Van’s Says Laser-Cut Parts Safe, Will Still Replace Some Of Them

KITPLANES is reporting that Van's Aircraft has released the technical reports on the use of parts with laser cut holes and it has determined there are no safety or durability issues with them. But it has also pledged to replace dozens of parts it has identified as being structurally critical in each of the plane kits it manufactures. In video postings on its website, Van's says it had third-party engineers thoroughly assess the metal fatigue vulnerability of the parts and the conclusion is that they will stand up to heavier use than is actually possible and last far longer than the expected life of an RV aircraft. "Aircraft usage calculations assume that the airplane is flown 30 minutes of each hour at full aerobatic air show loads, and the remaining 30 minutes of each hour at flight-school loads," Van's said in a statement.

The issue arose after Van's contracted the creation of rivet holes in metal parts to a third party that used a laser machine to make the holes to help fill a backlog for parts. Van's normally uses a mechanical punch to make the holes. When builders applied rivets to the lasered holes, they sometimes created small cracks around the holes. The tests showed the parts are safe to use, according to Van's. "Given these extreme calculations, the aircraft’s lifespan is considerably higher than would be expected for an RV aircraft and is considerably longer than any flying RV," the company said. "In short, the results of extensive testing of laser-cut parts manufactured for Van’s Aircraft shows that the parts are safe for use in aircraft construction."