Certification & Approval Having worked out a promising-looking layout, initial three-view and performance and weight specifications, now is the stage where the hard work begins of transforming concepts to working drawings. Essential decisions have to be made about types of material to be used, the structural arrangement, exact choice of powerplant and so on. You’ll probably need to make a cockpit mock-up to check the ergonomics and control system arrangements, and maybe build a flying radio controlled model of the design to give faith in the handling characteristics. With the basic geometry laid out, stress calculations and assembly drawings come next, then drawings of individual piece parts. Keep an up-to-date tally on weights. As the drawings get more detailed you must re-evaluate whether you are going to meet your original targets in terms of weight, strength and aerodynamic cleanliness, whether you need to re-visit your original assumptions or re-design from scratch. Is there a way that the part or assembly can be made more easily, more cheaply, lighter, stronger, more fatigue or corrosion resistant ? Fewer parts and fewer joints generally means fewer problems and less weight. Can you use off the shelf parts rather than having to make them specially ? Are there other aeroplanes around that have already solved a particular problem in a clever way ? Will the aircraft be easy to inspect in service, easy to repair if it gets damaged ? Can it be broken down for transportation ? If the handling isn’t quite right when the prototype is test flown, does the design make provision for ‘tweaks’ to put it right ? Does the design include reserves of strength to cope with weight growth in service and more powerful engines, or is everything pared down to the minimum ? Downloadable Spreadsheets Technical Leaflets Design Tutorials

< Back New Permit Revalidation System Announcement 20 Mar 2025 The new Permit Revalidation System is coming on 15th April - watch the announcement video below to find out more! Next Previous

< Back The New Permit Revalidation System 28 Feb 2025 As the weather improves and the days grow longer, the flying season is just around the corner. Although you may already be thinking about all your usual flying preparations, there is one extra exciting update Owners and Inspectors alike should keep in mind this year: the launch of the new Permit Revalidation System. A flow chart of the new Permit Revalidation Process This new system will be fully online, and submission of your revalidation application will be via the LAA website under the “My Aircraft Details” section. Therefore, before arranging for an inspection this year, please make sure you can access your LAA member page. You can do this by going on www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk and clicking on the Login button at the top left of the page and checking that your aircraft details are correct. If you have any issues with your login or aircraft details, please contact the LAA Office on 01280 846 786 or via email at [email protected] Screenshot showing where to login on the LAA website Screenshot showing the ‘My Aircraft Details’ button once you have logged into the LAA website Screenshot showing the button to start apply of your Permit to Fly Revalidation in the ‘My Aircraft Data’ area Applying for revalidation under the new system will be straightforward. Aircraft owners will begin the process by selecting their Inspector. Once selected, the Inspector will be notified that an application is awaiting their attention. After the Inspector submits their airworthiness review, the Owner will be prompted to pay for the revalidation, at which point the application will be sent instantly to LAA Engineering for issue. We are also planning to reduce the requirement for a check flight from one to three years for most aircraft types. However, Inspectors will also have the flexibility to request a check flight as part of the revalidation, if deemed necessary. Additionally, once the new system has launched, Inspectors will be able to issue PFRCs up to two years past the expiry of the Certificate of Validity. Please note, these changes, along with the new check flight cycle, will take effect only once the new system is officially launched. As we get closer to launch in April, more guidance, including a video and notes, will be shared with Owners and Inspectors, ensuring a smooth transition to the new Permit Revalidation System. Stay tuned for more! Next Previous

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Pioneer aircraft 6 Mar 2024 The control horn on the elevator trim tab on a Pioneer 300 failed in flight, which resulted in sever trim tab flutter. A safe landing was made and there was no further damage to the aircraft. MTD-02-2024 requires the checking of this horn on all Pioneer variants to ensure that it is of the correct design standard and recommends regular checks for free-play in the system. Next Previous

< Back The importance of airfield location 12 Feb 2024 The first results of a survey conducted by the new Strategic Airfield Network (SAN) indicate that location is the number one reason airfields consider themselves important. For more information, head to the Flyer article below: https://flyer.co.uk/location-location-location-airfields-are-important/ Next Previous

Light Aviation Magazine 2019 Click on the links below to open each issue of Light Aviation Magazine from 2019 January 2019 April 2019 July 2019 October 2019 February 2019 May 2019 August 2019 November 2019 March 2019 June 2019 September 2019 December 2019

Popular Flying Magazine 1957 Click on the links below to open each issue of Light Aviation Magazine from 1957 Jan 1955 PFA Bulletin March 1957 May/June 1957 July/August 1957 October/November 1957 December 1957 April 1957 September 1957

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for many Zenair types 14 Jan 2025 MTD-01-2025 - 'Inspection of horizontal stabiliser (tailplane) attachment brackets and associated hardware for cracks, looseness and other forms of distress' is issued for Zenair CH601, CH650, CH701, CH750 and variants of these four models. This MTD can be found HERE and is also available below. A number of cases have been found whereby the structural integrity of the horizontal stabiliser mountings on the Zenair types identified above have been compromised by one or more of the following: cracking of the attachment brackets oversize holes loose rivets distorted and chafed brackets. These problems could occur due to a number of factors including poor build quality, a build-up of tolerances in the positioning or dimensions of the brackets, improper assembly, rough treatment or in-flight vibration. Failure of a tailplane attachment could result in degraded controllability in flight or loss of control. Special inspections of this area have been recommended by Zenair since January 2017, in their document ‘Mandatory Action. Jan. 2017 – Inspection of Horizontal Stabilizer tail attachment brackets’. This Mandatory Technical Directive mandates this safety action for aircraft operating on LAA Permits to Fly. MTD-01-2025 - Zenair Tailplane Brackets .pdf Download PDF • 162KB Next Previous

< Back Nick Stone appointed as the LAA's Head of Airworthiness 24 Oct 2023 The LAA is pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Stone as the LAA’s Head of Airworthiness. Nick brings a vast wealth of aircraft knowledge as well as a real world understanding of the need for good process and procedure. Having started his career in the Royal Air Force, Nick went on to work in the aerospace industry working in the UK with British Aerospace and Slingsby Aviation at various sites and projects, as an inspector, methods engineer and quality engineer. Nick then moved to the United States at Eastern Airlines in Miami Florida, Learjet in Wichita Kansas and Chihuahua Mexico as inspection/Quality representative of Shorts Aerospace (Bombardier Aerospace). Following a downturn in the British Aerospace industry he then took an opportunity to move into the nuclear industry working in both reprocessing and power generation. Throughout Nick's working life the one constant has been a passion for aviation. Having started as a volunteer at a local aircraft museum at 14, Nick started flying at the age of 16 in gliders and has a private pilot’s licence PPL(A). Prior to becoming an LAA inspector Nick spent many years building, rebuilding, and restoring vintage aircraft, the more unusual the better. “As an LAA inspector I understand the need to move forward and change and adapt to an ever changing but exciting world. Having run my own aircraft restoration company for the last seven years I always felt it is important to understand your customers”. LAA CEO Simon Tilling said, “Nick is a great addition to the LAA staff. I and the rest of the team are looking forward to working with him in the near future” Next Previous

< Back AGM The awards ceremony will start at 11.30 a.m. Registration for entry into the AGM will be open at 10.45. For more details, please see link below. https://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/agm2025 Next Previous

Light Aviation Magazine 2011 Click on the links below to open each issue of Light Aviation Magazine from 2011 January 2011 April 2011 Juky 2011 October 2011 February 2011 May 2011 August 2011 November 2011 March 2011 June 2011 September 2011 December 2011

Hirth 2 Stroke Covering Letter to Owners Fuel System Inspection Checklist