An other grey or dark area

I checked on a fouga selling with extra engines O hours SMOH.
Guess what or since you started to read the blog : A person overhauled thoses engines in the US and according to the owner that person did a major overhaul !!!!!!!without to be able to come up with the references of seals replaced , lock washers , documentations , ref , tag and real serial number for the combustion chamber replaced....
Watch out around you , you have a lot of unscrupulous people and sign anything to pull out some money.
I had some problem with fouga S/N 433 sold and for the left engine it was given for 187 SMOH in 2001 .
On the left engine the data plate was removed of the engine and painted with an other engine serial number /The engine with that serial number is on a aircraft in France with the original paper work. Guess : the original engines logs for 433 disappeared / very convenient.....
After some researches between France , French Air Force and some paper works I found that the real time on the left engine was 1350 hours SMOH when he left France in 1996 and nothing was done on it , just open American logbooks and did not put the right engine time on it or I will call that falsifying the logbooks.

Be aware of thoses engines overhaul

Nothing is better than pictures when you doing a work , but be sure that if you want to do a so so job and to hide something , hide it good.

New emergency knifes holders

I have new emergency knifes holders better than the originals on the fouga.

With thoses ones the emergency knife stay in place and at the pression of a finger the knife will come out.

Let me know if interested.

Certified Fouga mechanic

What is a certified Fouga mechanic ?
In Europe a certified Fouga mechanic is a person how have certified training by approved training facilities , Air Force , Navy , or manufacturer and who can show the records.
In the US the so called certified Fouga mechanics ( I made a funny diploma that some people would take it like gold ) have a A&P licence and no proof of training by approved training facilities or manufacturer. ( a mechanic fresh out of the school can claim to be a certified Fouga mechanic with no knowledge on the Fouga just by reading the manuals ).
Why not telling the truth because I met some of thoses Fouga Specialists or certified Fouga mechanics which I would not trust .
So before requesting the services of a certified Fouga mechanic ask references on which fougas he worked , contact the owners , and a old say : Trust but verify or you could be sorry.

Misleading?

Look at some records :
"8" SHSI "8" SHSI
Compressor Hours SOH 1032.6 Compressor Hours SOH 718.3
Hot Section Hours SOH 8 Hot Section Hours SOH 8

SHSI since hot section inspection and SOH since overhauled
I would like to have somebody explain to me how you can do a borescope inspection and by magic have the hot section ( burner can ) becoming new again with new time limit.
I need to go back to the A&P school because I did not know that in America when you do a borescope you doing a overhaul just by looking at it.
I was believing that when you do an overhaul you had to change some parts.....

When you decide to buy a Fouga or other aircraft

When you decide to buy a Fouga or other aircraft before sending some money , decide if you want to have the airplane inspected by a competent person or if you want to play the Russian roulette ?
When you bought the aircraft , it is too late to have the news that the aircraft will cost you twice for all the discrepancies on it.
Ask if it is possible to make a test flight and arrange a delivery flight and the cost.
If no test flight is possible ..... red warning ... The aircraft could have troubles and the seller does not want you to see them.
Paper work : Get a qualified person who know the Fouga and worked on Fougas , military records, Part 66 licence , reference on which aircraft serial number he worked and contact for the owner to verify . Just ask if you can go with the seller to the local FSDO to check with the FAA if the logs, engine time limited components ,maintenance manuals, limitations are up to date.
If everything is clear nobody should fear the local FSDO.
Be aware of thoses so called fouga specialists because they could be worst than a fresh mechanic out of a A&P school.

Premoratorium aircraft

Just to clear some questions..
If you buy an aircraft who was registered and had limitation before the moratorium , as soon as that aircraft will be under a new FSDO control , the old limitations will not be valid any more and new limitations will have to be issued.
I ask that question to my local FSDO and they told me that people advertising sale of an aircraft with premoratorium limitation is just a false information and false advertising because it will disppared with the new registration and will have the same limitations than all the other jet experimental aircraft.

Aluminum tubing

Hi Fred,

I have about 70 feet of 6060 aluminum round tubes left. If you need any, it will be for just the shipping and handling cost.

If you want to put this info in your blog or pass the word around to other Fouga owners, I will sell the tubing for the price listed below plus shipping and handling. This would help me cover my cost for having to buy so much as a minimum order.

6mm x 1mm wall 6060 alum round tube $3.00 per foot

8mm x 1mm wall 6060 alum round tube $3.75 per foot

Bruce Andersonhttp://www.fougaflights.com/ rba1224@aol.com(Ridding the planet of excess fossil fuel)

Big tip tank 230 liters for Fouga

After talking with Christian Berard, in 1996 the French Air Force prohibited the use of the 230 liters tip tanks, baned them for installation on fougas because they found some cracks in the fiber glass at the root of the front tank attachment.
Thoses tanks had to be stripped of the paint every 18 month and inspected for cracks and maintened by inspection requirement before 1996 .
On a fouga in the French Air Force, one tank broke off from the front attachment and stayed up right at the tip of the wing holding by the rear attachment point ,making the flight very difficult. The aircraft landed safely.
Accident occurred Saturday, June 16, 2001 at La Crosse, WIAircraft:Fouga CM 170, registration: N301FM 2 dead .
If the word came around before it would not have happened.

Filter Le Bozec

Just for information that the main fuel filter cannot be cleaned because it is a paper filter.
Le Bozec at my knowledge do not make that filter any more.
I will have some made with 316 stainless and will be able to be cleaned forever.
It will take 12-14 weeks from now and no need to buy 2 for one aircraft since they can be cleaned.
They will cost around $400.00 each ( expensive because small quantities )
Let me know if you are interested.

Blade antenna on fouga

Some infos from a fellow fouga pilot owner for blade antenna installation

"If anyone wants to switch to the blade antenna for the Fouga, they have to get a new combiner to make them work right.

CI 120-3 single output combiner. Connects to existing coaxial cables leading to the antennas.

When you see ............, be sure to piss on his shoes. Have a good time.

Regards, "

http://www.edmo.com/index.php?module=products&func=display&prod_id=21588&cat_id=380

Engine start problem

A fellow Fouga owner had a problem to start the right engine.
It was an intermitent problem and not a full and clear explanation and understanding of the trouble between me and him.
Finaly the symtom is after reaching 1000 rpm the engine is spooling down before reaching the 1200rpm for fuel injection and ignition ( marbore II engine )
The relai involve is the 12K for the right engine.
A jumper wire on the relai 12K was not making a good contact so it was the problem.
Thanks to Jim who was the mechanic resolving that problem.

Optima 34R to replace original battery

A way to replace the nicad battery is to install 2 Optima R34 battery

No more problems for starting the aircraft.

They are gel sealed battery so no acid drain during aerobatics , no risk of battery run away, no need to recharge the battery and have it serviced.

Thoses batteries are 50Amps and give 1000 cold cranking amp's.

You can have the aircraft sitting for 5 months and it starts without external power...

Average cost $350 for both of them and they can be recharged at 50Amps /hour if you have a charger who can do that.

What is inside the Marbore

This is some pictures of the boroscope of my marbore VI

You have to check if you do not any cracks and if you have some if they are within limits. The best is to make a folder with all your inspections pictures and you can look any time if you have a progress on the damage or not.

And if one day someone is interested by your aircraft you will have the proof of the work performed and you will not be part of thoses who states they did a imaginary hot section inspection or major overhaul without doing any work and no parts replacement ( no papers and pictures of the work done ) which can be called pencil whipping or falsification of documents.

A futur women fighter pilot

Hydraulic Pack

Why spend 1000's of $ when a 12Volts electric pack can do the job for less than $300 or if you want to spend more money for less than $1800 you can have a hydraulic pack to operate everywhere.

All of thoses you can find them on E-Bay

If you need some adaptors I will help you.

I am looking with Staubli for some connectors and price for duo plate mounting.

http://www.staubli.com/en/connectors/quick-couplings/hydraulic/spx/

Micro-pump

In case of fuel draining from the micropump drain after having started the engine and keep draining , the good chance is that the micropump diaphragms are too old and need to be replaced.

Marbore II or VI

For your information because a lot of people does not know that on a Marbore II or VI the combustion chamber is good for 900 hours except if the overhauld was made by turbomeca who was giving a 1400 hours TBO time engine on a Marbore VI with a combustion chamber for 1400 hours , so when the overhaul was made by the French Air Force the engines was good for 1800 hours if the combustion chamber was changed after 900 hours SMOH
If the combustion chamber was changed after 600 hours SMOH due to cracks in the combustion chamber you would had an other 900 hours and your next overhaul would be 1500 hours but never exeeding 1800 hours.
This is why without the original engines logs you do not know how many hours have your engines burner can and so on . So many logs was fasified......
I saw one marbore II engine with 1180 hours SMOH for sale but the big problem is that you had only 20 hours left before replacing the combustion chamber....or O/H the engine.
Now you have only the Israeli Air Force who can perform that work with real and not fake combustion chamber replacement , engine overhaul and they are the only ones.
Engines or airframe without original logs : it can be costly to take a wild guess...
Sure as an experimental aircraft TBO time is recomended so why some people does not give the real time on the engines , airframe and the new owner can decide what to do! Do not tell lies.

Screw driver tips for Fouga

If you need special tips for fouga screws http://www.panamericantool.com/ part # 30-304

Push button above gear handle

To remove any confusion about he red push button above the gear handle who have normaly a break away wire, when is pushed, let you pull the gear handle up, retract the gear, as soon as you have 150 Hpz of pressure in your hydraulic system by bypassing the ground safety switch. After take off if the gear does not want to go up because the ground safety switch does not function normaly, you can push the red button, pull up the gear handle, the gear will go up. That function was made too in case you do not have any braking capabilities normal or emergency and you need to stop the aircraft.
It will bypass the ground safety switch on the left main landing gear either on the ground or in the air with at leat 150 hpz of hydraulic pressure, the gear will retract.

Lost of main hydraulic pressure during flight

It can happen to loose rapidely the main hydraulic pressure system during flight. It can be a broken hydraulic line but usualy it is when you do negative G's and use the hydraulic system at the same time( ailerons boost or speed brakes). Most of the time the hydraulic pump cavitate.
If you follow the procedures .... it is good but it can take a long time and if you are short of fuel...
One procedure not descibed is to reduce the fouga at 140KTS and drop the gear down normaly.
The gear will come down slowly , will lock down and the main hydraulic pressure system will
go back up.
It will be faster than some procedures which tell you to wait 20 minutes.

Engine oil for Marbore VI

Oil for Marbore VI is O-150 or O-148 equivalent to MIL-L-7808 where is the BP 2389 available everywhere.

Jack pad for fouga

To be able to jack the Fouga you need 3 or 4 jack pads. Metric bolts M14 x 1.5 length 40mm will do the same job. You can find some at your hardware store for $12.00 the all set of 4.
You will have to rond the head with a grinder to fit the cup of the jack. If you do not find some , look at :
http://www.boltdepot.com/product.aspx?cc=20&cs=80&cm=111&cd=1384

What is the time on my Fouga engines ?

A lot of people does not know how to read and understand the French military logbooks.
Red warning : No original logbooks ....
If you have a Fouga with the original French log books I can help you to find out how many hours your engines have SMOH and time on the different components, if your engines are the ones when the Fouga left the French Air Force or changed since then.
Please no dealers, only private owners.

And if you need real maintenance on your engine done by the books you can contact Christian Berard who was on charge of the Marbore II and VI within the French Air Force and still working on thoses engines in Europe : christianberard2@wanadoo.fr

Fouga braking

Do not forget to service the brake cylinders at the back of each brake pedal.
If they running out of fluid ... no more normal braking

Generator or hydraulic pump disconnect

It's a problem with the Fouga that the generator or hydraulic pump can disconnect from the accessory gear box by the mechanical disconnect inside the accessory gear box.
First if generator do not suck air by the inlet ... it is diconnected
If you do not have hydraulic pressure and your hydraulic reservoir is serviced , crack the outlet line of your pump and if no fluid or air is comming out... hydraulic pump is disconnected.
You can have some other problems but theses ones will occure some time or an other

Starting problems with engines

Lately a couple of Fouga CM170 had some starting problems .

You can have the micro pump who does not turn or you do not have ignition because you can have some carbon deposit on the contacts of the relay 29K or 30K. Does not matter if you have the voltage at the connector , if you do not have the amperage for the micro pump or for the ignitor boxes due to the carbon deposit on the contacs of thoses relays the engine will not start.

You can troubleshoot by disconnecting the cannon plug of the micro pump and press on the ignition button to hear the cracking sound of the ignitors.

If no sound swap igniton box of the other engine and try again.

To check the micro pump disconnect both cannon plugs of the ignitors boxes and if it turns remember to have fuel flow out of the micro pump you wil need to advance the cutoff lever. If no luck with that troubleshooting......
Solution: replace relay 29K and 30K in the rear distribution box 1X by a relay 40 or 50 AMPs SPST or DPST that you can find on E-bay for $40.00ea and no more starting problems