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RV-7A QuickBuild Wings: Blue film strips cut with boxcutter?

grayforge

Well Known Member
Hi folks,

I found an issue with my recently purchased QB Wing Kit:
The right wing's bottom inboard skin has pretty deep scratches along both sides of each rivet line as if the builders used a box cutter instead of a smooth soldering iron to remove the protective film along the rivet lines.

Photos are below. A mix of overall shots and closeups. Below the embedded photos are a couple links to full size photos if you want extreme closeups. After jumping to the photos via one of the 2 links, your browser may give you the option to click on the photo to view it at full size.

I haven't contacted Vans yet, but just wanted to ping the folks here to get a feel for what my options are and what to expect from Vans.

Add'l info for those who don't have time to read every post:
These are not 2nd hand wings. These were purchased new. They came without blue film, but it looks like the film was left on during construction (except for strips along rivet lines) and removed sometime before delivery. Also, I've been in touch with Vans and we're looking at a few options. From buffing the scratches out if this doesn't weaken the wings to replacing the panel.

Thanks!
Russ

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One of the good panels:
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http://www.grayforge.com/RV7_Scratches/DSC04386_lg.JPG

http://www.grayforge.com/RV7_Scratches/DSC04388_lg.JPG
 
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I am by no means an expert so take this FWIW:

I think the key is how deep the cuts are and it looks like it is mostly in the alclad. I think you're absolutely right to check with Vans but my guess is to take some fine sandpaper, and work the lines such that you can't catch a fingernail on it and then feather it out to a gradual meeting of the rest of the surface, then hit it with some primer to prevent corrosion. It will look ugly but be protected and unless you had your heart set on a polished plane, it will disappear with paint prep and paint.

If there are deeper cuts, I would be more concerned.
 
I'm sorry...........

But to me, that is totally unacceptable. A "scribe line" like that is just asking for failure.
 
UNACCEPTABLE!!! If these truly are scratches and not residue from the solder-iron melt line that wipes off, then this is a definitive example of the absolute poorest workmanship. Every one of these is, by definition, a crack. Who knows what effect these defects have on the fatigue life of your wings. And you can forget aiming for polished skins.

Either the community in general is being more diligent in inspecting their quickbuilds as received and reporting defects, or the quickbuild factory is churning out more sub-standard product. Either way, the rate of reported defects on VAF seems to be climbing. Vans needs to hear the message loud and clear that these sorts of basic workmanship issues will not be tolerated. If the subcontracted quickbuild facility cannot get their rear ends in gear, then Vans should find someone who can.

This may sound harsh, but if these were my wings, I'd give Vans one chance to make it right (total replacement) before I sought legal counsel.
 
Wow, those look deep! I would surely talk with Vans but I bet the lines will polish out. Just make sure you do around any rivet holes or edges.
 
That is a real shame. Certainly get Van's opinion.
My first step would be to determine how deep the scratches are. If you can get your hands on a surface depth guage that has a needle stylis perhaps you can measure into the scratch.
Regardless, the scratches will need to be smoothed out. A 90 deg. die grinder with 3M rotoloc, fine grit (blue) disks, would do the job relatively quickly and you can control the amount of material removed very well.
I suspect that the box knife only penetrated the Alclad layer. That layer is pure aluminum and does not add significanly to the strength of the sheet. It is primarily a corrosion inhibiting layer.
Most airframe repair manuals I have reviewed allow a certian percentage of material loss before a repair is required. 10% is a common number. The bigger concern to me would be the linear nature of the scratch, that is why fairing it in to the surrounding sheet is important to elliminate any stress risers that could develop into a crack. I could only guess at the amount of material needing removal and what affect it may have on the overall strenght and longevity of the wing.
Just one persons opinion. I am sure you will get many more and be able to best determine your next steps.
 
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Now wait!

Did this QB wing kit come to you from Van's or did you buy it from someone else? I would be surprised if the QB factory even cuts the blue plastic from the rivet lines. I bet they just remove it all during assembly.
 
Did this QB wing kit come to you from Van's or did you buy it from someone else? I would be surprised if the QB factory even cuts the blue plastic from the rivet lines. I bet they just remove it all during assembly.

Good point - are the bottom wing skins usually attached by the QB factory? Perhaps I ranted too soon :eek:
 
That is a NO GO!

I would not use those wings no matter who is at fault or what anyone says. If it came to that I would write them off and cut my losses.

Bob Axsom
 
Hmmmm......

Don asked the question i was going to ask about whether you bought from Van's or from someone else.

Maybe Joe Blank will see this and comment, but I believe the skins are completely covered with the protective stuff and sent to the QB manufacturer intact and then they cut the areas for riveting.

There has been a discussion on this in the past with the depth limitations for go/no go decisions.

Even if they say they are acceptable, this is a butt load of work to get things smoothed out. I would be worried about potential fatigue failure as well.

Good luck. Please keep us posted.
 
Vans absolutely needs to see this

For a couple of reasons...
The skin on your plane is structural. A few minor scratches, no problem. As already mentioned, they can be polished out. Anything that may compromise the integrity is another issue, and these appear to be more than superficial. Let Vans make the call, but at the least, ask For a written position.
Second, it would appear that one of their "quick builders" has taken it upon themselves to remove the film using a method harmful to the end product. Vans needs to be aware of this to prevent it from happening elsewhere. I'm sure using a sharp device is not something they'd approve of.
I think Vans has a great product, but they may need to address the level of control they have over their subcontractors. I'd be very interested to hear Vans response to these imperfections. Please don't rely on forum opinions to drive your decision in this matter.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
 
But to me, that is totally unacceptable. A "scribe line" like that is just asking for failure.

You are absolutely correct Mel, as usual. However, you would not believe the scribe lines I have discovered doing the restoration of my Fiat Spar Caps. Each Rib location was layed out by scribing a line right into the extrusion. This airplane flew for a long time and there is no evidence of any harm the lines caused. If I add this to the long list of other airworthy concerns due to workmanship on these Fiat's, they should have all fallen out of the sky. But they didn't.
I am diligently smoothing and fairing out the lines because that is the correct thing to do. Very little material will be lost in this example.
While I am not so sure about this RV Wing, I would not consider a complete reskin just yet...
...and yes, that is one person thoughts, not really even an opinion... Van's will not give you an opinion, they should however give you a path of correction or replacement.
 
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While blending out the scratches completely alleviates the fatigue life concern, it does so at the cost of all other static properties. Tensile and shear strength, as well as compression buckling (if these were top skins) are all affected by thickness. Reduce thickness = reduce strength. Remember, you're not just concerned about this area today. What if hangar rash or some other event scratches this same area in the future, and you decide to blend it out....again. Significant thinning can occur, and without expensive equipment to measure local thickness, you really don't know what's left in each area.

Are RVs overbuilt? Yes. Should you give up the time and cost to blend these out yourself, the ability to have a polished wing, and future repairability all because someone at the QB factory was being stupid? Absolutely not.
 
If those were direct from Van's I would not accept them.

If they had passed through other hands (which seems like might very well be the case) then...........well, I think I'd replace from the pics.

We really do need clarification on the history of this kit though.
 
Calm Down!

Take a deep breath everyone!

While not a good practice, these scribes are probably OK.
Because:

Those scribe/scratches are probably a half a thousandth to a full thousandth deep, which is something like 3% or less of the skin thickness.

Remember that these skins carry almost entirely shear stress, and although they participate in carrying tensile load, they are not needed for that. The spar carries the load, its not like a stressed-skin structure on a big jet liner.
You could cut every panel of skin into separate squares with no splice overlap and still the wing would be strong enough to meet the design criteria.

So - yes, I would sand the scratches out, and then use a really good primer and paint to protect from corrosion. And I would not loose any sleep about the structural strength of the wings.
 
While not a good practice, these scribes are probably OK.
Because:

Those scribe/scratches are probably a half a thousandth to a full thousandth deep, which is something like 3% or less of the skin thickness.

I still wouldn't accept construction techniques like that from the manufacturer. (We don't know if this is the case though.)
 
For curiosity sake, I'd take some gray scothbrite (type) pads, from Home Depot, auto paint stores, etc.........scrub with some soap & water, and see how the scratch compares. This is essentially what you do before painting.

L.Adamson
 
OP please reply - bought second hand from someone or from Vans?

For curiosity sake, I'd take some gray scothbrite (type) pads, from Home Depot, auto paint stores, etc.........scrub with some soap & water, and see how the scratch compares. This is essentially what you do before painting.

L.Adamson

So it would be nice to know if they were purchased second hand from another builder, or if they came from Vans. Agree that if from Vans I would not accept them.

To add to the above quote, after you are done comparing the scotch brite scratches to the ones shown in the pics, then take a brand new soldering iron with a flat blade tip, and without smoothing it out on a grinder or with some light sandpaper, take another test piece with the vinyl on it and run a line with the iron. Then strip the vinyl and look at the metal. I can just about garantee that there will be a scratch there. I have even had scratches form like this in a couple of places after I smoothed out the tip. So I am not a big fan of the whole strip-the-vinyl-with-the-soldering-iron club because it has not worked very well for me at times in the past.

Now compare those scratches from the soldering iron to the ones in the wings and see if they are the same depth, or if the wing scratches are deeper. If they are deeper than the soldering iron scratches then I would say that someone definitely took a knife of some sort to them, and that stinks. The issue, then, will be the depth of the cut, and what Vans says about it. I know that close up pics can really dramatize the way that certain imperfections can look on the metal, so I won't render a verdict on the wing scratches because IMHO it is just too hard to tell. Running some tests for comparison is a good way to go.

I had a different episode with a 6 inch scratch found on the web on one side of one of my wing spars, which Vans ended up telling me to dress out and prime. It was just deep enough to catch a finger nail, but not so deep that I thought I would need a new spar. Thus I contacted the mother ship and sent pics to them just to be sure.

Good luck.
 
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Even besides the astonishingly bad practice at the QB factory in the Philippines, how did these pass inspection in Aurora??

I bought a QB kit and there was nothing like this. I doubt I would have accepted the kit with obvious poor craftsmanship. You pay a premium for a QB kit and should not accept this, regardless if it is structurally acceptable.
 
I am pretty sure Van's does not leave the film on or work around it, but I could be wrong. I built my wings so can't compare and that was long ago. However, the RV3B QB wings came bare, no film.
Hmmmm.....
 
Take a deep breath everyone!

While not a good practice, these scribes are probably OK.
Because:

Those scribe/scratches are probably a half a thousandth to a full thousandth deep, which is something like 3% or less of the skin thickness.

Well said Steve. I can have all of said scratches polished out in minutes with a 2" fine Roloc wheel in an angle die grinder. The skins should be scuffed anyway for painting.
 
Bottom Skins not QB

If these are QB wings the bottom skins were not done at the factory, so the prior owner is to blame for the workmanship.
I bet Vans will have you check the depth, polish out and move on.
 
I'm guessing Russ is away from a computer right now or he'd chime in. But in the mean time I think I can answer the 'did this pass through Van's QB hands' question.

[ed. update: Russ is in Van's database twice - once with a space between the La and Velle and once without. La Velle and LaVelle. One listing shows him as a non builder (ordered parts only) and one shows as builder. They are correcting it and are awaiting his call. dr]

I talk with a few of the Van's guys on the phone a few times a week on various topics and just happened to get off the phone with Daryl a moment ago. Having just seen this, I asked Daryl if Russ (the O.P.) was listed in their database as a builder. He said, "Let me check....clickity clickty. Nope. He's bought some individual parts but has never ordered a kit."

Daryl also said he doesn't think that the QB shop overseas leaves the blue covering before final assembly - they show up at Van's covered in a oily substance to prevent corrosion.
 
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If these are QB wings the bottom skins were not done at the factory, so the prior owner is to blame for the workmanship.
I bet Vans will have you check the depth, polish out and move on.

He's right! The QB wings come without one of the bottom skins riveted on. That task is left to the builder. I live close to Vans and I visit the factory somewhat frequently. I've never seen any QB parts in their inventory with blue vinyl on them, and I can't imagine the QB facility taking the time to do this kind of tedious, time-consuming work. I believe they strip all the vinyl off before assembly.

My next point: I used a soldering iron to carefully remove strips like this in all the work I did on my project. I soon learned that if the soldering iron isn't polished regularly on a fine scotchbrite wheel, it will leave scratches like this. The key is HOW DEEP ARE THEY? It's impossible to tell from the photos. As bad as they look, they may be very superficial. Mine looked horrible, but didn't even go through the alclad. They came right out with a little scotchbrite rubbing. You can't assume that a box-cutter was used here.

I hope that's the case. You're going to scuff the metal anyway if you're going to paint. I'd scuff a little spot and see how deep this is. And then let us know, will you?
 
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Hi folks,

Thanks for all the terrific feedback! More info:

These are QuickBuild wings purchased directly from Vans. The skins shown are the inboard lower skins. The lower outboard skins are the ones QuickBuild builders install themselves.

The wings came from Vans clean of blue film, but as you can see, the QB factory must have cut the strips away during construction, then removed the remainder of the film before shipping to Vans.

Not sure why Daryl didn't find me in the system as having ordered the empennage and QB Wings. I'm builder# 74074.

I'll contact Vans and see what they'd like me to do. Interesting that no one mentioned drilling the rivets out and mounting another skin. That'd be a huge hassle!

Thanks again!
Russ


[ed. Thanks for the update Russ. I talked with Dayrl just a moment ago and he said you are in their system TWICE......once as 'La Velle' (this is the parts only account that he found) and again as 'LaVelle' (as your other one - the one that order the kits). They are expecting to hear from you, will square away their database issue, and should provide info that will solve your problem. Give 'em a call. (and sorry for your troubles). dr]
 
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To drill or not to drill out rivets.......?

I'll contact Vans and see what they'd like me to do. Interesting that no one mentioned drilling the rivets out and mounting another skin. That'd be a huge hassle!

I think that that suggestion was pending the outcome of the answer to the "Vans or elsewhere" question.
 
What does Vans typically do when a solution to a QuickBuild Factory caused problem is a ton of work for the builder? Have me bring the wing back to Vans and let them fix the problem? Ask me to do the rework myself? Replace the entire wing and let them deal with Bonanza?

They're only a few hours South of me, so bringing the wing to Vans would be an option.

Thanks,
Russ
 
Daryl also said he doesn't think that the QB shop overseas leaves the blue covering before final assembly - they show up at Van's covered in a oily substance to prevent corrosion.

This is not entirely accurate. Not only have I seen other QB's from the factory with the plastic still on (other than the rivet lines), but my QB (Fuse and wings) also came to me with the blue plastic still on. Maybe they've recently changed the process.

[ed. You could be 100% right, Tobin. It could be a process that changed awhile back. dr]
 
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What does Vans typically do when a solution to a QuickBuild Factory caused problem is a ton of work for the builder?

Well, if the problem is leaking fuel tank rivets-----they will not do anything.
 
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I just spoke with Daryl. Sounds like a really reasonable guy.

They had me in their system 3 ways: My builder number was associated with my last name w/a space in it, plus I had 2 entries as a non builder. Maybe from online store orders that didn't match up to my builder number. So I think they have me consolidated as one person now. :)

Daryl is going to discuss my wing issue with the other experts there and decide on possible courses of action.

Options we discussed were:
  • Replacing the wing (though I have some work into it already: Landing Light, Conduit run, Flap Brace, Aileron Hinges & Fairing, etc.)
  • Have them take the wing back to Aurora when they pass through my area on the way to Arlington and have their guys polish the scratches out if they aren't too deep.
  • Pick up the wing as above and have their staff professionally drill out the skin rivets and replace the skin... pending some investigation on the feasibility of this.

I'm kinda leaning towards the latter as long as I can be sure the wing will be just as strong with all those rivets drilled out & replaced.

So I feel confident we'll find a positive solution.
 
This is not entirely accurate. Not only have I seen other QB's from the factory with the plastic still on (other than the rivet lines), but my QB (Fuse and wings) also came to me with the blue plastic still on. Maybe they've recently changed the process.

[ed. You could be 100% right, Tobin. It could be a process that changed awhile back. dr]

Another vendor that did leave the blue plastic on was used for a couple years.

That ended probably 8-10 years ago.
 
I just spoke with Daryl. Sounds like a really reasonable guy.

They had me in their system 3 ways: My builder number was associated with my last name w/a space in it, plus I had 2 entries as a non builder. Maybe from online store orders that didn't match up to my builder number. So I think they have me consolidated as one person now. :)

Daryl is going to discuss my wing issue with the other experts there and decide on possible courses of action.

Options we discussed were:
  • Replacing the wing (though I have some work into it already: Landing Light, Conduit run, Flap Brace, Aileron Hinges & Fairing, etc.)
  • Have them take the wing back to Aurora when they pass through my area on the way to Arlington and have their guys polish the scratches out if they aren't too deep.
  • Pick up the wing as above and have their staff professionally drill out the skin rivets and replace the skin... pending some investigation on the feasibility of this.

I'm kinda leaning towards the latter as long as I can be sure the wing will be just as strong with all those rivets drilled out & replaced.

So I feel confident we'll find a positive solution.

Corrections range from replacing a major component (wing in your case) to sending new parts (in cases where it is a very easy correction for the builder to do), and everything in between.
The main issue is that the office people couldn't do anything until they were contacted about the problem (why is it that a post on VAF is always the first action?:()

BTW... the proper skin replacement process (the one used at Van's Factory at least), is to remove rivet manufactured heads, the skin, then remove the rivets from the substructure. The rivets aren't (and shouldn't ever be) drilled out by drilling though the entire length of the rivet to remove it. Even an experienced pro. can't do it 100% perfect and not damage/enlarge some of the holes
 
The question remains, how did these pass "inspection" at Vans Aircraft in Aurora? Just what does that "inspection" really mean? Did Vans notice these cuts, decide they were easily rectified by the builder, and pass it on? If so, why not recommend that now to the QB buyer? Or, did Vans ever see the cuts? I hope the OP will keep posting updates as he gets more info.

Again, QB buyers pay a hefty premium for what is supposed to be additional, properly done work on the build. If the QB builders in the PI are not doing the most basic things right, and Vans not catching those basic errors, it casts doubt on the entire QB process.

In other words, as a QB buyer myself--who is still very happy with his QB build--this problem affects more than just one guy. It raises unpleasant doubts for all using a QB as our build.
 
Before I HEAR anymore................I'd sure like to know if the scratches are any deeper, than the scotchbrite/soap scrubbing........we give these planes before painting...

If not, it just doesn't really matter, unless of course..........it's one of those 10 years too paint jobs, or a polish weekly.. bare skin job.
 
rvbuilder2002,
The reason I posted on VAF first was to get a feel for what I should expect (and accept) in response to something like this.

I imagined anything from "No problem, we'll send you a new skin, all you have to do is remove the damaged one and install the new one." to... "We got it handled, we'll have a new wing to you by next week and they'll pick up the old one at the same time."

The response I received from Vans is a breath of fresh air compared to the customer service I get from my cable and wireless companies :)

L.Adamson,
A scratch caused by lightly dragging the corner of a file over the skin could be buffed out with a scotch-brite pad. This is like someone dragged the file edge across the skin with some force. One could buff them out with a scotch-brite wheel... probably not feasible with a scotch-brite pad.
 
USA...slightly off topic

I am not yet a builder...that being said, it looks like the QB is about +$10K, leave $2K for Vans, those who have done slow builds of the matched hole kits, do you think there are properly skilled workers in the USA (maybe even just people who love to build and want a retirement job) who would do the labor for $8K?

I am just curious. Is it even in the realm of possibility to find Americans to do this? I am planning a slow build because of where QB's are built and you guys make it sound "not that bad"?
 
rvbuilder2002,
A scratch caused by lightly dragging the corner of a file over the skin could be buffed out with a scotch-brite pad. This is like someone dragged the file edge across the skin with some force. One could buff them out with a scotch-brite wheel... probably not feasible with a scotch-brite pad.

Then, it's going deeper than I'd want. I would want a replacement. The pad/wash is just what would be done anyway.

L.Adamson
 
Russ,

Maybe I missed it, but did you buy this QB wing kit from Vans or is it second ownership?

The QB wings I bought for the -7 in 2002 came from Vans with the bottom skins not installed, this is done by the builder. It would appear the issue of the box cutter marks was not created by Vans but by whoever installed the bottom skins.

Vans takes enough heat on stuff as is, I don't think this issue should be laid on their plate except how to fix it - if it can be fixed.

I had a tour of the Aurora operation last November and am reasonably certain all the QB kits stored in the facility -wings and fuselage kits - had no blue plastic on them. I know for sure the wings I bought had no plastic and later in a rebuild of a wrecked fuselage with a QB off their shelf, it too had no plastic.

This thread needs reigning in and clarifying so as not unfairly damage the reputation of the RV factory.
 
Russ,

Maybe I missed it, but did you buy this QB wing kit from Vans or is it second ownership?...

You're right, you missed it.


Hi folks,

Thanks for all the terrific feedback! More info:

These are QuickBuild wings purchased directly from Vans. The skins shown are the inboard lower skins. The lower outboard skins are the ones QuickBuild builders install themselves.

The wings came from Vans clean of blue film, but as you can see, the QB factory must have cut the strips away during construction, then removed the remainder of the film before shipping to Vans...
 
You're right, you missed it.

That being the case the factory has a problem. (perhaps I need to slow down and read more carefully - or begin to wear glasses) Vans QC is generally pretty good but those marks on those skins are unacceptable.

I did read "The response I received from Vans is a breath of fresh air compared to the customer service I get from my cable and wireless companies :)" and that indeed is a breath of fresh air.
 
I had a tour of the Aurora operation last November and am reasonably certain all the QB kits stored in the facility -wings and fuselage kits - had no blue plastic on them. .

I was with David on that tour and he's right about the lack of plastic. In fact I took loads of iPhone pix there and will review same, as pretty sure they show a stack of QB wings

.
 
Scribe lines with Soldering Iron

Since this is a discussion of potentially weakened skins, I thought I might ask a slightly related question.

My copy of AC 43.13-1B, page 4-13, section 4-54, contains the following statement:

"Reheating of 2017 and 2024 alloys above 212 degrees farenheit tend to impair the original heat treatement. Therefore, reheating above 212 degrees, including baking of primers, is not acceptable without subseqent complete and correct heat treatment."

I'm guessing that my soldering iron is hotter than 212 degrees. Thus, it would seem that removing the plastic with a soldering iron may have some weakening affect on the skins. I haven't heard of many planes falling out of the sky because their wings ripped apart along those soldering lines, but I wonder to what extent (if any), there is some loss of material strength.

It would be nice to see a comment by someone with a structural engineering background.
 
I'm guessing that my soldering iron is hotter than 212 degrees. Thus, it would seem that removing the plastic with a soldering iron may have some weakening affect on the skins. I haven't heard of many planes falling out of the sky because their wings ripped apart along those soldering lines, but I wonder to what extent (if any), there is some loss of material strength.

It would be nice to see a comment by someone with a structural engineering background.

It's all about thermal mass.
The soldering iron is quite hot, but if it is used in teh intended manor for removing the plastic, it is incapable of transferring enough heat to effect the skin.
To convince your self try this test.
Touch your soldering iron to your smallest bucking bar for a minute. After removing it, you will likely not feel much more than a slightly warm spot were it was located.
Now try it with a scrap piece of aluminum. If the soldering iron is kept moving (as it is when removing the plastic), I doubt you will ever feel much more than a slightly warmed area on the back side. Aluminum is a rather good heat conductor. The localized heat will always be sucked away into the large area of skin

Not that I am advocating the plastic removal process... I personally think it is a waist of time... with the only good reason for doing it being if you intend to polish instead of paint.
 
Final outcome?

Hi Russ,

I have been watching this thread with great interest as I have just paid for QB wings, QB fuse and Finishing kit from Vans for my RV-8. It will all ship shortly. The issue for me is that I live on the other side of the world (Brisbane, Australia) and returning any major assembly to Vans is simply cost prohibitive from here.

Clearly, reading about your experience has given me a large level of disquiet to say the least. One big reason why I selected the Vans product in the first place was their reputation for quality and customer service. Your experience is not consistent with that quality reputation. In fact, if I had read it before my financial commitment it would have given me cause to reconsider the decision to go for a Vans product.

I am very keen to hear what was the final outcome from Vans Russ.

Gerry in Oz.
 
I am also building a QB RV7 and am currently working on the wings. I too have similar marks on my wings.

I did not give any thought to them because I will be painting/priming and they are just scratches in the ALCLAD. Although it is evidence of shoddy workmanship, it will not effect structural integrity.

If you are painting it, I think you should move on.
 
I am also building a QB RV7 and am currently working on the wings. I too have similar marks on my wings.

I did not give any thought to them because I will be painting/priming and they are just scratches in the ALCLAD. Although it is evidence of shoddy workmanship, it will not effect structural integrity.

If you are painting it, I think you should move on.

This thought alone, differ the best from the rest period... It will show up paint magic or not with a REAL DAR inspection. Why try and hide! :)
 
I know I have come in late in the thread and my sentiments are shared and have been expressed by others already but I just have to say I am utterly disgusted and at first could not believe that Van's could be responsible for such a shocking error - I still can not understand how a qualified or even slightly experienced worker could be guilty of such heinous negligence!!?

And to read of this not being an isolated incident is even more shocking, I too am in the final stages of a QB 7A and have to honestly tell you if my wings arrived with such deep skin scribing I would absolutely send the wings back!!

I would not consider that skin to be safe but I am not an expert.....just a careful and attentive builder, seemingly the opposite of what the mighty Van's Aircraft is hiring nowadays.
 
Update

Hi folks,

Lots of good feedback here. An update on my wing skin scratch issue...

Luckily, I live only a few hours from Vans' factory and one of their suppliers is just 90 minutes away (engine mounts). So they picked my wounded wing up on one of these shipping runs. Walter arrived with an empty wing crate on July 5th, packed and hauled the wing back to Vans. Handily, I was ready for my fuselage, so they took this opportunity to ship a QB Fuse at the same time. No crating or shipping charges :)

On July 11th, on their way to the Arlington EAA Fly-In, Lindsey brought the repaired wing back.

Turns out the scratches looked worse than they were and Vans was able to scuff them out with Scotch-Brite pads. Luckily, I wasn't planning to polish the airplane. :) Running a fingernail across where the scratches were, I can sense no trace of them now.

Daryl mentioned that they are looking into the QB factory's process for working on the wing skins. They were surprised that Bonanza was using the "remove just the rivet strips" method of skin protection.

My impression of Vans' customer service remains extremely high. These guys are not just out to make a buck. I sense they care about their builders.

Regards,
Russ

Photos:
IMG_2874.JPG


IMG_2875.JPG
 
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