Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Very good lookin Bird there Scott, you sure done well. Dido on the chains,keep em taught. Dan

Today was a long one, with new tires & tubes, lube the wheel bearings and check the brake pads.
Unfortunatley, the back of both wheel pants got crushed on the wheel chocks when the old tires went flat..
So flight testing will be without wheel pants.
The compression check and plug inspection went well, but the gascollator/drain did not. It won't drain.
Cessna and the parts houses 'really like' these units and the parts that go in them!!
Draining the perfectly good looking 9 year old oil tonight, oil strainer inspection and sump refill tomorrow, followed by vacuum system inspection.
Aileron bellcrank inspection, Trim motor inspection, ELT battery & test, I'm just about done.
I used an inspection checklist I got of the vansairforce forum....don't know why it has compression checks for left and right engines??? Maybe Van is holding something back?
Bruce Finney and his wife Diane dropped by the hangar today, He has the first convertable wing T-18 to fly.
I got a high speed lesson in Thorpology today, and boy was it worth it!
Thanks Bruce! Marilyn says Diane was a delight too.

Scott,

Here's a Thorp specific checklist for you ... I have a long form/much more detailed version that I'll post as soon as I find it. Can't have you using "RV" docs on the Thorp!

A STARTING PIONT CHECKLIST FOR THE CONDITIONAL INSPECTION

by Paul Kirik

Powerplant

1. Loose wooden props - check bolt torque frequently i.e., each change of season or every 50 hours of flying time,
2. Cracked spinner bulkhead & cones
3. Bushings moving forward out of the prop extensions flange into wooden props causing looseness and broken prop bolts,
4. No fire shields on fuel lines in engine compartment.
5. Brittle & cracked rubber fluid lines in the engine compartment. These hoses should be changed at least every 5 years due to heat deterioration,
6. Engine compartment wiring & fluid hoses not properly secured to engine mount etc,
7. Engine controls hard mounted from the firewall instead of from standoffs on the engine,
8. Carbs should have metal floats & one piece ventures.

Fuel System

1. Cracked fuel tank at fuel outlet boss weld,
2. No flexible fuel line between main tank & firewall
3. Fuel shutoff valve mounted on fuel tank not within reach of pilot when wearing a shoulder hardness.
4. Fuel tank vent line not of fuel resistant materials. (this recently caused a T-18 forced landing)
5. Leaking seal on main tank fuel quantity transmitter mount, This is the main source of fuel fumes in the cockpit.
6. Fuel filler cap not marked for type & quantity of fuel

Landing Gear

1. Cracked welds on "A" frame gussets
2, Rubber "donut" spacers between landing gear & firewall - worn & extruding out of position.
3. Loose axle mounting bolts - these should be checked for torque annually. They are mounted in tension & tend to stretch when we get current in one pass.
4. Worn or broken lower engine mount bolts on aircraft operating out of rough fields. "MS" high strength bolts should be used in place of "AN" bolts. (slight reaming will be required)
5. Nyloflow low temp brake lines run through engine compartment - should be aluminum or stainless.

Control Surfaces & Systems

I. Excessive wear of rudder mounting bushings.
2. Excessive movement in stabilator mounting bushings. (Note: in both cases it is necessary to manufacture oversize bushing & slightly ream the mounts to obtain a good fit)
3. Rudder & flap bushings rotating on bolts instead of control surface hinges. It is necessary to tighten the bushing bolts.
4. Interference between flap & aileron with the flaps fully extended.
5. Stabilator & stabilator tabs not properly rigged.
6. Ailerons not having proper travel in either direction - requiring re-rigging.
7. Balance weights installed inside of stabilator leading edge not secured to leading edge skin per the drawings.
8. Interference between flap cables, rudder cables & trim in the forward & aft tunnels in cockpit.
9. Cracked welds in rudder pedal assembly at bottom welds.
10. Cracks in welds of control yoke, walking beam, vertical mount tube. (This has resulted in one fatal accident after complete failure)
11. Excessive play in pitch trim jack screw mount.
12. Check control stick for cracks (we know of one that broke just as the plane lifted off)

Airframe

1. Loose rivets on inboard wing mainspar caps. Rivets should be replaced with oversize Newsletter No. 90 cherrylock rivets as necessary and additional rivets installed per newsletter article. (NOTE: I think we've decided this is not as imparative as it once was perceived to be - LWW)
2. Corrosion on inside of fuselage belly skins at low points - primarily just ahead of 60 I bulkhead & aft of rudder pedals. Drain holes should be installed at low points.
3. Cracks in vertical stabilator top rib in area of top rudder hinge attachment.

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD