Service Documents released on 1/23/2023

[greghughespdx]

Originally Posted by seagull

Is this forum the new “official” way to get SB notifications? I used to get them via email until mid-last year.

We still send emails to those owners with aircraft that apply to a given SB or SL. We post them to the Service Information area of our website first (and that is the "Official" location for notifications, BTW), and email notifications are sent after. If you're not getting notifications that you think you should via email, please drop me an email (greg at vans aircraft dot com) with your email address and serial number. I can take a look.

[Bob Y]

Greg, I see the KAIs associated with these SBs have been posted. It doesn’t appear the changes for SB-00067 - Reinforcement of the WD-1223 Counterbalance Arm, have been incorporated into section 11. Is this an omission, or is there a reason this modification isn’t required for new builds, or am I missing something?

[bobnoffs]

i read earlier in this thread that the counterbalance can be removed from inside the tailcone. is this the complete assembly or just the counterweights?

[rgmwa]

The SB-00067 instructions refer to the 11iS KAI’s for balancing the stabilator. I have a Classic 12 which had no requirement to balance the stabilator. Would someone mind posting the relevant page from the iS plans? Also can the stabilator be balanced on the plane if the stab is not removed for the upgrade?

[thiggins]

Stabilator section 11

[Bob Y]

Originally Posted by rgmwa

Also can the stabilator be balanced on the plane if the stab is not removed for the upgrade?

I believe it’s possible, if you don’t mind a few trips in and out of the tail cone. You’ll most likely have to remove mass from the counter weight, which will require removing them from the arm. If you didn’t remove enough, you’ll be going in and out again, and repeating if still not enough was removed. Then you’ll likely be adding a few washers from inside the tail cone to fine tune the balance. No doubt this process would give you the best balance since the AST arm and servo would be in the system exactly as intended vs. a bench simulation. If you performed SB-00053, you’ll have a good understanding of the effort to accomplish from inside the tail cone.

[rgmwa]

Thanks for the plans Tim. There must be a lot of 12's flying whose builders weren't aware of this more recent requirement. I wonder how critical it is. Maybe Greg could comment?

Bob - thanks. Yes, I've made that trip a few times. This job won't be much fun either way.

[Bob Y]

Originally Posted by rgmwa

I wonder how critical it is.

The first sentence of the first note indicates it’s an optional process. You’ve apparently flown for some time now without having done it, so you’d be in a good position to evaluate how much effort you’ve had to make to manually hold trim. I balanced mine before my first flight so have no frame of reference.

[rgmwa]

It may be more of an issue in the rare event of a cable breaking when you may be relying on trim to control the plane. I'm guessing a more balanced stabilator may make this easier. I've never had a problem with the trim, but like you I don't have another frame of reference either.

Edit: As you say, the plans make balancing an option so it can’t be that critical. For those who did balance how much length did you have to take off the weights?

[AeroDog]

I must be misunderstanding the time allotment to accomplish this. It indicates that 1.5 hours is required to disconnect all cables, remove the stabilator, install the parts and rebalance, reinstall the stabilator, reconnect the cables and set the tensions. Was the time a misprint?

Jerre