Stupid repairs and maintenance

[PadPhilosopher]

Oh, speaking of aircraft: I saw a guy's beautiful homebuilt aircraft once, his craftership was impeccable! I was in love with the thing, precision and care abounded. Of course, every homebuilt aircraft is required by federal law to have a placard on the instrument panel or prominently nearby, which says:

PASSENGER WARNING:
This aircraft is amateur-built and
does not comply with federal safety
regulations for standard aircraft.
​

The guy was cheesed off a bit and had his own placard made up, exactly thus:

PASSENGER WARNING:
This aircraft is 'amateur-built' and
does not comply with federal safety
regulations for "standard aircraft".

They don't make factory aircraft
good enough to meet my own
professionally-high standards.
​

Absolutely perfect. I burst out laughing and complimented the builder/pilot. He said the fed inspector tried to bust his chops over the placard...the owner's lawyer retorted "Where is it written...?" and the inspector backed off. Freedom of Expression lives in aviation, too.

I have a huge soft spot for "experimental" aircraft. Was this a branded kit, or completely homebrew?

 

[Chloris]

I had people come Rome round to fix the exterior lights..
They decided to wire them to a box that was there..
I told them "not yet .. that wire is connected to my meter.. its still live"
They laughed, told me they were "professionals" ..
Put one of those (voltage probes) against the wire..
Whelp sparks flew and one melted reader..
I couldn't help it and said "I don't want to say I told you so... but"

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Oh, speaking of aircraft: I saw a guy's beautiful homebuilt aircraft once, his craftership was impeccable! I was in love with the thing, precision and care abounded. Of course, every homebuilt aircraft is required by federal law to have a placard on the instrument panel or prominently nearby, which says:

PASSENGER WARNING:
This aircraft is amateur-built and
does not comply with federal safety
regulations for standard aircraft.
​

The guy was cheesed off a bit and had his own placard made up, exactly thus:

PASSENGER WARNING:
This aircraft is 'amateur-built' and
does not comply with federal safety
regulations for "standard aircraft".

They don't make factory aircraft
good enough to meet my own
professionally-high standards.
​

Absolutely perfect. I burst out laughing and complimented the builder/pilot. He said the fed inspector tried to bust his chops over the placard...the owner's lawyer retorted "Where is it written...?" and the inspector backed off. Freedom of Expression lives in aviation, too.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I have a huge soft spot for "experimental" aircraft. Was this a branded kit, or completely homebrew?

It was a Van's RV-6A trike-gear. Basically, a reheated Grumman-American with enough structural changes to make it unique. Jim Bede's legacy lives on...despite the BD-5 and the jail time, LOL.

 

[VanHelsing]

How to connect a 155 cannon to the dampening system of its base that reduces the recoil of the cannon when the shafts do not align with the attachment holes?? Grind the threads from one side and slide the huge nuts on with a few turns in place of the normal 50 turns of the nut!

With great luck, to fire this type of cannon requires a remote firing device. Several lucky folks got to dig the cannon out of the hole in the ground behind it! I was the sorry individual that refused to allow the cannon to be fired. With the line officer in my face for Red Flagging his cannon line, he approved its firing. It is why I wear hearing aids and he was released from command.

Sounds like one of the ships my father served on, they had the gun trainer seized together with a piece of wire, when the order to fire was given, said wire fell out allowing the 6" gun to train freely upwards, resulting in the shell going over Hong Kong Island and landing in downtown Kowloon.
Bit of an expensive day for the Royal Navy!

 

[PadPhilosopher]

Sounds like one of the ships my father served on, they had the gun trainer seized together with a piece of wire, when the order to fire was given, said wire fell out allowing the 6" gun to train freely upwards, resulting in the shell going over Hong Kong Island and landing in downtown Kowloon.
Bit of an expensive day for the Royal Navy!

Oh NO! I hope no one was seriously injured.

You'd think people would be more concerned about such things when dealing with instruments of such obviously massive destructive power. I'm afraid there is a certain amount of redneck self selection in the militaries of the world.

 

[Edgewater]

Oh NO! I hope no one was seriously injured.

You'd think people would be more concerned about such things when dealing with instruments of such obviously massive destructive power. I'm afraid there is a certain amount of redneck self selection in the militaries of the world.

You would think, but when two idiots have sex, DNA doubles the effect and as a result stupid stuff happens every more often!!

 

[VanHelsing]

Oh NO! I hope no one was seriously injured.

You'd think people would be more concerned about such things when dealing with instruments of such obviously massive destructive power. I'm afraid there is a certain amount of redneck self selection in the militaries of the world.

I've No idea, this was back in the 1960's. I just know it was not cheap to fix. Like most things it's only occasionally our cock ups or corner cutting get revealed. We just hope no one is killed or injured!!

 

[PadPhilosopher]

I've No idea, this was back in the 1960's. I just know it was not cheap to fix. Like most things it's only occasionally our cock ups or corner cutting get revealed. We just hope no one is killed or injured!!

Would it be appropriate to say of that expensive day, "The Queen was not amused"?

 

[Kirisin]

My wife would say that my tool box consisted of various sized hammers and duct tape which wasn't entirely true. It also had glue.

Add bailing wire zip ties and JB Weld and you would have a full tool box

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Add bailing wire zip ties and JB Weld and you would have a full tool box

Don't forget the wire nuts.



Good enough for my 120V ceiling fan is good enough for my 12V car yes?

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Don't forget the wire nuts.

Or the WD-40! Or the Vise-Grips!

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Or the WD-40! Or the Vise-Grips!

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Sometimes it be like that tho.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Classic. This is like a rite of passage.

 

[Angelapinks]

In my military barracks building they had us all move out temporarily to repair a black mold issue. They did it by floors. Well, their “repairs” was simply paint over the moldy walls because within a month, the mold was showing through.

That is illegal in Canada.

 

[PadPhilosopher]

View attachment 136081

I might have to use "I'm done talking" to get the downpipe studs out of the manifold on my old Chevy. We'll see. Kroil and some patience does wonders.

 

[PadPhilosopher]

Classic. This is like a rite of passage.

View attachment 136083

 

[Angelapinks]

Don't forget the wire nuts.

View attachment 136080

Good enough for my 120V ceiling fan is good enough for my 12V car yes?

I think the wire nuts put the wire on the gun in the first place.

 

[PadPhilosopher]