Citabria & Decathlon Formers Stringers, Install Pics

[Bartman]

Hi all,

Have new formers and stringers but, since I didn't remove the old ones, I'm lacking forward visibility as to how they get attached. It looks like machines screws and nylocks where they bolt to the tabs but is there a gouge anyone can offer as to how the stringers are wired to the formers? Gauge of wire? Went looking in the projects area for photos but didn't enough to really map things out. Photos would be a huge plus!

Thanks in advance.
Bart

 

[Bartman]

@Bruce dropped a couple of helpful photos in @Cindy 's thread here https://champcitabriadecathlonforums.com/threads/79-decathlon-restoration.584/post-4711

@Chuck Schweiss also posted a few that will be helpful

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild photos to share. This has been a long term project. I am ready for my wings that the factory is building up this winter. Firewall forward will remain until next year. My goal was to have a new aircraft when its completed. I started with basically the bare frame...

champcitabriadecathlonforums.com

https://champcitabriadecathlonforums.com/attachments/img_2567-jpg.2974/

https://champcitabriadecathlonforums.com/attachments/img_2433-jpg.2977/

https://champcitabriadecathlonforums.com/attachments/img_2404-jpg.2980/

 

[Hiperbiper]

I used .025 SS safety wire to keep the stringers in the former grooves. It doesn't need to be much; once the covering is on and shrunk it hold the stringers in place by itself...
When I stripped the covering off the fuselage of my project the stringers were held to the formers with zip ties.

Chris

 

[Bartman]

I used .025 SS safety wire to keep the stringers in the former grooves. It doesn't need to be much; once the covering is on and shrunk it hold the stringers in place by itself...
When I stripped the covering off the fuselage of my project the stringers were held to the formers with zip ties.

Chris

thanks Chris, appreciate that. I've got safety wire on hand so that's good.

 

[Bartman]

Asked Dale at the factory for some photos and he obliged (as he always does ). Note the use of rivets to hold the formers to the frame, a nice little weight savings from the factory. Sorry no greenhouse photos @Bruce!

 

[Bartman]

More from one of Bruce's posts

 

[Bartman]

Poached from the web:

 

[Bartman]

More from the interweb

 

[Bartman]

Thanks to @Chuck Schweiss for these additional photos;

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild photos to share. This has been a long term project. I am ready for my wings that the factory is building up this winter. Firewall forward will remain until next year. My goal was to have a new aircraft when its completed. I started with basically the bare frame...

champcitabriadecathlonforums.com

 

[Bartman]

Link to another one of Chuck's posts with more photos.

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild

1979 Super Decathlon rebuild photos to share. This has been a long term project. I am ready for my wings that the factory is building up this winter. Firewall forward will remain until next year. My goal was to have a new aircraft when its completed. I started with basically the bare frame...

champcitabriadecathlonforums.com

 

[Bartman]

Here's my current bank of stringer and former photos. From @Chuck Schweiss @Bruce @Cindy plus a few from Dale at the factory and from anonymous sources around the web. There aren't many from the lower fuselage area so I'll post a few of those when mine are done.

 

[Bartman]

Do the side stringers abeam of the rear seat get relief where they pass by the frame tubes?

edit: spoke to Dale at ACA, the side stringers aren't trimmed around the tube, they're set into their mount at the front and then pulled around the tube without being trimmed so they bulge out there a bit.

 

[Big Ed]

Probably going to make my own formers. Going to use Baltic birch, which only comes in metric. I assume the original was 1/4" nominal. Which plywood thickness fits the tabs better: 5mm or 6mm?

 

[Bartman]

6mm is still less than 1/4" so that should probably be a minimum thickness. 7mm is .28", probably not enough room in the tabs for that.