---------------------------------------------------------- Europa-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 07/06/07: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 01:07 AM - Legend'Air (=?UTF-8?Q?R=C3=A9mi_Guerner?=) 2. 10:00 AM - Re: XS Tailwheel and rudder stop (danbish) 3. 10:28 AM - Re: N81EU incident - the culprit (danbish) 4. 02:20 PM - UK PFA news - Europa safety mods (David.Corbett) 5. 09:46 PM - Re: Anyone going to Arlington (WA)? (Craig Ellison) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 01:07:30 AM PST US From: =?UTF-8?Q?R=C3=A9mi_Guerner?= Subject: Europa-List: Legend'Air Legend=99Air, the annual french homebuilt and vintage aircraft fly-in will be held in Vichy, LFLV, located in the center of France, on 13, 14, 1 5 July. I hope many Europas from all over Europe will attend. All aircraft welcomed. Information on rsafrance.com. Check Notams as it seems that the re is a last minute change in the radio frequencies to be used for the even t. Do not hesitate to post questions on this forum if needed. Remi Guerner F-PGKL, XS S/N395 monowheel, 912S, Airmaster, 482 hours ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 10:00:17 AM PST US Subject: Re: Europa-List: XS Tailwheel and rudder stop From: "danbish" Ron, See http://www.europaowners.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album169&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=2 for photos of the GS mod work I've done so far. Dan Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 10:28:15 AM PST US Subject: Re: Europa-List: N81EU incident - the culprit From: "danbish" Richard, I found a post on the EAA site some time ago about using Gates R9 fuel injection hose instead of the standard stuff which is usually sold in the states as R7, or some variance thereof. The R9 has a Teflon sheath inside the line that is supposed to be much more long lasting and theoretically wouldn't have to be replaced as often. I used it everywhere I had a need for 1/4" or 3/8" hose that was too tight to use versatube aluminum or where I had a need for 1/2" hose (just at the pumps) since I was unable to locate R9 in 1/2". But it ain't cheap; about $8 a foot. Dan Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 02:20:23 PM PST US From: "David.Corbett" Subject: Europa-List: UK PFA news - Europa safety mods Wearing my UK PFA Executive Committee and Europa Club committee hats, I asked Francis Donaldson (PFA Chief Engineer, for those of you overseas who do not know) earlier this week if he could release a progress report on the proposed Europa factory/PFA modifications to be incorporated in UK Europae following the tragic accident to G-HOFC. You will see Francis's reply below. However, before you read it, I must ask you all to consider some other factors which Francis passed to me in a second e-mail, and confirmed by voicemail whilst I was at a funeral this afternoon. 1 We are all aware that UK AAIB are shortly to issue a Special Bulletin about the G-HOFC accident. Francis tells me that this Bulletin is not expected to give any firm conclusion about the accident - investigations are still ongoing into the very complex factors involved - and the Bulletin will basically only draw attention to the Flight Safety Bulletins issued by the PFA (see next paragraph). If the AAIB Bulletin reports as normal "Special's" do, I hope that we will at least be told publicly the scale of the damage/destruction that occurred to G-HOFC, even if no conclusions can yet be given. 2 Some Europae, like mine, have passed the inspections required by UK Europa Flight Safety Bulletins 006 and 007, but are grounded because the tailplane pip pin recesses have not been built to the dimensions in the build manual - in many cases, the dimensions are smaller, especially around the joint between the recess and the upper skin. Owners such as myself are obviously frustrated that we cannot fly but, quite understandably, Francis asks that those of us in a similar position to mine wait for the tailplane pip pin mod to come out, and do not chase PFA Engineering for individual special attention. As we can all appreciate, PFA Engineering have been severely overloaded by the investigations, and the resulting mod design work involved, that arises from this accident, and other PFA aircraft types are suffering as a result of these pressures on PFA Engineering. This situation has not been helped by the sad loss, to a job in Australia, of our recent and excellent recruit to the engineering team, Kerry Ashcroft; so PFA are short of an engineer again. 3 The proposed mods (outlined below) are currently with Europa (2004) Ltd being formatted. There will, of course, be a lead time on the supply of some mod kit parts - especially the longer wing rear pins required for Classic aircraft. I will have a discussion with Roger or John early next week to see whether they are yet prepared to go public as to the timescale for issuing the mod kits. 4 The tailplane mod will only require normal composite materials - BID and epoxy (the mod will specify readily available epoxies); Andy Draper has done a trial tailplane mod - to "ready for cosmetic finish" - in one working day. 5 For those in the UK West Midland/Wales area, Adrian Lloyd, my PFA inspector, and I are proposing to run a joint operation here at Shobdon for several local owners to get the tailplane pip pin access mods all done together. If you are interested in joining this team effort, please contact me off list. david.corbett5@btinternet.com (put "Europa mod" in subject box, please) Finally, I would like to express our Europa community's thank to Francis and his team, and Roger and John at the factory, for the enormous amount of work that they have had to put into our situation following the sad accident. As one of our committee members has said to me this evening - "Fly safely" - but of course I can't, at least in my Europa! David UK 265 G-BZAM _____ From: Francis Donaldson [mailto:francis.donaldson@pfa.org.uk] Sent: 06 July 2007 16:25 Cc: Brian Hope Subject: RE: Europa update Dear David Following the tragic accident with G-HOFC, in conjunction with Europa Aircraft we have carried out a safety study for the Europa rear wing attachment and tailplane system as a whole and this has resulted in various modifications being planned. These do not necessarily reflect the actual course of events in the structural failure of G-HOFC, which is still under investigation. The modifications which are currently being compiled achieve the following: 1. On Classics only, check centrality of rear wing pins in hard-point, fit new rear wing pins with longer threaded portion and fit washer and nut on the inside, behind the existing hard-point. This involves making a recess in the bottom skin locally for access, refilling with foam piece afterwards and patching skin locally. 2. On Classics and XS, ovalise the pip pin holes in the ends of the tailplane torque tube to prevent the pip-pin picking up actuating torque loads. Add an extra pip-pin recess of an improved design to each tail undersurface which will provide a reliable secondary retention system to prevent the tailplane half moving outboard if the sleeve should become disbonded. In the process of forming the new pip-pin recesses, key the sleeves into the structure to help prevent them becoming disbonded. Pip-pin will still enter tailplane from above. Recess in bottom surface can be filled afterwards for cosmetic purposes leaving tailplane looking as previously. Alternatively, the Europa club mod for improved sleeve retention can be incorporated at build. 3. On Classics and XS, add placards to the tailplanes adjacent to the pip-pin holes calling attention to the need to check presence of pip-pins and engagement of anti-balance tab pins before flight. The modifications will provide full details and, where needed, modified parts. Due to the amount of interest expressed by owners in the use of Loctite to prevent slop in the torque tube pinned joints, Europa Aircraft are also experimenting with the use of Loctite to see if this seems a viable proposition. Alternatively, we are also looking into the possibility of adding hidden stops to the tailplanes to contact simultaneously with the mass-balance meeting its stops. These are intended to prevent the torque tube and its pinned joints experiencing shock loads when the mass balance hits its stops, and so avoid enlargement of the torque tube pin holes causing slop in the mass balance arm and slop between the two tailplane halves. Best regards Francis Donaldson ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 09:46:08 PM PST US From: "Craig Ellison" Subject: Re: Europa-List: Anyone going to Arlington (WA)? Hi Fred, I'm planning on coming up Thurs. evening and staying through Sun. morning. Hope to see other Europa builders/flyers there also. craig ellison N205CN Silverton, OR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fred Klein" Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 11:04 AM Subject: Europa-List: Anyone going to Arlington (WA)? > > Arlington EAA fly-in scheduled from 11 July thru 15 July... > > I've been planning to drive down and (hopefully) kick some Europa > tires... > > Fred > A194 > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message europa-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Europa-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/europa-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/europa-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.