My Titan Tornado
Pictures of repair jobs. Click on the smaller picture for a large size picture
November 26, 2008 I have completed all the repairs to my Tornado and now Im waiting for the engine.
I have a few more little odds and ends to finish plus mounting the wing and rear spar attachments but all the repair work is done. Here are some pictures of my progress from September 1st until now.
This first picture is the finished center spar box with new front spar attachment brackets, new rear spar carry through, and new cover skin. The 2 race track looking loops at the bottom are what I had to cut open the D cell leading edge for access below the main spar for removing bolts, and to get the rivet gun in place to drive new rivets to the shear web. In the large picture you can see the rivet pattern around the loops that fasten the D cell skin to a large doubler underneath. I think I got enough rivets there. I also put doublers under the shear web below the front spar attachment brackets
Next picture is how it looked when I got started back in september. The center skin was already removed and I started drilling out rivets to remove the front spar attahments. These rivets were only in the shear web and not in the spar. 4 bolts attach the mounting bracket to the spar itself and these were all replace with new. The main spar itself was not disturbed in any way.
The damaged parts that I replaced from the center spar box are shown here. The intermediate rear spar carry through and the aft fuselage mounting brackets, and the 2 front main spar fuselage mounting brackets. In the large picture you can see the damage to the rear spar carry through and the aft fuselage mounting brackets. Damage to the front main spar to fuselage attachments was due to bending. All these parts are replaced with new.
This is the left wing tip smashed in at the leading edge before repairs
Next is the right aileron after I took out the end rib and reformed the edge where it had been smashed and the counter weight was torn off
outside view of the alieron after reforming. The red dots are where my rivet patter will be for the stiffner added to rienforce it. I made an 040 thick angel plate that got riveted to the end rib and the skin on insided of the aileron to hold the new counter weight
Fitting the doubler in place to rienforce the bottom corner of the aileron where the counter balance attachs. It will be riveted to the end rib, and to the aileron skin and the counter balance will be riveted into the doubler in its original position
Doubler clamped in place inside the bottom corner of the aileron
I made stands for the wing that keeps it up above the landing gear so I can easily roll the fuselage in or out when ever I wish. They snuggle side by side and I still have room to work
This picture shows the top side view left wing tip a 14 inch section of leading edge I cut away that was all crumpled. The new section will slip right over the old part and get riveted to the spar and a row of rivets along the over lap seam
Bottom side left wing tip where mangeled section was cut away and removed from the spar. The new section will fit right in and get rivets in the spar and along the seam where it joins back to the wing
The mangeled up section of the left wing tip that I cut away
The left wing tip with the damaged leading edge cut away and a doubler riveted on to the wing tip end rib
Top side of left wing tip with new leading edge patch installed and riveted to the spar and the main wing skin. Clecos are at where the wing tip joins to the end of the wing
The bottom side of the left wing tip with the new leading edge patch installed and riveted to the spar. Clecos are in the wing tip where it fastens to the end of the wing
New nose cone painted up and holes match drilled ready to install
Center spar box painted. One last thing to do here is to mate and drill the rear spar mounting brakets Ill do that after the engine is installed and the wing is back on
New nose cone finished and ready to go on, right wing tip painted and match drilled for rivet
New nose cone painted and ready to go with new pitot tube.
Right wing aileron and counter weight repair finished and new wing tip reinstalled ready for rivets. Reinforcing doubler is behind all those rivets where the counter weight attaches at the bottom corner of the aileron
This what the foam ribs look like. they form the leading edge D section back to the main spar. Spaced on 4 inch centers along the entire leading edge and glued to the skin and the spar. They are pretty tough
Counter weight arm and aileron end rib reinstalled. The other rib at the left of picture is the wing tip rib with a rienforcing doubler similar to the one used insid the aileron
Aileron repair and replacement of the counter weight on right aileron. This is where a large doubler angel was put in behind the counter weight where all those rivets are
The right wing tip foam end rib had to be replaced and the leading edge was reformed and a doubler added along the bottom edge where the tip gets rivets. This wing tip was bent but I could reform it and got it back right without cutting away a section
A picture of the wing tip rib and reinforcing doubler I added because both wing tip ribs were bent