R-Banger Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Hello everyone, Been lurking here for a while, but pulling the trigger on the purchase of a 1965 M20E. I believe the current owner is actually a Mooneyspacer too. So the previous owner accidentally ran up the engine with the cowling not being secure and it contacted the back of the spinner splitting the fairing close to the front mounts. I attached some photos here for reference. Wanted to know what would be the best way to repair the damage? He tried doing some fiberglass work to repair it but it has since started splitting and I am concerned about it getting worse and leading to a failure in flight. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 That looks repairable but it should be a proper composite repair per the manual of the cowl's manufacturer and/or AC 43.13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Look up what the definition of a prop strike is for the engine... To make sure you don’t accidentally pick up the responsibility of an engine tear down... It is unlikely to be considered a requirement... but, there are some weirder things that cause this requirement... Worthwhile looking into as more owner knowledge is better... good luck with the purchase... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic. Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetti Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 JB Weld for the win. I would be looking at the spinner backing plate that can be expensive to replace. Standard fiberglass repair is grind down to fresh glass Then build back up with layers of glass. You want to know if the original was polyurethane or epoxy as the two don't mix anyone who would JB weld something like that I would question the rest of the maintenance on the plane. The mis matching of screws is also an indicator of less that stellar maintenance habits. And why are screws missing? That is just asking for more issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Banger Posted March 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 I know the owner personally and been flying the plane for the past couple months prior to this. I was there when it was apart for annual and know the mechanic too. He takes very good care of the airplane, this was just an oopsie and an attempt to see if he can repair it before we yanked off the cowling cause it is such a pain. Looks like we will be taking it off and having a professional glass it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 Find aviation mechanic working in/with a corvette shop... he can ‘oversee’ the proper repair... they can provide the talent... It will look brand new when complete... Find Jetdriven around here... he has written a few pages on proper Fiberglass cowling repair... for his M20J. Their plane looks completely brand new... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetdriven Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 They can be repaired from the backside, scarf it very thin and then put about 10 layers of 7781 structural fiberglass cloth on the back that with real aircraft structural epoxy like MGS or Aeropoxy. The fact that the right side upper and lower cowl don’t fit together properly behind the spinner puts a lot of stress on that in that area. So I would resolve that first.. Your regular A&P homebuilder, Corvette shop, or boat shop will likeIy use Bondo brand polyester resin with the cloth that comes underneath the lid of the kit you bought the auto parts store. I suggest using Pillsbury biscuit dough. It’s lighter, stronger, and cheaper than that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB65E Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 Just from the pictures I see you are at the SMO airport. I have a good friend in Santa Paula that could repair it for you correctly. He’d probably just make a new piece. Aerochia Aircraft. -Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Banger Posted March 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 On 3/11/2020 at 1:51 PM, MB65E said: Just from the pictures I see you are at the SMO airport. I have a good friend in Santa Paula that could repair it for you correctly. He’d probably just make a new piece. Aerochia Aircraft. -Matt Good eye, it is SMO. Going to do a pre-buy here and then assuming all checks out will get the repair going. Can't imagine it being too crazy expensive to fix, just the fun of removing the lower cowling...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOH Posted March 14, 2020 Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 (edited) 17 hours ago, R-Banger said: Can't imagine it being too crazy expensive to fix,.... BWA, HA, HA! You're killin' me (IOW, get a quote BEFORE closing on the deal) Edited March 14, 2020 by MikeOH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Banger Posted March 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2020 On 3/14/2020 at 2:37 PM, MikeOH said: BWA, HA, HA! You're killin' me (IOW, get a quote BEFORE closing on the deal) Hey let a guy dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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