Builders:

This page is the permanent site where I will keep all the “Safety Alerts” which I have published for Corvair Flight engines. This will be updated as required. It’s current date of revision is:

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September 12th, 2019

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I am putting it out so builders doing inspections on Corvair powered planes can come to one location and check the applicability of each issued “Safety Alert” to their particular aircraft.  The date above should be included in the log book entry of the inspection, stating the plane is in compliance with Alerts issued by that date.

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Please note: We are about to issue a “2019 Maintenance, Operations, and procedures manual” Which is a 75 page, direct handbook for these topics. It is what a builder will have in his hand during maintenance. Because it is a physical handbook, this page will serve as an access point to updates to the manual.

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I use the term “Safety Alert” and calling for “Suggested Action” because Corvairs are experimental engines, and as such, do not have Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins in the same form as certified engines do. I cannot require any builder to take any action, I can only appeal to his better judgment by making a serious recommendation. Airworthiness Directives are only issued by the federal government, and Service Bulletins are issued by certified part manufacturers, thus the difference in the Safety Alert.

This said, I appeal to builders to follow this recommendation. The most frequent form of push back on suggestions of this kind is a builder who is myopically looking at his one plane and making a conclusion based on his impression of his own plane. Conversely I get to see all the data, understand the extenuating or aggravating conditions, I had world class training in statistical decision making at Embry-Riddle, and I always further consider what still works, not just looking at what broke.  I am not a genius, but for the above reasons, my recommendations on Corvair flight engines carry more weight than those of one guy with a flying plane, even a well intentioned one.

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Safety Alert: Excessively Rich MA3-SPA Jetting.

Alert from June 2017 about MA3-SPA carbs which were jetted richer than stock.

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Safety Alert: Chinese Rocker Arm Failures

Alert from August 2014 about Chinese rocker arms that failed.

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Chinese Crankshafts for Corvairs, update 2/17/13.

Chinese Crankshafts

Stories about Chinese cranks, the very first of which failed in ground tests.

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Aluminum push rod tube issue resolution.

A story warning builders not to use Aluminum push rod tubes unless they were modified as shown in the story.

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