airbiker
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2008
- Messages
- 120
- Reaction score
- 1
Tonight I was working on the cleanup of the other lower wing to prep for the new aileron install. I was (carefully) using a japanese pull saw to help remove some parts that wouldn't be needed or would be replaced as things went back together. I was trying to separate a piece of quarter inch ply from a rib on one end, when the saw hit a void and dug into the top of the rear spar.
As I regained my composure and the cursing died down, I finished cleaning up the area so that I could see how much damage I had done. The saw cut a neat little slot right next to the rib that is about 1/16" deep on the front and 1/8" deep on the rear of the spar. It's just inside of the inboard rib on the I-strut bay. Bad place to mess with the spar.
You can see the detail in the pictures below (not talking about the cracked corner block).
So here's the question of the hour. Is there a way to repair this without replacing the rear spar from here to the tip? If I need to, I can remove about half the spar and have plenty of room to do a nice scarf inboard of the damage. I'm hoping that isn't necessary, but sometimes that's just the way goes. Let me know if that is overkill.
Thanks,
Ian
As I regained my composure and the cursing died down, I finished cleaning up the area so that I could see how much damage I had done. The saw cut a neat little slot right next to the rib that is about 1/16" deep on the front and 1/8" deep on the rear of the spar. It's just inside of the inboard rib on the I-strut bay. Bad place to mess with the spar.
You can see the detail in the pictures below (not talking about the cracked corner block).
So here's the question of the hour. Is there a way to repair this without replacing the rear spar from here to the tip? If I need to, I can remove about half the spar and have plenty of room to do a nice scarf inboard of the damage. I'm hoping that isn't necessary, but sometimes that's just the way goes. Let me know if that is overkill.
Thanks,
Ian