Rear Spar

[ccoffin]

Scott, I was looking at pictures of your rear spar and noticed a tab with 4 holes riveted onto the front of the spar. I don't remember seeing this in the drawings, what is this for?

Craig

 

[splischke]

What you see is a reinforcement piece for the root rib. In a back issue of the Sonerai Newsletter (you do have the back issues? ), Ed Sterba wrote that he and at least one other Sonerai II owner found that their inboard rib cracked where it attached to the rear spar. Ed wasn't sure of the reason why the rib cracked other than from people leaning on the wing to look into the cockpit. His fix was to install a small gusset.

-Scott

 

[ccoffin]

Thanks, I was worried I missed something on the drawings. Also, I've been meaning to get the issues of the Sonerai newsletter, I think they'll go on my X-mas wish list.

Craig

 

[phzabriskie]

Good eye, I just zinc-chromate painted my rear spars and have been working to Scott's photos but never paid any notice to this tab. I'll snip one up this weekend.
-Pete.
Dear Santa, I would like one set of past Sonerai Newsletters on DVD and a lifetime supply of sunny days to fly in.

 

[splischke]

I received a private email from a gentleman that wanted a list of items to inspect on a Sonerai. I found a "Condition Inspection" article that Dave Wilcox wrote a few years ago and in it was this picture of the root rib crack:

If you're not lurking, see Dave's Condition Inspection article by clicking this link...

http://www.sonerai.net/CMS/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=0&func=startdown&id=3529

-Scott

 

[EricM]

I used Dave's "condition Inspection" list and, among other things, found a crack in the rear main spar on the right wing of my Sonerai.