You know you own an airplane when...

On Mar 10, 2:14 pm, "Lee McGee" wrote:
I used to own an older Bellanca Viking, a feature of which is the mahagony
plywood wing skin.

One annual we had to repair an ancient and badly repaired hole and patch in
the leading edge of the wing. A phone call to Bellanca (still in business
then) revealed that they could indeed sell me some leading edge plywood
(properly moulded into Viking airfoil leading edge shape), just tell them
how much we would need, then we could proceed with the appropriate scarfed
glue joint repair, and recover/repaint that section.

The cost?

$60

PER INCH!

We bought 15 inches..... $900. Item came in the mail, it only weighed
a few ounces.

Geez, I could have bought a battery box for that and had some left over!

Lee McGee
formerly Bellanca N7300V
Mount Aukum, CA

And people wonder why experimental/ kit planes are selling like
hotcakes. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I NEVER want to or will see a yellow tag again.

Ben
N801BH
www.haaspowerair.com

dave wrote:
Doug,
My bonanza has an after market stainless steel battery box and the paper
work to go with it. Maybe there's an alternative for cessna's too?
Dave
M35

Too late now...as it's installed, but thanks for the suggestion. :-)

My tech usually suggests PMA parts when he can find them. For example,
we managed to install a PMA'd vacuum regulator ($250) a few years back
after hearing that the OE was $950. Logbook entry and we were done.
All I have to say is thank God for the PMA process.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

...you're actually glad to get the news that a battery box will cost you
ONLY $700.

I remember getting the estimate for a stall indicator switch for my
old Warrior, and just about dying when I heard it was $1300! We took
it apart and discovered that it was a simple five dollar Rat Shack
switch.

We ended up finding a "serviceable" used certified part for "only"
$375. I thought I'd won the lottery! :-)

Seriously, though, you need to find an A&P with some sheet metal
skills. (Preferably a grand champion home builder, like mine, but
that's not really necessary to build a battery box.)

He could craft you a replacement part that would better than original
for far less than $700. And it would be perfectly legal.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Get yourself one of those sealed batteries. No more mess, no more
labor, no box replacement.

Seriously, though, you need to find an A&P with some sheet metal
skills. (Preferably a grand champion home builder, like mine, but
that's not really necessary to build a battery box.)

He could craft you a replacement part that would better than original
for far less than $700. And it would be perfectly legal.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Technically, an A&P cannot manufacture a replacement part such as an
entire battery box. He could "repair" the original box. The owner,
however, can manufacture a part for his airplane only and the A&P
could install it provided he vouches for its airworthiness. What is
meant by "manufacture" doesn't necessarily mean the owner has to
design and fabricate the part, but he has to be significantly involved
in some manner with its production whether that means supplying the
design to a fabrication shop or actually bending and riveting the
metal is not spelled out.

150flivver wrote:
Technically, an A&P cannot manufacture a replacement part such as an
entire battery box. He could "repair" the original box. The owner,
however, can manufacture a part for his airplane only and the A&P
could install it provided he vouches for its airworthiness. What is
meant by "manufacture" doesn't necessarily mean the owner has to
design and fabricate the part, but he has to be significantly involved
in some manner with its production whether that means supplying the
design to a fabrication shop or actually bending and riveting the
metal is not spelled out.

Even if it's legally possible for me to manufacture a part and have my
mechanic sign off on it, it's very likely he wouldn't do it due to the
liability.

GARA has been great for GA in general, but it has had the effect of
redirecting the attention of ambulance-chasing attorneys to the guys who
work on airplanes. You don't want to know how much my A&P pays for
insurance now. In the mid 90's (not long ago, really) his rate was
$30/hr. It's now $70, and he doesn't live any better.

Personally, if I were an A&P, I wouldn't sign off on any hand-made parts
if I knew I could get one from Cessna, et. al. Just too much risk.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

Personally, if I were an A&P, I wouldn't sign off on any hand-made parts
if I knew I could get one from Cessna, et. al. Just too much risk.

Thank goodness there are still A&Ps who don't think this way, or GA
would be dead already.

It's a friggin' battery box, Doug! My A&P/IA would take a 1-square-
inch piece of your old battery box, use it as a starting point, and
whip out a "repaired" version from parts laying around his shop in
about an hour.

Cost: *maybe* $100, probably less.

An A&P who charges you $700 for a battery box, after telling you he
can't "repair" it anymore, is no friend of GA.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
An A&P who charges you $700 for a battery box, after telling you he
can't "repair" it anymore, is no friend of GA.

I saw the old battery box today, and its condition really surprised me.
I'm amazed the battery stayed with the airplane, as two corners were
nearly completely rotted out and several cracks were forming between the
weak spots. It definitely needed to be replaced.

Say what you want about my A&P, but I've been flying behind his work for
almost 20 years now and have come to appreciate his attention to detail
and safety. While it may be legally possible to bend the rules and
fabricate a new box using a "1-square-inch piece" to represent the
existing box, that's certainly in violation of the spirit of the rule
and does represent a significant liability risk to the mechanic.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

On 10 Mar 2007 21:56:06 -0800, "150flivver"
wrote:

Technically, an A&P cannot manufacture a replacement part such as an
entire battery box. He could "repair" the original box. The owner,
however, can manufacture a part for his airplane only and the A&P
could install it provided he vouches for its airworthiness. What is
meant by "manufacture" doesn't necessarily mean the owner has to
design and fabricate the part, but he has to be significantly involved
in some manner with its production whether that means supplying the
design to a fabrication shop or actually bending and riveting the
metal is not spelled out.

Technically, you are somewhat mistaken. As you've indicated, with some
input from owner (hey TC, can you build me another baffle just like
that busted one that Piper wants $2800 for and say will be available
in 2009?) an A & P can certainly manufacture/duplicate a replacement
part for a specific customer/airplane legally.

However, the self-same A & P cannot legally build a pile of these same
baffles and offer them for sale without additional paperwork.

Some common sense is required, a battery box or a baffle is a little
different than a milled spar section.

TC

On 3/11/07 00:56, "150flivver" wrote:

Technically, an A&P cannot manufacture a replacement part such as an
entire battery box.

Sorry if this has been mentioned already in this long thread, but the A&P
_can_ manufacture an "owner produced part". The rule for the OPP don't
require the owner to perform the actual fabrication. He/she can meet the
rule while having the A&P bend the metal. (In my case, I'd prefer that the
A&P did the actual work!)

- Don
The sky does not misunderstand.
The sky does not judge.
The sky, very simply, is.
"There's always the sky" - Richard Bach