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Firewall weldments

kjelle69

Active Member
Can these weldments be identified? New, old, reinforced?
I always check them for cracks or damage and it's easy since there is no insulation but still curious about which type it is?
 

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That's what I have, bought the kit in 2006. Blueprint page #27 shows the same.

I looked up page #27 on the USB stick with the plans and it seems that some reinforcement is added on top of my weldments? The original bracket marked as "1" in my image is corresponding to the WD-403R in the plans but on top of that there is another thicker bracket marked as "2" in the image.

Also I cant see the longeron "3" in the plans.

Could it be so that the original builder put in these as extras since there is a O-360 engine in this machine?
 

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Repair/Mod?

Your weldments look to be reinforced/repaired/modified at some point. I have attached a picture of the late model/style weldments from my build in late 90's. The early weldments were "split along the corners, the newer ones are bent / welded pocket fittings.
 

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Nope he doesn’t

Those are reinforced weldements ….NOT the new style …..RVATOR had an article from VANS on that problem and fix on older style weldments ….I have lots of pictures of broken older weldments and the fix but can’t post them sorry
 
Those are reinforced weldements ….NOT the new style …..RVATOR had an article from VANS on that problem and fix on older style weldments ….I have lots of pictures of broken older weldments and the fix but can’t post them sorry

I also suspected that those are reinforced weldments. Old style with a beefy bracket on top. Is this modification good enough in the long run?
 
Weldment Design Evolution

Stew sent these helpful photos for posting...

Broken old style weldment with new style:

3c039a_440768e6a8ec491f98b5c65d881896db~mv2.jpg


Close-up of old-style weldment (note split design):

3c039a_a2f00bf2b1f342adb65b91f2ea768e4c~mv2.jpg


Broken old-style weldment:

3c039a_0e540b155aaf420c98d5a6066b4d3ae5~mv2.jpg


Original Van's guidance on reinforcing the original weldment:

3c039a_e9612dfc5a1e467bbce11949ea807419~mv2.png


3c039a_7eadcd1d246f490f8c6f7e8e3c28a12c~mv2.png


Additional gusset added to new-style weldment (per drawing above):

3c039a_270373a539e2419aa356229bd0b16534~mv2.png


Thanks Stew!

Vac
 
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None of them my idea or airplane

Credit goes to internet for all the photos and the gusset idea from old RVATOR ... something to watch for
 
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