The version of the wrinkling or waving of the fuselage skin on my aircraft was
below the filler and before the joint line of the fuselage halves. It was
caused by the fuel tank permanently distorting by the weight of fuel and
pulling on the filler tube via the 'flexible' hose. The builder's manual
instructs the builder to strap this filler tube to the fuselage skin in the
wrinkled area. The cure was to cut this strap and free the tube from the
fuselage. The wrinkles came out over a period of days in hot weather (for the
UK: max about 32C). So far after 3 months I have seen no other effects around
the filler and the filler to fuselage seal.
Alasdair Milne G-CBYN
Quoting Steve Hagar <hagargs@earthlink.net>:
> This issue had come up before some time ago and I need my memory
> refreshed. Am flying around in the hot AZ sun and differential
> expansion is rearing its ugly head. This is especially true on the
> fuselage right around the area where the fuel filler maniflod is
> attached to the inside. Some very prominent waves have developed in
> the skin here. I am hesitant on filling these to smooth things out.
> I am assuming that it is reasonable to expect that things will keep
> on moving through temperature cycling. Does anyone have any history
> out there with flying in very hot weather and having the fiberglass
> move around? Have you found this to settle down after some time?
> Has anyone come up with a different mounting routine for the manifold
> after getting the ripples?
>
> Steve Hagar
> N40 SH
> A143
> 13 hrs
>
>
> Steve Hagar
> hagargs@earthlink.net
|