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Old 10-31-2002 | 03:11 AM
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Len
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From: Winnipeg, MB. Canada
Default Hotspot Structural Failure

Hi,
I had read about the California delamination and tested mine as per the instructions from the author. I noted that the skins did indeed separate with the inner cloth still adhering to the formers and the outer cloth waving in the breeze. I leeched CA into the edges of the skins and drilled 66 holes along and into the formers through the skins. These hole were about 1/4 inch apart across the whole fuselage at the tank former, and also ont the rearward gear formers.
I inserted thin CA and then thick CA and pounded round toothpicks into the holes. Once sanded smooth I again used thin CA on the ends of these "rivets". The skins no longer would separate and the plane has been at 180 ~ 200 mph and still looks fine. I did not use wheel well liners, but that does seem like a good idea to keep the buffeting air out of the tail end of the fuselage.
Len