Graham Singleton wrote in reply to RMH:
>>>If you are wise, I believe your Europa SHOULD BE GROUNDED pending
>rectification of a fundamental problem which manifested itself on Peter Kember
a
>few weeks ago<<
>
>I think that is being a little bit unfair to Europa. Peter's aircraft is not
>strictly standard because the filters are not recommended. The basic system
>recommended in the plans has been tested for several hundred hours and to my
>knowledge hasn't caused any problems. I wouldn't suggest that it never will,
>nothing Man designed was ever foolproof, however you can rest assured that if
it
>does you will know very quickly.
Is there such a thing as a "strictly standard" Europa?
I still believe you should think about it a little before you go
flying next time.... Filter or no filter, all it would take is a bee
to get rammed down your tank vent and.....
We decided at the very earliest stages that the existing fuel
system was flawed for all the reasons I have already explained. To
some extent we are all experimenting with what still remains a new
design and we decided we did not want to deliberately install a
vital system in our Europa which has (to us) such blindingly obvious
faults. It is not difficult to arrange a fuel system so the fuel
gets where it should, it vents properly but water and air don't get
in where they shouldn't. In our opinion the Europa doesn't have it
as standard. Peter Kember's experience has demonstrated empirically
we were correct in our analysis and luckily he escaped. Who's
next?
>
>Peter's experience is a good example of how a small modification done for the
>best of reasons can get you into unexpected trouble. Another would be
>increasing
>the flap deflection to give easier landing. Any more than 28 deg and the plane
>will take off before the ailerons work.
>
>There are lots of areas where the design of the Europa can be improved. That's
>great, because starting from where the plane is, already way out in front, you
>could end up with a truly magic aircraft. But please, when contemplating
>improvements, at least give Europa the chance to comment, they may well have
>tried it before and rejected it. You should find them quite receptive to ideas
>if approached in the right way.
>
We have kept the factory informed all along about our mod,
in fact we consulted them on a number of occasions, in particular
when it came to cutting and reinforcing the hole between the
headrests and all the reasons for it. It does not seem to have
spurred them into a review of their fuel system however. For
commercial reasons they are naturally going to be shy of changing
anything unless there is a really good reason for it, and we don't
want the loss of all our hard work to be that reason.
>Preferably one of these outlets should extend an inch or two into the tank,
>both
>could be still inside the gauze mesh. Run one to the sight gauge
>and the other as before. Bubbles could not enter the main line
>with this scheme unless you really were out of fuel.
>
>That sounds like a good idea, why not put it to Andy?
We don't need to. We have installed another arrangement as
described before. Others might though.
Regards
-------------------------------------------------------
Richard Meredith-Hardy TEL + 44 (0)1462 834776
rmh@flymicro.win-uk.net FAX + 44 (0)1462 732668
CIS: 100071,2422
Check out the British Microlight Aircraft Association at
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