PA-16 serial 16-13 restoration

[dgapilot]

I had another thread on my trials and tribulations with registration on this airplane. This one hopefully will chronicle my restoration.


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[dgapilot]

The left wing is in the shop where I have heat. Fabric is off, tank is out, and trying to get down to what needs repair and corrosion preventive measures!


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[dgapilot]

I already hate #4X1/4 pk screws!


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[rideandfly]

David,

Looking good! Going to watch your build so please post photos!

Thanks,

[JPerkins]

I already hate #4X1/4 pk screws!


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I feel your pain. I have a gunsmith screwdriver kit with different width and thickness flat tip bits that help immensely. The Phillips ones though, couple had to converted to slotted to get out.

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[Steve Pierce]

Looks like someone used Univair nose ribs to repair the but rib and tank bay rib. I installed the right wing tank and used the Dakota Cub ribs because I have found quite a few tank bay ribs cracked at the rear spar where the factory ribs have another cap strip riveted to the cap strip that forms the rib. So all my tank bay ribs left and right are Dakota Cub ribs. I used Univair butt ribs so I can install nut plates for the wing root fairings but Univair now get in excess of $200 for each of those ribs. I am helping a friend and his wife with her Super Cub rebuild and we got Dakota Cub butt ribs and are going to brake an angle out of aluminum to attach around the rib to install the wing root fairing nut plates to.

Back several years ago I rebuilt 3 sets of Clipper wings. After bead blasting I ended up replacing all of the aileron hinges for corrosion inside the U channel where the bracket is attached that rivets to the false spar.

I look forward to following your build.

[dgapilot]

Looks like someone used Univair nose ribs to repair the but rib and tank bay rib. I installed the right wing tank and used the Dakota Cub ribs because I have found quite a few tank bay ribs cracked at the rear spar where the factory ribs have another cap strip riveted to the cap strip that forms the rib. So all my tank bay ribs left and right are Dakota Cub ribs. I used Univair butt ribs so I can install nut plates for the wing root fairings but Univair now get in excess of $200 for each of those ribs. I am helping a friend and his wife with her Super Cub rebuild and we got Dakota Cub butt ribs and are going to brake an angle out of aluminum to attach around the rib to install the wing root fairing nut plates to.

Back several years ago I rebuilt 3 sets of Clipper wings. After bead blasting I ended up replacing all of the aileron hinges for corrosion inside the U channel where the bracket is attached that rivets to the false spar.

I look forward to following your build.

So far(only cursory inspection) the aileron hinge brackets look ok. The couple nose ribs are Wag Aero from the 1995 recover. Haven’t cleaned it up yet, but there looks like some corrosion on the spars where the tank straps go around it (hoping it’s ok, don’t want to replace the spars). Two of the drift drag wires have some corrosion, I’ll have to see how they clean up. All the wire fittings have surface corrosion.. I’m considering investing in the Carswell “Copy Cad” plating process to clean up all the smaller steel parts. I’m thinking the zinc plating and cad conversion may be a better alternative than paint for the steel parts. Saw a guy over on the SuperCub forum that used it and his parts really looked nice.

Hope to get more apart today, and start a more detailed inspection.


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[dgapilot]

I feel your pain. I have a gunsmith screwdriver kit with different width and thickness flat tip bits that help immensely. The Phillips ones though, couple had to converted to slotted to get out.

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So far the dermal with a cutoff wheel has been working on most. PB blaster has been sitting on the ones I couldn’t get yesterday, and I’ll also beak out the heat gun!


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[Steve Pierce]

I tried bead blasting and priming thse small steel parts on the drag/anti-drag wire fittings and was never satisfied with the results after assembly. I found all the parts on the Vagabond CD, figured out they were made from softer steel that would not be effected by hydrogen embrittlement of Cadmium plating without baking and had my buddy at Air Tractor put them in their cad tank. I have since started sending the parts to Memphis Propeller for plate and bake.

[dgapilot]

Got the leading edges off. Heat did the trick on the #4X1/4 screws. Tank straps out. Here is the worst of the corrosion on the spar. It was under one of the tank straps. Cleaned up pretty good, that’s about .003 of blending. I’ll do a little more then alumaprep and Aldine.


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