Wing walk way repair on pa28

[Barcli]

Wing walk cracked underneath ( apparently) - anyone else had it repaired ? Costs? Wing off ? - no external signs of any damage sagging, looseness etc , so has it it to be done ?

[Keef]

We had it done on G-UTSY a few years ago. I don't have the bills any more, but I don't remember it being scary (in aviation bills terms).
The wing didn't have to come off.

[Barcli]

Thanks Keef - I have a quote of £2600 for the two walkway parts only but I can't find any reference to having to have it done just because some if the corrugated stiffeners on the inside have cracked. Ie nothing damaged or unserviceable externally. One engineer likened it to the cracking of plastic wing tips over years, we all know they do it- so the are stop drilled and monitored- not necessary to replace .

[Keef]

As I recall, the wing walk was "giving" a bit as I walked on it, but showed no sign of a problem (presumably the skin underneath the black goo was cracked). On our maintenance chap's advice we left it for a time, and had it done at the annual.

[Gas Guzzler]

Thanks Keef - I have a quote of £2600 for the two walkway parts only but I can't find any reference to having to have it done just because some if the corrugated stiffeners on the inside have cracked. Ie nothing damaged or unserviceable externally. One engineer likened it to the cracking of plastic wing tips over years, we all know they do it- so the are stop drilled and monitored- not necessary to replace .

Hi Barli,

I had mine done a couple of months ago on the annual, exactly the same as yours. Total cost arround £1k from memory, wing not removed but loads of rivets to be set. Both inner and outer panels replaced. £2.6k sounds like a bit of a rip off to me.

[aerofurb]

Ideally, the wing should be removed as you can't use all solid rivets if you don't. That in itself shouldn't be a major drama. The fuel tank needs to come out too but combine that with the 7 year tanks/spar inspection and that's a bit of a cost saver in the long run.

Wing walks do crack and it is the 'corrugated' bits that go - it's a second skin beneath the actual wing skin. You can't stop drill them and they will only get worse. You soon know when they need doing as the walkway is soft under-foot.

Do both (forward and aft) skins at the same time, no point in just replacing one as the other will go shortly afterwards without fail.

As for the cost - it depends what the £2600 includes - wing off, VAT, same time as Annual, or...?

[Peter Mundy]

When we had ours done in 2011 it cost €1617 ex vat - say £1295 ex vat ex labour The cost may have been lowered because we had it done as part of a whole series of jobs - for which the final bill was horrendous