Fuel Tank Replacement

[Bob Turner]

I have done several wood spar Decathlon tanks - the kind where the fairing strip between wing and fuselage comes off like a Cub. I never cared for the wing with permanently attached fairing (you have to pull the wings off just to change the windshield).

We are now looking at tank replacement on metal spar wings. Yes, I am going to look at the maintenance manual before we begin, but I could use a hint or two:

Do you think, considering both tank removal/installation and ease of fabric repair, that we would be better off pulling the wings and working in the rotator? In retrospect, that might have been an easier way for the wood spar wing.

 

[Bartman]

I saw this the other day and didn't reply. How can you go wrong with having the wing at waist level and on a rotisserie? It isn't hard to remove a wing other than the time to re-rig it once it's back on.

I vote to take it off the plane and get to work.

 

[Tangogawd]

It's been many years since I've done a fuel tank in a citabria, and I haven't done a metal spar wing but I don't remember it being a bad experience. I don't think I'd pull a wing for a tank.... I can't see how it would save me time or enough anguish to make the extra work worth it

 

[Bob Turner]

It has been decided to farm it out to a shop that does exact paint matching. Just as well - there is a lot of labor involved for the Decathlon. It is, I think, different from the Citabria.