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Looking for replacement window or a fix....


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So I've got this issue on my 2014 CTLSi where the passenger window makes a god aweful vibration noise when its closed. It seems to rattle against the track that the sliding window piece sits in. I can fix it and make it go away by either fully opening the window, or I can take a business card fold it up a few times and stick it between to keep it from vibrating. Likewise if I take my fingers and press against the sliding window and push outward it will also fix it. I've attached the photos of the type of window that I have. Any ideas? With winter coming up I prefer to not fly with the windows open. I reached out to Arian and he said they didn't offer them and to try wings and wheels, I couldn't find it there either. 

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I was only able to source this window from Flight Design, and that was years ago. They're stupidly expensive at that. It's a European part (so is mecaplex) if I recall, but I was never able to get a brand name. Most CTs shipped with mecaplex but a few shipped with that brand.

I would ask Arian if he could request information from the factory about them so we can get a source.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So I'm still trying to get my window fixed. Got the plane back from Annual and somehow the AP never looked at this problem as I requested! :( I decided to be ambitious last night and removed the rails and the window off the door. I can't imagine this going back on easy. To remove it I took out all of the screws on the rails exceept the middle one, angled the rail upwards and wiggled out the little window however I was nervous the springs were going to rip out of the sliding window as they were flexing all over the place. 

My question now I guess is how would everyone go about trying to stretch these springs that appear to be embedded into the glass. My thought is maybe if I can stretch them all out a bit it will once again hold tight to the rails/window and not vibrate. As my issue with the vibration was always solved by pushing that little sliding glass window outward.

I also included a picture of the rail as I noticed to tiny cracks in this, however I can't see this having to do with the vibration issue since again pushing the window outward fixes it....



 

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1 hour ago, Roger Lee said:

Mecaplex may be easier to come by. It's what FD used for quite a while.

I was able to grab the springs with some needle nose pliers and stretch them all a bit, which should give me more tension pushing out against the window. I went to install them back in the other day and it's a pain in the ass. A 35* hangar didn't help either. So I got frustrated and decided I should pack it up for the day and attempt the install again some other time. I think tomorrow I'll get back to the airport and give it another go... Any tips for reinstalling would be appreciated. I took the method of installing the top rail entirely. Then I put the bottom rail on with just the one middle screw. This allowed me to compress the springs and the plastic bar they are attached to into the top rail, and then I could pivot the bottom rail downward on that one centered screw and work the window into that rail, or so that was my thought process but it didn't work as planned!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I just wanted to follow up with everyone as to how this went. I was able to grab the springs like I said and give them all a good stretch. I reinstalled the window a few weeks ago and tested today. Zero vibration anymore. The plane seems like an entirely new plane. I've never had a cockpit this quiet in the 200 hours I've flown her! I wonder if these things just weaken over time or what. Regardless, I'm ecstatic and can't wait to go flying.

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