- Joined
- Dec 1, 2011
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 1
I recently purchased a Skybolt that has turned out to be a buyer's beware lesson from hell. I was hoping I could pick your collective brains for advice.
The trouble is the upper wing incidence is set at 2.4deg. The error is at the aft attach plates. They weren't made to plan, or were bolted too high on the spar and don't set the upper wing to the proper incidence of 1.5deg. To set the upper wing incidence to plan I would need to lower the aft attach 5/16" (in order to raise the trailing edge of the wing). The other option I considered was adding material to the aft attach plates...this experiment ended when I couldn't keep the heat dissipation under control on a prototype even with a CO2-cooled copper heat sink. Another other option I have is to get into the upper wing and install new aft attach plates. What I don't know is exactly what is under the fabric and ply and how difficult it will be to access them and unbolt them. I know I will need to pull the aux. fuel tank, which entails skinning the entire center section. Also, I would like to avoid pulling the aft bow and hand-grab. My third option is to build a new aft cabane to match my screwed up wing. This may just turn out to be my only or best option even though screwing up perfectly straight cabanes to match a screwed up wing bugs me.
Thank you for your time. I truly appreciate anything you can offer. As you can imagine my frustration level is pretty high over this experience.
The trouble is the upper wing incidence is set at 2.4deg. The error is at the aft attach plates. They weren't made to plan, or were bolted too high on the spar and don't set the upper wing to the proper incidence of 1.5deg. To set the upper wing incidence to plan I would need to lower the aft attach 5/16" (in order to raise the trailing edge of the wing). The other option I considered was adding material to the aft attach plates...this experiment ended when I couldn't keep the heat dissipation under control on a prototype even with a CO2-cooled copper heat sink. Another other option I have is to get into the upper wing and install new aft attach plates. What I don't know is exactly what is under the fabric and ply and how difficult it will be to access them and unbolt them. I know I will need to pull the aux. fuel tank, which entails skinning the entire center section. Also, I would like to avoid pulling the aft bow and hand-grab. My third option is to build a new aft cabane to match my screwed up wing. This may just turn out to be my only or best option even though screwing up perfectly straight cabanes to match a screwed up wing bugs me.
Thank you for your time. I truly appreciate anything you can offer. As you can imagine my frustration level is pretty high over this experience.
