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Sealing and dressing the firewall blanket edges


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Here is a tip for dressing up and sealing your firewall blanket. Use aluminum tape around the edges. They make two types, a thick aluminum and a thinner aluminum with a paper backing to protect the adhesive. Use the thinner paper back. The thick aluminum doesn't stick for a darn. Tear the tape in about a 6" length and place it over the edge where the cowl top sets and then fold it over and down onto the firewall blanket edge. Do the all the way around. Then go back and add a second layer. Tear a 2" piece and place it under and on the firewall blanket meets the cowl camlocks. This method completely seals the entire edge of the blanket and protects it from any oil, fuel or water intrusion and if it ever gets damaged it can be replaced in a matter of minutes. It also prevents the cowl from chafing the fuselage edges.from vibration. It also makes for a nice clean installation. These pictures are from a work in progress so it isn't a finished job, but just a demo for edge sealing.

 

p.s.

The little streak down on the right hand corner of the fuselage is my blood. It's dangerous work. Seems there is a piece of me that goes out with every firewall blanket install.laugh.giflaugh.gif

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  • 4 years later...

The first 6 months worth of LS's had different rigging and double springs which made controls heavy. They did it because people complained about the light controls in the SW's.  Then the people complained about the heavy controls. These are usually identifiable by the horizontal  vs vertical rigging in the baggage compartment.

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Oooh that!

 

08-03-05 (crate buddy, became N565FD) and 08-03-06 (mine, N566FD) were two in the batch that didn't get the heavy controls. Everything before our two, and 08-03-07 through -11 still got them. Everything after got the lightweight. Not sure if there was any in the same batch that also got the lightweight controls.

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The first 6 months worth of LS's had different rigging and double springs which made controls heavy. They did it because people complained about the light controls in the SW's.  Then the people complained about the heavy controls. These are usually identifiable by the horizontal  vs vertical rigging in the baggage compartment.

 

Some 2007 CTSWs have a similar setup,  Sadly mine is one of them.

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Some 2007 CTSWs have a similar setup,  Sadly mine is one of them.

 

The aileron control system in the early LS's was completely different than what is in the SW's. The mixing was different as well as the placement of the flap actuator.

 

The later LS's compare to what the SW has.

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The aileron control system in the early LS's was completely different than what is in the SW's. The mixing was different as well as the placement of the flap actuator.

 

The later LS's compare to what the SW has.

 

 I didn't mean the control system was the same, only that they added additional springs to make it feel heavier.  Mine is actually quite stiff in flight.  I asked FD USA about removing the additional pitch spring and they said no.  I know some others have done it without FD's blessing, but I didn't want to go down that road.  Maybe once my airplane is an ELSA.

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 I didn't mean the control system was the same, only that they added additional springs to make it feel heavier.  Mine is actually quite stiff in flight.  I asked FD USA about removing the additional pitch spring and they said no.  I know some others have done it without FD's blessing, but I didn't want to go down that road.  Maybe once my airplane is an ELSA.

 

The spring you are talking about is on the elevator (stabilator if you want to be correct). The issue with the early CTLS's were the ailerons. I sold and worked on a SW that was built the month before yours. It had the spring on the pitch control, but the ailerons felt like any other SW.

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