VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics

  #1  
Old 06-01-2010, 07:51 PM
AlexPeterson's Avatar
AlexPeterson AlexPeterson is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Maple Grove, MN
Posts: 2,333
Default Rubber Wing Root Seal

Interesting thing happened Sunday. My wife and I flew to an airshow in Janesville, WI, arriving around 1030 in the morning. We parked at a far corner of the airport, along with around 30 other transients just there for the airshow. We were bused over to the show side of the airport. After watching both the Canadian Snowbirds (my favorite flying team, please take comments to another thread...) and the US Thunderbirds, we took the bus back to our plane. Did the preflight, and we hopped in. While we waited in the plane for some other traffic to clear the parking area, a ground volunteer chatted with us from the right side of the plane, probably steadying himself on the wing.

At about 1000 agl, I started hearing some thumping on the right side. Hmmm. We looked around the perimeter of the slider canopy, but couldn't find anything to explain it. I figured the only thing it could be was either an airport cat that grabbed on or the rubber seal in the root fairing. We slowed down and diverted to a nearby airport (didn't see the need to circle back into the busy departures). The seal had come out up to about the wing spar. I removed the necessary screws, and put the seal back in. Since that same seal had been in for 9 years and 1200 hours (and removed/reinstalled at each annual), it seemed curious that it simply decided to come out. After putting it back in, I've flown about 3 hours with no issues.

I have to conclude that the guy who leaned over the wing somehow inadvertently pushed it down or somehow disrupted it.

Interesting coincidence: We didn't see anyone at the airport (Monroe, KEFT), until just before starting up. A guy came up, and said he had a 7 that had the root fairing seal come out on the first flight! I had already gone partway through the hot start procedure, so I wasn't able to talk.
__________________
Alex Peterson
RV6A N66AP 1700+ hours
KADC, Wadena, MN
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-01-2010, 08:01 PM
apkp777's Avatar
apkp777 apkp777 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 2,053
Default

Good info on the seals. Did you use contact cement to keep them on? During my days at UAL we used "gorilla snot" AKA Pliobond to keep them in place.

I was at Janesville on Sunday. That was a GREAT airshow!
__________________
Tony Phillips
N524AP, RV 9 (tail wheel)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-01-2010, 08:32 PM
AlexPeterson's Avatar
AlexPeterson AlexPeterson is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Maple Grove, MN
Posts: 2,333
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by apkp777 View Post
Good info on the seals. Did you use contact cement to keep them on? During my days at UAL we used "gorilla snot" AKA Pliobond to keep them in place.

I was at Janesville on Sunday. That was a GREAT airshow!
No, nothing used to hold them in place. I might put a tiny screw through the rubber and through the fairing, just at the end.
__________________
Alex Peterson
RV6A N66AP 1700+ hours
KADC, Wadena, MN
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-01-2010, 09:07 PM
gciampa gciampa is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fuquay Varina, NC
Posts: 75
Talking

Amazing,

this *exact* thing happened to me on Saturday afternoon doing some local flying and aerobatics. Made for a bit of apprehension, since I did not know the cause until after landing.

Besided gorilla snot, any other suggestions on securing the wing root rubber seal?

Thx
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-02-2010, 12:41 AM
RV7AV8R's Avatar
RV7AV8R RV7AV8R is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 426
Default

It happened to me once, so before a long cross country to OSH I put duct tape over the rubber so it wouldn't hapen on the trip. Instead, the leading edge of the duct tape formed and airscoop and the trailing edge formed a duck bill whoopy cushion sound maker. The result was loud buzzing sound just like a model airplane engine. After I landed it took a while to figure it all out. Later 3M contact cement worked much better.
__________________
John Adams
Seattle
RV7 600+hrs
Paid 12/2014
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-02-2010, 03:17 AM
Bob Axsom Bob Axsom is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,685
Default It is more common than you might think

I installed mine tight and since no bonding or mechanical attachment was called out on the drawings I didn't add anything. This has been written up before but mine would come out and beat on the fuselage especially. This is a recursive process where you have to cut, fit, install platenuts for the closure strip and make the installation before you know it will work and you want to glue the thing together. Then you have to take it back off and glue it and let it cure before you reinstall it or the installation stress will pull the rubber away from the closure strip surface. I tried Pliobond but it isn't really adequate. That was my initial adhesive but at the end of the 2005 AirVenture Cup Race I pulled up after crossing the finish line at well over 200 mph and it blew out (200 mph seemed to be the magic number where mine would blow out) during the phase 1 test period. I finally installed the rubber seal strips on the aluminum closure strips with 3M yellow Weatherstrip adhesive following the proper procedure and that solved the problem. Now several years later the rubber looks like it was molded in place and I take take off the aluminum plates for annual inspections and the rubber requires no special attention at all.

Bob Axsom
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-02-2010, 04:54 AM
Caveman's Avatar
Caveman Caveman is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 672
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Axsom View Post
I finally installed the rubber seal strips on the aluminum closure strips with 3M yellow Weatherstrip adhesive following the proper procedure and that solved the problem. Now several years later the rubber looks like it was molded in place and I take take off the aluminum plates for annual inspections and the rubber requires no special attention at all.
Bob Axsom
What Bob said! I just dabbed the 3M on in several spots between the rubber's "split" on the 7 so it stays stuck on the metal fairing when it's removed for inspection. I had the rubber strip come loose on my old Cherokee 140. It was the only time I've scared the wife while flying. She was not at all amused by the high speed drumming. On the 7 my seal fit tight enough I really struggled to install it during the build, yet the tail end started coming out during phase one. I caught it before it started beating on anything that time and reverted to the same fix I used on the Piper.
__________________
Joe Schneider
RV-7, IO-360, BA Hartzell, N847CR
Flying since 2008
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-02-2010, 10:19 AM
az_gila's Avatar
az_gila az_gila is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: 57AZ - NW Tucson area
Posts: 10,011
Smile The similar arrangement...

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexPeterson View Post
No, nothing used to hold them in place. I might put a tiny screw through the rubber and through the fairing, just at the end.
...on my Grumman uses a single avex pop rivet at each end. I guess if the end doesn't lift out, the rest will be OK...
__________________
Gil Alexander
EAA Technical Counselor, Airframe Mechanic
Half completed RV-10 QB purchased
RV-6A N61GX - finally flying
Grumman Tiger N12GA - flying
La Cholla Airpark (57AZ) Tucson AZ
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-02-2010, 10:19 PM
g4mech g4mech is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Ca
Posts: 31
Default

Use 3M 1300L...glue them to the fairing and they will never come off. You might be able to use RTV as well but the 1300L is the way to go. Any A&P will know what I am talking about.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...scotchgrip.php
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-02-2010, 10:29 PM
IowaRV9Dreamer's Avatar
IowaRV9Dreamer IowaRV9Dreamer is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Marion IA
Posts: 1,095
Default same on certified plane

Exact same problem happened 2X on the Beech Skipper, although at 90 mph instead of Bob's 200mph!. The original seal is 30 years old and essentially dryrotted to the point that there was nothing left to hold the glue. We had to spend $0.45 per inch for the correct seal (with 8130!) and then used the black 3M to hold it in place. Seems very solid now.
__________________
Dave Gribble VAF #232
Building RV-9A N149DG (slider, IO-320, IFR)
Restored and Flying Beech Super III N3698Q
Marion IA

Struggling with fiberglass

There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings." Wilbur Wright, 1905
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:48 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.