---------------------------------------------------------- RV8-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 08/11/08: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 11:45 AM - Re: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? (Carl Bell) 2. 02:14 PM - Re: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? (manuel weber) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 11:45:05 AM PST US From: "Carl Bell" Subject: Re: RV8-List: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? Hi Matt, This is how I did mine and it came out great. I will balance after painting by drilling out some lead on the inside. http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=carlbell&project=423&category=3014&log=42437&row=1 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Dralle" Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 10:24 PM Subject: RV8-List: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? > > Dear Listers, > > First, thank you to everyone that has responded to my inquiry > regarding filling the gaping holes behind the fiberglass tips on the > Fin and Horz Stabs. You guys had some great ideas and I'm going to > try some and see how it goes. > > In the meantime, I fit the fiberglass tip on the Right Elevator today > and after notching out the tip to fit around the lead weight and > beveling the outside edge of the tip, I got it to fit on very > nicely. I plan to use the same platenut installation as I did on the > rudder. Frankly, I can't believe that Van's recommends using pop > rivets here since if the screw that holds the lead weight in place > ever becomes loose, you'd have to ruin your paint job to get in and > tighten it. Bah! > > Okay, so I got the tip on and then focused my attention to the front > part that goes over the lead weight. Um, what a terrible > design... Surly you don't just leave it like that? Even if I sand > the fiberglass tip down to match the lead weight, there is still the > issue of the "openness" of the tip. There is no way I can sand the > tip and lead weight down to match the counterbalance skin. The > fiberglass tip will be too thin right at the end. > > I really don't want to fiberglass all around the lead weight. It > also seems like just about anything I do with respect to the > fiberglass tip and "blending" it into the lead weight is going to > lead to cracking down the road. > > I'm am just totally aghast at the "design" here. There just doesn't > seem like an elegant way to finish this off. The proper design would > have been, in my opinion, to make the lead weight smaller or a > slightly different shape such that the fiberglass tip could simply be > formed all the way around the lead weight. Kind of like on the Rudder. > > Arg... I just don't know what to do here. I really don't want to > glass in the whole tip, particularly since I want it to be > removable. Do I really just sand the tip down flush with the lead > weight and call it "done"? > > You know, it seems ironic that the sheet metal stuff in the > late-model kits is just so awesome. You can build a beautiful, > perfectly straight empennage now in a way that just wasn't possible > in the past. So now I have this awesome looking metal structure that > I have to dork a crappy, poorly formed fiberglass tip to it. Its all > just so disheartening... > > Please tell me there's a special trick or maybe a really nice > after-market all metal hydroformed tip I can get to use instead...? > > Matt Dralle > RV-8 #82880 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 02:14:24 PM PST US From: manuel weber Subject: Re: RV8-List: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? Carl, - Just an observation that I noted during my visit to Oshkosh this year..... - Of the many RV aircraft I looked at, I noticed cracking and separation wher e the elevator tip had been faired using a filler of some type.- Of cours e I could not determine if the cracking was happening due to an inferior fi ller being used, or if it was happening because of the dissimilar expansion and contraction rates of the fiberglass vs. the aluminum skin. - Whatever the case, virtually ALL the elevators....and rudders for that matt er, that used a filler in this area were cracking between the fiberglass an d aluminum skin. - Most-aircraft that did not use a filler in this area, had obviously spent some extra time fitting the tips to the surfaces in order to-increase th e asthetics of the parting lines in this area, and therefore have achieved a lasting effect...(without the filler). - I agree that the filler makes a better looking installation initially.- I t will crack later on down the road however, in my estimation.... --- On Mon, 8/11/08, Carl Bell wrote: From: Carl Bell Subject: Re: RV8-List: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? Hi Matt, This is how I did mine and it came out great. I will balance after paintin g by drilling out some lead on the inside. http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=carlbell&project=423 &category=3014&log=42437&row=1 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Dralle" Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 10:24 PM Subject: RV8-List: Elevator Fiberglass Tip - Now What...? > > Dear Listers, > > First, thank you to everyone that has responded to my inquiry > regarding filling the gaping holes behind the fiberglass tips on the > Fin and Horz Stabs. You guys had some great ideas and I'm going to > try some and see how it goes. > > In the meantime, I fit the fiberglass tip on the Right Elevator today > and after notching out the tip to fit around the lead weight and > beveling the outside edge of the tip, I got it to fit on very > nicely. I plan to use the same platenut installation as I did on the > rudder. Frankly, I can't believe that Van's recommends using pop > rivets here since if the screw that holds the lead weight in place > ever becomes loose, you'd have to ruin your paint job to get in and > tighten it. Bah! > > Okay, so I got the tip on and then focused my attention to the front > part that goes over the lead weight. Um, what a terrible > design... Surly you don't just leave it like that? Even if I sand > the fiberglass tip down to match the lead weight, there is still the > issue of the "openness" of the tip. There is no way I can sand the > tip and lead weight down to match the counterbalance skin. The > fiberglass tip will be too thin right at the end. > > I really don't want to fiberglass all around the lead weight. It > also seems like just about anything I do with respect to the > fiberglass tip and "blending" it into the lead weight is going to > lead to cracking down the road. > > I'm am just totally aghast at the "design" here. There just doesn't > seem like an elegant way to finish this off. The proper design would > have been, in my opinion, to make the lead weight smaller or a > slightly different shape such that the fiberglass tip could simply be > formed all the way around the lead weight. Kind of like on the Rudder. > > Arg... I just don't know what to do here. I really don't want to > glass in the whole tip, particularly since I want it to be > removable. Do I really just sand the tip down flush with the lead > weight and call it "done"? > > You know, it seems ironic that the sheet metal stuff in the > late-model kits is just so awesome. You can build a beautiful, > perfectly straight empennage now in a way that just wasn't possible > in the past. So now I have this awesome looking metal structure that > I have to dork a crappy, poorly formed fiberglass tip to it. Its all > just so disheartening... > > Please tell me there's a special trick or maybe a really nice > after-market all metal hydroformed tip I can get to use instead...? > > Matt Dralle > RV-8 #82880 =0A=0A=0A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message rv8-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/RV8-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/rv8-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/rv8-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.