8KCAB While the engine is off ...

Big Ed said:
Thanks, had not seen that. Looks to pertain to drilling rivets out of aluminum wing ribs. I am not doing that ... I am drilling rivets out of steel tail surfaces. Does it apply?
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the point of it is, you want to hold the bottom of the rivet with a needle nose or something and snap it off just as the head is drilled through so the drill doesn't go into the rib and distort the hole, whether it's the tail or the wing.
 
Bartman said:
the point of it is, you want to hold the bottom of the rivet with a needle nose or something and snap it off just as the head is drilled through so the drill doesn't go into the rib and distort the hole, whether it's the tail or the wing.
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Got it, but the steel hole is harder than the aluminum rivet, so it won't distort like an aluminum rib will.
 
Joe said:
I might should have spoken up sooner, but are sure this is a good idea? I can see you are going to be a bad influence on me.
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Umm, no, I am not sure this is a good idea.

I have flown aerobatics. I have parachuted into unfamiliar terrain at night. I have led multi-pitch rock climbs on vertical faces. I have served in multiple combat zones. I once dug a friend out of an avalanche in the Alps. None of those experiences filled me with dread like taking a knife to my aircraft cover.

But ... I am co-located with a vintage aircraft restoration facility, so I have a lot of support if things go wrong.
 
As a lowly five point easy sport climber, I will resolve to live vicariously through your aircraft covering experience.
 
Covering is easy. What Ed is doing is a ground-up restoration. What I would be doing is looking for a good Decathlon with a run out engine so I could continue to fly during the restoration process.

I believe, however, that if the overhauler knows the engine will sit for six months they can pickle it so corrosion cannot get started.
 
Just surface so far. No evidence of structural issues, but need to clean up the frame and have the IA do a detailed inspection. Have not turned the frame upside down yet to get a close look at the bottoms of the lower tubes.

It was a real eye opener how much of a beating the primer takes in areas where it is covered up. Not sure what kind of paint the factory used in '78, I assume epoxy, but clearly there is a lifespan limit. It was brittle and flaking away in several areas. I stripped the paint from one span just by blowing it with compressed air! A couple more years in this climate and there would definitely be structural repairs required.

Regardless of how great the frame and cover look, I would say 40-45 years is at the outer limit of how far you can go without a restoration.

This week my IA will inspect, then we will call the welder, who apparently does fantastic work. He will do the updates and any necessary repairs. Then off to the powdercoating shop. My goal is to have it ready to start reassembly by 4th of July weekend, ready for cover by late July, and ready for paint by late August.
 
Big Ed said:
My goal is to have it ready to start reassembly by 4th of July weekend, ready for cover by late July, and ready for paint by late August.
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That would be awesome if it all falls into place that way. We'll be rooting for you!
 
I admit I was a skeptic when you started your rejuvenation project - but you did it, in less time than anybody could have guessed. So even though I was urging a less drastic approach, I have no doubt that you will meet your schedule.

I bet you run your business that way - set a schedule, and just do it! Wish I had just a little of that genomic sequence.
 
Bob Turner said:
I admit I was a skeptic when you started your rejuvenation project - but you did it, in less time than anybody could have guessed. So even though I was urging a less drastic approach, I have no doubt that you will meet your schedule.

I bet you run your business that way - set a schedule, and just do it! Wish I had just a little of that genomic sequence.
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I have a long history of undertaking projects that are way over my head, mostly because I am too cheap to pay others to do things. But once I am committed, I do tend to focus very intensely, to the point of being a bit psycho. For example, last night I worked from noon until midnight without a break. In a non-air conditioned hangar. In Florida. In June.
 
It reminds me of a VW manual I had when I was a kid. There was an illustration of a guy asleep and having a nightmare. His nightmare was an exploded view of a VW engine. I just picture the same but a Decathalon fuselage. I will be following in your footsteps in a year or so and am enjoying your thread.
 
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