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MISCELLANEOUS AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION - K7

GFA Engineering Order EO 97-2 justifies and approves a possible weight increase on all K 7 sailplanes to a maximum of 16 kg. The actual increase for each sailplane depends on the centre of gravity position of the wings. Operators of the K 7 who wish to take advantage of the weight increase must have the aircraft weighed and complete the attached Appendix A to this AN and return it to the GFA secretariat where the CTOA will determine the allowable weight increase. The divebrake overcentre lever in the fuselage behind the rear pilot is prone to overloading if the divebrake overcentre forces are too high. It is recommended that the force required to open the divebrakes be set so that with one dive brake disconnected a force of 2.5 kg is required to unlock the other brake. If the lever is found to be damaged it should be repaired by replacing the torque tube with a new section of 4130 tubing however the wall thickness must be increased by about 0.5 mm. All welding must be done by an aircraft approved welder. The steel tube fuselage is prone to progressive damage due to heavy landings. If any deformations are suspected then the incidence of the tailplane relative to the wings should be checked. The structure around the skid pickup points should also be inspected as there are numerous reports of deformation and cracking in these areas. Damage in this area is particularly important as deformation of the frame may restrict the movement of the control system. A number of cases have been reported of failed rudder pedals. The failure can be either the wooden foot rest or the steel work the foot rest bolts to. In either case vigilant inspection at annual and daily inspections is required. The Kaurit (pink) glue used on the K 7 gliders has proven to be extremely susceptible to moisture damage. Cases have been found where the only thing holding an elevator together is the fabric. Special care must be taken at annual inspections.