Loading…
13
Debate with myself: did I save a wing or cause more damage?
I was working on a Cessna 172 last month out in Phoenix, a real beater with corrosion on the trailing edge of the right wing. Ground crew called me over after an inspection, they found a crack running about 3 inches along the bottom skin near the flap hinge. I stopped for a minute and thought about two options: patch it with a doubler plate and call it good, or cut out a bigger section and replace the whole skin panel. I went with the doubler route because the owner needed it back same day, no time for ordering parts. It got signed off and flew out, but now I'm second guessing if that patch will hold under repeated stress from the desert heat cycles. How do you guys decide when to patch versus replace on minor wing structural stuff like that?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
tara3452mo ago
Honestly the doubler plate is fine if you prep the surface right, but that desert heat is no joke on aluminum.
4
max3882mo ago
Changed my mind after prepping the surface better myself.
3