Rib replacement/Piper SB 1161 update

[Jack Allison]

Right wing has the replacement rib fit up. Shop estimates completion
date is May 1. Not like I'd be flying much with all this wonderful wet
weather we're having on the left coast right now.

Pictures here: http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/k2_boardrider/Ribs/

password=jack then click on "ribs"

Since we'll be doing some touch up paint work, what is the best
procedure? Assuming I'd take one of our white inspection panels to a
paint shop for a match.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[john smith]

In article >,
Jack Allison > wrote:

Thanks for posting those photos, Jack.
Surpise! Surprise!
What is the additional cost of dealing with the intergranular corrosion?

[Robert M. Gary]

I was just down in Stockton at the Mooney facility there. They showed
me a rear spar that looked a lot like your rib. Total repair cost was
$40,000 (just to replace the spar). The spar is visible in the rear of
the wheel well. The service center is saying that the problem was
either introduced or not correctly caught by the paint facility that
repainted the Mooney 1 year earlier. Not sure if the same may apply to
you.

Pix of the Mooney spar
http://www.topgunaviation.net/topgunaviation/id7.html
The damage was noticed when the rivet heads started popping off the
spar as the corrosion expanded the Aluminum.
-Robert

[Scott Skylane]

Robert M. Gary wrote:

> I was just down in Stockton at the Mooney facility there. They showed
> me a rear spar that looked a lot like your rib. Total repair cost was
> $40,000 (just to replace the spar). The spar is visible in the rear of
> the wheel well. The service center is saying that the problem was
> either introduced or not correctly caught by the paint facility that
> repainted the Mooney 1 year earlier. Not sure if the same may apply to
> you.
>
> Pix of the Mooney spar
> http://www.topgunaviation.net/topgunaviation/id7.html
> The damage was noticed when the rivet heads started popping off the
> spar as the corrosion expanded the Aluminum.
> -Robert
>

Wow, kind of points to an inadvertant drawback of the "one-piece wing"
design. While arguably a stronger setup, sure makes this kind of issue
a much bigger deal than it would have been on a more typical GA
aircraft. $40K to repair some spar corrosion? Ouch!

Happy Flying!
Scott Skylane
N92054

[Robert M. Gary]

Maybe. However, the factory service center that did the work said they
didn't know how to bid the job. Mooney was unable to locate any other
facility that had ever had to do this job before, so the shop had to
guess at the hours.
Apparently this hasn't happened before, at least not to Mooney's
knowledge.
-Robert

> Wow, kind of points to an inadvertant drawback of the "one-piece wing"
> design. While arguably a stronger setup, sure makes this kind of issue
> a much bigger deal than it would have been on a more typical GA
> aircraft. $40K to repair some spar corrosion? Ouch!

[Jack Allison]

john smith wrote:
> Thanks for posting those photos, Jack.
> Surpise! Surprise!
> What is the additional cost of dealing with the intergranular corrosion?

Cost is unknown (I forgot to ask). They had to replace about an 18 inch
long section of the lower false spar.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[Jack Allison]

Ouch, that's ugly. 40 AMUs...wow! Fortunately, our corrosion was
limited to a much smaller piece of metal.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[john smith]

WOW!!!
This is serious commitment that comes with ownership.
You start a project only to discover something horrific.
You do not have any choice other than to repair/replace the affected
part(s).

[Jack Allison]

john smith wrote:
> WOW!!!
> This is serious commitment that comes with ownership.
> You start a project only to discover something horrific.
> You do not have any choice other than to repair/replace the affected
> part(s).

Plus, think of the show and tell value at Oshkosh this year. :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[john smith]

In article >,
Jack Allison > wrote:

> john smith wrote:
> > WOW!!!
> > This is serious commitment that comes with ownership.
> > You start a project only to discover something horrific.
> > You do not have any choice other than to repair/replace the affected
> > part(s).

> Plus, think of the show and tell value at Oshkosh this year. :-)

Priceless!