Category Archives: aircraft maintenance

SCALED COMPOSITES BRINGS TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND TRADITION TO EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2017

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Legendary aviation innovators return with aircraft, extensive forums schedule
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (June 1, 2017) — Scaled Composites of Mojave, California, a historic name for aircraft and spacecraft appearing at Oshkosh for more than four decades, is returning to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2017 with aircraft, an extensive forums schedule, and opportunities for those who are seeking to be part of next-generation innovations.
The 65th annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in convention is July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
While Scaled Compositesis known for its Burt Rutan-founded legacy with projects such as Voyager,Boomerang, SpaceShipOne, and others over the past 40 years, its return to Oshkosh in 2017 is focusing on future goals and projects that encompass both aviation and space. Those projects include the massive Stratolaunchaircraft that was rolled out of its hangar for the first time on May 31.
“Scaled Composites is linked to EAA and Oshkosh as few other companies are, and we welcome them back to the flightline,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member benefits who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “As notable as its legacy is, it is Scaled’s future projects that tie perfectly with the innovation and forward thinking that are always a part of EAA AirVenture.”
Scaled Composites will have a full exhibit in the forums area, as well as more than 30 scheduled forums by its engineers, technicians, and leaders throughout the week. Along with that, Scaled’s unique high-altitude Proteus aircraft that first appeared at Oshkosh in 1999 will return. The company will also be talking with those interested in joining Scaled as it develops the latest concepts that are part of its future.
“We’ve always been a company focused on discovery and pushing limits,” said Bob Withrow, Vice President of Engineering at Scaled Composites. “We are looking for folks who are passionate, creative, and love to be challenged. There is no better place than Oshkosh to re-introduce ourselves to those who know us from our incredible legacy, and to connect with those who want to be a part of the next big thing.”
The exact schedule of Scaled Composites forums and activities will be announced as it is finalized in the coming weeks.
About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.
About Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites was founded by Burt Rutan in 1983 in Mojave, California. Scaled is a specialty composites company focusing on designing, building, and testing proof-of-concept demonstrators and prototype aircraft. For more information about Scaled, visit www.scaled.com or follow us on Twitter, IG, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Wrinkles around the landing gear?

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Question:  

I’m looking at a tail wheel aircraft that has wrinkles or dents around where main landing gear legs go into the fuselage. It also looks like a patched area.  There is nothing in the logbooks about repairs, has this aircraft been wrecked?
Answer:

Wrinkles do not mean wrecked. But they do typically indicate previous damage or stress. I’d guess the aircraft has had a few hard landings or even a few ground loops. Make sure the mechanic looks for the FAA “Form 337, Major Alteration and Repair” in the aircraft records. You can also order (through the FAA or other search companies) a copy of the FAA 337 Forms for a specific “N” number  aircraft.  This report will show you any Form 337’s that have been filed with the FAA on that particular aircraft.  If that doesn’t show any damage all you have is visual information.

Whatever the result, the mechanic should inspect the gear attach points for un-repaired damage.   Landing gear on any aircraft gets a lot of stress.   Custom built aircraft are notorious for landing gear damage, along with training aircraft.  It doesn’t matter if it is a conventional gear (tail wheel) aircraft or a tri-gear aircraft.  New pilots have a tendency to make hard landings and newly completed custom aircraft take a while to become accustom to.   Don’t be surprised, just make sure the aircraft is inspected carefully.   

NEW EAA DVD SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY ON AIRCRAFT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

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EAA-2017-16
For more information, contact:
Dick Knapinski, EAA Communications
(920) 426-6523
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW EAA DVD SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY ON AIRCRAFT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Certificated aircraft owners benefit from latest in EAA’s famed how-to video series
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (April 13, 2017) — A new how-to video from the Experimental Aircraft Association gives certificated aircraft owners a better understanding of preventive maintenance and ways to save money by personally completing some of the tasks.
Aircraft Ownership: Understanding Owner Preventive Maintenanceis a multi-part video series combined on one DVD. It shows certificated aircraft owners how to legally maintain an aircraft in accordance with FAA preventive maintenance regulations.
“There are many tasks that a certificated aircraft owner can do that are completely legal under FAA regulations and will save money,” said Charlie Becker, EAA’s director of chapters, communities and homebuilt community manager. “This DVD will help those aircraft owners plan maintenance and have confidence in what they can do themselves and when to go to the next level.”
More than four hours of video are organized in easy-to-follow categories, so a viewer can find exactly what is needed. Included are extensive discussions of the legal and technical requirements, plus dozens of hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step guidance on basic preventive maintenance projects.
The demonstrations include such areas as:
·         Landing gear and tires
·         Safety wire and cotter pin replacement
·         Hydraulic fluids
·         Safety belts and seat parts
·         Landing and position lights
·         Spark plugs and batteries
·         Fuel and oil screens and filters
The video segments are hosted by Dick and Bob Koehler, EAA SportAir Workshop instructors, who each hold Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificates with Inspection Authorization (IA) privileges. Their vast knowledge and teaching skill provide the knowledge and techniques needed to perform basic preventive maintenance procedures.
The DVD is available at EAA.org/shop for $36.95, with special discounts for EAA members.
About EAA

EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 200,000 members and 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.