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RV-8/8A quick build Service Bulletin issued

greghughespdx

Well Known Member
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Van's has discovered and been made aware of a small number of RV-8/8A quick build fuselage kits that were provided to customers with incorrect fasteners installed. Specifically, in these cases the lower firewall brackets that attach to the forward portion of the F-834-1 longerons were attached using rivets instead of the specified AN bolts. We've issued a service bulletin (SB-00031) directing owners to visually inspect the fasteners used, and if rivets are found to then replace the rivets with the proper AN bolts and related hardware. The details are covered in the SB document.

The QB fuselages where we have seen this issue thus far were assembled around 10+ years ago. Because we cannot be completely certain how many may have been assembled this way, we are issuing the service bulletin indicating an inspection of all RV-8/8A quick build fuselages.

Until this inspection is completed and (as necessary) remediated, affected aircraft should not be flown in aerobatic (>+3G, <1G) flight. Note that the specified inspection can be conducted visually without modifying or dissembling the aircraft.
 
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VAN’S SB-00031

As a data point and possible help for those who haven’t checked yet, I inspected my RV-8 today and found the AN3 bolts in question are installed. This QB fuselage was received in 1999. My Serial Number is 80898.



Left side of forward fuselage




Right side of forward fuselage
 
Doesn't look like much fun

This is a pretty scary SB, especially for those like me who didn't build their RV8, since it doesn't appear to be a simple task.

Since Jay has serial number 80898 and I have 80890, I was not quite as terrified to check. And sure enough, mine is not affected by the SB.

But I am wondering if this isn't a bit of overkill. If this affects RV8s that are 10+ years old, and no failures or distortions have been observed, it seems that the test of time may define this mistake as irrelevant.

Now I'm not sure you all will agree with that last statement, but I suspect that most of you will agree that these aircraft are, if anything, overbuilt. We can install bigger rivets and bolts at every location and gain nothing except additional weight.

I'm not an engineer, and don't play one on TV, so be kind.
 
ain´t that bad......i guess

i think it is not really that bad once you are at it, lying on your belly, and have a helping hand from outside.
The SB describes pretty well what you have to do and in which order.

i plan on jacking up the tail to get a "nose-low" attitude so that items dropped or burrs & chips from drilling will gather at the firewall and not way aft.

Additional tools will be a powerfull vacuum cleaner and a magnetic pick-up tool.

I just cannot find the 1" SS Firewall Plug mentioned in the SB. All i could find on the mothership´s store are 3/4", 5/8" and 3/8" sized plugs.

3/4" would probably work as well.

i already contacted Van´s on that and will post the answer here.
 
But I am wondering if this isn't a bit of overkill. If this affects RV8s that are 10+ years old, and no failures or distortions have been observed, it seems that the test of time may define this mistake as irrelevant.

You'd be surprised. Mine is not a QB and yet I was a victim of a SB that, like many like me around the world found out, applied to my non QB plane too yet hadn't been detected.

I'm talking about the 12 bolts in the wing box SB for QB planes. Mine had been flying for 10 years and had 1 DAR inspection, 10 annual inspections, 1 pre-purchase inspection, and on the 11th annual inspection it was found that we had those 12 bolts missing.

So just for kicks and giggles I recommend ALL planes get checked for this even if you don't have a QB fuse.
 
Yea, Im a little baffled about that 12 bolt SB. My plane has rivets where those bolts go, not sure how a rivet does what a 3” bolt does, but Vans says its ok.
 
1" plugs

I got access to the rivets to be removed through the forward baggage compartment. Once I got the front baggage floor and side wall removed the job wasn't very bad. I do have an access panel near the fuel pumps on the left hand side of the fuselage that I installed which gave good access to that side for installing the bolts. With a helper, that's not necessary. The 1" plugs are available through Vans. You need to call to order them though. Whatever you do though, don't ask them to combine an online order with a phone order. That proved to be too much work for the person I spoke to.
 
RV8 engine ?

sorry,, wrong place,, original will not delete
 
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2006 QB OK

Just to add to the database, my QB fuselage was assembled in late 2006, and shipped to me in early 2007. It was a pre -1, non- matched hole kit.

I checked today and found that the QB shop installed the correct AN3 hardware.
 
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My QB fuse was delivered in 2004(ish), and I checked per the service bulletin yesterday - all bolts present and accounted for....
 
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