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Cracks in Rudder Skin

krhea

Well Known Member
2014 RV7- 537 hours, cracks in .016 skin of rudder at stiffener to spar.

Looking for possible avenues to repair these cracks.
1. Clear packing tape & stop drill-observation (gleaned from searching forum)
2. Click bond patch (gleaned from searching forum)
3. Patch over skin after stop drilling, IAW AC43-13-1B using Cherry N Rivets.
4. Rebuild Rudder using new skins stiffeners, ribs, wedge, spar; reuse FB parts, counterbalance, hardware.

It won’t bother me to put a patch on skin, not a perfect airplane, but doesn’t have any trim tabs and only weighs 1020# all up.

Maybe do #3 and then #4 later.

Have i missed anything?

Thanks

Keith Rhea
RV7
2021 Donation
IMG_4088.jpg
 
Rudder Cracks

I had the same problem a year ago. It turns out Van's sells a rudder kit for the RV-7, so I bought one, put it together in a weekend, painted it, and replaced the old cracked rudder.
Be sure to glue (old Pro-Seal) the stiffeners to the inside of the skins to eliminate any possibility of getting cracks again...

2014 RV7- 537 hours, cracks in .016 skin of rudder at stiffener to spar.

Looking for possible avenues to repair these cracks.
1. Clear packing tape & stop drill-observation (gleaned from searching forum)
2. Click bond patch (gleaned from searching forum)
3. Patch over skin after stop drilling, IAW AC43-13-1B using Cherry N Rivets.
4. Rebuild Rudder using new skins stiffeners, ribs, wedge, spar; reuse FB parts, counterbalance, hardware.

It won’t bother me to put a patch on skin, not a perfect airplane, but doesn’t have any trim tabs and only weighs 1020# all up.

Maybe do #3 and then #4 later.

Have i missed anything?

Thanks

Keith Rhea
RV7
2021 Donation
IMG_4088.jpg
 
Last edited:
This was an elevator, but just an example of what cracks can lead to...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec-eWnCr7cQ

Totally different scenario, the elevator had a cracked trailing edge.

The small (<1/2") cracks under discussion in this thread are at the end of stiffeners adjacent to the spar. The well-documented rudder cracks seen in numerous "thin-skinned" rudders over the past ~20 years have not resulted in safety of flight issues, just cardiac arrest in prospective buyers. ;)

Any of the options explored by the original poster would be satisfactory in regard to airworthiness.
 
2014 RV7- 537 hours, cracks in .016 skin of rudder at stiffener to spar.

Looking for possible avenues to repair these cracks.
1. Clear packing tape & stop drill-observation (gleaned from searching forum)
2. Click bond patch (gleaned from searching forum)
3. Patch over skin after stop drilling, IAW AC43-13-1B using Cherry N Rivets.
4. Rebuild Rudder using new skins stiffeners, ribs, wedge, spar; reuse FB parts, counterbalance, hardware.

It won’t bother me to put a patch on skin, not a perfect airplane, but doesn’t have any trim tabs and only weighs 1020# all up.

Maybe do #3 and then #4 later.

Have i missed anything?

Thanks

Keith Rhea
RV7
2021 Donation
IMG_4088.jpg

I stop drilled 3 cracks in 6A rudder at about 200 hours. Haven't done anything further for the next 1540 hours.
 
I also did not think any RV-7s had 0.016 skins.

Here is a picture of a patch on Ken Krueger’s -4. Un-rivet where the forward edge of the skins meet. Stop drill crack. Cover crack with patch that is riveted and prosealed in place. Before re-riveting front of skins make SURE to bend/massage the skins so they are not under tension.

Regards,
 

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I stop drilled mine

2 - 1/2" cracks near the trailing edge.
650 hours and no issues. The addition of packing tape sounds like a good addition to this fix.
 
I just looked on the plans, did not measure and don't remember. Could be .020 skins.
 
That's almost EXACTLY the same patch I did on my .016 rudder skins in about 6 places after the stop drill holes continued to crack. I bonded my patches on, and used the the small pop rivets to replace the solid rivets I drilled out. Worked perfect. No more cracks.

I did recently build a new rudder w/ .020 skins, but that's just because I was Covid bored.

I also did not think any RV-7s had 0.016 skins.

Here is a picture of a patch on Ken Krueger’s -4. Un-rivet where the forward edge of the skins meet. Stop drill crack. Cover crack with patch that is riveted and prosealed in place. Before re-riveting front of skins make SURE to bend/massage the skins so they are not under tension.

Regards,
 
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