Ed - In the original email from NTSB, or maybe in another site, I saw this morning where Heinz is telling people to carefully check aileron cable tension.
We know in small airplanes that control cable tension is one of the main anti-flutter means used. We'll have to wait and see how critical the tension specs are for this airplane. If the tolerance is too little, then they have a problem, as cable tension will generally loosen over the course of a year between annuals, or in the course of 100 hours between 100 hour inspections for rental airplanes. I don't like this airplane anyhow - it's butt ugly, and the seating position is awful. But, it's cheap as new airplanes go. Maybe the old coffee commercial is still right - you get what you pay for. Jerry E. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of Ed Burkhead Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 11:15 AM To: ety Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] Zenair CH601XL further flight prohibited? This was written to me off line so I don't want to post it on the forum with the name attached: ___________________________________ WOW, I was not aware of the problems. But, I have been concerned about the LSA rules, where the standards are agreed upon by ASTM members of the LSA group. I have been a member of ASTM (no longer active), and have a pretty good feeling about how one arrives at standards...often resulting in minimum performance requirements. A group member proposes a standard, members discuss each issue, and finally agree on a standard. This discussion often involves many compromises to suit a particular member, and the resulting standard holds no individual responsible. "We met The standard"....... ! Perhaps we will see a renewed Certification standard, that should be equal to other certified aircraft standards, and tests; not just certified to meet ASTM LSA Standards.... Hopefully. ___________________________________ I can understand your position, however, I hope we do not see the LSA standard upgraded to the cost and prohibitive state of standard certification. When the LSA standards were under development, I joined the ASTM and the LSA fixed wing committee. I participated in the standards development document and conference call meetings during my one-year membership, and read and commented on each document and change. What I saw were standards being put in place that were very similar to the regular certification standards. The climb, takeoff, control pressures, flight testing, etc. were, in my opinion, more than is needed. Largely, they were lifted from the Canadian light sport regulations and from the U.S. certification regulations. Due to the rigidity, a bunch of illegal (but tacitly allowed by the FAA) ultralight and ultralight trainer manufacturers were unable to meet the ASTM standards (mostly because of the parts/raw materials/inventory control requirements). Some still manufacture under the experimental kit category making excellent ExpAB aircraft. Chris Heintz was the key mover in making the standards higher than they would have been otherwise. Remember that flutter is something that's hard to predict. Look at the Ercoupe's history. We've had few flutter accidents but we have had a few. I almost was a flutter accident when I got aileron flutter. It was probably only my luck/preparedness that allowed me to diagnose the problem, see the solution and implement the solution within 2-3 seconds that kept me from fluttering to the ground with only one wing on my Coupe. I expect that Zenith and Heintz will find a fix for this problem. Ed
