Pre-Buy Wing Inspection

S

stancomer

New member
I am about to buy a Cruisair that has not flown since 1957 and was dismantled for inside storage in 1970. I haven't looked at it yet. The seller says the wings look good to him (?). What should I look for when I inspect the wings? How do I determine that the glue is still good? I would appreciate getting any and all information you have. The airframe has been stripped, cleaned and primed (he says). What should I look for? Thanks
 
Howy: The basic deal is this : water runs down the side of the fuselage and seeps into the wing root areas. Also it gets in through the srcews that hold on the fuel filler and tank tops if not kept perfectly sealed. Most often you will end up rebuilding the inner two feet of the wing walk and bottom skin, and or great importance, the block that hold the flap cable roller where the cable drops out of the wing to pull up on the flap bellcrank...this block is being help in there by glue and a couple of nails.....you do not want it to fail. On the other end of the flap is the outer flap mount.....if it is loose or deteriorated it must be rebuilt. The spar butts will be discolored, but you should see no evidence of rot. If the 4 aluminum fittings that attach to the spars and carry the wing attach bolts look all corroded other dragons await. Often you will find rot in the wingtip area....fixable. Take a very sharp pick....distract the owner with something....and poke everything questionable...solid wood will resist even the sharpest pick.....don't be afraid to try to break off the flap mounts or wing root skin....sometimes it looks solid but is as brittle as glass....others will chime in here too.....Ken McCune
 
Also look for any fuel staining from leaking fuel tanks, etc. All this stuff is 60 years old plus and there are alot of bad fuel tanks (I know this from experience).
Gary
 
He said it had been dissassembled and in storage from 1957 so I would doubt it has leaking fuel tanks , or at least hasn't had fuel in them to leak for 51 years. If the wings have been inside and dry I would think they would be in better shape than most flying today.

Is this the one located in Austin TX ? With the 0435 conversion ?
 
You should first get the club paperwork on wing inspections for Vikings. There is very little difference in the basics of inspecting Cruisair wings and Viking wings,and the paperwork will be a big help. The biggest single killer of low wing Bellancas is spar rot caused by leaking tank covers. It is most often the top of the rear spar where the flexing of the tank cover has caused the fabric to leak water in and sit on the spar. It is certainly not limited to that spot but that is a major problem area. A spar splice can cost as much or more than you will probably pay for the whole basket case. The spar butt inspection is also very important. The Viking inspection is not required for a Cruisair, but it is a good idea. Another good method of inspecting the whole spar is sound. Take a plastic hammer with you and start tapping along the spar ,from the tip to the root. Tap in a pattern that goes a little above and below the spar and work your way in. It wont take you long to tell the difference between the unsupported plywood skin and the spar underneath. As you work along the spar any soft spots will sound different and should be investigated further. Wooden boat inspectors have used this method for hundreds of years and it is very effective.(Things to take with you) ice pick, small mirror on an extension,plastic hammer, small flashlight with a flexible neck,big strong flashlight,sharp wood chisel,mallet for chisel. The reason for the chisel is that putting a piece of thin plywood over the spar butt was an old recommended repair for the beginnings of spar cracks. The trouble is that it can hide major cracks or rot that could make the wing unsafe. If it has the plywood covering the butt and the owner wont let you (carefully) remove it for inspection,then you could be buying a good wing or junk._____Grant.
 
sillsaviation1 said:
He said it had been dissassembled and in storage from 1957 so I would doubt it has leaking fuel tanks , or at least hasn't had fuel in them to leak for 51 years. If the wings have been inside and dry I would think they would be in better shape than most flying today.

Is this the one located in Austin TX ? With the 0435 conversion ?
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No, this one is in California. Stan
 
Sorry it took so long to reply. I have been out of town. The Cruisair I am looking at is in Mokel Hill, California.

Stan
 
Stan,If the town you are talking about is near Placerville Calif, there is a good rag and tube shop called Ragtime Aero at the airport. Even if you have to pay for a few hours of transportation it would be worth it to have an expert look it over. I wish I would have done that on my first Cruisair project. It would have saved me from the proverbial can of worms.______Grant.
 
Ok, I'll throw in my two cents worth. If you buy used wings, plan on taking out the fuel tanks and testing them for leaks. Mine had beautiful wings and the guys at Webers convinced me to take the tanks out and check them anyway. Sure enough one had two very small leaks. I would have been sick if I had completed the restoration and not found the leak until I had the wings back on it.
Gary
 
Another 2 cents worth!____ Tomorrow I am going to look at a pair of wings that are supposed to be a SHOW QUALITY recover job. If I buy them,I plan on making a fitting to pump air into the tank (only 3 or 4 PSI) and if it holds for 24 hours, I wont cut into the nice new fabric. If it doesnt hold, then out comes the razor blade. Boy,do I hope they hold pressure._____Grant.
 
Grant, since I live four miles from Alexandria Aircraft, I took my tanks into Carroll to be tested. That is how they test them except they dump a red dye into the tank and then put the air pressure in it. He turned it upside down and every other way so that any possible leaks would show the red dye. When we found a leak, I took the tank over to Alden who built most of Bellanca fuel tanks flying around the country today and he patched the holes. Your method should work as well as long as it is sealed up good.
Gary
 
Boys........I'll tell you right now.......that if you put more than 1-1 1/2 psi. in these tanks, you risk damage or destruction! Dan
 
the one time I pressure tested a tank, I sealed off the tank opening and used rubber tubing to connect to the sump. We tee'd in an old altimeter and rolled the tubing to create pressure (and then clamped off the rolled tubing). If you're a perfectionist, adjust the Kollsman window but generally if it leaks, it's and all or none deal.
 
I asked Carroll at Alexandria Aircraft how much pressure he puts in fuel tanks when he tests them. He pretty much agrees with Dan as he said not more than two PSI maximum.
Gary
 
Grant, How are you going to seal the tank vent, while still installed in the wing? I think I talked about this topic a year or more ago. If the tank is removed from the tank bay, seal up all the openings and duct tape the outlet side of a small shop vac into the filler neck. This is plenty of pressure. Now get a bowl of water with some liquid dish soap and a small soft brush. with the shop vac on, brush this soapy mixture around every rosette and seam. A leak will show up as a growing bubble. With the tank removed from the wing, replace the pads on the support brackets. Check the front of the rear spar for damage. Make sure the drain holes are open. Clean, sand and revarnish the bay. Dan
 
I used a 2 gallon shop vac when I checked my fuselage tank. It seemed to ballooned out enough to hold another gallon. I'd say don't worry too much about the sealing of the vacuum or tank. If there was a leak it definitely would have shown. The only leaks were around the filler neck and fuel sender gaskets. The vacuum cleaner technique works good!

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Hi Dan ! I just drove back from your part of the world. I looked at,and bought the wings in Vancouver Wash. They came with most of a project, including a MYSTERY Franklin. I will write more about that later. I had previously been told to pressure test tanks at 6 PSI, so I thought I was being conservative at 3 or 4 PSI. I am glad for the warning. The last thing in the world I need is to create more work for myself by screwing up. I am still going to try to pressure test them in place, but at your suggested pressure. The old IA that restored the wings, passed away, but his son says they tested the tanks before they closed the wings up. I will try most any thing to avoid cutting into a really nice cover job. I spent a couple of nights at Larry and Susan Lowenkrons while I was up in the area and Larry suggested that I do like the environmental testers do with underground gas tanks. Close up the outlets and vents, and make a fitting to screw into the filler hole so that you can put a clear tube that extends about a foot above the tank level,and fill the whole thing up to the top. Mark the liquid level and look at it in 24 hours. Maybe Larry can add some details to make this a little clearer? After I get a chance to look over some Franklin parts lists, I will do a post on the MYSTERY (disaster) Franklin. _____Grant.
 
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