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Near the beginning of my Cherokee journey, I took my 160 in to a local shop in suspicion that the previous owner (who was a A&P /IA, no less - but that's another story for another time) had not complied with AD 98-02-08 (Lycomng hollow crankshaft AD) as required during the last 2 annuals. As he was looking over the plane, the local IA pointed out a few other squawks and Mickey-mouse cost-saving measures (such use of an automotive alternator belt instead of a PMA'd one). He also pointed out that my plane should not have been signed off for an annual with the fuel placards in their sorry and unreadable state.
Off to Al Gore's interwebs I went! After scouring the depths of several dark continents, I landed at Arrow Graphics (www.arrow4graphics.com). The site is compact and easy to navigate, and had a nice offering of Cherokee-specific placards for sale. Checkout was efficiently handled through PayPal checkout, and I had my new fuel placards, as well as a large red "WARNING: UNSAFE STEP" placard for my right side flap in a few days. The new fuel placards looked nice, were at least 34% mintier than the previous train-wrecks, and were likely to add at least 15 knots to my cruise speed.
Flashing ever further forward (but to quite to the future...don't worry), I found myself in the market for the labels which identify one's trim position and gives the cheat-sheet version of which direction to spin the crank (nose-dive or impending stall). Again, the previous tenants had made awesome notations with blue ball-point pen...which just would not do. I previously cleaned up the appearance with my P-touch labeler (which I also used to label my Cherokee 160 as a Malibu Meridian...still doesn't cruise faster and the gear stubbornly remains down and locked). That sufficed for a while, but after finding a nicer plastic overhead console (read: one in less than 14 different pieces) at a local boneyard, I wanted some nicer placards for the trim position.
Upon landing at Arrow Graphics' site again, I noticed the labels were available as a part of an overall sheet of Cherokee placards, but not individually. I reached out to Scott VanderVeen, the proprietor of said establishment, and asked if and how I could purchase them individually. After exchanging a few emails to confirm he was thinking of the right placards, Scott asked for my shipping address and just sent them to me. No charge. What a guy!
The labels arrived yesterday and look great. I've made a follow-on order for a new fuel selector placard (to replace the sorry red mess I have on the current dial), as well as a new AD 73-09-06 placard (Do not open throttle more rapidly than 2 seconds or wings will separate and fall into the tear in time-space you just created...seriously!). These are both available individually, as well as throttle quadrant and Stewart-Warner gauge face overlays. I almost previously ordered the gauge face overlays after finding out that the original screened faces will disintegrate if you so much as look at them cross-eyed (during an ammeter replacement project). If your gauges are in poor visual condition, you can carefully hit the old faces with some fine sandpaper, clean the surface, and float these labels in under the needles. Scott previously coached me through the process over the phone when I thought I'd need them, and I'm sure he'd be happy to do as well for you if your gauges presently only show settings for "Flyable" and "Hosed."
If you're in need of something for your SkyCanoe 400, Arrow Graphics can likely take care of you.
Oh...and for those who wonder why my fuel placard is sideways...
*crosses hands* It's because I was inverted.
Off to Al Gore's interwebs I went! After scouring the depths of several dark continents, I landed at Arrow Graphics (www.arrow4graphics.com). The site is compact and easy to navigate, and had a nice offering of Cherokee-specific placards for sale. Checkout was efficiently handled through PayPal checkout, and I had my new fuel placards, as well as a large red "WARNING: UNSAFE STEP" placard for my right side flap in a few days. The new fuel placards looked nice, were at least 34% mintier than the previous train-wrecks, and were likely to add at least 15 knots to my cruise speed.
Flashing ever further forward (but to quite to the future...don't worry), I found myself in the market for the labels which identify one's trim position and gives the cheat-sheet version of which direction to spin the crank (nose-dive or impending stall). Again, the previous tenants had made awesome notations with blue ball-point pen...which just would not do. I previously cleaned up the appearance with my P-touch labeler (which I also used to label my Cherokee 160 as a Malibu Meridian...still doesn't cruise faster and the gear stubbornly remains down and locked). That sufficed for a while, but after finding a nicer plastic overhead console (read: one in less than 14 different pieces) at a local boneyard, I wanted some nicer placards for the trim position.
Upon landing at Arrow Graphics' site again, I noticed the labels were available as a part of an overall sheet of Cherokee placards, but not individually. I reached out to Scott VanderVeen, the proprietor of said establishment, and asked if and how I could purchase them individually. After exchanging a few emails to confirm he was thinking of the right placards, Scott asked for my shipping address and just sent them to me. No charge. What a guy!
The labels arrived yesterday and look great. I've made a follow-on order for a new fuel selector placard (to replace the sorry red mess I have on the current dial), as well as a new AD 73-09-06 placard (Do not open throttle more rapidly than 2 seconds or wings will separate and fall into the tear in time-space you just created...seriously!). These are both available individually, as well as throttle quadrant and Stewart-Warner gauge face overlays. I almost previously ordered the gauge face overlays after finding out that the original screened faces will disintegrate if you so much as look at them cross-eyed (during an ammeter replacement project). If your gauges are in poor visual condition, you can carefully hit the old faces with some fine sandpaper, clean the surface, and float these labels in under the needles. Scott previously coached me through the process over the phone when I thought I'd need them, and I'm sure he'd be happy to do as well for you if your gauges presently only show settings for "Flyable" and "Hosed."
If you're in need of something for your SkyCanoe 400, Arrow Graphics can likely take care of you.
Oh...and for those who wonder why my fuel placard is sideways...
*crosses hands* It's because I was inverted.
