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04-05-2018, 04:33 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: UK/Denmark
Posts: 7
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Fuselage longeron repair scheme?
Hello All RV-enthusiasts.
I have recently bought an RV6A, after it had done the forward flip.. The result was a damaged firewall, wrinkled fuselage skins and fuse longerons bent and pushed outwards as the roll bar came down. The damage stops forward of the tailcone. The event was videoed so just Youtube: RV6 G-CCVS.
This kind of damage has been seen before, and I have been searching for a repairs having been done to the longerons, avoiding to replace the entire tailcone, which was not damaged in the flip. I want to repair replacing the longerons from the (straight) baggage section and forward, placing a doubler across the longeron.
Doing a repair according to AC43-13 should be fairly straight forward, but has anybody done this to date with an approved repair? My issue is that I need to get the repair approved by the LAA here in Britain, and they will want to see a scheme based on either Vans recommendation or AC43-13.
Being a follower of RV for two decades I am new to the RV community, but have overhauled a couple of certified planes in the past, I just got enough of the EASA paperwork in Europe and have seen the RV coming my way for a long time. The RV6 is not that far from my beloved CAP10C in flight characteristics, so now I am giving the RVs a try.
Let me know your advise, or a pointer to the thread where this has been beaten before.
Cheers
Lars Jensen
UK
Robin DR253b D-EGCC
CAP10c D-ETUR
plus more..
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04-05-2018, 04:52 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,219
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Call the factory. One of their guys spliced a new tailcone onto his RV-6 after a wayward car hit it about 20 years ago. You're doing a similar splice.
__________________
Kyle Boatright
Marietta, GA
2001 RV-6 N46KB
2019(?) RV-10
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04-05-2018, 06:12 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: UK/Denmark
Posts: 7
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I did mail Sterling at Vans, and got the reply; "we recommend changing out all damaged parts." That would involve deriveting the entire rear fuselage, which is what I am trying to avoid.
The attitude to repairs at Vans may have changed over the years.
Forgot to mention it is a Quick Build from 1999.
Cheers
Lars J
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04-05-2018, 08:03 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 203
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Probably worth speaking to LAA Engineering first. You want them to be satisfied from the outset. Have you got an LAA inspector for the project?
__________________
Ed.
RV-3B G-CCTG - Purchased May 2020
RV-8 G-MIRV - First flight 1 July 2019
RV-6 G-BZRV - Flown the nest.
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04-05-2018, 08:18 AM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Welcome to VAF
Lars, welcome aboard the good ship VAF
Good luck with your project.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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04-05-2018, 08:31 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
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You could remove and replace one longeron at a time.
And although it would add a few holes that you'd need to fill, you could rivet on a few pieces of sheet that go across the longeron rivet line (first removing just those longeron rivets) and ensure that the overall alignment is maintained. After the new longeron is installed and mostly riveted, you'd remove these pieces, finish riveting the longeron and rivet in those new holes to fill them.
Dave
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04-05-2018, 08:34 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: UK/Denmark
Posts: 7
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I am definitely going to get the LAA onboard, but the question is asked to see if anybody has gone down that route already; meaning has anyone made a documented and approved repair, which I can be fairly sure will be accepted by the LAA.
I just hate reinventing the wheel, again..
Cheers
Lars
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04-05-2018, 02:33 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lufkin Tx
Posts: 689
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I did it on a partially built RV-4 kit. It?s not that difficult. Just a lot of rivets to drill out.
__________________
Arlie Conner (A&P)
RV-4 (N124TT) Sold
RV-8 (N269CP) Sold
RV-4 (N684ML) completed 3-17-19
KOCH Nacogdoches
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04-05-2018, 11:24 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 411
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Ken Scott
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright
Call the factory. One of their guys spliced a new tailcone onto his RV-6 after a wayward car hit it about 20 years ago. You're doing a similar splice.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars Jensen
I did mail Sterling at Vans, and got the reply; "we recommend changing out all damaged parts." That would involve deriveting the entire rear fuselage, which is what I am trying to avoid.
The attitude to repairs at Vans may have changed over the years.
Forgot to mention it is a Quick Build from 1999.
Cheers
Lars J
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That was Ken Scott, N207KS. He retired from Van's in July of 2016. Maybe you can find a way to get in touch with him.
__________________
Mike F
RV-6A wings/fuselage
RV-3 empennage (extra thanks to Mr. Zilik)
RV-4 Plans only S/N 2938
Cessna 152
Elk Grove, CA
VAF #744 Exempt but paid anyway
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04-06-2018, 08:05 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Oregon
Posts: 801
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Robin, I have been on a similar wreck rebuild for a couple years, I am slow, and my plane was much more substantially damaged than the one in the video I just watched...I believe. I straightened one longeron and if I was not able too I would have just replaced it. With all the other structure in place the plane stay's square. Providing it was not to tweaked in the turn over.
I am not familiar with the repair procedure you noted but will take a look at that and see if my process was in line with the procedures and add more here in a bit.
OK...that circular is 646 pages long...uh...wow.
Looks like Sec. 4:11-56, and then spots throughout the 646 pages. The distance of deflecting of longeron from baseline is where I would start. And, in an experiential sense, does the AL have "cottage cheese" look to the bend? Not very scientific but if I see "other than" original flat dimensional surface I replace it as obvious metal structure has been changed. I am sure a metallurgist can give this a proper name here. I hired my foundry guy so I didn't have to know all that stuff.
Now, I am not an engineer, I have hired engineers to check my math and show them ways to manufacture stuff cheaper, faster with fewer tool changes... haha but that is just because it is my wallet. I have learned a lot from engineers.
__________________
Kentlik
RV-7A in progress
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0527486/?
Private pilot, ASEL!
EAA 105 Chapter 7S3
Bi-annual financial contributor
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..." Teddy Roosevelt
Last edited by kentlik : 04-06-2018 at 08:31 AM.
Reason: added text
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