Hi Jos
Can I answer your second question first? The Europa is for me a
return to a PFA type after 15 years of flying a certified type.
Previously I had a share in a plans-built Jodel which was massive fun
to fly but a death trap. I was dismayed then by the low standard of
workmanship which had obviously been passed when the aircraft was
built and also by the lax standard of the yearly inspection. After
two engine failures within a year I went off to find something more
dependable. When I bought the Europa (Total time 12 hours when
purchased) it was with the blind faith that things must have moved on
- better designs, better build standards required and better annual
inspections. The good news is that there are obviously some superb
inspectors out there with huge knowledge of Europas - my inspector,
Tony Kay, is utterly strict when he needs to be, sensibly pragmatic
when he can be and always very helpful - in all respects a top man.
Having built his own monowheel and having inspected many other
Europas, he knew exactly where to look for problems with my aircraft
and boy did he find them (see later). The bad news is that there are
clearly also inspectors out there (I can't name individuals in
writing, the laws of defamation being what they are) who have signed
off appalling workmanship, either because they didn't spot it or
perhaps because they didn't think it mattered.
Anyway, here's a list of the things I can recall:
- The fuel tank was resting on the screws which secure the inspection
panels under the fuselage - it was only a matter of time before the
screws would have chiselled their way through the tank)
- Elevator total travel was below the required spec (by 1 degree)
- The exhaust stub was put on at the wrong angle causing later heat
damage to the port side fuselage
- The rudder cables were fouling in about 8 places in total
(including against the brake pipes which were being sawn through, and
the edge of the tank likewise).
- Rudder linkage was fouling badly on firewall
- Lots of minor but mandatory items were missing: switch and circuit
breaker i/ds, on/off placards, limits for T's and P's and airspeeds
- Coolant hose routed too close to exhaust (and scorched as a result)
- Starter-engaged warning light not connected
- Alternator warning light missing
- Fuel filler pipe wrongly assembled and leaking as a result (the
tank was routinely dumping top 15 litres into the baggage area when
filled).
- Instrument panel fixing screws were all insecure and virtually
every instrument was either inoperative or had a significant problem.
- The cable crimps at the regulator looked as if they had been done
with pliers - one simply fell out. Elsewhere the wiring and vacuum
piping was untidy at best.
- The left and right tailplanes had an inch of slop measured at the
trailing edge (max allowable I recall is 3/16) - this was not due to
wear but apparently to the torque tube holes having been filed out to
make assembly easier...
- Aileron pushrod assembly incorrectly rivetted allowing freeplay
- Missing lock nut in elevator mass balance assembly
- Fireproofing sleeves missing on under cowl fuel pipes
- Wrong material used for coolant overflow pipe
- Missing sealant at holes in engine bulkhead
- Several areas of snagging/fouling in aileron linkage
- Numerous areas where fuel pipes were at risk of abrasion eg rubbing
on aileron torque tube, rudder cables, hole through baggage bay rib etc
- Speed kit incorrectly installed (flap hinge covers abrading flap
hinges and U/C fairing fell off in flight)
Quite a list as you see. I make no criticism of the builder - the PFA
ethos is that you can take as many attempts as you need to meet the
required build standard and the inspector will - should - keep
failing the job until you get it right. It was the inspector who
failed, not the builder. I am grateful to Tony Kay for helping me
find and fix this little lot. We now have dealt with the dangerous
faults (most of the above) and are now moving on to do a re-wire and
panel rebuild to finish licking G-BZNY into shape. Fixing someone
else's poor workmanship is a character-building task but the result
has been worth it - as everyone knows, they are super aircraft if
they are built right.
Cheers!
Willie Harrison
On 21 Feb 2007, at 18:09, Jos Okhuijsen wrote:
>
> Hi Willie,
>
> Could you please detail what the build quality problems were?
> We at least would know what to look out for from your experience.
> Secondly, you are in the UK, so why did the inspector pass that plane?
> Kind Regards,
>
> Jos Okhuijsen
>
> workshopcam http://www.okhuijsen.org/plane
> http://www.europaowners.org/kit600
> mono xs, blue stuff filled, sanded and primed, fuel system in,
> doors done, windows in, filled and sanded, waiting for the painter,
> engine installation, panel.
>
>
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