Bolkow Monsun wing plates

[armoore]

Hi, doe anyone have a Monsun approaching 6 000h (or more) airframe hours as we've been informed of a requirement to have the wing attachment plates renewed at 6 000h and can only be done by one german engineer who is about to retire!:eek: Apparently the CAA cancelled the AD quite some time ago so where do we go or do? Any information will be gratefully received.

[armoore]

Thanks for the reply. Apparently it is a requirement by the manufacturer (or the organization which took over from MBB called EADS) and that is over and above CAA or FAA requirements . There are four attachments on each wing and the fuselage and these require a jig. As you quite rightly point out why cannot any competent engineer do it but again EADS say only their engineer is qualified!

[armoore]

Thanks, you talk a great deal of sense :) and those arguments have been expressed by a number of our group. Enquiries are being made along those lines (hopefully) by the FBO responsible for our maintenance. It would appear EADS have a monopoly regarding this matter and that cannot be right. I agree regarding jigs as I've made a few when I used to build and race motorcycles. At the moment on a tv channel over here there is a guy building a kit helicopter produced in the USA and from what I've seen he is using little more than an inclinometer, plumb line and an electric drill! So having an engineer with the proper tickets make up a jig isn't that problematic surely.

[armoore]

Will keep you informed of our progress and researches. We've had very similar thoughts regarding stress calculations; I suspect it was "think of a number and double it". Thanks for your interest in this.

[armoore]

Progress of sorts. We can keep using the aircraft but there will have to be inspections. Nothing absolutely definite as yet but at least it has not been grounded.

[VictorGolf]

I had a look at a Monsun some years ago (the ex Ken Wallis aircraft) and this subject came up with the engineer that I asked to inspect it. Apparently a Monsun "clapped hands" when two heavyweight Germans pulled too much "g" doing aeros and subsequently crashed. After much research he unearthed the AD referred to and the story was much as has been stated. Does the type still have a TC holder? If not would it be possible to get it on to a Permit via the LAA as an Annex 2 aircraft? If so then the repair process could be easier to facilitate.