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RV-12 horizontal stabilizer tips

S

stabilizer tips

Member
tip kit available for 149.95 + shipping
contact [email protected] or call 210 497-3801
made from 100% prime abs and installs in 20 minutes
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Ok Guys and Gals to order the stabilizer tips you can make payment 3 ways

1. Call 210-497-3801 or 1-800-594-2008 between 8am and 5pm central time
and pay with a credit card over the phone.

2. You can send a PayPal payment to
[email protected]
If you pay with PayPal the total is 161.95
149.95 for the tips and 12.00 shipping for anyone in the lower 48 of the USA.
If you are not in the US or are in Alaska or Hawaii you are going to have to call or email me for a quote on the shipping costs.
my email is [email protected]

3. If you are in the San Antonio Texas area you are more than welcome to come by and pick them up in person.

Thank you to all of you that have purchased my tips and I look forward to seeing some pics of them on your plane.
 
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By posting another response to a thread it goes to the top of the threads.

"Bump to the Top" :D


Sure wish these were around when I built my -12.
 
Your RV-12 will be a LSA no matter if you add the stabilizer tips or not. If you intend to register the aircraft as an E-LSA, then it must be built exactly according to plans. If you intend to register it as E-AB, then you can build it anyway you want to. But it will still be a LSA as long as it meets the requirements like stall speed and top speed and weight and etc.
Joe Gores
 
The wing tips looked more unfinished than the stab tips on mine. I ended up trimming a small patch at each tip and filling in with Bondo to get a nice smooth wingtip. I found that painting the wing tips and stab tips a dark color draws the eye away from imperfections. Not a perfect solution, but cheaper and easier than adding fiber glass tips.
 
RFSchaller said:
The wing tips looked more unfinished than the stab tips on mine. I ended up trimming a small patch at each tip and filling in with Bondo to get a nice smooth wingtip. I found that painting the wing tips and stab tips a dark color draws the eye away from imperfections. Not a perfect solution, but cheaper and easier than adding fiber glass tips.
Click to expand...


Not sure how much easier it could be it took under an hour to install. Granted I put my on before paint.

tips4.jpg
 
Wing tips

Im a newbie planning on an assembled rv12. These wing tips aren't included? Surprise..... Seems pretty basic? I can't add them either on a s-LSA?

Tim
 
To add them on the S-LSA version of the -12, assuming it doesn't come with them, would need a Letter of Approval (LOA) from the manufacturer.

For the E-LSA, you can put them on anytime after you get your airworthiness certificate.
 
Stabilator tips, not wing tips.

There's also the option of converting an SLSA to an ELSA.
After that, the tips could be added.
 
I believe they are left off of the ELSA because it is exactly 8 feet wide without them - a tow width limit in some states (?) and the -12 was planned to be easily trailered with the wings off. So if you add the tips, trailer the plane, and then get stopped by the most anal-retentive state trooper in the world and his tape measure, you may get a citation!
 
The 8 ft deal is Vans reported reason for the square tips. However, the current width requirements are more. I hauled a 102 inch wide trailer in every state behind my Kenworth that was 102 also, and that did NOT include lights and stuff hanging over. Most all highway trucks are 102 wide now.
Getting it INSIDE a 102 wide trailer however might have been the real reason for the 96 inch limit.
I will just remove them if necessary.
 
DonFromTX said:
The 8 ft deal is Vans reported reason for the square tips. However, the current width requirements are more. I hauled a 102 inch wide trailer in every state behind my Kenworth that was 102 also, and that did NOT include lights and stuff hanging over. Most all highway trucks are 102 wide now.
Getting it INSIDE a 102 wide trailer however might have been the real reason for the 96 inch limit.
I will just remove them if necessary.
Click to expand...

Actually quite a few states have a width limit of 8' HERE'S ONE
 
As nobody has reported tails falling off or any other inconvenient side effects so far, I ordered a set as well. They will make me slightly illegal on our roads (2.5m or 98.4" limit), but I can live with that. However, I'm curious to know whether Vans made any allowance in their original design for the fact that some wayward builders might decide to hang some decorations on the square ends of their stabilators, even if the factory never intended to produce them?
 
rgmwa said:
As nobody has reported tails falling off or any other inconvenient side effects so far, I ordered a set as well. They will make me slightly illegal on our roads (2.5m or 98.4" limit), but I can live with that. However, I'm curious to know whether Vans made any allowance in their original design for the fact that some wayward builders might decide to hang some decorations on the square ends of their stabilators, even if the factory never intended to produce them?
Click to expand...

The airplanes are designed to try and maximize the performance Vs cost factor.
Designing for what might be done by builders is usually not factored in (and in some ways can work against the performance Vs cost factor).
 
In your link to the VA regulations, if you scroll down to "Trailer Width", you will find that it is 8'6"
 
DonFromTX said:
STATES have no jurisdiction over the Federal Highway system, that has a system wide, (anywhere on an interstate highway) width of 102 inches.
Click to expand...

Don,
The context of the RV-12 design regarding width wasn't for you to be able to get it cross country via trailer on only the interstate highway system. It was to be able to travel from point to point from anywhere to anywhere.

Very few people have a driveway that accesses onto an interstate highway...
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
The airplanes are designed to try and maximize the performance Vs cost factor.
Designing for what might be done by builders is usually not factored in (and in some ways can work against the performance Vs cost factor).
Click to expand...

Thanks Scott, and that makes perfect sense of course, although in this case I was less concerned with reducing the performance Vs cost factor than with reducing the safety Vs appearance factor. Hopefully there is a enough margin in the stabilator design to accommodate this particular `improvement' without unduly compromising flight safety. I guess all we can say for now is so far, so good.
 
They are GREAT!

I may go to jail for being a few inches over trailer width, whenever I head to the airport (joke).........but,

These tips are nice! Installed the first one last night. First time I've been in the shop in almost 3-months! (pay no attention to my high-tech gust lock on the rudder :) )

tipsm.jpg
 
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nice tips txaviator :)
i just wanted to get on here to say Thank You to everyone that has gotten my tips. i just sold my 50th set. i guess hangar talk does go somewhere every now and then. if anyone else has any ideas on plastic parts or pieces that you
want/need or you know someone that wants/needs something made. i would love to hear about it.
And guys i really want to see all of your planes after your finished so post some pics. i did get to see a few of them at sun and fun this year and i must say Great Job!! i didn't get to meet any of you but i think the workmanship speaks for itself. was only able to attend one day due to my work schedule :mad:
 
Memorial Day special !!! Get your tip kit for 125.00 plus shipping. I will be out of the office Saturday, Sunday, and Monday but anyone that has called or emailed an order dated between the May 23rd - June 1st will get the discount.
 
Just received mine today. Yeah, I'm a little earlier since I haven't even built the HS yet...but talk about a work of art! Beautiful!:D

Bob
 
Besides the trailering issue, is anyone flying these? Have you tested for, or noticed any differences in handling, etc???

Bob Bogash
N737G
26 hrs 46 landings
Took my Missus up as my first passenger on Monday.
 
Just installed the stabilizer tips on my rv12. Very satisfied with the installation. Haven't noticed any difference in the flying qualities, but it sure looks faster!
 
Hi Roger,
I sent you a PM and an email, but have not heard back from you. Please consider the HS Tips sold. I live just a few miles from you, and can pick them up and pay you at your convenience. Sorry to the group since I know this conversation should be on classifieds, not here.
Alex
 
I installed the tips and have made about 50+ flights with them - I notice no difference in handling or performance but a BIG improvement in looks! Here's a picture as you requested.

i-dHcn43j-L.jpg


Bob Bogash
N737G
 
Bob,
How much final fitting did you have to do? I'm still sanding and trimming quite a bit for a flush fit to the stab surface. Edge thickness of the ABS on mine varied quite a bit- especially at the trailing edge.
 
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Less fitting than I'm sure you would do, Gary!

I found the support brackets kind of needed some more work. I added a few rivets to the stab end rib - it was too flexible otherwise. Those bend-over brackets had a lot of tolerance for positioning (incorrectly.) Lining up and drilling the holes was an opportunity to get it wrong.

Some people say they did it in 20 minutes, or an hour.
They're the same ones who did the landing gear mod in 4 hours. Call me Neanderthal Bob.......

My next set will be a better install.....

I have a "Rework the stab tips" on my winter-time To-Do List - but who knows if I'll get around to it (that's the other half of the To-Do List.

All in all, though - I'm quite pleased with the caps and recommend them to others.

Bob Bogash
N737G
 
Bob,
Thanks for the picture and your honest opinion :) The installation looks great from here, good job!!
I designed the mounting plate tabs with a little flexibility because the stabilizer is not exactly the same on all builds, Also, Some people want to use rivets, others use the screws provided in the kit. Depending on which method the buyer decides to go with directly affects where the mounting tabs need to be bent. I used a light aluminum mounting plate designed so that the user could install the tips without drilling several holes in the stabilizer rib. I figured if the buyer wanted more rivets they could put more my inclination was to use all the existing holes and I only put 2 more on the center section where there is no existing holes to mount the plate.
Yes, The thickness of the plastic varies slightly because the tip is tapered, the plastic at the leading edge stretches more than the trailing edge.
I have the mold going to a point. I can not make them any different without the plastic webbing out (folding onto itself) at the end of the point. I have tried several different methods but with it going to such a sharp point it really limits my options.

Sanding does not take long if you bent the tabs in the correct place.
"TIP: Start with a lower grit paper and finish off with a higher grit."
I realize I built the tips but I can easily install and sand them to a finish ready for paint in 20 to 30 minutes. Yes, it will take much longer if I completed all the fitment with 180 or 220 grit paper. Start with 50 or 80 grit and get it real close then step up to 180 or 220.
This will help installation time tremendously!
 
I have not yet installed mine, but are you saying that one can sand the tips to match the contour of the stabilator after they are installed?
stabilizer tips said:
Bob,
Thanks for the picture and your honest opinion :) The installation looks great from here, good job!!
I designed the mounting plate tabs with a little flexibility because the stabilizer is not exactly the same on all builds, Also, Some people want to use rivets, others use the screws provided in the kit. Depending on which method the buyer decides to go with directly affects where the mounting tabs need to be bent. I used a light aluminum mounting plate designed so that the user could install the tips without drilling several holes in the stabilizer rib. I figured if the buyer wanted more rivets they could put more my inclination was to use all the existing holes and I only put 2 more on the center section where there is no existing holes to mount the plate.
Yes, The thickness of the plastic varies slightly because the tip is tapered, the plastic at the leading edge stretches more than the trailing edge.
I have the mold going to a point. I can not make them any different without the plastic webbing out (folding onto itself) at the end of the point. I have tried several different methods but with it going to such a sharp point it really limits my options.

Sanding does not take long if you bent the tabs in the correct place.
"TIP: Start with a lower grit paper and finish off with a higher grit."
I realize I built the tips but I can easily install and sand them to a finish ready for paint in 20 to 30 minutes. Yes, it will take much longer if I completed all the fitment with 180 or 220 grit paper. Start with 50 or 80 grit and get it real close then step up to 180 or 220.
This will help installation time tremendously!
Click to expand...
 
I didn't try to sand the tips to match the contour of the stab (horrors!) They fit pretty close right out of the box and that's the way they pretty much stayed.

I sanded them for finishing - sanded, primed, and then several top coats. I liked the virgin plastic black color on my airplane - although I hadn't planned to make them that color - so I painted them gloss black. Sanding, cleaning, priming and painting several coats is a multi-day job.

I found without additional rivets, the kit rib could move away from the stab end rib too much for my liking, and so added a few more rivets.

The most time consuming part was aligning the holes on the tabs to drill the tips. I did that first by measuring, as per the plans, and then by using a hole-finder that worked quite well. After drilling each tip hole, I would cleco it to the tab. It was still quite a chore - especially for the bottom set of holes (on a finished airplane.)

The tips are held on my sheet metal screws that are secured by clip-on sheet metal nutplates. There are 10 of them. Slipping the tip on with those nutplates floating loosely is an exercise in self restrait (I ain't got much...) I would up gluing them on. After installation, I found there was a bit of pillowing between fasteners and a little more gap than I wanted - which I sealed (horrors!)

Like I said before, someday I may actually get around to pulling them off and improving the installation. Or, maybe I won't. I lot of people (including Joe Blank from Vans) have looked at them admiringly, so maybe I'm too picky (but not too ambitious.) I'd prefer flying.

Roger - don't take my comments negatively - like a baseball umpire - "I just calls 'em like I see 'em." I think they are a very nice addition to the airplane, and Vans should offer them (or include them in the kit.) The existing end rib with its empty holes, etc. (trailer comments not-withstanding) is pretty, er, "rough" and negatively impacts the appearance of the airplane. It's pretty bad when you show the airplane to someone who knows nothing about airplanes and they ask "What attaches here?"

Bob Bogash
N737G
 
sorry I called you Roger, Gary - maybe there's a Roger somewhere in this thread - and then again, maybe not.

Roger that!

Here's a pic of clecoed tips.

i-9W7bmGk-L.jpg


Bob bogash
N737G
 
NASA515 said:
sorry I called you Roger, Gary - maybe there's a Roger somewhere in this thread - and then again, maybe not.

Roger that!

Here's a pic of clecoed tips.

i-9W7bmGk-L.jpg


Bob bogash
N737G
Click to expand...

Bob,
Thanks for the write-up. Have I missed a photo of your painted plane somewhere? I'm seeing a lot of red, and I don't recall seeing a painted pic? To keep the thread on track, let's see your entire red airplane WITH the tips attached :D ???
 
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