Hi David,
I would echo your thanks to the PFA and Europa team for their efforts. I wo
uld also echo your frustrations in being unable to fly a perfectly good air
craft because of detail dimensional departures from the build manual.
>From your paras. 4 and 5, together with Francis's para. 2, the proposed mod
is a simple one which involves embedding a new pip retention feature, and
relieving the possibility of the pin driving the TP6. This "retention featu
re" sounds like something we could easily manufacturer ourselves. In this c
ase, on our behalf, would you be prepared to ask the authorities to release
some sort of illustration. It would be nice to be able to make a start on
things without having to await the good offices of Europa to supply us with
a kit. Memories of the delays with Mod 72 fill me with apprehension.
Best regards.
Bryan Allsop. G BYSA XS Mono
> Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 23:56:45 -0700> From: europa-list@matronics.com> To
: europa-list-digest@matronics.com> Subject: Europa-List Digest: 5 Msgs - 0
7/06/07> > *> > ===================
======> Online Versions of Today's List Digest Archive> ==
=======================> > To
day's complete Europa-List Digest can also be found in either of the > two
Web Links listed below. The .html file includes the Digest formatted > in H
TML for viewing with a web browser and features Hyperlinked Indexes > and M
essage Navigation. The .txt file includes the plain ASCII version > of the
Europa-List Digest and can be viewed with a generic text editor > such as N
otepad or with a web browser. > > HTML Version:> > http://www.matronics.com
/digest/digestview.php?Style=82701&View=html&Chapter 07-07-06&Archi
ve=Europa> > Text Version:> > http://www.matronics.com/digest/digestview.
php?Style=82701&View=txt&Chapter 07-07-06&Archive=Europa> > > =
======================> EMail V
ersion of Today's List Digest Archive> ============
===========> > > ------------------------------------
----------------------> Europa-List Digest Archive> ---> Total Messages Pos
ted Fri 07/06/07: 5> ------------------------------------------------------
----> > > Today's Message Index:> ----------------------> > 1. 01:07 AM - L
egend'Air (=?UTF-8?Q?R=C3=A9mi_Guerner?=)> 2. 10:00 AM - Re: XS Tai
lwheel and rudder stop (danbish)> 3. 10:28 AM - Re: N81EU incident - the cu
lprit (danbish)> 4. 02:20 PM - UK PFA news - Europa safety mods (David.Corb
ett)> 5. 09:46 PM - Re: Anyone going to Arlington (WA)? (Craig Ellison)> >
> > ________________________________ Message 1 ____________________________
erner?= <air.guerner@wanadoo.fr>> Subject: Europa-List: Legend'Air> > > L
egend=99Air, the annual french homebuilt and vintage aircraft fly-in> wil
l be held in Vichy, LFLV, located in the center of France, on 13, 14, 1> 5
July. I hope many Europas from all over Europe will attend. All aircraft> w
elcomed. Information on rsafrance.com. Check Notams as it seems that the> r
e is a last minute change in the radio frequencies to be used for the even>
t. Do not hesitate to post questions on this forum if needed. > Remi Guern
er> F-PGKL, XS S/N395 monowheel, 912S, Airmaster, 482 hours > > ___________
_____________________ Message 2 _____________________________________> > >
stop> From: "danbish" <danbish@norwalktucson.com>> > > Ron,> > See > > htt
p://www.europaowners.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album169&op=modload&
name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=2> > for photos
of the GS mod work I've done so far.> > Dan> > > Visit - www.EuropaOwners.
org> > > ________________________________ Message 3 _______________________
EU incident - the culprit> From: "danbish" <danbish@norwalktucson.com>> > >
Richard,> > I found a post on the EAA site some time ago about using Gates
R9 fuel injection> hose instead of the standard stuff which is usually sol
d in the states as R7,> or some variance thereof. The R9 has a Teflon sheat
h inside the line that is> supposed to be much more long lasting and theore
tically wouldn't have to be replaced> as often. I used it everywhere I had
a need for 1/4" or 3/8" hose that> was too tight to use versatube aluminum
or where I had a need for 1/2" hose (just> at the pumps) since I was unable
to locate R9 in 1/2".> > But it ain't cheap; about $8 a foot.> > Dan> > >
Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org> > > ________________________________ Message
: "David.Corbett" <david.corbett5@btinternet.com>> Subject: Europa-List: UK
PFA news - Europa safety mods> > Wearing my UK PFA Executive Committee and
Europa Club committee hats, I> asked Francis Donaldson (PFA Chief Engineer
, for those of you overseas who> do not know) earlier this week if he could
release a progress report on the> proposed Europa factory/PFA modification
s to be incorporated in UK Europae> following the tragic accident to G-HOFC
. You will see Francis's reply below.> > > However, before you read it, I m
ust ask you all to consider some other> factors which Francis passed to me
in a second e-mail, and confirmed by> voicemail whilst I was at a funeral t
his afternoon.> > > 1 We are all aware that UK AAIB are shortly to issue a
Special> Bulletin about the G-HOFC accident. Francis tells me that this Bul
letin is> not expected to give any firm conclusion about the accident - inv
estigations> are still ongoing into the very complex factors involved - and
the Bulletin> will basically only draw attention to the Flight Safety Bull
etins issued by> the PFA (see next paragraph). If the AAIB Bulletin reports
as normal> "Special's" do, I hope that we will at least be told publicly t
he scale of> the damage/destruction that occurred to G-HOFC, even if no con
clusions can> yet be given.> > > 2 Some Europae, like mine, have passed the
inspections required by UK> Europa Flight Safety Bulletins 006 and 007, bu
t are grounded because the> tailplane pip pin recesses have not been built
to the dimensions in the> build manual - in many cases, the dimensions are
smaller, especially around> the joint between the recess and the upper skin
. Owners such as myself are> obviously frustrated that we cannot fly but, q
uite understandably, Francis> asks that those of us in a similar position t
o mine wait for the tailplane> pip pin mod to come out, and do not chase PF
A Engineering for individual> special attention. As we can all appreciate,
PFA Engineering have been> severely overloaded by the investigations, and t
he resulting mod design work> involved, that arises from this accident, and
other PFA aircraft types are> suffering as a result of these pressures on
PFA Engineering. This situation> has not been helped by the sad loss, to a
job in Australia, of our recent> and excellent recruit to the engineering t
eam, Kerry Ashcroft; so PFA are> short of an engineer again.> > > 3 The pro
posed mods (outlined below) are currently with Europa (2004)> Ltd being for
matted. There will, of course, be a lead time on the supply of> some mod ki
t parts - especially the longer wing rear pins required for> Classic aircra
ft. I will have a discussion with Roger or John early next> week to see whe
ther they are yet prepared to go public as to the timescale> for issuing th
e mod kits.> > > 4 The tailplane mod will only require normal composite mat
erials -> BID and epoxy (the mod will specify readily available epoxies); A
ndy Draper> has done a trial tailplane mod - to "ready for cosmetic finish"
- in one> working day.> > > 5 For those in the UK West Midland/Wales area,
Adrian Lloyd, my PFA> inspector, and I are proposing to run a joint operat
ion here at Shobdon for> several local owners to get the tailplane pip pin
access mods all done> together. If you are interested in joining this team
effort, please contact> me off list. david.corbett5@btinternet.com (put "Eu
ropa mod" in subject> box, please)> > > Finally, I would like to express ou
r Europa community's thank to Francis and> his team, and Roger and John at
the factory, for the enormous amount of work> that they have had to put int
o our situation following the sad accident.> > > As one of our committee me
mbers has said to me this evening - "Fly safely" -> but of course I can't,
at least in my Europa!> > > David> > UK 265 G-BZAM> > > _____ > > From: Fra
ncis Donaldson [mailto:francis.donaldson@pfa.org.uk] > Sent: 06 July 2007 1
6:25> Cc: Brian Hope> Subject: RE: Europa update> > > Dear David > > > Foll
owing the tragic accident with G-HOFC, in conjunction with Europa> Aircraft
we have carried out a safety study for the Europa rear wing> attachment an
d tailplane system as a whole and this has resulted in various> modificatio
ns being planned. These do not necessarily reflect the actual> course of ev
ents in the structural failure of G-HOFC, which is still under> investigati
on. > > > The modifications which are currently being compiled achieve the
following:> > > 1. On Classics only, check centrality of rear wing pins in
hard-point,> fit new rear wing pins with longer threaded portion and fit wa
sher and nut> on the inside, behind the existing hard-point. This involves
making a recess> in the bottom skin locally for access, refilling with foam
piece afterwards> and patching skin locally.> > > 2. On Classics and XS, o
valise the pip pin holes in the ends of the> tailplane torque tube to preve
nt the pip-pin picking up actuating torque> loads. Add an extra pip-pin rec
ess of an improved design to each tail> undersurface which will provide a r
eliable secondary retention system to> prevent the tailplane half moving ou
tboard if the sleeve should become> disbonded. In the process of forming th
e new pip-pin recesses, key the> sleeves into the structure to help prevent
them becoming disbonded. Pip-pin> will still enter tailplane from above. R
ecess in bottom surface can be> filled afterwards for cosmetic purposes lea
ving tailplane looking as> previously. Alternatively, the Europa club mod f
or improved sleeve retention> can be incorporated at build. > > > 3. On Cla
ssics and XS, add placards to the tailplanes adjacent to the> pip-pin holes
calling attention to the need to check presence of pip-pins> and engagemen
t of > > anti-balance tab pins before flight. > > > The modifications will
provide full details and, where needed, modified> parts. > > > Due to the a
mount of interest expressed by owners in the use of Loctite to> prevent slo
p in the torque tube pinned joints, Europa Aircraft are also> experimenting
with the use of Loctite to see if this seems a viable> proposition. Altern
atively, we are also looking into the possibility of> adding hidden stops t
o the tailplanes to contact simultaneously with the> mass-balance meeting i
ts stops. These are intended to prevent the torque> tube and its pinned joi
nts experiencing shock loads when the mass balance> hits its stops, and so
avoid enlargement of the torque tube pin holes> causing slop in the mass ba
lance arm and slop between the two tailplane> halves. > > > Best regards >
> > Francis Donaldson> > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____
g Ellison" <craig.ellison2@verizon.net>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Anyone g
oing to Arlington (WA)?> > > Hi Fred,> > I'm planning on coming up Thurs. e
vening and staying through Sun. morning. > Hope to see other Europa builder
s/flyers there also.> > craig ellison> N205CN> Silverton, OR> ----- Origina
l Message ----- > From: "Fred Klein" <fklein@orcasonline.com>> Sent: Thursd
ay, July 05, 2007 11:04 AM> Subject: Europa-List: Anyone going to Arlington
(WA)?> > > >> > Arlington EAA fly-in scheduled from 11 July thru 15 July..
.> >> > I've been planning to drive down and (hopefully) kick some Europa >
===> > > >
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