cliffy

On areas that get rubbed from the outside apply opened up fire sleeve with high temp red silicone as a chafe barrier At some point our antique airplanes will become beer cans. No one can stop that.

Having looked at the Trio install drawings for a Mooney I think the AC 100 is easier to install Also the Trio uses 3 servos with cable bridles for control connections unlike the AC 100 with solid push pull rods on 2 servos. The Trio uses a tray across the width of the tail cone aft of the radio access hole on the left side of the fuselage with 2 servos mounted side by side to connect to the Mooney push/pull rods with clamp on cable bridles. I guess I'm just not a fan of cable bridles but they have been used on many A/P installations in the past.

Actually the angle on mine was the same as supplied IIRC 105 degrees Only the length of the mounting tray was changed moving the position of the upper attachment on the tray but always using the same mounting hardware and design. Basically a minor alteration. . Nothing changed but the length of the tray and mounting location of the upper hanger on that tray. The roll servo went in with no issues. The tray flanges had to be modified for clearance of the flap cross shaft (as denoted on the drawings). Stayed well within the limits allowed on the install drawings for that.

Fair point also!

BIG QUESTION- When was the last time the CHT TOTAL system was checked for accuracy? That means gage, wiring and probes? Is it 40 years old and never recalibrated? You don't know how hot you really are until you know your gages are accurate.

This might work well for those seats with factory built in headrests but if on the earlier models where no head rests were installed, modifying the older seats to use them might not work as the lever arm of force from the top of the seat compared to the top of the headrest might not be accounted for in the hinge strength of the seat I have read something about this in IIRC 43.13

I've installed an AC 100 in my D model and it seems rock solid on 2 test flights Will have more to report in a week or two after more testing Follows the magenta line on my Dynon HDX just fine Bear in mind this is in a VFR only airplane as I do not do SE IFR anymore. Duncan has been very helpful for me YMMV

Lets not conflate VARMA with OPP. They are different entities. VARMA is one way of obtaining "off the shelf" parts for use on vintage aircraft. Not manufacturing parts. IMO it is not a very viable option for most anything after having done a webinar course on it but that is just my opinion. On the other hand OPP has a lot of ability for owners to get things done if done properly. One still has to have some sort of "approved" reference for the part being considered. NOT just it looks the same. If one were to reverse engineer (metallurgy and design) a gear set with a DER and get his sign off then the gears could be made FOR THAT AIRPLANE ONLY. Each airplane owner would need to go through the same process except the design has already been approved by the DER so quite possibly the DER would only require a fee to be paid to use his approval. The aircraft owner still has to have a hand in the design of the part (by writing down, "make it to this drawing design as approved by a DER") and sign the log books saying he supplied the OPP part. Then the A&P can install the OPP part knowing that it comes from an "approved drawing". We can't just go down the path of thinking we can just install some other "similar" part than that which was installed in the Type Certificate Data package. That just won't work without an STC. Also as stated before- A PMA only relates to a companies approved quality control procedures to produce "approved" parts from "approved" drawings". It really has nothing to do with the part being made. The part still has to be made from approved drawings by the PMA holder if they are to be sold on the open market. My right arm is not as strong as it was 25 years ago but it can still work my Johnson bar :-)

One thing no one thinks of is- Can I physically do it? Can you work into tight places with your arms both from the top and then bottom holding them up over your head for long periods of time? I cant anymore. Used to do some Boeing tank repairs and won't consider it now, The stuff we used (in the enclosed tank) smelled like fresh dog crap!!!

Yes usually 4130 is quite stiff even in thin material Nice looking part

We're not alone I know of a Comanche that got twisted 90 degrees and popped the cylinder by using a tug and long bar. Stupidity had no limits. At least on the Boeings we could pull the link pins! :-)

Was it just ordinary 1024 steel or could it have been aircraft 4130 steel? Just one of the many things to consider in making OPP parts. I'm jealous of those who can do the CAD stuff. I'm stuck in the slide rule era!

Tire pressure and steering linkage in the top of the nose wheel well. Lift the nose wheel off the ground and see how much loose left/right steering play you have If more than a few degrees check the gaggle of linkage parts up in the top of the wheel well to see which ones are worn. LASAR sells the parts and shims. Axle position for caster plays a part also in the diagnosis. Drop a line as shown in the SB. The main vertical bolt that the gear rotates around has a bushing that can be reamed for a larger bolt if loose That bolt has a torque value that needs to be checked each annual along with greasing it the torque value was lowered by Mooney in later years by SB, Torque to the newer SB each annual.

On the Brittian system a big issue is the alt hold "eyeball" There are 2 different ones - a black plastic housing and a brass housing. The eyeball line needs to be exactly in the middle of the window to be a good "used" unit. IIRC the brass eyeball housing is the better one but check with Brittian. Remember it only works if you still have your vacuum pump installed.

Age and treachery beat youth and looks any day of the week! :-)

If McFarland doesn't have your cable in p/n stock they will make one with YOUR participation in the design process as the owner of the airplane. THIS IS THE OPP (owner produced part) PROCESS. You fill out their :design" sheet that they supply and then you have them make the part using their "approved" manufacturing methods. You then sign the airframe log as owner and having participated in the design and supply of the part after which your A&P will sign off on the installation of the OPP part - IF he likes the process and the part. Keep a copy of the design sheet in your logs just in case BTDT

On the ailerons and flaps one can come close just by clamping a wooden bar across the top of the control wheels and then aligning the balance weights of the ailerons to match the top of the wing skins (taking care to account for aerodynamic forces pushing up on the ailerons) and while those two are clamped secure, adjust the flaps to match the ailerons. One would still have to make a few trim control check flights and adjust the up stop of the flaps to counter any small roll tendencies. The aileron balance weights generally run about faired with the top of the wing in flight ( w/ flight loads) Then use a Devil level to check the control throws. Always check the ball both on the ground and in the air for perfect center (in flight adjusted with rudder tab) When doing the pitch controls you do need some sort of board to set the stab to the correct angle in relation to the C/L level position of the fuselage (3 1/2 degrees LE down on some) in order to get the correct deflection angles on the elevator. One can clamp the elevator weights to the stab and then make a board that keys on the LE and TE and has a flat parallel top to the LE/TE notches and then use a Devil Level to set the correct nose down angle

Lets digress a little here- Yes an A&P can make some "parts" that conform to some "approved" method. (accepted? -) In the two items you cited, ribs and cables both are covered by the "approval" of 43.13 Accepted Techniques and Practices But even with that there is the limitation of- This advisory circular (AC) contains methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator for the inspection and repair of nonpressurized areas of civil aircraft, only when there are no manufacturer repair or maintenance instructions. This data generally pertains to minor repairs. It goes on to state - The repairs identified in this AC may only be used as a basis for FAA approval for major repairs. The repair data may also be used as approved data, and the AC chapter, page, and paragraph listed in block 8 of FAA form 337 when: a. the user has determined that it is appropriate to the product being repaired; b. it is directly applicable to the repair being made; and c. it is not contrary to manufacturer’s data. SO while yes an A&P CAN "make" some parts they are always made to some kind of approved or accepted data. And it is always in the realm of "REPAIRS" to a particular airframe. No A&P can make parts (say a rib) in bulk and sell it on the open market. A&Ps do repairs - they don't "manufacture" parts. The connections you cite for P&W and GE are way beyond the scope of this forum. We are confusing "parts" for repair and parts for manufacture and sales. The "Type Design" package that describes every bolt and nut on any complete airplane is the property of the Type Design holder. That "package" of data is submitted to the FAA for approval so the manufacturer can make exact copies of the airplane for sale. Every airplane made is compared to that data package to make sure it "conforms" in every way to the approved data ""Type Design" Any changes to that data require some sort of approval. Every part, item, screw or nut in that package is verified to the approved design on every produced airframe. Each part has a drawing describing exactly how that part is to be made. What material, what process, what heat teat, etc. If you don't have access to that approved data you can't make a part conforming to the approved data. One can always hire a DER to design a part and APPROVE a part and that also works when the original drawing is not available. As I noted in some instances the FAA will open a Type Design package for a request to make a part available but this is a rare occurrence. In short = the Type Design package that the holder owns is protected property by the FAA and not usually released As to the PMA holders- YES they can make any part they have the capability to make YET they still have to make it to an "approved design drawing". they can't just pull the design out of thin air, It has to have 'traceability" back to the original drawing OR be approved by some other manner such as a DER. Think of a PMA as approval of your quality control process rather than an approval to make a particular item. A PMA approves the process and not the part.

I don't know if they still do that. Haven't needed it in years. Mine still works fine :-)

That is basically the OPP route with them YOU take a part in designing the cable via their paperwork I did mine that way. They then make it using their APPROVED manufacturing procedures. YOU have to sign the log book that you took part in the design of the part (saving the order form) and then your A&P can install it a sign it off.

The Type design DRAWINGS are protected Univair bought type designs from the old manufactures in many cases and could make parts to those drawings. That is why you can't just "make a part" that qualifies to the approved type design unless you have the drawing. Even if you hold a PMA On OPP you have to show some kind of reference to an approved drawing or reverse engineer the part (DER). The FAA can't release the drawings as they are controlled by the Type Design Holder. You can't just "make" a short body elevator spring bungee without reference to the drawing that Mooney made it to- unless you get a DER to sign off on a reengineered bungee design (just a case in point). As to PMAs- They only allow someone to manufacture aviation parts - NOT a specific part unless it comes from someone's approved drawing. A PMA and Approved Parts are two different animals. In the case of a dead manufacturer you can in some cases petition the FAA to release the protected drawings.

To add to the GA Cash Cow mantra one only has to look at the proliferation of RAMP FEES. When one or two operators take over an entire airport (at the sponsors approval) we have no choice but to "pay up" at the point of a virtual gun. Until regulations change it will remain so BUT - there is a reason why GA certified Standard category aircraft have a better safety record than Experimental Regulation change (or loosening) is a two edged sword, do you accept the inevitable increase in accident rate or don't you? The two are concomitant with each other By being locked into a "Type Design" where every part down to the smallest screw is called out for in that APPROVED Type Certificate and that design is a protected product for life (maybe a sunset law on how long a type design is protected -much like the life of a patent) we are stuck with what we have. Question= Why is Type Design protected more than a patent?

Thank you

Just as an aside note- The Capt of that Valuet was a very close friend of mine. I gave her eulogy. She was a good pilot an a great person to know. Just one of several friends that are no longer here because of various accidents in this game we call "flying" It is the main reason why I sometimes become pedantic in my postings trying to stress safety and following the rules in aviation. It saves lives! Sorry for the drift

No different than the guy who "reserved" all the short N numbers and now sells them online One of those "why didn't I think of that" moments