Owner produced parts

[Carl Ellis]

Here is an interesting article on owner produced parts.

http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/news/archive/Jul_Aug2002/Parts.htm

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

Here is an interesting article on owner produced parts.

http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/news/arch...2002/Parts.htm

D*^$n, no longer available - Mike

[NY86]

Re: Owner produced parts

Here are two articles I've saved over the years on the subject. IIRC, one of these is the one that was posted on th elink above. It used to be available from one of the FSDO's web sites, Atlanta, maybe?

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

John - thanks. I GOOGLED around and found several articles which essentially say I can produce a part. Now the next question is "how does my A&P determine if the part I built meets form, fit, function, and most important to me, will be as strong as the original?

Let me give you an example. I bought a rusty landing gear and brought it to my A&P. He sandblasted it, noticed the patch repair, found it acceptable, primed it and we put it on the a/c. If I had welded the patch on (and let's assume the bead looked good), aren't there other things I might have done wrong that aren't apparent that might have weakened the metal or put in stresses that aren't apparent? How would he know?

Here's a variation which is related and still causing puzzlement. Let's say my gasalator bulb breaks and I can't find a new one. I can find a new gasalator at the local tractor supply store and I can adapt the fittings to the Tcraft. I'll bet my A&P wouldn't accept it. That sounds like a conflict. I can build a part, and if it meets the A&P's standard it goes on the plane, but if I adapt a part, it won't pass muster. Must be a PMA'd part. Do you see a conflict or am I too deep in the grass? - Mike

PS - I bet the difference is the part I built used previously approved blueprints, and was an approved design. The gasalator (and in an earlier thread a fuel cut-off valve from Home Depot Aerospce) had not gone thru an approval process.

[Guest]

Re: Owner produced parts

One year they covered this in the IA meeting.

What I recall is that the owner can produce a part but he must follow the drawings, materials and process specs that the manufacturer had specified and used in the original manufacture of the part.

So the owner is really only producing a previously specified part not designing a new part or making an equivalent replacement part.

I also recall a discussion about convincing the A&P he should use it. That may prove difficult.

I have the papers and notes from that meeting somewhere with more details.

Dave.

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

"Houston, we have a lightbulb turned on" - sure, that makes sense. In either/or any case, the common denomenator is there was an approved process for building the part. In the case of the purchased fuel valve, no approved process exists (that we know of), but in the case of a part I build from blueprints that went thru the FAA/CAA design approval process, which included specifying metal thickness, etc., there _is_ a standard. Bingo.

Yeah, convincing the A&P might be interesting; would require a talk with him and a demonstration of my (currently non-existent) capability. But he has an a/c welder that he goes to for any welding. I'll have a talk with him about what other things the A&P would be concerned about. or my EAA guru's. Yeah, gotta remember what resources are available near at hand. - Mike

[Robert Lees]

Re: Owner produced parts

form, fit, function,

This the basic premise of quality control, which in turn is one of the five areas in which you (the owner) can have an active involvement in fitting owner-produced parts.

You can, for example, record in your worksheet that you prepared a manufacturing process (e.g. use a flowchart); verified the correct material was used; an approved welder fabricated it (make a note of the approval number); and that dimensionally the finished part performs satisfactorily when fitted. The IA checks your worksheet, and enters the information on whatever form/logbook (as necessary in the USA).

Job Done, even if someone else manufactures it.

Rob

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

" an approved welder fabricated it (make a note of the approval number);" Rob

What constitutes "an approved welder"? Gotta be some certification the FAA recognizes, right? Probably not the same certification granted general purpose welders. I'll go GOOGLE - Mike

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

What constitutes "an approved welder"? Gotta be some certification the FAA recognizes, right? Probably not the same certification granted general purpose welders. I'll go GOOGLE - Mike

That didn't take long. There is apparently no 'welder' certificate' in the aviation community. You get your 'A' or 'P' or both. The 'A' apparently includes learning a certain degree of welding(?).

However, the relief is addressed here:

"Q. Can I work as an aviation mechanic without being certificated?
A. Yes, providing you work under the supervision of a certificated person and do not release aircraft to service."

So, I can weld a part under the supervision of a 'certificated person' (is that the same as a 'real' person?). I'd better talk to my A&P. - Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: Owner produced parts

Mike...in my deepest, most officious police voice...STEP AWAY FROM THE TEXTBOOK!

If you are repairing a commercial transport airplane or engine parts, then worry about welding accreditation certificates and what not.

On a 60 year old Taylorcraft used for personal flying, practice your welding, make several welded test pieces from the same material, and weld it back together with the IA watching you.

Write out the welding process you used, and submit it to the IA for his records. Submit the 3 or 4 samples as "quality control test samples", and invite the IA to inspect, NDT, or even DT the welded test pieces, to offer proof that the strength of the weld is acceptable.

If the IA can break your test pieces apart then you have to go to a professional welder. If he can't break the pieces, your welding is done and "acceptable to the administrator". Period.

The IA has the authority to determine whether the repair is satisfactory.

Bill (just been through it with my welded parts)

[mhorowit]

Re: Owner produced parts

Mike...in my deepest, most officious police voice...STEP AWAY FROM THE TEXTBOOK!

If you are repairing a commercial transport airplane or engine parts, then worry about welding accreditation certificates and what not.

On a 60 year old Taylorcraft used for personal flying, practice your welding, make several welded test pieces from the same material, and weld it back together with the IA watching you.

Write out the welding process you used, and submit it to the IA for his records. Submit the 3 or 4 samples as "quality control test samples", and invite the IA to inspect, NDT, or even DT the welded test pieces, to offer proof that the strength of the weld is acceptable.

If the IA can break your test pieces apart then you have to go to a professional welder. If he can't break the pieces, your welding is done and "acceptable to the administrator". Period.

The IA has the authority to determine whether the repair is satisfactory.

Bill (just been through it with my welded parts)

That's what I thought and wanted to hear. Thanks - Mike