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

[Mike S]

Thanks for reporting back, it is always nice when someone closes the loop on an issue------we all get to learn form it.

 

[DCat22]

Thanks for reporting back, it is always nice when someone closes the loop on an issue------we all get to learn form it.

+10,000

Another reason this place is great...the loop is usually closed.

How many times have you found random forum posts on other topics where the OP never returns.....or just says "nevermind, fixed it" without explaining it. And you need that info!

 

[carrollcw]

Loop closed yes. However, the only thing that sits uneasy for me is the amount of people who are ready to jump all over Vans for something that is NOT STRUCTURAL.

Yes, I would send them back if I were planning on a polished airplane. However, for those of us who paint, the ENTIRE airplane will be scuffed up with the scotchbrite pad, making those little scratches a moot point.

Russ - thanks for the update! I'll just plan on scuffing mine out in a couple years (when it is ready for paint)!!!

 

[krw5927]

The problem is, you don't know they're "not structural" until you're able to accurately measure the depth of the scratch. Few, if any, of us have the requisite equipment to do so. In fact, in the big airplane world, the way we measure scratch depth most of the time on metals is to blend out the scratch, and then measure the remaining thickness ultrasonically (again, $$$ equipment). Then if the remaning thickness is within the tolerance of the engineering as designed (information we don't know without consulting Van's engineers) you're good to go. If not, a new stress analysis is required to show that positive margins still exist in that exact location at the worst-case load condition (and we don't know what the worst case is without the engineers).

In other words, a statement that damage is "not structural", without accompanying rationale of exactly how that conclusion was formed, is completely without merit.

 

[jjconstant]

I'm glad it worked out and that you provided us with the factory guidance on this. Not to start a primer war or anything, but being that the alclad is now gone in the scuffed areas, I would consider shooting the scuffed areas with some kind of primer. As has been noted, it will all come off when it's scuffed for paint, but that may be a way down the road and the primer will help prevent corrosion in the now structural part of the skin, now that you don't have a sacrificial layer. I was surprised at how many wormy looking trails of surface corrosion there were in the alclad on mine that developed during the build.

 

[Buggsy2]

Yes, I too appreciate that the OP posted back with what happened...and that Vans looked at the wings and remedied them for the builder. But...I'd still like to know what happened to Vans' inspection process of QB builds. Vans is supposed to go over QBs from the Philippine Islands before sending them on to buyers. Did these get overlooked? Were the scratches noticed, determined to be inconsequential, and sent on to the buyer with no explanation?

 

[airguy]

Consider that the people doing the QC inspections are likely the same people doing the work, with the same criteria.