'68 Citabria 7ECA Milman Spar Conversion

Debating if I should build up the base for the nav/strobe lights or just leave it as is. As I'm looking at it it is more obvious how much the base of the fixture already helps the lights to project clear of the shallow recess in the tip. The spacer would be epoxied into place and then faired into the tip with thickened epoxy. Opinions? Is it even legal? My IA seems to think it's fine.

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Bartman said:
Debating if I should build up the base for the nav/strobe lights or just leave it as is. As I'm looking at it it is more obvious how much the base of the fixture already helps the lights to project clear of the shallow recess in the tip. The spacer would be epoxied into place and then faired into the tip with thickened epoxy. Opinions? Is it even legal? My IA seems to think it's fine.

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I think you should consider that same spacer but aluminum and put it between the light and the finished painted wing. It looks good but looks like it will be a pain when it comes to covering it and making it neat and uniform
 
thank for the replies but I think I'm going to pass on the spacer and just bolt the lights into place after the wings are covered. the project is so far behind I can't afford the time to mod both tips and then to unmod them if i'm not happy with the outcome.
This has to get done before it gets cold again!
 
Bartman said:
@Bob, I measured again, it's definitely 13/16 across the top/bottom, the web of the rear is thinner than the front....maybe it's the same manufacturer but slightly different extrusion?

@Guy, my rear spar butt fitting was a struggle to get on tonight, it had no wiggle room so it took multiple tries putting through different combinations of bolts in different orders to get them to all push through. Funny that my first wing was a breeze and then you posted with an issue and I happened to then have the same issue.
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Anny concerns of stressing the fitting? How tight is tight? We are debating to try and thin out the spacers somehow (visit to local machine shop maybe?). Btw, I’m @Guy ’s son and also a new member. We are working on same Champ together. Great to be able to share ideas and concerns! Awsome forum!👍🏻😃
 
I would call Mike at Milman and ask him about it before modifying anything. Texasairsalvage.com might have another fitting you could try.
 
MA Cantin said:
Thanks for the advice!
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After inspecting the root fitting, we’ve noticed that the welds on it seem different from the other three fittings. Since our airframe has a high total time, we suspect that the fitting was repaired (re-welded) in the past. Spoke to Mike from Milman and he suggested to get a new fitting. We’ve got one on order from Aircraft Spruce. I’ll try to let you know how it goes with the new fitting once it’s in.
 
Bart - I measured more carefully. The Cub spars are between .810 and .825 wide at the cap strips, and the front height ranges from 5 5/8" to 5 11/16", probably depending on where I bought the replacement spars from.

So maybe Milman and Piper use the same extrusions after all.
 
Bartman said:
You know the end is getting closer when your giant pile of spacers is mostly gone.
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Here are a couple of pics of the fwd and aft compression strut spacers, the metal ones bear against the strut, the wood ones go on the outsides of the spar for the hardware to bear against.
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Making progress and trying to keep the bench clean as I go! It's a new habit I've been trying to maintain.
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Hi Bart!

We are trying to fit the compression struts in place. They are very tight. Almost as if the strut was too long. Is there a special trick to wedging them in?
 
MA Cantin said:
Hi Bart!

We are trying to fit the compression struts in place. They are very tight. Almost as if the strut was too long. Is there a special trick to wedging them in?
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We got it in! A little bit if force by tapping it in on an angle. We sure are learning! 👍🏻😃
 
MA Cantin said:
We got it in! A little bit if force by tapping it in on an angle. We sure are learning! 👍🏻😃
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Glad to hear it, I was going to suggest attaching one end loosely and then putting the spacer under the other end pulled off to the side a bit and then sliding the spacer and the end of the compression strut into place.

Wait until you see how quickly the other wing goes!!!
 
MA Cantin said:
Hi Bart!

We are trying to fit the compression struts in place. They are very tight. Almost as if the strut was too long. Is there a special trick to wedging them in?
Click to expand...

We got it in! A little bit if force by tapping it in on an angle. We sure are learning! 👍🏻😃
Bartman said:
Glad to hear it, I was going to suggest attaching one end loosely and then putting the spacer under the other end pulled off to the side a bit and then sliding the spacer and the end of the compression strut into place.

Wait until you see how quickly the other wing goes!!!
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I’m wondering if anyone has cleaned the inside of the wing tanks? Any advice for that? Had a peek in there with a light. I can see little rust spots. Would be a good time to get it cleaned up before installing it back in.
Thanks,
MA
 
Clean them. A good radiator shop can do it, and pressure test them, for cheap. Resist the temptation to use sloshing stuff afterward.
 
I brought my first one to an old school radiator shop and they charged me about $110 to "clean" and "pressure test" the tank. When it was all said and done the tank looked exactly like it did when I dropped it off so I'm probably not doing anything to the second one.

What I would do is clean the threads very well and my IA said to replace all of the fittings with AN fittings for the fuel lines, a task I still have to figure out in case anyone is feeling generous! :)
 
I tried everything to detail my first tank and like @Bartman said, it looked exactly the same. I had no leaks before and I was so careful taking them out that I figured it would be more risky transporting them and doing something that wasn’t needed.

What are your fuel lines now? Mine is all AN fittings except for the ones that come out of the tanks which are brass.
 
Clifford Daly said:
I tried everything to detail my first tank and like @Bartman said, it looked exactly the same. I had no leaks before and I was so careful taking them out that I figured it would be more risky transporting them and doing something that wasn’t needed.

What are your fuel lines now? Mine is all AN fittings except for the ones that come out of the tanks which are brass.
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Hello Clifford,

I saw on a FaceBook Aeronca Interest groupe that someone had told me that you have a video of your Milman spars. Do I have the right person here? If yes, I would be interested to see it if you’re willing to share.
Thanks!
 
MA Cantin said:
Hello Clifford,

I saw on a FaceBook Aeronca Interest groupe that someone had told me that you have a video of your Milman spars. Do I have the right person here? If yes, I would be interested to see it if you’re willing to share.
Thanks!
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I’m the other project going on. I have the 67 citabria thread! But yes I took a time lapse of the entire process of changing the spars from taking the fabric off to putting the fabric on. I have quick videos on the airplanes Instagram (oldtimeaviation) but can post the longer ones here to show more.

What group? I’d be interested in joining
 
Clifford Daly said:
I tried everything to detail my first tank and like @Bartman said, it looked exactly the same. I had no leaks before and I was so careful taking them out that I figured it would be more risky transporting them and doing something that wasn’t needed.

What are your fuel lines now? Mine is all AN fittings except for the ones that come out of the tanks which are brass.
Click to expand...
Which AN fittings did you use and where did you get them from? My IA asked me to replace the compression fittings with AN fittings so I have to do this in the next week or two.
 
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