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Several folks have asked about photos of the cracks. I tried to attach the photos but the message was rejected as being too large. I will send 5 emails with one photo each. Descriptions are at the bottom of this note.
Went to the aerodrome this afternoon and began drilling rivets to open the trailing edge of the elevator so we could have a peak inside. After getting about a dozen or so drilled, Bil looked in and said that it looked like some corrosion inside, right around the crack in the lower skin. Initially I took this as good news; at least we had a reason. Unfortunately it turned out to be some light surface corrosion and we still have yet to come up with a reason for the cracks. After drilling out from the left side all the way to the trim tab, this is what we found:
The top cracks emanate from the last rivet in the stiffeners.
This places them where the trailing edge of the stiffeners come together.
The bottom cracks run between the end of the stiffeners and the bottom skin joggle.
Near the center of the elevator we did find some distortion that might have been caused by something bending the elevator downward.
After removing the elevator, I found a patch on the rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer.
#2 Black marks show the ends of the cracks at the ends of the stiffeners on top
#3 Black marks show the length of the crack on the bottom, this crack is directly under the outboard cracks shown in #2
#5 Distortion of elevator bottom skin, just left of the fuselage
#6 Black marks showing ends of crack on bottom, this crack is directly under the more inboard cracks shown in #2
#8 Patch on rear spar of horizontal stabilizer
All of this put together is beginning to look like some rear end damage prior to 1982 that the repairs have given way on.
Any and all ideas and thoughts are appreciated.
Tommy
N93929
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