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Re: Europa-List: Lightning strike

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Lightning strike
From: Tony Renshaw <tonyrenshaw@optusnet.com.au>
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 08:54:28

David and others,.
With such valid testimony as to a safety benefit, surely your PFA isn't so 
anal that they wouldn't allow them? Why don't you disobey them and just put 
them on? I know of one fellow who did what he wanted on his a/c, a Europa, 
and PFA played catchup finally approving all that he did. I think its about 
high time you guys started to dictate some logic into your organisation. 
Everyone else seems to be promoting sports aviation, and yet the home of 
the Europa seems to want to do the opposite. Approval of mods is about 
safety, so tell me, how is a nav light/strobe combination dangerous?? I 
know what I'd be doing to my Europa, and I wouldn't tell anyone till they 
asked. A smart inspector would never notice.
Reg
Tony Renshaw
Sydney Australia


At 08:16 PM 8/9/2004, you wrote:
>
>Returned yesterday from Glasgow (Cumbernauld) to Kemble through the 
>fringes of Hurricane Alex - 35 kt headwind, 3* turbulence thru Scotland & 
>Lake District, 22kts gusting 32kts on finals into Blackpool, etc. But the 
>thing that really kept me awake was the embedded Cunims said to be in the 
>front we were trying to outrun as it approached from the W. Much aware of 
>the glider whose wings blew apart, and regretting having no chute! My 
>rather anxious & rather seasick passenger managed to see two flashes, 
>which I am pretty certain were reflections of the fin mounted strobe on 
>the metal frame of his specs, but added something to the atmosphere!
>       In the aftermath of this it was particularly interesting to read 
> about Paul's strike, and many congratulations Paul on surviving! The 
> point that I am coming to is that I would not expect to have survived a 
> lightning strike on my plane yesterday. Having no nav lights, I guess the 
> lightning path would have involved an arc across the enclosed wing space 
> to the control runs. My understanding of the glider episode reports was 
> that it was the massive heating of the air in an enclosed space that 
> produced enough expansion to blow the wing apart, and I did not think 
> that water was a key part of it (but I may be wrong on that).
>          Paul's experience strongly suggests that the fitting of a ground 
> wire from wing tip to wing tip gives a significant degree of protection. 
> I had been thinking of retro-fitting nav lights when/if UK Permit 
> privileges are extended, but this makes me feel that it would be worth 
> getting on with it soonest. The glider report included analysis of 
> lightning strike data for the day to give a close estimate of the 
> strength of the strike. It would be interesting and possibly important, 
> Paul if it were possible to get that info for your strike.
>David Joyce, G-XSDJ
>
>

Reg
Tony Renshaw
Sydney Australia

Classic 236  B.B. Taildragger
Tail, Wings, Ailerons, Flaps Complete and Connected
Lower Fuse in Jig, Tail Torque Tube installed
Mass Balance assembly installed and deflections sorted
Roof Panel between doors completed.
Photos at:
http://forum.okhuijsen.org/modules.php?set_albumName=TonyR&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&PHPSESSID=902b69917a45f8b18ac84fe3f85a704b
Intended Engine: 912S CS prop (model undecided)
Instrumentation: Undecided 




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