my (canadian) empennage inspection by md-ra
Phil, I'm just beginning to go through this now on my project. Old guys (flying a few years ago) might still have been inspected by Transport Canada. Now, there is the "minister's designate- recreational aircraft". A few years ago there was still a transition process, I'm told.
Here's where I'm leaving it for empennage sub-assembly inspection:
-I've got the HS nose ribs riveted in, and the tip ribs cleco'd.
-HS skeleton riveted, but not in the skin.
-HS rear spar, stiffeners and hing brackets riveted/bolted, but not in the skin
-VS ribs and front spar riveted, and to the skin (left a few rivets toward rear of VS skin to make it easier to insert the rear spar.
- rudder stiffeners riveted
- elevator stiffeners riveted
- trim tab incomplete (if I get done before I get inspected, great)
I'm to be talking to my inspector in the next few days; if there is anything major to change here, I'll post it.
At
www.md-ra.com. "pre-cover" and "sub-assembly" inspections are clearly defined.
I recommend that you call the md-ra office in Hamilton, if you haven't already, and discuss the inspection requirements; as well speak to someone who has finished very recently. I had a lot of hassles attempting to talk to my inspector, as I hadn't been "assigned" yet.
If you haven't filed a letter of intent, you need to ($35, online). A small set of helpful documents arrived after I filed my letter of intent. I believe that thes are all now available online at md-ra.com
After discussions with local (and not-so-local)canadian builders, of kit aircraft, I decided that I wanted early communication with my "assigned inspector"; I've paid my $180 for a "sub-assembly" inspection on the HS, VS, rudder and elevators. The inspector is not assigned until your first inspection request.
I'll still need a pre-cover inspection prior to final assembly of the aircraft, but the sub-assembly inspections are used toward the pre-cover.
The inspector can demand to see every rivet and joint, and may do so. I'm building an 8A, and there are places that (only a few) rivets would be forever covered. There's a horror story about a guy near here (Sask) that got to remove some skins :-( in order to expose hidden rivets on his RV (wings, I think).
With the risk involved in making assumptions about what the inspector may or may not want, I decided that $180 CDN was not much to pay in order to settle the issue for me early with my assigned inspector.
With the amount of money I seem to have committed to alumatherapy, I didn't think I should hold out on some early inspections for my peace of mind.
I need to spend many times that just on flowers to survive the building process
-howard
RV-8A,
emp awaiting inspection,
slo-wing kit on order.