Does anyone recognize this sheet metal?

[eric_marsh]

I picked up a RV-6 kit from a fellow in California last week and am now in the process of inventorying everything. There's a couple of things that I've not been able to identify and I thought that if I posted pictures here someone might recognize them.

The first is four pieces of sheet metal 48" tall. They are marked left bottom, left top, right bottom and right top. Two of the pieces have a tab that makes me think they are supposed to be bent to a rounded edge. I thought they might be elevators but they don't seem to be the same as what the plans show.

The first picture is these pieces uncut and the second is the same pieces (but the other side) with the bottom cut at an angle.

The third picture is a piece of metal 44.5 inches tall that has a bend on each end.

Ideas anyone?

 

[RV6_flyer]

How about posting all the dimensions of the pieces including the thickness.

It has been 15 to 20 years since I assembled that part of my RV-6. Looking in the preview plans may help id the pieces. Drawing 10 and 21 show the wing skins but does not give dimensions. May be able to look up the part numbers and sizes on Van's web site using "The List".

The inboard wing skin piece is 0.032" think and the outboard piece is 0.025" thick. The bends could be sides of the fuselage. The third part looks like the rear baffle of a fuel tank or the part that the fuel tank mounts to that is part of the spar.

According to drawing 12, T-602 Fuel Tank Baffle, it is 0.032" 46 3/4" long by 7 25/32" tall with a 1" flange. The wing spar web doubler (the part that the fuel tank mounts to) W-606A is 0.040" X 7 3/4" X 70.5" with 9/16" flange.

48" is the dimension of the fuel tank. IF four 48" left / right top / bottom pieces are 0.032" thick, they may be the inboard wing skin but 48" sounds a bit long for those parts. Check drawing # 18a for the fuel tank and you get a 48" skin dimension on the fuel tank.

Aileron is 48" according to drawing 16.

Wing drawings are 10 through 21.

Many of the fuselage skin sizes can be found on drawing 36.

Drawing 35 F-676 and F-677 are 0.025" X 22" X 50.25" and 25 3/8" X 50.25".

Unfortunately my parts have been flying over 2,346 hours so am a little rusty in identifying parts from descriptions and photos without drawings.

Sorry I could not be of more help.

 

[noelf]

They kinda sorta look like...

...the aft fuselage skins. Check out Drawing # 36 and see if its them...

 

[longranger]

That bottom picture of the part with the narrow flanges (1/2"?) looks like a fuel tank attach doubler that gets riveted near the inboard end of the forward side of the spar. (This was in the days before Z-brackets on the-7 and up models.) Check your wing spar drawing. IIRC they are 0.040 thickness.

 

[eric_marsh]

The pieces that look like skin are .020" thick and the other piece is .040".

What I'm doing is entering each piece into a spreadsheet as I inventory it and then cross checking them against the parts list in section 3 to see if anything is missing. It actually looks like all the skin is accounted for.

Having said that, I received two emp kits one of which is assembled except for the elevators. I have a left and right side elevator skin (E-601) but for only one kit. I'd say that these look a lot like an elevator skin would look if it were not bent in the middle but rather made out of separate upper and lower skins. Could it be that somewhere along the line Van's made two piece elevator skins?

I'll walk out to my shop now and see if the other part is the fuel tank attach doubler.

 

[WenEng]

Have you accounted for your aileron skins?

48'' eq aileron stuff. Top and bottom skins for each. I just thought the RV6 kits came with the formed curves for the top skins that wrap around a galvanized water pipe. Perhaps early kits did not form those pieces.

The rear of the fuel tank (fuel tank baffle is 2024T3 032 thick. Length is 46.75" by 9.75" plus a 1" flange along each side for an overall width of 11.75". If what you have is only 44" it is not a fuel tank part.

Those don't look like fuselage skins.

Have you accounted for your wing walk doublers. They are 032 with rough dimension of 13" x 27.5" each (x 2).

 

[eric_marsh]

That long piece appears to be a spar doubler. Since this kit has prebuilt spars I don't know why it would have found it's way into it. Someone is being generous I guess.

The ailerons are already built but yes, they are 48" long. At this point I'm betting on the sheet metal being for the elevators.

 

[WingsOnWheels]

That long piece appears to be a spar doubler. Since this kit has prebuilt spars I don't know why it would have found it's way into it. Someone is being generous I guess.

The ailerons are already built but yes, they are 48" long. At this point I'm betting on the sheet metal being for the elevators.

The prior builder was probably planning to make long range tanks by extending the tank outboard - hence the additional doubler.

The other skin is not for the aileron, those were pre-formed even in the early kits (mine is early '90s).

 

[rvbuilder2002]

The prior builder was probably planning to make long range tanks by extending the tank outboard - hence the additional doubler.

The other skin is not for the aileron, those were pre-formed even in the early kits (mine is early '90s).

I agree. I think these are something the prior builder was fabricating.

The standard RV-6 kit had no .020 thick skins... all control surface skins were .016 though. Some builders have changed to .020 for the elevators and rudder (standard on RV-7 & 8) but none of the skins shown would replace the standard skins.

 

[longranger]

I agree. I think these are something the prior builder was fabricating.

The standard RV-6 kit had no .020 thick skins... all control surface skins were .016 though. Some builders have changed to .020 for the elevators and rudder (standard on RV-7 & 8) but none of the skins shown would replace the standard skins.

Could the .020 stuff be left-overs from a full sheet(s) from which new elevator skins were fabricated? I have four somewhat similarly shaped pieces that are leftovers from fabricating one-piece wing skins.

 

[eric_marsh]

That would make sense. Since I've got an extra emp kit I'll probably do well to just get a couple of new elevator skins and sell the extra kit.

 

[eric_marsh]

I appreciate the help so far. Now I have another question.

There are a number of items that might come in one of the kits that I already have (fuselage, wing, emp) or they might come in the finishing kit which I don't have. Consequently I need to be able to eliminate the items from the finishing kit from the list that needs to be checked off.

Can anyone provide me with a copy of the finishing kit's part list? A fax, scanned image or even a photo would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[WenEng]

I found your email address. I will send them.

Eric,
Having just received my 6A Firewall Forward Kit and my 6A Finish Kit orders, I have electronic versions of the detailed packing lists. Both these kits can be amended when ordering, as you will see I did. But, I show what I deleted and what I added. You make choices based on carb or fuel injected, engine size and mount type. Decision on making it a 7A firewall forward, etc.
Engelienw at comcast dot net.