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An image from the SBD's Illustrated Parts Manual showing the internal, trailing-edge structure for the SBD's wing center section. The flap bay is at the far left, showing the rear bulkhead and ribs.

Flap Bay Repairs:

Back in January, the team at Pioneer Aero Ltd. removed the flap bay structure from the trailing edge of the SBD's wing center section. This comprised an array of supporting ribs, the upper skin and other hardware associated with the center wing flap.

In recent weeks, the restoration team has disassembled the structure into its component parts and begun assessing each item for its future airworthiness potential. Unfortunately, only one of the eight ribs was salvageable. Each of the others was either too corroded, cracked beyond repair, or both! As a result, the team has remanufactured seven replacement ribs, and begun trial-fitting them, using mounting holes in the original skin and bulkhead-webbing as a guide.

Other items from the flap bay, such as stringers and other stiffeners have undergone assessment, with some of them being of sufficient quality to rebuild; others will require replacements.

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The original flap bay ribs next to their matching, remanufactured replacements. Sadly, only one original rib was restorable to airworthy condition. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
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The right-most flap bay rib temporarily positioned on the original skin to check its alignment. The skin will be replaced in due course, since corrosion issues rendered it beyond repair. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
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The remanufactured flap bay ribs temporarily clecoed in place on the aft face of the rear bulkhead to check their alignment with respect to one another. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
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Another view of the alignment check for the remanufactured flap bay ribs. The rib at the far left is the only surviving original example of the eight ribs to remain in airworthy condition. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
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Othere structural items from the flap bay. The four stringers at the top and the short rib-lets (attached to the white stringer) are original components and salvageable for reuse. Sadly, the white stringer itself has one area of significant corrosion, so it needs replacing. The doubler rings at the lower right of the image are also remanufactured examples. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)