Dean Siracusa

[Dean Siracusa]

Did the cable break or is it just bound up? If it’s bound up, the process is to remove it, hang it up from the ceiling and pour Kroil penetrating oil into it, until it’s leaking out the bottom. Let it stay there for several days before reinstalling.

Also, regular checking of the elevator trim prior to each flight will also help keep it unbinding. During run-up I will adjust the trim all the way nose down, and then turn until you get neutral or take-off position (trim tabs should be parallel to the elevator).

[Dean Siracusa]

Yes, the Airwolf is mounted on the firewall. I’ve heard good things about it. My only concern is a hose failure would be catastrophic.

With regards to the F&M (now owned by Tempest), I used one on my IO-520 for years. The only time I had an issue is when a new mechanic would not understand the requirements.

First is that each time the adapter comes off you must replace both gaskets with new. The old F&M instructions were for one copper and one fiber gasket while the new Tempest update is two copper gaskets.

Second is that the torque value is super high and most mechanics miss the difference between the typical inch pounds and foot pounds used in this adapter.

If it’s leaking then it’s not torqued high enough. I would suggest starting over with new gaskets, and try again.

Tempest has a service bulletin and instructions that are very helpful.
https://tempestplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Stratus-SB-001_Rev-B.pdf

[Dean Siracusa]

I’d definitely pick the Garmin over the King. The KLN 94 is old, clunky and slow compared to the newer Garmin 175.

Also, figure that any of these companies will likely only support their GPS products for 10 years or less after production ends. Production on the KLN 94 has been out of production for a while now, so the clock is ticking. And, the Garmin 175 is still in production.

[Dean Siracusa]

Did they get lost or break? We lost the ball we had, ordered an entire bag of them! I don’t have the spring though.

[Dean Siracusa]

The Meyers 200 does have electric trim available as an option when installing the Century autopilots such as the 2000. And, it’s been installed in the latest Garmin installation just last month.

Peter, your plane originally had the Brittain autopilot correct? The Century A/P is a very different installation since its servos are electric instead of vacuum operated. Stein wasn’t aware of the Century installation when he installed your Garmin system.

My original Meyers 200 had the Century 2000 A/P but with no electric trim so it would just alert me when it was out of trim. It wasn’t that big of a deal either. My “new” Meyers 200 has electric trim, and so do most of the more recent Century 2000 installations.

[Dean Siracusa]

The challenge of any other avionics shop doing this is their local FSDO approving it. Stein is a very large and professional avionics shop that goes above and beyond when doing avionics installations. This includes full wiring diagrams, so other places can do repairs or upgrades far easier. This is just one of the reasons why they’re able to get approval. The other issue is that many FSDOs just prefer to say no to everything.

[Dean Siracusa]

Some other owners contacted me and said my response was not as friendly as it should have been. My apologies.

Which airplane on the For Sale site is sold?

[Dean Siracusa]

Which one are you saying that’s from 2019 and isn’t currently owned by them anymore?

The listings are only as good as the people posting them. If the owner doesn’t let us know that it’s sold, it’ll just remain there.

Remember, this isn’t some big fancy company with many employees. It’s a small group of owners of a very small population of aircraft.

[Dean Siracusa]

Hi Tom,
Ray’s right strut was flat and it took off with it in that condition. It apparently didn’t catch the bail and just went past it. When the gear came down the bail got in its way.

Oh, and my new Meyers 200, N2980T (Tom Wathen’s old plane) has the same gear light system as N489C and I honestly prefer the original way they’re set up as I think there are fewer failure modes where you may not get honest information about the status of the gear. At some point in the future I’d like to return mine back to original.

[Dean Siracusa]

That’s a good plane you got from Walt and I’m sure you’ll enjoy flying it.

Do you have any plans for the spare airframe that came with the sale? I have a friend looking for a project.

[Dean Siracusa]

How old is the engine and has it been flying much recently? Oil analysis? I recommend Blackstone.

Which Meyers 200 is this?

[Dean Siracusa]

If this is a new issue, then yes, it might be a clogged injector. It is summer now so outside temperature does affect things like this too.

If any work was done on the engine (or an annual was just completed) you might also check the baffling. Even if none was replaced, sometimes they get moved backwords or torn. Silicon baffling should bend forwards so that it doesn’t allow air to pass over it.

The other item to inspect are the cowl flaps for proper operation. If they’re not opening as much as they should then they need to be repaired.

Hope that helps.

[Dean Siracusa]

Very sorry to hear about that.

There are tons of things I’ve learned over the years, from the late Keith Diver and other owners, that aren’t actually in the manual, or the maintenance manual. Not operating on flat struts is one of those items.

Once you learn how the gear works (and the importance of properly inflated struts to grab the inner gear door bail, among other things) you understand better about proper operation and issues that will pop up.

In addition to the revised maintenance manual, we’ve also created a relatively small informational PDF that includes things like inspection items, parts sources and helpful people (CFIs, A&Ps, insurance brokers, etc…). We’ve also created revised checklists for various phases of operation from pre-flight to shut-down. Perhaps a new document of all the things we’ve learned which aren’t in any documents might be helpful.

I’ve been trying to add these newly revised documents to the website but I’m having some issues doing that. In the meantime, if anyone wants these documents, please let me know and I’ll share them with you directly.

[Dean Siracusa]

I installed the TailBeacon ADS-B in N2980T back in January without issue.

[Dean Siracusa]

Bob Fields Door Seals company has been sold to a company in Texas and they’re back making these parts. https://aerocessories.aero/

Since our doors are somewhat unique, you’ll need a fabric tape measure to measure your door. Once you give them the dimensions they can create a seal for you.

The easiest way to install this seal is to remove the door from the plane, and place it on a table. This is also the easiest way to remove the old seal and adhesive.

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