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Shorten Wingtip Trailing Edge

ADub

Member
Our wingtips are about .5" too long and were purchased around 2010, if that make a difference. What is the best way to remove the excess and bring the trailing edge back to sharp and strait? I already have it the flange trimmed, nutplates installed, everything fit, and stiffener in the trailing edge.
 
Yeah, I hate when this happens.

Mine were that way on my 7. Take a belt sander and cut them forward until they look proper. Since the taper will likely cause a thick trailing edge, it would be nice to make the TE match the ailerons so fix it as needed.

Take the same thin die grinder wheel that you used for the canopy and slit the end to reduce thickness, then epoxy it back together with attention to making it straight and inline with the ailerons. I clamped a couple of paint stirring sticks and spring clamps but you could use some aluminum angle to ensure they are straight. The tips are thin and can easily distort. You may need to slit up the outside edge, try to avoid that by allowing a little batwing as it adds difficulty in the alignment and more work inside to restore the structure.

Sand and finish -
 
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Clecos work really well to maintain alignment and clamp things together when gluing. Hold everything where you want it, drill #40, and put a cleco in. repeat as needed. Before gluing, wax the clecos so they don't get glued together or glued to the composite part. You can also introduce an aluminum angle as Bill suggested - wrap it in packing tape or wax it, and cleco it to the trailing edge with the same clecos that hold the two halves together.

... I clamped a couple of paint stirring sticks and spring clamps but you could use some aluminum angle to ensure they are straight. The tips are thin and can easily distort. You may need to slit up the outside edge, try to avoid that by allowing a little batwing as it adds difficulty in the alignment and more work inside to restore the structure.

Sand and finish -
 
Waxed lashing string

I jsed angke and it distorted the trailing edge. Had to redo. Second one I drilled holes and ran waxed lashing string through and tied it nice and tight. After the epoxy set it pulled out with a pair of pliers. Filled the holes with micro. Before finishing, I propped them up trailing side down and filled the trailing edge with flox.
 
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