ONLINE INTELLIGENCE

Recent Discussions from the Comanche Owner’s Forum –

Stabilator FlutterAs many ICS members can

attest, the best source of information is often other

Comanche owners who have facedsimilar maintenance and operationalissues. As a service to all ICSmembers, the following is a series ofonline postings from the Comanche’sOwner’s Forum. This discussionbetween Comanche owners con-cerns stabilator flutter. It is printedas it appeared in the Forum.

I just installed an S-TEC 55Xautopilot in my 1965 twin andwhen I go to a vertical speed decentand the airspeed approaches 195or just about the yellow arc, thestabilator starts to flutter. As soonas I disengage the A/P, it stops. Ihave checked the cable tension onthe elevator and the bridle cableson the A/P. I have had the A/C fornine years with the old AltimaticA/P and this is a new problem.Any insight from anyone would beappreciated thanks.

I would be very interested in hear-ing about any such flutter problemsand their resolution in this forum.

I get stabilator flutter on my TC atabout 195 IAS if the bushing or boltbetween the control rod and the trimactuator. Just fixed it again last week.

I wonder if the pitch trim bridleis reaching its nose down cable limitand slipping the clutch?

I have seen a low frequency 5 HZ(+-) oscillation with the autopilot on,out-of-trim and some play in the trimdrum. I did it by leveling off, crankingin cruise trim (before speeding up)and hitting altitude hold. My guessis that what you are seeing is asimilar effect, as the autopilot doesn’thave the speed to produce a fastoscillation on its own.

I fixed the tab play and don’t hit

the hold so early and have nothad a repeat. Check the stabilatortrim tab play.

I’ve got a 55X in my 1966 PA 30and have never experienced anythinglike you describe. The highest I’veever let my airspeed get was about220 indicated on a very smooth dayand still no flutter whatsoever.Normally, just to ensure no issuesin a descent, I’ll reduce power tokeep the airspeed 5 to 10 mph belowthe yellow. The 55X has alwaysbeen rock steady.

Not directed at you Todd but toeveryone, are we really talking aboutflutter guys? Not a term I wouldthrow around loosely! I wasn’t awarethat you could have a true flutterincident that didn’t result in lossor near loss of the aircraft.

Hans, help me out on this will you?

According to Maurice, and otherpostings on this forum and my ownexperience as well, stabilator flutterwill occur in different degrees ofintensity.

Severe flutter will result in seriousdamage and possible loss of controlof the aircraft. The plane in thefamous NASA flutter movie managedto land safely although it did needsome (a lot of?) repairs.

At the other end, I have experi-enced what I would call mild flutter,where the airframe vibrated and aslight sensation was also felt in theyoke for a few seconds. This was alsoan alarm bell to get things fixedimmediately.

I would consider all incidents offlutter as quite serious since theyall are at least a first step (or last)before loss of control and damageand reflect an airframe in need ofimmediate maintenance.

Comments are welcome.

To everyone interested in thisdiscussion: True flutter occurswhen torsional instability couplesto the bending frequency of thestructure. Normally, up to flutterspeed, structural damping and airdamping, prevent these vibrationmodes from coupling. The torsionalmode is when the stabilator tipsrotate about the spar, and thebending mode is when the stabilatortips flex up and down.

Looking at the NASA flutter film,one observes that the stabilator tipsare both rotating and flexing. Themotion is somewhat similar to amanta ray swimming.

What Jack01267, T6, Charlie,James and others have experienced(including myself at one time) is abuffeting caused by looseness in thestabilator trim system, which canbe the start of torsional instability.

The two main causes of stabilatortrim tab buffeting are 1) Washing theairplane, and getting water into thetrim tab (increases tab mass), and 2)Looseness of the trim system (exci-tation force and reduced damping).

There are three locations wherethis looseness can occur. The twoends of the trim tab control rod contain bushings, a thru pin, and anAN bolt. The trim drum contains twobushings, which are preloaded bythe two cable guard bolts. The entireassembly must allow movement,but with minimum excess play.

So, what is the maximum allow-able up/down movement, measuredat the aft center of the trim tab? Idon’t recall if the service manualhas a requirement, but I will offerup that ± .050 is maximum.

If there are airplanes out therewith more play than that, then theword needs to get out for problemcorrection. We don’t want to lose an

JANUARY 2004 Comanche Flyer • 17

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Thank you for your excellent discus-sion of the stabilator flutter situation.I have never had a stabilator vibrationin my airplane, (I did on a brand BI owned years ago) but my A&P willhave a copy of your post to reviewat my next annual. This forum is agreat resource.

Regarding washing the airplane,and getting water into the trim tab:Won’t the water run out of the trimtab before flight? (Aside: now I havean excuse to not wash my airplane).

The “water in trim tab” possibilitywas suggested to me by Phil Wiltze,head of aerodynamics at Rockwellduring the Shuttle design phase.

One time, about 10 years ago,after washing the airplane, took aride to “dry it off.” On the return leg,straight and level, moderate powersetting, I felt the oscillation at thewheel at about 3 Hz, with a totalstroke of about 1 inch. Slowingdown made it stop.

One time, about 13 years ago,carrying about 600 pounds of

sandbags during the Cafe 400 race,had a similar experience. Then, Iwas coming downhill fairly high inthe yellow range. Reducing powerand raising the nose to slow itdown made it stop.

Thanks so much Hans, I knewyou could help us all out on thisone. So, is buffet or vibration flutteror the beginnings of flutter or simplyrelated to flutter?

Assume for the moment that aComanche stabilator is placed in awind tunnel, and rigidly constrained.

At the flutter speed, where theaerodynamic forces exceed therestraining bending and torsionalstiffnesses, the stabilator will startto flex, and couple in with the tor-sion stiffness to cause twist. Whenthe oscillations become largeenough, the stabilator will comeoff the airplane. Usually, 3 or 4cycles are all it takes. However,this phenomena does not happeninstantaneously, but rather onecan sneak up to it.

Now consider a trim tab in thesame situation that has a lot of

play. The tab, having a reducedflexural and torsional stiffness,will begin to oscillate about itshinge line first. The tab will thenstart to excite the torsional modeof the stabilator. In flight, we feelthis as a low-frequency oscillationof the control wheel.

If we continue to let the taboscillate about its hinge line, andincrease the flight speed, the stabi-lator torsional mode will couple to theflex mode, and stabilator becomesunstable on its own. The speed atwhich all this happens (i.e., “howmuch time do I have”) dependson mathematically complicatedstability derivatives.

You might recall the crash of aF-117 a few years back. Amechanic left out a bolt at theright aileron hinge bracket. Afterabout 3 cycles, the aileron wasgone, and the plane crashed. Priorto that, the plane was flown fromits airbase to the air show withoutany problems. So, at the rightcombination of airspeed and controlforces, things can happen quickly.

Also, a few years back there


was a Comanche that crashed inAnaheim Hills, where I live.According to the NTSB, there wasthe likelihood of airframe icing,and radar returns show the pilotwas making a hard right turn.

Normally, a hard turn shouldn’ttake the stabilator off of a Comanche,but this one was found about half amile away from the main crash site.We’ll never know what happenedfor sure.

Message to all, we have 40-year-oldairplanes that need maintenance tokeep them in near new condition.Flutter speed for the Comanche wasestablished using a new airplane.

Bear with me Hans.So, if a trim tab is loose, you

could get into an unstable situationwhich could cause a low-frequencyoscillation of the tab which couldthen help to induce flutter in theentire control surface but at thatpoint it is probably too late asonce the real flutter starts you areprobably history.

Is that about right? And is the“buzz” I have heard some peopledescribe here and elsewhere justanother symptom of excess play andpoor maintenance that could aggra-vate flutter but not flutter itself?

Sorry, I think I am getting thereand I appreciate the education!

To answer your questionsspecifically;

1. A loose trim tab will cause alow-frequency oscillation to thestabilator itself? Yes. Keep in mind,as a surface, the trim tab itself isnot balanced.

2. Could the tab oscillationinduce flutter into the stabilatorand make for a bad day? Yes. But,only if allowed to progress anddiverge, which will require someadditional airspeed. How muchextra airspeed? Don’t know, but aSWAG would be an extra 10 to 15mph indicated.

3. The “buzz” is a symptom ofexcess play in the trim tab system?

Yes. Could it cause flutter to occur?Yes, if left unchecked with addi-tional airspeed. I don’t believe thatthe reduced flutter speed due towear-and-tear has been thoroughlyinvestigated.

The regulatory requirement forCAR 3 airplanes is for a demonstrated

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10 percent margin above red line.For Part 23 airplanes, there is anequation, which works out V(dive)to be 210 kts (twins), which alsomust be 1.25 times V(cruise),whichever is greater.

Thanks Hans, I have saved all thisto help me in the future. I think Icertainly understand more than Idid. I am sure many of us did.

Your last paragraph is alsointeresting. In the case of our twinsthat would mean that they wereactually tested to a higher airspeedthan they would have been underCAR 23 I think. Of course all of thesemargins are pretty slim if the aircraftis not maintained properly.

Hans,I’d like to echo Bill’s thanks for

clarifying the flutter issue. It’s animportant one IMO and it’s hardto write too much on it.

Our thanks to Dale Vandever forcompiling this text. You can viewthese messages in the context ofthe entire discussion by going to:http://forums.delphiforums.com/comancheflyer

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In the 15 years of service, the AvTek unit has beencredited with dozens of IFR saves. Electrical failuresoccur without warning in most aircraft. Even if thepanel is equipped with a voltmeter, the electrical failuremay go undetected until the ship’s cold-cranking batteryis nearly dead. And the loss of comm is the first indicationof trouble.

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Bored with touch and go’s?Move up to a bang-and-bolter.

As a frustrated fighter pilotwannabe, I always wondered if Icould do a no-flare carrier-typelanding in my 1959 PA 24-180.One way to find out is to try it!

During one of my flights a fewmonths ago, I went to a low traffic,uncontrolled airport and set up a littlelonger-than-usual final. It was sur-prising how hard it is to slow myapproach speed below the recom-mended 78 mph. It is strangelydifficult to pull the wheel back steadi-ly, without ballooning too seriously,to work the speed down slowly.

At first try, I might have gotten a lit-tle below 75, but I kept at it. By work-ing at it by increments on successiveapproaches, I finally achieved my tar-get speed of about 65 mph. I was fulldirty with high-pitch prop, full flaps,gear down. When I finally achieveda reasonably well-stabilized attitudebefore touchdown, I sucked it up andlet it bang on without a flare.

The nose was high enough that themains hit first, and I was surprisedat the relatively light impact. As amatter of fact, I’ve flown worse tryingto do it at 78 with full flare. On suc-cessive flights I practiced this kind ofapproach, finding the greatest chal-lenge was in getting my speed downto about 65 and stabilized in theapproach. I kept my right hand onthe throttle, mentally cued to fullpower at the first sensation ofexcessive sink or impending stall.

After seeing our president’splane catch the last wire on hiscarrier approach and hearing hispilot go to full power immediatelyupon landing, I became curiousabout doing a bang-and-bolter. Iwanted to see how my planewould respond to a bolter as if Ihad missed the wire.

At my first opportunity, I set thingsup for a carrier approach at myuncontrolled home field. Only 5,000feet of the 10,000-foot runway wereavailable due to work on the far end.So I was forced into a mere 5,000-footlength to work with. Gotta get downand off in that short of space, so itwas good to have a plan.

As before, I set up a little longerthan usual final and got the speeddown to about 65. The runway is 100feet wide so I felt like I was reallyflying down to the concrete. But Ihung in there and banged it on.Immediately after touchdown, Ipopped the flaps up with my Johnsonbar, and pushed the throttle up tofull afterburner.

My longstanding habit of raisingthe flaps immediately after landingto keep glued to the ground just tookover and led me to do flaps-up first.

The plane practically leaped offthe ground with a very short run.the nose went up rather easily,but not excessively.

I was always careful not to trim outfull nose up pressure on final to avoidstrong pitch up with full power andincreased speed. On these lastbangers, I noted a sink rate of about500 feet per minute on short final,and an almost level attitude.

After three of these, I declaredmyself to be a carrier-qualifiedComanche pilot. Next, I am goingto try doing the bolter withoutfirst raising the flaps.

A friend of mine has a 1959Comanche totally apart in his hangarand I have spent some time thor-oughly examining parts I’ve neverseen before. One of the things thatimpressed me most was the size ofthe main wing spars. To my unprac-ticed eye, they looked huge! I don’tbelieve I’m going to bend themunless I step up from bangers tofull crash mode!

Bang and Bolterby Lloyd Roberts - ICS #12514

Pilot Pointers

Kansas City is one of the nation’s finest treasures. Visitors to thismetropolis in America’s heartland discover a jazzy city brimmingwith surprises; a city with a great future forged by a rich historical

past. Part of Kansas City’s charm lies in its beauty, which includes animpressive network of boulevards, parks and exquisite fountains.

Kansas City is known as the “Heart of America,” centrally locatedwithin 250 miles of both the geographic and population centers of thenation. The maximum distance from Kansas City to anywhere in thecontinental United States is approximately 1,900 miles, or half thedistance from coast to coast. And once you arrive in Kansas City, thereare nearly 25,000 hotel and motel rooms throughout the area thatprovide a wide range of accommodations to suit any taste and budget.

Though famous for sizzling steaks and mouth-watering barbecue,the city also offers an incredible variety of cuisine. Visitors aredelighted by the abundance of excellent restaurants of every ethnicorigin. And with over 90 barbecue restaurants to its credit, the cityis the nation’s barbecue headquarters!

A Little HistoryKansas City played a major role in the nation’s history as a gateway

for pioneers heading West along the Oregon, California and Santa FeTrails. In the mid-1800s, settlers, missionaries and traders began theiroverland journeys from several local points. Today, the city’s colorfulpast is highlighted by an interesting mix of museums specializing insubjects such as Jesse James, Harry S. Truman, the Oregon Trail andHallmark Cards.

For many generations, the land around Kansas City was shared byseveral Indian tribes, including the Osage, Kansa and Wyandotte. Inthe early 1800s, trappers and traders began developing the Town ofKansas (later known as Kansas City) on the southern bank of theMissouri River, a short distance from where it joins with the Kansas River.

A few years later, thousands of pioneers would disembark fromriverboats at this point to begin their overland journey, passing first

The Heart of America


Continued on Page 26

Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City

ConventionLogo

(Dianne - I don’t have alogo????) or is that the

right city shot I havefor the airport

????)

The annual ICS Convention site for2004 is Kansas City DowntownAirport (MKC) Kansas City, Mo. The

success of the convention depends upon thehard work and faithfulness of volunteers. Iwant you to know many members of ICSare working hard to make this conventiona success.

Planning for the 2004 convention beganas early as October of 2001. During the last12 months the intensity of the planninghas increased and will continue to intensifyover the next eight months leading to theconvention.

We are looking forward to hosting you inKansas City. Located in the center of theUnited States, Kansas City has become thecity of choice for those looking for greatshopping, cultural, and sporting events. In eachof the coming months look for informationand pictures featuring the events beingplanned for your visit including specificsconcerning things to see in Kansas City.

Each month this space will feature anarticle by one of my committee Chairmandetailing their area of interest in your ICSConvention.

Our goal is to provide a great time for all ofyou in Kansas City. September weather is great,the food is always superb, and we welcomeyou all to come experience the hospitalityand entertainment of Kansas City.

Darrell NorrisChairman

From the 2004Convention Chairman:

2004 ICS ConventionMaintenanceSuperSeminarby Karl Hipp - ICS #10241

That’s right, It’s all one word. MaintenanceSuperSeminar. Becauseit’s all being combined! It will be unlike any maintenance sympo-sium ever held at any ICS Convention or fly-in.

Instead of a bunch of vendors all holed up in one room and seminarsgoing on in various rooms scattered around the hotel, we will have onlya few select vendors in a large room showing their wares and conductingthe seminar.

This will be a Comanche-specific event. There won’t be anyone sellinginsurance, engine pre-oilers, headsets or batteries. And there will be noseminar rooms. The exhibitors themselves will be taking turns explain-ing the various maintenance issues we have with our Comanches. Therewill be hands-on displays of the landing gear components and other sys-tem components, such as trim drums, stabilator tubes and fuel strainers,just as examples. There will be maintenance solutions and proceduresexplained. There will be discussion on items ranging from gear rigging toengine rebuilding tips. We will be using a closed circuit camera and apublic address system so that everyone attending can see what is hap-pening on a big screen.


Atrip to Kansas City is a high pointon anyone’s calendar. Flying yourown airplane into one of the most

historical airports in the countrymakes it even better. Flying yourComanche into the same airport andarriving in the company of some 200other Comanche’s, owners, and familieshas to be one of the most memorableevents ever.

The Kansas City DowntownAirport (MKC)


Continued on Page 27Continued on Page 27


through a lively market area, knowntoday as the City Market. Farmersand vendors still offer home-grown,as well as exotic, produce, herbs andflowers in Missouri’s largest open-airfarmers market. Unique gift andantique shops, popular restaurantsand the Arabia Steamboat Museumare also housed in this area.

What You’ll Find TodayDowntown Kansas City mixes

an exciting blend of old and new.The skyline offers a striking blendof Art Deco buildings and modernskyscrapers. In 1994, the downtownskyline underwent a dramatictransition when four massive steelsculptures were installed on theirperches some 200 feet on the H.Roe Bartle Hall, part of the KansasCity Convention Center. Thesculptures, “Sky Stations/Pylon

Caps,” are lighted at night and canbe seen for several miles. Thesculptures’ Art Deco style reflectsthe adjacent 1930s era buildings.

Located a few blocks south ofdowntown, Crown Center, a privatelyfinanced project of Hallmark Cards,Inc., surrounds the internationalheadquarters of the world’s largestgreeting card company. Thisenclosed shopping and entertain-ment center offers more than 80shops and restaurants, live theatres,cinemas and two hotels to fivemillion visitors each year. TheHallmark Visitors Center tells the

story of the greeting card giantthrough 14 exhibits. Guests can visitwith a press operator demonstratingthe process used in greeting cardproduction, push a button to maketheir own colorful gift bow, watchexcerpts from the company’s“Hallmark Hall of Fame” television


Continued from Page 24

Kansas City-The Heart of America

Con

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presentations or step through a keyholeinto a room filled with giant pencils,brushes, paint tubes and jars. OtherCrown Center activities include theAmerican Heartland Theatre, theCoterie Theatre, a children’s liveperformance theater with familyprogramming, ice skating in the winterand outdoor entertainment in thesummer. The complex features 29restaurants.

A little further south is the famousCountry Club Plaza, an outdoorcenter covering 14 square blocksand containing over 180 of the

finest stores in the country, as wellas dozens of restaurants. With morethan 40 fountains, many unique tothe world, and over 50 sculpted worksof art and exquisite mosaics, the Plazais often referred to as an “outdoormuseum.” A walking art tour of thesemagnificent works is a delightfulway to experience the Plaza. ThePlaza’s Moorish architecture ismodeled after Seville, Spain, one ofKansas City’s sister cities. BetweenThanksgiving and mid-January, thePlaza is illuminated by over 75miles of colorful holiday lights.

Facts About Kansas CityNicknames: K.C., City of Fountains, Heart of America

Sister City: Seville, Spain

FamousResidents: Thomas Hart Benton (artist), Harry S. Truman (politician),

Charlie Parker (jazz musician), Tom Pendergast (politician), Ed Asner (actor), Jean Harlow (actress), Ginger Rogers (actress),Satchel Paige (baseball player), Walt Disney (writer/producer/director)and Mickey Mouse (born in Kansas City under Walt Disney’s hand),Calvin Trillin (columnist); George Brett (baseball player); Tom Watson (golfer).

HometownHeadquarters: Hallmark Cards, Sprint, Farmland Industries, Russell Stover

Candies, Yellow Freight Corporation, H&R Block, AMC Theaters, Applebee’s International, American Italian Pasta, among others.

Home of: Harry S. Truman Library (one of eleven presidential libraries in the nation), Linda Hall Library of Technology (one of the largest privately endowed scientific and technical reference libraries in the country),Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Academy of Family Physicians.

Pro Sports: Kansas City Chiefs Football ClubKansas City Royals Baseball ClubKansas City Wizards Outdoor Soccer Club

Climate inSeptember: Ave. high temp: 80

Ave. low temp: 60Ave precip: 4.39 inches


The Kansas CityDowntown Airport (MKC)Continued . . .

This is your chance to get educated about your bird and ask questionsabout those issues that have been bugging you about your airplane. It’s alsoan opportunity for you to bring along your mechanic, so he can learn theproper maintenance procedures for your airplane, and find out about theproblem areas and nuances of our unique aircraft.

Webco, Johnson Aircraft, B&C, and Altus will be our primary exhibitors.And we also plan to have a few other folks, so make your reservations early.

See you at the Maintenance-SuperSeminar!

2004 ICS Convention MaintenanceSuperSeminar Continued . . .

Only a handful of major citieson the continent enjoy a bustlinggeneral aviation facility adjacent tothe downtown business center -Kansas City is one of them.Dedicated by Charles Lindberghin 1927, Charles B. WheelerDowntown Airport (MKC) is thecity’s first airport and still one ofits busiest. Originally home tocommercial aviation, the airportnow attracts a large number ofcorporate, charter and recreationalflyers. MKC nestles up to the MissouriRiver that separates the State ofMissouri from the State of Kansas.

In the shadows of the downtownskyline, up to 700 aircraft per daytakeoff or land at the airport –everything from single-engine air-craft to sleek corporate jets. Thefacility and its control tower are open24 hours a day and consistentlyrank highly among private andcorporate pilots for their full rangeof service to general aviation.

Fixed-base operators servicenearly 300 based aircraft, as well asitinerant and charter aircraft, offer-ing fuel, full maintenance, aircraftrentals, sales and flight training.

Your arrival into MKC will beone logbook entry to treasure, butit will be only the beginning of fivedays of activity learning moreabout your Comanche and enjoyingmany of Kansas City’s great enter-tainment choices.

If this will be your first trip toKansas City you will leave knowingwhy so many people make KC aregular event. It will not be yourlast trip to KC.

Look for more informationabout MKC in upcoming issues ofthe Flyer.


Last year I bought the TwinComanche PA 30B “D-GABY,”which was located at the

Karlsruhe Baden Airport. I was flyingthis aircraft on a rental base about50 hours before and knew it quitewell. Some months after the acqui-sition, I decided to prepare GABY forthe next 25 years. She was newlypainted and together with MarkusEberle and Peter Strobl from thelocal DLE Luftfahrtservice GmbH, anavionics and maintenance facilitylocated at the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport, we planned the newavionics for IFR flying.

DLE and especially Marcus Eberleaccomplished an extensive refur-bishment of the Twin Comanche.DLE Luftfahrtservice GmbH is awholly owned subsidiary of motorflugbaden-baden gmbh.

The avionics, installation andmechanic departments had severaldiscussions with me before andduring the refurbishment to betterunderstand my requirements andpersonal desires. In this way, I wasable to participate directly in thedevelopment of the new design of myaircraft. Furthermore, I could realizemy ideal interior by choosing myfavorite colour composition and bydeciding what kind of materials,leather and carpets should be used.

The protection of existing equip-ment, wiring and cables was of firstconcern to DLE after having removedthe existing interior, avionics andinstrument panel.

Taking into account myrequirements and all existing newtechnology available today, acomputer-controlled CAD programwas used to design and develop anew instrument panel that wasacceptable to me. Precision is whatis required when combining thelimited space available and the uniquerequirements of the customer andthis can be difficult at times.However the experienced crew oftechnicians at DLE are at easewith this type of work.

Twin Comanche is Even Better Than New!by Joachim Weith - ICS #15101

Feature

GABY in front of the Air France Concorde.

Interior before refurbishment.

Newly designed interior.

The Twin Comanche after removal ofexisting interior, panel and avionics devices.

“We have performed several panelredesigns and modifications ondifferent aircraft types, such as thePiper Malibu, Cessna 182, MooneyM20F and F260. Based on thisexperience, we always carry outwork with precision and technicalexpertise,” Markus Eberle promisedbefore starting his job. Like everyrefurbishment DLE first begun witha mock-up of the panel to determinethe accuracy of the CAD design.This also allowed to me to get afirst-hand view of my new instru-ment panel and make any lastminute changes.

To allow for better passengercontrol of the cabin temperature,the heating and adjustable airventilation system was upgraded.

Being a tall pilot can be uncom-fortable when flying for extendedperiods of time. Therefore duringthis refurbishment the pilot’s seatheight and shoulder harnessplacement were modified to meetmy personal needs.

Using modern laser technology,both the instrument and pedestalpanels were constructed using 3.2mm thick aluminium coated withNextel lacquer. The labels and warn-ing signs were then engraved intothe panel by the DLE technicians.

With a new S-TEC 60/2 autopilotinstalled, which includes altitudepreselect and GPSS roll adapter, Ihave no longer to bother with thelong manual process of enteringflight plans and heading changes;they are all done automatically.

I told DLE that I like the newautopilot system so well I seldom getto touch the newly covered leathersteering yokes and “let the autopilotfly.” The new panel includes a newMX20 multifunctional display witha high-resolution, 20-foot highterrain warning device.

The highly polished spinnerscomplement the impressive new lookof the refurbished Twin Comanche.

Since the aircraft already has anew paint scheme, I am now con-sidering the installation of two newengines with turbochargers for betterperformance and fuel efficiency,which takes me to my destinationin a timelier manner. Yes, that meansfaster and more fun to fly.

The work was finished after fiveweeks on May 1, so we could startimmediately along the Mont Blancmountain into a wonderful weekendon the warm Mallorca Island.


Manufacturing of new panel.

Old panel with avionicsremoved.

New air ventilation valveand shoulder harness.

Old air ventilation valve.

New co-pilot side aft.

Co-pilot side aft beforerefurbishment.

Old panel.

New panel.

Old circuit breaker panel.

New circuit breaker panel.

High polished spinners. The “new” Twin Comanche.


Pat Wachsman, President -ICS #06061

Goals for the Comanche FlyerFoundation are becominga reality. The CFF Web page

is nearing completion. Web pageinformation is being gathered andwill soon be out for viewing. The newCFF brochures tell the story of CFF,Max Conrad and the unbelievableComanche N110LF. The book, “IntoThe Wind,” a biography of MaxConrad and “110 Let’s Fly,” coversthe life and history of this legendarypilot and plane and is available forinteresting reading by the firesidethis winter.

The Comanche Flyer FoundationScholarship Program is going well.The scholarships offered for the yearof 2004 are: The Maurice TaylorScholarship to be awarded in theamount of $2,000. The CecilWachsman Memorial Scholarship tobe awarded in the amount of $1,500.The Comanche Flyer FoundationScholarships to be awarded in theamount of $1,500. These scholar-ships will be awarded to students ofKansas State University, AeronauticalCollege of Technology in Salina, Kan.The objective of these educationalscholarships is to give financial aidto students in the field of GeneralAviation Maintenance and to assistin training for an FAA Airframeand Powerplant Certificate.

Larry Larkin Comanche Seminaris available to all tribes of theInternational Comanche Society.A Tribe Chief has only to contacteither Mr. Larkin or CFF to schedulethese seminars. There is no expenseto a Tribe for the seminars as CFFfully funds all expenses incurred byMr. Larkin. Contact Pat Wachsman,President of CFF for guidelines inhosting a Larry Larkin ComancheSeminar.

Plans are in the mill for anotherCFI Training Program in the nearfuture. Larry Rackley is workingdiligently on these plans and infor-mation will be available within the

next couple months. If you know of aCFI who is interested in this trainingprogram, contact Larry Rackley. Hewill be glad to take their name andtalk with you about the program.

Kansas City Here We Come! TheComanche Flyer Foundation isworking with the ConventionChairperson in seeing that simulatorrides will be available on a first-come,first-serve basis. Be sure to sign upfor this ride and for a surprise whenyou COMPLETE the ride. Plan toattend the ICS Annual Convention

hosted by the Mid States ComancheTribe. CFF still has many goals tomeet during the coming year andtrustees are working together tomeet those goals.

NOTE: The Comanche FlyerFoundation will meet in OklahomaCity on March 6, 2004 along with ICSSpring Board Meeting. The two meet-ings are planned separately to allowthose trustees who also sit on ICSBoard to attend both meetings. Detailswill be available in time for all trusteesto schedule their attendance.

Into the Wind: Biography of Max ConradEnjoy this account of the life and feats of legendary pilot Max Conrad.Narrative includes coverage of our own historic Comanche N110LF.

Price: $21.50 + Shipping: $3 North America, $15.00 overseas

Maurice Taylor Video TapesTake advantage of Maurice’s expert knowledge, captured on these

professionally-produced videos. Great tools for mechanics too!

(Tapes 1-3 apply to both PA-24 and PA-30 models.)SAVE! ANY 3 TAPES for $119.85; Addl. tapes $39.95

Single tapes $44.95 each. VHS or PAL formats available.Shipping included for North America. Overseas add $15.00 per order.

PLEASE FILL OUT TO ORDERPlease circle item(s) above and indicate any multiple quantities.

Mail to: CCF c/o Henry Spellman, 111 Park Place, Lincoln, IL 62656Telephone & Fax: (217) 732-8425 / E-Mail: [email protected]

Item(s) cost:_________ add all shipping:________ Order Total:________

Note: Enclose CHECK or MONEY ORDER ONLY - U.S. Funds

Ship to:_____________________________________________________Street Address:_______________________________________________City:____________________________ State:______________________Zip code:_________________________ Country:____________________

N110LF PatchFull-color photo emblem. Great forcaps, jackets, shirts - order several!Price: $5 + shipping: .50; $1 overseas

PA-30: MultiEngine Flyingby Alice Fuchs; Great Value! Price: $9 + Shipping: $1; $2 overseas

Tape 1: Pre-flight Walk-aroundTape 2: Tech Tips: A Closer LookTape 3: Comanche Landing GearTape 4: Single Comanche Flight TipsTape 5: Twin Comanche Flight Tips

ONLINE INTELLIGENCE

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