Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #123
From: rickschrameck <rickschrameck@lvcm.com>
Subject: Re: Engine Power Systems LLC
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 16:44:23 -0700
To: <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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EngineAir issues

Dear Doug and Al.

I agree that this forum is a good place for information.  To that end I would
like to ask you two a few questions that your e-mail has raised in my mind.

I want to be very clear.  I have no ax to grind, I have not spent one dollar
with EngineAir or the previous companies.  I want safe and reliable experimental
planes flying.  If EngineAir can do this, great.

Please, let us deal in “real facts” as you state in  your e-mail.  Thank you for
stating that what I said in my post was correct.

Before I start could you, Doug or Al tell me if Doug Pohl is a customer or an
employee?  You state in paragraph Two that EPS takes safety and reliability
seriously.  You go further to say that the company is not happy with
reliability.  You then state that we engaged the services of a noted
consultant.  That is great but you state in paragraph 4 that you are a
customer.  Which is the “real truth”?  There is little credibility if you speak
from both a customer and an employee point of view.

In paragraph 2 and 3 you state that EngineAir sold beta Engine and Gearbox
systems to customers.  You also stated that that was the Achilles heal of Jim
Rahm’s.

Question:  Why did you sell known defective gearboxes to a customer?

Note:  I am in high tech and if we ship beta units to a customer to get their
input we immediately replace that beta unit with a production unit.   We never
even charge for beta systems because they are not production units.

Question:   If you repaired the gearboxes and engines  why did you not
immediately replace the beta engine and gearbox with a production unit?

If you have a customer flying with known defective parts in his plane you should
fix it!  But that is just me talking.

Note 2:  Dr. “nice guy” did not put Jim Rahm in bankruptcy, he did that all by
himself.  The Dr. paid for an engine from the company that Jim and Al started
and did not get “squat”.  I know of a few other customers that did not get their
engines or gearboxes after paying full price plus more in some cases.  But I
guess that is their problem.

You state that you and Tom Hakes are flying customers.  I think that you had a
complete engine failure on the way to Oshkosh and I have not heard about Tom
making his first flight.  As far as I know the only plane in the world flying
with your engine Today is Jim Rahm..

Question: Is that true or false?

You state in paragraph 4 that Five other people will be flying in January.  I
know of at least one of the people that you named does not even have his engine
or gearbox as of your posting.  Truth is important as it directly affects my
perception of your credibility.

Question:  How many of the Four customers that you named have possession of
their COMPLETE engine and gearbox as of Today?

You state that you can fly 5 hours on full tanks and that you have only changed
oil in 25 hours of flying.

Question:  How many hours were on your plane when you had the engine failure and
subsequent crash?  Reliability is important to me.

Al,  you asked me to come to your facility to see what you are doing now and as
you know I have agreed.  If you are addressing the issues I am concerned with I
will Applaud you.

Question:  Why don’t you do everything possible to get the customers with beta
systems up to your current standards?

Last but not least:  You state that Jim Rolm’s plane has 800 hours of flying
time.

Question:  How many engine and gearboxes have been in Jim’s plane?  You are
being very misleading when you talk about 800 hours on your R&D plane.  Shows me
that the plane is great but I still have concerns about your product.

If you are not going to answer my questions than taking a trip to your facility
would be useless.  I hope that you Two will respond to each question so we can,
as Doug put it, Get the real truth!!!

Regards,
Rick Schrameck



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