Posted for Tubamanflies@aol.com:

Chris,

I bought the plane with zero time with agreement that the seller would fly off the restricted time and fix all the bugs.  I got most of my information over the phone until I took delivery and got it home.   Here is waht I think happened

The first set of failures were during taxi tests.  The brakes would keep locking up and overheating.  Melted o-rings, Nylaflo lines, scorded disks ect.  Brakes were replaced which did not fix the problem.  It turned out that the master cylinders were not releasing completely.  The pedals would not let then move enough to release.  There was a buliten put out by Lancair about the problem.  They just did not get the pedals modified enough.  Once the clearences were opened up things got better.

I took delivery and flew home with the guy the flew off the restricted time.  We spent the next week getting me checked out in the plane.  Lots of landings and stops.  The brakes were OK but not great.  At the end of the week and about 75 landings later the brakes were having trouble holding on run up.  The outer pads were quite worn and the inner hidden ones had started to score the disks.  The brakes were relaeasing OK so that was not the problem.  I think it was just hard braking and maybe some initial damage on the second set before the pedal problem was fixed.     I really did not like the Matco design.  With the inner pad hidden and having to pull the wheel to change it.  Also the piston on the caliper did not center on the pad.  as the pad wore the piston would cock in the caliper and the pad would wear at an angle.  From the first experence we fould out that sometimes the piston would jam int the caliper once the pad got very worn.

I had looked at the Groves and found there design far superior.  The way they operate is the proof of the pudding.  I agree that the smaller wheels on the original Lancair helped the Matco's and with the change to the "outback" gear and larger tires more attention to the brakes should have been spent.  All things considered I think that anyone with the larger tires should consider switching to the Grove brakes.  I think the initial investment will pay for itself in the long run.  Better braking and shorter stops, better ground handling and easier maintenance.  One final word of advise.  Get the Nylaflo away from the brake heat.  Replace the first 12" with hydralic hose.

Fly fast, stop quick

Ray