I just put my airplane back in service and now two SB's come out. Timing is everything in life.
Does anyone know if the parts required for these 2 SB's are provided by Van's free of charge?
Bob
I could see the logic in not sending the parts for either of these.Does anyone know if the parts required for these 2 SB's are provided by Van's free of charge?
Bob
Both are addressable for what is likely to be hundreds of flight hours with nothing more than a visual inspection at each annual.
I suspect that these issues are appearing on relatively high time airframes.
My question is.... is the replacement part F-1206F better/stronger than the original part F-1206F we received in our fuselage kit?
If the between-the-lines question here is whether or not you should fix it now, consider that doing it now will relieve you of an annual requirement to find a way to get back in there and look at, a task you will likely approach with fingers crossed because changing it years from now is going to be far more difficult.sooooooo, has anyone made this replacement? i am at a point building that it is assembled but the fuse. is not attached to the tail. the bracket is right there but forward rivets [i think] don't allow an angle drill a 90 deg. shot and most builders probably have the factory head against the bearing containment. this is a 1/4'' of alum to drill thru or pound a rivet out of. i don't picture myself pulling this one off without at the very least also replacing the parts containing the bearing and probably adding doublers onto the ribs where i have ruined the rivet holes. am i just seeing doom where it isn't. i thought i would just do this now as it will never be easier but this looks like a lot of material at risk.
If the between-the-lines question here is whether or not you should fix it now, consider that doing it now will relieve you of an annual requirement to find a way to get back in there and look at, a task you will likely approach with fingers crossed because changing it years from now is going to be far more difficult.
sooooooo, has anyone made this replacement? i am at a point building that it is assembled but the fuse. is not attached to the tail. the bracket is right there but forward rivets [i think] don't allow an angle drill a 90 deg. shot and most builders probably have the factory head against the bearing containment. this is a 1/4'' of alum to drill thru or pound a rivet out of. i don't picture myself pulling this one off without at the very least also replacing the parts containing the bearing and probably adding doublers onto the ribs where i have ruined the rivet holes. am i just seeing doom where it isn't. i thought i would just do this now as it will never be easier but this looks like a lot of material at risk.
Any hint on how to set those AN rivets in that confined space?
Ah, interesting.It doesn't do away with the inspection requirement.
This area should be inspected during every condition inspection in accordance with FAR 43 appendix D (as required by your operating limitations) regardless of whether the modification prescribed in SB 14-12-06 has been done or not.
When a S.B says inspect until the modification has been made, it is an attempt to direct a person to pay special attention to an area so that something doesn't get missed. Making the modification complies with Van's recommendation, but it does not relieve the inspector of complying with the FAA's requirements.
But I do agree you may as well do it now though. You will never have better access.....
I plan to install the SB this afternoon. From what I remember, my plan was to squeeze the AN rivets then install the assembly in one unit with the included pull rivets. Is that not possible? I am not at home right now to inspect.
I plan to install the SB this afternoon. From what I remember, my plan was to squeeze the AN rivets then install the assembly in one unit with the included pull rivets. Is that not possible? I am not at home right now to inspect.[/QUOTE
I think I was following the directions which said to install the angles first. The holes in the new plate are slightly over sized, I believe to allow for some flexibility which you would not have if you riveted it first.
I received the parts and started the repair. It was easy until I got to setting the AN rivets, I could not figure out how to get them set. I called Vans and got a CR blind rivet replacement option which seems like it will be easier. Any hint on how to set those AN rivets in that confined space?
Spot on. If I'd done that the task would have ben much easier.Fortunately, the LP4-3 rivets I originally installed had the shop head accessible from the tunnel area.
Ah, interesting.
Does it change anything with regards to the log books? IOW, would I make an explicit logbook entry for "C/W annual inspection req. SB 14-12-06" or similar for the periods prior to making the physical changes, then revert to the all-inclusive "deemed airworthy" type of wording after? Or is it just assumed with the latter entry regardless of whether I've used the replacement parts?
My inspection of F-1206F IAW SB 14-12-06 showed a crack in the right side flange around the rivet very similar to what was shown in the SB. I found an additional crack about 3/8 inches long starting in the brace area at the aft right outboard edge of the part. I submitted a RV-12 Feedback Form to Van?s Engineering last week with a photo showing the cracks. Total time on my RV-12 at the inspection was 224.4 hours.
It took a helper and I about 3 hours to remove the bearing bracket brace. It was very difficult to drive the rivet mandrels out of the bearing bracket assembly. To get enough room to swing the hammer, I cut off the shank of a #40 drill and held it with small vice grips. Due to the thickness of the bearing bracket assembly it took a lot of force to drive the mandrels out. Then the rivet would spin when I tried to drill the manufactured head and there wasn't enough of the shop head to grab with pliers or dikes. I then had to cut out a part of the bearing bracket brace because it was 2" wide and I only had a 1" angle drill. The manufactured heads for the forward flange rivets were on the aft side so we had to use a mirror to make sure we were in the center of the manufactured head before drilling. Once the head was removed it was easy to grab the shop head and pull out the remaining part of the rivet. There was plenty of shop head to grab since the flange and sheet metal was thin.
I riveted the new brace to the angles using the solid rivets outside the aircraft. I don?t see how you can squeeze the solid rivets with the angles installed in the airplane. Getting the assembled angles and brace into position to rivet was another interesting experience because you have rivet shop heads above and below where the bracket assembly needs to go. I agree with whoever said start with the assembly at the bottom channel and then try to move it into position. After an hour or so of trying every angle and orientation possible the assembly will mysteriously jump over the shop heads and into place. Final riveting of the bracket assembly into place is pretty anticlimactic. Bob Kibby N712BK
I riveted the new brace to the angles using the solid rivets outside the aircraft. I don?t see how you can squeeze the solid rivets with the angles installed in the airplane. Getting the assembled angles and brace into position to rivet was another interesting experience because you have rivet shop heads above and below where the bracket assembly needs to go. I agree with whoever said start with the assembly at the bottom channel and then try to move it into position. After an hour or so of trying every angle and orientation possible the assembly will mysteriously jump over the shop heads and into place. Final riveting of the bracket assembly into place is pretty anticlimactic. Bob Kibby N712BK
It took about 5 minutes to figure out there was no way it was going in as an assembly.