to washer or not to washer?

[Dot_AK]

As y'all are so kind and generous with answers, I present my latest bewilderment to you, with another request for help! As you can see in the margin of pictures, the drag wires are now all on (still looking for a 6-40 die to make new tie rods). As soon as I get the butt rib and gas tank fitted, it's time to trammel the wing, glory hallelujah!

But before I can get there, I have gaps in my hardware that are gaps in my knowledge: pictures should follow if I do it right.

1. When fitting the first compression strut on, it fits (according to the impressions on the old spar) below the spar attach bracket on the front spar and shares a single hole with the rear spar attach bracket. This leaves a gap under half the compression strut. Am I supposed to bolt it in at an angle, or is there something like a washer I should be sliding underneath the compression strut? I can't tell by old photos or by the impressions in the old spar.

2. Attached by one of four legs to the rear spar strut attach fitting is an odd pyramidal-shaped tube structure. I think, if I understand the pictures correctly, the bellcrank and aileron control cables attach to it. So, this thing, according to the impressions by the old spar, had a washer at the top center leg. But if I put that on, there's a gap on the right leg and bottom center leg. Again, what is the purpose of this washer? Was it really supposed to be there, and am I really just supposed to crank the rest of the bolts down so it's at an angle?

[Forrest Barber]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

No angles, there are spacers to take up the gaps, there are different length compression stuts, three in fact. Is there any one near you to look at their wing? ALSO place wing on saw horses , go out to the tip of the wing, raise the rear spar and see that the drag wires separate upward when you twist the wing like it will be when installed. I see many who tie them together or put the wrong one under....

[Dot_AK]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

There are spacers? What do they look like? What are they made of? I'll look through my bags of assorted hardware off the wings again, but I didn't see anything that looked obviously spacer-like!

I think I have the right compression strut - I put the shortest went between the two doubler plates, the second-shortest at the butt where one end rests n that fitting, and the rest on the full-length spans between front and rear spars.

Wait, there's supposed to be a proper order for drag wires? Oops! Ok, I'll take 'em off and make sure they're on right. But why are they not supposed to be tied together? The wires came with varnished friction tape in the middle, so I'd assumed I was going to put them back that way...

[Larry Lyons]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Yep they get taped together but you want the tension trying to separate them. Tape goes between and around to keep them from rubbing together from vibration. At least that is what I have seen on the two I am working on. Larry

[Dot_AK]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Thank you!

The prior owner stopped by at lunch today and saw Vickie for the first time in roughly four months. He found the shims - they're metal half-moon shapes. (Now I get to figure out which goes where!) He also affirms that the wire arrangement is important, and that's why he took so many pictures - trying to capture that.

It was wonderful to see him, and for him to see the wings. Maybe it's just because I'm a woman and need occasional compliments, but it felt so wonderful to have him look at the wings and tell me we're doing a good job, and have gotten pretty far in the last five months.

It's starting to really look like a wing:

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Compliments will never be in short supply when you fly a 41 Taylorcraft! You will need to get used to it.
Hank

[Ragwing nut]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Be very careful in you compression member placement! They are not all the same length. There is 3 different lengths, 2 short ones go at the wing and strut attach positions. Also, make sure to shim the first compression member to fit your fuslage fittings or you will be cussing alot while holding a wing over your head. How the wires cross is irrevelent and are all the same except for the two long ones at the end.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

The wires do NOT get tied together, only a chafe wrapping on the lower wire, yes it was shellacked (sp) friction tape from the factory . MANY things get changed during recover jobs. When you rig the wings (as I mentioned before) they have to be free to separate a wee bit ( twist is put into the wing , try it out on the saw horses before cover. That is the reason I would not make a good Awards Judge; I see darn few "airworthy" ships as they "do not conform to Type Certificate" .

[Larry Lyons]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Thanks Forrest, I wondered about that "tying the wires together". Seemed counterintuitive to me. Even though that is the way my 41 was put together a very long time ago (over 40 years near as I can tell, maybe even longer then that).
Larry

[Ragwing nut]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Thanks Forrest, I wondered about that "tying the wires together". Seemed counterintuitive to me. Even though that is the way my 41 was put together a very long time ago (over 40 years near as I can tell, maybe even longer then that).
Larry

I have found many original wings with the wires taped together with friction tape from the factory that I have disassembled over the years. One wire always has taped around it to protect from the overlapping wire. The overlapping wire has a couple wraps to the other wire. The process is too repetitive to have been done in the field by mechanics to have all done it the same way.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

Take it from someone who has written instructions for implementation on aircraft. What engineering says and what the floor does can be miles apart (and still can be safe). We had LOTS of times where QA came in screaming "They didn't do it by the instruction!", and we responded, "No, but that will work". It's the real world. The problems start when the changed procedure ISN'T acceptable, especially when it isn't caught!
I would think the tape to prevent chaffing on the lower wire and making sure the wires separated when the tip trailing edge was twisted up would be VERY important. The second thing would be to keep the wires from rubbing when they did come together and you could stop that by tying them together (if they come in contact too many times, eventually, you could wear through the tape). I can see where either way could be on the drawings, and don't see where tying them would cause a problem. It is something to look at on annual through those inspection holes! If you see the tape worn, LOOK OUT! Could be really fun re-wrapping the wire through the inspection hole.
Hank

[Forrest Barber]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

The rag nut: was that on B models or D models?? I only go by drawings from the B series as that was the original question.... What a true statement about what the engineering says and the workers do! that brought a few F-105's down. How about the tiny wire at the bow between the spars, do you all have it?? I have the CD with the wing drawings 0893 & B12-A165 in hand . working Friday to implement them. Frank Pavliga is doing a B for a fellow here and I now have three of them near Alliance under restoration...... they are ALL different . I too ahve seen many wires tied together with friction tape & varnish , it was just done that way at the first recover if not from the factory .

[Ragwing nut]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

The rag nut: was that on B models or D models?? I only go by drawings from the B series as that was the original question.... What a true statement about what the engineering says and the workers do! that brought a few F-105's down. How about the tiny wire at the bow between the spars, do you all have it?? I have the CD with the wing drawings 0893 & B12-A165 in hand . working Friday to implement them. Frank Pavliga is doing a B for a fellow here and I now have three of them near Alliance under restoration...... they are ALL different . I too ahve seen many wires tied together with friction tape & varnish , it was just done that way at the first recover if not from the factory .

All post war bows I have seen have the wire on them, especially if they have the light in the tip. The wire was friction taped to it. I will have to look at the "D" wings. "B" is what comes from memory.

[Dick Huish]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

All "D" wood wings had the drag wires taped and were wired for lights. Don't know about the metal wings. Dick

[Larry Lyons]

Re: to washer or not to washer?

My 41 BC did not have the wire between the spars, but has the electric wires for lights. On a plane with no elec. system! Larry