My airplane has Acne, or that Bucking Bar...

[sshekels]

Today when I was working on my preflight I noticed a group of small "bumps" (acne?) on the lower leading edge of my left wing. They all seemed to be clustered along the rivet lines... Odd. I was _pretty_ sure they were new, as I always enjoy looking at the shiny undersides of my wing after washing it.

I asked the local mechanic to come over, and he agreed it looked suspicious, and decided to pull the wing tip off to take a peek.

(#$%@#$%@#$) Put your favorite swear word there...

Someone had left a Bucking Bar, (I had a different, but similar, name for it!) in the outer wing! It apparently was living quite happily in the very tip in a small section between a rib and bulkhead. Apparently during some turbulence, it migrated to the next section back where the skin is thinner, and took up residence! After a bit, it did a number on the lower skin! EEK!

If you've never seen one of these things, they look like the head of an oversized claw hammer. Imagine that bouncing around in the wing tip!

One can only imagine what would (could?) have happened had it migrated further into the wing with the controls.... Scary....

Preflights pay, I guess!

Fly carefully!

Scott

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Good find, Scott!

 

[Richard]

That's not a bucking bar, it's an aftermarket accelerometer. Check your logs for the Form 337. Also, your W&B may be incorrect which, of course, means the a/c is grounded until corrective work is completed.

 

[sshekels]

ya know, I did notice that I no longer tipped slightly to the left! LOL

Who needs rigging help, all ya gotta do is toss that useless weight in the wing tips! LOL

 

[gismo]

ya know, I did notice that I no longer tipped slightly to the left! LOL

Who needs rigging help, all ya gotta do is toss that useless weight in the wing tips! LOL

Lucky you found if before the thing punched it's way out of the wing. You'd probably never have figured out what happened then.

 

[AdamZ]

Scott: Seems that this would have to have been left there during your last Annual. Are you going to have a talk with the A&P or shop that did it?

 

[sshekels]

I doubt they did it, as I don't think they take the wingtips off. In any case, if they did, I don't think they would be doing riveting inside the wing. It might have been from when the strobes were installed, or perhaps there was work done on the wing by the previous owner.

In any case, I'm not sure why it was in the wing? The access holes are so small the tool would be unusable. I wonder if it has been in there since Wichita?

I also think I should have held off on this story until AFTER Gastons. Then I could justify my low score on landing! "Ya see, it was 'cuz there was this bar in the wing. Made me tilt! Interfered with the ailerons! Ya, that's the ticket!"

 

[Ken Ibold]

Scott: Seems that this would have to have been left there during your last Annual. Are you going to have a talk with the A&P or shop that did it?

Not necessarily. When I took my Mooney in for paint they found a bucking bar in the tail that had been there for eons. The airframe logs showed no rivet work on the tail, and the paint shop said it looked like it had been in there for at least 10 of the airplane's 20 years.

 

[poadeleted3]

I doubt they did it, as I don't think they take the wingtips off. In any case, if they did, I don't think they would be doing riveting inside the wing. It might have been from when the strobes were installed, or perhaps there was work done on the wing by the previous owner.

In any case, I'm not sure why it was in the wing? The access holes are so small the tool would be unusable. I wonder if it has been in there since Wichita?

I also think I should have held off on this story until AFTER Gastons. Then I could justify my low score on landing! "Ya see, it was 'cuz there was this bar in the wing. Made me tilt! Interfered with the ailerons! Ya, that's the ticket!"

You still have an excuse. The "wiffle ball" effect of the dents affects lift...

 

[fgcason]

Someone had left a Bucking Bar, (I had a different, but similar, name for it!) in the outer wing!

Over the years with the car, jeep, airplane, boat, etc, I have managed to come up with a modest collection of spare tools that I leave in a box in the back of the car and jeep just in case I ever need them when my main kit is at home. I've even given duplicates away to friends. Need a spare tool, take your car to the shop for a few hours.


I can throw my tools around for days with no accountability and when I'm done, in under 30 seconds, I can tell you if it's all there and if not, which specific one is missing and where it's likely to be based on it's size/type and what I was working on at the time.
Am I the only one that does this kind of thing to MY tool kits:

 

[Richard]

You still have an excuse. The "wiffle ball" effect of the dents affects lift...

In that case, he never had an excuse. Increased wt in L wing causes slight L turn but whiffle effect increases lift to counteract increased wt. Resultant asymmetric drag causes skid which causes pilot to increase right rudder. So he's looking out the side window to line up a landing but he sure aint turning left.

 

[sshekels]

But... Now that the weight is removed, but not the wiffles, I have more lift! Yeah! Thanks Joe and Richard! I now have an excuse for my performance at Gastons!

YES!

 

[Richard]

But... Now that the weight is removed, but not the wiffles, I have more lift! Yeah! Thanks Joe and Richard! I now have an excuse for my performance at Gastons!

YES!

I have always wanted to sit beneath the tower in my lawn chair with a bunch of numbers in my lap ready to judge the next victim as they land, the scheduled carriers would not be exempt. The more the merrier, but for some reason I can't get anyone to join me in this endeavor.

Have fun at Gastons.

 

[fgcason]

I have always wanted to sit beneath the tower in my lawn chair with a bunch of numbers in my lap ready to judge the next victim as they land, the scheduled carriers would not be exempt. The more the merrier, but for some reason I can't get anyone to join me in this endeavor.

I'd do it.

I've seen a few towers slap those numbers up in the window on occasion.

I remember taxing in at Sullivan County in the early 80's one day (lots of flight training going on) and in the grass near the maintenance hangar/ramp area was a couple Adirondack chairs with a table and umbrella between them. Anyone that taxied past or went to the ramp got numbered including the commuters.

 

[Skip Miller]

Am I the only one that does this kind of thing to MY tool kits:

POLISH them after use? Good God, Frank! I hope so!

-Skip

(just kidding!)

 

[fgcason]

POLISH them after use? Good God, Frank! I hope so!

Of course! If you take care of your tools, they'll take care of you so they do get the gunk cleaned off them after use.

FWIW: That picture was taken when they were new right after the trays were built. That is also the 1/2" set which doesn't see a lot of use right now since I'm still living with the gustappo, um, apartment management, watching every move I make. Just owning those tools is grounds for eviction around here.

Point is with that layout I can tell you in about 0.01 seconds flat if something is missing. You won't find my tools floating around your nose or jamming your controls when you push the stick forward. They'll all be in my toolbox where they belong.

 

[Ken Ibold]

Point is with that layout I can tell you in about 0.01 seconds flat if something is missing. You won't find my tools floating around your nose or jamming your controls when you push the stick forward. They'll all be in my toolbox where they belong.

There is an avionics shop in Smyrna, TN, that has furnished me with some pretty nice tools. Most of them I returned. A few I didn't find until after we'd moved.