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In response to Joe's inquiry, I would recommend that the leading edge of the
elevator counterweight be modified to have a radius equal to half the
counterweight thickness so that it is cylindrical.  A tour of the airport
shows that many aircraft and virtually all light aircraft certified for
known icing use a configuration akin to this.  Look at a Turbo 210 or a
Turbo 182 RG to see what I mean.

You can make a new leading edge in a form, cut off the square leading edge
on the as-supplied elevator, and bond the new shape on.  Or you can grind
off the square corners leaving a narrow rib of carbon at the center leading
edge, and then bond new carbon on being careful to shape it as desired.  I
did the second method, and recommend the first.

To fill the new shape, I recommend powdered tungsten available as a waste
product from the machine tool industry.  My source (several years ago) was
Hi-Temp Specialty Metals, Inc., Industrial Park, PO Box 2188, Willingboro,
NJ  08046.  Ask for crushed tungsten about the consistency of sand and
finer.  As I recall it was under $5.00 per pound.

When mixed with epoxy the powdered tungsten has the same density of solid
lead, the consistency of wet beach sand, and can be spooned into the cavity
through a hole on the inside surface of the counterweight arm.  Pour the
tungsten into mixed epoxy and the surplus epoxy will rise to the surface
where it can be decanted.  I also used this mixture to cast tapered aileron
counterweights in Plaster of Paris molds.

Fred Moreno

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