EAA Chapter 1610 Brainerd, MN is currently recovering a Henderson Longster to be hung as a static display in the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport terminal.
Some history behind this 1930s vintage airplane and its designer, Les Long, can be found in the October 2022 issue of our Newsletter.
This page will be devoted to the pictorial progress of the Chapter's restoration project.
Prepping and covering the fuselage began on August 4, 2022 in Paul 'Hootis' Noskowiak's shop in Brainerd.
Our progress August 4:
Our progress continued on August 18:
Our progress on September 1:
Our progress on October 20:
Our progress on November 3:
Our progress on November 17 continues with applying these reinforcement tapes. It's a slow, tedious process.
Our progress on December 1st: The reinforcement tapes on the bottom of the fuselage were finally completed and it was rotated into its proper orientation.
With the tail-pieces loosely clamped on, it's actually beginning to look like a real airplane!
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As of June 29, 2023: Fabric covering and reinforcement tapes on all surfaces of the fuselage and tail components has been completed. Joe did some fabric shrink-testing on one of the wings to determine the best way to achieve apply adhesives and avoid wrinkling when the fabric is heated. The place most susceptible to this is the leading edge. To manage this, Joe and Rollie applied a thin sheet of aluminum (0.010” thick). Nicely done, gentlemen.
The first step is to complete each wing root with a solid rib. Then carefully roll and secure the aluminum to the leading edge.
The finished look. NICELY DONE!! This will make for a smooth and even surface when the fabric is applied.
The photo below (left) shows where we were one year ago this month. Since then, as reported in previous newsletters, all fabric work on the fuselage and tail pieces is completed and sealed. Once the fuel tank is fabricated, the next stop is the paint booth. The photo below (right) shows the leading edge of one wing is completed. All the edges of the ribs and spars have been sanded smooth. This wing is ready to be covered with fabric.
Real visible progress continued through September, as these photos will illustrate. With the leading edge covered with 0.010” aluminum, we placed the underside surface of the wing on fabric, then applied the new water-based Stewart Systems adhesive to the trailing edge on the airfoil side. Then Joe applied heat to this bond which activates the adhesive. Next, we applied adhesive to the top edge of the aluminum. The wing was then placed in our “cradle” so the fabric could be easily brought over the leading edge and adhered to the aluminum. Heat at 250 deg. F was then “ironed” over the fabric for the initial shrink.
The next step is to apply fabric to the airfoil side of this wing, between the aluminum and the trailing edge. By the way, this Stewart System product is so much easier to work with, and does not generate the noxious fumes we dealt with when covering the fuselage.
