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Hot take: I thought the 'tap test' for composite panels was total nonsense
A guy at the hangar in Tulsa swore by it for finding delamination, but I figured it was just old-timer superstition. He made me try it on a suspect panel from a Cessna 172, and sure enough, the sound went from a sharp 'tink' to a dull 'thud' right over a known repair area. The ultrasonic tester confirmed a 4-inch void exactly where the tap test said it would be. Anyone else have a simple trick they doubted that actually works?
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carr.lee3h ago
Forget the tap test, try the quarter trick for checking tire tread depth. If the top of Washington's head is visible, you're getting into the wear bars. It's not as good as a real gauge but it's saved me from a couple of bald tires when I didn't have my tools handy.
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julia_anderson1h ago
Oh man, I've been there.
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