Trailing edge root wing filler

[Ray]

Does anyone have a picture of their trailing edge wing root filler with the root cover on it. The reason I'm asking is that I'm almost done with my restoration and I'm not sure where the nails go that hold it on. I dont remember any wood in the location where nails should go, so I'm a little confused.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

The filler and fairing fit at the back is easy to do. I need to get to the other computer where the pictures are, but the inside front edge of the filler wedge has a small flange that hangs over the top of the upper longeron. There is supposed to be a small wedge shaped wood filler there on the longeron that the nail goes in.
You will find that getting the cover that wraps around the root and against the fuselage is a ROYAL PAIN! Especially where it meets the windshield and wraps around the leading edge. It is SUPPOSED to be one piece all the way around, but you rarely see one in one piece because he tiniest mis-cut magnifies over that long length to make the fit at the end WAY OFF. I have wasted a lot of aluminum and a BARREL of paper templates trying to make one in one piece. I just got a shrinker and stretcher that I think will beat the problem. With that I can adjust the fit to the fuselage along the bottom of the wing.
I will try to find the photos of the filler wedge, and if I can't I hope to hit the airport tomorrow and will try to remember to take another picture. Hopefully very soon I will have pictures of the whole cover!
Hank

[Robert Lees]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

Ray,
If you're referring to the wedge-shaped filler that goes between the fuselage & wing, it is not nailed on (at least, it isn't on my BC12D). It gets supported by the wing root fairing to which Hank refers. That is to say, it wedges between the fuselage & wing root, and is restrained top and bottom by the fairing. Mine has a few self-tapper screws that secure the wedge to the wing band at the top surface.

I attach some photos of mine. The black line is a strip of self-adhesive foam that prevents chafing between the wedge and the fuselage fabric.

[M Towsley]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

Ray,

Mine is the same as Rob's. Just free-floating, but secured with screws through the wing band.

[swoeric]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

I have 2 screws onto fus longeron and the rest is floating in the wing root cover....if you want to make these easy the first time go to sc.org site skup//mike mcs has a tutorial on how he does it and they always look amazing...I bought some of the rubber stripping from spruce that covers .5 on cover and hangs over .5 to seal the gaps

[Guest]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

I have 2 screws onto fus longeron and the rest is floating in the wing root cover....if you want to make these easy the first time go to sc.org site skup//mike mcs has a tutorial on how he does it and they always look amazing...I bought some of the rubber stripping from spruce that covers .5 on cover and hangs over .5 to seal the gaps

Eric,

Those screws are letting water enter the longeron and will eventually result in rust where ever the water settles.

You should consider changing that when you recover.

Dave.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

There is supposed to be a wood wedge on top of the longeron where the aluminum filler wedge is nailed in (not screws originally). It is carved out to fit snug around the longeron and curved so it actually looks like the longeron under the fabric. The nails (screws) should NOT go into the steel longeron! The aluminum filler wedge between the wing root and fuselage side is supported by the small nail (or screw) on the top front and floats in the wrap around band at the back. Originally there were NO screws into the filler wedge from the wrap and no screws from the wrap into anywhere else. The band was held on with a screw clamp that was tightened through a hole in the trailing edge. The method didn't work well and I don't remember EVER seeing a band that didn't have screws to hold the band on. I would imagine most pilots would have terrifying visions of the band flying off in flight and added screws when the Feds weren't looking. Most of the one piece bands have also been replaced by multi-piece bands that are screwed together at the breaks and have screws into the root ribs and fuselage. That allows you to shift the band pieces around so it fits against the fuselage. You REALLY NEED something on the bottom inside edge of the band where it rests against the fuselage to keep vibration from causing it to cut into the fabric. Most of the planes I have seen put a 90* bend in the lower piece of the band so the door traps it tight in front and it hangs less than an inch down in the lower back. The flat piece will lay against the fuselage without cutting the fabric, but is not the way Taylorcraft did it. They used a piece of rubber "U" channel on both sides of the wrap that is the black trim line you can see on both edges of the wrap in old pictures.
Hank

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

That piece of root filler (the aluminum "band") that fits particularly along the last bottom top 1/3 of the wing is an ackward piece to say the least. It cost me big time in judging in the past when old 94984 was at Sun N Fun over a decade ago. Tom Baker came up to me and mentioned a two piece system he devised... perhaps he an jump in or someone else....

[Ryan]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

My system is exactly has Hank describes. Our filler piece is nailed into the wood piece on top of the longeron and does not come out when the wing is removed. Our wing band is still one piece and is a real PITA to fit. Still tightens down with the one long screw through the whole in the back. Bad picture but you can see the wing bands hanging over the ladder in one piece and the fillers are already attached to the airframe. The wood pieces on the fuselage to which Hank refers can be found in the other two photos.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

When out looking at airplane you will see some where the trailing edge is straight with the longeron. These are mostly prewar planes. Then you will see some that the trailing edge is 1-1 1/2 inches below the longeron. These ate mostly post war airplanes. If the trailing edge is below the longeron it is hard to attach the filler to the wood piece and you will see it floating. If you are making new pieces and your trailing edge lines up with the longeron you can make the fairing to cover the gap and eliminate the filler block. Tom

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

If Tom gave up trying to get a one piece to work, maybe I am wasting my time trying to. He shared a LOT of info with me for my 41 and it shows on the plane. I think he, like me, would like to make it as hard on the judges as we can to pick the "best".
Most of the planes I have seen use 3 pieces for the band. The top one goes from the trailing edge to under the top windshield strap. The second runs under the wing from the trailing edge to the door hinge. The top piece wraps around the trailing edge and goes forward on the bottom about an inch and has two screws holding the top and bottom pieces together. The front piece overlaps the top strap and goes under the windshield strap with both being held by the windshield strap screw. It takes a lot of fitting to get a tight fit against the multiple curves around the leading edge and windshield but the goal is about 1/8" all over for the rubber seal so the edge of the metal isn't rubbing the plexi. As the front piece wraps around the leading edge it overlaps the front of the bottom piece and has two screws to hold the front and bottom together. Once everything is smooth and tight extra screws are added into the fuselage to wing root wedge and into the root rib to hold everything down. REMEMBER, NO screws into the steel tubes!
Also remember, this is NOT the way the factory did it, but it IS the most common way I have seen that looks good (lots of different ways that look terrible!). One way I saw that looked pretty good but didn't look good at all for maintenance was a plane I saw where someone had eliminated the band completely and put fabric over the gap. It seemed to work, and looked OK, but really left me scratching my head. I like to be able to open things up for inspection and you sure couldn't inspect the wing roots any more.
I need to look close at Tom's plane next time I can and see how he did it in two pieces. I am betting the easiest joint to eliminate would be the top to front one. Most of my problems have been getting the lower fuselage to band gap even while fitting around the leading edge.
Hank

[Guest]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

interesting, thanks, I never knew that Tom

[barnstmr]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

I recently got into this when I had my RH wing removed for fabric repairs. Thats when I too discovered the wedge as nailed into the wood piece above the top longeron. I noted that mine fit "pretty well" but not "very well" and definitely not "perfect". Mine required approximately six PK screws randomly spaced into the wood and between the long wing root faring to keep some of the wavy parts of the faring down. (Similar to Robert Lees' description.) Something about it seemed not right. So NOW this is something I look at on every Taylorcraft when I get the chance.

SO..... At The Fort Parker fly-in, we had several Taylorcrafts to look at and I was inspecting this feature on each one. If we were passing out trophies to the Taylorcraft with the best fitting wing root wedge/farings, the award would go hands down to Greg House for his BC12D. His farings fit so well that there was only ONE SCREW required to hold everything together (on the bottom trailing edge like Robert Lees' photo) and the whole faring was just as snug as a bug all the way around the wing root. Someday, I hope to match this on mine.

There is another RELATED TOPIC that I also discovered. Some Taylorcrafts have wood door frames and others have steel square tube door frames. Some of the ones with wood frames have a sheet metal faring that goes above the door to fill the gap between the wing root faring and the fuselage. Hard to describe... I should take some photos. On mine, this faring was nailed into the top frame (wood) over the door. There was a strip of aluminum tape over all the nail heads. So I put it back together the same way.

I am interested to learn how other Taylorcrafts are done.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

Terry,
My 41 has wood doors and frames and is a lot like what you described except there was no tape. There were strips of cotton fabric wrapped and doped in place. It was also where I found samples of unmolested paint to match colors. The 45 has tube doors and wood frames, again with sheet metal covers around the top of the frame and interior metal fairings to accent the upholstery . The 46 models I have seen uncovered have metal door frames. Don't know if they were all like that.
Hank

[Ray]

Re: Trailing edge root wing filler

Thanks guys this really helps.