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Posted for "Tracy D. Wilkins" <tracyw@vt.edu>:
We have mastered the use of stiff paper to keep from pinching our
tubes during tube changes but we appreciate the new way given in the last
postings! We have had a lot of experience changing tubes unfortunately!
Our problem is the development of small holes (elliptical, size of
the head of a pin) that develop in the side walls of the tubes. We have
had three tubes develop these with no signs of abrasion or pinching. It
has happened each time while the plane was in the hangar a few minutes to
several hours after landing. All the flats have been on the mains, not the
nose so maybe there is a connection with landing? There are no flat spots
on the tires or abrasion on the tubes though...The tires do get hot after a
100 mph summer landing though. We saw the same exact hole in a tire from a
friend of ours in Leesburg.
It seems most likely that these Chinese tubes are defective. We
sent back one set that obviously was poor quality - these look OK they just
leak! We carry extra tubes (and a tire) with us at all times but that eats
up the luggage space and our patience. No one has size 400 tubes or tires
so you had best have your own or wait for UPS!
Counting one flat on landing (original tube from previous owner)
and the three side wall pin holes plus one pinched tube (our fault) we have
had five flats in two years! This is obviously unacceptable - I used to
complain about the cost of Goodyear tires and tubes when I had my Cessna
182RG but I sure wish I could buy them for this plane. I also wish I had
the "outback tires" 5.00 on our plane ( I would like the size plus the
ability to buy Goodyear). These little dinky 400s are for wheelbarrows -
at least they say not for highway use so I guess that means wheelbarrows!
By the way our sincere heartfelt thanks to George and Ray in
Leesburg and Manassas VA for taking us in and fixing the wheel AD
(reinforcement piece) for us "buyers not builders"! Howard and I have
really appreciated how welcome you all have made us feel in the Lancair
community. We are even starting to learn a little bit about working with
composites but I still wouldn't fly in a plane that I built - maybe one
that my partner built (he is an engineer, I am a biologist) but I can't
talk him into it!
Now if one of you would just sell me a completed Legacy!
Tracy
Tracy Wilkins
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LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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