Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:56 pm
#1631796
As some of you know, I own a share of an N registered L-18C Cub. It's currently in for its annual during which we've discovered the engine data plate is missing. Now you'd think this would be a simple thing to resolve as we have the logbooks etc but it's turning into a nightmare.
Along with the missing data plate there's a few anomalies, the biggest of which is the crankcase is an O-200 but the engine was rebuilt as a C90 when it was last overhauled. I understand the crankcases are interchangeable so this isn't unusual in itself but due to this and the lack of a data plate, we cannot prove the engine's provenance. The shop who did the overhaul can't help us as we don't have a work number for the job and they cannot look it up without this!
The engineer who previously did the annuals on it isn't being especially helpful and just tells us the data plate was there last year so must have fallen off.
Due to all this, the engineer doing the current annual isn't willing to sign it off unless we get an FAA inspector in to verify the engine is as it says and get a new data plate issued Said inspector wants £1000 to come and look at it but it's doubtful he'll be able to verify anything.
One solution is, we have access to a cheap O-200 but we cannot find an STC to allow it to be fitted to an L-18C. Looking on G-INFO there are L-18Cs with them fitted, so it must be possible. There are STCs to fit them into a J-3 however but that doesn't help us.
Anyone got any ideas how to resolve this mess quickly and without spending crazy money?
Cheers
Along with the missing data plate there's a few anomalies, the biggest of which is the crankcase is an O-200 but the engine was rebuilt as a C90 when it was last overhauled. I understand the crankcases are interchangeable so this isn't unusual in itself but due to this and the lack of a data plate, we cannot prove the engine's provenance. The shop who did the overhaul can't help us as we don't have a work number for the job and they cannot look it up without this!
The engineer who previously did the annuals on it isn't being especially helpful and just tells us the data plate was there last year so must have fallen off.
Due to all this, the engineer doing the current annual isn't willing to sign it off unless we get an FAA inspector in to verify the engine is as it says and get a new data plate issued Said inspector wants £1000 to come and look at it but it's doubtful he'll be able to verify anything.
One solution is, we have access to a cheap O-200 but we cannot find an STC to allow it to be fitted to an L-18C. Looking on G-INFO there are L-18Cs with them fitted, so it must be possible. There are STCs to fit them into a J-3 however but that doesn't help us.
Anyone got any ideas how to resolve this mess quickly and without spending crazy money?
Cheers
Matt Dearden
In the jungle somewhere...
My Blog: http://www.bushflyingdiaries.com
In the jungle somewhere...
My Blog: http://www.bushflyingdiaries.com