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0ptions

Active Member
Help. installed my wing tips on my RV8 quickbuild wings and they are 1/2"-1" higher at the trailing edge than my nuetral aelerons. (used tooling holes and jig to center aelerons). Vans says 1/4" normal. Their suggestion is to cut the trailing edge and re-shape. Is this normal? The tips sat for over a year idle in a controlled indoor temp room. I'm ready for the airport and want to complete as much before I go as possible. Any suggestions?????
 
I'd take the tips off, fill in all of the holes with epoxy and flox and reinstall the tips in the correct alignment You'd be surprised how much you can move those tips around during fitting.
 
0ptions said:
Help. installed my wing tips on my RV8 quickbuild wings and they are 1/2"-1" higher at the trailing edge than my nuetral aelerons. (used tooling holes and jig to center aelerons). Vans says 1/4" normal. Their suggestion is to cut the trailing edge and re-shape. Is this normal? The tips sat for over a year idle in a controlled indoor temp room. I'm ready for the airport and want to complete as much before I go as possible. Any suggestions?????
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think his happens a lot.

First recheck that you ailerons are not both symmetrically low. Then double check the aileron position. When you're sure the ailerons are where you want them, get a Dremel tool, the leftover West System stuff from the canopy, a drill with a #30 bit, and a handful of clecos.

First, drill out the flush rivets on the bottom of the aluminum rib. Then use the Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to split along the trailing edge and forward along the side for 2-3 feet. I had to use a putty knife and hacksaw blade to complete the cut along the trailing edge. Use some coarse sandpaper to prep the inside of the wingtip around your incision. This is easiest to do off the airplane.

Next, mount the tip on the airplane, with the flaps and ailerons clamped in position. Check again that they are where you want them. Get a helper to push or pull (whatever it takes) to get the trailing edge level with the aileron. Then drill a #30 hole through both "leaves" of the trailing edge and put in a cleco. Be careful not to drill your helper's fingers as blood will contaminate the layup and may lead to delamination later;-) Use a straightedge across the trailing edge of the aileron to make sure you stay in the proper plane as you put in three or four more clecos. Check from one side to the other for symmetry before taking the tips back off.

Now glue the trailing edges back together using epoxy/flox leftover from the canopy. If you know a plastic airplane person, you might be able to get them to do this for you if you offer them beer..

Redrill the holes for the flush rivets holding the aluminum rib in (I was able to use the same holes in the fiberglass and drill new holes in the rib) squeeze new rivets in the rib and finish all the leftover holes/cracks with epoxy and microballoons.

Except for letting the epoxy cure, it almost takes longer to type than to just do it.

If you don't fix it, it will bug you every time you look out the canopy.

HTH

James Freeman
 
my wingtip solution

And I thought I was the only one.......I made my wingtips long before the wings were attached and, much to my dissapointment, they both were about 1/2 inch below the neutral ailerons and flaps. Bummer.
In order to do as little rework as possible, i.e. not removing the tip ribs, you might try this. (unless you riveted your tips on, then there will be more work)
1. Remove all the wingtip screws
2. Put about four clecos in the top through the nutplates to hold the tip on.
3. Without any clecos in the bottom, see if you can flex the trailing edge to where you want it. In your case you might cleco the bottom and leave the top unclecoed.
4. By doing this your are finding out which row, top or bottom, needs to be filled in and redrilled.
5. Fill the holes with flox and epoxy, sand smooth.
6. Cleco the good row to the wing and redrill the bad row with a helper or some kind of support under the wingtip.
6.5. The only bad effect of doing this is that part of the tip leading edge now needs to be slightly built up to sit flush with the skin again. No big deal.
7. Reinstall nutplates, install wingtips, enjoy, then move on.

Worked for me.

Bruce
-9 N659DB
 
I repositioned the tips to fit. The leading edge has to be built up slightly as the whole tip has slightly rotated due to correct trailing edge. No biggie. Bit of Qcell , shape and a layer of glass for strength and away you go.
 
How old is your kit?

I had the same problem. I called Vans and they sent me another, new set that fit within the 1/4" spec. It was easier and better. I have two sets of the old tips and will use them on my next RV-8 wing, currently under construction.
 
After I was sure my Ailerons were straight, I split the traiing edge of the tip and reglassed to align.

Best,
 
Wing Tip Mis-allignment

Sorry for the delay in responding. Job keeps getting in the way. Great replies and it looks like i'm in great company on this. Since my tips are only clecoed I can try shifting the tip like a belt and then fasten. I would like to avoid cutting the seam if possible. Kind of a bummer as this is the last item before goint to the airport. :( Thanks all
 
Hard Knox said:
I had the same problem. I called Vans and they sent me another, new set that fit within the 1/4" spec. .
Click to expand...


I'm curious, how much a pair of wing tips go for? They look expensive.
 
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