Ted Radclyffe
Active Member
When I was building "Rough Red" (RV6), if there were an instruction about drain holes I didn't give it much thought. I was aware that I should consider drainage but decided not to put holes at each bulkhead to drain to the outside. Rather I would allow any water to drain through internal bulkhead holes which lead to the tail and let gravity do the work. (This could have been too smart by half!)
Rough red morphed from an RV6 to the 6A so what of drainage now that the tail is off the ground? Well Australia may be drought ridden but lately we have just had a massive amount of rain and I don't have Rough Red in a hangar yet.
While I was checking the control linkages which requires lifting the floor, I found several pints of water round about the rear spar. Quickly fixed with two 1/4" holes at the lowest point, I asked others on the airfield if there were any other aircraft which may have had drainage problems. I was told that there was a Cessna 172 which recently dramatically changed trim on take off due to water ingress.
I guess I am posting this so that if anyone out there hasn't focussed on drain holes then perhaps they should.
Ted
Rough Red (RV6A)
Rough red morphed from an RV6 to the 6A so what of drainage now that the tail is off the ground? Well Australia may be drought ridden but lately we have just had a massive amount of rain and I don't have Rough Red in a hangar yet.
While I was checking the control linkages which requires lifting the floor, I found several pints of water round about the rear spar. Quickly fixed with two 1/4" holes at the lowest point, I asked others on the airfield if there were any other aircraft which may have had drainage problems. I was told that there was a Cessna 172 which recently dramatically changed trim on take off due to water ingress.
I guess I am posting this so that if anyone out there hasn't focussed on drain holes then perhaps they should.
Ted
Rough Red (RV6A)