Re: Composite aircraft evolution

[David Megginson]

Jacques Virchaux > writes:

> In our country, temperatures are between -20°C (-4°F) and +35°C (95°F)
> with some snow in winter. I know that composite are now more reliable
> but someone told me that Katanas had problems under high temperature
> (wings distortions).
>
> Has any private owner or a club any experience with a composite
> aircraft not hangared during some years ?

Our temperature range in Ottawa, Canada is larger -- from about -35
degC in the winter to +40 degC in the summer. Our flying club's
next-door neighbour, Ottawa Aviation Services, runs a fleet of Katanas
for training (not hangared), so you might want to talk to them:

http://www.oas-inc.ca/


All the best,


David

--
David Megginson, , http://www.megginson.com/

[xtra]

The obvious answer is to go find a glider club. Europe is full of them.
The Katana is constructed like the gliders.

They'll probably tell you to hangar it. No matter how a plane is made,
hangaring will quadruple the life of the plane. Unless you plan on
bashing it during the next year or two.




In article >, Jacques Virchaux
> wrote:
>As our club want to buy a new DA-40 (Diamond Aircraft) and let it
>outside I need some experienced advices.
>
>In our country, temperatures are between -20°C (-4°F) and +35°C (95°F)
>with some snow in winter. I know that composite are now more reliable
>but someone told me that Katanas had problems under high temperature
>(wings distortions).
>
>Has any private owner or a club any experience with a composite
>aircraft not hangared during some years ?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>

[Jeremy Lew]

I did my primary training in several DA-20-A1s, and temperatures here
regularly reach the 90s in the summer. The underpowered A1 will barely
climb at that temperature (at gross), the C1s are no doubt better. The
restriction you are thinking of is that they cannot be flown WHILE the wing
spar temperature is above 131F (55C). There is no structural damage if the
plane is sitting on the ground at that temp. There is a little orange
sticker on the spar between the two seats which turns black if the plastic
is too hot to fly.

-Jeremy

"Jacques Virchaux" > wrote in message
...
> As our club want to buy a new DA-40 (Diamond Aircraft) and let it
> outside I need some experienced advices.
>
> In our country, temperatures are between -20°C (-4°F) and +35°C (95°F)
> with some snow in winter. I know that composite are now more reliable
> but someone told me that Katanas had problems under high temperature
> (wings distortions).
>
> Has any private owner or a club any experience with a composite
> aircraft not hangared during some years ?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> Jacques

[Steve Chalfin]

Jacques Virchaux > wrote in message >...

> In our country, temperatures are between -20°C (-4°F) and +35°C (95°F)
> with some snow in winter. I know that composite are now more reliable
> but someone told me that Katanas had problems under high temperature
> (wings distortions).


No temperature restiction on the DA40 Star. I have one, and live in
Texas, where summer surface temperatures routinely go over 100 degrees
F. There is a prohibition on painting certain areas of the aircraft
anything other than white, based on heat reflection.