Tips from Comanche Flyer magazines Feb 1973 – Sep 2012 CHAPTER EIGHT AIRFRAME (CONTROL SURFACES, TRIM, SHEET METAL, FLAPS, GENERAL FUSELAGE) Table of Contents Miscellaneous......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Electric Trim Toggle Switch Box Check ............................................................................................................. 3 Droop Wing Tips................................................................................................................................................. 3 Droop Wing Tips Exchanged for Hoerner Tips .................................................................................................. 3 PIPER Wing Tips................................................................................................................................................ 3 Nose Wheel Alignment....................................................................................................................................... 4 Fasteners............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Twin Rudder Seal Strip Replacement ................................................................................................................ 5 Cowl Assembly................................................................................................................................................... 5 Comanche Airframe Age .................................................................................................................................... 5 Flaps....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Flap Maintenance............................................................................................................................................... 6 Flap Maintenance............................................................................................................................................... 6 Flap Maintenance............................................................................................................................................... 6 Rigging Manual Flaps......................................................................................................................................... 6 Flap Alignment.................................................................................................................................................... 9 Flap Maintenance............................................................................................................................................... 9 Flap Maintenance............................................................................................................................................. 10 Wing Miscellaneous ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Wing Root Gap Seals....................................................................................................................................... 10 Ailerons................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Aileron Cable Separation by Corrosion............................................................................................................ 11 Aileron Adjustment ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Engine and Cowling Controls............................................................................................................................... 13 Twin Cowl Flap Control Cable Replacement ................................................................................................... 13 Binding Throttle Cables .................................................................................................................................... 14 Twin Cracked Firewalls ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Twin Cracked Engine Nacelle .......................................................................................................................... 15 Twin Cracked Engine Nacelle .......................................................................................................................... 15 Seat Rails-Cracked Stringers............................................................................................................................... 19 Seat Rail Bulkhead........................................................................................................................................... 19 Stringer Cracks................................................................................................................................................. 19 Copyright © 2012, International Comanche Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Rails.................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Stabilator-Balance, Trim, Corrosion, Flutter......................................................................................................... 21 Stabilator Balance ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Stabilator Balance ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Stabilator Balance ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Stabilator Jam................................................................................................................................................... 22 Stabilator Attachment Hardware ...................................................................................................................... 23 Stabilator Inspection......................................................................................................................................... 24 Stabilator Flutter Revisited (PA30)................................................................................................................... 26 Loose Hi−Shear Rivets Check them again! ..................................................................................................... 27 Stabilator Trim Drum Parts Installation ............................................................................................................ 28 Shimming out Trim Drum Wear........................................................................................................................ 29 Wing Spars........................................................................................................................................................... 31 Spar Cap Tension ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Tips for easy Inspection of the Wing Spars...................................................................................................... 31 Strobes ................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Wing Strobe Installation ................................................................................................................................... 32 Twinkle twinkle little Airplane, where are You? ................................................................................................ 32 Aileron Control Cables (Oct 2002) (from Maurice’s Toolbox) .............................................................................. 35 Paint Stripper Problems (Dec2002)...................................................................................................................... 35 Replace Clevis Pins to Preserve Cowling Attachments (Dec 2003).................................................................... 35 Flight Control Rigging May 2004)......................................................................................................................... 36 Gluing Door Seals with Weatherstrip (Jan 2004)................................................................................................. 36 Static Wicks (Jan 2004)........................................................................................................................................ 36 Asymmetric flaps (Feb 2004) ............................................................................................................................... 36 Janitrol Heater Problem (Apr 2004) ..................................................................................................................... 37 Stabilator Control Problem (May 2004)................................................................................................................ 37 Rubber Gap Seal on Rudder May