Misc

Some customers are steamed by JPIs move to code the digital output of its engine monitors. If data analysis is a priority, buyers should consider EI.

Testing Oils
Let me start by thanking you for the unbiased testing and cautious enthusiasm you gave to our product, CamGuard. Your testing, while very much more severe than ours, showed directionally the same results.

I believe that corrosion is by far the leading cause of premature wear and in extreme cases, catastrophic component failure, such as cam or lifter spalling. I reached this conclusion while working for Exxon and participating in the research for their new piston aviation oil in the early 1990s.

Relating laboratory bench or engine tests to the real world is a difficult task. The goal is to increase severity while accessing the correct test regime. These res…

Pound-for-pound and dollar-for-dollar, a used Experimental might be faster and cheaper than a certified airplane. But there are good reasons not to buy one.

Even in northern climes, you need something to keep UV out of the cockpit. Cunningham and Sun-Foil are our favorites.

There’s more information than ever about aircraft engine oils but still more heat than light. Heres what the people who make the stuff have to say.

High-Priced Gyros
I just finished your article Mid-Budget Upgrades in the December Aviation Consumer where you again exclusively recommended the Sigma Tek 4300 series back-up electric horizon. This seems like overkill in a light single used for little-but some-serious IFR.

There’s no question that an electric turn-and-bank gyro is completely inadequate for a back-up source of attitude reference in IMC. Unfortunately, we are stuck with this.

I attacked this problem five years ago by installing an overhauled RC Allen 14-volt electric horizon for only $1095, plus a minimal installation fee. It provides complete redundancy for a fraction of what the Sigma Tek costs.

In…

A Texas jury finds that defective structural design caused failures in Lycoming six-cylinder crankshafts, not overheating during forging.

Lycoming Core Charge
The article in your January issue warning of Lycomings new core policy came 90 days late for our fully restored 1969 Cherokee 180. Unfortunately, my partner and I have become fully familiar with the $3000 case charge and the $3500 crankshaft price. Our engine, unbeknownst to us, contained an ECI aftermarket crankshaft and the case bore a stamp from a field overhaul.

Lycoming rejected both and charged us full price. In the interest of full disclosure, they did, in fact, ship us a factory reman, rather than the factory overhaul we ordered. And it does contain all new parts, so we did get a pretty good deal.

However, because Lycoming failed to prop…

Battery Notes
The conclusions in your battery review in the December issue were right on: Alkalines in the headset and ANRs and Ni-MH in the constant-use GPS.

Ive had a problem with Duracells over the past many years, where I can count on one battery in 10 leaking. On the NiMHs, some are now purporting to deliver 2000 ma/hour or more, up from 1500, which will skew your curve even more in favor of these. But, as noted, self-discharge is phenomenal.

Ive been using the Rayovac rechargeable alkalines since they first came out. My experience says you’ll be doing we’ll if you get 20 cycles out of them, compared to your guess of 50, and those last few cycles will be short-l…

Its standard equipment in cars and boats but, thus far, a loser in airplanes. A project to clone Lycomings with watercooling aims to change that.

Hey, Just Kidding
In the November Aviation Consumer on page 10, you say, Its not morally wrong to lie about how fast your airplane flies as long as you know the truth. Shame on you. For a publication that emphasizes the truth without advertising to state that it is not morally wrong to lie leads one to wonder about the morals of the author, period.

The article should be we’ll received, however, as many people do not know or care about the truth or the speed of their airplane, the factory included. I have been told that American Airlines received a check for $1 million from Convair when the CV-990 did not reach the 600 MPH mark that Convair touted in their presentation. (…

Dakota Data
Thank you for your review of the Piper Cherokee 235/236 line of airplanes. (See October, 2004 issue.) This line-until now-has been one of the best kept secret values in used aircraft. I found your review to be comprehensive, accurate and helpful to one who is looking for the best value in a heavy hauler.

I would like to add one more group to your list of resources: The Cherokee 235/236 Owners Group has a Website dedicated to these airplanes and is a wealth of information specific to these models. There are no access fees or restrictions to the site and the Web-board forums are informative and allow owners of these models to share their experiences as we’ll as c…