Reparing Crumpled Aluminum
Hi All,
I recently purchased a damaged home built (Cessna 182 copy) and I am looking for some advice on what to do with it. Specifically, I am trying to answer the following questions:
- How does one determine if a sheet of aluminum on an aircraft is fixable or not? I have been told that aluminum doesn't tolerate having dents, etc bashed out of it the way you might fix the fender of a car. Is this true?
- Assuming that the aluminum can be straightened, what tool(s) would a person use to bash the dents out? I was thinking of something like an air hammer (on gentle) with a soft head might do the trick but I can't seem to find such an animal.
- I haven't taken the wing apart yet (it is one of the damaged parts) so I don't know if anything inside is damaged or if this is strictly a surface issue. How can a person tell if the damage is more extensive (spar, ribs, etc)? Yes, I do intend to get help from my local EAA chapter but I would like to figure out as much as possible before I invite anyone over to do an inspection. I don't want to waste anyone's time.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Bert