ORIGINAL: pappy35
My first tip is to replace the wing tube. I witnessed a failure this weekend where the tube buckled about an inch inside the fuselage. The pilot was pulling out of a dive but it was not dramatic. Thirty degree downline then pull to horizontal - SNAP! Finished.
Examining the tube afterwards, I was shocked at how thin-walled it is. I didn't have calipers with me but if the tube-wall was thicker than a soda-straw I'd be surprised. It's a really nicely made airplane but I think this is one place they should not have tried to save a few grams.
Well, I did check the wing tube on the AJ that I just received and found that it is a carbon fiber tube with a wall-thickness of 0.011", ID of
0.440" and OD of 0.451". It sure seemed strong enough to withstand any series of 3D manuevers. Has your friend contacted Fliton regarding this issue?