Project 206: Sheetmetal!

The past couple weeks we have been working hard on getting out the floor and the belly skins of 5Y-CMA. The belly especially had a lot of corrosion and we are just going to replace the skins totally. The floor we are going to replace with a 0.040" floor, along with some structural reinforcements on the bulkheads and stringers in the cargo area. Once you load two full drums of fuel into the back of a 206, you really appreciate those reinforcements! It's been a fun time taking all the skins out and we're in the process of cleaning out the dirt and yucky in what's left of the belly area, along with making new skins. We're also doing some other work as well.

Caleb, working on getting gear fittings out of the belly.

Here I am, drilling out some of the belly skins...not exactly the most fun job, especially with metal shavings falling into your clothes and face (sput, sput, sput!).

This is the doubler where the right side gear leg enters the airplane...

...and this is what was underneath...gross!

So we got the floor and the belly skins pretty much out of the airplane.

It makes for some easier work...

...since you don't have to be on your knees on the floor...you can just stand inside the airplane! Tim Carpenter (right) and I (left, in the short pants) working on gear fittings.

Tim Carpenter working on getting the forward belly skin out.

Ahhh, the prize! We lost count at over 490 rivets to get this piece of skin out. Tim sure is patient!

It's like a fish skeleton...

We've begun making new skins.

This is Jeremy Hamilton, a great asset to AIM AIR. I think this is Jeremy's third time or something to come out and serve short term with AIM AIR. He really is a blessing to have in the shop. Thanks to him for coming and we will definitely be looking forward to having him out full time.