What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

"Oil Canning"

jwilbur

Well Known Member
I've seen some posts about "oil-canning" but not much in the context of the RV10. I'm just about to start my tailcone and ran across some threads about "oil-canning" and decided to check my build for it. Sure enough, on my rudder, there are a few places where I can press the skin and feel it give a little and make that oil can sound. And I found one spot on one of my elevator skins.

I wrote to vans but didn't get a difinitive answer. The reply is posted below. I was hoping for some advice from some of the more experienced builders. How concerned should I really be? How can I fix it? What can I do to prevent it as I build on?

Response from Van's:
"Control surfaces changing shape (as opposed to just flexing) is never desireable, although it's impossible to say what effect it might have on a flying airplane. Probably not much, as reported problems are very rare. Can't remember any at all on RV-10.

Practially speaking, not sure what can be done. We've heard of builders applying dry ice, and others drilling rivets and heating the skin with heating pad while re-riveting. We haven't tried either, so we have no idea how effective those methods might be."

Thank you,
 
Last edited:
Joe,

You could probably pick any aircraft in the 7,000+ completed RV fleet and pick a spot or two on the airframe that would oilcan if you pressed just right. So I wouldn't worry about builder induced oilcanning. If something oil cans in flight, it might (but almost certainly won't) cause a handling change you would be able to discern.

My opinion, and worth what you paid for it, is to make a mental note of the issue and if (in the one in a thousand possibility) it causes you problems in flight test, fix it then or build a new surface.
 
Last edited:
Oil Canning

The "oil canning" that I have seen posted and is of concern to me is the lower fuselage skin in the two bays aft of the wing trailing edge. This oil canning is caused by the skin buckling due to the compressive load on it as a result of up elevator. This is clearly undesireable and I have added some stiffeners to address this.

Oil canning in a control surface due to an air load is not a buckling failure due to a compressive load, it is a bending deflection (I wouldn't call it a failure) due to an air load (pressure) normal to the surface.

I think you will find this effect on most production aircraft. I would not be concerned about it.
 
Do any of you get an oil canning noise from the front of the plane when taxiing ? Usually with an aft CofG and there is a lot less weight on the nose wheel.

All I can trace it to is the nose leg suspension rubbers being unloaded and a noise coming from the mount. But I could be wrong.
 
Back
Top