Nose wheel / fire wall  
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Nose wheel / fire wall - 7/7/2008 5:53:07 AM   
djr1007


 

Posts: 236
Joined: 3/21/2005
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Guys,
I'm hoping someone has a suggestion on how to best fix this nose wheel/fire wall. You can see in the pic that the lower portion of the firewall with the nose gear folded up on me. There is no damage to the upper 2/3 or the firewall with the engine mount. As I see it now I have 3 choices. make a new lower fire wall with nose gear and just epoxy it to the front of what is left of the old one (and maybe some triangle to reinforce it). mount it behind the old on, or go the full monty and cut out the old one square and "replace" the lower section.
It seems using epoxy to mount a new one in front of or behind the old section would be a little heavyer, but the strongest as their would be more gluing surface then the original had (because I'm glueing to the old plate and the sides, not just the sides and triangle stock).
I'd like your opinions and/or suggestions (FYI my building skill level is intermediate).

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       Post #: 1

RE: Nose wheel / fire wall - 7/7/2008 6:39:38 AM   
Krener


 

Posts: 195
Joined: 11/5/2006
From: AS, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		I'm a little finnicky when it comes to these repairs.
I had the same thing happen on my first trainer, and I carried out a minimal repair (replaced half the firewall and glued some stock to the back for 'strength')
This got me back flying the following Sunday, and lo and behold it lasted one flight, tore out the rest of the firewall and made a general mess of things ruining a second day of flying.
Turns out there was more damage than I saw before.

If this was my plane, I'd open her up as much as possible so I can see everything, make a new firewall from something a little beefier than is in your hand (decent ply) and glue her in place.
Then hit it with tri stock in the corners to tie the firewall into the fuse sides.
Glue with epoxy only, and don't forget to fuel proof the firewall on the engine side.

Yes a little weight will be added but the epoxy should be applied logically and excess wiped away, not piled on so it heats up so much during curing the wood charcoals and spontaneously combusts!
Lets face it, a weak firewall is gonna cost you far more in enjoyment than the 'small' weight gain of some ply and epoxy.
Half the time worrying about the 'weight' gain thing is a pointless exercise.

_____________________________

I live in my own little world.................but it''s OK, they know me here.

(in reply to djr1007)
       Post #: 2

RE: Nose wheel / fire wall - 7/7/2008 7:53:28 PM   
mclina


 

Posts: 706
Joined: 12/27/2006
From: Westford, MA, USA
Status: offline 		Two words....tail dragger.

I agree with Krener, if possible, I would replace the whole firewall. Yours looks pretty thin.

_____________________________

If all of your friends were named Cliff, would you jump off them? - Hugh Neutron

(in reply to Krener)
       Post #: 3

RE: Nose wheel / fire wall - 7/7/2008 8:23:00 PM   
djr1007


 

Posts: 236
Joined: 3/21/2005
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the replys, I was affraid you were going to say that, I was trying to aviod the inevitable. You are right, the fire wall is thin. This is a Cuare that a friend built for me, and the thin fire wall is covered in CF fabric on both sides. You can't see it, but the engine mount is backed with a 1/4" plywood ring.
Tail dragger, hummmmm. Interesting possibility, I've seen Curare tail draggers in the SPA, but they just don't look right to me. Since I don't have retracts though, what's the diff? The fixed mains are almost right on the CG. I'd be a little worried about noseing over easily.
I'm gonna have to noodle on this one a little further.

(in reply to mclina)
       Post #: 4

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