Frank Smidler
Well Known Member
Well it finally happened. The flap top skin popped out and caused damage to the wing walk doubler under the top wing skin.
First some background. I always park with my flaps down to prevent stepping on them and causing a lot of damage. As part of my preflight I always look at the flap top skin to make sure it is under the rear edge of the wing top skin, knowing that there has been occasions that others have reported persons leaning on them and having it pop out. If not caught, when you raise the flaps it can cause damage to the flap or the wing top skin. After reading some accounts on VAF after the fact, I now know I should retract the flaps up 5 or 10 degrees to keep this from happening (slow learner).
Up until last weekend, I always unbuckled and helped my passenger get in, giving instructions on how to climb in. With several family members going for short rides I decided to stay buckled in (I did of course shut down) and let my dad help my passengers get up on the wing. My second passenger was my niece and my dad must have inadvertently leaned on the flap when he reached into the back to get the step stool my wife uses to step up onto the wing. Before I started up, per my checklist, I raised the flaps and heard a crunching sound....OH NO... I immediately knew what had happened, lowered the flaps and got out to inspect.
I guess I can count myself as lucky, the only damage was to the wing walk doubler sheet that extends behind the rear spar. I think the flap skin and wing skin must have been just barely caught, tee-peed up and then popped out and caught on the inner doubler. I was able to continue with rides by only using 10 degrees of flaps or less. Well today I fixed the problem and thought I would share what I did.
I could not straighten out the doubler skin without bending the top wing skin so I decided to cut it off. I used a thing strip of steel between the top skin and doubler and used a dremel cutoff wheel to cut off the skin.
As you can see the to skin is just barely deformed on the inboard end.
Only scrapped a little paint on the flap which is not normally visible.
This shows how the doubler skin extends behind the rear spar and has been bent down. The wing skin is only slightly bowed up and can easily be bent back down a small amount after the doubler is cut off.
Here is the steel sheet in place and masking tape marking were to cut. Notice the plate-nut inboard for the wing root fairing, even though it sticks down, it never interferes with the flap.
Here is the piece cut off.
...and the wing were it was cut from.
I hope you do not have to go through this.
First some background. I always park with my flaps down to prevent stepping on them and causing a lot of damage. As part of my preflight I always look at the flap top skin to make sure it is under the rear edge of the wing top skin, knowing that there has been occasions that others have reported persons leaning on them and having it pop out. If not caught, when you raise the flaps it can cause damage to the flap or the wing top skin. After reading some accounts on VAF after the fact, I now know I should retract the flaps up 5 or 10 degrees to keep this from happening (slow learner).
Up until last weekend, I always unbuckled and helped my passenger get in, giving instructions on how to climb in. With several family members going for short rides I decided to stay buckled in (I did of course shut down) and let my dad help my passengers get up on the wing. My second passenger was my niece and my dad must have inadvertently leaned on the flap when he reached into the back to get the step stool my wife uses to step up onto the wing. Before I started up, per my checklist, I raised the flaps and heard a crunching sound....OH NO... I immediately knew what had happened, lowered the flaps and got out to inspect.
I guess I can count myself as lucky, the only damage was to the wing walk doubler sheet that extends behind the rear spar. I think the flap skin and wing skin must have been just barely caught, tee-peed up and then popped out and caught on the inner doubler. I was able to continue with rides by only using 10 degrees of flaps or less. Well today I fixed the problem and thought I would share what I did.
I could not straighten out the doubler skin without bending the top wing skin so I decided to cut it off. I used a thing strip of steel between the top skin and doubler and used a dremel cutoff wheel to cut off the skin.
As you can see the to skin is just barely deformed on the inboard end.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20002.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp4d2Dl1I%2FAAAAAAAAC-U%2FImAjtBg3stU%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520002.jpg&hash=7283d5a5257ff68f78bf4bc9d1a5a5bc)
Only scrapped a little paint on the flap which is not normally visible.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20006.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh6.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp5tlxxpI%2FAAAAAAAAC-c%2Fooe3yI78cZI%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520006.jpg&hash=8a4021cb1e04eeca29b5aa5c5f6692d8)
This shows how the doubler skin extends behind the rear spar and has been bent down. The wing skin is only slightly bowed up and can easily be bent back down a small amount after the doubler is cut off.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20012.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh5.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp6xOXxaI%2FAAAAAAAAC-k%2FkXvf4GxxVl8%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520012.jpg&hash=7981c8ff28bbd6ea26a1a59b74087bf5)
Here is the steel sheet in place and masking tape marking were to cut. Notice the plate-nut inboard for the wing root fairing, even though it sticks down, it never interferes with the flap.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20016.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh6.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp8huV4-I%2FAAAAAAAAC-w%2FXA3vlxEN5vc%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520016.jpg&hash=12e8c8078bae18e91c591d6f5d51dbd9)
Here is the piece cut off.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20024.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh6.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp-yrkDFI%2FAAAAAAAAC-4%2FbFAvvMtjpgM%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520024.jpg&hash=fb5e5204d3ab8d9c2ae6590750c032b4)
...and the wing were it was cut from.
![090911%2C%20Flap%20Repair%20025.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Flh6.ggpht.com%2F_AuQ1LrN4Z9I%2FSqrp_U66jGI%2FAAAAAAAAC-8%2FlnBNzpSVotk%2Fs400%2F090911%252C%2520Flap%2520Repair%2520025.jpg&hash=a323898af8e064371bcc3d9ed81f5336)
I hope you do not have to go through this.
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