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Inspection plan for SB-00036?

gnuse

Well Known Member
Have any RV-3's been inspected for this bulletin?

If so, what method did you chose to access the hinge area?

Thanks.
 
Drill a 3/8" hole in the h-stab fearing and end rib, then drop my vividia boroscope. I'll tape over the hole so it can be inspected annually.
 
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Keeping in mind I don't have a flying RV3 yet, but couldn't the spar be accessed from the inboard end by removing the tailfin fairing and then using a borescope through the inboard rib to view the outboard hinge area.

Chris
 
...couldn't the spar be accessed from the inboard end by removing the tailfin fairing and then using a borescope through the inboard rib to view the outboard hinge area.

My horoscope is 2" long and it's a solid rod, it can't bend, so the opposite stab would interfere. I can try it, but I don't think it will work... if anyone has similar ideas, I'm game. A different (flexible/longer/snake-like) boroscope certainly would work.
 
BTW, all the RVs after the 3 use a counterweight elevator and it's super easy to just drill a hole inside the counterweight offset that nobody will ever see. But the 3 is always a little different
 
BTW, all the RVs after the 3 use a counterweight elevator and it's super easy to just drill a hole inside the counterweight offset that nobody will ever see. But the 3 is always a little different

That is why I hoped to find a 3 owner that had done the inspection.
 
My outbound fairings are removable, so I took them off and enlarged a hole in the rib. For my neighbors 3 we took off the fairing around the vertical stab and fished the borescope in from the center outboard to get access.


Unfortunately. I found cracks. He did not.
 
There are lots of cheap borescopes (endoscopes) with 6ft. flexible wands forsale on Amazon, under $100. I think one of these would be adequate for what we are trying to do. Has anyone used one with good results?

Chris
 
My outbound fairings are removable, so I took them off and enlarged a hole in the rib. For my neighbors 3 we took off the fairing around the vertical stab and fished the borescope in from the center outboard to get access.


Unfortunately. I found cracks. He did not.

I'm not clear on what you mean by "outbound fairings". Can you explain? Thanks.
 
Inspection

I have a borescope with a 6' flexible wand. I will be out at the hanger this weekend and will be looking at the issue. After I have completed this, I will report back as to how the flex cable works. There is only about 600hrs on my plane, but my father loved aerobatics so we will see what we find.
 
Boro-scopes...

There are lots of cheap borescopes (endoscopes) with 6ft. flexible wands forsale on Amazon, under $100. I think one of these would be adequate for what we are trying to do. Has anyone used one with good results?

Chris


I purchased a nice bore/endoscope in 2018 to work on my car, and have used it subsequently to inspect air ducts in the house and inside the wings on my RV-9A. The one I picked up connected right into my MAC AIR and replaced the FaceTime camera function, so has been easy to operate, and allowed me see what couldn't be seen before.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRNGYXY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Doug
 
I just inspected my RV3b. The horizontal stabilizer end cap fiberglass fairings are riveted in place and not wanting to drill out the rivets, as well as damage the paint, removed the fairing piece around the vertical and horizontal stabilizer.
Using a standard size drill, was able to slightly open up the rear most tooling hole. It is 19" from from the tooling hole opening to the outboard hinge rivet holes needing inspection. My recently purchased Teslong borescope came with a 16' long extension for the camera, shorter would've been better. At the lens end of the Teslong, there is a screwed on ring that protects the threads for a few attachments that come with the unit. Removing the ring allows a slightly smaller hole for the camera to fit through.
I marked the flexible snake 19" from the camera end with a piece of tape.
It was easy enough to work the camera cable 19" into the tooling hole. The Teslong I ordered also has a second lower resolution camera lens aimed 90 degrees from the primary lens. I put a pen mark on the piece tape oriented approximately 90 to the side looking lens, making it easier to aim the lens.
Using the side looking lens, was able to inspect the rivets. Unfortunately, it appears there are two cracks. The next plan is figuring out how to clean around the rivets and double check if I am in fact seeing cracks. It is very doable on the RV3, to inspect from the inboard side of the horizontal stabilizer.
 
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962 hours

Hello Mike,
My RV3b has 962 hours on the airframe. The previous owner/builder did a lot of aerobatics. I watched a few youtube videos he had made and was obvious he knew what he was doing and gentle with the airplane. I've flown approximately 70 of the 962 hours. I haven't received training so do not do aerobatics.
I am not 110% certain I am seeing cracks (wishful thinking?) as they do look somewhat different than the cracks I discovered at the inboard aileron hinge, during the SB 16-03-28 check. Installing the Vans supplied aileron doubler kit took about 8 hours. Accessing the horizontal spar for repair will be a whole lot more involved.
If I can figure out how, will post photos of my recent inspection.
cheers
 
Looks like mine, I'm also waiting on parts. Called Vans today and they said to keep on eye on the main thread for updates to the RV3.
 
Just finished inspecting our -3B, and it took longer to get the empennage fairing off than it did to enlarge the two tooling holes and thread the borescope in there. Manufacture heads on the front (spar) side, 800 hours total time, lots of Acro, minimal unpaved runway operation, and….no cracks!

Paul
 
I asked Van's about going in via the tooling holes in the HS-305 rib to save interfering with the tip fairings, and they have issued a supplemental approval for -3B.

Inspected one of my -3's yesterday. 2004 3B 680hours, lots of aeros, shop heads on spar. No cracks.
 

Attachments

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Replace spar

An update regarding the cracks discovered after inspection for SB-00036. An email enquiry was sent to Vans, including the same two photos from my previous posts.
The response was the spar is needing to be replaced, as well as installing
SB-00036-kit3. New hinge brackets.
It was noted in the response from Vans that the crack extended into the radius of the spar, therefore the spar required replacement and grounding the plane.
Fortunately, the plan had been to replace the spar anyways, with the spar having been ordered prior to the sad news from Vans.
The SB-00036-kit3 isn't currently available, but should be available in the upcoming couple of weeks.
Someone more observant than myself pointed out that the smokier of the two rivets had two additional tiny cracks to the left of the rivet, that I missed.
 
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