---------------------------------------------------------- Zenith601-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 05/08/10: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 06:59 AM - Re: 601XL mod list? (PatrickW) 2. 02:09 PM - Re: Re: 601XL mod list? (Walter Carey) 3. 04:29 PM - Aileron balance weight bolts (Stephen R. Look) 4. 04:47 PM - Re: Re: 601XL mod list? (Paul Mulwitz) 5. 06:59 PM - Re: Aileron balance weight bolts (DaveG601XL) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 06:59:55 AM PST US Subject: Zenith601-List: Re: 601XL mod list? From: "PatrickW" Could it be that registering an aircraft with a name that includes words like "Zodiac" or "601XL" is a bad idea...? Eventually somebodies going to fly an *upgraded* Zodiac into a thunderstorm, or run out of fuel, or stall/spin while landing at Oshkosh, or have a heart attack, or hit a goose, or something... Then what....? Given the scrutiny that the Zodiac has been under, could the FAA respond with a politically driven knee-jerk reaction and *permanently* ground all the other perfectly airworthy Zodiacs...? So here's the $64k question: Would the "Walt's Cruisers" be insulated from that sort of thing...? Is there any good reason NOT to register a Zodiac as something else? Pat Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=297101#297101 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 02:09:04 PM PST US From: Walter Carey Subject: Re: Zenith601-List: Re: 601XL mod list? My main reason for the original posting where I asked readers if there was any way to track modified Zenith 601XL's was so 601XL builders/flyers could see who and how many had finished the installation and were again flying. The additional questions I had were for info purposes only. Wouldn't it be nice to see the modified and flying again 601XL's list grow day by day? Would be great confidence builder for us still working on our airplanes. Walt ----- Original Message ---- From: PatrickW Sent: Sat, May 8, 2010 9:59:31 AM Subject: Zenith601-List: Re: 601XL mod list? Could it be that registering an aircraft with a name that includes words like "Zodiac" or "601XL" is a bad idea...? Eventually somebodies going to fly an *upgraded* Zodiac into a thunderstorm, or run out of fuel, or stall/spin while landing at Oshkosh, or have a heart attack, or hit a goose, or something... Then what....? Given the scrutiny that the Zodiac has been under, could the FAA respond with a politically driven knee-jerk reaction and *permanently* ground all the other perfectly airworthy Zodiacs...? So here's the $64k question: Would the "Walt's Cruisers" be insulated from that sort of thing...? Is there any good reason NOT to register a Zodiac as something else? Pat Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=297101#297101 ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 04:29:34 PM PST US From: "Stephen R. Look" Subject: Zenith601-List: Aileron balance weight bolts I just completed the first of my aileron updates and in the course of playing with the balance weights couldn't find four bolts that would fit the job. I'm surprised there are not four of a kind AN3 bolts to use. What has been the required bolt to hold weights and was it in the upgrade kit? I've considered the possibility that the two AN3-37 are for the "light" aileron and the two AN3-30s are for the aileron with trim {which I didn't install}. If this is discussed in the notes or drawings, I missed it... Thanks, Steve Steve Look Monticello, IL 601XL "Dogs have owners, Cats have staff" ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 04:47:26 PM PST US From: "Paul Mulwitz" Subject: RE: Zenith601-List: Re: 601XL mod list? Hi Pat, I understand your concern, but my issues are a little different from yours. I don't think the FAA will ground the entire experimental fleet. They did that once (sort of) when the AMD change package was issued, but that was an overreaction from the FAA (in my opinion) because they dragged their feet when the NTSB asked for the whole fleet to be grounded last April. For the most part, the decision to fly or not to fly an experimental plane in the USA is solely up to the owner/operator. Changing the name makes no difference in this. It is the owner/operator decision that is really the big issue here. The current upgrade package apparently strengthens the XL airframe, but it is really unknown whether this fixes anything. This is because there is no known problem to fix. The statistics make me believe there is a serious design flaw in the Zodiac XL (prior to the upgrade), but I don't know what the problem is. My own decision is to install the upgrade in my XL and to put into phase I testing. I have not yet decided whether I will ever promote it to phase II. That will most likely depend on my own interpretation of the fleet-wide accident experience after the upgrades. It will probably be at least a year from now before I decide. If there are 2 or more structure failures, world wide, after upgrades then I will probably scrap my XL. If there are none, I will either put into normal operation or just wait a while longer before deciding. I wish I had a better way to make this life-and-death decision, but I don't. Paul Installing upgrade. -----Original Message----- From: owner-zenith601-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-zenith601-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of PatrickW Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 7:00 AM Subject: Zenith601-List: Re: 601XL mod list? Could it be that registering an aircraft with a name that includes words like "Zodiac" or "601XL" is a bad idea...? Eventually somebodies going to fly an *upgraded* Zodiac into a thunderstorm, or run out of fuel, or stall/spin while landing at Oshkosh, or have a heart attack, or hit a goose, or something... Then what....? Given the scrutiny that the Zodiac has been under, could the FAA respond with a politically driven knee-jerk reaction and *permanently* ground all the other perfectly airworthy Zodiacs...? So here's the $64k question: Would the "Walt's Cruisers" be insulated from that sort of thing...? Is there any good reason NOT to register a Zodiac as something else? Pat ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 06:59:52 PM PST US Subject: Zenith601-List: Re: Aileron balance weight bolts From: "DaveG601XL" Steve, The bolts I got in the upgrade kit did not work for me either. I had to buy bolts about 1/4 to 1/2" shorter. I guess Zenith packed in the bolt sizes that worked for them. My ailerons are polished and not painted so they must have weighed less. As long a they balance out, use whatever works. Good luck, -------- David Gallagher 601 XL/Jabiru 3300 First flight 7/24/08 Upgraded 3/19/10 120+ hours and climbing! Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=297145#297145 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message zenith601-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Zenith601-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/zenith601-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/zenith601-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.