Fuselage Vents

This blog cover the additional of fuselage vents

Outline
In a effort to improve the cooling drag of this Tucano it has been decided at some future point to add gear doors to the nose gear. This however will create a problem with removing the hot air created by the radiator, inter-cooler, engine and exhaust as at this time it all escapes from the wheel well.

As the guide rails for the ballistic parachute are not used on this aircraft with a combined area of about 2.25'' and are there to be used for another task. 

Side vent's used on Jeep's were selected having nearly the same overall width as the existing opening allowing rivets to fix it to the side of the fuselage.

Two models were ordered, a 12'' and a 18'' to be used in the wheel well doors.

Supplier: Run Cool Hood Louvers

Skins
The rip off side cover supplied with the kit were used to create an infill panel riveted to the underside of the existing skins. It was cut 85 mm wide and match drilled to the longeron. 

Outlet ramp

Firewall Seal

A tongue was cut about 125 mm long and riveted at it's end onto the channel face.  High temperature silicone was applied at the edges to seal the air to the ramp created. This area has to be sealed regardless as its a direct channel into the cockpit for unwanted fumes.

A infill piece for the front was cut from 0.016'' 2024-T3 sheet with a cut-out under the louvres [seen in grey in the image  above] 

Finally two small angle were cut to infill the top and bottom edges of the opening at the firewall and then riveted to the longeron faces. High temperature silicone was applied to the face in contact the firewall before riveting.

Louvre's

The louvers were cut to provide 6 vents with the top edge was angled using a set of 4'' duck bill pliers with a small angle was created on the lower flange to ensure a tidy fit. All the edges and rear face were sanded, as the metal is fairly heavy there is adequate to remove all marks and to flatten the back.

Finally 12 and 24 mm radius's were applied at each corner as required then both vent's were  primed and allowed to dry.

Louvre fixed onto top skin

Fitting
The top two holes pick up the existing mounting holes with the lower three [3] to be matched drilled.

Each vent was fixed using 3.2 mm x 10 mm pop rivets onto the side of the fuselage.