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Building Integrity
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Date:  5-7-2014
Number of Hours:  2.00
Manual Reference:  ch 18
Brief Description:  Strike out

I would be lying if I wasn't concerned about the canopy coming off in flight. I designed the entire thing myself. However, what happened today looked like a nightmare and ended up being a major blessing. When I installed the poplar hard points several months ago I used flox but with a 5 minute epoxy instead of the real stuff. I was planning on the carbon UNI for tensile strength but not for twist. Well somewhere in the build the pin and latch didn't quite line up as planned so everytime I rotate the cam, the pin is pulled slightly sideways to fit inside the slot. Unfortunately this issue is not fixable without major surgery. I also hoping that flight time and post cure will lessen the tentions. It is minor however. BUT I didn't layup any added carbon over the top of the pin and hardpoint because I assumed it would be a pulling motion and never pushing. Well here is what happened. When I used all that force to close the latch it pulled mightily on the pin and carbon fiber uni underneath. This is normal and fine, but because I didn't glass over the top, all the flex went right through the filler and separated the primer coat seen in picture 1. Well I still don't want to glass the top as it would make a large lump above the pin so Instead I've routered out 1/2" all around the brass insert. I noticed I was grinding out the 5 minute flox which was a little soft. That's BAD. I removed it all, and decided to fill the doughnut with wet EZ Poxy FLox and give it a good 3 day cure under peel ply. IF there is any movement detected after cure then I will have to lay up glass over the assembly and deal with the contouring issues. Stay posted..
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Primer separated

Primer separated

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1/2

1/2" routered out all around

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Wet Flox filled and  peel ply.

Wet Flox filled and peel ply.

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