FlyBlueSkies

My Feedback: (2)

I had a dead stick landing...the landing gear came through the wings and broke two of the sub spars...The main spar is intact.

The spars that broke included an upper spar (top part of the wing) and lower spar (bottom part of the wing). They broke at the second rib of the wing (close to the root of the wing). Further out, the breaks are about the third or fourth rib bays.

So, I want to splice a new spar in both. Remember, these are sub spars, not the main spar (which is intact).

I'm thinking I have several alternatives:

1. (More trastic) Cut the sub spars back to the root and splice them in. I think this will be stronger.

2. (Less trastic) Splice the sub spars in from the second rib to just past the fourth rib in. The spar is glued 90 degrees at the 2nd rib (or even with the rib) and spliced in further out (at the third or fourth rib).

I'm hoping that you have gone through this process and have some results.

I do fly aerobatic, but not extreme (loops, rolls, knife edges, four point rolls, stall turns, etc.).

I want to repair correctly, so your comments are welcome!

Jeff

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Post pics so there will be no mistake in our opinions.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

Maybe you can get some ideas from this. You have to splice the broken
spars, then add doublers to them. Then add shear webs for some real
strength.

This is an extreme repair. It was a Twin Star (twin engine) and at the time
the planes were discontinued and unavailable.

1. the wing is grenaded, no spars or ribs survived.
2. this is about the 4th rib out, nothing left.
3. I had to make new spars, and glue them on to what waqs left of the leading edge.
4. I cut into the center towards the next rib, and spliced to some good wood.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

1. another shot of the splice.
2. some new ribs and sheeting.
3. the bottom of the wing, starting to reconstruct the wing tip area.
4. reconstruction finished without wing tips, ready to recover.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

1. recover to tops of the wings.
2. recover the bottoms.

I hope this will give you some ideas on how to fix your wing.

Good luck, and good flying....[sm=thumbup.gif]

FBD.

FlyBlueSkies

My Feedback: (2)

Very nice job!

It looks like the (main?) spars broke off near the root? Is the spar holding up well?

My break is really much simpler. It did break two spars, but not the main spar. The bottom spar broke at the rib, which is sheeted....so either I unsheet it or glue the spar even (not spliced) with the old spar.

I'd post pictures, but no camera...

Anyway, thanks for all your help!

Jeff

Huntster

FlyBlueSkys.... I had a Zen 50 with the same problem. I got it from a friend who landed HARD and put the retracts through the "roof". It was a main spar but the repair should be the same as what you might need. When you splice in the spar, the best way to cut it in is with a Diagonal cut so that you get a good amount of glueing area. I'd make your bottom piece for the spar go from the bottom outboard and angle up and toawrd the fuse, that will make the new spar piece rest on the glue and then the original spar above it. if you cut it the opposite way, when you land to only thing holding the wing together might be the glue trying to hold onto the original wood. I wish you had pix to show us the damage but I'd recomend just replaceing the spar from the first damage to the root. My repair job did well and never broke again even after flying from a grass strip. It was even still good after I punched the engine through the fuselage when the radio locked up on me in a turn. :-) I hope this helps!