timwinters
Ejection Handle Pulled
So,
as was related in an earlier thread (regarding flap track wear) I try to do one upgrade each year at annual and this year I decided to reskin the plane's flaps.
Here's the budget I put together:
Material (McFarlane skins and trailing edge stiffener) $900
Reskin labor $800
Shipping $300
R&R and Paint $500
Total $2500
That was the fantasy.
Now for the reality:
Material came in at $423 instead of $900...this because I was remembering the price being PER FLAP instead of a kit for both. This was the only pleasant surprise...a rarity in aviation.
Reskin labor came in a $910. He found some minor corrosion that he needed to fix and he installed the "rub buttons" that are stock on later Cessnas but that my flaps didn't have. Still...a bargain...this guy (Stephan Schomp) does really nice work.
Shipping came in at $430. This is what happens when you build a 100# crate to ship 20 pounds of flaps.
R&R and painting came in at $530 pretty close to the estimate.
Total cost to remove, reskin, repaint and reinstall flaps = $2300. $200 less than my original estimate.
Ohhh, but there's more!
I didn't think about replacing all the 57 year-old rollers. Roller kit (upgraded version) from McFarlane = $425
Then...Tim thinks to himself (dangerous, I know)...
Well, since we're in this realm and things are apart and we're painting already, we might as well install flap gap seals.
Seals from Knots2U = $560
Paint = $90
Install = $900 (pirep on this abortion due to horrible instructions to follow)
Total flap gap seal install = $1550
Total project = $4275
But, even with all the "overruns" I'm happy. The "go to guys", Williams in Indiana, wanted $1,750 per flap exchange price, and by the time shipping, painting, R&R was added, I would have been at $4885 just for the flaps.
So, I still got new flaps and flap gap seals for less than I originally thought I'd get just the flaps.
I won't complain.
Also, if anyone needs to borrow a flap gap track gauge or a flap roller install tool, I have both (I didn't buy McFarlane's roller intall tool for $35 each...I made two for $5 total). I'd be happy to loan them to anyone who needs them.
Here's the gauge
Here's the flap roller installation tool
as was related in an earlier thread (regarding flap track wear) I try to do one upgrade each year at annual and this year I decided to reskin the plane's flaps.
Here's the budget I put together:
Material (McFarlane skins and trailing edge stiffener) $900
Reskin labor $800
Shipping $300
R&R and Paint $500
Total $2500
That was the fantasy.
Now for the reality:
Material came in at $423 instead of $900...this because I was remembering the price being PER FLAP instead of a kit for both. This was the only pleasant surprise...a rarity in aviation.
Reskin labor came in a $910. He found some minor corrosion that he needed to fix and he installed the "rub buttons" that are stock on later Cessnas but that my flaps didn't have. Still...a bargain...this guy (Stephan Schomp) does really nice work.
Shipping came in at $430. This is what happens when you build a 100# crate to ship 20 pounds of flaps.
R&R and painting came in at $530 pretty close to the estimate.
Total cost to remove, reskin, repaint and reinstall flaps = $2300. $200 less than my original estimate.
Ohhh, but there's more!
I didn't think about replacing all the 57 year-old rollers. Roller kit (upgraded version) from McFarlane = $425
Then...Tim thinks to himself (dangerous, I know)...
Well, since we're in this realm and things are apart and we're painting already, we might as well install flap gap seals.
Seals from Knots2U = $560
Paint = $90
Install = $900 (pirep on this abortion due to horrible instructions to follow)
Total flap gap seal install = $1550
Total project = $4275
But, even with all the "overruns" I'm happy. The "go to guys", Williams in Indiana, wanted $1,750 per flap exchange price, and by the time shipping, painting, R&R was added, I would have been at $4885 just for the flaps.
So, I still got new flaps and flap gap seals for less than I originally thought I'd get just the flaps.
I won't complain.
Also, if anyone needs to borrow a flap gap track gauge or a flap roller install tool, I have both (I didn't buy McFarlane's roller intall tool for $35 each...I made two for $5 total). I'd be happy to loan them to anyone who needs them.
Here's the gauge
Here's the flap roller installation tool
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