YOUR AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE
 
 
Your Tecnam aircraft airframe is constructed from aviation-grade aluminium coated with a two-pack paint. Keep it clean using a good car wash, rinse and chamois. Do not pressure hose as water may be unnecessarily forced into the framework. A good polish (silicone-free) can be used now and then to protect the finish and make subsequent cleaning easier. Silicone in a polish will prevent paint adherence in the event any minor paint touch-up should be required. You may wish to consider placing masking tape over the fuel caps to eliminate any chance of water entering fuel tanks  -although this is unlikely, it could occur if water is left around the fuel cap in a temperature dropping situation when air contracting within the fuel tank may suck in a drop of water.
 
Your windscreen is perspex and is best cleaned with water and chamois ensuring the wipe direction is up and down to prevent any side to side scratching that could give rise to "false sightings" of horizontal wires during landings. If you use "suckers" to hold in place any windscreen shading, use the transparent type in preference to the black suckers as the dark material heats and will cause the perspex to craze over time.
 
Exterior nuts and bolts and screws should be checked during pre-flight inspection but a more thorough check using the appropriate spanner or screwdriver should be made periodically in the event that vibration has caused a nut or screw to loosen. These nuts, bolts and screws can be protected from salt air with a squirt of lithium grease. Do not use lithium grease on rubber as it will degrade rubber over time.
 
A marine quality water-dispersant spray can be used in the engine area to prevent corrosion, however, this spray must not touch any electrical parts.
 
Your propeller is wood coated in thick two-pack paint. A smooth, chip-free propeller will enhance your aircraft performance as well as prevent vibration that can be detrimental over time. Keep your propeller polished and smooth. Any minor stone chips that break through the paint into the wood can be easily sealed using (black) nail varnish. This prevents moisture entering the wood grain. Returning a propeller to the horizontal position is traditionally the practice with wooden propellers as it prevents any moisture travelling to a prop tip thus creating imbalance. This practice needs to be weighed against a vertical position that can be a protective measure in a parking situation whereby a horizontal propeller may be knocked. You can minimise prop damage by: (1) conduct your engine run-ups over clean ground, or, if that is not available, do them whilst taxiing; (2) on take-off over unclean terrain, increase power from idle to full over 3-4 secs and raise nose-wheel approx 10cm as soon as you can; (3) on landing, keep the nose-wheel approx 10cm from the ground whilst taxiing. This is also a useful skill to develop in the event of a nose-wheel puncture. These measures prevent the sucking vortex action that draws debris up into the prop arc, but, care should be taken in windy conditions as you will not have ground stability when taxiing on only the mains.
 
Your horizontal stabiliser can be protected from stone-chips on the leading edge by using "leading edge tape". This thick black or transparent tape can be applied by most service facilities. You should note that the transparent tape does yellow over time.
 
Your main legs can be protected in this manner too.
 
 
 
 
© 2007 Tecnam Australia Pty Ltd
Bruce Stark, PO Box 754, Runaway Bay, QLD Australia 4216
Tel: 07 5564 1801 Fax: 07 5564 1801 Mob: 0416 083 800
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