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New Service Bulletin 00053

A question for those RV-12 owners who have conformation of cracks forming in the area Service bulletin SB-00053 addresses.

Out of curiosity .... what is the serial number of your RV-12?

Because of where the cracking begins in the photo shown in post #145, I'm wondering if we are just seeing an artifact of the initial metal bending process at the factory ... in that, there may only be one batch of metal that has this issue.
 
the previous post is of my last excursion into the tailcone. furniture pads, plywood and cardboard. my custom tank is easily removeable and the crossbrace behind the seats is also. maybe a little too ''cushy'' for only 1 or 2 trips.
 
Let me pile on..

A question for those RV-12 owners who have conformation of cracks forming in the area Service bulletin SB-00053 addresses.

Out of curiosity .... what is the serial number of your RV-12?

Because of where the cracking begins in the photo shown in post #145, I'm wondering if we are just seeing an artifact of the initial metal bending process at the factory ... in that, there may only be one batch of metal that has this issue.

..And while someone is answering that question, I'm also wondering: Of the the customers that ALREADY have cracks, where are they most likely to form...near the aft, center, or forward bulkhead...? Are the cracks most likely near a certain bulkhead...or equally 'up and down' the cone? The only person that reported has his near the forward bulkhead.....curious if forward was the most likely place......
 
the previous post is of my last excursion into the tailcone. furniture pads, plywood and cardboard. my custom tank is easily removeable and the crossbrace behind the seats is also. maybe a little too ''cushy'' for only 1 or 2 trips.

You forgot the red carpet...
 
Well, I just completed the SB (I am 5'10" 200lbs). Discounting the time I spent going to HD, buying 1" rigid pink foam, feeling embarrassed about not being able to get it into my RAV4 without breaking it in half, then cutting it into appropriate pieces to lay on the floor of the tail cone, it probably took 2.5 hours total. Also excluded: scuffing/priming the parts.

The tips I have for others:

  1. The rigid foam worked well. It deformed nicely when I'd put my weight on my elbow or knees. I wasn't worried at all damaging the skins. It was also OK if it was a little oversized and sat on top of the rivets on the floor. 1" thick seemed to work fine. I had plenty material left to double-up and make it into 2" thick. The bulkheads are 3" tall.
  2. To support the tail: I used a plastic saw horse from HD. I set it on top of some remaining pink foam to give it just a little more height. I inserted my tie-down eyelet into the tail and screwed/unscrewed it appropriately so that there was a little pressure on the horse. No horses were hurt in the completion of this service bulletin.
  3. Tools I went into the tailcone with: 12" and jobber-size #30 bit (jobber was not necessary, but I was concerned about maneuvering around with a 12" bit) , drill, LED light, 5 bronze clecos, cleco pliers, bag of rivets, pop rivet puller, and regular pliers (for removing the rivet from the hole after the head is drilled off).
  4. The flex of the 12" bit was perfect for drilling out rivets in corners. Luckily? all my rivets were put in the "right" way with the factory head facing forward. Slow speed drilling. Drill enough to almost break the head off. Then attack the head at a 45-degree angle with very slow speed so the bit grabs the head and twists it off. It pops off easily like the head of your sister's Barbie doll.
  5. Use clecos wherever feasible while riveting to the bulkheads. Just an extra safety measure as I really didn't want to re-do any rivets back there. Finally, when riveting the skins, the holes all lined up enough for clecos to pull them all into place easily.

All in all, it wasn't too bad after I got past the first stage of SB compliance.. which is Denial. I'll agree with others in that the first bulkhead is the more difficult one due to not being able to lay prone. The others go by much quicker.. confidence after doing the first one.. and your positioning too.
 

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Nice write ups Bob and Rob. Thank you both for taking the time to document it. Very helpful for everyone else and definitely for me.

Thanks!
 
what is being done with the control cables? i disconnected mine last year when i went in the tailcone. seemed like i would be putting a lot of strain on them. the noodle thing could be the answer laying them fore and aft. rerigging the cables and retensioning them would double the estimated time.
 
what is being done with the control cables? i disconnected mine last year when i went in the tailcone. seemed like i would be putting a lot of strain on them. the noodle thing could be the answer laying them fore and aft. rerigging the cables and retensioning them would double the estimated time.

My thoughts exactly!

It seems that any weight on the cables against the ribs would kink the cable creating a weak spot.
 
The approach we took using the moving blankets seemed to address that issue. We laid them between the skin and the cables to give vertical support and over them to help distribute the weight. The plywood on top of them helped distribute the weight more. Nice thing about them was no measuring or cutting involved and fully conform to the skins. And we didn’t do anything for the rudder cables - they were slack enough.
 
what is being done with the control cables? i disconnected mine last year when i went in the tailcone. seemed like i would be putting a lot of strain on them. the noodle thing could be the answer laying them fore and aft. rerigging the cables and retensioning them would double the estimated time.

I made sure the elevator was not up against its stops. If I put any extra tension on a cable, I'd see it move.. then I'd know that I needed to readjust my leg or arm or something. It would have been nicer if they weren't there.. but they did not pose any serious challenge.
 
I keep a couple of bean bag chairs around to throw into the interior any time I have to crawl around anything pointy that hurts!
 
I keep a couple of bean bag chairs around to throw into the interior any time I have to crawl around anything pointy that hurts!

What if the bean bag chair gets sliced open by something "pointy" and all the beans come out and fill the tail cone? :eek:
 
That’s what my shop vac is for, Jim!

Since the bean bag is a 70’s icon, and since you you brought up this failure mechanism it jarred this 70 year old brain to remember a funny story about another 70’s icon, the water bed. My frat bro was engaged in a little recreation with his girlfriend while his parents were away, and they managed to split a seam. The beds were supposed to have a membrane in the frame to catch leakage. It had not been installed, and he had a soaked shag carpet to explain.
 
Yeah, all of us 70’s Don Juan’s had those to impress the flower child ladies. Only thing missing was a peace symbol (I was on a ROTC scholarship)😝
 
Yeah, all of us 70’s Don Juan’s had those to impress the flower child ladies. Only thing missing was a peace symbol (I was on a ROTC scholarship)😝

I used the Testers model paint from painting my car and airplane models to paint my own pet rocks.
 
Complete

PIREP

I received my SB53-kit from Vans on Saturday, installed it in about 2.5 hours by myself on Sunday. It would have been much easier to have an extra set of hands especially to pass tools and turn on the vacuum cleaner etc. All in all it was easier than I thought with a little prep work ahead of time, despite a few scrapes and sore muscles the next day. If I was 100 pounds lighter and 3 feet shorter it would have been a piece of cake.

Thanks to all the contributors for the tips and to Vans for continually improving our machines and only charging us $30 (compared to the certified guys).

Much appreciated!:)
 
PIREP

I received my SB53-kit from Vans on Saturday, installed it in about 2.5 hours by myself on Sunday. It would have been much easier to have an extra set of hands especially to pass tools and turn on the vacuum cleaner etc. All in all it was easier than I thought with a little prep work ahead of time, despite a few scrapes and sore muscles the next day. If I was 100 pounds lighter and 3 feet shorter it would have been a piece of cake.

Thanks to all the contributors for the tips and to Vans for continually improving our machines and only charging us $30 (compared to the certified guys).

Much appreciated!:)

How did you support the skin while working in the tail cone? Foam rubber, bean bag beans, pillows, furniture blankets, plywood, cardboard, etc? Since you obviously went in and out several times did you feel like you might cause unnecessary damage?
 
"How did you support the skin while working in the tail cone? Foam rubber, bean bag beans, pillows, furniture blankets, plywood, cardboard, etc? Since you obviously went in and out several times did you feel like you might cause unnecessary damage?"

I simply put a saw horse under the tail and made the inside skin supports out of a combination/lamination of hard rubber mat and carboard using the dimensions provided in this thread...worked well and no marks or evidence of a 200lb person in the tail when the job was done. I also had a couple of foam pads to rest tools on and slide things back and forth. The control cables really only get in your way when you`re trying to squeeze the new rivets at annoying angles. In retrospect, I think it would have been easier to do squeezed rivets instead of pulled rivets.

Getting in and out took slow movements, watching where you step and place your limbs. I would say the hardest part is getting from the baggage area into the tailcone around the fuel tank (non-iS), ducking your head and not scraping body parts is the key.:D
 
How accurate is the 200 pound limit? I am 208 according to my home scale just before stepping into the shower in the morning and 214 pounds fully dressed at my doctor's office. Is there a 10% buffer to the 200 pound limit or is it a strict limit?

I'm also 6'2" and broad at the shoulders so the weight restriction might be moot. I may not even fit inside the far end and still be able to be functional but I need to know whether to start lining up a third grader with exceptional drilling and riveting skills.
 
I was happy to be able to get back to the project this weekend just in time for unseasonably warm weather and it took me just about 1-3/4 hours including time to carefully read and understand the instructions and cut the foam board I used to protect the skin. Now my tail cone isn't attached yet, so I laid out moving blankets on the floor, placed the tail cone on top, put folded moving blankets inside then laid the 1" foam on top. I'm 6' and 220+/- but I didn't feel like I was putting any strain on the skin and I had plenty of room to move around. Hardest parts of the job were trying to keep the drill square on the rivet and getting the lower rivet on the bulkhead riveted first. Oh, and that unseasonably warm weather wasn't a help after all. It's downright steamy inside that tail!
 
Finished

I just completed installation on my RV-12iS. I used 1/2" soft foam (yoga mat) underneath 1" stiff foam (HD insulation board), and made two pieces per interior section. Installation was easier, I suspect, in the iS than the ULS due to the fuel tank size and position.

I placed a small 1/2" sheet of plywood over the autopilot servos, and protected the fuel pump assembly with foam noodles.
 

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Completed..for those of you with tailcones NOT attached

For the few with NON-attached tailcones, I completed the SB this afternoon, and wanted to offer just a couple of things:

1) 2nd person essential to pass tools...nothing new with this.
2) I supported the cone by placing the forward cone edges on 2 metal padded chairs (the kind you would see in a diner) Moving blankets for additional padding..and did it close to the wall, where I could attach a tow strap around it as extra insurance that it didn't fall. The chairs were about 18 inches off the ground, which was enough for me to shinny under and stand up. Once standing, very easy fix. All reachable for a 6'1 inch guy like me..but had to work over my head somewhat as my shop heads were forward, requiring drilling from above.
3)..Lastly, one essential thing: I put a drill stop about 1/8 inch from the end of a #40 bit on the angle drill..that way, I could drill from above by placing the bit in the rivet dimple (by use of a mirror) and pull down pressure without being afraid of drilling too far into the head. Broke the head off with the shank of a #40 bit, and popped the rivets right out. After that, all was easy...of course, it would have been much easier if I didn't have the VS already attached to the cone, and I didn't want to remove it...Made it a little bulky.

An hour to fix it, and 2 hours begging my wife not to drop/bend her end. Luckily, no divorce in sight...! Couldn't have done it without her.
 
How accurate is the 200 pound limit? I am 208 according to my home scale just before stepping into the shower in the morning and 214 pounds fully dressed at my doctor's office. Is there a 10% buffer to the 200 pound limit or is it a strict limit?

I'm also 6'2" and broad at the shoulders so the weight restriction might be moot. I may not even fit inside the far end and still be able to be functional but I need to know whether to start lining up a third grader with exceptional drilling and riveting skills.

Mine is the older -12 with the side fuel tank which I did not remove. I am 225 clothed, 5’ 11”. I finished mine today. I prepped yesterday by removing the interior and laying in the 2” foam with 1/4 ply supports. My plan was to do the forward clips myself and have a “smaller” friend do the rear two. He got jury duty at the last minute so I thought I would go as far as I could then stop and wait for him. My wife assisted putting in the skin cleco’s from underneath. I got the front bulkhead finished, moved to the middle one, got it done with no issues, then though I wouldn’t be able to make the rear but it was actually very easy, almost comfortable laying in there. I wiggled my way out with help from an ankle rope being pulled by the wife. I put in the outside rivets and vacuumed the interior. Actually much easier than expected.
 
There's a ball & chain joke in there somewhere, but I'm not going to...

We talked to a younger guy last night who's working on his A&P and has participated in at least one RV-12 build as well as an RV-10. He's done one already and will do ours for a reasonable price - then he's got three more to do.
 
Did this SB yesterday and the wife was a big help. But I’m still sore today. Thanks to all those prior posts about their experience, the tools to have ready, and most of all just get it done.

I did the motor mount stand-off this annual as well and it too was tough but I could do it on my own. There were tight spaces but nothing as uncomfortable as getting in and maneuver around in the tail cone of a finished legacy 12!
 
Finished

My empennage is unattached, so I completed the work while it was on its side on a rug. Worked just fine. I placed cardboard and rigid insulation boards on the skins I supported myself on.
 

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Did this SB yesterday and the wife was a big help. But I’m still sore today. Thanks to all those prior posts about their experience, the tools to have ready, and most of all just get it done.

I did the motor mount stand-off this annual as well and it too was tough but I could do it on my own. There were tight spaces but nothing as uncomfortable as getting in and maneuver around in the tail cone of a finished legacy 12!

My annual is due, as well, this month so next week I have SB-00053 (stiffener installation), SB19-08-26 (nose gear leg replacement) and SB00023 (engine mount standoff) to do in addition to all the regular annual inspection items.

My wife doesn't believe this is good use of a vacation week.
 
My son and I did the SB today. Man it’s not fun getting back there but it’s doable. Took us maybe 3 1/2 hours. Maybe 30 mins was getting my son (5’7 and 150 pds ��) refreshed about drilling and installing rivets ( he helped with the wing way back). Had to redo one of them but it went fairly smoothly. In addition to the tail brace i also put saw horses between the bulkheads as most of the weight will be on the skin not the bulkheads. Definitely noticed the skin being stiffer on the bottom once the braces were installed. I have the pieces i made for the skins (plywood on top of foam garage floor pieces) if anyone is local to Charlotte NC you are welcome to them.

FYI an angle drill and pneumatic rivet puller worked well.
 
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New to forum, purchased my RV-12 in Sep/Oct 2021. Kit for SB-00053 received 2 or 3 days after ordering. As others have mentioned, most difficult part is getting out of the cone. Used a velcro forearm thing to hold all the tools and hardware on the way in. Done two solo now, took some video for step-by-step procedure and will add later once I get around to editing it.

If anyone needs a hand, happy to help.
 
Amadeus,

When I read your post I actually checked to make sure I hadn’t written it during cocktail hour!😁 I am in annual right now and installing the exact same mods you mentioned. I was also planning on the engine mount attachment rivet replacement and wing skin stiffeners, but my rivets are still tight after over 1200 hours, and no evidence of wing skin issues. For those two SB’s I’m weighing the possibility of causing problems when I have none.

At least being retired I have the luxury of spreading my annual out over a few weeks and work on it only a few hours a day. I also have my Cherokee to fly, so no hurry!

Good luck with your annual from H#LL!😁

Rich
 
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