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Errata on tighting wing/fuse hardware

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mppalmer(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:39 pm Post subject: Errata on tighting wing/fuse hardware

I guess I wasn't clear. This was the second time I've re-torqued the 

hardware in the life of the plane.



But you're correct - twice in 17 years isn't bad.



The nuts are marked with nail polish. It's not a matter of the nuts 

backing out. It's a matter of the fiberglass changing dimension.



It could be the high density foam crushing over time in addition to the 

resin shrinking.



Yes, I can believe that the resin is constantly shrinking/curing.



Someone told me once that, with the Glasairs, this is because the resin 

was never oven cured and so is constantly shrinking as it (still) 

cures. Remember how the factory started to oven cure the fiberglass 

gear legs on the FT's and TD's after a while? Taking them to a certain 

temperature in the oven made thema a lot stronger. Before they were 

oven cured, they used to creep outward.



I know that here, in sunny, hot Phoenix, the dark red fairings on our 

Glasair have shrunk. You can see the texture of the weave of the cloth 

over time - kinda like the bones poking out in an emaciated person.



And, consistent with oven curing, the engine mount to fuse bolts only 

needed to be re-torqued once. The heat of the engine compartment seems 

to have done a final cure and any further shrinkage there has been 

minimal.



In any event, next time you're doing maintenance on the airplane, check 

for things like this. We tend to think the static parts stay static. 

But no harm in putting  a wrench on them to make sure.



Report your results here. It should be interesting to know what the 

rest of you find with attach hardware tightness on your plane.



Mike <><

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Craymondw(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:28 pm Post subject: Errata on tighting wing/fuse hardware

Fiber glass pioneers like you will provide the data for future designs and  maintenance and your knowledge  will be incorporated into  manuals. That German friend of mine informed me that the first German made fiber  glass glider manufactured back in the late 1950's still flies!! 1950's  resins, glass cloth and building techniques have evolved since then and  there is no comparison with today's products and technology. My German friend  thinks over built Glasairs will be the D.C.3's of the future. After 21  years my fuselage skins are beginning to pull in a tiny bit and what  was once a perfectly faired surface is beginning to look a  little puckered in spots. From new, when I hangered my plane, I  use a jack with a one foot by one foot board with a cushion of hard rubber foam  and jack my wing up until the wheel comes off the ground, then I let the jack  down completely and then jack it up about and inch or so to take the weight off  the landing gear so that it doesn't splay out. Before I flew a Glasair I flew  Grumman Tigers that had fiberglass legs and noticed the landing  gear splayed out after a while and hoped to avoid that. I too  mark all bolts and nuts with a line of red paint. When I saw that on my over  hauled engine I thought it was a good idea. 

   Too bad you are dropping out, I always took your advice.

  

                                                              Chuck Raymond  N16CD Gl2SFT 200HP

      

  

  In a message dated 6/5/2012 10:47:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  mppalmer(at)aol.com writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  -->    Glasair-List message posted by: mppalmer(at)aol.com



I guess I wasn't    clear. This was the second time I've re-torqued the 

hardware in the life    of the plane.



But you're correct - twice in 17 years isn't    bad.



The nuts are marked with nail polish. It's not a matter of the    nuts 

backing out. It's a matter of the fiberglass changing    dimension.



It could be the high density foam crushing over time in    addition to the 

resin shrinking.



Yes, I can believe that the resin    is constantly shrinking/curing.



Someone told me once that, with the    Glasairs, this is because the resin 

was never oven cured and so is    constantly shrinking as it (still) 

cures. Remember how the factory started    to oven cure the fiberglass 

gear legs on the FT's and TD's after a while?    Taking them to a certain 

temperature in the oven made thema a lot    stronger. Before they were 

oven cured, they used to creep    outward.



I know that here, in sunny, hot Phoenix, the dark red fairings    on our 

Glasair have shrunk. You can see the texture of the weave of the    cloth 

over time - kinda like the bones poking out in an emaciated    person.



And, consistent with oven curing, the engine mount to fuse    bolts only 

needed to be re-torqued once. The heat of the engine    compartment seems 

to have done a final cure and any further shrinkage    there has been 

minimal.



In any event, next time you're doing    maintenance on the airplane, check 

for things like this. We tend to think    the static parts stay static. 

But no harm in putting  a wrench on    them to make sure.



Report your results here. It should be interesting    to know what the 

rest of you find with attach hardware tightness on your    plane.



Mike   the  ies  ay                 - MATRONICS WEB FORUMS               - List Contribution Web Site  p;                             



	


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