grostek wrote:Hi Rudi,
Lovely the way the kit is prepared, still it is a lot of work to prepare the skins and components before any actual riviting can happen.
Just as an aside what are your steps for the painting/corrosion protection and what products do you use for this.
Kind regards,
Gunter Rostek
Hi Gunter,
RE: Kit preparation
Yes you still need to do a bit. In the USA EAA world you as builder need to complete 51% of the the work (The biggest portion) to qualify for Amatuer owner builder and the benefits associated with it. The standard RV kits (NOT the RV12) are aimed for that category. There is doubt if the RV12 will get the 51% approved since it is much easier to assemly because there is no Match Drilling, hole deburring, countersinking or dimpling for flush rivets. But the RV12 has other benefits if assembled EXACTLY like the Vans model. That said, traditional RV matched prepunched hole kits are a huge step forward and a time saver compared to non matched hole kits. They also ussually fetch a higher price becuase the quality and integrity of the airframe is almost ensured and they are ussualy very straight. (No marking of rivet lines, drilling in the wrong spot, too little metal to support the rivets, and no jigs required.) I take my hat of to someone who can build a NICE looking non-matched hole plane, and even better a 'scratch build plans' metal plane. I takes a special person and dedication to do that!
RE: Primer
Corrosion protection debates is like starting world war 3. Remeber VANS kits is 2024 ALCLAD. The ALCAD is a pure 1/1000 of inch pure aluminium coating that is almost corrosion proof. But if you scratch it the 2024 material alloy WILL CORODE, cause the alloy has iron in it. The non alclad and Metal part you ALWAYS have to primer!
Priming is a time consuming task, so it needs carefull consideration...
I'll give you 2 extremes and you decide where you fit in.
1) If you live in a desert, far from the coast, and have your plane hangared, you wont have to do a single thing to the alclad parts and the airframe will last a 100 years! (The rubbers and plastic will deteriote before the airframe detoriates!)
2) If you live on the coast, and leave your airplane outside all the time in the wind and the weather, I estimate you will be lucky to get 10 years out of your Alcad Airplane without primer before it is scrapped or need mayor repairs.
My Airplanes live in Gauteng and is hangared, but it will go to the coast occastionally. I want a 30 year lifespan expectancy from them.
So I primer at least the mating surfaces where ever 2 Alcad surfaces touch. My theory is that 2 metal surfaces with moisture (salt, accid rain, other chemicals) inbetween them forms a nice battery that gets electrochemical corrosion started and going quickly. Corrosion on a flat piece Alcad will take much longer. So I primer at least 1 of the 2 mating surfaces, insolate the battery effect. (Sometimes I primer the whole part, ribs and thin spars for instancesince, since it is easier to paint the whole thing then to try and mask only the mating surface.)
On my RV7 I used Plascon AW255: EPIWASH STRONTIUM CHROMATE PRIMER a 2 part EPOXY primer (See attached Datasheet) It is THE BEST PRIMER you can find, it has a MIL SPEC coding and DO NOT need to be TOP COATED to form excellent protection against corrosion. It is available at any good plascon paint supply store. The CONS is it is heavy and difficuly to apply since it is tradition compressor and spray gear and you have to clean it all up afterwards.
On my RV10 (Remember I am going quickbuild route) the Vans Quickbuild factor spray the kit with a water based primer that is not as good as EPOXY primer. There is also doubts if they spray individual ALCAD parts prior to assembly, but they definitily run everything over with it prior to skinning it. So my RV10 Quickbuild is already at a dissadvantage compared to my RV7 that is from a parts build. So this time I have resorted to using AVIATION rattle spray can primers sold by avation stores: Any of these products will do the job.
http://www.skygeek.com/zinc-chromate.html I ordered a box of 24 cans when I ordered my kit and had it deliverd to VANS to Ship to me inside my crate. I still only do the mating surfaces of any alcad material. Non Alclad parts get full treatment. Spray Cans are easy, fast and convenient to use for mating surfaces, and no clean up required.
Oh and remember to scuff the parts with scotch brite just enough to remove the shine and to form a key for the primer to adhere to, and remember to wash/degrease the part prior to priming it to ensure it sticks good.
IF ANYONE FIND A SOUTH AFRICAN SOURCE FOR AVIATION SPRAY CAN PRIMER LET ME KNOW ASAP!
I get many enquiries and don't know where to send the guys.
Lastly if you live at the coast and want your airplane to last for ever. Then you need to acid wash the parts, alodine the parts, wash it and then epoxy primer everything. It will take a lot of time and will add +/- 10kg of weight to your airplane. But people still do it.
Kind Regards
Rudi
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hence I wanted to ensure it is detailed enough. Groete, Rudi
What an experience to see his work & workshop. 
in comparison to the 12 