Re: REFLECTOR: Velocitys aren't hard to land, but...

["Milton Mersky" <miltonm@onramp.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Aegerter [KPIE] <100256.3710@compuserve.com>
To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com <Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 11:13 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Velocitys aren't hard to land, but...


>Fellow Velocitites:
>
>Thank you for the outpouring support and offer to help. This has just been
>incredible. I had not been aware that I am part of such a great bunch of
guys
>and gals!
>
>Dave Black wrote:
>
>>>I must admit that your accident worries me. On several occasions I've
tried
>to land Wim Huisman's 173 FG and never really had control of the plane on
>final.<<
>
>Actually, I didn't find the Velocity particularely hard to land if you trim
for
>the right approach speed and use your rudders. My problem was a different
one
>and it worries me even more. Here's my story as I told it to the FAA and
the
>insurance adjuster:
>
>During the flight from Midland to Tucson, I sensed the development of a
slight
>slack or play in the pitch control. The landing was not a nice one because
the
>flare did not develop as usual and I ran out of elevator control.
>
>I called Scott Swing and described the symptoms. I asked him if I had to
take
>off the canard to get to the fore end of the torque tube. He suggested to
add
>washers or a spacer to the aft end of the aileron torque tube which is
easier
>to get to. With the help of a local pilot who volunteered to find the
necessary
>materials, I performed that repair. The stick now felt solid and it
appeared to
>move the elevator through the whole range of travel.
>
>Takeoff and flight to San Diego were normal. At MYF, I was given runway 28R
and
>cleared to land as #2. I was in a left base when the #1 landed and I
spotted
>another airplane in a final so that we would have gotten very close on
present
>course and speed. I therefore extended my downwind and lined up behind the
>unidentified plane. On short final Tower reassigned me runway 28L, a narrow
>strip.
>
>I managed to line up with it, although it obviously was not what I would
call a
>stabilised final. When I flared, nothing happened despite me pulling the
stick
>till it bottomed out. The airplane flew straight onto the runway, bounced,
>veered left and came down with the left main wheel off the runway. We
skidded
>over the rough between the runway and the apron, spun around 180~ and with
the
>last bit of momentum hit a parked aircraft backwards.
>
>On Saturday, Jan. 2 1999 a group of Velocity and Long EZ builders met at
the
>hangar on Brown Field where the wreckage had been moved in the meantime. It
was
>determined that the fore bushing or bearing which holds the aileron torque
tube
>in place and that was designed to take up the axial forces exerted by the
>elevator control was dislodged. The tube was prevented from sliding further
>back by a bolt that holds a spacer.
>
>The same observation was made by three representatives of the FAA on
Monday,
>Jan. 4, 1999.
>
>The group that had assembled on Saturday opined that the aircraft should be
>repaired. The wings and the gear need to be rebuilt as well as the
propeller
>blades. Some damage to the underside of the hull needs to be repaired. The
hull
>structure, the canard, the instrument panel, the interior panelling, the
fuel
>tanks, the engine and the propeller hub seem to be intact pending closer
>scrutiny.
>
>That's the story.
>
>Three things will probably always stick to our minds:
>
>The ride accross that rough field. Believe it or not: we felt totally
secure.
>All around us hell had broken loose and we were sitting in a cocoon, simply
>KNOWING that nothing would happen to us. The doors opened like nothing had
>happened, the avionics worked, the ELT blared dutifully and we never lost a
>drop of fuel.
>
>The media. I think the first helo was hovering overhead before the
paramedics
>arrived. At one point I saw at least 6 cameras and 10 mics pointed at my
son.
>
>The support. People that I had never heard of, like John Lambert, the
chairman
>of the EZ Squadron, known names but unknown faces like Al Gietzen, Marion
>Sparrow, Chuck Lehrer and many others offered their help and they
delivered. I
>may have lost half an airplane but I have gained many new friends. Thank
you
>all!
>
>Now to the worry: You Elite drivers: (I don't know how this is done in the
>Standard) keep a close look at that bearing. In my view this is not a
thrust
>bearing, yet it has to take up quite some thrust. I'm sure that Scott will
come
>up with a solution, which should probably take the form of a Mandatory
Service
>Bulletin. Are there more things like that in our birds? We NEED to find
out!
>Lots of work ahead! More about that later.
>
>Best
>Simon
>

Simon:

We will rebuild any part you care to send to us & return to you.

Milton Mersky