DG-100 FAA AD 2009-20-04 Elevator Control Bearing Stand

[ContestID67[_2_]]

This AD came out in the last few days and sent me into a tizzy. This
has to do with the elevator bearing stand breaking loose. All
applicable ships must grind off and replace the difficult to get at
fiberglass and metal stand by Jan 19, 2010. The part itself is 39
Euros (plus VAT and shipping, etc) and another 250 Euros (plus VAT)
for the "Release Certificate". This was looking like a $1000 repair
and several months of downtime. And this is because one (1!) DG-100
had this part fail out of 200+ built. I know the elevator is the one
item you really DON'T want to fail but it seems like over doing it.

The AD applies to "DG-100 and DG-100G: ser. no. 5, 21 up to 103". My
DG-101G ELAN's SN is E102G72 so I figured I was caught. But the early
DG serial numbers are notoriously difficult to decipher and DG
themselves intermix DG-100 and DG-101, with or without the G, rather
haphazardly. So I wrote to the US distributors and to DG in Germany
for a read. One US distributor has responded thus far and said, "Yes,
my glider is part of the AD." Bad news. However, DG wrote back and
said, "No, you are not involved because your ship is an ELAN." GREAT
news! I can now fly with my mind at relative ease.

Anyway, I thought that I would send this out to RAS so that someone
might dodge an expensive bullet like I did.

Good luck. Fly safe.

- John DeRosa

[Nick Hill]

ContestID67 wrote:
> This AD came out in the last few days and sent me into a tizzy. This
> has to do with the elevator bearing stand breaking loose. All
> applicable ships must grind off and replace the difficult to get at
> fiberglass and metal stand by Jan 19, 2010. The part itself is 39
> Euros (plus VAT and shipping, etc) and another 250 Euros (plus VAT)
> for the "Release Certificate". This was looking like a $1000 repair
> and several months of downtime. And this is because one (1!) DG-100
> had this part fail out of 200+ built. I know the elevator is the one
> item you really DON'T want to fail but it seems like over doing it.

My understanding is that the German LBA mandated this not DG themselves.
This AD has been out for several months in europe.

>
> The AD applies to "DG-100 and DG-100G: ser. no. 5, 21 up to 103". My
> DG-101G ELAN's SN is E102G72 so I figured I was caught. But the early
> DG serial numbers are notoriously difficult to decipher and DG
> themselves intermix DG-100 and DG-101, with or without the G, rather
> haphazardly.

From your serial number E102G72 you have a type DG-100, the 102nd built
by Elan and the 72nd G type of the Elans.

See http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/werknummer.rtf for an clear explanation
of serial numbers.

Remember various manufacturers use different model names to sell gliders
but the serial numbers refer to the type. All DG 100 and 101s including
G types are DG100s. All DG200 and DG202 are type DG200, all DG300 and
DG303 are type DG300 etc.

In the same way the ASG29 is not a different type but for all official
paperwork and type certificates etc it is officially an ASW27-18


Nick Hill

[JJ Sinclair]

On Oct 2, 1:49*am, Nick Hill > wrote:
> ContestID67 wrote:
> > This AD came out in the last few days and sent me into a tizzy. *This
> > has to do with the elevator bearing stand breaking loose. *All
> > applicable ships must grind off and replace the difficult to get at
> > fiberglass and metal stand by Jan 19, 2010. *The part itself is 39
> > Euros (plus VAT and shipping, etc) and another 250 Euros (plus VAT)
> > for the "Release Certificate". *This was looking like a $1000 repair
> > and several months of downtime. *And this is because one (1!) DG-100
> > had this part fail out of 200+ built. *I know the elevator is the one
> > item you really DON'T want to fail but it seems like over doing it.
>
> My understanding is that the German LBA mandated this not DG themselves.
> This AD has been out for several months in europe.
>
>
>
> > The AD applies to "DG-100 and DG-100G: ser. no. 5, 21 up to 103". *My
> > DG-101G ELAN's SN is E102G72 so I figured I was caught. *But the early
> > DG serial numbers are notoriously difficult to decipher and DG
> > themselves intermix DG-100 and DG-101, with or without the G, rather
> > haphazardly.
>
> *From your serial number E102G72 you have a type DG-100, the 102nd built
> by Elan and the 72nd G type of the Elans.
>
> Seehttp://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/werknummer.rtffor an clear explanation
> of serial numbers.
>
> Remember various manufacturers use different model names to sell gliders
> but the serial numbers refer to the type. All DG 100 and 101s including
> G types are DG100s. All DG200 and DG202 are type DG200, all DG300 and
> DG303 are type DG300 etc.
>
> In the same way the ASG29 is not a different type but for all official
> paperwork and type certificates etc it is officially an ASW27-18
>
> Nick Hill

Are we required to accomplish an AD if the ship is licenced
Experimental (US)?
JJ

[Darryl Ramm]

On Oct 2, 6:07*am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
> On Oct 2, 1:49*am, Nick Hill > wrote:
>
>
>
> > ContestID67 wrote:
> > > This AD came out in the last few days and sent me into a tizzy. *This
> > > has to do with the elevator bearing stand breaking loose. *All
> > > applicable ships must grind off and replace the difficult to get at
> > > fiberglass and metal stand by Jan 19, 2010. *The part itself is 39
> > > Euros (plus VAT and shipping, etc) and another 250 Euros (plus VAT)
> > > for the "Release Certificate". *This was looking like a $1000 repair
> > > and several months of downtime. *And this is because one (1!) DG-100
> > > had this part fail out of 200+ built. *I know the elevator is the one
> > > item you really DON'T want to fail but it seems like over doing it.
>
> > My understanding is that the German LBA mandated this not DG themselves..
> > This AD has been out for several months in europe.
>
> > > The AD applies to "DG-100 and DG-100G: ser. no. 5, 21 up to 103". *My
> > > DG-101G ELAN's SN is E102G72 so I figured I was caught. *But the early
> > > DG serial numbers are notoriously difficult to decipher and DG
> > > themselves intermix DG-100 and DG-101, with or without the G, rather
> > > haphazardly.
>
> > *From your serial number E102G72 you have a type DG-100, the 102nd built
> > by Elan and the 72nd G type of the Elans.
>
> > Seehttp://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/werknummer.rtfforan clear explanation
> > of serial numbers.
>
> > Remember various manufacturers use different model names to sell gliders
> > but the serial numbers refer to the type. All DG 100 and 101s including
> > G types are DG100s. All DG200 and DG202 are type DG200, all DG300 and
> > DG303 are type DG300 etc.
>
> > In the same way the ASG29 is not a different type but for all official
> > paperwork and type certificates etc it is officially an ASW27-18
>
> > Nick Hill
>
> Are we required to accomplish an AD if the ship is licenced
> Experimental (US)?
> JJ

This ambiguity of this question has been discussed in threads on
r.a.s. before. In this case to remove any doubt the AD states "This AD
applies to Model DG-100 ... blah blah..., **certificated in any
category**." I think it would be a unwise to think this is not a
required AD on an experimental glider.

It would be sad if this was all a mindless drill because the previous
TN with inspection requirement for this bearing/bellcrank mount was
just performed improperly by one person. If I read things right the
person missed the inspection of whether a washer was in place inside
the bearing mount. It would be interesting to know how hard this was
to see with the inspection light method they described. i.e. if it is
really hard to see or if the inspector just goofed. But hey it is just
the elevator control circuit so lots of of paranoia is good (I always
wonder what the risk of introducing new problems are, in this case by
by dissembling and reassembling the control linkages, cutting off the
current mount and bonding on a new etc, is...)

If it was my glider I would really want to know more. And I'd have my
head down inside the fuselage looking at that mount and assembly
myself. And I'd want to know what changed with the Elan manufacturing
for them to be sure this is not an issue.

BTW looks like DG-100 openers all have another AD coming for their
aileron control rod end inspections.

Darryl

[ContestID67[_2_]]

Darryl - Thanks for the analysis. I agree. It would seem that the
manufacturers are erring on the side of being ultra conservative in
the short term. And maybe hurting their own reputation in the long
term.

Nick - Yes these TN's came out a while ago. I started trying to
figure out if I was affected or not back then. You must have better
deductive powers, and German, than I do as the serial number document
(http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/werknummer.rtf) is murky at best. If my
serial number is E102G72 then I am either SN 102 or SN 72 (from the
AD's point of view). Even DG seemed confused on this point. The
bottom line is tha ELANs are excluded. So, why don't they just make
that clear? I realize that they can't mention every glider that isn't
involved -- but in this case this is an important distinction.

I would have been rather upset if I had gone to the expense and
trouble (not to mention the downtime) of fixing a problem that didn't
need fixing because even the local DG dealers can't figure out serial
numbers. Sigh.

FYI - The second AD for the aileron rod end has already come out.
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/list/2009-20-13?OpenDocument.
This affects all DG-100's and 200's of every stripe. At least that is
crystal clear. And DG/LS wants 250 Euros for the "release
certificate" no matter if your rod end needs replacing or not.
According to DG this is to pay for the filing of the European
paperwork.

[Darryl Ramm]

On Oct 3, 8:17*pm, ContestID67 > wrote:
> Darryl - Thanks for the analysis. *I agree. *It would seem that the
> manufacturers are erring on the side of being ultra conservative in
> the short term. *And maybe hurting their own reputation in the long
> term.

Are you speculating or do you know? This could well have been more
EASA than DG.

> Nick - Yes these TN's came out a while ago. *I started trying to
> figure out if I was affected or not back then. *You must have better
> deductive powers, and German, than I do as the serial number document
> (http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/werknummer.rtf) is murky at best. *If my
> serial number is E102G72 then I am either SN 102 or SN 72 (from the
> AD's point of view). *Even DG seemed confused on this point. *The
> bottom line is tha ELANs are excluded. *So, why don't they just make
> that clear? *I realize that they can't mention every glider that isn't
> involved -- but in this case this is an important distinction.
>
> I would have been rather upset if I had gone to the expense and
> trouble (not to mention the downtime) of fixing a problem that didn't
> need fixing because even the local DG dealers can't figure out serial
> numbers. *Sigh.
>
> FYI - The second AD for the aileron rod end has already come out.http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/list/2009....
> This affects all DG-100's and 200's of every stripe. *At least that is
> crystal clear. *And DG/LS wants 250 Euros for the "release
> certificate" no matter if your rod end needs replacing or not.
> According to DG this is to pay for the filing of the European
> paperwork.

Just pay the money, and count yourself lucky. You are getting
manufactuer support on a ~first generation glider that could well have
been abandoned with no support. Instead you've got a factory and
dealers willing to back up an old product. Count yourself lucky.


Darryl

[ContestID67[_2_]]

> Just pay the money, and count yourself lucky. You are getting
> manufactuer support on a ~first generation glider that could well have
> been abandoned with no support. Instead you've got a factory and
> dealers willing to back up an old product. Count yourself lucky.
>
> Darryl

Point well taken.