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Stainless sheet + Fiberfrax layer on bottom of Fuse?

ERushing

ERushing

Well Known Member
Have any RV-10 builders put a stainless + Fiberfrax layer on the bottom of the Fuselage under the pilot & co-pilot to provide some protection in case of an engine compartment fire?

I've searched but have come up with nothing. Build logs, pics, etc would me most appreciated.

Just starting to work on my QB Fuse and this is one of the add-ons I'd like to do as well as the stainless foil + fiberfrax on the firewall.

Thanks for any help!
 
I did the fiber and then second layer of stainless on the firewall. It turned out great. I would not do it to the underside of the fuselage for a couple reasons. One being weight that would be added would be a lot, two the bottom of the fuselage has 2 layers of metal already.
 
Thanks! Did you insulate under the pilot/ copilot floorboards? I've got all the floor panels removed except for the pilot/ copilot. Just debating whether to remove them.

I'd prefer to not have anything down there that will outgas poisonous **** into the cabin in the event of a fire. But I'd also like to have a quiet cabin.
 
ERushing said:
Thanks! Did you insulate under the pilot/ copilot floorboards? I've got all the floor panels removed except for the pilot/ copilot. Just debating whether to remove them.

I'd prefer to not have anything down there that will outgas poisonous **** into the cabin in the event of a fire. But I'd also like to have a quiet cabin.
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I used Abesco FP200 - it's CFC free. I put it in via the lightning holes on the back of the floor under the seats. I'd do it again.

John
 
A neck dotal data (pictures) imply that the bottom of the tunnel likes to burn out. Nothing wrong with building in a safety margin, but just remember that the vast majority of fires can be prevented with a wrench.
 
One question is where you'd find thin (32 gauge or 0.010) stainless sheet to provide protection and minimize weight gain. The thinnest I have found without needing to buy an entire sheet is the 0.016 firewall material Spruce sells.

Personally, I think a thin stainless overlay on the belly makes sense. Moreso in a 4 place airplane.
 
Kyle Boatright said:
One question is where you'd find thin (32 gauge or 0.010) stainless sheet to provide protection and minimize weight gain. The thinnest I have found without needing to buy an entire sheet is the 0.016 firewall material Spruce sells.

Personally, I think a thin stainless overlay on the belly makes sense. Moreso in a 4 place airplane.
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I think I purchased mine at McMaster Carr.
 
aerhed said:
A neck dotal data (pictures) imply that the bottom of the tunnel likes to burn out. Nothing wrong with building in a safety margin, but just remember that the vast majority of fires can be prevented with a wrench.
Click to expand...

True on both counts.

Yes, some builders have added a fiberfrax and SS overlay. Set aside the value of fire protection; the overlay will reduce tunnel and floor temperatures in normal operation.
 
You can save some weight by using titanium instead of stainless. It's recognized by the FAA (look under firewall materials in Part 23).

Grade 2 is much cheaper than the stronger Grade 5 and is adequate. I'll be using .020 Grade 2 titanium for my belly overlay on my RV-3; it'll save about three ounces per square foot compared to .016 stainless. McMaster sells this.

For the firewall, I'll use .005 Grade 2. This is available at www.titaniumgoat.com, a supplier of ultralightweight backpacking gear.

Dave
 
Here is a good thread with lots of info, including a picture of an RV-10 belly: this thread.

.002 or .005 SS foil can be bought from McMaster Carr in rolls 24" wide. I used the .002 on mine with Fiberfrax from Spruce.
 
Eric, I installed a but of sound proofing and honestly it wasn't worth it. Noise cancelling headphones do a better job than anything you could install. The weight and effort (and cost) weren't worth it. In fact, any time I open a cavity with it I pull it out. Fire suppression is different matter though.
 
Point of reminder

A local RV-6 that caught fire during run up when the copper primer line broke melted the pilots shoe bottoms to the floor in just a minute or so besides melting every wire and hose fw forward.
 
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