Yes weather is why I went StJohns Rejkjavik direct on the way back last time too. This one would be different as I’m thinking of upgrading to a nice Baron but am pretty daunted by the whole import issue and the “francisation” of the aircraft… the flying I’m less worried about, a good Baron is pretty reliable and proper FIKI…
The flying is possible if you have a stretch of reasonably good weather. Our club´s new G6 SR20 was ferried to Germany from Tennessee last week. The guy needed four days and did night stops at Goose Bay, Reykjavik and finally Groningen.
daunted by the whole import issue and the “francisation” of the aircraft…
It’s EASAfication. Check the USA <> EU (FAA <> EASA) BASA and corresponding TIP document.
If it’s <2730kg (baron is ok) and it isn’t severely modified then issues aren’t expected.
You can also cherry pick an easa registration if you know of a particular authority that isn’t cooperative.
Silvaire wrote:
Why would an inspection authorization be required?
I figured dismantling wings was significant enough that an IA would be required to sign it off as airworthy. Maybe not. My point was that it’s not that big of a deal.
It is certainly not that big a thing to assemble a strut braced Cessna. No IA sign-off is required because under FAA rules that necessity is reserved mostly for periodic inspections, not maintenance operations.
I have heard it said a number of times that some planes get reassembled incorrectly, and you need only 1mm twist on the wings and it will never fly straight – as well as flying a lot slower.
I don’t know to what extent this is possible – aren’t wing attachment bolts a very precise fit?
For sure many planes do not achieve their book numbers and while this is probably more likely due to other things (duff instruments, perhaps) it could be due to poor rigging.
This is one reason why more valuable planes tend to be flown across the Atlantic rather than containerised.
Some fabric wing planes do use v-struts to twist the wing intentionally with adjustable fittings on the strut, this being used for washout and roll axis trim adjustment. In this case it’s possible to mis-rig when reassembling after shipment but with an aluminum skinned wing made in a jig, none of the above is true and rigging adjustments are limited to the flight controls. I’m not familiar with how much rigging may or may not be lost on a Cessna when the wing and flight controls are removed, but it’s not that big a deal regardless. Ground bolts and reamed holes are used so that is not an issue.
My plane has wings that can be removed easily without disconnecting the flight controls or flaps. They then reconnect automatically without any adjustment when you reinstall the wing. The most time consuming part is draining the fuel.
My very first technical work on an airplane was taking part in reassembly of a Cessna shipped in a container, and it was a bastard one to boot: a fuselage from a 150 and a wing from a 152. It’s a fairly simple procedure if you know what you are doing and the guys at the other end also knew what they were doing and did not take apart too much. If I remember correctly, we completed it in a day, or maybe two.
Peter wrote:
I have heard it said a number of times that some planes get reassembled incorrectly, and you need only 1mm twist on the wings and it will never fly straight – as well as flying a lot slower.I don’t know to what extent this is possible – aren’t wing attachment bolts a very precise fit?
For Cessnas it’s a trivial thing. Cessna wing attachment bolts are inserted into cylindrical steel bushings with an eccentric hole. By rotating this bushing within the attachment lug, you can change the wing incidence. The standard procedure is to orient them in a default neutral position, then adjust them if the aircraft flies wing-heavy.
Many thanks for all the info so far! Thanks to someone on here it looks as though I’ve found an A&P/IA/CFI at Mandelieu who can do it – and a great many other things besides once I get myself installed.
EuroGA is an amazing resource!
Ultranomad wrote:
For Cessnas it’s a trivial thing. Cessna wing attachment bolts are inserted into cylindrical steel bushings with an eccentric hole. By rotating this bushing within the attachment lug, you can change the wing incidence. The standard procedure is to orient them in a default neutral position, then adjust them if the aircraft flies wing-heavy.
That’s interesting, a neat system and repeatable as long as any off-center positioning of the eccentrics is recorded at disassembly. The method I’ve been exposed to on other metal wing planes involves adjusting the flap stops independently, which is not ideal. Otherwise I’ve seen fixed trim tabs on the ailerons.
I’ve hardly ever had anything to do with Cessnas, not really my thing as a plane to own, but when on occasion I’ve compared their detail design and manufacturing to that of some other planes it’s apparent that their high volume production allowed them to refine a lot of little details, good designs but still cheap to make.
My experience in installing wings is that the best thing you can have is a fair number of people.
