As I recall the rudder isn't a sealed from weather unit.
Gary
Just turn the rudder upside down, take off the tail wheel steering horn, drop a light on a wire into the tube and look. The tube is not closed....... Don't know but it'd be an easy test to cut one apart and have a look.
Gary
Just look at a unlocked rudder in a big blow from behind. They get banged around violently.
I'd be more interested in whether these planes parked outside and if/how the rudders were locked. The prejudicial statements about powder coating sound like a witch hunt.
Just turn the rudder upside down, take off the tail wheel steering horn, drop a light on a wire into the tube and look. The tube is not closed.
Most likely the rudder had been abused during it's lifetime as Stewart mentioned. Just look at a unlocked rudder in a big blow from behind. They get banged around violently.
How do you remove powder coating for a repair? Heat?
I love it on my rocker box covers, and don't think I would do it to a fuselage or engine mount. Tail feathers, maybe.
This makes me question the mechanic who replaced the fabric. What inspection did he/she do before installing the new fabric?Saw one break there on an -18. Well maintained airplane with recent fabric and no corrosion and no damage- parked indoors most of the time. Always wondered if it had to do with the beacon... Agree that the powder coat/burnt oil theory is phony; that would be about the last place for that tube to corrode.
Was that chewed up before the bead blasting? Bondo'd up?
Web
that rudder probably was damaged & straitened earlier in life.... but no one is fessing up..
Yes Dave has prejudice against powder coating.