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Re: Europa-List: Skin wrinkling outside fuel fill

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Skin wrinkling outside fuel fill
From: Tim Ward <ward.t@xtra.co.nz>
Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 22:39:14

Bill,
In the early days (1996)the manual stated that the plastic 'cobra' tube 
should be fibre glassed with Bid directly onto the fuselage skin in two 
places.
It was then found on early models that exposure to the sun on a hot day 
would cause the cobra to expand and therefore deform the fuselage skin
inwards. This happened to me. I then found via the builders web, that other 
people were reinforcing the inside fuse skin with BID layers and placing
blue foam between the  cobra and fuselage skin to absorb that expansion. I 
am not sure if that was a Europa Club Mod or Company Mod however
it does avoid that deformation. I had to take my cobra out, push the skin 
back out with the help of hot water over the outside and my son pushing
---From the inside on a moulded piece of wood! Then reinforce the inside 
fuselage skin, blue foam between and replace the cobra with new Bid 
brackets.
Why it happened to me? I left the aircraft out in the open on a very hot 33 
degree C day without the reinforcement.

Does it now say not to affix it to the fuseskin? If not, then do they expect 
it to support itself, or the cover to support it?

Interesting.

Hope this helps,

Tim


Tim Ward
12 Waiwetu Street'
Fendalton,
Christchurch.
NEW ZEALAND

Ph. 64 3 3515166
Mob 021  0640221
Email  ward.t@xtra.co.nz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William McClellan" <wilwood@earthlink.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:42 PM
Subject: Europa-List: Skin wrinkling outside fuel fill


> <wilwood@earthlink.net>
>
> I see in the archives that there has been a problem for some with the 
> fuselage skin wrinkling in the area of the plastic fuel fill tube.  My 
> question is, why is it happening to only a few and is there a conclusive 
> reason for it happening?  Maybe the fuel fill tube should not be affixed 
> to the inside skin of the fuselage as stated in the building manual but 
> instead allowed to be more of a floating fit so the rubber hose will take 
> up the expansion/contraction the plastic tube might be doing.  Can anyone 
> give me the answer to this question?
> Thanks,
> Bill McClellan
>
>
> 



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