Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2002 06:59:19 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-1683704@logan.com>
From: StarAerospace@aol.com
Subject: Re: [LML] Infinity stick grips in IV-P
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<< How have you IV-P wizzards attached your Infinity stick grips to the 
Lancair
IV stick?  I see no attach hole where I can drill to install a bolt thru the
stick. >>

I had to fix this on a Lancair IVP recently.  In fact, I had to fix a dozen 
build shop goofs.  Not the least of them was the fact that the grips and 
their aluminum adapters were attached with nothing more substantial than glue 
and a little friction.  They turned easily in my hand.

The fix was to drill through the aluminum adapter and chrome moly tube and 
install a .25" roll pin.  The grip screws through the adapter.  Our local FAA 
guy looked at the shear strength of the tubing and declared this a good fix.

Other gripes:

1. Forward armrest cutouts were insufficient for the stick wiring.  Cut for 
clearance.  Copilot's trim switch wires were cut by poor grip assembly 
technique and shorted out trim system.  The infinity grips are quite nice, 
but be a little careful with all those wires in that tight space.  I filed a 
.5 x .25" channel through the grip to route them without pinching or chafing.
2. Pilot's armrest pad eliminated 30% of aileron travel and 10% of elevator 
travel.  Relieved and resewed.
3. Wire runs down side panel chafed in numerous areas where they were wrapped 
over sharp edges and around the control rods.  NO, SPIROWRAP IS NOT 
SUFFICIENT.  The sharp edges present in many locations slip between the 
wraps.  Wiring must be stood off from all sharp edges with clamps and all 
sharp edges covered with cat track.
4. The cable runs through the wing root and aft pressure bulkhead were made 
with no protection and sealed with RTV.  These are now edge protected and 
sealed with pro-seal.  RTV does not adhere to carbon and resin.
5. The wing root fairings were beautifully smoothed with copious amounts of 
filler.  Too bad this filer has the thermal expansion of fiberglass and the 
carbon has almost none.  Large cracks and chunks falling off due to thermal 
expansion induced shear.  No fix for this...
6. (my personal favorite!) The upholstery installer drilled an attachment 
hole straight through the flux valve and strobe wires.  No excess cable 
length was available at either end of the run so this resulted in splicing in 
a whole section instead of just cutting out the damage and splicing the 
existing wires.

This Lancair IVP had a 9 interior, a 6 avionics installation, and a 5 
construction.  I've seen much, much worse, but it is my less than humble 
opinion that this aircraft requires at least a 7 to an 8 on a 10 scale to be 
reliable and safe.  There are too many "gotchas" hiding in that airframe for 
marginal work.

Eric