'68 Citabria 7ECA Milman Spar Conversion

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
I have seen drop-dead gorgeous test panels of Stewarts, but so far not a completed airplane that had a glossy finish comparable to Aerothane or polished butyrate.

Eight grand seems outta line -ten grand ought to get new cover on a fuselage. Could you haul it to an auto body shop?
my second wing came out pretty nice. the first one is nice but doesn't have that same wet-nail-polish kind of finish. ailerons came out pretty nice too put I'm working on the lower end of the temp range so I think it's about as good as it's going to get.
 

Citabria.pt

Active member
Joined
Mar 30, 2018
Messages
33
Location
LPSR - Santarém - PORTUGAL
Hi Bart,

Old style wing struts were limited to VNE 153 mph CAS somewhere in some 1977 AD. These were round-ended where they attach to the wing.
New-style wing struts, sold by ACA, and by Wag-Aero, and maybe more PMA's, are square-ended on the strut-to-wing fitting and allow the plane VNE to go back to its initial 162 mph CAS.
Main differences were the strut thickness, and some internal corrosion-proof finish.

My struts, for example are the original 1969 ones, so I'm limited to 153 mph VNE. Sometimes I thing the other 9 mph would help me on low-level airshow displays, but the next second I drop that idea, as diving for some extra 9mph costs me 50ft more !!!
As Bob Hoover wisdomly said, it's not how far to the ground that counts, its how precisely you can fly your airplane. 153 are enough !!!
Make some boroscope through the attachment fittings to see the inside, dome Dye Checks on the struts/fuselage attach points to check for hidden cracks, and as long as the struts are OK, never bended, and non-rusted stick with yours.
Your main strut seems to be the new-style one. The rear strut is still rounded, I'm not sure if the new-style rear struts are square too.

Fly safe, keep us posted on your Citabria updates. Put the bird flying soon !!!
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
First set is done, back to work this week on the other set of struts and then the horizontal stab.

IMG_20190130_151107368.jpgIMG_20190130_151034547.jpg
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
Got the horizontal stabilizer removed today. Something every day is the goal, even if it is something small.

IMG_20190205_163726254.jpg

As a pilot there is something that feels so wrong about disassembling an airworthy airplane!
 

MA Cantin

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Messages
103
Lookin good @Bartman! Maybe inspect with magnifying glass for cracks after blast and before paint!? Just an amateur trying to give good advice! Lol!
Keep up the good work!
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
Lookin good @Bartman! Maybe inspect with magnifying glass for cracks after blast and before paint!? Just an amateur trying to give good advice! Lol!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! I have a magnifying glasses thingies that I use for pulling splinters, I'll use it to have a look at the forks before paint, not a bad idea!

Like these but I take them apart and use them on only one eye.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-20X-...SoAAOSwznxcJFl0:sc:USPSFirstClass!08825!US!-1
 

Clifford Daly

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2018
Messages
146
Yes, good old rustoleum grey. I had forgot about them until I was putting the tail back together and saw them. I taped the ends and sprayed a light coat on it, it dried in 10 minutes, and they were installed in the next hour!

Struts looks great 👍🏼
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
Thanks! I'm getting the hang of that paint but being new to painting in general it's very nerve wracking!

We'll see in a year or two if it starts coming off in big sheets!
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
Been working on a 787 type rating in Denver for work, going back to the right seat to get a bump in quality of life. Cleaned the garage today where the project was after it was taken over by an old Miata for suspension work at all four corners. Training is over in a couple of weeks and the fuselage is coming home for paint as soon as I'm back home. Ordering more paint tomorrow and more cleaning of the garage planned so it'll all be ready to go when I'm ready to go.

How are all y'all doing?? Can't wait to post photos when it's all done and to GET OUT AND FLY!
 

Bartman

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
3,696
Location
New Jersey, USA
Measured the fuselage today, about 22'8" tail to spinner, garage is 21'. minus the rudder and spinner/prop the fuselage is less than 21' so I'm going to go ahead and order more paint tonight. Not happy to have to do more disassembly but I guess there are worse things in the world. Not much else to post about, back to Denver in the morning. :(
 

Clifford Daly

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2018
Messages
146
I had to squeeze around the tail of mine everytime to pass by! When I put the cowlings on to extend the taping, I had to stuck the tail out the back door.

It keeps it fun!
 

Bruce

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
439
Location
Knoxville TN
Looking good, Mine is tucked into garage wing takes the entire area, I just re did my deck and made a storage area under it in the dry that should double as paint booth, I hope. Has been slow progress ordered all the fabric and what goes with it but held off on the paint am hoping to start back in May, took a lot longer to remove the glue than expected and letting my hands heal during process. But I do see some day light just got the screw stc and a few peaces needed where I found some corrosion, Mouse pea yuck. Keep the pictures coming and let us know when you are ready to paint.
 

Bob Turner

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
2,826
Yow! I should look at my spare wings for mice, I guess. They have been stored for a quarter century.