rv9aviator
Well Known Member
Be careful storing airplane parts. I used a cheap set of ratchet straps to suspend my horizontal stabilizer and elevator assembly from the ceiling in my shop. They have been hanging for about a month. Yesterday morning when I walked into the shop they were laying in the floor. When I looked up one of the straps just unwove itself and failed. I can't see any evidence of a mouse chewing on the strap or anything except the strap just unraveled. The total weight on the strap couldn't have been over 30 lbs.
If there is a bright side to this I supposed it would be this. The parts fell from twelve feet up and hit on the front corner of the horizontal stabilizer. It only damaged the skin and one nose rib which surprised me. It took three hours to completely remove the skin and prep the ribs for the new skin. The parts were around $80.00 and another six to eight hours will have it back in a new condition. Try that with a certified plane.
From now on all the parts will be on the floor or in cradles on the wall, no more straps, at least not cheap Wal-Mart straps.
If there is a bright side to this I supposed it would be this. The parts fell from twelve feet up and hit on the front corner of the horizontal stabilizer. It only damaged the skin and one nose rib which surprised me. It took three hours to completely remove the skin and prep the ribs for the new skin. The parts were around $80.00 and another six to eight hours will have it back in a new condition. Try that with a certified plane.
From now on all the parts will be on the floor or in cradles on the wall, no more straps, at least not cheap Wal-Mart straps.
A couple of months ago I was reorganizing the shop, and I put my flaps on a rack off one of the rafters. I meant to put a stop of some sort to catch the edge so it couldn't slide off. Well, I got distracted by family matters and about an hour later heard a crash. Go downstairs to find one flap on the floor. Huge dent in the corner, completely unfixable. Ordered all new flap parts , about $130.00. Learned my lesson too.......all parts secured from here on out