For what it's worth: Prior to purchasing my 1965 ALON , it had been in and out of a storage barn for 4 years . I suspect that it spent considerable time outside, without gust locks. My local mech removed a leaking header tank and I sent it off to John Wright. Jr. for refurbishment. While the mech was upside down under my inst panel he noted a crack near the top of my control column, near the two "bolts" that limit aileron travel. I had the column removed and welded. I suspect the crack was caused by the winds repeatedly beating the ailerons up and down, and against the stops The previous owner has passed away, and there is no log book entry to enlighten me. Mine is an early ALON which, of course, has rudder pedals. It came from the factory with a simple, reliable locking device, just a horizontal hole in the flight control wheel shaft, and an L-shaped bracket thru-bolted to the lower edge of the center inst panel. The control wheel is locked full forward and centered by sliding in a 2 inch slender "pin" (the kind with a spring loaded ball bearing at the insertion end). The pin has a bright red "remove before flight" flag on it. I have noticed that while taxiing and tieing down in strong winds, the forces on the ailerons tend to "try to turn the wheels" by lifting the ailerons, but there seems to be no chance the pin (when inserted) could be shaken loose. I do "back it up" (when tied down) with a bungee cord joining the two inner handles on the control wheels. I note that there is also a vertical hole in the pilot's side control wheel shaft, but it is unuseable in the ALON, since the inst panel protrudes slightly too far aft. Maybe the same locking device is used on Forneys and later model Ercoupes? I don't know.
DON BOWEN
