Maybe we should all just buy new tail kits and be done with it...
Lars - thanks for posting. This was a topic a few weeks ago as a few of these where being discovered. Lot's of theories as to why.
I inspected mine then and no issues.
However, now I have another note to make in my log book.
OK guys ... what about us whose HS is in the rafters waiting for the rest of the airplane to catch up? I read with great interest the earlier set of posts about properly torquing the jam nut. Clearly, this is a weak point if not assembled correctly. Any benefit to do the doubling proactively? Easy to do now, given that the Hobbs is at about -2 to -3 years till first flight.
I find that a deep breath or two is helpful when you're unable to deal with stresses. Try it! Personally, I'm glad to have a kit plane from a conscientious, involved supplier who - despite the ever increasing lawyer landmines - is willing to step up and offer solutions.
Ha! We have plenty of our own!??? Again, 9's, 10's, 12's left out?
I wonder if perhaps adding a simple flat washer under the jam nut would be a good preventive measure action in this case. There are going to be quite a few elevators coming off to complete the Horiz SB so this may be a good time for this?
Good idea Walt. This would distribute the load over a larger area of the fitting.
I wonder if perhaps adding a simple flat washer under the jam nut would be a good preventive measure action in this case. There are going to be quite a few elevators coming off to complete the Horiz SB so this may be a good time for this?
I was just getting ready to rivet the spar reinforcement plates on my elevators this week. I assume I should wait and install all the doublers right now.
Good assumption?
In the 6 years :-( I've been building, I have never received a notice of an SB directly from Van's**. I'm pretty sure they have my email address. I always find out about SBs via on online forum/list, or on my own when surfing to the Van's web site.
I was wondering whether they send individual notifications to those who "subscribe" to their SB list (or purchase kits directly from them), or if I just didn't get on their notification list somehow. Does anywhere here receive SB notices directly from Van's?
I wonder if perhaps adding a simple flat washer under the jam nut would be a good preventive measure action in this case. There are going to be quite a few elevators coming off to complete the Horiz SB so this may be a good time for this?
Did you buy a project from someone else, and if so, have you registered the change of ownership with Vans??
I inspected mine today and was pleasantly surprised that I have no evidence of cracks. I would have thought that I was a prime candidate based on others who have cracks. I have:
RV-6 kit from 1996
No stress relief cutouts
800 hrs including frequent loops, one or two 5g sustained turns, rare snap rolls and spins, and racing at Reno in excess of Vne.
So why don't I have cracks? I have 2 thoughts on that matter.
As I took the fairing off today I noticed all my unused nutplate holes in the skin edge. My fairing fit so poorly that I made my own (partly because my prop spins opposite direction any my rudder incidence is in the opposite direction). anyway, the home make one fits well enough to be held on with only a few screws. There are no attachments in the skin of the h-stab. I wonder if the forces on the fairing could be playing a role in these cracks.
The other main difference for me is my engine and the more frequent but weaker pulses from the engine and prop. Someone already mentioned that this may be a factor.
HI Rodoc,
I think your post here might belong in the thread for the other S.B., the one on the stabilizer spar cracks?
Going to go back and install the washer idea Walt brought up, here at work and wanted to TIG weld fab up a tool for those jam nuts, any one remember what size wrentch they took, been a FEW years. Thanks.
FWIW, of the 10 planes inspected on the team, only one had the crack and that was my Super 8. Right outboard. It was found over a year ago during a condition inspection and repaired then.
Do you know how many had the earlier 0.016 thin elevator skins vs. the later 0.020 skins?
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