Continental Covering Letter to Owners AAN PFA 999-413 Sup 3 Approved Mogas Aircraft/Continental Engine combinations Inspection Checklist

For Single Engine Piston Assistance (SSEA) Tel: 01280 846 786 - LAA [email protected] For Self Launching Motor Glider Assistance (SLMG) Tel: 0116 289 2956 - BGA [email protected] For Microlight Assistance (M) Tel: 01869 338 888 -- BMAA [email protected] Applications received by the LAA Please allow 5 working days for your SSEA / SLMG application to be processed by the LAA. If you wish to check on the progress of your application, look at the Current Applications Page or contact LAA on 01280 846 786. For the issue of your licence contact CAA licencing department on 01293 567 171 Website links: LAA - BMAA - BGA -CAA Help and Contacts

< Back New LAA Inspector 20 Jun 2024 We are pleased to welcome Tom Bootyman as an LAA Inspector. Tom attended an Assessment Day at LAA HQ at the start of June. Tom is a serial aircraft builder/maintainer/repairer, also with several years’ experience as an engineer with a global aerobatic team. He has experience building and repairing Zenair and Vans RV types, along with working on many aerobatic aircraft. He is also an experienced aircraft painter. Tom has a love and devotion to all things aviation, so he is always open to requests for information, advice and Permit inspections. He is based at Netherthorpe (Sheffield), but willing to travel. Next Previous

< Back Engineering updates in March 5 Apr 2024 The following documents have been updated in the Engineering 'Info Library' during March. Continuing airworthiness information: Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-02-2024 Pioneer trim tab checks TADS : Europa Sling 2 Technical Leaflets : TL 1.28 Approved homebuild aircraft type list (new) TL 3.12 Engines and propellers fitted to LAA aircraft TL 3.17 List of prototype modifications Propeller type list PTL/1: Ikarus C42 FB UK Standard Modifications: SM 10671 Rotax 2-stroke carburettor heater Next Previous

Engineering Fees Project Registration Kit-Built Aircraft - £350 Plans - Built Aircraft - £50 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Initial Permit Issue ​ Up to 450kg - £700 451-999kg - £800 100kg & above - £900 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Permit Revalidation ​ Up to 450kg - £230 451-999kg - £280 1000kg & above - £310 Factory-Buit Gyroplane (FBG) - £310 ​ Note: For FBGs - if the last Permit revalidation was not administered by the LAA, an extra fee of £125 applies Permit Flight Release Certificate (PFRC) Initial Issue and one reissue - £25 ​ Issue 3 and subsequent reissues - £25 ​ Note: This fee only applies when LAA HQ are issuing a PFRC. There is no fee for an Inspector issuing a PFRC ​ Modification & Repair Application Modification & Repair Applications (except Repeat Mods) - min £100 Hourly rate beyond 2 hour's work - £55 ​ Repeat Modification Application - £50 Hourly-rate beyond 1 hour's work - £55 ​ STC Modification Application - £50 ​ Transfer from CAA CofA or CAA Permit to Fly to an LAA Permit to Fly Up to 450kg - £280 451-999kg - £320 1000kg & above - £360 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Category Change Group A to Microlight - £200 Microlight to Group A - £200 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Change of G-registration Fee Issue of Permit to Fly documents following G-reg change - £60 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Replacement Documents (ref TL 2.12 ) Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document) - £25 Endorsement of report for replacement logbook - £25 ​ Payment Methods ONLINE You can pay for Engineering Services via the ONLINE SHOP BY CALLING HQ 01280 846 786 with card details BY INTERNET BANKING Account No : 26225220 Sort Code : 60-30-03 ​ Please note, for Permit revalidation & engineering fees, you MUST quote your aircraft registration. or your payment will not be credited to the correct aircraft record. ​ If paying from abroad, SWIFT code is : NWBKGB2L IBAN code is : GB81 NWBK 6030 0326225220

Inspector Zone The Inspector Zone is designed for use by LAA inspectors (though is available to all) and is intended to provide a focal point for LAA inspectors to source important airworthiness and other useful information. LAA Inspector Updates are provided via email. Inspectors should check the contact information shown in the Inspector Map held on this website, and let the Chief Inspector know of any changes needed. Inspectors are encouraged to submit items of news they think might be suitable for inclusion in future Inspector Updates to the Chief Inspector, Lucy Wootton at [email protected] . This email address may also be used by Inspectors with queries directly relating to their role as an LAA Inspector. AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION SPARS (COMING SOON...) INSPECTOR APPROVAL INFORMATION FIND AN INSPECTOR BECOME AN INSPECTOR NOTE 9 AIRCRAFT INSPECTOR TRAINING SEMINARS

Light Aviation Magazine 2021 Click on the links below to open each issue of Light Aviation Magazine from 2021 January 2021 April 2021 July 2021 October 2021 February 2021 May 2021 August 2021 November 2021 March 2021 June 2021 September 2021 December 2021

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Chipmunk aircraft 24 May 2024 Mandatory Technical Directive, MTD-04-2024 has been issued by our Head of Airworthiness, Nick Stone, today to introduce mandatory recurring inspections of the flap operating cables following a recent potentially serious incident where one of the flap cables on a Chipmunk failed in flight, leading to an asymmetric flap configuration. The MTD allows a 5 flying hour period of grace before the inspection must be carried out and is being emailed today to all owners of LAA Chipmunks and all LAA Inspectors approved to inspect Chipmunks. Next Previous

Detail Design 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? Design Tutorials

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We provide a system whereby members can build an aircraft in the comfort of their own home (or wherever they choose) from either a set of plans or from a kit of parts. ​ Every year around 100 newly-constructed aircraft are added to the LAA fleet, with members generally taking around 1 to 4 years to complete their kit projects. A whole range of aircraft is available to build, from single-seaters to four-seaters, aerobatic to amphibian, and WWI replica triplanes to gyroplanes. The LAA is tasked with ensuring that the designs members build meet minimum airworthiness requirements, appropriate to the type. Proposals for accepting other designs of aircraft can be put to the LAA, and a number of such types are accepted each year following a review of their airworthiness, amongst other things. This requires a member to champion the type through the process, arranging for the necessary technical information to be passed to the Engineering department and to build and test the first example. Similarly, it is possible for a member to build an aircraft of their own design. LAA provides support for this (see the Designing aircraft section), but due to limited resources only the most promising/developed designs can be advanced through the system. Building Aircraft One of the founding principles of the LAA is to provide for members wishing to build their own aircraft, either for their own education or to enable them to own an affordable aircraft. Of course, whichever type you choose it is usually possible to customise it to your liking using the LAA’s modification system. So if it’s an elaborate avionics suite that takes your fancy or an automotive engine conversion, there’s a route to investigating whether it’s possible. If you like the idea of building, but feel you lack the skills, then there are courses on various aspects of aircraft building to help bring you up to speed. Your Inspector is also a fantastic mine of information and generally will be your first port of call for technical information. Of course, the LAA also has a pool of full-time engineers who can be contacted for advice. For further information, click the button below for Technical Leaflets covering the Build Process Click here for more information

E10 Mogas From 1st September 2021, the government mandated that all regular grade unleaded petrol must contain up to 10% ethanol, rather than up to 5% as previously. In the autumn of 2021, most filling stations around the UK re-marked their E5 petrol pumps to show that they now supply E10 specification fuel, and started receiving tanker-loads blended with up to 10 percent ethanol content. For the automotive world this means reduced carbon dioxide emissions, which is better for the environment, and, arguably in terms of eco-desirability, a small further reduction in the reliance on fossil fuel. The automotive industry had been preparing for this change, and people with road vehicles registered after 2002 should be able to switch to E10 without noticing any difference. Unfortunately, the additional ethanol content is bad news for aviation users if we were to ignore the change and start putting E10 in our aircraft regardless. Ethanol is a powerful chemical solvent which can attack components including rubberised gaskets and fuel pipes, older lacquered carburettor floats and composite or plastic components in some newer fuel systems. The doubling of the concentration of ethanol in E10 compared to E5 makes it much more likely that problems will be experienced if these parts are not designed to be ethanol-proof. Ethanol also has an affinity for absorbing water, which over time can then become acidic, attacking metal components in the fuel system and engine. Even if there was a practical way to do so in the volumes of fuel we use in our aircraft, we cannot safely remove the ethanol content from the fuel because the ethanol acts as an octane enhancer, so the washed-out fuel would be left with a reduced octane value, likely to cause detonation problems. Another issue is that ethanol-blended fuel has a lower energy density than petrol, so to develop full power from our engines using an E10 fuel, we may need to richen the fuel/air mixture, for example using a bigger carburettor jet size. Owners of Rotax and Jabiru engines are probably already aware that many of these engines are supplied as being able to use E10 fuel – though with Jabiru engines, in particular, it’s far from straightforward because some of the earlier engines require cylinder head modifications and reduced compression ratio if they are to avoid detonation issues when using any form of Mogas. Jabiru also say that Mogas of any type should not be used in commercial flight schools and only at the owners own risk. Even with a supposedly E10-compatable engine, the chemical compatibility problems with fuel system components are such that the LAA does not at present approve the use of E10 Mogas in any LAA amateur-built or vintage aircraft. For factory-built microlights and factory-built gyroplanes, where LAA is not the approving authority but only renews the CAA’s Permits to Fly, owners need to refer to the TADS for the types for details of the approved fuel types, and monitor the service bulletins from the approved manufacturers for news of any updates. Where we need to be particularly careful in reading-across from (hopefully) a trouble-free transition to E10 in automotive use is the big difference between our petrol cars and the way our aircraft engines are configured. Our cars generally have submerged fuel pumps in their petrol tanks and a sealed fuel system. In our aircraft we have an open-vented tank and usually a fuel pump several feet away, often mounted in a hot area of the engine bay near to the engine exhaust, dragging the fuel through a fairly convoluted pipework system, a filter and fuel selector – all features encouraging a vapour lock - and then to make matters worse we want to climb up to altitude and operate in reduced atmospheric pressure. Modern petrol cars have a fuel injection systems rather than carburettors, a circulating fuel system designed to purge any vapour forming in the fuel line, and an ECU that monitors the engine’s parameters constantly and adjusts the fuel mixture strength and ignition timing to prevent damage to the engine – and if all else fails and the engine should ‘pink’, we can hear it from the driver’s seat and drop a gear to lighten the load. Because of the much higher background noise level in our aircraft, detonation cannot be heard and the pilot’s first indication of a problem may be when the first piston crown disintegrates, or a valve head departs its stem. In conclusion - E10 is presently not approved for use in any LAA aircraft. ‘Hoping for the best’ and using E10 fuel in your aircraft regardless could risk ruining the fuel system components, fibreglass tanks falling to bits, engine failure through contamination of the fuel or ruptured fuel pump diaphragms etc, or more serious engine damage. For most of our engines, UL91 Avgas is the best choice, but 97 octane E5 Super Unleaded remains an alternative to the now-obsolete E5 spec Mogas.