The upper right wing proved to be in the best shape so far. The process was about the same as the center section. All the fittings were tagged and removed. The wing brace wire and strut fittings are held on with bolts which go the full depth of the spars. We made the bolt holes a snug fit. In hind sight I'd drill them 1/32" oversize to leave a slight gap. Being a tight fit does not add any strength for these fittings. The tight fit means that the least amount of rust causes the bolts to be almost impossible to remove. There is always moisture in the wood so the bolts always rust. I would also swab the holes with Linseed Oil to help stop the rust.
The pliers worked but I worried I'd break a bolt, they were that tight.
With all the fittings removed I again started loosening the fabric at the wing root and then split it with a knife along the trailing edge and wing tip bow.
The wing was in really good shape and only required cleaning and epoxy varnish where the new fabric will touch wood.
You can really see the ringworm on the old dope. If the colors had been dope instead of lacquer the dope could have been rejuvenated. The rejuvenator makes the dope soft like new. It will even fix ringworm or prevent it if used every 5 to 7 years. You can see how sun light gets through the ringworm cracks to ruin the fabric.
Other than needing new fabric this wing was ready for service.
No comments:
Post a Comment