I'm looking at another 170 that I know of but it has the tell-tale wrinkle in the belly skin just aft of the gear box.
Inspection of the gear box indicates no damage there (It's been flying 30 years this way).
The wrinkled section isn't much but the skin has developed a crack in it.
19-53 wrote:19-53. REPLACEMENT OF PORTIONS OF SKIN PANELS. In case metal skin is damaged extensively,
repairs should be made by replacing an entire sheet panel from one structural member to the next.
The repair seams should be made to lie along stiffening members, bulkheads, stringers, and the like.
Each seam should be made exactly the the same in regard to rivet size, spacing, and
rivet pattern as the parallel manufactured seams at the edges of the original sheet.
Although replacing the entire belly skin would be more desirable, the wording does appear to allow replacing a section of the skin so long as seams run along structural members and rivet spacing and such is the same as the existing skin.
Does anyone have experience either replacing the entire skin or properly scabbing in a piece?
Dave,
Doesn't Mike Roe live in your neck of the woods? I think you'd have to go to Arkansas to find a better sheet metal guy. This repair has been discussed here. Since I'm not doing the work or paying for it I'd recommend replacing the whole skin p/n 0511000-34.
That's a good idea I didn't realize Mike lived relatively close.
It also has a funky wing tip repair where the last bay is canted UP a few degrees. Smooth repair - just not straight
I'm planning to do most of the work in my garage . The plane has been sitting for 15 or so years in a hangar. The owner cleaned it all up, emptied a case of ACF-50 in it and didnt fly it. The inside is remarkably clean of corrosion, less a few spots and everything is uncut. The interior MIGHT be original - if not it's a very good redo of the original colors and patterns (I dont think the original was velour) It should make a great restoration plane and the price makes it a smart choice for the 360 conversion vs my existing plane.
Oh, and I've never seen wheel pants are the nicest I've ever seen.
bagarre wrote:That's a good idea I didn't realize Mike lived relatively close.
It also has a funky wing tip repair where the last bay is canted UP a few degrees. Smooth repair - just not straight
I'm planning to do most of the work in my garage . The plane has been sitting for 15 or so years in a hangar. The owner cleaned it all up, emptied a case of ACF-50 in it and didnt fly it. The inside is remarkably clean of corrosion, less a few spots and everything is uncut. The interior MIGHT be original - if not it's a very good redo of the original colors and patterns (I dont think the original was velour) It should make a great restoration plane and the price makes it a smart choice for the 360 conversion vs my existing plane.
Oh, and I've never seen wheel pants are the nicest I've ever seen.
Well..do share pictures! I'm particularly interested to see the interior...assuming this bird is also a 1952.
I didn't take any photos of the interior. At the time, I was focusing on the airframe but I can grab some in a few weeks.
Here's the one decent shot I took. We buffed a spot on the cowl and it came out pretty decent really nice.
The metal is remarkably straight and the cowl only has two patches that were very well done.
This won't be a show plane. It will be a very nice bare metal bird that still needs to be tied outside.
It's a multi year project to make how I want but, I have 81D to enjoy while working on this one.
The motor was pickled with 400 hours on it! Anyone need a C-145?
Dave,
I've done quite a few of these belly skin replacements, both on the Cessna 170 and the Cessna 140 over the years. While it's labor intensive, it's not that bad of a job. Couple of suggestions. One, don't buy a new skin, make your own. Simply drill out the old skin, place it on the floor, bang out the damaged area, and then place the old belly skin on top of a new sheet of .032 2024 T-3 and back drill all the holes EXCEPT where the damage was. Start from the center and work your way outboard, ensuring you bend the new skin to match the contour of the old skin before you back drill. Use lots of clecos during this process. For the holes in the area of the damage, once you have the new skin temporarily held in place back on the aircraft with clecos, simply back drill these holes through the gear box reinforcement angle (which most likely caused the damage) to ensure you get them in the right place on the new skin. Check this area closely on the gear box, because quite often it is cracked, and you can't see it until you remove the floor pan or the belly skin. Last but not least, some additional work, but it will make your life a lot easier, remove the floor pan in the cabin during this process, as this makes the riveting of the belly skin that much easier. The floor pan is easy to reinstall. One other thing, make sure you properly support the aircraft during this process. Good luck.
Neal
Thanks! I've read some other places as well that removing the floor simplifies the repair.
We're pulling the whole plane apart so I'll be able to work on it in my garage. I plan to make a stand for the fuselage to help support things while I'm doing this.
bagarre wrote:Thanks! I've read some other places as well that removing the floor simplifies the repair. ...
If you are getting close to needing new seat rails, NOW would be the time!
If I'm pulling the floor up, I'm replacing the seat rails out of general principle
That and rebuilding the fuel valve without cutting circles in my arms
Rudder pedals
Brake cylinders
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