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MD-RA pre-cover inspection(s)

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mmiddlebro_(at)hotmail.co
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 2:20 pm Post subject: MD-RA pre-cover inspection(s)

I'm looking for advice from some other builders regarding the expected state of the empennage and wings before pre-cover inspection.  I happily completed my RV-10 VS, Rudder, HS as per the plans... and was about to bend the skins and rivet the TE's of my elevators when I came across a post regarding pre-cover inspections...  

 

I almost had a heart attack thinking about the hundreds of rivets I may have to drill out to provide for an inspection.  I phoned a local -10 builder who said his MD-RA used a mirror & light to access tight places.  I just can't fathom how one can complete any considerable portion an empennage piece per-plans without  rivetting some parts together.  Is access through lightening holes adequate in most cases?  At this point almost all of the interior shop heads can be inspected for all of my pieces via.  At this point I intend on leaving the elevator TE's open, as well as leaving the trim-tab un-riveted to the piano hinge.  I would like to have wings & fuse complete as well, and just pay for one pre-cover inspection if possible, but I would really like to hear exactly what is expected.  I phoned the MD-RA office in London, but they wouldn't put me in touch with an inspector to pose questions without paying the exorbitant fee!  

 

Any or all advice would be appreciated,

 

Mike Middlebro'

Owen Sound, ON

 

 

 

 		 	   		  

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dan(at)syz.com
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 2:40 pm Post subject: MD-RA pre-cover inspection(s)

Hi Mike.



I'm surprised and a bit dismayed that the MD-RA wouldn't put you in touch with an inspector - perhaps their policies have changed, since I was assigned to an inspector right when I filed my letter of intent with them and given his contact information.  Not that I made a point of bothering him with every little detail that came up, but he did encourage me (and I took advantage of that encouragement on a few occasions) to contact him if I had any questions.  I can't tell you how valuable it was, to me, to be able to bring him one of my parts early on to get his "unofficial" opinion as to whether or not it was on the right track, and I absolutely did want his advice on exactly what he needed to be able to see prior to my precover inspection.



I think every inspector might have different criteria on what they want to be able to see and how easily they can access it, so can't say definitively this will apply with whomever you end up with (perhaps if you pay the precover inspection fee early, they will give you access to contact your inspector, and you can then schedule the actual inspection for when you're ready?)



In any case, the guideline I was given by my inspector was that he had to be able to see everything internal, but a mirror through a lightening hole was fine.  In places where a spar or something didn't have lightening holes to peer inside, I did leave the spar unriveted to the skins and ribs so it could be pulled out.  Likewise the trailing edges - I didn't rivet them until after the precover.  It was frustrating not being able to completely "finish" hardly any parts, but on the other hand very satisfying once my precover inspection was done and I could close off all the parts that I'd been waiting to complete for so long.



I scheduled my inspection as soon as I reached the point of riveting on the floor panels to the fuselage interior.  That was the last thing that wouldn't be accessible after closing, so I only had to pay for a single precover inspection.



Dan



 	  Quote: 	
		   On 2015-Apr-09, at 4:20 PM, Mike Middlebro' <mmiddlebro_(at)hotmail.com> wrote:

 

 I'm looking for advice from some other builders regarding the expected state of the empennage and wings before pre-cover inspection.  I happily completed my RV-10 VS, Rudder, HS as per the plans... and was about to bend the skins and rivet the TE's of my elevators when I came across a post regarding pre-cover inspections...  

  

 I almost had a heart attack thinking about the hundreds of rivets I may have to drill out to provide for an inspection.  I phoned a local -10 builder who said his MD-RA used a mirror & light to access tight places.  I just can't fathom how one can complete any considerable portion an empennage piece per-plans without  rivetting some parts together.  Is access through lightening holes adequate in most cases?  At this point almost all of the interior shop heads can be inspected for all of my pieces via.  At this point I intend on leaving the elevator TE's open, as well as leaving the trim-tab un-riveted to the piano hinge.  I would like to have wings & fuse complete as well, and just pay for one pre-cover inspection if possible, but I would really like to hear exactly what is expected.  I phoned the MD-RA office in London, but they wouldn't put me in touch with an inspector to pose questions without paying the exorbitant fee!  

  

 Any or all advice would be appreciated,

  

 Mike Middlebro'

 Owen Sound, ON

  

  

  

 

 

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---

Dan Charrois

President, Syzygy Research & Technology

Phone: 780-961-2213

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RV7ASask

Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 36

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: MD-RA pre-cover inspection(s)

Hi Mike,



I had 3 inspections done on my RV7A. It could easily be done in two as you proposed. The reason for 3, I was leaving Manitoba where I started the project and wanted to have the tail feathers inspected before I left. I had the last two inspections done here in Sask.



If you can leave the edge of one skin open so the inspector can look in, that works. If there is a good hole for his mirror and light that should suffice. With the wings (done in Sask.) I left the bottom skin about half riveted on. The fuselage is a non issue as it can be can be inspected at any time, even at the the final inspection. 



The three inspectors I had contact with were very good. They were there to inspect but also to answer questions and make suggestions. 



I'm surprised the MDRA HQ was that hard nosed. I suggest you see if you can track down an inspector and get his take on the question.



All the best.



David Lamb

Tisdale, SK

RV7A  C-FLAM

250 hrs and counting.

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