---------------------------------------------------------- RV-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 05/06/13: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 09:37 AM - Re: Gear tower (Matt Dralle) 2. 12:03 PM - Re: Top Aft Skin Question... (MLWynn@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 09:37:09 AM PST US From: Matt Dralle Subject: RV-List: Re: Gear tower At 09:02 AM 5/6/2013 Monday, you wrote: >--> RV8-List message posted by: Miller John > >New to the list and I did not find the answer in the archives (RV10 builder now building an 8). > >Asked Van's about cutting out the area between the lower and middle lightening holes to improve access to that area, especially the attach bolts. KenS sent me the following reply this morning: "We know that some builders have done this, but we've never found the need. We have no engineering data one way or another on such a mod so we have no basis for advice." > >Have any of the 8 builders done this modification and were you able to do any engineering analysis on resulting tower? > >I plan to cover this area with a plate using plate nuts as was described in one of the forums. > >Thanks - John Miller (Grumpy) John, I wouldn't do it. My experience has been that the gear towers in the -8 are a little underwhelming in terms of strength to begin with. The attached pictures show what happened to my RV-8 when I got it sideways during a high speed taxi incident. I had already landed and was making the turn off the runway onto the taxiway. I wish there was some engineered, accepted way of beefing up these gear towers. It would have been a lot less work than having to rebuild a whole new fuselage... - Matt Dralle RV-8 #82880 N998RV "Ruby Vixen" http://www.mattsrv8.com - Matt's Complete RV-8 Construction Log http://www.mattsrv8.com/Mishap - Landing Mishap Rebuild Log http://www.youtube.com/MattsRV8 - Matt's RV-8 HDTV YouTube Channel Status: 172+ Hours TTSN - Rebuilding Fuselage After Landing Mishap... RV-6 #20916 N360EM "The Flyer" http://www.mattsrv6.com - Matt's RV-6 Revitalization Log Status: 150+ Hours Since Purchase - Upgrades Complete; Now In Full Flyer Mode ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 12:03:19 PM PST US From: MLWynn@aol.com Subject: Re: RV-List: Top Aft Skin Question... Hi Matt, Somewhere about four years ago the fuselage went from mostly pre-punched to matched hole. The pre-punched needed a jig for assembly and the matched hole did not. I got one of the first matched holes and it went together pretty painlessly without jigging. The question is, which one for your fuselage. I suspect your recent QB was done with the F-825-1 but you really ought to check with Vans. I understand perfectly the desire to get it perfect. I am busy polishing my fuselage (199 LVK if you want to stop by) and every little scratch and ding from assembly takes lots of work to polish out. There are a couple of little dents that I haven't figured out how to fix and/or hind. Have fun, Michael Wynn RV 8 Finishing San Ramon, CA In a message dated 5/4/2013 3:14:52 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, dralle@matronics.com writes: --> RV-List message posted by: Matt Dralle Well, its unbelievable, but I was cleaning the shop this morning and accidentally pushed the bandsaw (on a rollaround) into the back of the fuselage and put a scratch and dent into the Aft Top Skin. It wasn't yet riveted, but I was all finished and dimpled. I guess at least it wasn't the side of the fuselage where replacement would be nearly impossible. But still. Waa. Anyway, I went to order a replacement today and put in the part number "F-825" (F-825-1) is on the plans. I got two hits back: TOP SKIN, AFT F-825-1 $126.40 TOP SKIN, AFT -8 F-825PP $124.00 What's the difference? The PP suffix probably means "pre-punched", but I think the F-825-1 is probably pre-punched as well. My fuselage is late model, order last year in QB form. Thanks, Matt - Matt Dralle RV-8 #82880 N998RV "Ruby Vixen" http://www.mattsrv8.com - Matt's Complete RV-8 Construction Log http://www.mattsrv8.com/Mishap - Landing Mishap Rebuild Log http://www.youtube.com/MattsRV8 - Matt's RV-8 HDTV YouTube Channel Status: 172+ Hours TTSN - Rebuilding Fuselage After Landing Mishap... RV-6 #20916 N360EM "The Flyer" http://www.mattsrv6.com - Matt's RV-6 Revitalization Log Status: 150+ Hours Since Purchase - Upgrades Complete; Now In Full Flyer Mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message rv-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/RV-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/rv-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/rv-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.