So, in anticipation of my paint job (see thread below), I decided to replace the horizontal stabilizer boots. They were pretty beat up, with patches and so on, and it would be ugly to have new paint and these patched up boots. I think they take a lot of rocks and debris on takeoff, since my wing boots are fine.
So, they pull off the old boots... and find a crack in the leading edge. And, to make matters worse, Twin Commander now specifies a new, thicker leading edge... with the result that they can't replace just one side, they have to replace both!
Oh well... the good news is that Twin Commander has them in stock. The bad news is 70 hours of labor per side.
I've had pretty good luck with this airplane, so I really shouldn't complain... so I'm not.
And, since someone will ask, no, apparently it can't simply be repaired, even though it's a very small crack.