- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 84
I'd like to ask Neil a question. I'm doing a complete rebuild on my AS1 that I bought 2 years ago. With a set of plans I've found LOTS of things that were not done or done incorrectly. As I took the wings apart, one of the things I noticed was one of the 'I' struts is about 1/2" shorter (or longer) that the other. I think I now know why. After recovering the center wing section, I put it back on the Gabanes and tightened the roll wires to where I had marked them on disassembly. With the plane level, the center wing was not level and dropping plum bobs from the attach bolts measured 11" to the right lower longeron and 9" to the left. That means the center wing was rigged 1" laterally to the right, which means the top wings were laterally off also. On taking measurements of the 'I' strut bolt holes according to plans, 3 are correct (within a few 1/16's) but the upper right wings holes are a full 1" inboard. Here (finally) is my question. I want to glue a 1/4" dowel in the existing holes and drill new ones to the correct dimension. A friend who is building a Starduster and an A/P does NOT like the hole drilled vertically through the spars, much less drilling one more set of holes just 1" away. I think with the spar reinforced with the sandwich of 1/4 ply and 1/8" steel plates through bolted might be enough strength for the second hole, but am not sure so asking your opinion. I've pretty much resigned myself to having to building new 'I' struts, hopefully saving the very expensive 3 1/2" aerodynamic tubing. Garry
