Hello,

My name is Mr. Michael Mccarthy, I have contacted you before without any response from you. Please replied if you receive this message. I have something very important to discuss with you, I have a vital information to give you. Could you please get back to me on (mmichaelmccarthy4@gmail.com ) for full details.

Michael Mccarthy.

I'm all ears. I have a 750.

Wayne Tyson

Hi Tim,
Great to know another 601 is close by. I am at OZW and another 601 is close to completion. His name is Mike and I have been taking him up to get used to the characteristics of the Zodiac. Maybe we could come your way for a visit and a bit of hanger talk. Thanks for your help with the latch. Peter Bowen/517-230-3172

Tim, the seat bottom modification works great if you want to use 2 piece cushions. I haven't secured the bottom in place, it doesn't slide out. Some sticky back velcro would be enough to hold in place, same with the back cushion.

Over the years I've seen builders making custom shaped seat bottoms to work with the curved piece, seems like a lot of work.

FWIW, I ordered seat foam from Rochford Supply and made my own cushions. They are more comfortable than my truck or car seats. I didn't use memory foam, good seat foam is all that is required. I have more info on that if you're interested, might even do a blog.

Jake

Hello Tim

What is your ideas on the manatory update? I think there are a lot of good flying planes out there with no problem with pilots that know how to fly the 601. But on the other hand stronger is better in my mind. So I guess I will do almost anything to make my plane better. Besides my plane is where the updates is no big thing. I still have not installed the upper skin on either wing. The fues is still open also, so it is not a big thing for me...

Good to hear from you.

Gary

Planning on doing just that. The end of the year gets crowded schedule-wise but I'll shoehorn in an adventure or two anyway.

Ed

I finished the forty hours today and I'm looking forward to fly-ins, airshows, and pancake breakfasts around the state. I also hope to visit some builders who are in neighboring states within reach. Rest assured, vigilance and continued tweaking are still on the agenda.

Ed

Well thanks for the compliment. Yep, I guess I can see Zenith offering mass balance as an option. It would be good PR at the least. I just don't want to put more weight on when the airplane obviously does not need it. That's just a personal decision on my part. With a couple of 200 pound guys and 30 gallons of fuel, the LSA max gross of 1320 doesn't allow me any baggage. Thank God I dropped down to 185 and my wife weighs only 128. I'm looking forward to some weekend jaunts. I have been am still am convinced that the plane will be safe as I will maintain and fly it. I just can't take the rest of the world "to raise" as the expression goes.

Ed

Well Tim, things have been progressing rapidly since we last communicated. The German ground vibration tests results have been announced by Zenith and appear to show (A) no tendancy for aileron flutter with proper cable tension and (B) the airframe appears to have the capacity to recover from aileron flutter even if the cables are below recommended tension. Zenith also said that wind tunnel tests are upcoming regarding the aileron flutter issue.

My guess is that if the ground vibration and computer model analysis don't show a flutter tendancy, the wind tunnel probably won't either. If that proves true, I would be very surprised if Zenith actually designs and offers an aileron mass balance mod and/or retrofit. Anything is possible but it would seem odd to go to all this effort and expense to prove that aileron flutter is a non-problem then do more work to mitigate the non-problem. I guess they could do it and say that they wanted their cutomers to have that extra margin of safety. That would work from the PR standpoint.

In digging through the NTSB crash reports they cited six crashes of which two were factory built and four were amature built but the reports don't state the aileron hinge types employed by the aircraft. I was told that when questioned on that issue, a ZBAG member confirmed that all six crashed planes had the piano hinge ailerons. I have asked Sebastien for confirmation or correction of that notion but have not heard back from him yet. Interesting if true, huh?

Ed