Aileron - Repair or Replace?
 

Hi All,

This weekend, my left aileron experienced what I want to call ?hangar rash?. I had the aileron off of the airplane, laying on a table, gust of wind came thru the hangar sending it to the floor. Damaged the outboard trailing edge and a small dent with a crack in the skin on the inboard end. For the dent damage, i figured I would stop drill and fill with some sort of filler (not Bondo). What is more challenging is how to repair the trailing edge that appears to have taken the brunt of the fall. I attempted to "pull out" the crumpled aluminum edge ever so gently but in doing so, a crack/tear appeared along the trailing edge. So, I stopped. Here?s what I am facing. First the trailing edge of the aileron;



Here's the dent with the crack;


The aileron as a whole does not appear to be bent or twisted as it seems to to lay flat on a table. Any suggestions on how to repair the trailing edge? Is fiberglass an option or am I possibly facing a rebuild?

Thanks,

Looks like a doable repair. I would consider a small backing plate where the tear is, held in with a few MSP-42 pull rivets, then straighten as best as possible with nothing sitting proud of the profile, then fill it for cosmetics and aerodynamics. I would use polyester filler (i.e. bondo) for some of this, so you obviously don't want my input on filling. I used polyester filler for various dings and imperfections. 600 hours and still as pretty as the day I painted it.

Larry

Before adding any weight to the trailing edge (filler) I?d run it by Vans, and ask about balance.

Aerospace certified epoxy.
 

Checkout 3M 2216. You can stop drill where appropriate. Apply backing aluminum where advisable all bonded AND filled with 2216. $50 for the kit of tubes at ACS.

It may be repairable but if it were mine I would never stop worrying about that flight control. Every time I went flying it would be in my head. Repairable or not I would replace.

Sure.
 

This is very repairable, but that is your call. Check with Van's if it makes you feel better, 43.31 may have some ideas in it as well.
Yours, R.E.A. III # 80888

I think I would just get a new skin and rebuild it

Take a look at a few older training a/c. :-)

That crack along the tip of the trailing edge would keep me up at night. I'd send the pictures to Van's for their opinion, but looks like only the skin is damaged so you wouldn't have to re-build the whole aileron. There are quite a few of us in the Multiple Aileron Skin Club. Join us! :)

I had my right aileron sitting on top of the wing about to mount it when a gust from an approaching storm flipped it up and off the wing. Same damage. I just built a new aileron. Took a couple days of work...but worth it in my opinion.