kaid47•6mo ago

Thought the new composite patch kits were just overpriced hype

Our shop got a shipment of those bonded composite repair kits last month. The price tag was steep, like $500 a box. Everyone said they were a gimmick, just fancy glue for managers to show off. I was the loudest about sticking with rivets and sheet metal. Then we had a cracked fairing on a Cessna 172, right on a complex curve. The manual said a metal patch would add too much weight and stress. We tried the kit. The prep took forever, but the bond held a 30 psi pressure test no problem. It was half the weight of a riveted plate. I still like metal, but I can't argue with the manual specs now. Has anyone else been pushed to use these kits on a job that actually made sense?

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3 Comments

shanem376mo ago

Same thing happens with new car tech.

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rosebarnes6mo ago

Manual specs are just suggestions. A good rivet job with thin gauge aluminum would have worked fine and been more reliable long term. That pressure test doesn't prove it won't fail in five years.

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logan2366mo ago

What about corrosion from different metals touching? A rivet job might introduce galvanic issues the manual specs were trying to avoid. That's a slow failure you wouldn't see in any pressure test.

4