Can I still get the metallized STC?

[stevesaircraft(Bri)]

Good info Frank! My 22/20 also has metalized wings which were modified during a 1970 to 1974
restoration of the then Tripacer. The IA performing the restoration was old school and recovered the fuselage and all nine control surfaces with Irish Linen covering however. I purchased the plane in 1977 and fabric above the cabin started failing the Maul punch test around 1990. Because of the need to recover I did the TW conversion at that time. Brian from Steves Aircraft will remember this conversion as his Dad did the work. Like you I’ve never been disappointed with how the plane performs but as you know the purist out there see the mod as a downside. I can say I've never had to repair an inspection hole ring on the wing!!!

That was one of the longest weeks ever in this shop.. lol

Brian.

[Frank Green]

The big upside to the fuselage was Al added bulkheads to the tail to round it out and it also spaced the skin away from the longerons eliminating the moisture trap valley at the top of the longerons.

[Brian]

Frank curios if you have added vortex generators to a shortwing with metal wings?

[Toby]

I have an orphaned 56 fuselage that’s been metalized. It needs a little work but overall in pretty good shape. I’d let it go or trade for yours. PM if you have any interest.

[Steve Pierce]

Cathy got her pilot's license in a metalized 160 hp Tri-Pacer and I remember that it flew very nice. I have a fuselage that was metalized right when it left the factory and was parked outside in Chicago as a photo airplane. Brought to me by a FedEx employee years ago but didn't want to spend the money it would take to repair the rusted tubing around the doors.

[Frank Green]

Frank curios if you have added vortex generators to a shortwing with metal wings?

no
A WTF situation N88452 7GCBC 12/7/16: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94474

Today: "Jury finds pilot blameless in fatal crash, awards widow $3.5 million. The estate of Mike Kelly sued Washington-based Micro AeroDynamics for damages, holding that Kelly was not made aware of the possibility of a tail stall after having vortex generators installed on his aircraft."

Previous NTSB finding: "There was no guidance provided by Micro AeroDynamics on how to determine adverse effect or how to conduct a subjective evaluation flight test. The manufacturer provided no information on how the slow flight characteristics would change what is published in the POM."

The VGs effected the aircraft but the skis didn't.

[Steve Pierce]

no
A WTF situation N88452 7GCBC 12/7/16: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94474

Today: "Jury finds pilot blameless in fatal crash, awards widow $3.5 million. The estate of Mike Kelly sued Washington-based Micro AeroDynamics for damages, holding that Kelly was not made aware of the possibility of a tail stall after having vortex generators installed on his aircraft."

Previous NTSB finding: "There was no guidance provided by Micro AeroDynamics on how to determine adverse effect or how to conduct a subjective evaluation flight test. The manufacturer provided no information on how the slow flight characteristics would change what is published in the POM."

The VGs effected the aircraft but the skis didn't.

This needs to be a separate thread. Been intimate with several airplanes before and after the installation of Micro VGs and have seen nothing but good from them.

[Frank Green]

Agreed, Brian asked and I had just read this and got carried away. Never flown VGs myself but many friends have and have had nothing but positive results.

[Jim Hann]

Skycraft was his shop name, Al Snyder was the man. He did almost all the short wing and Cessna metalizations. His shop was in NJ at the time just south of Philly.

My Dad owned a C-140 that was metalized, I remember him mentioning going to see "the guy" because there was a problem with the paperwork when he went to sell the airplane. He liked it back then on the C-140 (early 1960s). The airplane is still active, I think it's up near Chicago after spending time in Texas.

I thought I had a picture scanned but I don't. Sorry for being a bit off topic.

[Brian]

Agreed, Brian asked and I had just read this and got carried away. Never flown VGs myself but many friends have and have had nothing but positive results.

I’ve always been curious if it would be acceptable to install the VG’s on my metalized wings, and was the reason I asked. My gut says not a good idea to add a modification on top of an existing modification. Best case I think would be the location of a few of the micro VGs might land directly on top of a rivet head or skin over lap seam and force you to move a few left or right a half inch of the designated location of the paper template. Would the shift in location of a few VGs affect performance or flight behavior. I really doubt it but some would argue this would be a deviation to the STC, and thus not approved.