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Wing Strength Mod

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oracle1

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
14
If buying a Sonerai without provenance how can one tell if the wing strengthening mod has been done on a non folding wing and what is involved in doing it if it has not been done? Thank you for any advice.
 
The Sonerai II had three different wing designs. The first was the original A-wing. It has 9 ribs in each panel and was not reinforced. The second was the B-wing, which has 11 ribs in each panel, and has the spar and rib attachment reinforcements. The third is the S-wing which was introduced on the Sonerai II Stretch airplane, and is essentially the same as the B-wing, except all of the rib flanges in both panels face to the left, where the A and B-wing ribs have left-facing flanges in the right wing, and right-facing flanges in the left wing.
So, knowing all this, the first thing to do is count the number of ribs in each wing panel. If there are 9 ribs, you have an A-wing which may or may not have been modified. If you have 11 ribs, you have a B or S-wing, which in all likelihood has the reinforcements. To verify, pull wing off the airplane, and look thru the root rib lightening holes at the main spar top cap strip set. If there is a 1-1/4” x 1-1/4” x 1/8” aluminum angle riveted there, the reinforcement has been done. Also, you should find 1” x 1” x 1/8” angles attaching the first 5 nose and main ribs to the main spar.
If you are looking in an A-wing, and it has not been reinforced, I the A-wing modification drawings available in .pdf format that I can email you. This mod requires the removal of each inboard wing skin, and drilling out the upper main spar cap strip rivets to allow the installation of the main spar angles.
Hope this helps.
 
Thank you very much for this highly informative and concise reply, the aircraft in question is a IIS so it is highly likely that the wing will have the s wing. I cant pull the wing before buying the aircraft but can do the mod with some work if it is needed which is good to know.
 
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