X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:40:30 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from smtp1.av-mx.com ([137.118.16.57] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2c1) with ESMTP id 2560902 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:24:03 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=137.118.16.57; envelope-from=pinetownd@volcano.net Received: from DennisDell (65-166-100-69.dsl.volcano.net [65.166.100.69]) (Authenticated sender: pinetownd@volcano.net) by smtp1.av-mx.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id A1602290436 for ; Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:23:20 -0500 (EST) X-Original-Message-ID: <007501c8383d$73f55e80$6501a8c0@DennisDell> From: "Dennis Johnson" X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" Subject: More on Water in the Legacy Tail X-Original-Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 11:23:15 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0072_01C837FA.65184460" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3138 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0072_01C837FA.65184460 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thanks again for the helpful advice on my problem of water that = collected in the fuselage of my Legacy after flying in heavy rain for a = couple of hours and parking it uncovered on the ramp in the rain for two = days. The advice said that it was entering the tail (around the = elevator torque tube) while parked and not while flying. =20 I couldn't imagine how so much water could leak or drip into the = fuselage while parked. But when looking at the airplane and thinking = about the problem, I remembered that I used the seat belt as a gust lock = while it was parked on the ramp. That pulls the stick full aft, which = (as we all know from the "free and correct" check) raises the aft edge = of the elevator up. With the elevator tipped up, any water that lands = on it is going to run forward to the gap between it and the horizontal = stabilizer. So I had a surface the size of the elevator collecting = water and funneling some of it into the fuselage! Now I see how I could = collect so much water. =20 In response, I drilled a drain hole in the bottom of the fuselage, just = aft of the bulkhead that angles forward and attaches to the belly = several inches forward of the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. = I don't believe the assembly manual says anything about that. A better = solution is to keep the water out, but that will have to wait until I = have some reason to remove the elevator and rudder. =20 There was a comment about the effect on weight and balance as well as = the possibility of it freezing and jamming the flight controls. I don't = think a gallon of water, about eight pounds, would be a problem for = weight and balance for me, since I have a forward CG anyway. =20 As for the problem of freezing, during construction I drilled holes = close to the bottom of the bulkheads in my Legacy to run electrical = conduit and the rudder cable conduits and the holes are not water tight. = It's pretty clear that as water entered the tail, it ran forward until = hitting a bulkhead. It then puddled there until the water level rose to = the bottom of the lowest hole, then ran through it and forward to the = next bulkhead, etc. until it hit the aft spar and stopped because it = didn't rise to the height of the cutout for the flap actuator. The = water never rose high enough to even come close to the rudder bellcrank, = so I don't think that would be an issue. If you didn't drill holes near = the bottom of the bulkheads in your Legacy, that might be an issue. I = suppose there's always the possibility of a chunk of ice breaking loose = in turbulence and bouncing around in the tail and jamming the rudder = bellcrank. There was also a comment about the possibility of water collecting = inside the flight controls, which could cause flutter. My flight = controls have drain holes, as described in the assembly manual. When I = discovered the water in the fuselage, I wiggled the flight controls back = and forth and did not hear or feel any water sloshing inside, so it = seems either the water never got inside or it drained out as intended.=20 Thanks again for the advice, Dennis Johnson Legacy, over 100 hours tach time ------=_NextPart_000_0072_01C837FA.65184460 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Thanks again for the helpful advice on my problem of water = that=20 collected in the fuselage of my Legacy after flying in heavy rain = for a=20 couple of hours and parking it uncovered on the ramp in the rain for two = days.  The advice said that it was entering the tail (around the = elevator=20 torque tube) while parked and not while flying. 
 
I couldn't imagine how so much water could leak or drip = into the=20 fuselage while parked.  But when looking at the airplane and = thinking about=20 the problem, I remembered that I used the seat belt as a gust lock while = it was=20 parked on the ramp.  That pulls the stick full aft, which (as we = all know=20 from the "free and correct" check) raises the aft edge of = the=20 elevator up.  With the elevator tipped up, any water that = lands on it=20 is going to run forward to the gap between it and the horizontal=20 stabilizer.  So I had a surface the size of the elevator collecting = water=20 and funneling some of it into the fuselage!  Now I see how I=20 could collect so much water. 
 
In response, I drilled a drain hole in the bottom of the=20 fuselage, just aft of the bulkhead that angles forward and attaches = to the=20 belly several inches forward of the leading edge of the horizontal=20 stabilizer.  I don't believe the assembly manual says anything = about=20 that.  A better solution is to keep the water out, but that will = have to=20 wait until I have some reason to remove the elevator and rudder.  =  =20
 
There was a comment about the effect on weight and balance as well = as the=20 possibility of it freezing and jamming the flight controls.  I = don't think=20 a gallon of water, about eight pounds, would be a problem for weight and = balance=20 for me, since I have a forward CG anyway.  
 
As for the problem of freezing, during construction I drilled holes = close=20 to the bottom of the bulkheads in my Legacy to run electrical conduit = and the=20 rudder cable conduits and the holes are not water tight.  It's = pretty clear=20 that as water entered the tail, it ran forward until hitting a=20 bulkhead.  It then puddled there until the water level rose=20 to the bottom of the lowest hole, then ran through it and=20 forward to the next bulkhead, etc. until it hit the aft spar and = stopped=20 because it didn't rise to the height of the cutout for the flap = actuator. =20 The water never rose high enough to even come close to the rudder = bellcrank, so=20 I don't think that would be an issue.  If you didn't drill = holes near=20 the bottom of the bulkheads in your Legacy, that might be an = issue.  I=20 suppose there's always the possibility of a chunk of ice breaking loose = in=20 turbulence and bouncing around in the tail and jamming the rudder=20 bellcrank.
 
There was also a comment about the possibility of water collecting = inside=20 the flight controls, which could cause flutter.  My flight controls = have drain holes, as described in the assembly manual.  When I = discovered the water in the fuselage, I wiggled the flight controls = back=20 and forth and did not hear or feel any water sloshing inside, so it = seems either=20 the water never got inside or it drained out = as intended. 
 
Thanks again for the advice,
Dennis Johnson
Legacy, over 100 hours tach=20 time    
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