Problem with Flaperon Brackets

[Benbell4140]

Eric
Guess I got lucky. Since I mounted the new style reinforcing bracket right over the old style, there was about a 1/16 inch sticking out from the capstrip which was enough for safe installation. Otherwise I had the same problem on some.
Rick

Same here..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Eric Page]

Thanks, gents. Sorry for posting the question then dropping off the map; I had to go pay the bills for a few days.

Alex, yes, I'm seeing the same issue with one side being worse than the other. Most of my left brackets are bent in the right place and just have the "fish mouth" problem at the forward end, while many of the right brackets are bent at an angle. I'll see what the factory says about them, but I might have to adopt your method of percussive correction.

Delta Whisky, I hadn't thought about mounting the flaperon hinge to the side of the brackets instead of between them. I'll keep that idea in mind when I get further along. Thanks.

Bumsteer, I did the same thing with my reinforcing brackets (mounted over the factory build), but mine don't stick out past the cap strips at all.

Can someone send me a private message with Brandon's email address? The only Kitfox emails I have are for the ladies in the front office.

[Eric Page]

Thanks to all who messaged me with Brandon's email. I've sent him a message and will update this thread with his advice.

[Eric Page]

Following up on this... I did get some advice from Brandon at Kitfox, and an offer to replace any brackets that I couldn't use.

Like Alex suggested, Brandon said to grind the bulbous forward ends on the brackets so they would come together more closely. I did that on a couple that were bent pretty close to the right spot, but on most of the rest it wasn't going to be enough. With those, I clamped the brackets very tightly in aluminum vise jaws and cold-hammered the bend to re-form it in the correct place. I couldn't move the steel with a dead-blow hammer, so I switched to a smooth-faced steel framing hammer and that did the trick.

Some of the brackets aren't as pretty as I would like, but they all fit on the cap strips now. Once they're primed and painted, the blemishes will disappear. Problem solved; on to the next problem.