Wingtip repair
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- 40flyer
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- First Name: Don
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Wingtip repair
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.
- Rich
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Re: Wingtip repair
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.
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.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
- Steve
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Re: Wingtip repair
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
- LTek1
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Re: Wingtip repair
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. /
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. /
Lee Dickinson
N282DS, 2003 DA40 at KOFP
Avidyne Entegra (!), Dual GNS430, KAP140
N282DS, 2003 DA40 at KOFP
Avidyne Entegra (!), Dual GNS430, KAP140
- CFIDave
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Re: Wingtip repair
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.TomJ wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:01 am I repaired mine at Southtec Aviation (http://southtecaviation.com)
See: viewtopic.php?t=6426
Tom
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
- astaib
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Re: Wingtip repair
Or make like me: i repaired and sand them. Then I wrapped them with car wrapping film in the color of the plane decals.
Arnaud
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
Steam gauges
Non certified ADS-b
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
Steam gauges
Non certified ADS-b
- 40flyer
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Re: Wingtip repair
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.
- Colin
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Re: Wingtip repair
Paint them blue! Purposefully totally different from the wing.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.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
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N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
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- astaib
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Re: Wingtip repair
Like mines ?
Arnaud
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
Steam gauges
Non certified ADS-b
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
Steam gauges
Non certified ADS-b