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Re: REFLECTOR: spar



 

Putney,

        During preparation of strake for RG wheel well, we "nicked" the CS spar bottom cap about 1/4" deep and 1" long, ie we sawed into it with a saber saw 1/4" in the aft direction for about 1" transversly in the area where the 1/4" fuel line gets inserted.   We had marked where we thought the cap was under the 2 BID layup but misjudged.   Any thoughts on repairs in this confined area?   Reinforcements on the underside of the cap are possible with difficulty.   The top of the lower cap is also available for a reinforcing layup.   Any advice for fiberglass type (uni?) and layers?
When Dan and I were building the prototype he sawed through more than half of the top center spar right at the edge of the fuselage.   Structurally, this is the worst thing you can do to an airplane.  No problem....thanks to composites.I took my 2 hp.7" grinder with some new 16 grit and ground it out a foot or more tapering in both directions.  Then I layed in "S" glass starting with long then shorter and shorter strands and finished off with two BID.  That old bird has been through many hard landings and thunderstorms just fine.
Your 1/4" on the bottom is serious but not as catastrophic as Dan's pre-lunch haste boo boo.  You should have to only taper back about 4 to 5" on each side.  You should get a little coil of "S" glass from the factory or myself so that your repair has a similar "flex" as the part.
Send me and address and I can just put some in a manila envelope and mail it.  The $2 worth you need isn't worth billing.  The main thing is that your plane is safe.

Alan