Rebuilding the Yak...again.

[-Rick-]

Still better than buying a new ARF!! And you get to make any improvements you want while you are at it. I know I'd be taking a good look at the landing gear blocks. Maybe even changing it to a Carden style landing gear system. The bolts just into hardwood blocks.

 

[stangflyer]

Still better than buying a new ARF!! And you get to make any improvements you want while you are at it. I know I'd be taking a good look at the landing gear blocks. Maybe even changing it to a Carden style landing gear system. The bolts just into hardwood blocks.

True, but really not much can be changed regarding the landing gear plate area. The problem is, this is one heavy beast. She comes in over 50 lbs. dry. If I bolted into just hardwood blocks, the risk of sheering that block out every time I landed would be really huge. Right? The way this plane is designed is just like most all I have seen. Not just Pilot. The landing gear plate is secured to the side of the fuse or can tunnel sides with aluminum "L" brackets. Then the landing gear is bolted to that plate. It is a very "VERY" strong and forgiving design. Except when you are stalled with no forward momentum. What are your thoughts on improvements that could be made to that area?

 

[-Rick-]

The idea behind the hardwood blocks just tapped for the bolts would be so that the bolts would strip out of the blocks before ripping the bottom of the plane. I have done it on my plane and had a few rough landings due to trying to get it down on short fields and it has held up fine so far. But it might not be practical to do on your plane if the hardwood would be hard to get to. On mine I just tack the hardwood in place and use the bolts to lock it in place, if I strip out the holes I only have to take the cowl off and reach under my can's to replace the blocks.

My plane is a piggy as well coming in at 48 pounds. But the old Dietrich is flying sweet!!

 

[Snoopy1]

Guaranteed if the wood had not been free, this big ole beast would have been stripped. Paying the nearly 200 for shipping the wood and the covering replacement cost was bad enough. Including the loss of a brand new 34x12 Falcon, the reeds for the 210, the aluminum carb base, wheel spats, covering, wood shipping and.... still have to replace one muffler...this is going to still come out to over a 500 dollar repair.

It's all looks good and there is still a long way To go but you are correct if it was not for the free wood i belive I would have tossed it. But let's see the wood you get if it all fits then for around 500 you will once again have a very nice plane again.

 

[stangflyer]

It's all looks good and there is still a long way To go but you are correct if it was not for the free wood i belive I would have tossed it. But let's see the wood you get if it all fits then for around 500 you will once again have a very nice plane again.

Agreed. It'll be basically new again. I'm sure everything will fit perfectly. Just going to be a matter of methodically reassembling piece by piece. I actually think it will go rather quickly once everything arrives. I've decided to "not" strip the entire fuse of covering. I've got plenty of white covering. The accent stripes for the side of the fuse will not be reusable so I ordered another pre cut set from Tony so there are no patches on the fuse. I needed to order some Apple Green, Silver and Black to recover the bottom of the left wing as the gear folded back upon impact and punctured a big hole in the covering. Fortunately it totally missed all structure. I could just patch in over the hole. But that's really just not my style. I think I'll strip that covering off and recover the wing while waiting for my big box of wood. ;-)

 

[HRRC Flyer]

Hey Buddy,

You're making good progress. I wish I could say the same. . . . . . .

 

[Daytonarc]

@stangflyer looking good! I love the Yak 54s and the one I rebuilt on the thread here is still flying great. Nothing really like taking someting destined for a dumpster and making it fly better, stronger and straighter.

 

[stangflyer]

Thanks guys. Sometimes it takes a different set of eyes to see things a little more clearly. My son stopped by this afternoon and we were chatting about the Yak repairs. As it is like, "RIGHT" there in plain sight. LOL. He noticed something I did not see. At the aft section of F37A there is a fuse joint. He suggested since Tony is sending "ALL" the replacement wood from that section forward, why not detach that area the same way I did the rest of the damaged wood and separate the two halves completely. I then could simply rebuild a "COMPLETE" new front section of fuse from F37A forward. Thereby eliminating all of the previous structure and having all brand new from that section forward. Hmmm.....that kid of mine must have learned something from his pops huh? LOL.

I will wait to see what all wood is shipped before I disassemble anything more of the fuse. Maybe that would be the way to go huh?

 

[thurmma]

I guess that apple didn't fall far from the tree

 

[Snoopy1]

No he is just making sure that when he flys dads plane like he stole it it will not come apart.

Just kidding.