My son is taking on a super cub project. We are now evaluating the fuselage which has been bent up pretty bad. The fuselage tail section has a bad twist, some bent tubes. The top bird cage is gone and the overhead brace is twisted and wing attachment are there but bent and twisted and not in the right location. The boot cowling area is bent up and was ripped off. The fuselage is corrosion free and has most of the odds and ends. My question is........ should we try and tackle this project. We have a bare striaght fuselage to look at and to possibly make up a jig from. We have some welding experience but not alot on aviation tubing. My son is trying to keep the cost down and gain some experience but I am seeking info on other ideas like having the fuselage sent somewhere, placed in a jig and the repairs done with out our experimentation on it. I am thinking we will have alot of other stuff to do besides the fuselage repair. Thanks Mark
twisted fuselage
- Thread starter teeweed
- Start date
Luke_theDrifter
Registered User
Dillingham, Alaska
1) Buy a new frame, you'll be money ahead in the long run. Airframes Inc. in Big Lake Alaska builds the best product.
There are a number of places in Alaska that have a frame jig and will do the work, however ultimatley it will cost more plus be heavier because of all of the splices & welding.
Just like building a house, you gotta start w/ a good foundation. If you build a house with a bad foundation it don't matter what furniture you fill it with, cause its still a piece of junk.
2) You'll have PLENTY to learn during the rebuild process w/o trying to use a junk frame.
There are a number of places in Alaska that have a frame jig and will do the work, however ultimatley it will cost more plus be heavier because of all of the splices & welding.
Just like building a house, you gotta start w/ a good foundation. If you build a house with a bad foundation it don't matter what furniture you fill it with, cause its still a piece of junk.
2) You'll have PLENTY to learn during the rebuild process w/o trying to use a junk frame.
Glenn5ft19
Registered User
My .02 would be try a few repairs on your own and see how it goes. If you screw it up you can still have a the Montana guy fix it. For welding practice go to the dump and get some old bicycle frames cut up the tubes and try welding some joints. You could also get some Wag Aero cub plans which are fairly inexpensive and use the dimensions for helping to get the fuselage straight. If your son can do this project. Anything else will seem pretty ordinary. Also would be really helpful if you have a mentor close by.
Good Luck
Glenn
Good Luck
Glenn
Bugs66
Registered User
Spokane WA
kase said:I wish I would of known you guys wanted to learn to weld. I would of gave you this fuselage instead of hauling it to the dump.
click to enlarge
Dang Kase! There is lot of good stuff there! I see a fin, turtledeck, window frames, door, pulleys, brackets! All can be reused!
Bugs66
Registered User
Spokane WA
kase said:
Yeah but us experimental guys would pick that thing clean like vultures!
A cut-off can wheel quickly remove a lot of things for reuse, like the turtledeck, various brackets, jackscrew tower, and other things that wouldn't be destroyed by removing. If you are scratch building a Cub, those window frames become valuable because they are expensive to buy and difficult to form. Window frames are tack welded on and a dremel tool can make quick work of removing them. If the pulleys were not too old in this aircraft, then they are perfectly usable if not damaged.
Oh well, moot at this point.
kase
SPONSOR
Billings MT
Yep, I could of sat there for 2 days cutting all that stuff off and put it on ebay and got 25.00 for all of it. If I would of known you at the time you could of had it free for the hauling.
Theres nothing wrong with rebuilding a frame but it gets to appoint sometimes where it makes more sense to buy new.
Theres nothing wrong with rebuilding a frame but it gets to appoint sometimes where it makes more sense to buy new.
Glenn5ft19
Registered User
For us exp. guys it is often easier for us to make a part if we have something to copy even if it is bent and beat up. I have quite a few unusable parts around just for reference. Especially original Piper stuff.
Glenn
Glenn
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
I never throw anything away. You never know what you can use off it. I guess that is why I have 3 fuselages out back and the bits and pieces of several more manging from the rafters and the walls. I hate to see the auction at my hanger whenever I kick the bucket. 8)
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
The good ones are hung in the rafter of the main and storage hanger. The real bad ones are outside with lots of stuff cut off them. Lee is rebuilding one of them. He spends countless hours out there with wire, aluminum and my tools. 8)
Paper work
Another thing to consider is the paper work. If you do the rebuild yourself or have someone do it for you, be sure to decide ahead of time which modifications you wish to make. They will probably fall into two categories: modifications with STCs available and modifications that require field approval. Be sure to get the paper work done and approved for any field approvals you might want before you start any work. Under the current FAA environment, field approvals can be finicky and are not something to be taken granted for.
My experience is with a 12 rebuild and this is definitely an issue with a 12. I think there are more STCs available for 18s, so maybe its not much of an issue with an 18. Maybe someone could respond with a short list of 18 fuselage mods that still require field approvals and comments on how easy or difficult it is to get them.
One nice advantage of buying a finished fuselage is that it will shsould come with all the mods you want and you wont have to worry about paper work.
Another thing to consider is the paper work. If you do the rebuild yourself or have someone do it for you, be sure to decide ahead of time which modifications you wish to make. They will probably fall into two categories: modifications with STCs available and modifications that require field approval. Be sure to get the paper work done and approved for any field approvals you might want before you start any work. Under the current FAA environment, field approvals can be finicky and are not something to be taken granted for.
My experience is with a 12 rebuild and this is definitely an issue with a 12. I think there are more STCs available for 18s, so maybe its not much of an issue with an 18. Maybe someone could respond with a short list of 18 fuselage mods that still require field approvals and comments on how easy or difficult it is to get them.
One nice advantage of buying a finished fuselage is that it will shsould come with all the mods you want and you wont have to worry about paper work.
Sold my damaged and twisted fuselage to a rebuilder with a jig. Bought a Airframes fuselage with all the bells and whistles and powdercoating. Net cost $7000. Saved a lot of time and the damage history as far as the fuselage goes away. No matter how good I would of fixed it there would have been a price deduct from a potential buyer. 
Ted Smith
