Composite Repairs 101.

Students are often intimidated

when they begin their first fiberglass repair. And rightfully so, if it is their first time
working with all of the different materials that fall into the category of “composites”.
The good news is, that it’s not particularly difficult, and with a bit of theory and prac-
tice, you will be surprised at the quality of repair that you can accomplish on your
own aircraft. In our maintenance classes, once the students have finished their repair
projects, we use the “16-ounce ball peen hammer test” on each of the repairs. Hitting
the repaired area of a wingtip or wheel fairing with a hammer hard enough to knock
it halfway across the
shop floor is an ex-
cellent way to identify
imperfections, but it
is an even better way
to instill confidence in
a student’s ability to
conduct a proper re-
pair. The vast majority
of repaired compo-
nents show no signs
of damage even after
this shocking display
of abuse. Now, obvi-
ously you’re not going
to test your repairs in
the same fashion that Figure: 1 Brian’s 1st composite aircraft project, a Glasair 2S-
we do in the classroom FT w/ Lycoming IO-540
environment, but there
are some things that you can do to inspect the quality of your repairs.
The first is the “coin tap test method.” This test method is a staple in the composite
inspectors toolbox. This is accomplished by taking a smooth edge coin and tapping
the surface of a composite structure. The coin will create a very distinct and reso-
nant frequency associated with the underlying structure. If a void or de-lamination is
present you will hear an obvious change in the tone. Stiff, highly dense structures,
create a higher frequency, and soft, low density structures, create a lower frequency.
A “thud” in the midst of surrounding “tapping” noise is an indication of a problem. This
inspection method is not only used for testing the quality of a repaired section, but
is particularly useful for testing structures that underlie a painted or finished surface
where we have no ability to conduct a visual inspection on the fiberglass component
itself.
On areas where we have completed a repair, but not yet applied filler, primer, and
 Figure: 2 “Back-lit Inspection Method” shows use of excessive body filler
paint, we have an even better method for inspecting the repair itself. The “backlight
inspection method.” A fiberglass and epoxy repair is somewhat translucent. By apply-
ing a strong light to the backside of a fiberglass repair, we essentially can see through
the underlying layers of fiberglass and epoxy, somewhat like an x-ray. Discontinuities,
stress concentrations, and even de-laminations can easily be seen using this meth-
od as long as the thickness of the repaired area is limited. (Figure: 2) Shows what
appears to be an excellent repair when observed without the backlight (left column).
But using the backlight (right column) shows that the fiberglass cloth had sagged into
damaged area of the repair creating a divot. The use of body filler to hide this anom-
aly is evident when observed with the backlight. Although the repair in (Figure: 3) has
some deficiencies when observed externally, the real problems stand out dramatically
when viewed with a backlight. In this case, the inadequate scarfing of the repair area

Figure: 3 Back-lit Inspection showing improper scarfing of repair area.

 can be seen as a much lighter color
indicating the lack of fiberglass in
the repair area and over sanding of
the repair on the lower right side.
There is one additional inspec-
tion item which we use to validate
the structural integrity of our repair,
the use of “test coupons.” Test cou-
pons are two pieces of cured fiber-
glass layups that are prepped and
glued together using the leftover
epoxy mixture used for making the
repair. These coupons are left to
cure in the same environment as
the actual repair, and can be later
destruction tested to ensure proper
curing and bonding of the epoxy.
On small, noncritical, repairs, and
in the absence of fiberglass piec-
es, we will simply glue two popsicle
sticks together to validate the cur-
ing of the epoxy resin.
Now that we know how to in-
spect the repair after it is complete
to ensure its structural integrity, we
Figure: 4 Fiberglass Scarf Repair
need to look at the procedures for
actually completing the repair. The
vast majority of work when conducting any repair, involves preparing the surface to
apply the layups, and subsequent sanding and finishing after the layups have cured.
It is important, before beginning any repair, that you ensure that no grease, oil, or
other substances have come into contact with the repair area. The use of soap and
water along with a strong detergent
may be necessary in order to re-
move any contaminants. This will
require that the repair area be dried
extremely well before beginning
any repair.
The trick to conducting a strong
repair, is to scarf the edge of the
damaged area as carefully as pos-
sible using sandpaper. Thus cre-

Figure: 5 Improperly layed up repair

 Figure: 6 A Properly Executed Scarf Repair
ating a slope that is paper-thin at the edge of the damaged area, and tapering pro-
gressively to the thickness of the surrounding fiberglass.(Figure: 4) This essentially
means that if the thickness of the material being repaired was 1/8” thick, the taper
should extend outward from the damage approximately 5/8” to 3/4”. This is import-
ant because, in a composite repair, the loads imposed on a structure are transferred
through the fibers and only through the fibers. The epoxy is simply there to hold the
fibers in their proper orientation. If we wish to transfer the load from the repaired
area, it is essential that we have a large area for the fibers to attach. Additionally,
those fibers need to transfer the load, uninterrupted, through to the other side of the
repair. This is the reason that the largest layers of fiberglass cloth are inserted first
and progressively get smaller as we reach the surface profile. If we were to insert the
individual fiberglass layers in the reverse order, just to say, “fill the hole,” (Figure: 5)
we would essentially end up with the fibers trying to attach themselves to the existing
structure through a “butt joint”. To make matters worse, when sanding to the final pro-
file, we would be cutting into the fibers on the layers that extend the furthest and car-
ry the greatest load. When properly laid up and sanding to the final profile, the only
fibers that get disrupted are at the ends of each piece of fiberglass cloth. Each strand
of load carrying fiber is essentially protected by the overlying layers of fiberglass. A
properly done repair will end up looking much like the rings of a tree. (Figure: 6) The
uniformity in the individual rings of fiberglass can only be achieved by creating an ac-
curate scarf emanating from the damaged area. On these small repairs (normally less
than 3 inches in diameter), hand sanding with a sanding block and lots of patients is
the order of the day. The better the scarf the stronger the repair. Keep in mind, any-
time you are working with composite materials you need to keep from contaminating
your work. Blowing the fiberglass dust from your repair with an air nozzle, is of great
concern, due to the water and oil contamination from the air compressor. This also
means wearing latex or vinyl gloves. Not only to protect your hands, but to protect the
fiberglass from the oils that are ever present on your skin. And speaking of sanding,
there is a large body of research done to show that the sanding the surface just prior
to creating a layup excites the surface on a molecular level improving the bond of the
epoxy. And if we are looking to create the optimal strength in our repair, we also need
to consider the environment in which we are doing our work. Having the proper tem-
perature and humidity is essential, in addition to having a clean environment.
There is a vast array of different materials and chemicals that are used in different
types of composite construction. Whether you are using vinyl ester resin like we used
to build the Glasair. Or an epoxy-based system like we used when we were building
Lancairs, the processes are very similar. However, each system uses its own partic-
ular set of materials and chemicals that are not interchangeable. You shouldn’t use
a vinyl ester resin to repair an epoxy-based component and vice versa. Do your re-
search. Find out what chemicals and materials are used for the manufacture of the
composite parts on your aircraft. Now keep in mind, these types of repairs are typi-
cally for what we would call, light load laminate structures. Essentially, nonstructural
components like wheel pants, wingtips, and cowling components. If you are new to
composite work, these are great places to develop your skills. If you totally screw up,
you can always buy a new part. If you think you want to try your hand at composite
work, let’s give you a couple of additional FAA references to read before beginning
your adventure. AC 43.13-1B Chapter 3 Fiberglass and Plastics, and AC 43-214A
Repairs and Alterations to Composite and Bonded Aircraft Structures.