This Q&A is now closed and replaced with a new Q&A based on the latest upgrade drawings at http://zenithair.com/zodiac/xl/data/6-ZU-NOV24.pdf

To all 601XL and 650 builders and aircraft owners. If you have a specific question regarding the upgrade, post it here and I will consult with Chris Heintz so that we can give you the best possible answer. Please be specific about your questions.

When posting a question or replying to an existing comment, PLEASE add it to end of the last page.

Zenith Aircraft is upgrading its 601 XL, so a lot of questions are answered on the step-by-step Blog Posts on this main page.

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I plan to assist anyone that I can in my local area that cannot do the work themselves. Being an A&P and also have experience with heavy structural work on large corporate aircraft it would not bother me to assist or do the work for someone. You may look around your area and see if theres an A&P willing to do the work. Let me know where your at you may be close enough to work something out.
Hi Mathieu
6-ZU-2 mentions bonding the spar and doubler and angle with glue. What type/make is recommended?
The final upgrade drawings will not have the glue. The parts will be be solid riveted or bolted to the spar caps. This will add a significant amount of extra strength.
Thanks for the offer Gabriel. I live in Northern Virginia, just south of DC. I am hoping a few shops will take this on and become proficient at the job. It maybe wishful thinking.
If your lucky a local FBO will do it but because of insurance and having run a shop in Burlington, IA you will find that they probably won't do it for liablity. Love the world we live in sue happy idiots out there. Let me know if you find someone or not I know of a gentlemen if I can find his number in Raleigh, NC that would probably tackle it.
AMD of Eastman GA is starting to do upgrades for customers. There will soon be a list of different shops that will offer the upgrade.
Mat

I have a modest request for the upgrade packages. When I got my kit, Zenair included a selection of scrap pieces for whatever purpose.

I would request that in the upgrade kit you throw in a piece of the 1.5x0.25 6061 maybe a foot long or so, a similar chunk of .040, a 6" piece of 1x1.5x0.125 extrusion angle, and a couple dozen extra AN470AD-6-?? rivets. That way those of us who have never pounded a solid rivet in anger could get in a bit of practice before we set the rivets in our upgraded wing spars. I'd be more than happy to pay for the practice material.
Terry,
Good point. Its important that whoever does the solid riveting knows what they are doing. I will see with Zenith about adding extra "scrap pieces" and extra rivets.
Here are 2 videos I am making that show exactly how to rivet the spar back together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr7b-bxQb0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRMgV06sZ24
Jeff,
For the root area, you will see that in the new drawings, there is a 1/8" aluminum plate that goes out to nose rib #2 from the root. This plate must be bolted to the spar caps, top and bottom.
Jeff,
I noted that your extruded wing spar cap reinforcement appears to be mounted too far above the existing spar cap. That's why you suggested filing off the top of the trailing edge of the extrusion so the skin better aligns with the level of the rib flange. The draft drawing shows the extrusion 0.05 above. But, 0.05 what, inches or mm. Original drawing 6-W-3 shows 0.5 for the same clearance and it is mm. Use that for clearance and the rear wing skin will fit nicely over the extrusion and the rib flange. The draft drawing is in error.
I figured there would be some changes to the Draft so I welcome as many safety upgrades as can be had even if I have to do more work. I mainly wanted to get the videos done before the kit came out as a tool to help others so re doing my work was a chance I was willing to take.
Besides it has been fun to do something different to the 601 for a change.

I think I am up to 100 video's now and thats just the first wing......

Jeff

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