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  #1  
Old 03-21-2017, 06:25 PM
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sbalmos sbalmos is online now
 
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Default Bottom wing skin to fuselage overlap mismatch

Don't ask me how this happened. I have no idea. When I first fit the wings and drilled the screw holes into the left side fuselage bottom skin "flap", everything aligned. It even aligned while I was final-fitting the wings with the good bolts. At some point, somehow, the wing skin looks like it's angled outboard, getting worse starting at the the 4th screw hole forward from the aft spar, as you head forward to the main spar.

I'm trying to decide whether to leave it alone without screws. Or should I try and have someone push down on the wing tip to see if that would bring it back to alignment?



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  #2  
Old 03-21-2017, 07:43 PM
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Scott, That fit is a bummer. I would call Vans about it. Steve
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Last edited by Steve Melton : 03-21-2017 at 08:55 PM.
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Old 03-22-2017, 06:09 AM
Scott Hersha Scott Hersha is offline
 
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Scott,
Did it line up at one time when you drilled those holes? I believe the holes came pre-punched in the belly skin, but not in the wing, right? Maybe you don't have the wing all the way home. If everything lines up with the wings and you still have the mismatch, you can fix it. I had to do that on my RV6 many years ago. I'll be at my hangar this weekend (and all week) and can explain how I fixed mine. I have a couple strap duplicators you can borrow.
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  #4  
Old 03-22-2017, 09:25 AM
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Just got off the phone with Gus. He's not worried about it. Elongating the holes to get a screw in is fine. And no one's going to see the underside anyway.

Scott, I'll be out later this afternoon, once I finish some work and my head stops pounding from these 30 degree swings.
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  #5  
Old 03-22-2017, 09:31 AM
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I thought I read somewhere this joint is somewhat structural, not cosmetic ?
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:35 AM
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If it is, Gus didn't think so. Maybe a modicum of structural strength. He mentioned seeing quite a number of older RVs in the wild where the builder either forgot, missed in the plans, or just didn't bother to drill and screw those screw holes.
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  #7  
Old 03-22-2017, 09:59 AM
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Good. I wouldn't think it's structural. Hersha will know how to do it.
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Last edited by Steve Melton : 03-22-2017 at 06:27 PM.
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  #8  
Old 03-22-2017, 12:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sbalmos View Post
Just got off the phone with Gus. He's not worried about it. Elongating the holes to get a screw in is fine. And no one's going to see the underside anyway.

Scott, I'll be out later this afternoon, once I finish some work and my head stops pounding from these 30 degree swings.
Some Tinnerman washers on those screws will cover up any visible defects in the re-dimpled skin nicely.
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  #9  
Old 03-22-2017, 12:43 PM
Ralph Inkster Ralph Inkster is offline
 
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I've had a 6 & a 7 come thru the shop some years back with those screws not installed at all. I called Vans & was advised they were structural. Was instructed to install them. They both ended up with AN515 (ugly) screws on their bellys, with nylocks in the 7 wing well & a long aluminum strip with nutplates used in the 6 because of very limited access in it's wing well.
Suggest OP call Vans for advise.
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Last edited by Ralph Inkster : 03-22-2017 at 12:49 PM.
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  #10  
Old 03-22-2017, 06:09 PM
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Well Gus /is/ with Vans. And he didn't seem concerned (used the classic "none have fallen out of the sky" line on the phone). He was the one who suggested elongating and redimpling the holes. And that's what I did today.

It's done, moving on. Looks tolerable, if anyone ever looks underneath. I like the Tinnerman washer idea. Maybe this weekend.
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