Diamant 16.5 Part Out...

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A FFA Diamant 16.5 Sailplane, s/n 44, is being parted out. As a former
owner, I spent a large amount of time and money to try and repair and
restore the ship to new condition. Unfortunately, bonding problems in
the right wing proved intractable, and the restoration was abandoned
many years ago. I am now assisting the current lienholder in parting
out the aircraft. All original parts are available with the exception
of the horizontal tail, instruments, and the right hand wing "box".

Even if you have a perfect ship with no need for any repairs, you might
be interested to know that the project includes $8000.00 of new factory
spares for the restoration, purchased just prior to the factory being
sold. New parts include such items as an instrument panel, controls,
levers, bellcranks, handles, decals, wheel parts, bearings and
fasteners, which are very hard to come by. These parts, as well as the
entire original control system, have been stored separately in sealed
plastic bags indoors at room temp for the last 19 yrs. Also available
is an excellent original canopy in the frame and the Service Bulletin
#8 spar stub kit with the ONLY installation tool in existence! The
ship is stored in a rare original factory FFA aluminum enclosed
trailer, modified by Gerlien to be an exceptional light weight (1800lbs
loaded) design that has been towed rock steady behind a compact car at
90 mph.

Mike Malis
Days 661.572.5528
Evenings 661.284.6967

[[email protected]]

wrote:
> A FFA Diamant 16.5 Sailplane, s/n 44, is being parted out. As a
former
> owner, I spent a large amount of time and money to try and repair and
> restore the ship to new condition. Unfortunately, bonding problems
in
> the right wing proved intractable, and the restoration was abandoned
> many years ago. I am now assisting the current lienholder in parting
> out the aircraft. All original parts are available with the
exception
> of the horizontal tail, instruments, and the right hand wing "box".
>
> Even if you have a perfect ship with no need for any repairs, you
might
> be interested to know that the project includes $8000.00 of new
factory
> spares for the restoration, purchased just prior to the factory being
> sold. New parts include such items as an instrument panel, controls,
> levers, bellcranks, handles, decals, wheel parts, bearings and
> fasteners, which are very hard to come by. These parts, as well as
the
> entire original control system, have been stored separately in sealed
> plastic bags indoors at room temp for the last 19 yrs. Also available
> is an excellent original canopy in the frame and the Service Bulletin
> #8 spar stub kit with the ONLY installation tool in existence! The
> ship is stored in a rare original factory FFA aluminum enclosed
> trailer, modified by Gerlien to be an exceptional light weight
(1800lbs
> loaded) design that has been towed rock steady behind a compact car
at
> 90 mph.
>
> Mike Malis
> Days 661.572.5528
> Evenings 661.284.6967
>

Mike,
Having owned a Diamant 16.5 in the early 1980's, I do have one word of
caution about the FFA aluminum trailers. You mention that it had been
modified by Gerlien. Please be aware that the trailer axle is not safe
as it left the factory. The axle was constructed with small male stubs
at the hub which are pressed into a central tube. The small male stubs
can separate from the central tube under x-wind generated side loads at
normal towing speeds. The result of seperation is a trailer going down
the road on it's side due to the rather top heavy nature of the design.
I would strongly recommend an axle replacement if that has not already
been done. I have first hand experience with this design flaw.
Al Thomas

[[email protected]]

wrote:
> wrote:
> > A FFA Diamant 16.5 Sailplane, s/n 44, is being parted out. As a
> former
> > owner, I spent a large amount of time and money to try and repair
and
> > restore the ship to new condition. Unfortunately, bonding problems
> in
> > the right wing proved intractable, and the restoration was
abandoned
> > many years ago. I am now assisting the current lienholder in
parting
> > out the aircraft. All original parts are available with the
> exception
> > of the horizontal tail, instruments, and the right hand wing "box".
> >
> > Even if you have a perfect ship with no need for any repairs, you
> might
> > be interested to know that the project includes $8000.00 of new
> factory
> > spares for the restoration, purchased just prior to the factory
being
> > sold. New parts include such items as an instrument panel,
controls,
> > levers, bellcranks, handles, decals, wheel parts, bearings and
> > fasteners, which are very hard to come by. These parts, as well as
> the
> > entire original control system, have been stored separately in
sealed
> > plastic bags indoors at room temp for the last 19 yrs. Also
available
> > is an excellent original canopy in the frame and the Service
Bulletin
> > #8 spar stub kit with the ONLY installation tool in existence! The
> > ship is stored in a rare original factory FFA aluminum enclosed
> > trailer, modified by Gerlien to be an exceptional light weight
> (1800lbs
> > loaded) design that has been towed rock steady behind a compact car
> at
> > 90 mph.
> >
> > Mike Malis
> > Days 661.572.5528
> > Evenings 661.284.6967
> >
>
> Mike,
> Having owned a Diamant 16.5 in the early 1980's, I do have one word
of
> caution about the FFA aluminum trailers. You mention that it had been
> modified by Gerlien. Please be aware that the trailer axle is not
safe
> as it left the factory. The axle was constructed with small male
stubs
> at the hub which are pressed into a central tube. The small male
stubs
> can separate from the central tube under x-wind generated side loads
at
> normal towing speeds. The result of seperation is a trailer going
down
> the road on it's side due to the rather top heavy nature of the
design.
> I would strongly recommend an axle replacement if that has not
already
> been done. I have first hand experience with this design flaw.
> Al Thomas

Al,

Thanks for your input. Don't know if the axle was replaced, seems to
me, it might have been. I recall the axle is the type used on horse
trailers with a torsion spring. I think after 60k miles, if it was
going to go, it would have by now. Still worth a check, and new axles
are not that expensive.

[[email protected]]

Hi, I realise its a very long time since this post - do you still have the Diamant parts and spar kit? Just a long shot!
Many thanks
Paul.

On Saturday, February 26, 2005 at 3:19:18 AM UTC, wrote:
> A FFA Diamant 16.5 Sailplane, s/n 44, is being parted out. As a former
> owner, I spent a large amount of time and money to try and repair and
> restore the ship to new condition. Unfortunately, bonding problems in
> the right wing proved intractable, and the restoration was abandoned
> many years ago. I am now assisting the current lienholder in parting
> out the aircraft. All original parts are available with the exception
> of the horizontal tail, instruments, and the right hand wing "box".
>
> Even if you have a perfect ship with no need for any repairs, you might
> be interested to know that the project includes $8000.00 of new factory
> spares for the restoration, purchased just prior to the factory being
> sold. New parts include such items as an instrument panel, controls,
> levers, bellcranks, handles, decals, wheel parts, bearings and
> fasteners, which are very hard to come by. These parts, as well as the
> entire original control system, have been stored separately in sealed
> plastic bags indoors at room temp for the last 19 yrs. Also available
> is an excellent original canopy in the frame and the Service Bulletin
> #8 spar stub kit with the ONLY installation tool in existence! The
> ship is stored in a rare original factory FFA aluminum enclosed
> trailer, modified by Gerlien to be an exceptional light weight (1800lbs
> loaded) design that has been towed rock steady behind a compact car at
> 90 mph.
>
> Mike Malis
> Days 661.572.5528
> Evenings 661.284.6967
>