Help Needed With Chief Repairs

[bsafran]

A gentleman from Indiana called asking for help repairing the fuselage of his 1946 Chief. Our jig is not designed to do this kind of work. Who is in that part of the country that can take on a repair of this magnitude?

[joea]

Brian,

Contact Ray Johnson at: http://www.flyincruisein.com/

If anyone knows of someone in this area who can repair Chiefs, its Ray.

Joe A

[Paul Agaliotis]

Brian,
If that's the only damage you could swap out the L/G truss assembly. I've changed the truss in Champs and Citabrias without using a fixture. Measure before you start to make sure it's straight, +/- .250, closer if you can get it easily. ACA provided the last one I put in. They might be able to whip one up or you'll need a donor.
Paul

[bsafran]

Mr. Lemish sent me another picture of the damage to N9449E. He lives in Indiana between South Bend and Fort Wayne. Does anyone know of a good Aeronca fix it man anywhere close by to help him? I have not seen this plane, just the pictures. In my experience with Champ fuselage repair, it is rare that damage this severe is confined to the local area shown. We have always found tubing bent or out of whack downstream from the obvious impact point. Hopefully someone will read this topic and point Mr. Lemish in the right direction.

[Paul Agaliotis]

I've fixed a ton of this kind of damage. And like Brian says there is always something else out of whack. But, these litle planes are pretty forgiving dimensionally.
If it needs anything more than a truss, I guess the cost effective thing would be to scrap it.
Paul