all done

Shadow C-D (ZK-FMY) heading back north after urgent repairs

All painted and loaded onto a tandem trailer for it’s journey back to Manapouri.

Murray Hagen, who knows Shadow microlights well, will flight test it.

what you find when you start on a job

Some of the unexpected tasks were to un-sieze the rudder fin post from the boom, repair broken ribs inside the fin and to replace the fibreglass around the rear boom support cross-member (which had been cut away to give extra tip clearance for the prop). While it was apart, Bruce had the tailplane mounting tubes crack-tested and did the common Shadow upgrade of fitting UHMWPE bushes inside the boom to prevent further wear on these mounting tubes.

urgent repair

dismantling Shadow C-D (ZK-FMY) @ Manapouri

In February 2012, Bruce completed urgent repairs to a Shadow C-D from Wanaka. It had been grounded because of excessive wear in the wing-to-fuselage attachments. The job involved completely removing the boom from the centre section, in order to fit new alloy doublers, bush the ovalised holes and replace the wing attachment bolts. The actual repairs were very quick, with most of the labour absorbed in dismantling, re-assembly, covering and painting.