Ira,
I will be at Sun'n'Fun again with the Europa team, Jeff and Mary Behrnes and
a couple of Brit Europa owners. Bud tells me that Europa have stands 90 and
91 so engineering meetings will be on the agenda.
Look forward to seeing you and any other Europa owners/wannabees in just
over a month.
Regards
Steve Pitt
G-SMDH
----- Original Message -----
From: "rampil" <ira.rampil@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 10:08 PM
Subject: Europa-List: Re: Europa door shoot bolts
>
> It's true I think that anyone who has flown small GA certified AC will
> have had an experience with an open door. As Shakespeare said,
> tis much ado about nothing, as long as the pilot remembers what
> to do (fly the plane) and what not to do (fight to close said door).
>
> Its one thing to have a Cessna door or window pop - nothing
> happens to the aircraft, pilots undergarments excepted.
>
> When a door open on a Europa or a Liberty, there is an excellent
> chance that the door will cleanly depart the airframe as has happened
> several times. There is a theoretical, but so far unseen possibility
> that the departing door will hit the empenage and damage an
> airfoil or control. That is not a nothing event!
>
> My request for comments was actually a probe to start a discussion
> on whether the Europa community should look into doing the same.
>
> The port door on my airframe has long been deformed by heat while
> under the tension of the gas spring and has thus deformed so it takes
> some special effort to engage the shoot in the rear. This deformity
> was exacerbated by the door blowing off the hinges on the ground at
> Norfolk VA after a perfect ILS in a 40 kt crosswind coming home
> from SnF 2006. As soon as I opened the door at the gas pump,
> it pulled right out of my hand. Actually, when
> closed, but not latched, the rear corner of the door is proud of the
> fuse by two inches or so, therefore I need a handle on the inside to
> pull it in.
>
> The Liberty mod probably will not do a thing for me, but
> it might help avoid someone else's accident.
>
> I am planning a trip to SnF this year (even though I promised myself
> I would not) and I will look at the new Liberty shoot bolts.
>
> I have it from reliable sources, that the close by establishment for the
> annual engineering meeting is now remodeled and open for business.
> 8)
>
> Fly Safe!
>
> --------
> Ira N224XS
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=287685#287685
>
>
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