Postby Phil Clark » March 17th, 2013, 6:21 pm
It's been a lengthy one this I agree....but it's been one of those projects where there more yo do, the more problems you uncover. I'm not a 'that'll do' type, so everything has to be done properly.
Nice things like the flap hinging........this was so bad, there was well over 1/2" of slop at the TE. The problem was down to poor building in the 1st place. Due to the nature of the flaps and how the 3 sections move, the flap hinges (1/8 ply) were bonded in at 90 degrees to the underside surface......all well and good for the inner & outer sections which are flat, but the small mid sections incorporates the crank, so each end of the flap is at a different angle. The original builder had abviously spotted this after doing it, and as the flap lowered, the hinges bound up, so all he'd done is eased out the holes in the ply flap hinges to introduce slop allowing the surfaces to move without binding......worked Ok, but woddled about all over the place.
12 new flap hinges were therefore made from carbon plate with all pivot holes bushed with brass tube to take M2.5 pivot bolts. All 6 flap sections had to be cut into and pockets made to accept the new hinges (all set parallel to each other)....with corresponding pockets fitting into the false TE.......
Add to this changing the non scale top hinged ailerons to freis hinged, leveling the entire surface which was very dry and 'starved' to bring back something resembling a smooth surface, new rear end control surfces to replace the bamaged originals, new hinges all round to replace the multitude of broken ones, new gear doors all round, reinforced main spars in the wing crank area where the original shear spars had been drilled through to take retract airlines (not necessary with some thought about where else they could go), and the upper main spar which was partically ground away to allow clearance for the main gear air rams. The front end has also been reinforced due to fuel soakage, plus a bigger heavier engine being fitted, new cowl with internally accessed cowl fixing so nothing is visible from the outside. Every single servo has been re-mounted as well......some of the originals were bonded in with silicone!!!......same goes for the battery & fuel tank. It's also having a full rewire & externally a full complement of panel lines, hatches and rivets etc.....
A lot of work I agree, but not sure a new airframe could have been built, glassed, surface finished & partially detailed in less time......so reworking the original airframe has still prooved worth while.
Phil
