| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
Kevin, The new aluminum gear legs are drilled prior to forming. The brake fluid travels through the leg. There are 1/8" NPT ports where the fluid enters and exits the leg. On the fiber glass legs prior to the aluminum legs, there was a nylon tube on the back of the leg, laminated over with fiberglass. The braided line then ran inside the nylon tube. It is too bad that many of your posts seem to have to include a cheap shot at the factory. Jim Butler | ||
| Eric Holmberg (Erich) |
Hi Kevin, Here is a picture that I took out at the factory a few months ago, it should answer your question. Larry is really busy at the factory working on the new Express, so he may be falling behind in email right now. I've found the best thing to do is to send and email and if you don't hear back in a few days, to give him a call. I try to limit my calls since I didn't purchase my kit from him. He's been great providing service to me, nevertheless. Happy building! -Eric   | ||
| Gary Markwardt |
Kevin: I think your negative comments about factory support are unfair and unwarranted on this website. You apparently misunderstand what is included with a kit purchase. Items beyond the basic airframe kit are the responsibility of the builder (i.e. YOU), not Express. While I am sure the factory wants you to have a successful build, they have limited resources to answer all the questions posed by builders. That is why this site is so valuable. You should come here first to ask other builders advice for items beyond the airframe kit like routings for lines, controls, firewall forward stuff, etc. I have helped you as have others with these kinds of issues, witness Eric's answer above. Disagreements with the factory are best handled directly with the factory. | ||
| Mike S. |
If this is the mentality and attitude of the Express builder community, I'm sure glad I'm not a part of it. Publically chastising someone for sharing their experience is downright rude and unacceptable. To also say that a kit company is obligated for supporting ONLY the basic airframe kit is ludicrous and asinine. Leaving the question of critical finishing items up to the individual builder to figure out is not only unsafe, it is irresponsible from a business standpoint. As a customer, if I spend $48,000+ on a kit (plus tens more in finishing items from the factory), I expect continuous support and timely responses on questions relating to items I purchased from them. I would hope they would be supportive of any critical (and mandatory) procedure than leads to a safe completion and operation. Other kit manufacturers operate that way, why should I accept less? Last time I checked the Express website, the brake system is both critical and part of the basic airframe kit. According to Mr. Markwardt, I should not expect to receive timely support from the factory on it, or other items (firewall forward, etc). This may the level of service you accept, but I sure don't. This defensive posture and service level is the EXACT mentality and attitude that will kill this industry, and those who perpetuate it are not doing anyone a service. I'm sure there are those of you builders who won't agree with my views, and that is fine. I just hope that these 'flaming comments' will stop. Mr. Dennes didn't deserve those personal attacks for simply stating he hadn't received a factory response to a valid question the factory should be obligated to answer. - M. Stevenson PS... my wife and I have now "officially" decided against joining the Express fraternity. Thanks for helping us make that decision. | ||
| Eric Holmberg (Erich) |
Hi Mike, I hope you and your wife won’t base your decision on a few messages. We have a great group of people here with Express. Over the years, everyone has gone through their share of bumps and frustrations and just like Kevin, we all have vented our frustrations somewhere. We are all adults here and I would like to think that we can all read things as adults and if we get upset, that we leave, go do something else non-threatening to society, and then return later to re-read the message and see what the post was really about. From my standpoint, Kevin may have a few gripes and complaints about the Express factory, but the poor fellow is working in a vacuum from other Express builders and has to deal with the time-zone changes and who knows what else he is dealing with on the side as every aircraft builder has to deal with (nagging wife because all of his time & money is going into the airplane, cat stuck to the latest lay-up, etc). All said and done, everyone here should be speaking their mind. If everyone completely holds back to only post politically correct and positive information, then this builder forum has failed. I, for one, would like to hear what frustrations and problems people are having. I know I’ve had my moments where I go into the garage and wonder if I’m in over my head and others where I’m ecstatic and just sit there grinning and making airplane noises. Eventually, things will happen where we all attack each other, but I’m 100 percent sure that once the dust settles, everyone will dust each other off, shake hands, and go and have a beer together. Just remember 8 hours between bottle and throttle  -Eric | ||
| Mike S. |
Hi Erik, Our decision was not solely based upon these web comments by any means. We've taken a number of other factors into account in our decision making process, and have talked with some who have kindly shared their experiences. It's just upsetting to see this type of flaming go on within a builder community, and has the eerie resemblence of the Glasair/GlaStar forum prior to SH's demise. I agree with some of your comments, but would be hard pressed to say that speaking ones mind justifies a chastising attack like what was shown. Puting myself in Mr. Dennes position, I wouldn't want that type of treatment... would you? Thanks for your comments anyway. Regards, - Mike | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison (Tomhutch) |
If I might have the last word here so we can all get back to building and flying this wonderfull plane. I belong to several Kit Aircraft specfic mailing lists. Grips about the kit aircraft manufacturer are very common place on these lists. (Probably even Van's, though I don't belong to any RV e-mail lists). I really believe these complaints against the kit factories is just indigenious to the business of kit built aircraft. Every buyer/builder of a kit aircraft comes to the project with preconceived ideas of what to expect of their kit purchase and the subsequent process of finishing it. There is no way in HELL any kit manufacturor can meet every expectation of its customers. The purchase of a kit aircraft is NOT like buying a car or a home which one can see the final result before laying out their money. In a sense you are buying your own dream and no one but you understands what that dream entails. If you don't posess A LOT of patience when it comes to building a kit, any kit, then don't go down that road. You will only drive yourself and everyone around you nuts. So.... keep on asking those questions. That's why we are all here to help each other achieve our individual "Express dream". I would be more than happy to discuss this further off of the forum. Tom | ||
| Eric Holmberg (Erich) |
Hi Mike, You have a point about the attacks. Hopefully, Kevin's quietness on here is just because he's busy and hasn't had time to log on. If there is a problem, I trust that it will be handled through private email off of here so we don't end up with all sorts of crazy flames all over the place. I wish you the best of luck with the plane you end up choosing. Stop by the Express section on the flight line the next time you're at Oshkosh. I don't think there's much of a chance that I will make it in 2003, but I will be there in 2004. Maybe there's a chance Kevin will get some extended-range tanks and make it too :P Happy skies, -Eric | ||
| Eric Holmberg (Erich) |
Bravo Tom! Hold on, bravo means more... how about finito? | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison (Tomhutch) |
OK the last, last, word I promise! I just have to comment on the Express community as I have experienced it. In July at Osh Kosh I was lucky to meet a great bunch people at the Express Builder's dinner. What a fun time sharing ideas and experiences with other builders. I only wish I could have met everyone. Next time, name tags!. Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of a fly-in visit from Jerry Sjostrand. Jerry was kind enough to share lots of great suggestions and ideas for my project. Jerry has one of the premier flying examples of the original CT Wheeler Express. On Sunday Jerry took me flying in N360EZ for the better part of an hour. Believe me it was hard to come back to earth. What a great flying aircraft. Jerry gives lots of his own time helping other Express builders. I tried to pay him back with "Beer Can Chicken" for dinner, but I got the better part of the deal. Anyway, I am glad I took the plunge to build an Express. It hasn't been easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Tom |