Disassemble an L-23 Fuselage?

[Terry Pitts]

Is an L-23's fuselage made essentially as one assembly, or are there fore and aft subassemblies bolted/riveted together?

Though I've not (yet) seen either one, the specifics are an L-23 with a damaged nose and another L-23 with a damaged rear fuselage...

I obviously don't know the answer, or I wouldn't be throwing the question out to the pool of experience on RAS. But, as you can imagine the goal would be to make one glider airworthy.

Thanks in advance,

Terry

[Roy B.]

Terry:
The L-23 has a spine seam on the top and bottom (aft of the main wheel) of the fuselage with fuselage halves built over bulkheads. There is not a clear "fore and aft" so much as there are "sides".
ROY

[[email protected]]

Looks to me that there are a few butt joint locations on the fuselage. One at the wing spar area, one at the wing trailing edge - at wing root, and one further back getting close to stabilizers.
So I would say it's a possibility, a lot of work and a possibility the two wouldnt fit very well together.
Sounds like fun, let's do it!

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I am willing to bet that the "butt joints" are just joints in the outer skin, and the internal longitudinal structure is carried fore and aft of the skin joint. If so, I doubt that there is any designed area where the fuselage can be easily broken and rejoined without the use of a Sawzall and a lot of JB Weld.

Good luck, but I am not climbing into a FrankenBlanik.

[[email protected]]

I agree the stringers probably dont stop at the butt joints, but they stop somewhere. And it wouldn't be a Frankinblanik if factory pieces and drawings are used or approved splices are made. The problem wont be the stringers or skin. It will most likely be the lack of fit of the predrilled parts and shape differences. They were probably hand fit and drill back in the day, so not exactly the same between two individual aircraft. An early 737 is tough to swap sheetmetal parts. New aircraft, not so much because of cad design and computerized drilling.

I'll bet it can be done on the Blanik.
May not be a financial success however.
Many folks have had their fiberglass ship booms put back together. In my experience, sheet metal is much easier to repair or rebuild.

[JS[_5_]]

On Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 8:57:33 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> I agree the stringers probably dont stop at the butt joints, but they stop somewhere. And it wouldn't be a Frankinblanik if factory pieces and drawings are used or approved splices are made. The problem wont be the stringers or skin. It will most likely be the lack of fit of the predrilled parts and shape differences. They were probably hand fit and drill back in the day, so not exactly the same between two individual aircraft. An early 737 is tough to swap sheetmetal parts. New aircraft, not so much because of cad design and computerized drilling.
>
> I'll bet it can be done on the Blanik.
> May not be a financial success however.
> Many folks have had their fiberglass ship booms put back together. In my experience, sheet metal is much easier to repair or rebuild.

Does the L23 have different fuselage construction to an L13?
From ancient experience, that tail boom could be replaced.
Jim

[Terry Pitts]

> May not be a financial success however.

I think that's likely the actual answer to the whole situation :(

Thank you all for the complete and insightful responses!

Terry

[Charles Longley]

I know they can pull the L-13 apart in two pieces for and aft during rebuild. I’ll take a look at the L-23 I am doing some sheet metal work on..

[Charles Longley]

On Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 5:55:34 AM UTC-8, Charles Longley wrote:
> I know they can pull the L-13 apart in two pieces for and aft during rebuild. I’ll take a look at the L-23 I am doing some sheet metal work on.

Nothing to it! There's a clean area right behind the wings with no stringers. I suspect they built the fuselage in two pieces for and aft at the factory. Give me a call if you want a quote.

Charlie
www.skyeaero.com