The repairs on the Super Chug fuselage under way

Suomeksi

The repairs on the Super Chug OH-XTM, which was involved in a serious landing accident, have started. The first target will be the damaged fuselage of the aircraft. The lower part has been damaged between the rear section of the cockpit area and the firewall. The firewall is the rear section of the nose part, covered with a metal plate on the outer surface for fire protection. The lower part of the fuselage has been completely destroyed to the floor level, and the covering plywood on both sides is partly tattered halfway up the fuselage. The rear fuselage remained intact in the crash.

The fuselage between the cockpit and the firewall of the OH-XTM was laid ”inverted” to facilitate repairs.

To start the repairs on the wooden fuselage, which had been stripped of the engine, the front section of the fuselage was emptied of all the wires and gadgets. First the fuel tank, which filled the front section of the fuselage, had to be removed to gain access to the wires and tubes leading from the cockpit to the engine bay. The fuel tank fastening straps were opened, after which the tank was lifted out of the front section of the fuselage. The tank straps were left in place for the time being.

After the fuel tank had been removed, the wires and cables going through the firewall from the cockpit to the engine bay were detached from their holders and the wires were pulled through the firewall. To completely empty the front section of the fuselage, we had to detach the rudder pedals, which were attached to the broken front fuselage former, and the wires leading from the pedals to the rudder.

Photo: Jouni Ripatti

When the aircraft hit the ground, the firewall was mostly torn loose from its fuselage joint and simultaneously it was damaged at the edges. It had to be taken out for repairs. The firewall and fuselage joint seam was sawn open, using a multi-tool saw blade, to cut loose the part that was still hanging to the fuselage. Thus the firewall could be detached from the fuselage for repairs and the space between the cockpit and firewall opened, apart from the fuel tank straps.

Photoa: Ari Aho

As to the fuselage side damaged covering plywood sheets, it was established that the repairing would be better done by covering anew the side areas with plywood. Thus the damaged areas of plywood were sawn off with the saw blade of the multi-tool. The plywood was sawn along the fuselage stringers so that about 10 mm of plywood was left outside the edge as a rabbet for the future butt joint. A 20 mm high wooden batten will be glued on the fuselage stringer as a support for the butt joint where the edges of the old and new plywood join.

Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned

ranslation to English: Matti Liuskallio