Wrathall Mark wrote:

I admire these guys for their acheivements, but thing it is pretty
iresponsible the way the EAA holds them up as heros for their speed without
telling the whole story about the increased vigilence which the associated
risk increase requires. None other the Sport Aviation articles ever
mentioned either of these guys having structural problems with their
airframes.

Mark Wrathall

Mike Wills wrote:

  Early RVs had this problem. I think its due to prop pulses beating on the
tail control surfaces causing a lot of flex and eventually fatigue cracks.
Vans now recommends the addition of RTV in the control surfaces at the ends
of the rudder and elevator stiffeners. As far as I know the guys who are
using no more than 180HP (which is the max recommended for the -4 and -6)
with the RTV dont have problems with cracking.

  The RV-8 ( which is designed for up to 200HP) has thicker skins on the
tail control surfaces (.020" rather than .016").

Mike Wills

Dave Anders showed up at the party on Sat with his RV4. He of course
has way more than 200 HP and has changed his rudder to .020 but it still
cracks. BTW Dave is now claiming a top speed of 270 MPH!
Tracy Saylor was also there and he is changing his RV6 tail to the RV8 style.

Paul Lamar
 
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