Champ Leading Edge Skins

Robert Henley · Post by **Robert Henley** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 23:39

I have new leading edge skins from Univair and the -4 doesn't cover the last two ribs from the smaller rib at the tip. Is that the way it is? It is hard to tell from the drawings whether the skin should be there.

Also I have WagAero steel tip bows with the nav light bracket hanging down from the tip. How is that get covered during the fabric process? Seems to me it will require the wiring to exit the fabric and then connect to the light.

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Robert

David Johnson · Post by **David Johnson** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 08:40

Robert, you need 7-556. It shows the tip skin for the last 2 bays. Holler if you need it. I am working on this area now. The only photo I could find shows the last bay. You are smart to figure out your tip bow before covering. Are you running lites? We always have a bare tip bow without bracket. David J.

Robert Henley · Post by **Robert Henley** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:27

David

I have 7-556. The gap is between it and the -4 leading edge skin.

I planned on just putting strobes on the tips. I don't plan on making it legal for night flying.

Robert

David Johnson · Post by **David Johnson** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 14:55

Robert, go back and measure your rib spacing. Just to doublecheck. You may have to just make a skin to fit. How far off is it? There are lots and lots of things that do not measure exactly as the print says. Remember how fast these things were designed and built. May just have to make it to fit. David J.

MikeB · Post by **MikeB** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 18:40

All of my leading edges from Wag Aero fit perfectly except for the tip (I think that's what I'm looking at). They come flat from Wag and it amounts to a compound bend. Pretty well mutilated one try to get a perfect fit and finally gave up for now and hung the wing back on the wall until my patience returns. I think it would go better if they were .016 like original instead of .022. It's a pretty tough bend to get a perfect fit. A english wheel would probably work if I had access to one, although metal work is not my strong suit.

Mike Berg

Robert Henley · Post by **Robert Henley** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 22:48

David & Mike

Here are two pictures showing my issue.

The Univair leading edges were curved but we didn't like the placement at the top of the rib vs its relationship with the spar. It was different in location compared to the drawings.

We can fabricate a piece to fill the gap. I wanted to make sure there should be something there. If is to be there, why didn't the part from Univair cover the gap?

Regards

Robert

jkvincent · Post by **jkvincent** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 08:23

it tapers back, so the leading edge is not able to continue to the next rib.
Wag has that piece, but I was cheap
...made my own fron a scrap piece of old leading edge.
Jim

Robert Henley · Post by **Robert Henley** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 09:20

Jim

I guess we will do the same. It seems to be an easy piece to make. Where did you get your tip bow? I like the nav light bracket much better than mine.

Robert

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:57

OK, I am going out on a limb here or, trying to remember. It seems to me that there is a short one bay piece that originally went between the two skins that you can still buy from Univair(?). But Wag sells a longer -4 skin that eliminates the one bay skin. Seems like I went through this several years ago. In fact, I may have a new set of the shorter skins. When Wag straightened me out, I bought the longer -4 skins. I can check if you like. But then again I may be all wrong.

Dennis

powers · Post by **powers** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:14

Ya, when I did mine I had Wags one piece tip. It worked ok, but took some working. I remember you really have to be careful when laying out the leading edges. You have to lay them out on the wing together make sure that the skin will reach and then start drilling and screwing. I would post pics but I'm away from my computer till mid week.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 18:02

I just checked in the hanger and I have two new skins # 4-1123R & L that I do not need.

Dennis

jkvincent · Post by **jkvincent** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 23:12

Robert, ...A/C Spruce has 'em (mine were already on when I bought my Champ).
Also, mine are welded, but looks like you can also screw them on.
Yours looks like it will possibly be tough when covering...??
Here's a thought, yours don't look that much different than the one's in the ad here, I'd say,
cut the weld, raise 'em up (centered, like mine) and re-weld or screw'em in and then cut/remove the bow from the center of the hole.
If you screw'em, use a flush head bolt/screw, otherwise you Position light won't sit flat on the plate.
Easy job, save $50 bucks, and have a "cleaner" wing.
Jim

Robert Henley · Post by **Robert Henley** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:47

Dennis wrote:I just checked in the hanger and I have two new skins # 4-1123R & L that I do not need.

Dennis

Dennis

I plan on fabricating my own similar to what Jim did. Thanks for checking your stash.

Regards

Robert