Rivet Lower Empennage Fairing?

WingsOnWheels · #1 02-08-2016, 08:41 PM

I am in the process of fitting my empennage fairings and for the life of me can't think of any reason to use screws for the lower fairing. Removing the lower faring doesn't give inspection or maintenance access beyond what can be done from above. The only maintenance item is the seal between the fairing and the stab, and that bit spends its life in the shade and probably doesn't require much service. BTW, the is an RV-6, so that lower fairing does not tie into the access panel in any way.

Has anyone else made this par permanent?

Kyle Boatright · #2 02-08-2016, 08:47 PM

Nothing's permanent, but mine's been pop riveted in place for 15 years, with no need to remove it so far and no reason that I know of to remove it in the future.

airguy · #3 02-08-2016, 09:17 PM

Several have riveted it in permanently, myself included. By this time in the build process you certainly have become good at drilling out rivets, it's not like you couldn't do a few more if you had to.

noelf · #4 02-09-2016, 04:13 AM

The only time I removed the fairing was when I painted the aircraft. I have never had a maintenance reason to remove them.

fixnflyguy · #5 02-09-2016, 06:33 AM

I installed mine with rivets and proseal. If I ever remove them it will because there are significant issues elsewhere. One less fairing to worry about coming loose,ect.

Mel · #6 02-09-2016, 06:43 AM

Mine have been riveted on since early 1993. No reason to ever remove them.

WingsOnWheels · #7 02-09-2016, 07:58 AM

Thank you all for the feedback. I'm going to go ahead and rivet them on, seems like it is a pretty common mod with no issues.

Carl Froehlich · #8 02-09-2016, 08:52 AM

Ok - but.

Make the rubber seal such that it will still cover the gap if your flight test demonstrate a need to put a shim under the forward HS spar.

I would guess a shim would not be more than .040" -.063".

Carl

WingsOnWheels · #9 02-09-2016, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Froehlich

Ok - but.

Make the rubber seal such that it will still cover the gap if your flight test demonstrate a need to put a shim under the forward HS spar.

I would guess a shim would not be more than .040" -.063".

Carl

Actually, I already have a 0.63 shim, based on comments here. So, worse case I need to remove the stab and shave a bit off the fairing if the shim needs to be reduced.