throttle body

Once those brackets are here, I can secure those hoses and be done with this section.

Time lapse:

Total engine installation rivets: 63

Total engine installation time: 39.7h

ELT and overhead insert progress

We temporarily attached the vertical stabilizer and elevators, and ran the trim control cables through them (which was a lot easier to do with the borescope, since it involves routing the cables through small holes in the spars):

Horizontal stabilizer and elevators attached in place, with trim cables running through them

Routing the trim cables with the help of the borescope

With this, we could figure out the ELT install position - the space between the cables is almost enough, but can be made enough if the cables are secured slightly away from it:

ELT sitting in-between the two trim cables

Trim cables clearing the ELT if slight force is applied

ELT sitting in-between the two trim cables, viewed from the side

I attached Clickbond cable brackets to keep the cables away from the center, and added #4 nutplates for attaching the buzzer:

Clickbond standoffs for holding the trim cables away from the ELT

With this, we could also install the stick grips (part of another post), and try out different routes for the grip wires (I also considered just adding an Adel clamp to the landing gear mount, but that seemed too structural to mess with):

Stick grip cable routing underneath the seat

We finished up the overhead inserts, with enclosed Clickbond nutplates to make sure wiring above it won't be damaged, and assembled the components to them:

Marking overhead insert nutplate areas for sanding

Top side of aft overhead insert with all equipment installed

Bottom side of aft overhead insert with all equipment installed

We also spent an enormous amount of time trying to finish the forward overhead insert, and....we messed up :( we put a bit too much torque on one of the stud inserts, and it got loose, inbetween the metal and the carbon fiber layers - so we're back to square 1 for that one.

For the engine wiring, I CNCed a bracket from Delrin to test fit it (and test my CNC program, it was my first time using this machine for something serious):

An initial fitting shows that I didn't consider the that the hoses are not straight, and thus not at a constant distance from the cylinder - so more work is needed here.

Next will be closing up the overhead console and securing the ELT.

Time lapse: