Dakota Cub callout - huge help on my Clipper!

[ldmill]

Guys - just wanted to callout and acknowledge the Dakota Cub guys in South Dakota. I put my Clipper fuselage on a tailer and made a planned 4 hour haul up to them from central Iowa - where they diagnosed a bent tailpost assembly as well as slightly bowed lower longerons and a tweaked rear spring pad. They fabricated a jig assembly and were able to take the twist out which resulted in removing the longeron bowing. They also moved the rear horizontal stabilizer so that it was pointed to left of center (was pointing 4" right) and cutout/welded on a new rear spring pad. Jeremy- who Tig'd the new spring pad in place and is probably the best fabricator/tig welder I've ever met - only had to remove a small amount of fabric around the spring pad, so I won't have to do a major recover job.

In the process they did trammel the wing attach points to make sure that the fuselage was square. Very nice to know that everything was good in that area as well.

They did consult either Gilbert or Steve regarding the stabilizer offset - whichever of you gentlemen they talked to- thanks!!

Huge bloody relief to have this done so I can keep working the restoration project.

Note - they told me to not watch when they bent and twisted everything back in place - wish I would have listened to them...

Lorin Miller
N5320H

[Steve Pierce]

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Good bunch of guys for sure.

[akflyer]

2 things you don't want to watch. A fuselage being straightened and a prop being repitched or straightened. Congrats on getting the plane straight!