Wing Root Rubber Seal

[Ironflight]

A quick question for anyone...I installed my wing root fairings today, along with the rubber seal. I used a single, continuous piece of rubber for each side, and it was a mildly iritating job to get it in place where the forward and aft pieces of the aluminum fairing come togetehr. Are you supposed to cut the rubber seal into a fore and aft piece, or leave it whole? It sure seams like if you cut it, you'd always have a gap to contend with. However, if I want to glue it to the fairing pieces, it will be a pain with the two sections...

I'm probably making this MUCH harder than it is.....


Paul Dye
RV-8

[sf3543]

Paul
Om my -6. I left the rubber seal all in one piece and I did not glue it on the fairing at all. After about 500 hours I did end up gluing the last inch or so of the rubber, on the bottom of the fairing, because it was a little loose, but I probably didn't even need to do that.
If your fairings are tight enough to hold the rubber down and against the fuse, as they should, you shoiuld not need to glue them.
Good luck.

[Bob Axsom]

Paul, I shouldn't answer because I never built an RV-8 and my RV-6A closure strip of aluminum is one piece - no forward and aft separate pieces - but I need to do something with the five minutes I have free so my 2 cents worth is going in the pot. When I first put mine on (I agree with the awkwardness of the task but trust me you hold your mouth a little differently after the first few times and it seems to give in and let you succeed a little easier) I did not glue them in place. I thought the compression pressure of the assembly would hold them and at a nominal cruise speed everything was fine. Up at the 180 knot area they blow out of the top and scare the **** out of you. They beat against the upper wing skin and the side of the fuselage making an irregular thumping noise exactly like something has come loose and is beating against the plane. It does nothing except leave black skid marks on the plane - they come off with wax. Mine are glued in now but when I pulled up after passing the timeline at the end of the Airventure Cup Race this year the right one blew out anyway - need better glue - used black 3M weatherstrip adhesive last time. If you are going to paint your airplane later like I did they should come off so all of the outer surface of the aluminum gets painted - unless you plan to put on new rubber seals you probably don't want them too permanent right now. OK my time is up. Good luck.

Bob Axsom

[redbeardmark]

Paul,
The rubber channels are pretty snug and a little frustrating, but they take on the right shape with time. Mine are one-piece and were much easier to put on after they were in place for a few months.
Mark Andrews
RV8A N598X disassembled for paint(oh the joy)