Wheel Pant crack

[ScottM]

I had a crack in one wheel pant that is starting to propagate. Where should I get it repaired? Can I take it to a boat shop or some other place?

 

[tonycondon]

you should call the South East Minnesota Flying Club

Been flying a tad low??

honestly im not sure. I suppose as long as an A&P approves the repair anyone can do the fiberglass work.

 

[Tom-D]

I suppose as long as an A&P approves the repair anyone can do the fiberglass work.

Problem is, if it is a Cessna wheel pant, its not real fiber glass, it is some sort of plastic that really doesn't hold fiberglass repairs all that well.

 

[ScottM]

you should call the South East Minnesota Flying Club

Low

Been flying a tad low??

I landed on a grass strip yesterday and I think I hit a little pot hole. The crack had been very stable and small and now it is bigger.

honestly im not sure. I suppose as long as an A&P approves the repair anyone can do the fiberglass work.

My A&P knows less about fiberglass than me and I only know a little. So I was thinking about having someone more versed in it do the work. Getting the A&P to sign off sounds like a good idea. I was looking int he FARs and since it is a nonstructural break part 43 was a little ambiguous.

 

[ScottM]

Problem is, if it is a Cessna wheel pant, its not real fiber glass, it is some sort of plastic that really doesn't hold fiberglass repairs all that well.

Not Cessna. After market for a Piper and it is real fiber glass. I can even see the weave in the fiberglass mat.

 

[t0r0nad0]

you should call the South East Minnesota Flying Club

That... is... cold-blooded!!!

But, really funny, since I was thinking about saying something about asking Jesse until I saw your post.

 

[SkyHog]

Problem is, if it is a Cessna wheel pant, its not real fiber glass, it is some sort of plastic that really doesn't hold fiberglass repairs all that well.

Ain't that the truth? I've seen some gnarly repairs on Cessna wheelpants that got signed off. At first, I just thought people were lazy. Then I learned about Cessna not really using fiber glass.

LOL.

 

[Tom-D]

The best repair I have found is "Gorilla glue" it is a urathane glue that seems to fix every thing.

work a drop or two into the crack allow to set over night and shave off the exposed extra with a razor blade knife. That works as well as any repair I have found.

 

[tonycondon]

That... is... cold-blooded!!!

But, really funny, since I was thinking about saying something about asking Jesse until I saw your post.

true, they dont have much experience in repair of wheel pants, they just buy brand new ones outright.

I didnt know you were around here for that fiasco PJ!

 

[Tom-D]

Not Cessna. After market for a Piper and it is real fiber glass. I can even see the weave in the fiberglass mat.

Oh Great! There is a real fix that will work. Superglue it, work the glue into the crack and allow to set.

 

[t0r0nad0]

I wasn't, but someone resurrected that thread since I've been here and I wound up reading about the whole thing when I was bored at work one day.

 

[jesse]

sigh....

 

[KennyFlys]

Gorilla Glue!

 

[rmciottijr]

I had real fiber glass wing tips repaired and repainted by an auto body shop that I am friends with. My mechanic took a look at them and said looks good and on they went.

Bob

 

[mikea]

Get a replacement salvage pant from Wentworth or somesuch. I had mine repaired during painting but the crack came back and threatened to split the pant in two. I got the replacement and got to pay for having it painted again.

 

[JohnR]

Duct tape.

Remove pants before taking plane to annual inspection. (The plane's wheel pants, that is. Get your mind out of the gutter!)

Just leave them off after that; they just inhibit aircraft ingress/egress and preflighting the wheel/tire/brakes anyway, fill up with mud and grass, and develop annoying cracks.

 

[Joe B]

Scott,

This ain't rocket science - doing a fiberglass repair on the inside of the wheel pant is dirt simple. Repair kits with instructions included are available at boating supply places like West Marine. If your A&P isn't comfortable with the procedure pretty much any boat yard should be able to do it - or an auto body shop that works on Corvettes. After the fiberglass repair the crack is still going to be visible on the outside - that's standard auto body stuff again (filler, sanding, and paint) if you want it to look "like new". I wouldn't screw around with crazy glue, duct tape etc. when it's easy enough to do this right.

Regards,
Joe

 

[Dave2]

Don't tell anyone but I've actually done this sort of thing. What I do is use some flat head pop rivets, find a thin piece of aluminum, rivet it on the inside over the cracked area and then fiberglass inside and out. Use a heavier grade of cloth inside and a fine grade outside just to add a little strenght and to hid the countersunk holes for the rivet heads. I prefer West epoxy over polyester resin, but either sould work.

It's not really hard at all.

 

[gismo]

Oh Great! There is a real fix that will work. Superglue it, work the glue into the crack and allow to set.

I'm surprised that working "Superglue" (Cyanoacrylate) into a crack would be a good fix unless you can open the crack, coat the edges, and close it tight. Cyanoacrylate has almost no strength if it's more than a few molecules thick when it sets, and it requires pressure to set at all.

 

[Tom-D]

I'm surprised that working "Superglue" (Cyanoacrylate) into a crack would be a good fix unless you can open the crack, coat the edges, and close it tight. Cyanoacrylate has almost no strength if it's more than a few molecules thick when it sets, and it requires pressure to set at all.

You do a better job of discribing how to do it than I, but it works as well as any large repair.

 

[ScottM]

I have done fiberglassing before for large model rockets so I just decided to do it myself.

I stopped off at the marine dealer today and picked up some resin and I already had the cloth at home. SO I have patched it up.

Looking at the wheel pant there was more damage than I thought. It looks like I may have gone into a little divet or hole when I landed at 64C since I can see an extra crack underneath.

But the nice thing about stopping at the marine dealer was that there also was some marine filler on sale and it was in grey, the same color as my wheel pant. I will see how that works out tomorrow after the epoxy sets up. I may get away without having to paint.

 

[Stache]

I have seen some very rough repairs by people who shouldn't be allowed to work on cars, but work on aircraft. Some of the repairs I have seen included duct tape to pop rivets from Home Depot with flashing material cover over with RTV.

Any ways Part 43 is not ambiguous, but quite clear:

§ 43.13 Performance rules (general).
(a) Each person performing maintenance, alteration, or preventive maintenance on an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance shall use the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer's maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator, except as noted in §43.16. He shall use the tools, equipment, and test apparatus necessary to assure completion of the work in accordance with accepted industry practices. If special equipment or test apparatus is recommended by the manufacturer involved, he must use that equipment or apparatus or its equivalent acceptable to the Administrator.

(b) Each person maintaining or altering, or performing preventive maintenance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality, that the condition of the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition (with regard to aerodynamic function, structural strength, resistance to vibration and deterioration, and other qualities affecting airworthiness).

What this means is you have to follow the current manufacture maintenance manual and instructions, and must repair it exactly to the same strength and NOT better than the original. Better than or less than is an alteration.

So if you have original pants you may have problems repairing them back to the original level. You can have a non-certificated mechanic repair it following the manual under the supervision of you’re A&P who will sign it off approved for return to service.

I have repaired a few of these and it wasl always be better than the original when you I finished. Regular fiber class doesn’t hold very well and will crack off. I have used an epoxy-based materials and mat with good results, but it had to be approved by the local FSDO (CYA) minor alteration, get it in writing from the FSDO. After all we are talking a fairing here and not a structural part.

 

[Tom-D]

So if you have original pants you may have problems repairing them back to the original level. You can have a non-certificated mechanic repair it following the manual under the supervision of you’re A&P who will sign it off approved for return to service

First, show me the repair in the cessna manuals that cover the repair of a wheel pant? And with out that information what will the A&P use as data to return to service sign off.

It is a minor repair, but even minor repairs are required to be completed IAW some thing.

 

[SkyHog]

I have seen some very rough repairs by people who shouldn't be allowed to work on cars, but work on aircraft. Some of the repairs I have seen included duct tape to pop rivets from Home Depot with flashing material cover over with RTV.

Any ways Part 43 is not ambiguous, but quite clear:

§ 43.13 Performance rules (general).
(a) Each person performing maintenance, alteration, or preventive maintenance on an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance shall use the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer's maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator, except as noted in §43.16. He shall use the tools, equipment, and test apparatus necessary to assure completion of the work in accordance with accepted industry practices. If special equipment or test apparatus is recommended by the manufacturer involved, he must use that equipment or apparatus or its equivalent acceptable to the Administrator.

(b) Each person maintaining or altering, or performing preventive maintenance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality, that the condition of the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition (with regard to aerodynamic function, structural strength, resistance to vibration and deterioration, and other qualities affecting airworthiness).

What this means is you have to follow the current manufacture maintenance manual and instructions, and must repair it exactly to the same strength and NOT better than the original. Better than or less than is an alteration.

So if you have original pants you may have problems repairing them back to the original level. You can have a non-certificated mechanic repair it following the manual under the supervision of you’re A&P who will sign it off approved for return to service.

I have repaired a few of these and it wasl always be better than the original when you I finished. Regular fiber class doesn’t hold very well and will crack off. I have used an epoxy-based materials and mat with good results, but it had to be approved by the local FSDO (CYA) minor alteration, get it in writing from the FSDO. After all we are talking a fairing here and not a structural part.

Apparently someone needs to explain the meaning of the words "At least" as in:

"Each person maintaining or altering, or performing preventive maintenance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality, that the condition of the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition"

 

[jhempel]

Don't tell anyone but I've actually done this sort of thing. What I do is use some flat head pop rivets, find a thin piece of aluminum, rivet it on the inside over the cracked area and then fiberglass inside and out. Use a heavier grade of cloth inside and a fine grade outside just to add a little strenght and to hid the countersunk holes for the rivet heads. I prefer West epoxy over polyester resin, but either sould work.

It's not really hard at all.

I agree. I used West Systems when I rebuilt the transom in my boat. That is some good stuff. It has been holding up the motor mounts of the V8 Chevy engine for years. I think it is more than strong enough for wheel pants if done properly.

 

[John Reed]

Remove pants before taking plane to annual inspection.
Just leave them off after that...

If there was no change to the weight and balance; no log book entry and adjustment to the equipment list there would be one more thing to add to your descrepancy list.



John R is not John Reed: The same in name but not in deed.

 

[Dr. Bill]

Can anyone say "Bondo"? It works great on Cessna wheel pants. Sticks well to whatever that stuff is that the wheel pant is made of.