Bruce 79 ECA recover

[Bruce]

Thought I would share my progress, I bought this from insurance co. It is hail damage plane when I talked to folks at airport they said it was fly able, upon my inspection it could have been flown buy the old saying there are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots well I chose to get older. Over all the plane is mechanicly sound. It's in need of new fabric this has been on since 79 and there are some holes from hail in it. I keep telling my self this will take a year since I am still working. I especially like the inspection holes that were placed on top of the wing. I was halfway through removing the fabric when I figured out how to pull the tape off the rivets to drill them out and the rest went much smother. I do appreciate all the comments from the others as I read your post and learn from others. I am always up to constructive criticism so feel free to jump in I do ask you enter your location as if you are close we may get together and share some experiance.

 

[Clifford Daly]

Paint scheme looks familiar! Looks like it’ll be a fun project. With just a recover I think you could do it in a year. I did mine in 11 months, 1800 hours, while working but it was tough. If I didn’t do the spars, interior, and starburst paint scheme I think it would have been half the time.

Also, anyone would be lying if they said it didn’t take them a minute to finally realize to pull the tape up to drill out the rivets!

I’m in NY.

 

[Bruce]

Funny was just re reading your build, there are lots of tricks I am sure. I am hoping to tear down clean inspect fairly quick. Then if the spars are all good, I am A&P need my IA to approve it should go fairly smooth I think the hardest part will being patient and picking new paint scheme. Will you fly that bird to air venture this year? I'm not sure I can make both shows really would like to make Sun and Fun which I have never been I go to OSH pretty often.

 

[Clifford Daly]

Get lots of MEK for the tear down and cleaning! I think by the end of the project I used 3 gallons of the stuff.

I’m trying to get to sun n fun but am not 100% sure yet. I will definitely be towing my trailer out to Oshkosh though!

 

[Bartman]

Also, anyone would be lying if they said it didn’t take them a minute to finally realize to pull the tape up to drill out the rivets!

I lightly tapped the rivet heads with a hammer to mark them through the fabric and then drilled them out. Tapping the heads also seemed to make them less likely to spin before the drill bit could get through. I'm looking forward to finding drilled rivets under everything in my garage everytime I move something.

 

[Bruce]

Yes I found a center punch that is spring loaded and hit the center which knocked the steel pin out and then they drilled straight had to stop every so often to remove heads so I could see what I was drilling. Before that the drill would jump off center. How did you guys make patterns I have been trying to save the fabrics that I remove for a pattern when I go back together. Should help with control cables and fuel lines. How did you mark the fuel tank fill point?

 

[Clifford Daly]

The fuel tank filler neck gets covered completely until the fabric is tightened to 250 degrees, then cut out, then tightened to the final 350. I made sure to cut the hole smaller so when it was tighened, it didn’t pull away from neck.

As for templates, I cut out the pieces I needed and I made sure I would have enough reference to align it. For example, on the fuselage I cut the rudder cable area out and after the fabric was on I slipped it over the handles and it fit snug, then made my pencil marks and it was 100% perfect.

Also remember, just because the plane was finished already doesn’t mean theirs is perfect. I added/moved some things around to better suit the airplane.

 

[Bob Turner]

Yeah, once you cut the fuel tank opening, glue a doily on there before further shrinking. Consider metal rings and frames for all access openings - Steve Pierce sells the round ones.

Also not obvious - if you use Stitts or dope (recommended by me at this point) put a coat of "brush" on the polyester tapes before riveting or stitching. All the difference in the world! And use pinked edge tapes.

Opinion.

 

[Bruce]

I am a little confused, on the rivets are you saying paint the glue strip, rivet then the tape? Or glue tape down and rivet over both the tape and fabric? I figured on the doily what metal rings are you referring to the inspection plates or the ring around fuel fill? Also as to pinked tapes no question on that. And thanks for the comments what I did today. Now to clean the glue

 

[Bruce]

Clifford would you take some photos of how you finished the area around strut attachment, trying to figure how to make it look good. Thanks

 

[Bruce]

Clifford looked at your thread so you used 1 " tape and riveted then 3 " over that, now the strut attachment is that a metal ring? Looks great. Did you make that or buy it somewhere?

 

[Clifford Daly]

I attached a picture of the doily I made for the front strut because I’m proud of it... also a better picture of the rear strut attachment. It was already in it so I reused it but it was a metal rectangle that I glued in place, then cut the fabric and wrapped it around the ring, then put the doily over it, cut it, and glued it inside. It’s such a clean look. Other citabrias I’ve seen have an inspection hole ring.

 

[Bob Turner]

My Decathlon is done that way, but so far I have not seen any data supporting 1" surface tape. I use the PMA reinforcing tape, and hated it until I discovered the dope trick. Original Stitts was more like fiberglas reinforcd strapping tape. Wish that was still available PMA.

I will ask the local ACA guru.

 

[Bruce]

Thought I would add some and ask for some help, first there is a green looking mesh over the leading edge, and the wing tip any comments on this? Like why was it there it crumbles and should be easy to remove don't think I need to replace it or do I? Next I thought you would get a kick out of the spar and teeth marks. Mice, worst part is the pea and some corrosion in the trailing edge of wing tip easy fix. Last I took some pictures of the nails backing out so looks like screw kit from rainbow. One more thing someone made a roticary and used black pipe in the wing tip marker light, I'm worried the fiberglass might crack from weight of the wing did you reinforce the tip some way? Thanks for looking and any help I hope to tear down other wing this weekend.

 

[Sully]

there is a green looking mesh over the leading edge, and the wing tip any comments on this?

That is a material to help smooth the surface. We used to use felt.

Sully

 

[Clifford Daly]

Like Sully said, it’s like a felt material. Im not a fan of it but it makes it nice if the leading edge has any dents or stuff you want to cover up. I just used the anti chafing tape over rivets and overlaps. Both ways are nice though. It’s blue because of system used.

@Sully did you put a sem over the felt? It was my understanding that you would have to move the 2 inch sem to where it didn’t have the cloth.

I ended up replacing my trailing edge because of the little cracks and corrosion. I think it was like 40 bucks a piece and looked great and straight when finished.

 

[Bruce]

I haven't bought the parts Manuel yet was hoping to do tear down by 1st of Feb. them I am out of commission for around 30 days and was going to use this time for parts research and plotting I mean planning. Hope to go to sun and fun for ideas on finish bu the Stewart system is in the lead still debating which fabric. Was hoping we might. Have a section on who bought what where and I asked this because it will make it easer for others who follow and I'm not the guy for the cheapest but I'll spend more for better product and service. Also if there are speciality tools that are no longer needed or wanted a swap and shop might be good. Just food for thought!

 

[Clifford Daly]

I love poly fiber because aircraft spruce has a poly fiber section that has EVERHTHING in it for a reasonable price and with their cheap shipping I always got it in 2 days. I know @Bartman had a good experience with ordering the Stewart’s system too. So it’s all preference!

 

[Sully]

@Sully did you put a sem over the felt? It was my understanding that you would have to move the 2 inch sem to where it didn’t have the cloth.

I am assuming you are referring to the seam where you glue two pieces of fabric together. I usually used an envelope so I had sewn seams.

Sully

 

[Bruce]

That's the next thing I find all kinds of information on the blanket but nothing on using an envelope at first I thought the seams would be ugly but as I was removing the old it was envelope and looked great. Like I said a lot of looking a lot to learn and all kinds of fun. Trying to pick paint color to plan what needs painted when. When you guys painted did any one pain the wings then a month later paint the rest? And if you did did the color match? I have use of paint booth but can't do it all at one time.