I now have anti-chafe tape in place over the various items that could cause chafing of the fabric over time. This basically adds a protection layer between the metal structure and the fabric. You cover any rough spots and edges / steps, such as the edges of a patch. Reasons for chafing include vibration and flexing of the structure under various loads.
I glued the polyester padding to the leading edge tonight on the left wing of the V-77. This padding hides the minor imperfections in the leading edge and makes it nice and smooth once the fabric is placed over it. I also removed the fuel tank and flap actuator. It will be much easier to rib stitch with the tank removed. Last, I filed down the edges of the push nuts used in the rib repairs. This will keep them from wearing through the fabric over time. I’ll also add some anti-chafe tape over those areas and other spots where wear could occur.
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| Fuel tank and actuator |
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| Leading edge padding in place |
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| You can see the flat spots where I filed the edge of the push nuts |
I went to Mike’s Upholstery today as they needed some measurements to complete the side panels. Pictured below is one of the door panels….it still needs to be cleaned, but gives a good idea of what it will look like. I also dropped by Kansas Dry Stripping and picked up various small parts they had removed the paint from. Later I stripped paint from the attachment cover structure where the wing strut attaches and then painted it with epoxy primer. I still need to remove the fuel tank and a few other items and we’ll be ready to cover the wing.
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| Door panel |
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| Attachment area I stripped and primed |
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| Parts with paint blasted off |
I think I have the paint stripping on the left wing complete. I’ll have Wade come by and take a look. I also put some epoxy varnish on the wood pieces, like the frame that holds the inspection panel for the flap actuator, though it looked like Wade may have already done that. I figured another coat wouldn’t hurt. We plan to put the fabric covering on next weekend. I have other steps to do before then, like getting the polyester padding on the leading edge and putting anti-chafe tape in all the required places.
I bought some fresh paint stripper this afternoon and got started prepping the left wing for covering by removing paint where we will be gluing down the fabric. I worked a few hours and then decided to save some fun for tomorrow. On the leading edge, I just need to clean off an inch or so on the top and bottom to glue to polyester padding to, so that will save some effort. Here are some before and after shots.
We brought the left wing home today and then hauled the fuselage to Wade’s. The wing move was uneventful. The fuselage was a little more challenging. The wheels Jim devised worked well, but we high centered going on the trailer, so we had to lift the tail to clear. We then realized the fuselage was longer than the trailer, so we removed the trailer gate to fit the fuselage on. Of course, that was also the ramp, so we had to lift the fuselage on the trailer instead of rolling it on. In the end, it all worked out and all parts were located safely where they needed to be and no one was injured. Now I can get started on the covering of the left wing. Some paint removal will be first up. Special thanks to Justin for his truck and trailer. Also 3 hours of his time today as well as his son’s, Layne. Also thanks to Jim for the fuselage wheel system and his time. Hard to believe it was almost 5 years ago Jim and I loaded the V-77 into a U-Haul and brought it back from Florida. Last but not least, thanks for Wade’s time and support. Friends like these always make the journey more fun!
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| Wing located where fuselage had been |
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| Fuselage at Wade’s |
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| Off the trailer at Wade’s and rolling into his shop |
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| Jim and Layne reinstalling the aft wheel trolley |
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| Aft fuselage supports |
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| Moving crew: Justin, Layne, Wade, Jim |
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| Fuselage finally on trailer and ready to roll |
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| There was already a Santa hat warning flag available |
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| Wing on trailer |
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| Layne (foreground) and Justin |
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| Strapping the wing down |
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| Wing ready to head to the hangar |
I went flying this morning….it was just too nice a day to pass. It was around 40 degrees when I took off. The denser air that comes with cold temperatures improves airplane performance. I had a rate of climb around 1200 feet / minute. I ran at full throttle a few minutes after leveling off around 3000 feet to see how fast the plane would go…144 mph. I made landing number 900 in this Voyager and have 492 hours on it since completing restoration in mid 2015.
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| Back home after a nice flight |
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| El Dorado Lake |
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| Happy pilot with smooth skies |
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| Level doing 144 mph |
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| R/C around 1200 ft/min |
I attached the wheels Jim crafted to the fuselage today. These will facilitate the fuselage move planned for Friday afternoon. Stay tuned.
I dropped by Mike’s Upholstery today to answer a few questions. They are waiting on some embroidery of the Stinson emblem to come back and then can wrap things up. They have the pleating of the brown leather completed. Should look really nice when they are finished!
When we move the V-77 wing from Wade’s shop to my hangar, we also plan to move the fuselage from the hangar to Wade’s. A swap of sorts. This will make it more convenient for Wade to work on the fuselage. My friend Jim, who has been part of the V-77 adventure since the initial move from Florida to Kansas, has been thinking about the easiest way to move the fuselage. We used furniture dollies in Florida in the front and the old tail wheel in back.
Jim has modified a canoe mover and we attached it to the aft fuselage this afternoon. This will allow steering as well as support the tail. For the front end, Jim got 2 large wheels and made a custom axel. He has brackets we will attach to the 2x4s already attached to the front of the V-77. We need to saw the ends off the bottom 2x4 and attach the axel brackets, but otherwise we are ready to go. The wheels can be removed quickly with the removal of a cotter pin. This plus several guys pushing and pulling should make quick work of the move. We just need to align schedules and we’ll be good to go.
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| Wheels and axel set up for the front |
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| Tail mover attached |
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| Jim at work |
I got a text from Wade yesterday the repairs to the left wing are complete and it is ready to be moved back to my hangar. We’ll see how Justin’s schedule for this weekend fits. I also need to clean the hangar and make room for the wing…..then on to covering. In other news, I picked up the last of the parts that needed paint removal from Kansas Dry Stripping this morning. They are great to work with and very reasonable on price.
