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New way to screw up

DonFromTX

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I try to be as original as possible when making mistakes, but here is one for the record: I am installing wing tanks and while smoothing out an inspection plate on the bottom of the wingtip I kept seeing blue color showing up in the filings. Stuck my head in, and you guessed it, I apparently forgot to remove the blue plastic!
Now comes the question. I can of course remove that piece and take the plastic all off, or I can remove it from that which I can now get to, or I can just ignore the whole thing. What say ye?
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And here is the view from INSIDE the wingtip, I still can't believe I done that!
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The plastic has to all come off. Otherwise it will over time trap a toxic brew of water, salt, etc., and there will be corrosion.
 
Are those inspection panels?? Also, if rivets were set over the blue protective film, I would imagine they will need drilled out and removed too. For reasons stated above.
 
I don't think it would pass the DAR's inspection, Don. If it was me, I'd remove it ... probably after a few choice words and a beer or two.
 
Argh! I did the same thing somewhere between the 8th and 10th bays in my left -10 wing. Only on the forward side of the spar. I'm in a little better situation (I cut/melted away all the plastic where the ribs and skin meet, then primed all mating surfaces), but still too deep for me to reach in and peel off. I can get close from the tip, and close from the pitot inspection plate, but just not close enough. I will have to put in a extra inspection plate in order to remove the plastic inside my wing. Must have been one of those late night builds.
 
Off the topic a bit, but that looks like a humoungous inspection cover in the curved portion of the wingtip. What would that be for? Just curious.
 
There is a need to get in to install the filler cap and connect the two tanks, and run tank vent line back to the fuselage. Looks kinda like this when complete (with the wing upside down):
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Yeah that was my opinion as well. Just thought maybe someone had a brilliant idea to avoid all that work!

BobTurner said:
The plastic has to all come off. Otherwise it will over time trap a toxic brew of water, salt, etc., and there will be corrosion.
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DonFromTX said:
Of course Crashley! Who would want to fly with 20 gallons of fuel in the baggage compartment attached to the landing gear:D
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It is starting to sound like you chose the wrong kit to build Don.....

Most of the other builders here could have built two more RV-12's in the extra time you are taking to fix everything that is wrong with yours....:D
 
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I think you are wrong there Scott, most other builders could have built three or four in the time I have been fooling around making endless changes to mine.
I chose the right one, never have I wavered from that feeling. Mostly I am enjoying the wonderful world of EAB, so I can do it any way I happen to want to, which does not infer that Vans is wrong, only that I wanted to do it differently.
rvbuilder2002 said:
It is starting to sound like you chose the wrong kit to build Don.....

Most of the other builders here could have built two more RV-12's in the extra time you are taking to fix everything that is wrong with yours....:D
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BigJohn said:
Off the topic a bit, but that looks like a humoungous inspection cover in the curved portion of the wingtip. What would that be for? Just curious.
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Could be that Don is actually building the first RV-12 with bomb bay doors... it is called AF1 isn't it? :D
 
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good for you Don!
I know you sold the Ercoupe a long while back, are you doing any flying?
You gotta keep from getting too rusty!
Dave
 
The most memorable picture yet, was the one where Don is bringing his RV-12 kits home . . . all of them (except the engine), loaded in the back of his pickup truck.

Priceless.
I loved his spirit! . . :)
Go get'm Don.
 
Nah, nothing similar to an RV12 to fly around here. I intend to wear out Jetguys plane getting me up to speed to test fly mine.

dothetime said:
good for you Don!
I know you sold the Ercoupe a long while back, are you doing any flying?
You gotta keep from getting too rusty!
Dave
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Don - forgive me for asking but in the picture of the wing tank filler, is that PTFE tape on the vent line T-piece?

I apologise for asking (especially if it isn't) but if it is, PTFE tape is not good in fuel systems.
 
That actually took some careful planning on my part. I had to make just one adjustment when actually loading them. Here is the photo he is referring to:
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Driftdown said:
The most memorable picture yet, was the one where Don is bringing his RV-12 kits home . . . all of them (except the engine), loaded in the back of his pickup truck.

Priceless.
I loved his spirit! . . :)
Go get'm Don.
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That is a photo I swiped from a friend that is ahead of me in installation. Definitely NOT PTFE tape, we don't use that. It actually is Loctite 567 which is white and seems better than anything else we can find.

aerofurb said:
Don - forgive me for asking but in the picture of the wing tank filler, is that PTFE tape on the vent line T-piece?

I apologise for asking (especially if it isn't) but if it is, PTFE tape is not good in fuel systems.
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A left field idea maybe worth trying on a piece of scrap. Imagine you pull off all the blue film you can and you still have small ragged pieces where it was riveted. What about a flame on a stick a like a fireplace lighter (i.e., bic lighter with extension) ??? Would that eliminate the need to remove the rivets?
 
DonFromTX said:
That is a photo I swiped from a friend that is ahead of me in installation. Definitely NOT PTFE tape, we don't use that. It actually is Loctite 567 which is white and seems better than anything else we can find.
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My apology stands, then! ;)
 
I don't think so. I have most of the rivets drilled out already, I think the ONLY way to do it right is remove the piece, remove the blue plastic, and rivet it back on. Fortunately I have a twin for my Vans landing light to install in this wing, and the removal of this piece will greatly facilitate its installation.
Bill_H said:
A left field idea maybe worth trying on a piece of scrap. Imagine you pull off all the blue film you can and you still have small ragged pieces where it was riveted. What about a flame on a stick a like a fireplace lighter (i.e., bic lighter with extension) ??? Would that eliminate the need to remove the rivets?
Click to expand...
 
DonFromTX said:
I don't think so. I have most of the rivets drilled out already, I think the ONLY way to do it right is remove the piece, remove the blue plastic, and rivet it back on. Fortunately I have a twin for my Vans landing light to install in this wing, and the removal of this piece will greatly facilitate its installation.
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See, there's your blue... errrr, I mean silver lining!! :)
 
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