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Wagon Fuselage Plywood Repairs printer friendly version
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Bob Grimstead
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Posted Thursday, April 30, 2015 @ 09:58 PM  

I'm pretty much only waiting for paperwork and some final cosmetic titivating now, so I have time to post more repair information. The incompetents who stripped my fuselage's fabric didn't use their heat gun properly (if at all!), so they ripped off several long strips of the plywood's outer veneer.

Clearly, simply filling in the depressions with filler or resin would significantly reduce the structure's strength, so at the LAA guys' suggestion, I replaced 'like with like'. Since new plywood might have a different density or humidity percentage to my fuselage's 45 year-old ply (and could even be manufactured to a later specification) once again I cut strips of ply from the old French fuselage I have. I then split these strips longitudinally through the central layer.

Sanding off the excess material so that only a single veneer remained (initially with this drum sander, then by hand with superfine glasspaper)

I carefully cut them to conform to the depressions with sharp scissors, until I had a number of appropriately-shaped single ply veneers, tapered in thickness towards their ends, to fit the ripped ply. They were paper-thin, so some broke, but by persevering I made enough to do the job.

I finally glued them all in place with the correct resorcinol adhesive (Prefere 4050, formerly Aerodux), adequately weighed down for compression, and with the weights prevented from glueing by cling film/ Glad Wrap.

Once the excess glue had been sanded away and the fabric applied, there is very little evidence of any damage or repair.


[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, April 30, 2015 @ 10:48 PM]

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
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Posted Saturday, May 2, 2015 @ 02:59 AM  

Hi Bob, good to read that you're making progress.

That's quite a lot of labour to repair the 'peels' and while I applaud your industry I wonder if it was really necessary. You could probably cut whole triangular panels out of each ply bay, provided you preserved the diagonals, without really impairing the structure. I'm not recommending anyone do that, of course, and in any case you will have to satisfy your inspector and the LAA so they get to call the shots. At any event it's a 'nicer' solution than just troweling in filler and it's good to read that things are coming along.

I may have mentioned it before but it's always worth a repeat. The FAA have a great series on aircraft repair here:- https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/amt_airframe_handbook/

Donald

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
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Posted Saturday, May 2, 2015 @ 08:35 AM  

Thank you very much again Donald,

I have several copies of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1, Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices—Aircraft Inspection and Repair, but I hadn't seen that. The colour illustrations and phraseology are definitely superior.

I'm pleased to say that all my repairs have been inspected and approved, so I'm now in the final assembly stage, and awaiting paperwork clearance. Meanwhile I'm doing the cosmetic stuff -- red wing stripes, cowling & fairing filling & painting etc. Because I work slowly (having never done most of this stuff before) it will be a few weeks yet before I can actually fly, but the end is definitely in sight.

I'll post more info & pics when I have the time.

Thank you for your continued support Donald.

Yours, Bob

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
Command Sergeant Major

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Location: Scotland
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Posted Saturday, May 2, 2015 @ 05:41 PM  

Hi Bob,

Coincidentally I see in the latest issue of Light Aviation there's an article on Oratex. It has it's own requirements, sure, even specialised tools, but it does seem pretty benign to apply to give a high performance result.

Mine has significant bits off at the moment. Going through its annual.

Donald

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

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Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 @ 06:55 AM  

Hi Donald.

I hope your RF3 got through its annual without any problems, and you're now enjoying the spring flying weather.

Yours, Bob

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
Command Sergeant Major

Gender: Male
Location: Scotland
Registered: Jan 2007
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Posts: 489

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Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 @ 01:59 PM  

Yes it did Bob but I only finished putting it back together on Saturday, two days ago. I had a small wood repair to do, nothing structural, just a couple of the little blocks on the cockpit walls that the interior trim panels screw to had split and needed replacing. That and a bit of paint touch up of some long standing hangar rash.

By the time I was done the weather had deteriorated so I just got in a couple of circuits then 40 minutes round the locality. One really nice thing about having my own hangar is I don't need to put everything away and secure it at the end of a day. I can just lock the door and no one can interfere or propwash it all into the back corner of the hangar. That used to happen with depressing regularity (see hangar rash comment above).

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

Click here to see the profile for Bob Grimstead Visit http://www.redhawksduo.co.uk Send email to Bob Grimstead Send private message to Bob Grimstead Find more posts by Bob Grimstead Edit or delete this message Reply w/Quote
Posted Tuesday, May 26, 2015 @ 04:05 AM  

That's good to hear Donald,

It's great to have a hangar of one's own, isn't it?

For me that's been a recent luxury too.

Let's hope for a long summmer of great weather for all of us, so that we can properly enjoy our Fourniers.

Yours, Bob

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
Command Sergeant Major

Gender: Male
Location: Scotland
Registered: Jan 2007
Status: Offline
Posts: 489

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Posted Tuesday, May 26, 2015 @ 03:07 PM  

Bob,

The other big advantage about my own hangar is that it's so much closer to home so I save a huge amount of time, and at my advanced years that's becoming more and more precious. Before, if I went to fly the Fournier I'd be away for the day. Now I can nip out for a quickie if the morning or evening is pleasant and it doesn't have to tie up the entire day. Should have done it years ago.

As to summer weather, not much sign of that yet. May can often be a lovely month here but this year it's been more like February!

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