Canvas nose sheel cover replacement

[Jim Menconi]

Jody,
Please send me your email address. Mine is : skyjim47@gmail.com.
Are you in immediate need or within the next couple weeks ok with you. I still haven't determined a schedule for the tool that will be needed to install the snaps. Just communicate with me on my email. Thanks,
Jim

[Jim Menconi]

For all who have voiced an interest:

I have the cover for the front landing gear ready to ship. You will find that this is significantly different than the one which is in the normal PA30. I have spent the extra time and money to make this better in every way. I have reinforced it in the areas where it tears most often, sealed all the edges with a carpet sealing glue to prevent unraveling and installed Velcro to most of the areas that connect to the plane. The use of the Velcro is optional as you don't have to us it if you don't want to, but I really think it is the way to go on some of the tabs, especially the left and right front sides. It is imperative that you make sure the surface is smooth and clean before sticking the Velcro to it. I have also made this out of a little thicker and stronger material. I used a commercial upholstery shop to do the sewing but I did all the cutting, sealing and everything else I could do to keep the cost down. I have over $1800 invested in this project and eventually hope to sell enough to get reimbursed the cost. I am selling them now for $200 each as that was what they were selling for at Webco before they stopped selling them. I had ambitions of selling them much cheaper but unfortunately with the additional things I did, it came out a little bit more expensive. The price only reimburses me for the hard costs and I am not charging for any of my labor. I hope you find this acceptable as I am ready to ship, if you still want one. Included are all the snaps necessary to match your aircraft and the use of a professional snap tool, if needed. Thanks

Jim #16066

[Andreas Riedel]

Hi Jim, great to hear that you completed the task. This is a great service to our fleet. Also good idea to use Velcro, makes a lot of sense. Maybe you should inform Webco that these are available so they can inform all the PA30 owners who ask and don't hear about through the web. Maybe also a litte article about it in the Flyer would be good with photo.
Wish you lot's of sales so your effort is being repaid.
Andreas

[Jim Menconi]

Thanks Andreas, it was a little more work than I had anticipated. I am still tweeking them as I am discovering better ways of doing this. Thank you again for all your help and encouragement.
Jim

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

All,
As ICS owns and operates this forum, I need to make it perfectly clear that ICS is in no way condoning the production or is assisting in marketing an unapproved part. With that said, we whole heartedly support, and in fact encourage, the full use of all avenues available under the law, to safely and effectively maintain the Comanche series, including supporting OEM parts, STC's, field approvals, and owner produced parts.

With that said, it is also one of the many responsibilities of the ICS to educate our members when they may be approaching a point when others may get involved to their detrement. Advertising a part for sale for a certified aircraft that has no approval basis will cause the Feds to come knocking. However, changing the statement of availability in such a way as to say you have a sample available for a deposite so that an owner could reproduce one, or that you could assist in an owner produced part should they supply you with their current pattern, then that would stay on the side of the law that will enable everyone to get what they want without excessive "help" from the authorities. Simply building new parts, stocking them for sale, and marketing same would require PMA approval, and without that approval, fines for non compliance can run into the 10s of thousands of dollars for the first ofence. While this post is not aimed at anyone specific, and does not address any specific product being "marketed", I hope the location and thread that it is added to is clue enough about where some changes may need to be made.

Zach Grant
ICS President

[bernard nowlen]

i got my nose gear wheel well cover from jim and it was 2" to short on the entire perimeter without the snaps installed. I e mailed jim and said it wouldn't fit so i was going to make own locally. I returnded the cover and asked for a 75% refund to cover any restocking for resale costs. That was 4 weeks ago and i'm out $200 for the cover plus $132 i spent getting a cover made locally that fit. I re e mailed him and he said a "check was in the mail". Not here yet. Perhaps ICS should pay a little more attention to members advertising non PMA parts for sale on the forum without a refund policy. If i was a jerk I could get the FAA involved but i'd rather loose the $200 than go down that road.
bernie

[bernard nowlen]

I'm still waiting for "jims" 75% refund on the cover i returned that didn't fit. He says the check is in the mail. It's been over 6 weeks. I hope all the ICS members that got one from him have a good fit or else you just threw away $200.
Bernie

[N3322G]

Thought some photos of the finished product would be helpful. Can't say whether it fits my twin or not as I haven't tried it.

[bernard nowlen]

Mine didn't fit nor did jim refuned any portion of my money after returning the cover (i asked for 75%). Good luck
Bernie

[Jim Menconi]

First off, to clear the air, Bernie has been fully reimbursed $200. It was certainly my error in not doing it back when I told him I would. I had been traveling extensively and have been distracted by some major issues, and as a result, I forgot to send it. I haven't been on this posting for several month to see any responses and today, just noticed some of the comments. This project was a total labor of love as it cost me more that $200 each to get this done, not including my time. They do in fact fit now, as I had to make a modification due to a template error. My fault! I am not selling them, I am merely asking that anyone who wants one, help me recover some of the costs in making these. I have 3 available but again, I am not selling them. If any of the people that got one wants a refund, please let me know. I am not nor do I want to be in the business of selling or making these covers. I a doing just fine with my own business.
Jim

[bernard nowlen]

Jim is correct on his post even though I only asked for a 75% refund to help cover some of his expenses. The problem with the cover is that the original ones were made to fit each plane and they shrink over time. If you use the original one as a template for a new one it won't fit. I used a local boat canvas shop to make mine and had them make it 2" bigger around the perimeter.

[Jim Menconi]

It wasn't a shrinking issue, it was that I didn't account for the 1" overlap along the edges and as a result, I made them 1" shorter on each side. Just an oversight on my part. This has been fixed and they look very nice with the repair, more like a custom cover. Mine fits very well on my plane with room to spare. The Velcro is added in case you want to use that as well although you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Installing the snap thru the velcro works just fine.
Jim