Citation Fall 2006

• Sump Leakage
• Weighing Your Aircraft
• RVSM, Paint & Skin Waviness Issues
• Airfone Service to be Discontinued
• Trivia Question

Sump Leakage

— Joe Austin

Sumping fuel for your wings is a very important step in keeping contamination out of your fuel cell. Repeated use of the sump can cause leakage. If your plane was built within the last 15 years or so you probably have sumps that can be resealed without draining the tanks. Instead of pushing up and turning the center portion of the sump; apply enough pressure on the center portion to allow rotation the opposite direction. The center will pop downward and expose a blue or black o-ring. Remove and replace the o-ring with a new one.

For more information on this procedure, please contact me at 800.525.2376 ext. 8422.

Weighing Your Aircraft

— Joe Austin

When weighing your aircraft, please keep in mind that the new weight might be different by as much as 200 to 300 pounds than the previously recorded weight, even though you may not have done any major modifications. The most likely cause is using different scales. Even though any scales you use are probably up to date on calibration, differences in manufacturers and allowable tolerance will cause a weight difference. Standard procedure at Duncan Aviation calls for weighing the plane three different times, rotating the load cells to the different jack points, then calculating the average weight for each point. One way to ensure the highest accuracy is to always use the same scales.

RVSM, Paint & Skin Waviness Issues

— Joe Austin

Most hurdles have already been jumped when it comes to making your aircraft RVSM certified. However, there is one issue that will not go away completely and must be addressed when you have any paint work done near the static ports or when doing a complete paint. We have seen aircraft with aerodynamic filler around the static ports to make them smooth and pass the required RVSM skin waviness test. Unfortunately the maintenance manual is a little vague about repairing this area when the depression is beyond limits. According to Cessna Hotline personnel, aerodynamic filler (Bondo) should never be used. Aerodynamic filler will insulate the heater from the skin and could cause the static port to freeze up. Please contact me if you have questions about repairs to this area.

Airfone Service to be Discontinued

— Kim Konopnicki

Verizon Airfone recently announced that it would discontinue air-to-ground phone service in December of 2007. Verizon is encouraging customers to “seek an alternative hardware and service provider who specializes in airborne telecommunications.” Approximately 4,000 aircraft are currently equipped with the MagnaStar system, which will be affected.

Duncan Aviation has developed several solutions for operators who are faced with this disruption of phone service. For more information about options available, contact Kim Konopnicki at 800.525.2376 ext. 8417.

Trivia Question

— Joe Austin

The previous question was: With the exception of model 500, 550 (pre Bravo), and S550, where can you find a general list of interior and exterior light bulbs for your aircraft?

Answer: It is located in the wiring manual in the “Introduction” section (just above the chapter listings.) There are other items located in this section but the light bulb list could be most useful to you.

This edition’s question is: What does Cessna consider their most popular model ever built?

To answer, contact Joe Austin at 800.525.2376. The first 10 people to answer correctly will receive a small gift.

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