Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

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Colin
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Re: Diamond: Guss lock fabric torn

Post by Colin »

You cannot lock the mains on my plane, only the aux tanks.
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carym
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Re: Diamond: Guss lock fabric torn

Post by carym »

Colin wrote:You cannot lock the mains on my plane, only the aux tanks.
Is that something new? You are the first I have heard whose mains don't lock. that would really be scary to me, given the number of times the DA42 has been misfueled with 100LL.
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CFIDave
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Re: Diamond: Guss lock fabric torn

Post by CFIDave »

Every DA42 I've ever seen has had lockable main fuel tanks -- using an itty-bitty key.
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Colin
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Re: Diamond: Guss lock fabric torn

Post by Colin »

I will have the factory look into it. I admit that it looks like an alteration, like someone put epoxy in the keyholes to keep students from locking the caps on the mains. (It was a flight school plane for a while.)
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
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Lance Murray
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by Lance Murray »

I believe you can get replacement fuel caps from Aircraft Spruce. I can't remember the manufacturer but it might be Andair. Look at the pictures and match them with your caps.

I lost the key to my caps years ago and haven't really cared since. I suppose I should get some new keys.
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carym
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by carym »

Lance Murray wrote:I lost the key to my caps years ago and haven't really cared since. I suppose I should get some new keys.
Lance,
This is really only critical (in my opinion) for the DA42. There have been too many accidents where an FBO put in 100LL when JetA was required. For the DA40, there should be almost no time when an FBO will fill the tanks with JetA when 100LL is required.
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N503TS
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by N503TS »

I have 5 sets of the main fuel tank keys with my plane. When I tried they key first it did not budge (probably as it had never been locked). Once I sprayed a little LPS on the lock it moved and locked ok. I locked my DA40 only a few times ever in 10 years so I expect that may have been stiff also but my home base is the only folks that I would trust to fuel without me watching. If I travel I'll watch the fueling process so I get the correct fuel and lock all tanks if I'm away from the plane. At my home base I keep the aux tanks empty and locked so I know not to use them in fuel planning unless I'm there to see those topped off. I pay $2.74 for Jet-A at home so I'll top off there unless I know I'm going somewhere with cheaper fuel or I need the weight capacity for take off.

I can imagine where an FBO lineman would look at our 42 and assume 100ll before reading the placard. That would suck.
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Colin
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by Colin »

Careful with keeping the aux tanks empty. My plane was used for a flight school and they apparently NEVER used the aux tanks. That meant when the ferry pilot brought it across he had to fiddle a lot with one of the aux pumps to get it to turn on. He said they will freeze if not used often enough and my mechanic confirmed that letting those tanks run dry and sit dry is not a good idea.

So I actually have often fueled by JUST filling the aux tanks. It's harder for line personnel to overfill those (something that happens regularly with the outboard tanks), and I know exactly how much they hold. Once I am under 15 gallons on the outboards I flick the switch and pump in the aux fuel.
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startingovercfi
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by startingovercfi »

Has anyone replaced one of the clips on the gust lock? Trying to find a replacement for just one of those clips. Thanks. Any help appreciated....
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Rick
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Re: Diamond: Gust lock fabric torn

Post by Rick »

startingovercfi wrote:Has anyone replaced one of the clips on the gust lock? Trying to find a replacement for just one of those clips. Thanks. Any help appreciated....
One of mine broke, too, a few years ago, and believe it or not, I found an identical clip on a dog collar we had at home! So we bought the dog a new collar... :D But my point is, you might want to take your gust lock to PetSmart and see what you can find. Since the gust lock must be removed before flight, I'm not too worried about the non-TSO'd clip. :roll:
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