I got a call from FedEX early morning on Friday, 27 October for scheduling delivery of my kit. They don't deliver on weekends, so I've got to take some time off from work.
Delivery was scheduled for Monday between 1PM and 3 PM. The truck arrived around 2PM and between me and Pete the driver (great guy BTW. I'm sure I'll see more of him in the coming months) the 222 lb crate was a piece of cake to get off the truck and into my garage.
Upon closer inspection it looks like one of the gorillas at FedEX bashed into my crate and pushed alarmingly deep into it. I feared the worst and was not disappointed. There is visible damage on what looks like a spar for either the horizontal or the vertical stab. I won't be able to tell until I unload all the stuff on top of it.
The damage to the crate and the contents was noted on the delivery receipt. I called Vans as soon as the driver left and got they got started on the claim. I'll send them photos of everything once I finish the inventory and they'll get the replacement parts to me within a week or so.
This isn't really a big deal. Before I touch any of the real parts I need to build the Vans toolbox and airfoil practice kit. It's been several months since I took my EAA Sportair workshop for sheet metal so I need some practice. It'll be a couple of weeks before I start on the vertical stabilizer.
Crate was damaged during shipping
One part is clearly scrap from damage. The flange was bent and torn.
