Stabilizer Cracking sound

[az_gila]

Take off the fiberglas fairing and repeat.

Since the owner is not the builder, the horizontal stab mount might have slightly oversize holes, and if the mounting bolts are not up to full torque, some slippage could occur.

Re-torque all of the mounting bolts anyway...


Patrick K,

Don't try your lift it by the tail trick on a Grumman either...

http://showcase.netins.net/web/gregs...ght%20side.JPG

[pvalovich]

I encountered a similar thing as I was finishing my first annual. Couldn't figure out where the clicking sound was coming from on the right elevator. Then I realized I hadn't completely attached the emp fairing and the lower right tab wasn't properly positioned. Completed attaching fairing and sound went away.

[flion]

Ok, I get the asymmetrical load thing but I still think that an aircraft rated for aerobatic G-loads should be less touchy than that. Granted, most of the forces are at the wing spar. And I am guilty of horsing a Cessna around by the tail but I've never seen one fail or even be loose. Many of these were flight school aircraft (Sierra Academy), so the maintenance wasn't the best and the airframe hours were high. I don't push the tail on my RV (love my bogie bar), but I am confident it is solid enough to take it if I needed to; I recheck the attachment every annual or if the fairing gets removed for any reason.

And so I stand corrected about the fairing. I don't think I could get enough movement out of my tail to make the fairing cause a sound, but if others are experiencing it, it is worth checking out.

[SHIPCHIEF]

The damage caused by lifting or pushing on the horizontal stab is frequently a squeezed leading edge.
Most people don't think about centering the force on the spar. So the leading edge skin takes most of the abuse.
It leaves an ugly spot!

[reconaviator]

Thank you all for your inputs, this website and forum is awesome.

I am going back out to the airport to re inspect. Just to clarify I have not / do not lift the tail by the stab. I do push it back holding the vertical stab and horizontal stab attempting equal pressure. this is not much force at all though. I have grounded the plane and will get some local a/p and builders to look at it.

As far as I can tell now is to perform 3 things.
1. Torque bolts down
2. Inspect with another person applying light force
3. Perform some type of micro crack investigation, non destructive testing (have no idea about that )

It just seems if things were moving around a visual inspection would reveal it. As I stated before I could find no deformations. The rivets look just a smooth as could be', and nothing on the inside.

I'll post what I find out.

Thanks all !

[reconaviator]

The culprit was the lower trim strip just under the stab on the fuselage. Removing it caused the sound to cease.

Thanks all for the inputs.

Scott
RV-6

[Mike S]

Glad you found the cause, hope there was not a lot of damage to the surface where it was interfering.