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lazenbyp
Unregistered
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 Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 @ 02:30 PM
The bungees on our RF4D undercarriage have collapsed and sourcing replacements seems it might be problematic. I understand there's a UK approved Mod to replace these with springs.
Firstly, anyone know where bungees can be obtained (ken Ballington suggested hard to get).
Secondly, does anyone have any info about the Mod? (Bob G - hopefully you've seen my message about same?)
Many thanks
Paul
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Donald
Unregistered
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 @ 03:43 PM
There are two steel spring conversions available, one by Christian Zok, reputed to be softer than the rubber bones, the other by Alfred Scherer. Alfred's provides satisfactory suspension, very like the bungees and has LBA certification, so I guess it's the one approved in the UK. Both of these gentlemen are in Germany. I no longer have an email address for Christian Zok and the last address I have for Alfred Scherer is: alfred.scherer(ampersand)netzwerk-sicherheit.net (replace (ampersand) with @). Alfred is not an English speaker. You should be able to find reference to both Christian and Alfred through the German CFI site: http://cfi-ev.scram.de/D/index.html. You can also see both the Zok and the Scherer springs here: http://www.cfiamerica.com/id10.html
As to bungees, you're a year late I'm afraid. Eugenio Lanza in Italy, unable to source replacements, contacted the original manufacturer of the bungees, Faure & Roux in France, and asked would they be willing to make a new batch. Oui, they said, how many? The project was circulated and folks who were interested added to the order which was filled in 2007. UK subscribers had the items brought back from the 2007 Gap tour by Mike Millar. I suppose Faure & Roux might be willing to manufacture for you but I'd guess an order of just two or four might be low on their list of priorities. Could be worth an approach if you really want rubber.
How do I know all this? I replaced my perishing rubber bones in 2005 with Alfred Scherer's springs. These have in turn been replaced by Eugenio's new-manufactured bungees. My somewhat traditionalist view is that while Alfred's springs are good, nothing beats bungees.
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eugenio
Unregistered
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Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 @ 02:15 PM
Faure & Roux accept a minimum order of 4 bungees, but the price is very high. To have a better price I ordered a batch of 50 bungees, that means a big investment. In this case I obtained a better price and a special manufacture (they were stronger than the originals, 450 Kg instead of 400). I still have some on stock, but the price now is the standard retail, with the only advantage to have them imediately.
If someone wish to have better price, should do like I did and collect a minimum order of 20 pieces.
But this is hard to do because people think about it only when they are in need, and since the investment is not of just a few euros they hope the bungees will last forever!
cheers
Eugenio
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lazenbyp
Unregistered
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Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 @ 06:07 PM
I'm interested in following up both these options. I did send e-mails to Donald, Bob Grimstead and Eugeno expressing interest in following up their points but I don't seem to have any of these messages stored or any replies yet - did these get through or am I too impatient?
Thanks
Paul
lazenbyp@yahoo.co.uk
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Donald
Unregistered
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Posted Thursday, May 22, 2008 @ 08:38 AM
Paul, I have just checked my email and have no message from you. That could be because I have abandonned one of my addresses that was such a spam magnet I got tired with the daily cleanup operation. I'll have to see if I can figure out the board settings here to see if I need to update my profile but if you mailed to my lineone.net address your message is buried under 5 metric tonnes of e-trash.
[edit] Yep, it was my abandonned address.
In any case, my strong recommendation would be to pay Eugenio whatever price he's asking for a couple of his stock. Original and best. What I did not say in my earlier message was that I bought 2 pairs. Who knows, I might live long enough to need them.
[Edit by Donald on Thursday, May 22, 2008 @ 08:40 AM]
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Bob Grimstead
Unregistered
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Posted Saturday, May 24, 2008 @ 01:02 PM
Hi Paul, Eugenio, guys,
Sorry for not replying to your e-mail Paul. I am currently living in Paul Cooper (Cooperman)'s caravan on a gliding site near Stafford, England while I fix up our British Fournier. I can read e-mails here, but not reply to them. However, I have just discovered I can access this forum.
The Scherer spring mod... It was fitted to our Fournier G-AWGN when we got it. It has now been approved by the LAA. Dave Bland at 'Tiger Airways'? at Staverton and Mike Millar in Kent seem to know most about this mod.
However... the springs are heavy and the suspension seems rather harder over the bumps than the original bungees which I have on my Aussie Fournier, so I prefer the bungees.
So if you still have some Eugenio, please may I buy another set (of two). I can mail you Euros in cash if you let me have your address, or if you are coming over to Britain (Scotland) this summer I would like to meet you again and buy them from you then.
Yes, the bungees have to be replaced from time to time, but my Aussie ones have lasted at least five years. I suspect it is important to prevent engine oil getting on to them. They are light and simple, and Rene Fournier's original design, so they must be good.
Yours, Bob
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eugenio
Unregistered
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Posted Saturday, May 24, 2008 @ 03:21 PM
Actually I still have some in stock, the retail price is 205 euros each plus shipping. (this is the price tax included that I had to pay the first time for a batch of 4, and is the price payed from who ordered them two years ago directly to Faure & Roux. If there are again some people interested, I can manage again an order of a batch of them probably with a lower price. The order must be at least for 20 pieces.
cheers
Eugenio
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Markku
Unregistered
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Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2008 @ 03:04 AM
| Quote: |  | | Originally posted by eugenio
If there are again some people interested, I can manage again an order of a batch of them probably with a lower price. The order must be at least for 20 pieces.
cheers
Eugenio
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At least I am interested. We need a spare pair to our club plane (OH-370), and I need a pair to my own OH-380X (hopefully within couple of years)
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andy1
Unregistered
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Posted Thursday, May 29, 2008 @ 05:34 AM
Keep me posted if there are spares available. We can get a set for 370, 371 and 380X in same package.
-A-
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