Good evening:
I appreciate all the response to my thoughts on owners having the TCDS and
service letters and have another thought---- Is your coupe airworthy??? At
the Aviation Maintenence Symposium held by thr FAA in March 2007 in Mesa
Arizona. the FAA defined "Airworthiness" as "An aircraft in full compliance
with it's Type Certificate Data Requirements and in a safe condirion to fly"
Because an STC is a supplement to the Type Ceertificae this is also included..
Field approvals normally do not apply to type cert areas.
Some of the comments:: My IA made a log book entery for a change to a
different generator.. Look at the TCDS 718 for the 415C, item 308 which lists
Delco-Remy generator 1101876,P/N 40435 which is a 12v, 12amp generator any
change here requires a STC to change from the type cert.
Someone questioned my motives in sending my message. I am trying to make
coupe owners aware of the FAA requirements to keep your coupes legal. Recently
a coupe owner had to buy a new prop because his prop was not the lenght
reqiured in the type cert. . How many times had his log book been stamped off
for his annual before being noted by his recent IA?? If the owner had been
aware of the lenght requirement as noted in the type cert he would have been
aware of this problem.. If he had been involved in an ancident, both his
insurance company and the FAA would have been involved.
Side issue, Venturis;;; With all the concern about C and CD vs D models,
if you have a LSA and intend to keep it that way , you can not fly night or IFR
on a LSA licence . Why add the drag of a venturi and the weight of two gyros
if you can"t use them???
By the way, one response indicated that I was trying yo drum up business. I
am retired, do not charrge for any other than annual inspections (then to cover
tthe cost of my AD'S, Service notes, and letters, 400to 500 $ /yr) I do this
because of my love for aviation and particularly for Ercoupes. (Also it keeps
me out of my wife's way during yhe day)
I sicerely appreciate your responses . We all need to be aware of what it
takes to keep our birds flying and legal.
Tom Couper 3989H
