Rebel Tail Post
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 5:26 pm
Hello All!
Last year when doing the annual inspecton on Howards Amphib Rebel, I found all 3 RV1410 rivets sheared off, that attatch Fus 31 to the tail post. As Howards aircraft was on floats all year, this can only be attributed to torsional air loads! I checked my aircraft(on wheels) and found 2 out of 3 were sheared off! I drilled up to #11 and replaced these rivets with RV1613's. This year while putting away Howards aircraft for the winter(he goes to Florida for 6 months) I checked these rivets out to find that now the Fus 31 was starting to crack at each corner relief. I constructed a doubler to cover the portion of the Fus 31 from the tail post to the tail spring bulkhead and riveted it down around the perimeter and re-riveted the post with RV1613 rivets. I would suspect that this is happening in other aircraft and suggest that anyone that is flying pulls their tail cone covers to check(you are supposed to do this once a year you know!!!!) Those that are building, I suggest you use 1613 rivets here instead if 1410's and make sure you make sure that the reliefs are nice and smooth and free of nicks prior to installation. I think someone else asked about deburring! This is were it becomes important. Every, every, every, part should be filed clean on all edges, inside wings or out in the open. This summer I rebuilt the Pegastol Prototype after a less than perfect landing at Hare Field in Bradford. I lost count of the cuts on my arms and the lost pints of blood while working inside the wings and fuselage. Numerous corners were starting to crack on ribs etc. from not being deburred! The little extra time will make the aircraft last and if you do all the parts as you take them out of the crate during inventory, you won"t need the bandaids in the first aid kit you have screwed to the side of your work bench! You do have a first aid kit within 5 feet of your bench don't you??????? If you don't, I suggest thats you job for tommorow!!!!!!
Regards, Wayne
Last year when doing the annual inspecton on Howards Amphib Rebel, I found all 3 RV1410 rivets sheared off, that attatch Fus 31 to the tail post. As Howards aircraft was on floats all year, this can only be attributed to torsional air loads! I checked my aircraft(on wheels) and found 2 out of 3 were sheared off! I drilled up to #11 and replaced these rivets with RV1613's. This year while putting away Howards aircraft for the winter(he goes to Florida for 6 months) I checked these rivets out to find that now the Fus 31 was starting to crack at each corner relief. I constructed a doubler to cover the portion of the Fus 31 from the tail post to the tail spring bulkhead and riveted it down around the perimeter and re-riveted the post with RV1613 rivets. I would suspect that this is happening in other aircraft and suggest that anyone that is flying pulls their tail cone covers to check(you are supposed to do this once a year you know!!!!) Those that are building, I suggest you use 1613 rivets here instead if 1410's and make sure you make sure that the reliefs are nice and smooth and free of nicks prior to installation. I think someone else asked about deburring! This is were it becomes important. Every, every, every, part should be filed clean on all edges, inside wings or out in the open. This summer I rebuilt the Pegastol Prototype after a less than perfect landing at Hare Field in Bradford. I lost count of the cuts on my arms and the lost pints of blood while working inside the wings and fuselage. Numerous corners were starting to crack on ribs etc. from not being deburred! The little extra time will make the aircraft last and if you do all the parts as you take them out of the crate during inventory, you won"t need the bandaids in the first aid kit you have screwed to the side of your work bench! You do have a first aid kit within 5 feet of your bench don't you??????? If you don't, I suggest thats you job for tommorow!!!!!!
Regards, Wayne