Look what I found in my right wingtip.

[TimHicks]

What are the first two things that you notice?

[partyofone]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

I'm going with really nice mouse nest and a busted tip rib. Good thing the fabric held it together.

[M Towsley]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Corroded wing tip rib and it looks like you have a new wire wheel on your bench grinder???

[TimHicks]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Wow, you guys are really perceptive. I just bought that wire wheel less than 2 weeks ago. I got tired of picking wires from my old wheel out of my forehead.

And also the last rib. The fabric looked fine, but when I pulled it back, powder came out. I guess the mouse/rat urine corroded it. Is there any way to repair this? or do I need a new rib?

One last thing, about two inches inboard of the last rib, on the rear spar, it looks like the little bugger gnawed on the corner of the spar. Is that something I sand out and brush with spar varnish? Or does it necesitate replacing the spar?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

I don't know about the legalities, but that looks like such a small loss of material on the corner of the spar, and it is so far out on the span, I can't imagine it is a problem. I really doesn't matter if it is safe though, if your IA says it is no good, you have to repair or replace it. If needed, I would go for repair, but am betting he won't have a problem with it.
If you want to KNOW the loss of strength, just measure the worst loss of net area and calculate the bending strength of a spar with a reduced height to match the loss of area. That would give you a VERY conservative number. Apply that to the bending load at the furthest inboard point (again, VERY conservative). I am betting the weakest point in the spar will still be at the strut attach points by a WIDE margin.
Hank

Or you could just proof load it before you recover. You can't argue with a proof test.

[magman]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

To my knowledge there are few flying mice.

That means in order to get to the wingtip some other route was used.

Mice gain access to almost ALL aircraft via the landing gear.

In your case I would suspect the tail wheel.

Once in the fuselage a frequent haunt is the "Headliner Resort".

Wonderful for making nests.

Good things to chew & you don't have to go out in the cold to use the bathroom.

From there they migrate to other locations.

Chewing on rib stitching may be on the itinerary.


I have seen aircraft destroyed by these guys.

Some folks make barriers out of sheet aluminum or steel that wrap around each wheel.

The critters are unable to climb a really SMOOTH surface.

Poison can leave you with dead mice in the aircraft.


Before addressing the outboard portion of the spar I would consider the preceding note.

The path from the fuselage to the tip may well have some restrictions. ( Wing Spar)

A little gnawing and the family can travel back & forth with ease.

Good luck.

[N96337]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

You need to check the spars out very carefully anyway. If they're original, there's a huge chance that they're a bunch of scarfed together pieces, and the glue is not so hot anymore. My '46 spars were over a dozen pieces, and alot of the old caesine glue had dried and failed. It was pretty scary when you got to looking closely.
John

[M Towsley]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Though these are around my Air-Bike, (for sale on Barnstormers), you can see my critter guards. Just flashing with the ends bent so they slip together. None of my planes have been infested with these around the wheels. I currently have a set around the T-Craft's wheels, too.

[partyofone]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

I have seen the corrosive results of mouse urine when I was working for my dad restoring airplanes. I once took the leading edge off of a cub wing that was FULL of mouse nest. Upon inspection, the metal spar was all white. I pushed on it with my finger and stuck it straight through. Univair got a call that day.

Erik

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

delete

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Yep thoise mice love spruce and thread! The urine eats the aluminum for lunch. After 33 yers in a dirt floor hanger mine looked like yours only about a 1,000% worse with cartoon looking mouse holes through the spars for passage and the ribs clear gone for 2 or 3 inchs at at time, and about half the ribs stiching was gone too. I think your rib trailing edge will be an easy fix. But find someone who has done some riviting first as the small hat section can be a real B*tch for a first timer. Ask me how I know!
L

[N-43121]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Here a few more just to gross everyone out .... discovered in one of my ailerons which hadn't been recovered since the mid '70's. Didn't find any other signs of mice in the fuselage, wings, or other aileron ... lucky I guess.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

You are making me cry here! Looks like it might be a good idea to make some rib bucks up when I make the windshield base strip buck. Does anyone know off hand what alloy and thickness aluminum was used on the ribs.
Hank

[waltermrich]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

Is there something you can put in your wings to prevent critters from making a home there, I have heard using moth balls but I would think that would work only on insects, yesterday after reading this thread I found that the cord on my headset had been eaten thru on Sunday, Saturday it was fine, so im a bit unnerved after seeing this

[magman]

Re: Look what I found in my right wingtip.

They don't get in your WINGS.

They get in via "tires".

Then to fuselage , headliner etc.

Check out post #8.

Keeps them out all over.