diamondaviators.net

I have a 2001 Da40 serial 0068 with about 3600 total hours on the airframe. In my recent annual the shop has told me that the roller guides in the push pull rod mechanical assemblies in both wings are split in half and need to be replaced. In order to do this they are saying that they must remove both wings to replace the assembly or rollers. in addition they are saying that the assembly at the flap is also cracked and in order to get access to it they need to make a hole in the wing to get at it to replace it, then repair the wing with fiberglass once the change is made.

Has anyone had any experience with this? It seems like a pretty extreme thing to repair this.

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

John

Some of them can be replaced without wing removal or cutting access holes:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6629&hilit=roller

There are some assemblies that are not accessible via inspection holes or in the fuselage. Luckily, the ones needing replacement on my aircraft were (reasonably) accessible. Working inside the wing is a pain, and the labor time might cost more than putting in access holes (there is an SB for doing this).

Steve

I'm thinking putting in the inspection access holes would be far better than re-sealing the wing. As Steve says there is a SB for this. I presume recent models of DA40's have all of these.

This and Steve's response is very helpful as my dealer was proposing to reseal and indicated that the group they work with had done this before resealed. I will talk to them tomorrow.

johnu wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:06 am This and Steve's response is very helpful as my dealer was proposing to reseal and indicated that the group they work with had done this before resealed. I will talk to them tomorrow.

Refer them to Diamond RSB40-078 for the aileron access ports.

Steve,

Thanks you have been really helpful I tried to search for this before I posted but obviously searched on the wrong keywords. I will let you know how it all works out. Thanks again!

John

John:

You're welcome. We "vintage" DA40 owners have to stick together. I see that you are based at AEG. I've flown in there a few times for Spring Break trips with my sons. I ran into a fellow out there a number of years ago that had an early DA40 with dual Aspen units in it. Was that you?

Steve

Steve

I actually have 3 Aspens. To be totally transparent I am the CEO of Aspen. I added an Avidyne 550 with the EI MVP engine instrumentation with an L3 lynx as well. There are a couple of DA40’s at AEG that have Aspens

I agree that we vintage owners need to stick together! I am constantly trying to squeeze every additional knot of speed out of my Diamond! I really enjoy flying my DA40 even in the higher altitudes. I use my plane a lot to commute back and forth to our ranch in Prescott AZ

I understand that your DA40 was built in Austria. I was told that mine, serial 68, was also built there. Do you know the last serial number built in Austria?

Thanks again for you help. I was pretty shaken up when they told me about the rollers and what needed to be done. Hearing there is a procedure and that others have dealt with it has been comforting at least

John

John:

I believe that the first DA40 built in Canada was 40.201. Yours was definitely built in Austria, and should actually have an Austrian "Bordbuch und Technisches Tagebuch" (Journey log Book and Technical Diary). Mine has listed all of the test flights (5) totaling 7.5 hours, and the initial oil and filter change. I think that we vintage owners have a big advantage over the newer G-1000 airframes in that panel and avionics upgrades are easier (or at least possible), as yours illustrates. I haven't upgraded my panel yet (except in small ways like a CO monitor and new audio panel with Bluetooth, and of course ADSB-out). I'm waiting for one of my steam gauges like the AI or HSI to fail...

As far as the rollers go, I would be willing to bet that a lot of cracked ones are missed on Annual Inspections, due to their inaccessibility and the lack of overt symptoms of cracked ones (the controls don't feel any different). I have had two on the aileron pushrod in the left wing, and one on the elevator pushrod (the easiest access).

Steve

Mine (serial no. 208) was one of the first off the Canadian line, spring of '02. I've done several mods, some of which were to incorporate things that became standard in later year DA40s. The net of a couple of these were to bump cruise speed (and consistency thereof) and climb rate well above book, which is where it flew originally, . The increased useful load and carrying volume mods have been put to good use from time to time.

I've considered putting these extra access ports in, and will probably do so if the aileron roller work becomes necessary. There is also the mod to add access panels in the rear seat pans that would reduce the necessity of removing the rear seat for routine stuff. This is currently a pain for things like annuals. My mechanic encountered a DA40 where those evil 6 screws in the pan had simply not been reinstalled at all after some previous work.