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- Nov 14, 2007
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I started the annual condition inspection on my SA-100 the end of last month, it has 62.4 hrs on it since March 18-2020. Although my condition inspection ran out the end of December, this was due to when all of the paperwork was originally submitted. I can not be happier by the way it fly's, the controls the W&B and the trim system. It is still using a bit of oil, and the #1 cylinder occasionally fowls the lower plug. But all in all its been every thing I expected and more. Did not get to go much of anywhere this past summer, I think my longest one way flight was to Corvallis OR CVO about 70 miles one way as you know most all of the flying events were cancelled. Whats the old story all dressed up and no place to go. I also wanted to fly it to California, and visit with my friend Phil so we can get pictures of the two SA-100 Stardusters, and do some flying together but that does not look like it is going to happen anytime soon, or at least until later this year?
Doesn't seem like a whole year has passed since then, but it has, and with all of the unrest, pandemic and monkey business it has been a most challenging year. But then I suspect it has been the same for just about everyone else here on the Forum.
I have a list of a half dozen or so items that need to be finished fixed or repaired, as well as all of the usual things one has to inspect regarding the annual condition inspection.
My golly gee-wiz one of a kind exhaust system needed some attention. Needed to check the heat muff, had a few minor leaks at the slip joints but none into the muff, plus I had to change the outlet pipes and angle, so they do not to dump exhaust onto the RH gear leg and lower wing root fairings. This would make a mess and was hard to keep clean. But then the fairings need to be cleaned and painted anyway. Some of my scat tubing for alt air and cabin heat was rubbing in places I did not think it would? The routing and small area inside the engine compartment to work with was quite busy to get everything in there to work, and where it needed to go. But with some pieces of fire sleeve and red hi temp silicone cured that, along with new hardware and anti seize on the exhaust system. I found that one needs to service this about every other annual condition inspection, otherwise one might not get the exhaust system apart!
My cabin heat outlet is at the firewall in front of the RH rudder pedal and has a deflector that angles it over towards the middle of the airplane, and although it works reasonably well the old air cooled engine does not make a lot of heat this time of year. Been thinking about ducting it back to the cockpit like in my Too, so one can get his hands warm, but then, it is an open cockpit Biplane.
Had some minor hole cracking on the lower LH side nose bowl lip that needed some glass and touch up.
I want to take a really good look at the landing gear, truss and bungees as well as the tail wheel and controls. I do not think there is any kind of problem, but a close look gives one a better feeling after 60 hrs of flight time, and during the first 100 hrs, is when things that need attention start to show up on a new EA-B airplane , especially one with a lot of landings.
Need to get and install a small halon fire extinguisher, and also make up a small tool kit. My PC 680 seems to work very well, especially for leaving the master on several times during the wiring build, but seemed to charge up right away and cranks just fine even in all this cold weather, and after sitting for a couple of weeks.
Still have all of them 15 minute inspection items that take two hrs to do, and probably another week or more to get it all done its just a lot of work, but then that is what keeps an old guy like me going, and in the game. Dave
Doesn't seem like a whole year has passed since then, but it has, and with all of the unrest, pandemic and monkey business it has been a most challenging year. But then I suspect it has been the same for just about everyone else here on the Forum.
I have a list of a half dozen or so items that need to be finished fixed or repaired, as well as all of the usual things one has to inspect regarding the annual condition inspection.
My golly gee-wiz one of a kind exhaust system needed some attention. Needed to check the heat muff, had a few minor leaks at the slip joints but none into the muff, plus I had to change the outlet pipes and angle, so they do not to dump exhaust onto the RH gear leg and lower wing root fairings. This would make a mess and was hard to keep clean. But then the fairings need to be cleaned and painted anyway. Some of my scat tubing for alt air and cabin heat was rubbing in places I did not think it would? The routing and small area inside the engine compartment to work with was quite busy to get everything in there to work, and where it needed to go. But with some pieces of fire sleeve and red hi temp silicone cured that, along with new hardware and anti seize on the exhaust system. I found that one needs to service this about every other annual condition inspection, otherwise one might not get the exhaust system apart!
My cabin heat outlet is at the firewall in front of the RH rudder pedal and has a deflector that angles it over towards the middle of the airplane, and although it works reasonably well the old air cooled engine does not make a lot of heat this time of year. Been thinking about ducting it back to the cockpit like in my Too, so one can get his hands warm, but then, it is an open cockpit Biplane.
Had some minor hole cracking on the lower LH side nose bowl lip that needed some glass and touch up.
I want to take a really good look at the landing gear, truss and bungees as well as the tail wheel and controls. I do not think there is any kind of problem, but a close look gives one a better feeling after 60 hrs of flight time, and during the first 100 hrs, is when things that need attention start to show up on a new EA-B airplane , especially one with a lot of landings.
Need to get and install a small halon fire extinguisher, and also make up a small tool kit. My PC 680 seems to work very well, especially for leaving the master on several times during the wiring build, but seemed to charge up right away and cranks just fine even in all this cold weather, and after sitting for a couple of weeks.
Still have all of them 15 minute inspection items that take two hrs to do, and probably another week or more to get it all done its just a lot of work, but then that is what keeps an old guy like me going, and in the game. Dave
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