Quebec Accident

[davreich]

Hi,
I was reluctant to post information until I could check it first instead of speculating. I too feel sorry for anyone who dies in a crash. Some facts regarding that crash are Michel Vallière only had a total of 8 hours dual in RAFs from Jim Logan, he was NOT signed off for solo flight, he was NOT a CFI for RAF and this was his first flight after a rebuild following a rollover accident (with a passenger) from early September.
The link to the pictures are very graphic in the other thread and truely remind those to think about their personal standards before flying.
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PS: I asked about the other crash in Canada during Airventure. A CFI was testing an RAF2000 and during a phase of takeoff a rudder cable barrel adjuster separated. I was told only 3 threads of the steel end were into the turnbuckle.

[C. Beaty]

What was the source of your information, Dave? If you’re unwilling to say, would you vouch for its veracity?

[ventana7]

Still sounds a bit confusing. If he only had 8 hrs dual, then at some point has a rollover with a passenger inside are we to believe a passenger got in a gyro with a pilot who had NEVER soloed?

[Aussie_Paul]

PS: I asked about the other crash in Canada during Airventure. A CFI was testing an RAF2000 and during a phase of takeoff a rudder cable barrel adjuster separated. I was told only 3 threads of the steel end were into the turnbuckle.

.....but all the kits we received had the rudder cables the same length. To trim the rudder position correctly you had to wind the right turnbuckle all the way in and wind the left one as far out as possible. This is due to the required fin offset. The fin offset in not enough. I believe that it would have been appropriate with the 100 hp ea-82. The more hp used the more the rudder has to be adjusted to fly balanced with the rudder pedals neutral. Raf has not updated their fin mould to accommodate this. You will notice every pic taken of a Raf in balanced flight that the fin and rudder are not aligned, they put up with the extra drag and then complain that a stab causes drag!! Go figure.

Raf should have been supplying the left rudder cable at least 1" longer than the right one so that no one would get caught out with the left turnbuckle to close to the end of its thread. Designers have to remember that it is the human element that can make a simple mistake like the one quoted by Dave. Machines, IMHO, have to be designed for the lowest common denominator being the non mechanically orientated human being!!!

When I have made new rudder cables for Hybrid, I fix that problem by having one cable longer that the other.

So many of the small and large Raf problems are just so simple to fix.

Aussie Paul. :)