- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,363
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
I failed my instructor practical test after eleven and a half hours of oral.
I have 60 days to retest before I have to start at the beginning.
Plan A is to retest in The Predator.
Unfortunately we found a crack in the frame during her condition inspection and she is not airworthy. That is why I borrowed the Cavalon from Air Gyro for my instructor practical test.
It is not surprising after 1,500 hours. She first flew in 1999 but in typical gyroplane years (25 hours per year) she is 60 years old. This is not the first crack we found and it won’t be the last.
A small body mount tab had a void in a weld that created the seed of the crack.
The crack is in a very difficult place to reach where the rear floor, the floor below the mast where a lot of electrical things are mounted and the fire wall come together. The rear rotor control bearing is mounted right on top of the crack. The means tanks off, rear body off fuel system off, rotor control system disassembled and a lot of electrical parts moved (battery, strobe light drive, main solenoid, starter solenoid, the main wiring harness and the left and right brake lines.
Ed and I stripped The Predator naked today and I hope to find a welder at the airport so I don’t have to put her on a trailer.
We also found some corrosion on the rotor blades (bubbling paint) so I have the rotor off to sand and paint.
I would like to have her back together and airworthy in two weeks.
Our daughter Savana is getting married at the end of next week and Ed is very busy with preparations so I will lose my helper for several days and I will lose a work day. I was lucky to get Ed down here today.
Except for a couple hours of test prep ground school I plan to devote full time to the restoration of The Predator.
The picture shows the crack well. There is a long tab on the top that would keep everything together welded to both sides of the break but it is not right.
I have read many NTSB reports where they took off with a known defect and things went from bad to worse.
I have 60 days to retest before I have to start at the beginning.
Plan A is to retest in The Predator.
Unfortunately we found a crack in the frame during her condition inspection and she is not airworthy. That is why I borrowed the Cavalon from Air Gyro for my instructor practical test.
It is not surprising after 1,500 hours. She first flew in 1999 but in typical gyroplane years (25 hours per year) she is 60 years old. This is not the first crack we found and it won’t be the last.
A small body mount tab had a void in a weld that created the seed of the crack.
The crack is in a very difficult place to reach where the rear floor, the floor below the mast where a lot of electrical things are mounted and the fire wall come together. The rear rotor control bearing is mounted right on top of the crack. The means tanks off, rear body off fuel system off, rotor control system disassembled and a lot of electrical parts moved (battery, strobe light drive, main solenoid, starter solenoid, the main wiring harness and the left and right brake lines.
Ed and I stripped The Predator naked today and I hope to find a welder at the airport so I don’t have to put her on a trailer.
We also found some corrosion on the rotor blades (bubbling paint) so I have the rotor off to sand and paint.
I would like to have her back together and airworthy in two weeks.
Our daughter Savana is getting married at the end of next week and Ed is very busy with preparations so I will lose my helper for several days and I will lose a work day. I was lucky to get Ed down here today.
Except for a couple hours of test prep ground school I plan to devote full time to the restoration of The Predator.
The picture shows the crack well. There is a long tab on the top that would keep everything together welded to both sides of the break but it is not right.
I have read many NTSB reports where they took off with a known defect and things went from bad to worse.