RV-4 Project Mouse Tales !!
Hello Fellow RV-4er's
My name is Bill and I would like to introduce myself as a new contributor to the RV-4 forum.
I recently purchased an RV-4 project from an estate sale.
On the horizontal stab, I noticed some evidence of mouse activity looking through the lightening holes in ribs HS-405. Did not look to serious ( boy was I wrong) but I could hear some material flopping around inside as I shook the stab so I figured I better investigate.
Decided to unrivet a skin to check the interior.
The photos here show the stab as it looked from the outside and then what I found on the inside.
In the photos, the stab is actually upside down so most of the damage was on the bottom.
I did find a couple of mouse mummy's inside, lots of fiberglass insulation, nuts, and various other unidentifiable items.
The stab had been zinc chromated prior to assembly.
I think most of the damage may have come from the bodily fluids of the decomposing critters.
This aircraft had been stored in a garage with the tail on the ground for an undetermined amount of time.
Will order new parts from Vans tomorrow to build a new stab.