Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

[Joel Severinghaus]

The October 2008 issue of EAA's "Vintage Magazine" featured some photos from Oshkosh, and there on page 9 is our own Robert Lees, pictured meeting with staff from FAA's Small Airplane Directorate. Unfortunately, the caption mis-identifies him as "Steve Pierce of the Short Wing Piper Club."

Thank you again, Mr. Ambassador, for taking time at Oshkosh to so ably and professionally represent the Taylorcraft community in this aging aircraft issues meeting with the FAA. We colonials were fortunate to have this Brit facing the Feds for us.

[Len Petterson]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

We all need to work on our repective Goverments may it be USA, Canada or Britan. we need rules what alowes us to look after our birds ourself.
The vintage aircraft rules or owner maintinece rules has to come or many of us can not keep our birds. IOAC and European Union are laying down rules exsactly what I dont know, but politicans are listining becuase most of them ar laywers and they love rules!
Lets Speak up!
Silents is deadly i politics!
Just look at the NEW ELT's we have to purshase here in Canada and what you have to have if flying in Canada, Canadian aircraft or not.
( after Feb 2009)It was suggested by IOAC for commersial flights and now 1200 bucks later I can fly my Taylorcraft after the same rules. Just becuase it can be dune technicaly! BS there is lot more ways when spending a lot of money if I fly around the pee patch for the fun of it. I know a search is expensive, but do we need more rules and restrictions.
Thanks Robert! for representing us.
Just keep in mind what the level of education today is much higher when it was when the Taylorcraft and other simple aircraft where desinged. Today a collage grad can design what a unversity grad did 50 years ago. I am not saying we should be alowed to work on jet engines and turbo props etc just simple aircrafts.
Len

[Robert Lees]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

I just received my copy..no slight intended (I'm sure) or taken. I have emailed Forrest for follow-up on the outcome of that meeting, which he was unfortunately unable to attend for family reasons.

In essence, they have asked for
"the top 5 or 6 items of airworthiness for Taylorcraft (i.e. those 5 or 6 items most critical to the continued safety & airworthiness). These might be those items which form part of a "pre-purchase inspection", for example." [my words].

So suggestions will be welcome, I'm sure.

Rob

[VictorBravo]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

Just got a lesson from a highly respected wood structure builder, looking at a set of Citabria wings. Compression failures on the bottom and aft faces of spars, just at the outboard edge of the plywood doubler plates at the strut attach, are a problem when airplanes are groundlooped. These failures can go undetected for several annual inspections unless the inspector has specialized equipment (the new TV flex borescope gadget). So one of the big "continued airworthiness" things on my list would be equipping inspectors with this type of camera probe, which can go through an inspection hole and really find things otherwise not seen. That holds true for all airplanes that can be groundlooped or had the wingtip dragged on the ground in a botched landing..

On the T-craft airframe front, I'd vote for...

Lower wing strut AND strut attach area visual/ice pick/X-Ray inspection
Dried out, cracked and damaged spars as above, also including cracks into the bolt holes UNDER the plywood doubler plates
Lower rear longerons, tailwheel area and stabilizer structure corrosion
Worn or cracked bolt lug holes in the fuselage and wing attach fittings
Rusted landing gears

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

Although I have no clue how I would inspect for cracks underneath a plywood doubler, I generally agree with Victor Bravo.

If I could add two things on the list, it would be FIRST an STC approved substitute for the fuel shutoff valves, (I know some tribesmen are working this so here is hoping for fast FAA action), SECOND an STC approved split exhaust and heat muff arrangement to make inspections and maintenance easier.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

Although I have no clue how I would inspect for cracks underneath a plywood doubler,

The end of the cracks (on the Citabria wings we looked at) were visible looking edge-on at the butt end of the spar. The wood wing expert (whose business is "Wood Wing Specialty" in Shafter, CA ... anyone who needs a really really experienced guy who is a world class craftsman take note) looked at the butt ends of the spars, saw the cracks, and guaranteed me that the cracks probably extended to the nearest bolt hole (spar butt fitting) under the plywood.

For any restorers in mid-project, his advice on spar roots was to soak as much epoxy resin into this butt end of the spar as possible, brushing it on to the end grain, letting it soak in until the surface was dry and then brushing in more epoxy, repeat this 3X. until the wood will not absorb more resin. This prevents moisture from soaking in, expand/contract cycles and thus promoting cracking of the wood. It also strengthens the wood grain quite a bit.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

Sounds like good advice Bill, Mine failed right where we are talking about. Although it will shorten your working time heating the epoxy will make it thinner then water for a short time. Or use your wife's hair drier to heat the wood first. We used to heat up switch bodies at Microswitch ( a div. of Honeywell) and smother them in epoxy to seal the pores in the steel body so they could be filled with Nitrogen for the space program. Larry

PS: Actually epoxy will always weep through a smaller hole then water, but heating makes it even more able to do that and in a shorter amount of time.

[Len Petterson]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

I agree with all of the above and I would like add: Corrosion in the tail Longerons and the bottom of rudder.
There is a need for drain holes and posibilety to get a tub from a srpaycan onto this places to reapply anti corrosion spray. This was not possible in the 47 but is now a good thing if it can be dune, not only on the T-craft but on all tube and fabric planes.
Len

[flyguy]

Re: Ambassador Lees slighted in "Vintage" magazine, but we thank him

It would be nice to have a definitive information collection/package on the horizontal stabilizer brace wires and hardware. Then maybe some notes on inspecting the entire tail area.
Darryl