Leaking Wing on Lancair 360 MKII

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All,

At the end of July I purchased a Lancair 360 MKII, N754RP.  Shortly thereafter, the right wing began leaking fuel.  I have been in contact with a reputable repair shop in Tennessee, however the gentleman who runs the shop informed me that he has no time slots available for a repair until late 2023.  

Does anyone know of a reputable repair shop/repair person who can repair a Lancair 360 wing that leaks fuel?  I will fly the airplane to that shop/person.

Thank you.  

T.W. Davidson

 

 

Hi T.W.,

Hi T.W.,

Beautiful plane!  I know that has to be frustrating.  Have you considered contacting Lancair to see if they have any availability?  They would be a good first choice.  Two other expert composite shops that may be able to help are Arion in Shelbyville, Tennessee (http://www.flylightning.net/services.html) and TheJetGuys in Covington, Tennessee (https://www.jetguys.co/services).  Hope this helps!
 

David     

Thank you for the response. 

Thank you for the response.  I did contact Lancair on two different occasions but never received a callback.  (My impression is that Lancair does not repair leaking wings.)

I greatly appreciate the contact information you provided, and will reach out to those contacts straight away.  The right wing of the airplane (her name is Pegasus) leaks when the tank is more than about 3/4 full.  My unorthodox solution has been to either fly the airplane starting with the tanks less than 3/4 full, or fill the tanks and immediately launch and go to high altitude where cool temperatures significantly reduce fuel loss, in part because I am burning the fuel, and in part because cooler temperatures appear to tighten the structure of the tank. I will be very relieved when the airplane has no leaks.

Thank you.

TWD

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There is a guy at Colorado

There is a guy at Colorado Air and Spaceport (KCFO)  that is a very accomplished composite fabricator and builder. He has built 7 or 8 Lancairs and done major repairs on a few others including 4P's. He has done the fiberglass work on scores of the RV's series and others as well. His name is Jeff Michael and his company is JetStream Composites. Phone: 720-371-3013. I highly recommend him for all things related to Lancairs. KCFO is located 6 miles S.E. of Denver International.

GIve me a call if you have any questions - 720-318-4724

Doug Waddingham

 

 

Thank you greatly for the

Thank you greatly for the information. I will reach out to Mr. Michael straight away.

T.W. Davidson

Mike Reece's picture

TW where are you located? I

TW where are you located? I had a leaking wing on my 360 as well, and my IA help me find and fix the issue. He is an experienced builder, with both metal and composites. I am in the Chicago area
.

I am in Tyler, TX, which is

I am in Tyler, TX, which is in NE TX halfway between Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA.  KTYR, Johnson Aviation FBO, is where Pegasus lives.  

I appreciate your note. Please send me the name and number of your IA.

My safety pilot buddy, a retired USAF F-16, F-117 and F-22 maintainer and current CFII and A&P, an overall incredibly sharp pilot, mechanic and good guy, has carefully scrutinized the leak problem. We have gone over it with a fine tooth comb and have spent many hours attempting to divine a way to fix the leak without performing surgery on the wing.  My buddy, however, has no experience cutting into a fiberglass wing, nor in repairing a fiberglass wing which is in itself a fuel tank. There does not appear to be an aluminum (or other metal) tank in either of the wings that can be removed and replaced, or removed, sealed and replaced. It is a stressful situation, and thus my need for an expert who has experience repairing leaks in Lancair wings.

Thank you.

T.W. Davidson

Mike Reece's picture

Where are you seeing the fuel

Where are you seeing the fuel? is it at the attachment point,where the caulk is? That is where mine was and it also only leaked when the tank was near full. My leak was where the push rod tube meet up with the inboard side of the wing. 

 

 

The two leaks in my airplane

The two leaks in my airplane are in the right wing, coming from inside an access port.  In terms of where the exact leak locations are, I do not know, though I suspect the wall of the tank-wing leading to the spar, which is immediately near the access port. I have made contact with a Lancair expert mentioned in the replies to my post, and I hope to have the wing repaired in the last week of October. 

TWD

  

I have also had work done by

I have also had work done by Jeff Michael at Jetstream Composites. He helped me put elevator trim in my 235. He does excellent work. 

I put a hole in my wing - too

I put a hole in my wing - too long a story - near Oshkosh one year and had to field repair it during the show, driving back and forth to the airstrip where the incident occurred.  I and a friend repaired using carbon fiber cloth and other materials and supplies we could find at the show and nearby.   We were successful but I worried about internal leaking into the honeycomb material in the wing skins and ribs.   Luckily, there was a guy at a subsequent LOBO fly in who had a thermal sensor he was demonstrating.   He was able to test my repair and to verify there was no fuel leaking into the honeycomb.   I needed that test for peace of mind.  

Jeff Michaels at Front Range

Jeff Michaels at Front Range Airport near Denver helped me fix a fuel leak in my IV-P. His work is the best and you can help out if you wish on most repairs - at least watch the process. WE drew a very light vacuum on the tak and it drew the epoxy into the leak.  Cell is 720 371 3013

EAA Chapter 75 runs Emergency

EAA Chapter 75 runs Emergency Aircraft Repair at AirVenture each year.  What should we stock that would enable repairs?

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