Tripped, creased flap trailing edge

[sbalmos]

Well, something like this was bound to happen. One slipped step on my 3-step ladder in the hangar, and down I go. The ladder was pushed forward into the flap trailing edge. Ironically, right at the No Step label.

The bend in the trailing edge I worked out with a soft wood clamp. There's a very minor downward crease on the upper skin, right at probably the forward edge of the trailing edge wedge. There is a more pronounced (relatively) crease on the bottom skin, again right at the edge of the trailing edge wedge, and 3 popped trailing edge rivets.

My guess is I'm still fine. But during winter downtime, I can drill out the 3 rivets, somehow slip something in, and try to work out the bottom skin crease? Other ideas welcome. Hard to take pictures of the bottom crease. Either the light reflection helps show it, but makes it look worse, or the lighting doesn't show it at all.

 

[flipmike]

PDR

Not necessary to say why, but I ended up with a dent/crease in the leading edge of a wing. Called the PDR guy (painless dent removal) who had worked on my car the previous month. Happy to come over.

He was a magician. Seemed to move the metal almost at a molecular level...absolutely nothing remained of the dent even under the harshest of lights.. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it done in person.

Just a suggestion...

 

[Bavafa]

I have seen 'Dent doctors' do magic on a car but the flap skin is very thin, .020, if I remember correctly and not sure how well they can do on that but certainly worth giving a shot.

 

[Mike6A]

Did the same with mine. Used two pieces of wood and clamped together. Filled the resr with epoxy and micro ballons. Cant tell shere the crease was. Flies straight.

 

[rockwoodrv9]

That sucks Scott. Looks like you have some epoxy work to do. I hope your hangar is heated!

 

[Kyle Boatright]

Once you repair that flap, keep an eye on it. There's no telling how much torsional strength is has lost with a damaged TE.