---------------------------------------------------------- Europa-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 01/12/13: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 09:05 AM - PLBs (David Joyce) 2. 11:26 AM - wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting (graeme bird) 3. 03:16 PM - Re: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting (JonSmith) 4. 05:03 PM - Re: Grounding & Fuelling (Bud Yerly) 5. 11:15 PM - Re: Re: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting (Bob Harrison) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 09:05:23 AM PST US From: "David Joyce" Subject: Europa-List: PLBs I have recently heard that the gendarmes have fined someone over 900 euros for flying in to Le Touquet without a PLB. When I last heard, I understood that a PLB was compulsory for a certified aircraft but not for a Permit aircraft. Can any of our French friends tell me what is the current law? Cordialement, David Joyce, G-XSDJ ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 11:26:37 AM PST US Subject: Europa-List: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting From: "graeme bird" So, just passed the LAA inspection after the first year. No swollen fuel tank thankfully. Struggled to get one of the tailplanes off, removed the wings but seem to have forgotten the knack for getting them re-installed. Any tips? -------- Graeme Bird G-UMPY Mono 912S/Woodcomp 3000/3W Newby: 45 hours g(at)gdbmk.co.uk Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=392113#392113 ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 03:16:50 PM PST US Subject: Europa-List: Re: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting From: "JonSmith" Hi, I'm sure everyone has their own method but I rig from my open trailer every time I fly and this seems to work for me: Always put the port wing on first. Slide it right home ensuring the front and rear wing pins enter their respective fuselage sockets and the flap pin locates in the flap cross tube end bearing. Then insert both main pins through the seat back far enough to hold the port wing located in the correct position height wise (but not too far so that they interfere with the starboard wing when you put it in!). Keep the wing supported though - see below. Now slide the starboard wing into place, fully home (remember the flap tube again!) and push the main pins fully into position. Fit both rear socket pip pins and jobs done! Notes: I always support the weight of each wing until both wings are in position AND the main spar pins are fully inserted. I think that not doing so would ask too much of the spar rigging cup sockets which are only location guides and not structural. I use a well padded plastic saw horse trestle from B&Q under the port wing; about half way down the wing seems to put it at the right height to support it whilst I rig the stbd wing. I always rig on my own and have a rotating trolley to transport and rotate each wing in turn. Don't forget any pitot/ static and/ or electrical connections that you may have in the wing roots. I find keeping all the pins well greased makes a world of difference for easy insertion. (Isn't that always the case....?!) Putting the main pins in part way to aid the port wing's correct location prior to fitting the stbd wing also seems to make the whole job much easier. To get the pins fully home then just might require slight adjustment to the height of the stbd tip as the port one must already be correct. If it doesn't seem to go well take several steps back from the aircraft and eye the whole thing up. Does it look right? Are both wings at the correct height? Obviously if one or both are not in the right position the pins will never go in! Also are the wing tips exactly correct fore and aft? Look at the gaps between the wing root fairings and the fuselage. Do they look exactly right (small gaps and parallel). If your plane is nice and tight you may need some effort to ensure both wings really are fully home. I sometimes have to "bump" my wingtips inwards with my hands to ensure this. Again Look at the gaps between the root fairing and the fuselage. Make sure the button on the port main pin pip pin pops right out into it's correct position otherwise it will not be locked and would creep out. Also that the two small pip pins are fully home with their balls out! Finally check again both flaps have definitely located - pins into the tube - it is possible to miss! Re. the tail planes - I think if you leave it rigged it would be sensible to remove them and re-grease them quite often - every month maybe?? I've heard that given time the slightest bit of corrosion can make them pigs to remove. Stitch in time.... This one doesn't apply to me as I rig every time. Cheers! -------- G-TERN Classic Mono Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=392138#392138 ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 05:03:37 PM PST US From: "Bud Yerly" Subject: Re: Europa-List: Grounding & Fuelling Frans, I agree. I believe that the wet rag idea is the same as touching with your bare hand and then touching your grounded Jerry Can or filling station nozzle completes the neutralization of the static charge difference. Since auto's with plastic tanks have the fuel grounded to the vehicle ground via the fuel pumps, and the capacitance probe, injectors, fuel regulators, etc. Your point of ground of the whole fuel system is already accomplished by the engine fuel systems in our aircraft, just as in the autos. I too did not make an electrical connection between my cap and the ground system because we are just a big plastic tank with static electricity around the outside, and the fuel in the tank is grounded to the engine and the ground of the aircraft. Sparks jumping should be easily controlled by grounding the frame of the engine (the fuel itself) to the earth and then earthing yourself (via your wet hand) to the side of the aircraft and then to the Jerry Can which is setting on the ground. All components and yourself are now at an equal charge state, or close enough, to not jump a spark. Problem is with the trailered aircraft. When moving the nozzle from one vehicle to another you have lost contact with the vehicle and trailer, so one must reestablish the neutral charge by touching the trailer with a hand, then the plane to the trailer. It is an academic exercise to assume that the vehicle, trailer and yourself are of the same charge state (grounded) unless a metal strap was attached to the frame and drags on the ground and the plane is grounded to the trailer. The National Transportation directives have been changed years ago deleting the grounding of fuelling vehicles with chains hanging on the ground. Re-fuelling vehicles use grounding cables to accomplish this. Background: Gas Stations use valves with cutoffs to allow the grounded fuel line to be placed into a vehicles open hole by a woman wearing a static generating outfit in reasonable safety providing she stays in contact with the nozzle at all times... The person can not lose contact with the nozzle and vehicle skin during the fuelling. If they do, one can expect upon return to the nozzle, there is a high probability of a spark being generated (as in those U-Tube videos). The operation is only safe because the act of the person contacting the hose nozzle grounds the person to the fuel pump and earth, the fuel door is opened and the nozzle is placed into the vehicle fuel receptacle (neutralizing the charge) then the fuel trigger is pulled. The vapor exiting the vehicle during fuelling has no source of ignition (unless the person loses contact with the vehicle and nozzle). Back to the aircraft on the trailer, if the re-fuel person was inattentive, doing the fuelling and the fuel nozzle was removed from the tow vehicle, say after fuelling the car, then the person jumped up on the trailer to fuel the plane, as long as he touched the trailer by hand and then the aircraft to open the cap, while holding the fuel nozzle, he again has neutralized the ground and has reasonable expectations of safe fuelling. Bottom line: Use your body as a conduit when fuelling from a Jerry Can. Never fuel the can in the vehicle (as Graham pointed out, it develops its own charge due to the fuel movement, sliding in the boot, etc.), put the can on the ground then open it and then grab the fuel nozzle and begin fuelling the can. To fuel the aircraft, remove the can from the transport vehicle and put the can on the ground, put your hand on the can and plane and open the aircraft fuel cap, touch the aircraft and the can and lift to fuel or use your hand pump now to transfer fuel safely... Your wet rag idea is great, if you have really dry hands or are messy like me. Regards, Bud ----- Original Message ----- From: Frans Veldman To: europa-list@matronics.com Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 12:38 PM Subject: Re: Europa-List: Grounding & Fuelling > On 01/11/2013 04:26 PM, f.kyle@sympatico.ca wrote: > Can I install a grounding bib on the outside of the > fuselage, well away from but electrically connected to the 2inch tube in > addition to any previous route? If you start grounding components in direct contact with fuel, you have to ground them ALL. Otherwise a non-grounded metal piece (in contact with the fuel) will discharge itself to the grounded piece, sparking inside the fuel enclosure. So, do not ground anything in contact with the fuel, or, if you do, then ground everything in contact with the fuel. (This includes the fuel vents, which may become electrically charged and try to relieve themselves via the fuel to your grounded cobra). Probably safest would be a metal wire inside the tank, running from the inlet to the outlet, making contact with all metal parts in between, have one side connected to the engine and the other side to the fuel filler opening. Or just don't ground anything, so if there is an electric charge, it won't find a path to ground via the fuel related components. This is what I do: I have not grounded anything connected to the fuel. Before I refill, I use a wet rag (or my bare hands) to wipe off the fuel filler opening, then I place one hand on the wetted surface, and in the other hand I have the fuel nozzle, and with both hands connected I bring the fuel nozzle in contact with the fuel filler opening. If there is any electrical charge between the nozzle and the fuel filler opening, it will relieve itself via my body instead of via the fuel. As the aircraft is made of non-conductive material, any grounding efforts are bound to fail. Electrical charge will easily build up near the fuel filler opening, despite any efforts to ground individual parts. The only way to get rid of local charges on a non-conductive material is to wipe it off with something conductive; wet rags or body parts suffice. Frans http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List http://www.matronics.com/contribution ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 11:15:40 PM PST US From: "Bob Harrison" Subject: RE: Europa-List: Re: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting Hi! Jon and original enquirer......re:- wing rigging. Further to Jon's submission I would add that the main problem is the vertical positioning of the wing tip to the port wing to so align it's spa with the starboard locating socket. I have extended the upper and lower entrance ramps by having two 6" lengths of thin angle welded to the original entrance of the socket and also redux bonded to the seat back with the socket.. Making a "VEE" to locate the end of the spar and so run it into the socket. I then have a tufnol guide/slide slotted into which the spar slides into the entrance at the port side of the aircraft. Then on entry the wing tip is simply maintained hard aft to enter tight to the starboard seat back until engaged with the guide extensions, this pivots the spar end into place. Somewhere in the age old photo gallery is pictures of the welded ramps but I hope this description helps you. (Not forgetting to connect "pito" pipes etc.) Having engaged the port wing this it's rear lift lock pin is inserted since you don't want to poke it all back out when engaging the starboard wing !(Been there done that !) Then similarly the starboard spa is guided by another tufnol slide and slot and vertical alignment is provided once the spa tip has engaged with the "cuff" which is pre-bonded round the port spar. Finally ensure all pins are properly engaged. Hope this helps .....my trike never flys without being re-rigged and de-rigged on completion. A small addition of these items once, saves much future frustration and re-fixing of the starboard seat back spa socket after it has been knocked off!(been there done that !) Regards Bob Harrison G-PTAG -----Original Message----- From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of JonSmith Sent: 12 January 2013 23:16 Subject: Europa-List: Re: wings removed for first annual whats the trick for refitting --> Hi, I'm sure everyone has their own method but I rig from my open trailer every time I fly and this seems to work for me: Always put the port wing on first. Slide it right home ensuring the front and rear wing pins enter their respective fuselage sockets and the flap pin locates in the flap cross tube end bearing. Then insert both main pins through the seat back far enough to hold the port wing located in the correct position height wise (but not too far so that they interfere with the starboard wing when you put it in!). Keep the wing supported though - see below. Now slide the starboard wing into place, fully home (remember the flap tube again!) and push the main pins fully into position. Fit both rear socket pip pins and jobs done! Notes: I always support the weight of each wing until both wings are in position AND the main spar pins are fully inserted. I think that not doing so would ask too much of the spar rigging cup sockets which are only location guides and not structural. I use a well padded plastic saw horse trestle from B&Q under the port wing; about half way down the wing seems to put it at the right height to support it whilst I rig the stbd wing. I always rig on my own and have a rotating trolley to transport and rotate each wing in turn. Don't forget any pitot/ static and/ or electrical connections that you may have in the wing roots. I find keeping all the pins well greased makes a world of difference for easy insertion. (Isn't that always the case....?!) Putting the main pins in part way to aid the port wing's correct location prior to fitting the stbd wing also seems to make the whole job much easier. To get the pins fully home then just might require slight adjustment to the height of the stbd tip as the port one must already be correct. If it doesn't seem to go well take several steps back from the aircraft and eye the whole thing up. Does it look right? Are both wings at the correct height? Obviously if one or both are not in the right position the pins will never go in! Also are the wing tips exactly correct fore and aft? Look at the gaps between the wing root fairings and the fuselage. Do they look exactly right (small gaps and parallel). If your plane is nice and tight you may need some effort to ensure both wings really are fully home. I sometimes have to "bump" my wingtips inwards with my hands to ensure this. Again Look at the gaps between the root fairing and the fuselage. Make sure the button on the port main pin pip pin pops right out into it's correct position otherwise it will not be locked and would creep out. Also that the two small pip pins are fully home with their balls out! Finally check again both flaps have definitely located - pins into the tube - it is possible to miss! Re. the tail planes - I think if you leave it rigged it would be sensible to remove them and re-grease them quite often - every month maybe?? I've heard that given time the slightest bit of corrosion can make them pigs to remove. Stitch in time.... This one doesn't apply to me as I rig every time. Cheers! -------- G-TERN Classic Mono Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=392138#392138 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.