Wing replacement in AA –5

[Ron Saglimbene]

I am looking for info on replacing the wing and a Grumman traveler. I don’t want to upgrade to the heavier spar or the 180 Lycoming. Just want to replace the existing wing which is high time. does any one have an STC or info on what it takes to legally replace a window. Can I use a existing wing from a low time AA5.?

 

[Mikey52]

If it has the same part number, no Stc required.

 

[Rcmutz]

The AA5 is a Traveler, so yes. Just make sure you have documented time on the new wings so it can be documented in your Traveler logbooks. Replacing the wings without the time in service of the replacement wings makes your plane unairworthy since they are time limited parts. You can NOT, replace your wings with an AA5A or AA5B set of wings.

 

[Klaus M]

If https://www.fletchair.com/ can't locate you a set of lower time serviceable wings, there probably isn't any available. FletchAir works close with https://trueflightaerospace.com/.

The AA-1 and AA-5 community is small and getting smaller. You better get to know the folks that's keeping this aging fleet alive and learn to get along with them. These Jim Bede engineered Bonded aircraft have a lot unconventional features and it will be to your benefit to learn about the differences. You may even find an inspection regiment for the spars that will extend their life.

https://aya.org/ is a place to start. There's people that track every serial number ever built, finding one in a salvage yard that these folks don't know about would be surprising.

 

[hindsight2020]

from a cost recovery perspective, it'd probably be cheaper and quicker to just get another airplane and salvage what you got at whatever a la carte price you can shed it. With wing replacement you'll still have to carry the TT on the fuse in spite of the wings being lower time. But perhaps you sank more money on avionics than you should have, or emotional reasons to hold on to the fuse. It's a hobby after all, so no right or wrong answer per se. Good luck, I don't envy your serviceability position.