New AD for wings.

Gord Tessier · #1 10-20-10, 08:07 AM

Yes, that is what mine are. It gets worse of you have the wing tips without the fuel tanks.
GTOW 4000 lbs. VFR only etc.

rhurt · #2 10-20-10, 04:42 PM

The way I read the AD it is talking about wing extensions, not winglets or wing tips. It covers wing extensions with integral fuel tanks and wing extensions without integral fuel tanks. I have not looked up the STC numbers yet though.

hharney · #3 10-20-10, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord Tessier

Yes, that is what mine are. It gets worse of you have the wing tips without the fuel tanks.
GTOW 4000 lbs. VFR only etc.

Wing tips without fuel tanks? I am not following your course here Gord. Are you thinking the wing extensions without tanks that have fuel in them? Or are you referring to the winglets that AE has the STC for? The proposed AD for the wing extensions does not contain anything about the winglets.

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/article...skymaster.html

Gord Tessier · #4 10-21-10, 08:44 AM

Hi Herb, I used the wrong word earlier. I meant wing extensions without without fuel tanks.
There does not appear to be any problems with the wing tips. The ad refers to extensions with fuel tanks and extensions without. It appears the limitations are much more stringent on aircraft with the extensions but no fuel tank.
Either way, Saturday morning I start removing the mod. On Monday my engineer and I will do the one time inspection and be done with it. Probably saved my life.

hharney · #5 10-21-10, 08:50 PM

Is there actually a mod for wing extensions without the tanks? I didn't understand that when I read the draft AD.

Gord Tessier · #6 10-21-10, 09:28 PM

Hi Herb, it was news to me too. Why bother doing it at all if your not going to have the fuel tanks. Mine are coming off on Saturday. My engineer was beginning to worry after the last annual. He says it will probably save my life. The extended range was nice as a cushion on fuel reserve but I am really only good for a few hours at a time anyway. I think the mod should have come with a pilot relief tube but the FAA probably would have issued an AD on that too.

stackj · #7 10-21-10, 10:23 PM

Ah, and once again my primary safety rule...

6 hour fuel range...

3 hour bladder range!

rhurt · #8 10-21-10, 10:51 PM

There's a relief tube on this one. No need to give up coffee or even worry about a preflight pit stop.

I have four young daughters. Flying with five women made the mod essential.