Hello Dave,
Thanks for your response.
I must admit with some embarrassment that I do not recall seeing the Europa
fix for the rod ends. Does it appear in the manual, or somewhere else?
Having said that, I think it right to say the situation I am experiencing
would not be affected by this earlier advice. The reason I say this is that
when my aircraft was build, first flown (May '98) and up to December the
ailerons (and hence rod ends too) were totally free. They certainly did not
require any work to make them more free.
It is only since December that this problem has occured. While Europa, who
I must add I hold in the highest esteem, especially for their help and
advice, indicated this was a problem caused by damp, you can hardly call
last summer particulary dry!!!! So why did the problem take so long to
manifest itself? Could it be a combination of damp AND COLD that causes
this problem?
I went to Redhill today, where my aircraft is hangared, and discovered that
despite changing two 'less than free' rod ends during last week and feeling
I had cured the problem, just two days later the ailerons are less than
free again. I am beginning to wonder if I should just change ALL the old
rod ends. I don't suppose the coming summer months of warm and dry
weather(?) will cause the 'less than free' rod ends to free up again?
Regards
Bob Fairall
----------
> From: Dave Simpson <Dave_Simpson@londonweb.net>
> Subject: Re:
> Date: 09 January 1999 01:16
>
> Bob,
>
> Interesting. Did you run the bearings up at speed with an electric drill
> before fitting? This was the recommended technique promulgated at the
time
> by Europa. It warms and softens the plastic, which retracts a little and
> becomes freeer (now there's an interesting word). If you did do this to
> yours, and you still have trouble, then I can expect some.
>
> Dave Simpson
>
> #47
>
>
>
> ----------
> > From: Bob Fairall <bob.fairall@btinternet.com>
> > Subject:
> > Date: 08 January 1999 21:13
> >
> > Hi Europa builders and flyers,
> >
> > If you are a builder / flyer of one of the 'earlier kits' you may be
> > interested in the following, which I am sure will be promulgated by
> Europa
> > in the near future, or indeed may have been in the past and I have
> missed
> > the communication.
> >
> > Over recent weeks I have noticed on my Europa that the ailerons had
> become
> > a little less free than they were originally. Understand, they were not
> > tight, or stiff or anything 'orrible whatsoever, just a little less
free
> > than they were originally.
> >
> > A few days ago I brought my aircraft into the workshop to carry out
it's
> > annual Permit to Fly renewal. On investigation I discovered the
> resistance
> > was caused by a couple of rod ends (MW4T-C3) which had become less than
> > free, resulting in the minor problem described above.
> >
> > I called Europa and ordered some more MW4T-C3. I was told these had
only
> > been supplied on 'earlier kits' and had now been superceded by MW4's
> > because the MW4T-C3's had shown a tendency to become stiff when exposed
> to
> > damp conditions as a result of expansion of the nylon bearing surface
> > within the 'T-C3' version.
> >
> > It's been raining a lot in s.e. England these past few months!
> >
> > Regards.
> >
> > Bob Fairall - G-BXLK - kit no. 71.
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