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Thread: Cutting hole in wood skinned wing

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Brookline, NH
    Posts
    12

    Cutting hole in wood skinned wing

    I have a recently purchased One Design DR-107. A nut has come off one of the aileron hinge bolts. These nuts are enclosed in the wing that is skinned completely with wood then fabric covered. I need to cut a small inspection hole in the wing to facilitate getting the nut back onto the bolt and get a socket/wrench in there and tighten it up. I'm not a wood person, all my experience is aluminum structures. Looking for some advice on the whole process. Any advice no matter how basic or advanced is greatly appreciated.

    One of my thoughts is to make the inspection panel out of either the piece I cut out, or plexiglass/lexan so I could inspect the nuts during preflight.

    Thanks,

    Russell

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Oak Harbor Wa
    Posts
    400
    Quote Originally Posted by Russell Peitz View Post
    I have a recently purchased One Design DR-107. A nut has come off one of the aileron hinge bolts. These nuts are enclosed in the wing that is skinned completely with wood then fabric covered. I need to cut a small inspection hole in the wing to facilitate getting the nut back onto the bolt and get a socket/wrench in there and tighten it up. I'm not a wood person, all my experience is aluminum structures. Looking for some advice on the whole process. Any advice no matter how basic or advanced is greatly appreciated.

    One of my thoughts is to make the inspection panel out of either the piece I cut out, or plexiglass/lexan so I could inspect the nuts during preflight.

    Thanks,

    Russell
    Review the AC 43,13 chapter 1

    I'd cut the hole Oval, form a plug, insert it thru the hole, glue, sand flat and refinish.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,342
    Russ,

    I suggest that you:

    1) Use a Forstner bit to drill a 7/8" hole in the skin below the hinge bolts. Be careful to avoid a rib.

    2) Use a hemostat to reach up through the hole to put a washer and a nut on the end of the bolt.

    3) Reach up through the hole with an open end wrench to hold the nut while you use another wrench to turn the bolt head and tighten up the assembly.

    4) Use a CA Shorty Plug (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...shortyplug.php) to close the hole. Paint the plug to match the airplane.

    I assume that you have checked all of the other aileron hinge bolts. And there should be access to the aileron bell crank in the wing so that you can lubricate the pivot bushing and the rod ends. Hope that those bolts are tight.

    Don't know whether you can fish a light in the wing root to make the job easier.

    There are two One Design builders relatively local to you. John Perkins is in Barnstead, NH. The other is at Sterling, MA. John P is getting ready for his first flight. His web blog at johndperkins.us might have some photos of the inside of the wing that will help you understand what is inside the wing in the locations that you are working on.

    Best of luck,

    Wes
    N78PS
    Last edited by WLIU; 10-17-2012 at 06:46 PM.

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