Raymond J1

In the EASA space, the pilot-owner status of a normal category CDN does not provide for the installation of non-PMA parts (it is possible under "CDNR" (collector aircraft)). For my own machine, I am therefore forced to have the replacement part approved by the authority. The other alternative is to mount the part, then have the installation tested by an approved structure avionic that will issue a release certificate for the entire installation. As it stands, I am simply considering providing myself with replacement membranes and being able to keep my PC system in flight even if Brittain disappears. I think Brittain could have engaged in the process of manufacturing silicone membranes without problems, because it is not very expensive as an investment. In addition, the molding of nitrile has also been simplified. With slightly larger volumes, it was possible to do too. So my current thinking is that Brittain is not looking for suppliers. But I can be wrong. In the Mooney community, can we already know how many would be interested in membranes ? My 67F doesn't have the Brittain group III option, just the group I without the "hold altitude" function. But the manufacture of a tooling is easy, if you have a model membrane to make the plans, it is possible to follow the same approach for this part.

As a preamble, like many of you, I am sorry for what happens to Brittain industries, the worst is the lack of information and the hypothetical hope for a better future. I have a deep respect for Cecilia and the team trying to get back up the slope, so I wouldn't want to hurt their efforts. However, I have the will to return my 20 F to its strict original condition, as this is enough for the exploitation I envision and the technical solutions used by Mooney at the time are proven, so there is nothing to change. There are many parts whose supply is difficult, you talk about the servo drop-down membranes (this is the exact name in French, at home it is called "Rolling membrane"), but there is also the air inlet bellows, that of the depth trim, the interior plastics,... In France with my " F " I'am alone in the world, clone to Tom Hanks on his island. There were only 4 "F" from before 1974 imported to us, the others are "E" or "J". The only "B" that flies from us is a "collector". I work for the machine tool industry, I am quite well equipped in industrial means and I have many partners and suppliers specialized in their field. Naturally, so I studied these rare parts and considered what is the simplest for me : remanufacturing. To answer your question, Brittain membranes are a specific manufacture that goes a little beyond the industrial standard. By this I mean that the stroke /diameter ratio is particularly important. If you look at the servo step, you will see a diameter of 4"(102 mm) for a stroke of 8" 3/16 (208 mm), which is a deployment ratio greater than 2. For the running board, part of the run is done without load traction, this to organize the winding of the membrane without stress. As for the actuators of the "PC" (in wing and the tail cône), the ratio is less. In the industrial field, the leader of this technology is "Marsh Bellofram". This supplier's catalog shows that what it does best is Class 2 giving a ratio of 1.12... This peculiarity explains that our membranes are made of rubber without reinforcing fabric, that the thickness is tiny, to age better, to be more flexible and that this thickness varies in some places to "organize" the winding. Brittain's chosen material is "Nitrile", a synthetic rubber. Today, silicone makes it possible to achieve the same performance, and it is simpler to implement. With a friend who specializes in contact molding, I made tools and we remanufactured several silicone diaphragms, identical to Brittain's. For the running board, it's ok, for the wing actuators, there is a small test bench or an actuator pulls a spring, we perform at this time and for 1 year fatigue tests, a small automate drive a solenoid valve, which simulates a flight of 5 hours per day with alternating stresses. the membrane is currently at 530,000 cycles, it is not yet torn. This is my situation today, I have to consider the possibility of mounting these parts on my " F " with approval from the authority, this to keep my ICAO CDN. Currently, only the membrane of my running board was damaged, the servos of the PC system were in very good condition, but I have to project myself into the future. In the coming weeks I would put the plans of the diaphragms in the Download section, but I will seek approval from Brittain's owner.

Dust protection (felt gaskets or sealing ring with one lip (no dust lip)).

Good evening, I wanted to return to this sentence because, with my experience in the industry, moisture retention is the reason why felt seals have been removed (scraper seals of machine tools using soluble cutting oil for example). Your wheels suffer the same fate when you use a wet track. In despite of this, I do not recommend replacing these felt seals, because they also have an asset : less friction than the lip seal ring. Note that one could use a water-insensitive grease (baryum soap), but this would bypass Mooney's recommendation for a lithium soap grease. So for those who keep the felt joints, I recommend before winter or on track near the coasts (salt air) to soak the felt, after assembly, with oil. Do not put too many as the excess will be centrifuged and there will be drips on your rims and tires. For those who opt for lip seals as a replacement, be careful, because the tube of the first Mooney that will undergo the friction of the lip does not have the surface hardness required for this assembly. Eventually, the rubber of the lip will create a small groove in the tube (not recommended).

In my 67 F (first model series), they were never changed. To give them a shine, I removed all the glazing to do a polishing. The sealant used in the factory was not a two-component sealant. In fact it is a flat butyl gasket delivered in roll, application and cleaning is very easy. The disadvantage is the assembly time because you have to let this seal flow slowly, at the risk of cracking the plexiglass if you tighten the screws without care. Temperature matters a lot. From my point of view, it is necessary to check the details of the boilermaking (fallen edges of the coating, clutch of the screw heads, supporting staples of the liners and also the flanges of the doors that are sagging). The small bead of the gasket that has flowed must be flushed on the outside, but it must be kept on the inside of the aircraft. The final thickness of the joint may not be less than 1.2 mm. to obtain this dimension, the fallen edge of the sheet metal and a set of wedges are used as a visual indicator when tightening the screws, this tompbed edge must not be less than 0.4 mm from the plexiglass. The photo above shows the door glazing the day after it was mounted. The butyl seal continues to flow and it is not burnt out yet. For the two-piece windshield, it is more complicated and longer, you also need to take the time to check the adjustment of the vertical headband before putting it permanently. For my part, I was only able to put on this blindfold 2 days later, as I had to wait for the complete creep of the windshield seal at the lower flanges. This time can be reduced if creep is forced by heating and pins instead of screws.

Hello everyone, among you since the beginning of 2014, I have never presented myself, just reading you, to get to know you better and discover you through this passion for Mooney. Not much to say about me, I have been a mechanic and pilot for more than 30 years, I am passionate about aviation and I have restored several" old " machines. The Mooney is a long-desired bird, but I was waiting for the rare pearl in my eyes, the one that has a cachet and a story. It is made with this 67 F, rare pearl in France

The unhealthy side of the LOP exists, it is a lack of temperatures to "finish" the reduction of dioxides. The engine is only a converter, and its problem is thermal instability. Beyond a threshold, we find it difficult to run LOP because our air-cooled engines do not have the right metallurgy. This is not a problem for liquid-cooled engines, the "Lancasters" used LOP as early as 1942, by the way, this was the only way to go so far into hostile territory. This question seems insoluble for Lycoming and Continental engines while it is a non-event for a manufacturer like Rotax whose products nevertheless develop specific powers higher than that of a 550 cu.inch. The work of the gami team is sensational, but I have to say that in Europe the discourse seems old, it feels like they are rescuing an old and lost driving. As you know, the fuel E 100 (100% ethanol) at an octane number above 100 LL Avgas, our question is rather : when is E100 allowed on IO 360 or IO 550 of M20 by Lycoming and Continental ?

Hummm !... That's because I'm on the other side of the earth compared to you...

I had this memory of contortions to read the indicator. Therefore, for OAT, I chose a location available on the pilot board.

Replacing the brushes is not enough. Sometimes it is also necessary to rectified the rotor inductance and corrected the irregular wear (on the following video, the defect after 2000 h). WP_20150518_002.mp4 Alternators age less well.

I installed the probe at the top of the windshield two pieces. The photo is made with a temporary clamping nut, the original is less thick and receives protection. What is your view on this position ?

Ah ok ! Sorry. This is a closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation-soundproofing (the same foam is used on the roof pavilion to support the sky in the fabrics)... Thickness 3/8 I think. These foams are available in rolls with sometimes an adhesive side. We use this type of foam at home, in class M1 (fireproof). I don't think it's the original assembly, but it's better than rock wool on kraft paper, glued to diluted neoprene glue (contact glue) and applied by gun or brush depending on the place.

Are you talking about those self-adhesive parts ?

Normally, the housing of your landing light is like the one in the photo, with two screws pressure at 10am and 14: 30pm to adjust the position of the headlight. The bulb boss is down, which allows the filament to be vertical (better resistance to vibration). Note also that the screwed retaining flange exerts a certain pressure on the bulb. After reassembling the flange and all its screws (3), you can put the pressure screws back in position, which will slightly constrain the bulb against the flange. In the night, observation allows you to check a beam of the inclined headlight of 5% slope approx.

For prevent the risk of vapor lock. I restored it with a silicone gummed canvas cut to the model.

Originally, the yokes are "soaked" in white plastic paint (the operation is called soaking). It's an economical industrial process which provides good protection. The drawbacks are delamination due to the high thickness and then cracking of the coating with UV waves and temperature variations. An alternative exists, it's the "flexible" paint, as opposed to the "plastic" paint, you see this every day on the tarpaulins of trucks for example. Application is done with the conventional spray gun (the gravity spray gun is recommended due to the viscosity of the paint), and the paint is 2:1 polyurethane (solvent-based paint, not acrylic), with a "slow" hardener, to you add a "flexibilizer" (available from all industrial paint shops). For Mooney yokes, do not paint directly on aluminum. My advice is first a primer or zinc chromate (no zinc phosphate), then a "filler" primer whose thinner is the same as that of the finishing paint (to avoid cracks on evaporation ). Of course, you have to review the preparation of the pieces because the soaking fades many defaults and as the spray paint does not have the same ability (lesser thicknesses), the original ones will come out. I therefore advise you to pick up the parts where there are burrs and to redo a complete surfacing at 150 grains.

On my 67F, Brittain company's LSA 4 servos (the Mooney PC system is Brittain Industries '# 4 "Lateral Stability Augmentation" system) was reinforced with 3/4 electrical tape, as per your explanations. The following image is the left side rudder servo in the tail cone, disconnected from the tube control. In this photo, the Strip is visible. On the post, my request is for the controller system, not pour for the "positiv control", checked before and ok now. My route is the same as yours, I had to change all the eastman pneumatic connectors, all the rilsan tubes (red for left and green for right), and rebuild the roller diaphragms. For this, together with a molded rubber specialist friend, we rebuilt all silicone rubber roller diaphragms. The first test was carried out on the actuator of the retract step system, because the course and diameter are the largest. I will describe this renovation operation on the specific post on "Mooney positiv control".