Below are listed the engineering notices/changes and suggestions put out by R & B Aircraft. These were are directly scanned from the Beartracks newsletters or from Russ Erbs' CD with his permission. If I have missed any, please notify me via email and I will update it. These were re-printed by permission of Bob Barrows (R & B Aircraft).
If you have any questions or comments regarding these notices, please contact:
Bob Barrows
2079 Breckinridge Road
Fincastle, VA 24090
(540) 473-3661
Important Engineering Terminology Differences ( taken from April 2003 Beartracks)
"In order to standardize the use of the words above it is necessary to define what each term means when it is published in the newsletter. The recent Engineering Report about the AVIPRO wing load test made it clear to us that we need to be more specific about the terminology that we use when writing the report. The above mentioned test generated an Engineering Change NOT an Engineering Change NOTICE. Here is how we use the terms above:
ENGINEERING CHANGE NOTICE: Design change that requires immediate
attention to affected serial numbers and will be published in the newsletter.
This NOTICE contains the technical information to correct the unsafe
condition.
ENGINEERING CHANGE: A change to current serial number drawings
onward - non-mandatory - may or may not be published. This change is
the result of a product improvement, update or modification. Or a minor
change of the design to ease manufacturing, maximize utility, economize materials
or ease assembly.
ENGINEERING REPORT: Field or lab test data that is disseminated
to the builder in the form of a report. An Engineering Report may generate
an Engineering Change Notice or an Engineering Change or neither. The
report may or may not validate the design. A summary of the results
will always be attached with our thoughts and recommendations."
Please note that once a notice or update is released, all plans numbers from that time forward have already been changed to reflect the updates/notices. Therefore, there is no need to do anything if you have a higher plans number than that listed in each item listed below.
Below are links to the Engineering Notices/Changes:
January 1996 Updates - Two Drawing Updates - Reference plans #137 and below drawing #9: Skin stiffener. Also plans #107 and below, drawing #3 strut attach fitting.
April 1996 Notices - Reference plans #196 and below, drawings #11 & #12 : Aileron and flap pushrod lengths.
January 1997 Notice - Reference drawing #14 plans serial numbers 256 or below: Inboard Flap Levers.
April 1997 Change Notices - Reference drawing #18 , Reference drawing #25 and Reference drawing #28.
October 1997 Notice - Reference serial #296 and below - Drawing #24.
January 1998 Notices - Reference serial numbers 326 and below: Drawing # 18 firewall detail and Refer to drawing # 19 tail plane incident.
April 1998 Notice - Reference serial numbers 280 or below, drawings #12 and #14 inboard flap lever arm shortened.
October 1998 Notice - Reference serial numbers 376 and below, drawing #26: Control Link.
July 1999 Notices - Reference serial #395 and below, Drawings #9 and #10. Also serial #416 and below, Drawing #16.
April 2000 Change
Notice - Reference serial #453 and below, drawing #20:
Horizontal stabilizer/elevator outboard hinge location.
Clarification about April 2000
Notice - Question and answer about the above engineering notice.
October 2000 Change Notice - Reference Drawing # 14 Aileron cable pulley at strut attach
July 2001 Engineering Notice - Reference plans #500 and below Drawing #1 - Max Flap Operating Speed Range
January 2002 Suggestion - Suggestion for modifying Flap Lever.
April 2002 Engineering Change - Reference Plans #565 and below: Drawing #5 Rear Spar Plate reshaped. Drawing #13 Aileron & Flap hinges changes.
October 2002 Wing Load Test Results - Recommended inspection of existing finished wings and running changes for plans #583 and up.
July 2003 Engineering Change - Reference Plans #696 and below: Optional change to Rudder Horn.
January 2004 Engineering Change - Reference Plans # 731 and below - Drawing #28 Flap Handle and Drawing #20 Elevator.
July 2004 Engineering Change - Drawing #25 - Landing Gear Strut
December 2004 Engineering Notice - Drawing #4 - To correct error in drawing (notch in lightening hole at wrong station).
Engineering Notices After 2004
To view these engineering notices, you must purchase a subscription to the appropriate Bear-Tracks.