On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 15:39:13 GMT, "comanche driver"
wrote:

ive just got to respond to this.

1. the failures of RV-3 wings were fixed years and years ago, from what ive
been told it was not a design problem but a problem with the way people were
assembling the wing. Van redesigned it anyway, for added strength.
2. this my cousin knows someones brother that said---- crap, don't cut it.
Talk to Van. he will tell you exactly what you want to know. his web site
has all the details of the RV-8 wing separation and the testing that was
done after to re-prove the design.
3. check the FAA data base yourself, I have and there has NOT been one
in-flight failure of a wing on a RV-4.
4. with over 3000 planes flying and several thousand more in construction,
stating that the RV line has weak wings, is pure horsesh--.

yes , I am biased, but I will put my RV-4 up against anything out there. Van
is one of the most honest and talented designers out there and his success
more than proves his designs.

R. Burns
RV-4 N82RB

The problem is, wing failures are not something builders and kit
manufacturers like to talk about. So the fact that the RV-3 wings were
fixed years ago hasn't been that widely publicized. So there are still
a lot of fears of those accidents. It's good to hear it's been fixed.
You won't find a word about that on Van's site. But being in the
business to sell kits, If I were in that position, I would just as
soon not bring that up either. So when the FAA hands out accident
reports showing RV-3 wing failures, there's no place to turn to that
has just as open information showing the problem has been fixed.
I would seem that ordering a spar built by Phlogiston would eliminate
builder inconsistancies and improve the saftey margin, and assuming
the design is good, the wing should be as good as one on a certified
plane. I might ask, where is the written information that tells about
the RV-3 wings being fixed? Certainly no place I've been able to find.
I've got the Sport aviation on CDrom, are there any issues that relate
to the fixes? Heck, your saying they've been fixed don't cut it
anymore than they guys on the flight line at Lakeland. So don't knock
what they say just because you are flying in an RV and don't want to
entertain the idea that maybe your wing "ain't so great" since your
rear end is at stake.