RV-7/7A In-Flight Breakup Accident Information

[BillL]

Originally Posted by mfleming

Any luck Bill.

When the insurance company asks if the -7 was built with any non Vans approved mods, it would be helpful to say no.

Then just say no. But making the prove-in-court case is a little more difficult.

Attached is a general fuselage drawing of the early 7. One is with the originally shipped short rudder and the other the replaced tall rudder. Look at the information blocks. They are all the same. I was not impressed with the Vans (publicly available) drawing history control, but it may have been by design for reverse engineering purposes. I have all the other dwg's at the airport and have the short rudder information. The timeline is that the 6 came first. It progressed to a counterweighted rudder with .020 skin. That was the last 6 rudder sold, and the first 7 rudder sold. To actually prove they are the same requires a list of detail dimensions, and materials, and is not available. So you might say the 8 rudder is really the late 6 rudder. I will post the 7PP, 7 and the 6 drawing if I have them.

All straight now?

[jcarne]

Can someone with the RV-8 rudder drawing send me a pdf of it (drop me a PM and I'll send my email address)? Maybe I missed it in this massive thread. Would like to get the part numbers off of it. Thanks!

[Walt]

Originally Posted by jcarne

Walt, been flying with it yet? How does it feel/handle?

Handles just fine, I did tend to use too much rudder pressure at first, so less pressure required to offset yaw. Kinda like Mark said earlier, power steering.

Originally Posted by mfleming

Any luck Bill.

When the insurance company asks if the -7 was built with any non Vans approved mods, it would be helpful to say no.

The 8 rudder was originally provided with the kit, Van's offered to supply the 9 rudder at no charge if you wanted it, but it was optional, not a required mod.

[RV8JD]

Originally Posted by Walt

The 8 rudder was originally provided with the kit, Van's offered to supply the 9 rudder at no charge if you wanted it, but it was optional, not a required mod.

And just to be clear for newcomers, Van's has been shipping the RV-9 rudder with the -7/7A kits since mid-2002.

See the SB for details --> https://www.vansaircraft.com/service...ions/sb-2-6-1/

[DanH]

Originally Posted by mfleming

When the insurance company asks if the -7 was built with any non Vans approved mods, it would be helpful to say no.

I doubt an insurance company would care.

[mfleming]

Originally Posted by Walt

Handles just fine, I did tend to use too much rudder pressure at first, so less pressure required to offset yaw. Kinda like Mark said earlier, power steering.



The 8 rudder was originally provided with the kit, Van's offered to supply the 9 rudder at no charge if you wanted it, but it was optional, not a required mod.

Thanks for the update Walt.

Originally Posted by DanH

I doubt an insurance company would care.

Thanks for that perspective.

[spatsch]

Originally Posted by mfleming

Any luck Bill.

When the insurance company asks if the -7 was built with any non Vans approved mods, it would be helpful to say no.

I never heard about Vans approving any mod. They recommend, suggest, discourage, encourage or they are just quite about a mod, but I never saw the word "approved".

Oliver

[mfleming]

Originally Posted by spatsch

I never heard about Vans approving any mod. They recommend, suggest, discourage, encourage or they are just quite about a mod, but I never saw the word "approved".

Oliver

Well, technically most service bulletins are mods, the forward access hatch is a mod they started selling, the -9 rudder on a -7 is a mod they gave away...so I think approved mod is the correct term.

[jask]

Originally Posted by jcarne

Can someone with the RV-8 rudder drawing send me a pdf of it (drop me a PM and I'll send my email address)? Maybe I missed it in this massive thread. Would like to get the part numbers off of it. Thanks!

These are the part numbers in the 8 rudder kit sold by Vans. I noticed the price went up $20 in the past week. $395 now.

• (2) AN365-1032 view
• (2) AN509-10R16 view
• (1) BAG 402-1 view
• (1) BAG 405 view
• (1) BAG 410 view
• (1) E-614-020 view
• (3) K1000-6 view
• (2) NAS1149F0363P view
• (1) R-405PD view
• (1) R-411 view
• (1) R-606PP view
• (1) R-607PP view
• (1) R-608PP view
• (1) R-703 view
• (1) R-704 view
• (1) R-710 view
• (1) R-713 view
• (1) R-801PP view
• (1) R-802PP view
• (1) R-809 view
• (2) R-815BDE view
• (2) R-815CGA view
• (1) R-815FH view
• (1) AS3-032X1 1/8X40 view

[jcarne]

Originally Posted by jask

These are the part numbers in the 8 rudder kit sold by Vans. I noticed the price went up $20 in the past week. $395 now.

• (2) AN365-1032 view
• (2) AN509-10R16 view
• (1) BAG 402-1 view
• (1) BAG 405 view
• (1) BAG 410 view
• (1) E-614-020 view
• (3) K1000-6 view
• (2) NAS1149F0363P view
• (1) R-405PD view
• (1) R-411 view
• (1) R-606PP view
• (1) R-607PP view
• (1) R-608PP view
• (1) R-703 view
• (1) R-704 view
• (1) R-710 view
• (1) R-713 view
• (1) R-801PP view
• (1) R-802PP view
• (1) R-809 view
• (2) R-815BDE view
• (2) R-815CGA view
• (1) R-815FH view
• (1) AS3-032X1 1/8X40 view

Thank you! Ya I don't think the price increase is just for the rudder parts. I noticed the RV-10 emp went up $100 too.