Hi Remi, folks - we are still trouble-shooting our starboard outrigger problem
- latch failure, or unlatching. Your email was very helpful, and casts clear
light
on the issue. With the terrible weather here we can focus on this inside
the rain-and-wind-rattled hangar!
There are several findings (some missing plastic washers for example) and some
remaining mysteries... one in particular...
With our starboard outrigger the OR5 slot does not have adequate clearance with
flap down - clearly a key problem. The situation on the left is build-manual
normal. Indeed, it is practically impossible to unlatch the left OR4 by hand
suggesting
the mechanism including spring is working properly.
In addressing all of this we have obtained from another kind gentleman outrigger
assemblies left over after his gear conversion. The OR5's from this source are
of different overall length, AND have the slot in a slightly different
longitudinal
station. This raises further questions for us.
1. has there been an iteration in the factory production OR5 geometry ? (we will
contact Europa of course)
2. was any such iteration associated with _other_ geometrical changes in the
flap
/ outrigger system design?
3. perhaps one of these parts is builder modified .. at the moment we do not
know,
but suspect not.
Finally, the failed unit OR5 slot is worn at the sides (kind of 'ovalised') and
presuambly some degree of wear here is unacceptable.
Kind rgds,
Glenn
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