Wing Center Section Progress:
In recent months, the team at Pioneer Aero Ltd. has progressively removed skin panels from the SBD's wing center section. They began with the panel covering the flap bay, proceeding next to the lower side of the airframe with the rearmost unit straddling Spar Web Nos. 3 through 5, and then the unit bridging Spar Web Nos. 2 and 3. The subsequent process involved disassembling each panel into its component parts, and then refurbishing what was salvageable or refabricating what was not. So far, each panel has required a significant number of new parts, including replacement skins. Thankfully, the original skins were sufficiently intact to serve as patterns for their remanufacture, making it possible to back-drill most of the original rivet holes accurately into the new aluminum sheet-stock.
Trial-Fitting New Skins:
With the fabrication of new skins for the flap bay and rearmost lower panel now mostly complete, it was time to trial-fit these components against the mounting structure. This both ensures that each skin mates correctly with the airframe and allows for any remaining unfinished rivet holes or access openings to be correctly located and cut into the new metal. The following images show this process underway. (Note: the new aluminum sheet is covered in a translucent, blue plastic film which helps protect the thin, relatively fragile material from marring during the remanufacturing and trial-fitting processes. Pioneer's engineers will only remove this film when they are ready to paint and reassemble skin panel.)
The underside of the replacement flap bay skin with the two leftmost ribs in view. The trial-fitting of the flap bay skin allowed the alignment of the holes between the new skin and its associated ribs along with the original skins and Spar Web No.5 to be confirmed. These two ribs are replacements, as the originals were corroded beyond airworthy limits. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A wider view of the flap bay structure. Only the rightmost rib in the frame and the structure in the middle are original, although the white stinger will need refabricatin. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
The underside of the replacement flap bay skin during trial-fitting. The process permitted alignment of the holes between the new skins and the original structure and Spar Web No.5 to be confirmed. The right hand rib, the trailing edge stringer and the structure in the middle are all original. That being said, the white stringer in the middle is corroded beyond airworthy limits and will be replaced in due course. Most of the other flap bay structure remaining to be fitted is original and will be reused. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A topside view of the flap bay skin during the trial-fitting process. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
