Hanger9/Horizon Customer Support
04-28-2008 | 11:55 AM
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From: Lexington,
KY
Hanger9/Horizon Customer Support
Well, Horizon came through for me today.[8D]
I posted here last week that the firewall separated from my Alpha 60 on it's second flight. The instructor had the sticks and was flying downwind straight and level when the thing came apart. I sent pictures to Horizon the next day, and they are going to replace the plane entirely. Besides the obvious damage to the front of the fuselage where the firewall separated the only other significant damage was to the muffler, which they are also going to replace.
The ARF kit is backordered until at least mid-June, so they are boxing up a full set of replacement parts and shipping them today.
The pictures pretty much told the story. You could see where there were gaps in the glue where the firewall was attached. The front extentions on the fuse are cracked (one side held on only by the covering, the other partially separated, but are essentially intact. It's obvious from the engine and broken muffler that the engine took a pretty good imapct, but the fuse and wings show no evidence of any kind of impact, leaving the firewall separation as the only obvious alternative. The only complaint I've got is that they've had the pictures since last Wednesday, and hadn't looked at them today until I called and prompted 'em.
I'm going to reinforce the firewall on this one. The front side will be easy to do with either some glass or epoxy. The backside of the firewall is not very accessible, though. Any suggestions?
Bob
I posted here last week that the firewall separated from my Alpha 60 on it's second flight. The instructor had the sticks and was flying downwind straight and level when the thing came apart. I sent pictures to Horizon the next day, and they are going to replace the plane entirely. Besides the obvious damage to the front of the fuselage where the firewall separated the only other significant damage was to the muffler, which they are also going to replace.
The ARF kit is backordered until at least mid-June, so they are boxing up a full set of replacement parts and shipping them today.
The pictures pretty much told the story. You could see where there were gaps in the glue where the firewall was attached. The front extentions on the fuse are cracked (one side held on only by the covering, the other partially separated, but are essentially intact. It's obvious from the engine and broken muffler that the engine took a pretty good imapct, but the fuse and wings show no evidence of any kind of impact, leaving the firewall separation as the only obvious alternative. The only complaint I've got is that they've had the pictures since last Wednesday, and hadn't looked at them today until I called and prompted 'em.
I'm going to reinforce the firewall on this one. The front side will be easy to do with either some glass or epoxy. The backside of the firewall is not very accessible, though. Any suggestions?
Bob
04-28-2008 | 12:35 PM
#2
Senior Member
RE: Hanger9/Horizon Customer Support
Suggestions?
Yeah, if you can't figure out a way to access the inside, make some access. Cutting a section out of the side is actually very easy. And since you're going to strengthen the insides anyway, there should be no worries about weakening the structure. Matter of fact, gluing the section back in results in that area gaining strength, not losing it, if you do it with that consideration.
Strengthening a firewall that has a history of pulling out really won't be of much value from the outside. That is, unless the thing is made of liteply. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single Chinese/Vietnamese mfg'd ARF that didn't have a liteply firewall..... so....... it is a good idea to laminate an additional layer of plywood. LHSs sell real plywood. You won't need thick ply. Real plywood is hard enough to do stand compression that bolt on motor mounts create, and 1/16" is enough.
Yeah, if you can't figure out a way to access the inside, make some access. Cutting a section out of the side is actually very easy. And since you're going to strengthen the insides anyway, there should be no worries about weakening the structure. Matter of fact, gluing the section back in results in that area gaining strength, not losing it, if you do it with that consideration.
Strengthening a firewall that has a history of pulling out really won't be of much value from the outside. That is, unless the thing is made of liteply. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single Chinese/Vietnamese mfg'd ARF that didn't have a liteply firewall..... so....... it is a good idea to laminate an additional layer of plywood. LHSs sell real plywood. You won't need thick ply. Real plywood is hard enough to do stand compression that bolt on motor mounts create, and 1/16" is enough.
