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Took a birdstrike on the left wingtip which caused a crack in the composite. Does anyone know where I can get this repaired? I’m having trouble finding a Diamond service center who can/will do this. I’d consider a replacement if I could find a used one but not sure if any exist. Diamond Canada says they can take an order for a hew one but have to build it from scratch as they have none in stock. Until I can get this taken care of I’m AOG just intime for the Michigan color tour season.

Anyone who could do composite work can do this. In fact you could do this yourself. Or check with some local EAA chapter. Under owner maintenance in PAR Part 43, among other things, the thing an owner is allowed to do includes:

Making small simple repairs to fairings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.

I've done this sort of thing myself with wingtip damage. To get the paint cosmetics right I had a local shop that did this sort of work for other aircraft take care of it. Diamonds are not the only aircraft with composite wingtips.

40flyer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:51 pm I’d consider a replacement if I could find a used one but not sure if any exist.

They exist:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Diamond-DA40-1 ... 8248!US!-1

I wouldn't pay that much for a used one, I would repair and then pay to have someone paint it...

Steve

I repaired mine at Southtec Aviation (http://southtecaviation.com)

See: viewtopic.php?t=6426

Tom

I put my wingtip in a fence. I was watching a family with kids and a dog to my right as I was parking in the very end slot, and heard a crunch.

The repair was pretty easy by myself. Dremmeled out the splinters, filled with slurry, then a few layers of glass over that. Filler and sand smooth.

The only thing I'm not super happy with is the paint match - I can't seem to get a combination of white and gloss that looks the same as the rest of the plane. It doesn't matter so much on the wheel fairings (which I have also repaired and repainted) but on the wingtip, it's right against the rest of the wing and bothers me. /

TomJ wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:01 am I repaired mine at Southtec Aviation (http://southtecaviation.com)

See: viewtopic.php?t=6426

Tom

I second this recommendation. Glenn and his folks at Southtec specialize in Diamonds, and have their own composite and paint shop. Remove the wingtip and send it there.

Or make like me: i repaired and sand them. Then I wrapped them with car wrapping film in the color of the plane decals.

An update on my wingtip. The shop I sent it to was going to have to spend a chunk of change to acquire some of the material but they tracked down a shop, XU Aviation, near the Diamond facility in London, who specializes in these repairs. They are going to do a 3-day turn and at far less than cost of a new wingtip. Note that the new part is about $1750 from Diamond but has to be built from scratch once they get the materials. And it could be 3 weeks or more to get it from them once the order is placed. I don’t want to be AOG that long.

It doesn't matter so much on the wheel fairings (which I have also repaired and repainted) but on the wingtip, it's right against the rest of the wing and bothers me.

Paint them blue! Purposefully totally different from the wing.

Like mines ?