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Annual Condition Inspection - stuff to look for

gblwy

gblwy

Well Known Member
My nosewheel spat is cracking badly along the aluminium angle brackets. I have only made a few landing on grass, but acknowledge that a couple have been on long grass, dry weeds etc.

Here's some pics:

348mtlt.jpg


n6eukx.jpg


30w1ht2.jpg


2iad193.jpg


I propose to handle this by riveting doublers onto the top faces of the angle brackets, but I guess there's a risk it will just move the problem elsewhere.

Cheers...Keith
 
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Pitot tube

It's worth rechecking the pitot tube for leaks. If you have one you may landing faster than you think.

Mine was leaking. The method of connection between the ali tube and the plastic tube at the rear of the gearbox is not good in my opinion. I had to reseal mine at this location.

Cheers...Keith
 
Same here!

I just completed my Annual with 230 hours on the RV12. I also had cracks in the rear hole on each side of the lower nose wheel pan at the same location as Keith. But I didn't have cracks on the front holes. I used a doubler plate on top of the rear holes. ;)
 
Pitot and AoA

I installed the $20 AoA sensor, which appears to work fine. With the plane in bits I haven't yet had time to practice using it.

Cheers...Keith
 
Brake line vs rudder cable

I discovered a slight hydraulic leak at the brass fitting at the top of the port gear leg (inside the inspection cover). After tightening this 45-degree angle fitting, I noticed that the brake line was now in contact with the rudder cable, with no obvious way to keep it out of the way.

I made a small ali tab which is mounted on one of the radio aerial screws/bolts. I then used lock wire attached to this tab to pull the brake cable clear of the rudder cable. Easy to inspect my fix for the hydraulic leak and for the effectiveness of the "interference eliminator" - just 4 screws for the inspection cover.

Cheers...Keith
 
Wheel bearings

Anyone had issues with wheel bearings?

My nosewheel felt "gritty" when I rotated it. I split the wheel and found that one of the two wheel bearings feels as if a ball bearing is broken, or grit has somehow migrated into the bearing. The grittiness disappears and reappears.

I'm hoping that a local bearing supplier can replace it. The serial number is 1628RS. The RS stands for rubber seals, I'm told. They are made in Japan.

Update 29th May - I had some difficulty finding this imperial bearing in the UK, although several USA sites list it. I finally got one from "Simply Bearings", delivered within 24 hours.

Cheers...Keith
 
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I found a crack in the port fuselage skin. This one is maybe an inch-and-a-half long and initially stop-drilled with a #30 bit.

PS Never paint a plane black :)

2941hqf.jpg
 
Fuselage crack repair

Here's the doubler I prepared, using same thickness material as the fuselage skin. Still needs rivet heads to be filled, and the area repainted. The doubler is "stuck" on with JC5A before riveting. I should be able to see if the underlying crack starts to propagate, at least I would have been able to if I hadn't painted the plane black ;-)

33u6dm9.jpg


Cheers...Keith
 
Cracks

We found the same cracks in the nose wheel cover mounting brackets. On both sides and we put doublers on that bracket. The aircraft had 350 hrs on it.

Rich
 
RV12 cracks

Has anyone spotted cracks near the heads of the screws which make up the System Blocks Studs.
They are, as you know, underneath in the fuselage bottom skin just forward of the extrusion the undercarriage is fixed to?
 
I've been finding the bolts that hold the vertical stabilizer in place are a little loose. Probably a good thing to put a wrench on during your next inspection.
 
I was wondering why I hadn't heard the stall warning lately even tho I wasn't flying stalls. I found that the arm was bent up about 50 degrees, and was not sounding the alarm. I apparently bent it when catching clothes, etc. on it while in the vicinity of the arm. Can't help but wonder if it has to be as long as it is? It's quite easily bent. I rounded of the corners (which I told myself it needed doing earlier and never did it) to avoid it grabbing anything close by, and bent it back to plans spec. Works fine again. Any thoughts on the length?
Dick Seiders 120093
 
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