spar replacement cost?

[Fooey]

Out of curiosity, does anyone have a ballpark figure on replacement of wing spars ?

Thanks,
Tim

[crispy critter]

Re: spar replacement cost?

Figure around $5000-7500 if you do a good part of the work yourself. And as much as $10,000 is not out of line depending on where your located and who is doing it.

You have to figure the cost of new spars which will be around $1000 for just the wood if you make them yourself or about $3800-4000 if you order them ready to varnish and install(shipping included). Then around $2000-2500 for all the covering materials and new hardware(price subject to type of fabric process and type of top coat). Then if figure the cost of labor to that is usually equal the cost of materials if you pay the average professional to do it for you. A lot of guys won't charge that in the more rural areas but big city places will probably charge more.

[skip]

Re: spar replacement cost?

I just rebuilt my wings with all new spars. Now if only the hanger will warm up enough to shoot the last coat of colour...

As for tools, I already have a drill press, router, and a lathe (for the phenolic bushings in the wing). I bought a good DeVilbiss gun for painting.

The breakdown is as follows. These are rough numbers. I didn't keep a business-like account of every washer purchased.

Four spar blanks and two aileron blanks from Aircraft Spruce at three year's ago prices: $750
A few pieces of plywood brings it close to $800 for the plain wood.

Covering materials (Stewart Systems) $3500

Misc cleaners, primers, varnish, alodyne,, nuts, bolts ... Figure another $1000

Then there is two years agonizing over every hole drilled in exactly the right place, reassembly, and about four months of covering, taping, painting. I can fully understand why the insurance quote for a recover was $23K -$25K. Most of it is labour. I now have a lot of sweat-equity in the plane.

Is it worth it? DEFINITELY! I now have better-than-factory new wings. I found a number of subtle but scary things in the wings. I enjoyed every bit of the process, even including the muscle-clenching scary first hole drilling in the spar blanks. I learned a lot and had very good oversight from my A&P and my IA.

I suspect that this will not be the last rebuild I do. I really loved it, and I am really anxious to make that first flight soon now.

[skip]

Re: spar replacement cost?

Tim,

One additional note on the preparation for all this. I worked with my A&P and my IA BEFORE the work planning ahead for the 337s and logbook entries. I also visited with my local FSDO to find out just how they wanted the 337s and logbook entries. They were happy with me producing the spar as an owner-produced part, but a part of that was that I have STC SA1-210 for the C-85 upgrade, and this includes drawings of the important parts of the spar. I am not sure how they would have reacted to my saying "I just copied the old spar". It never came up because they seemed to really like the "approved data" in the STC SA1-201 drawings.

Bottom line, check with your IA and FSDO to make sure that everything is legally doable as well as technically doable before you start down a long wrong path.

[birdlegs]

Re: spar replacement cost?

Figure around $5000-7500 if you do a good part of the work yourself. And as much as $10,000 is not out of line depending on where your located and who is doing it.

You have to figure the cost of new spars which will be around $1000 for just the wood if you make them yourself or about $3800-4000 if you order them ready to varnish and install(shipping included). Then around $2000-2500 for all the covering materials and new hardware(price subject to type of fabric process and type of top coat). Then if figure the cost of labor to that is usually equal the cost of materials if you pay the average professional to do it for you. A lot of guys won't charge that in the more rural areas but big city places will probably charge more.

Kevin's quote is dead on, I just finished mine last year and they cmae in @$7,850 for new spars and covered with color complete

[Leenicklas]

Re: spar replacement cost?

I am planning to rebuild my wings. (one has been disassembled before I bought the project). It is BC12D 65 hp. I was planning to "just copy the other wing". Where can I can plans, diagrams, blue prints, etc for a proper rebuild? thx

[waltermrich]

Re: spar replacement cost?

That is the age old question, when you find out let me know

[Guest]

Re: spar replacement cost?

I am planning to rebuild my wings. (one has been disassembled before I bought the project). It is BC12D 65 hp. I was planning to "just copy the other wing". Where can I can plans, diagrams, blue prints, etc for a proper rebuild? thx

Hi Lee,

That's how I did mine and it worked out just fine.

Dave

p.s. might be better to say "duplicate the wing" so that you don't end up with two lefts or two rights

[tim]

Re: spar replacement cost?

what about going from wood to aluminum ?

[3Dreaming]

Re: spar replacement cost?

what about going from wood to aluminum ?

Tim, I know Swick had an option to install metal spars in a clip wing, but I don't know of an approval for metal spars in a standard wing. That being said I have heard stories about a few BC12-D's being built with metal spars from the factory, but I think they might have been for export.

[senior]

Re: spar replacement cost?

what about going from wood to aluminum ?

We have a set of aluminum & thought about using on a set of Chief wings were working on but the rib attach is completely screwed up.
Much easier & quicker to use wood!

[N96337]

Re: spar replacement cost?

If you're interested in going to aluminum, you should talk to Ernie at D&E Aircraft. He talked to me about it about 20 years ago, and had some pretty good parts and info!
John

[tim]

Re: spar replacement cost?

ya i know d&e has them flaps would be fun im just looking to update my taylorcraft as much as possible

[RobertP]

Re: spar replacement cost?

What would a second hand set of spars be worth from a F22? Could they be used in the older T/crafts as I believe the basic wing dimensions are the same? just wondering as I have a set in my garage!

[skip]

Re: spar replacement cost?

I am planning to rebuild my wings. (one has been disassembled before I bought the project). It is BC12D 65 hp. I was planning to "just copy the other wing". Where can I can plans, diagrams, blue prints, etc for a proper rebuild? thx

and

Hi Lee,

That's how I did mine and it worked out just fine.

Dave

p.s. might be better to say "duplicate the wing" so that you don't end up with two lefts or two rights

My FSDO wanted me to quote chapter and verse from 43.13-1b on the 337. So for reference, here is the appropriate section that covers both use of the drawings from the STC and "just copy the wing".

AC 43.13-1b,
1-41. SPAR REPLACEMENT.
Replacement of spars is a major repair.
Spars may be replaced by new parts made by the manufacturer or the holder of a Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) for that part.
Owner-produced spars may be installed providing they are made from a manufacturer-approved drawing.
Also, a spar may be made by reference to an existing spar providing sufficient evidence is presented to verify that the existing spar is an original part, and that all materials and dimensions can be determined.

So first, a 337 and field approval is required because replacement of the spar is a major repair. This isn't just a log book entry. The 337 will need to specify which case in 1-41 was used for the replacement spar.

The first case (PMA) applies if one finds a NOS factory spar somewhere.

The second case is the one I used. The approved drawings are the STC SA1-210 drawings related to the spar.

The third case is the "just copy the spar". Note that the copied spar needs something like the little brass serial number plate from Taylorcraft and maybe a picture of the very dim and probably paint-covered stamp used by the Taylorcraft supplier in order to "provide sufficient evidence to verify that the spar is an original part." just saying "I copied the spar" may not be enough depending on your specific FSDO reviewers. Thus my comment about getting the concurrence of your IA and FSDO folks before you get started.

By the way, I did cross check my new spars with the originals by lining up all bolt holes with the new spar laying on the old to ensure that everything matched exactly. HOWEVER, whoever applied STC SA1-210 years ago seems to have used a hand drill guided by the root fittings to drill out the larger phenolic bushings required for the C-85. Unfortunately, this resulted in some oval yowzelled-out holes in the fittings and some not-quite-square holes in the root of the spar. A real factory root fitting would not fit on my wing because the holes in the bushings were no longer in the factory positions. Kind of scary actually. Thus, I could not meet the part about "...and that all ... dimensions can be determined" when copying the spar. Fortunately for my case, the STC includes approved drawings of the root of the spar and the root fittings with materials and dimensions specified. My owner-produced parts for new root fittings and the replacement spar thus used the dimensions from the approved drawings rather than copying the incorrect holes in that part of the spar.