Welcome to the owner area of our
website. Here will be posted information that we
hope will be useful to owners and operators of
Flight Design CT aircraft.
The information posted here will
be advisory in nature, not mandatory. However,
at times, it will direct attention towards
information that is mandatory.
- August 19, 2008 - Ethanol
Ethanol has been in the news a lot lately and, as the result of phase separation, is believed to have contributed to the failure of a fuel filter installed in a CTSW.
Ethanol absorbs water and blends well with gasoline. However, too much water will overwhelm the ethanol's ability to remain blended with the gasoline. Because ethanol mixes easier with water than gasoline, it will separate from gasoline and accumulate with the water at the lowest point of a system. The product in the tank will no longer be a homogeneous blend of ethanol and gasoline, but two layers of product; a layer of gasoline on top and an ethanol/water layer on the bottom. This is referred to as "phase separation."
At this point, the components in the lower part of the fuel system may be exposed to higher concentrations of ethanol than they were originally designed for. The engine may receive almost pure concentrations of alcohol (perhaps as high as 90%). This may lead to failure of fuel system components, vapor lock and engine stoppage.
It is believed that phase separation can occur, not only when water is accidentally introduced into the fuel system, but also when an aircraft is operated in a humid environment and is allowed to sit for long periods.
To avoid ethanol related problems, discontinue using ethanol-blended automotive fuels.
If it can't be avoided, use a concentration of no more than 5% (considered the maximum acceptable for the Rotax 912S engine). Premium grade blended fuels often contain no more than 5% ethanol. If the percentage is higher, dilute the mix by adding some 100LL to the tanks.
Additionally:
- Never let fuel sit for too long. If an airplane is going to remain idle for a long time, drain all the fuel from the aircraft through the gascolator, which is the lowest part of the system.
- Do not operate your aircraft above 10,000 ft while using ethanol blended fuel as vapor lock may occur.
- Have your mechanic check the inline fuel filter behind the instrument panel often if ethanol-blended fuel is used and the aircraft is flown infrequently. If damage is observed or suspected, replacement fuel filters may be obtained from Flight Design USA.
For comments or questions, email: airworthiness@flightdesignusa
- June 18, 2008 - Nose Gear Damper Upgrade for SW owners
On CTLS aircraft, the metal spring damper in the nose gear assembly was replaced by a polyurethane element. What it does is reduce re-bound after a drop in on the nose wheel. It also stops the nose wheel suspension from bottoming out (going clunk). It is standard on the LS and was drop tested and certified.
Flight Design is offering for free to existing CTSW in the USA the parts to complete an optional upgrade to the urethane damper as a thank you for their business and support. (It does not address a safety issue and therefore is not mandatory).
The parts may be obtained free from Flight Design USA with the owner paying for the shipping ($ 12.00 via UPS).
The owner will also be responsible for the labor costs of installation. We recommend having it done during scheduled maintenance at a Flight Design Service Center.
- June 16, 2008 - CT Firewall and Oil Hose Sleeve Upgrade.
As many of you may be aware, one of the production changes requested on newer CT's distributed in North America was the addition of a firewall blanket and oil hose sleeving in the engine compartment in order to provide additional fire protection and reduced cabin noise. These changes were implemented in late 2006. The original firewall is carbon fiber coated with fireproof epoxy resin.
We realized that retro-fitting existing aircraft was highly desirable and asked the factory to supply us with kits to perform the modifications. Subsequently, numbers of aircraft have had the upgrade performed at Flight Design Service Centers around the country.
However, it recently came to our attention that not enough aircraft have benefited from this opportunity and, more importantly, we realized that, in the interest of conformity and enhanced safety for all the planes in the country, the upgrade should be made mandatory.
Now, to answer the obvious questions:
Parts:
Flight Design will supply the parts and materials.
Labor:
The fixed cost at a Flight Design Service Center for the upgrade should be $1450.00; of which $1000.00 will be paid for by the factory and $450.00 will be charged to the aircraft owner (It will be the owners responsibility to bring their plane to the service center and back).
Where:
We strongly recommend having the modification performed at a Flight Design Service Center. There are other locations around the country that are factory trained on Rotax engines and have received documented approval from Flight Design for installing the upgrade. Flight Design will reimburse $1000.00 towards the cost once the upgrade has been completed and after proper compliance documentation has been submitted.
When:
We will soon be issuing a Safety Directive (Service Bulletin) that will require that the upgrade be performed within a year of the date of issuance. We suggest having the procedure completed during the annual or 100 hour inspection.
A couple of items of note:
The details, including cost, are subject to change pending the issuance of the Safety Directive. This Owner news item is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a guarantee to provide said parts, services and remuneration at the above mentioned dollar amounts
In accordance with the ASTM standards, Flight Design does not use notices of corrective action (Safety Directives) to promote or make mandatory non-safety of flight related equipment upgrades or additions.
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