KRNetters & Phillip: This is an example of a really, really BAD idea. Here's why: By placing anything between the skin and structure and prying, you are setting up micro-cracking into the laminae and wood, that you cannot see with the naked eye. You would detect these problems only with an MRI or other very sophisticated (and therefore expensive) inspection equipment and methods. Most folks don't have access to this equipment, or the experience required to operate it correctly to detect a problem.
By fracturing the bond and then repositioning the structure as you described, you have actually pre-stressed the entire wing torque box, and not only made it heavier, but you've made it weaker. When will it finally un-load all of that built-in stress? When it catastrophically fails, and with you leaving a debris trail....All not conducive to safe flight. The problems have only started with the wing skins however, as you have also caused significant degradation of the Spar's and rib's structural integrity: You now have cured resin that has saturated into the wood. How do you re-saturate the wood to get an effective bond between the skin and the spar? You can't unless you sand it off completely, and clean out the sanding residue from all of the faying surfaces. You have also created cracking along the grain direction, again, indetectable to the naked eye, but degraded none the less. So with this micro-cracking going on in the laminae, and the spars wood grain structure, how do you go about verifying the structural integrity of the the wing? The biggest issue as I see it is that you may never predict, either by analysis or even a test, as to when or under what circumstances the skin will either de-Bond from the spars and ribs or the skin completely crack along the spars and ribs because the micro cracking became shall we say "critical"? Are you willing to flight test the KR's flight qualities with one lower wing skin missing? or completely delaminated? If you completely remove the skin by cutting or sanding it off, at least you have a fighting chance of removing most of the saturated resin, opening up the wood pores, and get a fighting chance of re-saturating the wood fibers with the new skin. You have also completely eliminated the chance of micro cracking the wood and skin. You'd be better off cutting off the the mis-aligned skin and partially sanding off the residual parts of the lower skin and scratch build new lower wing skins with foam and BID. Phil, I'm not trying to come across as a fatalist, or even a know-it-all, or try to degrade or insult you personally. I'm meerly pointing out to you a condition in your wings that demand futher scrutiny, and a plan of action to deal with this issue. Ultimately, you may want to re-build (as in start over) your outer wings, this is a decision however, that only you can make.... --- Phillip Matheson <mathe...@dodo.com.au> wrote: > First I would remove the 36" rib from the end on the > spars, by using a 2" or 3" metal putty spreader(the one with a wood handle) and pry.... ===== Scott Cable KR-2S # 735 Wright City, MO s2cab...@yahoo.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus
