Cracks in Fuselage Bulkhead
 

Has anyone experinced this? This is one of the lightening holes in the F-1006B Fuselage Bulkhead (foreward most in the tailcone). All four lightening holes in this bulkead have the exact same crack. I noticed them after removing the blue protective vinyl. I've got a note out to Van's asking for a replacement.

Did not have this problem. From the pics it looks like a cut or a pinch and not a crack. Maybe during shipping?

"A common manufacturing condition"
 

Van's tech support indicated its "a common manufacturing condition"... that's comforting :rolleyes:

Their suggested fix: "We just cut a "V" notch where the crack is or stop drill it at the end of the crack."

I'm still up in the air on whether I want to go this route... mainly because its on every lightening hole on the lower bulkhead piece.

Thoughts? Has anyone done this?

Thanks.

Replace the part!
 

Even if you have to pay for it, replace it. That is no place to cut corners. I'm suprised that Vans did not offer to replace it.

Boy O boy... Whats the world coming to? If I were you, I would send them all back and put a note in the box "PLEASE REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS" If Vans got enough of them back from people that told them that its not acceptable, they would address the issue. It may not be structural in any way but it wasn't designed to be that way.

-Jeff

ditto
 

jeff is correct
unacceptable IMHO if it were intentional it wouldnt be a crack..

edit after looking at this some more i have changed my mind, only to the realization that vans will ony make the hole bigger to reduce the stress at the edge. i suppose that as long as the crack repair doesnt get into the bend it will be acceptable. still woud rather have new parts.. but if you were making the part and this happened you would increase the hole size or reduce the angle of the flange

Cracks in Bulkheads
 

I had the same problem - these cracks are apparently quite common. I have kit #187 and Vans replaced mine. But I understand that many other builders are reporting the same problem and Vans is now recommending the cracks be filed out. They are caused by the manufacturing process and will not be subject to the same forces that caused the initial crack in flight. If you relieve the crack by smoothing you should have no problems. It is disappointing that this manufacturing problem has not been fixed tho'.

cheers,
Ron
-10 finishing

Follow up...
 

I expressed my lack of desire to "repair" multiple splits/cracks and that since they were due to no fault of my own should not have to pay for a replacement.

Van's replied that "early on all the F-1006B bulkhead stiffener rings were cracked", and subsequently "drilled or notched". They believe that current ones are much better, and agreed to replace mine.

Just some info for the masses.

Thanks for the replies and thoughts. It helps to see what other alternatives/ideas there are for these types of things.

Hi All,

Just made the plunge! Picked up my empcone kit last Wednesday. I just went and checked the F1006B bulkheads-no cracks. Maybe they have fixed the problem.

Dan

No cracks
 

I am build #40533, and i had no such cracks, either. i make enough of my own elsewhere, thank you very much! ;)

Jae