how do the russians do their rib stitching?

the items in question are the tailfeathers of a 4 seat radial engined
Yak. (yak 18T I think it is)

we're not sure whether we are following original factory work or
someones abortion.

the rib caps have a section like ----v----
in the centre of the v there is a hole every inch.
it appears that instead of following english/american practise of
tying the ribstitch around the rib from top to bottom and tying off
each loop individually the ruskies have taken two adjoining holes and
stitched button style around and around, then moved to the next pair
and stitched around and around and so on.
the top stitching is only along the top rib cap.
the bottom rib stitching is only along the bottom rib cap.

are we looking at factory original stitching or is this something that
subsequent refabric work has done?

if it is the original ruskie system it produces a very neat rib
treatment.

Stealth Pilot

"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...

the items in question are the tailfeathers of a 4 seat radial engined
Yak. (yak 18T I think it is)

we're not sure whether we are following original factory work or
someones abortion.

the rib caps have a section like ----v----
in the centre of the v there is a hole every inch.
it appears that instead of following english/american practise of
tying the ribstitch around the rib from top to bottom and tying off
each loop individually the ruskies have taken two adjoining holes and
stitched button style around and around, then moved to the next pair
and stitched around and around and so on.
the top stitching is only along the top rib cap.
the bottom rib stitching is only along the bottom rib cap.

are we looking at factory original stitching or is this something that
subsequent refabric work has done?

if it is the original ruskie system it produces a very neat rib
treatment.

Stealth Pilot

I admit that my personal knowledge of rib stitching is essentially nil, but:
1) what you describe could be done easily with a "sail needle"
2) it would give the "benefit" of a clear area and no risk of fouling, and
3) as Veeduber pointed out in an adjacent thread, the loads are small.

So, I don't know either, but it could very well be a factory solution:.

There was a two seat YAK in the local EAA chapter, so I'll try to ask.

Peter

Might that be a field-replacement for the sort of wire clips that
Cessna used on 120/140?

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo.../cessnawfc.php

Thanks, Bob K.


On Dec 30, 2:29*am, Stealth Pilot
wrote:
the items in question are the tailfeathers of a 4 seat radial engined
Yak. (yak 18T I think it is)

we're not sure whether we are following original factory work or
someones abortion.

the rib caps have a section like ----v----
in the centre of the v there is a hole every inch.
it appears that instead of following english/american practise of
tying the ribstitch around the rib from top to bottom and tying off
each loop individually the ruskies have taken two adjoining holes and
stitched button style around and around, then moved to the next pair
and stitched around and around and so on.
the top stitching is only along the top rib cap.
the bottom rib stitching is only along the bottom rib cap.

are we looking at factory original stitching or is this something that
subsequent refabric work has done?

if it is the original ruskie system it produces a very neat rib
treatment.

Stealth Pilot

"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...

the items in question are the tailfeathers of a 4 seat radial engined
Yak. (yak 18T I think it is)

we're not sure whether we are following original factory work or
someones abortion.

the rib caps have a section like ----v----
in the centre of the v there is a hole every inch.
it appears that instead of following english/american practise of
tying the ribstitch around the rib from top to bottom and tying off
each loop individually the ruskies have taken two adjoining holes and
stitched button style around and around, then moved to the next pair
and stitched around and around and so on.
the top stitching is only along the top rib cap.
the bottom rib stitching is only along the bottom rib cap.

are we looking at factory original stitching or is this something that
subsequent refabric work has done?

if it is the original ruskie system it produces a very neat rib
treatment.

Stealth Pilot



Wasn't there some aircraft of the pre-war era that used screws into the
rib-caps instead of stitching?

Flash

Wasn't there some aircraft of the pre-war era that used screws into the
rib-caps instead of stitching?

Aeronca 7AC, 11AC and Ercoupe are two that I've recovered that use screws.

it can be a fun job---a nice Summer evening, a drop light under the wing to
show up the holes in the ribs, An ice pick to punch the holes, a six pack of
beer------------

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
KSDM

On Dec 31, 10:18*am, "Tri-Pacer" no wrote:

it can be a fun job---a nice Summer evening, a drop light under the wing to
show up the holes in the ribs, An ice pick to punch the holes, a six pack of
beer------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It could also be a hell of a job. Dob about a dozen screws with paint
remover, use a needle-sharp scriber to pry the softened dope out of
the screw-head, easy if they're slotted, pure hell if they've used
Phillips, Scott or Cross (ie, other forms of the Phillips patent).
Better done at night than during the day, however. But nights, you've
also got to deal with mosquitoes, and moths the size of sparrows.

When Bob K mentioned it (see above) that was the first thing I thought
of -- those aluminum strips installed with those low-profile Phillip's
head screws.

Funny thing... you'll often find the clipped or screwed fabric
fastener systems on airplanes that didn't come that way from the
factory. I've often wondered about that, since it tends to indicate a
revision of the wing, going to a metal rib with the newer method of
securing the fabric.

There must be an STC for screwed-straps on several of the DC's. Least
ways, I've seen it on DC-3's and DC-4's. (May have been for Razor
back...) Vietnam, we used beer-can aluminum and gray RTV, plus tying
it off to a matching piece on the other side. Those were all
razorback but the Air Force didn't have anyone in-country qualified to
do it -- they were shipping their rudders and elevators all the way
back to Long Beach, when all they needed (most of the time) was a
simple repair.

-R.S.Hoover