A little Spring cleanup....

[wacoykc]

I decided late winter that I had better get a few things taken care of. My right wing tank was leaking and the fabric on my landing gear looked horrible as the nails that held the aluminum leading edge had worked loose and worked through the fabric and I also developed tears in both gears. While I was at it, I also decided to do a little cleanup since there is paint coming off due to the fact when it was restored, the previous owner started with the Stitts process through sIlver and then switched to a dope finish (BAD, BAD, BAD).


Tank after repair and installation.



Fabric patch is on and taped.



Since the dope was peeling on the left tank, I removed it with an X-acto knife and will be ready to shoot new color on it.



New former had to be made at top of gear.



Gear fabric going back on.

[Dave Hadfield]

Looks like you have a great place to work, Andy!

Dave

[Obergrafeter]

Switched to dope???????????????What was he thinking or was he smoking it too?

[airnutz]

Mixing unmatched materials...isn't that what led to Steve Wittman's fatal crash?

[Obergrafeter]

Shh.............don't be telling anyone or your favorite Fed might yank your airworthiness.

[bdk]

Mixing unmatched materials...isn't that what led to Steve Wittman's fatal crash?

Yes, but not the color coat. I believe he had some tapes come off that were bonded on using butyrate dope over Stits fabric. As I understand it, the sizing used on the Stits fabric is not compatible with butyrate dope.

[airnutz]

Mixing unmatched materials...isn't that what led to Steve Wittman's fatal crash?

Yes, but not the color coat. I believe he had some tapes come off that were bonded on using butyrate dope over Stits fabric. As I understand it, the sizing used on the Stits fabric is not compatible with butyrate dope.

Ahhh, thanks! I missed the "Stits through silver" detail.

[bdk]

Date: 27-APR-1995
Time: 1210
Type: Wittman O&O
Operator: private
Registration: N41SW
C/n / msn: 13
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Stevenson, AL - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Ocala, FL (FDO4)
Destination airport: Oshkosh, WI (OSH)
Narrative:
REPORTS FROM GROUND WITNESSES, NONE OF WHOM ACTUALLY SAW THE AIRPLANE, VARIED FROM HEARING A HIGH REVVING ENGINE TO AN EXPLOSION. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. DAMAGE AND STRUCTURAL DEFORMATION WAS INDICATIVE OF AILERON-WING FLUTTER. WING FABRIC DOPE WAS DISTRESSED OR MISSING ON THE AFT INBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING UPPER SURFACE AND ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TOP OF THE MAIN SPAR. LARGE AREAS OF DOPE WERE ALSO MISSING FROM THE LEFT WING UNDERSURFACE. THE ENTIRE FABRIC COVERING ON THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE RIGHT WING HAD DELAMINATED FROM THE WING PLYWOOD SKIN. THE DOPED FINISH WAS SEVERELY DISTRESSED AND MOTTLED. THE FABRIC COVERING HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLY-FIBER COVERING AND PAINT MANUAL; THE PLYWOOD WAS NOT TREATED WITH THE POLY-BRUSH COMPOUND. CAUSE: AILERON-WING FLUTTER INDUCED BY SEPARATION AT THE TRAILING EDGE OF AN UNBONDED PORTION OF WING FABRIC AT AN AILERON WING STATION. THE DEBONDING OF THE WING FABRIC WAS A RESULT OF IMPROPER INSTALLATION.

[wacoykc]

All the repairs are per Polyfiber standards now. Everything is covered and awaiting silver. Had to fix our Citabria first.

Yes Dave, we have a nice big hangar to store and work on all our projects. We have the Waco YKC-S, two Waco RNF's, two Waco 10's, a Waco KNF and the Citabria.