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vhimsl(at)roadrunner.com
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 Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:04 am Post subject: Leading edge dings - tip |
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Hello,
PROBLEM:
One wing with two dings; both are between ribs on the leading edge; one on gas tank, the other further outboard and neither accessible by reaching inside.
Both dings were what you would get if someone laid a ¼” drill perpendicular to the leading edge and whacked it with a mallet. The damage was limited to the dinged area and there was no deformation of the surrounding leading edge.
PROCEDURE:
I know it sounds bizarre, but take a weighted rubber mallet and from the outside (counter intuitive I know) start gently taping around the ding. How gentle? Gentle enough that you would tap anywhere on the wing without worrying about denting it. Tap over, around, above and below as you don’t know where your tapping will have the most effect. After a little bit you gain a better feel for what force you can safely apply to the tapping. Grab a chair though, as this will take awhile. I started noticing results after three to five minutes of continuous tapping.
What results? Both dings actually started working themselves out!
MY ‘THEORY’:
The leading edge skin is stressed like a drum head. You tap the skin (drum head) with the mallet pushing it in and the skin rebounds. That rebound force over time works to return the dinged area to its original position.
Another way to do this, for the more daring, is to replace the mallet with your variable trigger/force rivet gun. Set up a machine-gun type tapping around the ding once again so gentle you would not hesitate to do it elsewhere on the wing.
You may transition to this by putting a piece of rubber, grommet, rubber washer, etc. under the rivet head.
Alas, some dings are so severe, i.e. dents, or located in places, i.e. the rib line that this technique will not work. Even so, my technique is pretty much ‘what have you got to lose’?
Hope this saves some one from tearing apart their wing or gas tank.
With luck I will not have to test this technique again.
Regards,
Vince H. Idaho
RV8 Glacier Built (Moved to airport last weekend, beginning registration paperwork…getting close)
[quote][b]
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aerobubba(at)earthlink.ne
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:15 am Post subject: Leading edge dings - tip |
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HI Vince-
Sorry to hear of the dings in the unflown bird- sounds like a page out of
my life!
That's an interesting technique for ding removal, but I'm curious about
what work hardening / fatigue issues may crop up. Would you let us know if
any cracks develop in the affected areas?
Tnx-
glen matejcek
aerobubba(at)earthlink.net
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Carl
Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 44
Location: Aiken, SC
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: Leading edge dings - tip |
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Guys,
Out of curiosity, since I have a little ding myself in the middle of the
left fuel tank, what it wrong with a little Super-fil if you are painting
your plane? I suspect through the years you will get more dings, would this
not be an acceptable cosmetic fix?
Carl W Bell (CJ)
Building RV 7A - N947CB
http://www.mykitlog.com/carlbell
carlbell(at)gforcecable.com
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_________________
Carl Bell
Building N947CB
RV 7A |
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