On Feb 3, 2005, at 12:40 PM, Craig Gainza wrote:

<butchered by Continental and their lovely FADEC program>
 
<after Continental butchered the wiring>
 
 
Barry, maybe it's me but don't you think this criticism would go further if well worded and specific?  It is hard to imagine anyone buying an airplane that has been "butchered.

Craig, et. al.,

It's a long story and I didn't have the time to get into details (nor will I now). Continental's history is long and storied when it comes to poor customer relations and zero concern for good will, so I'm not shedding any new light here. The FADEC engine that was originally installed on my (then Bob Fair's) airplane had all kinds of issues. Without going into the legal threats they made when requesting they replace my engine with a standard configuration (which I wanted as well), they strung it along with so many "oh, by the way's" that I ended up spending thousands and thousands more than they lead me to believe I'd have to spend for the swap. Additionally, when they wired the FADEC into the airplane they made no effort to do it in a professional manner and virtually the entire panel ended up having to be rewired because it was an unintelligible hornets nest. No one even considered they'd do such a hatchet job, after all, they are a professional and reputable company, right? Yes, that part of it is no us, but again, based on the fact that Bob built it and Lancair did the panel it was a logical assumption that it wouldn't look like a 3rd graders handy work.

All that being said, I now have a wonderful airplane and I'm still into it for less than I could have built it myself. Still, thousands are thousands and Continental, in my estimation, did themselves more harm than good with the way they treated the situation. I do not have it "in" for TCM, but by the same token y'all have a right to the facts as I see them. Needless to say, I will never do business with them again....

Hope this clears things up....gotta run, 122LL is beckoning my presence again!

Cheers,

Barry