wing spar ad question
 

Do you have to remove the skin, tanks and all at +500?

1. In another thread entitled "Wing Spar AD" (currently a few threads below this one), on the second page, second message, another member posted the Cessna procedure, including an alternate method requiring less disassembly.

2. Don't know what you mean by "+500".

Ernie

5k wing ad
 

In the AD it says at 5000 hours and subsequently at 500 hours. Seems to me if I have to pull the wing skin every 500 hours it won't be long before I need new wing skin. So I'm wondering if the entire process has to be done at 500 hour intervals or just the eddy current test.

There are two tests. One is eddy current and one dye penetrant. To get there, however, you must either go through the disassembly process or the alternate process where you drill the first time a 0.625" hole to gain access. Read the posted procedure and it will be clear.

Ernie

Removing the wing skin involves lots of screws, but you will want to replace them when you remove them. If you do it carefully, it is labor intensive, but you won't have to replace the wing skin.

If the wing is riveted along the leading edge, you remove the the screws and gently lift it up to do the dye penetrant inspection. In that situation it makes sense to drill the hole. If the wing has screws along the leading edge, simply remove the top part of the wing skin, and you shouldn't have to drill the hole.

My former aircraft had rivets on the leading edge of the wing skin, and Herb's plane had screws along the leading edge of the wing skin.
You do not have to remove the tanks.

Here is a photo of the right wing panel skin removed. As Larry indicated my aircraft has screws on the lead edge so removal was pretty straight froward. Be sure to follow the Service Manual and support the wing and boom before removal. Re-installing is the fun part.