Fuselage repair

[Wazmo]

I'm repairing the sides of a Sagitta 600 fuselage where the wing tube ripped out in a crash. Is it better to cut out the damaged light-ply and replace with new light-ply, with a splice over the joint on the inside, or to make some ply by laminating four sheets of 1/32" balsa with the grain oriented lengthwise for the two exterior layers and opposite 45's for the two interior layers? I'm looking for something that will be a little stiffer and stronger than the light-ply in the wing area (without being too expensive). Would a layer of .014" carbon on the outside, especially around the wing tube holes, help?

[cosmicpossum]

Waz, I'm building a 600 as we speak. Looking at the fuse, I'd cut the whole section out (2" either side of the tube minimum), replace it with light ply using an overlap joint on the inside and glass the outside. That might be overkill, but I don't think carbon would make much of a difference in that particular use.

[schrederman]

I always make a 1/4 ply root rib and add it to the outside. You could splice in some new lite ply and make a pair of ribs to reinforce those places. Gives me something to tape to... My rods bend or my fuse usually breaks somewhere else. I do this to fiberglass fuselages, too.

Jack

[Wazmo]

I like the 1/4" ply root rib. I'll try making a pair.

[ejett]

I always make a 1/4 ply root rib and add it to the outside. You could splice in some new lite ply and make a pair of ribs to reinforce those places. Gives me something to tape to... My rods bend or my fuse usually breaks somewhere else. I do this to fiberglass fuselages, too.

Jack


Hey, Jack. That favors a Skybird. You done with it yet? Flown it? I like that skeletonized root rib you did there. When I build mine, I'll do it that way too.

EJ

[schrederman]

Actually, I finished it, flew it one summer, and sold it so I could get my JR 9303.

JW