I have a bought -7A that rode out Harvey in Houston. Only issues were water over the wheels and slight damage to the rudder due to rudder lock breaking. Insurance says I need two bids for repair. Any suggestions in the Houston area? Airplane is flyable (after wheels/brakes repaired). Thanks in advance!
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Rudder Repair
- Thread starter kstone
- Start date
How much damage? Are you going to do the repair yourself?
Very slight ding where rudder blew into elevator. I will not be doing the work. Thanks!
Be careful
Hi
I had a similar issue with a small ding in the side of my rudder. What I didn't realise was that twist that was placed on the rudder to get it to touch the elevator was significant. It looked fine, but it was severely out of balance on takeoff. I had not seen the ding in the rudder during preflight.
The best course of action in this case, and all the advice I got from other builders and the Tech Councillors from the SAAA (Sports Aircraft Association Australia) was to "build a new rudder".
I did so and in the process built a better rudder and no longer needed the rudder "wedge" to keep the ball centred. I think, as a builder, building the rudder the second time enabled me to use skills I didn't have the first time around.
My advice would be find someone to build you a new rudder. The parts aren't that expensive from Vans in the scheme of the plane.
Cheers
Wayne
RV7A
Western Australia
Hi
I had a similar issue with a small ding in the side of my rudder. What I didn't realise was that twist that was placed on the rudder to get it to touch the elevator was significant. It looked fine, but it was severely out of balance on takeoff. I had not seen the ding in the rudder during preflight.
The best course of action in this case, and all the advice I got from other builders and the Tech Councillors from the SAAA (Sports Aircraft Association Australia) was to "build a new rudder".
I did so and in the process built a better rudder and no longer needed the rudder "wedge" to keep the ball centred. I think, as a builder, building the rudder the second time enabled me to use skills I didn't have the first time around.
My advice would be find someone to build you a new rudder. The parts aren't that expensive from Vans in the scheme of the plane.
Cheers
Wayne
RV7A
Western Australia
Robert Anglin
Well Known Member
+ 100%
The travel the rudder has to go in-order to contact the trailing edge of the El's is over 4" if it is adjusted and built well. Please consider replacing your rudder with a new one, once it has been flexed that much. Hope this helps, Yours, R.E.A. III # 80888
The travel the rudder has to go in-order to contact the trailing edge of the El's is over 4" if it is adjusted and built well. Please consider replacing your rudder with a new one, once it has been flexed that much. Hope this helps, Yours, R.E.A. III # 80888
erich weaver
Well Known Member
Hmmm. Nothing wrong with rebuilding of course, but I'm a little surprised with the responses given the very limited damage described. I had a small gash in mine due to a broken gust lock and impact with the elevator and was readily given repair advice from Vans. Repair completed a few hundred hours ago and everything good here. You might want to consider sending a photo in to Vans and ask their opinion.
Erich
Erich
AlexPeterson
Well Known Member
4", really?
To the original poster - what is the nominal clearance from the elevator to the rudder on your plane? Knowing that dimension will clarify how much the rudder flexed.
I have a 6A, and I'd guess nominal clearance is 1/2-3/4".
I think the typical is 3/4" - 1"
I agree. 4" would be for a rudder that the stops were likely not adjusted correctly.
Per the Construction Manual:
Thanks Dave!
