SAIB ACE-98-14 —

No. ACE-98-14 December 10, 1997

Published by: FAA, AFS-610, P.O. Box 26460, Oklahoma City, OK 73125 This is issued for informational purposes only and any recommendation for corrective action is not mandatory.

The purpose of this Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) is to provide safety information to Diamond Aircraft Models H-36 “Dimona” and HK-36R “Super Dimona” sailplane owners on the following:

• Model H-36: Possible Damage to the Shoulder Harness Restraint System (Service Bulletin Number 17) [See Note 1]. • Models H-36: Attachment of Wheel Axle to Steel Support (Service Bulletin Number 27)

[See Note 1]. • Model H-36: Increase Service Life (Service Bulletin Number 25/1) • Models H-36 & HK-36R: Modification of the Elevator Rib (Service Bulletin Number 51)

[See Note 1].

NOTE 1: Possible Airworthiness Directive actions are currently being evaluated for these selected service difficulty issues.

Background The FAA is currently conducting an assessment of foreign airworthiness directives that have been issued by the Austrian Control (ACG) on Austrian type certificated sailplanes. The ACG has issued Austrian Airworthiness Directives on the service difficulty issues listed above. The FAA is currently assessing the need to issue corresponding U.S. airworthiness directives on U.S. type certificated Model H-36 “Dimona” and HK-36R “Super Dimona” sailplanes. In the interim, the FAA is using this Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to inform U.S. owners of this model sailplane of the service difficulties reported by the manufacturer. If an airworthiness directive is determined to be appropriate, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be issued. The following is a brief description of the main areas of each issue.

Model H-36: Possible Damage to the Shoulder Harness Restraint System (Service Bulletin Number 17). Diamond Aircraft has determined through service history that several aircraft were found to have damage to the bonding of the shoulder harness fittings to the main bulkhead. If this component fails, this can cause potential injury to the pilot. To eliminate this possibility, Diamond Aircraft has issued Service Bulletin No. 17 that requires the inspection and modification to the bonding of the shoulder harness fittings. For your information, Austrian Control Airworthiness Directive Number 54 is enclosed as well as Diamond Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 17. The FAA highly encourages you to determine if this inspection and modification have been accomplished on your sailplane. If this modification has not been accomplished, the manufacturer has estimated that it will take approximately one hour to conduct the inspection and three hours to accomplish the modification. Diamond Aircraft has specified the type of fiberglass cloth and resin appropriate for

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this repair in the Service Bulletin. Local purchase is authorized at an approximate cost of $10.00 U.S. dollars.

Models H-36: Attachment of Wheel Axle to Steel Support (Service Bulletin Number 27) Diamond Aircraft has determined through unrelated inspection and a subsequent quality control review that incorrect bolts attaching the axle to the gear leg were used during the manufacturing of the aircraft. To resolve this problem, Diamond Aircraft has issued Service Bulletin No. 27 requiring the modification of the landing gear system. For your information, Austrian Control Airworthiness Directive Number 63 is enclosed as well as Diamond Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 27. The FAA highly encourages you to determine if this modification has been accomplished on your sailplane. If this modification has not been accomplished, the manufacturer has estimated that it will take approximately six hours to complete. Diamond Aircraft has the parts available to accomplish this modification. The cost of the kit is approximately $165.00 U.S. dollars.

Model H-36: Increase Service Life (Service Bulletin Number 25/1) Diamond Aircraft has developed Service Bulletin Number 25/1 that increases the service life of the Model H-36 to 6,000 hours. For your information, Austrian Control Airworthiness Directive Number 65 is enclosed as well as Diamond Aircraft Service Bulletin Number 25/1.

Models H-36 & HK-36R: Modification of the Elevator Rib (Service Bulletin Number 51) Diamond Aircraft has determined through service inspection history that improper sealing of the elevator may cause structural damage to the elevator ribs. To eliminate this possibility, Diamond Aircraft has issued Service Bulletin No. 51 that requires a) Inspection of the elevator, b) Exchange of the rib, and c) Protection of the Elevator. For your information, Austrian Control Airworthiness Directive Number 85 is enclosed as well as Diamond Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 51 (Work Instructions Numbers 21 and 22 are also included). The FAA highly encourages you to determine if this inspection and modification have been accomplished on your sailplane. If this modification has not been accomplished, the manufacturer has estimated that it will take approximately four hours to complete. Diamond Aircraft has the parts available to accomplish this modification. The cost of the kit is approximately $100.00 U.S. dollars.

Additional Information The FAA has issued the following Airworthiness Directives (AD) on the Diamond Aircraft Models H-36 and HK-36R. This information is provided to you for your information only. • AD 87-05-04 [Model H-36]; Installation of an additional wing/fuselage attachment hook per Service Bulletin No. 19. • AD 88-14-05 [Model H-36]; Accomplish Service Bulletin No. 15/2 to prevent failure of the rod end bearing on the front horizontal tail surface mount. • AD 90-15-08 [Model H-36]; Accomplish Service Bulletin No. 24 to insure the structural integrity of the wing attachments. • AD 91-14-15 [Model H-36]; Replacement of the fuel tank. • AD 95-18-13 [Model HK-36R]; Accomplish Service Bulletin No. 33 to prevent carbon monoxide leakage caused by corroded exhaust system.

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For Further Information Contact: Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH, N.A. Otto-Strasse 5, A-2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria; Telephone 43.2622.2670.0; Facsimile 43.2622.2678.0.

Diamond Aircraft Industries, 1560 Crumlin Sideroad, London, Ontario, N5V1S2; telephone (519) 457-4000; Facsimile (519) 457-4021.

Mike Kiesov, Aerospace Engineer/Pilot, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 1201 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri, 64106; telephone (816) 426-6934; Facsimile (816) 426-2169.