Composite Repair in Seattle (Bird Strike)

[BruceAir]

I wrapped up a busy weekend at a formation flying clinic at Mojave Sunday, and about 1330 local, I departed in my Extra 300L for home, and what I thought would be fun summer of aerobatics in Seattle.

I had a nice flight going up through the central valley of California until I decided to stop for fuel in Stockton (although I had a good reserve in the tanks) before continuing north toward home.

Unfortunately, as I was zooming down final approach to runway 29L at the Stockton airport and keeping track of an Arrow on final for the parallel, with everything looking good (and very glad to be out of the strong, gusty winds at Mojave), I suddenly saw a bird fly up in front of me. Birds usually dive and get out of the way, but this one was confused. It pulled up, and then dove, but not in time. Thwap! I felt it hit my plane. I wasn’t sure where it had impacted.

I made one of my better landings and taxied in to check it out. Merde!

Only the bird's wing appears to have hit my right wing, on the lower side near the fuselage. But it chipped off some paint and made an 8-inch crinkled circle in the composite skin.

I put the airplane in the FBO's hangar for the night and after sending photos to my Extra experts, determined that it was OK to contine the flight home. I arrived at BFI late yesterday afternoon.

It now appears there's a small fuel leak (the wing tanks in the Extra are essentially tubes in the leading edges of the wing), so I need to have some composite repairs made.

Does anyone know of a good composite shop/mechanic in the Seattle area? If so, please send an email to me at bruceair@bruceair.com.

 

[Diana]

Only the bird's wing appears to have hit my right wing, on the lower side near the fuselage. But it chipped off some paint and made an 8-inch crinkled circle in the composite skin.

It now appears there's a small fuel leak (the wing tanks in the Extra are essentially tubes in the leading edges of the wing), so I need to have some composite repairs made.

Well, dang it Bruce. Glad you didn't get hurt; sorry to hear about your Extra.

Hope you get it fixed soon. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

[BruceAir]

Yeah, after a whole weekend where I was criticized for not holding formation close enough, a bird decides, literally, to join on my wing.

 

[Stache]

Composites are kind of like a banana if you touch it to hard it will bruise. Stiking a bird will bruise the area and the only repair is to cut out the burised area and bond in a new section. However sometimes the manufacture will tell you note the area in your records and leave it along of course this will require you to reinspect the area every so many hours or cycles. Your Extra is a tough bird, but since you have a leak it looks like a repair will have to be performed.

Stache

 

[Diana]

Bruce, what's the latest on the repair? Is your Extra going to be down for awhile yet?

 

[BruceAir]

I have found a shop that comes highly recommended. They plan to start work on May 23, and the repair should take about a week. In other words, I'm grounded until the end of the month.

Fortunately, given my mood, the weather has been MVFR and IFR since I brought the airplane back to Seattle, so I wouldn't be looping and rolling anyway.

But I'm still mad about that bird....

 

[Henning]

I have found a shop that comes highly recommended. They plan to start work on May 23, and the repair should take about a week. In other words, I'm grounded until the end of the month.

Fortunately, given my mood, the weather has been MVFR and IFR since I brought the airplane back to Seattle, so I wouldn't be looping and rolling anyway.

But I'm still mad about that bird....

If you're flying acro with the plane, I'd replace the wing, that's why we have insurance. This isn't a cruiser and it's not metal or wood. With what you ddescribed, I'd be leary of a repair on that plane especially with it damaged enough for a leak. I never have trusted CF post imact, but then I still have prejudices from the early days of CF that may no longer apply.

 

[BruceAir]

It's going to be properly repaired. There's no structural damage, and the fuel issue is barely perceptible seepage.

 

[Henning]

It's going to be properly repaired. There's no structural damage, and the fuel issue is barely perceptible seepage.

That's just it, I'm not sure that it CAN be repaired properly without doing it at a very large scale and adding 50% weight over the repaired mass weight, and that ain't 'right'. The problem lies in the scarfing angle of these thin layups (it's hard to get a vaccuum bag on the inside of the wing too) as well as invisible shock fractures that can run a long way in a carbon fiber substraight. CF/Epoxy isnt the same as E or S glass and polyester. The insurance company owes you like and kind, to put you back in the SAME condition you were in before the covered event. It will never be the same with a repair. I just remember when the carbon fiber chassis came out they were great, until the sixth season, then they'd just dissintegrate at 190mph. I'm still not fully trusting that they have it right since I see boats breaking and parts coming off Airbusses. I would not accept a repair of a wing that is rated for the stresses your's sees or at least is rated to see.

 

[BruceAir]

I will trust the experience, knowledge, and skill of people who do this sort of work every day and who will examine the specific damage in the specific area on my specific airplane.

 

[Henning]

I will trust the experience, knowledge, and skill of people who do this sort of work every day and who will examine the specific damage in the specific area on my specific airplane.

As you should, I'm just passing on to you my experience with the stuff after 20+ years of working with it both in origional layup and repairing it. If it was my airplane, I would not allow the insurance company to repair it, I would insist on replacement and they can't deny it.