CSA LS-4a User Guide

This document is not a substitute for the Rolladen-Scheider Owners and Maintenance Manuals.  These manuals should be read and understood prior to CSA checkout for the LS4a, 3W. This manual provides additional information describing peculiarities of 3W and additional care each pilot should address for each flight.  This manual will cover:

1. Supplemental Equipment Location and Use
2. Inspection of L’Hottelier Connection for Ailerons and Dive Brakes
3. Inspection of Elevator Connection
4. Oxygen Tank Filling, and Personal Mask Requirements
5. Properly Opening the Canopy
6. Pre and Post Flight Cleaning
7. Wing Tip Skid Repair

1. Supplemental Equipment Location and Use

A red main pin bag resides in the baggage compartment. This bag contains two plastic tubes which should be used to store and protect the main wing pins when 3W is disassembled.  The pin bag also has a copy of the LS4a Owners Manual and a CSA owned oxygen mask in the large pocket.  This pin bag the items described above must be stowed in 3W for each flight.  A short, wide- blade screwdriver must also be stowed in the side pocket.  This screwdriver is required for disassembly of the horizontal stabilizer.  If the pilot removes the flight manual or oxygen mask for in-flight use, they must be returned to the pin bag after the flight is completed.

2. Inspection of L’Hottelier Connection for Ailerons and Air Brakes

It is very important to ensure that the L’Hottelier connections for the ailerons and spoilers are correctly connected and the red safety collar is in its proper position.  These safety collars have a standard right had thread (clockwise engages the safety collar).  These connects should be checked before every flight.  The diagram to the right (from the LS4a Flight Manual) illustrates a properly coupled and secured connection:
The photographs to the right illustrate what these connections look like.  Note that there are mirrors on the bulkhead behind the control connections to aid in inspecting them.  When properly connected and secured the spring pin is in the up position, the safety collars are positioned toward the center of the fuselage and the end of the pushrod should not be visible.
Note that the collar should only be hand tightened and it takes many turns to get the collar into the proper position (~20).  Make it snug but not real tight so as not to make it difficult to loosen later.

3. Inspection of Elevator Connection

Per the owner’s manual, the red painted surface on top of the bracket where the thumb wheel is found should be almost completely covered.  In this position the thumb wheel should be quite snug, but not overly tight.  Over tightening will cause the stabilizer mounting pin sockets to expand (which will require eventual replacement of the sockets)

The forward ball socket should NOT be loose.  Do NOT loosen and or lube it.  The manuals require it to be “cemented in place”.

4. Oxygen Tank Filling, Use and Personal Requirements

The oxygen tank is filled via the main valve on the oxygen tank.  You must have a CSA oxygen cart checkout before filling the oxygen tank.  You must also know how to install and use the proper oxygen tank adapter.  To fill the tank the oxygen regulator must be removed.  Removal and replacement is done by hand without the use of any tools.  The oxygen tank must be turned off after each flight. 

It is recommended that each 3W pilot obtain a personal mask, Oxysaver cannula or regular cannula with an Aerox flowmeter an Aerox barb insert connector (male) for connection to the regulator.  (These items can be obtained from www.wingsandwheels.com.)

5. Properly Opening the Canopy

3W has seen quite a bit of use in its life and the canopy hinging mechanism is not as tight as when it was new and easily binds on (and deforms) the air vent and other items if improperly opened.  To open the canopy, reach inside the access hole and release the locks on each side of the canopy frame.  Then slightly lift the canopy by grasping the locking rods. DO NOT completely open the canopy with this grasp!  Raise the canopy only enough such that you can place your right hand under the center-top-rear of the canopy frame.  Complete opening the canopy by lifting on the rear canopy frame so that it goes straight up.  Close using the reverse procedure.

6. Pre and Post Flight Cleaning

Before a day’s soaring 3W should be washed to remove hangar dust.  Use a large, highly water soaked sponge to “flood” excessive dust and dirt from the surfaces.  Do not dry wipe or use a damp sponge as this will scratch the gelcoat. Dry 3W using a clean soft towel or chamois once the water has dribbled off.  There is a bucket, sponge and chamois in the 3W box at west side of hangar.  (Keep the chamois rinsed free of dirt.)  As a pilot of 3W you should have your own bucket, large sponge and supply of towels/chamois.  At the end of the soaring day, the wing, nose and tail leading edges need to be cleaned of bugs and such before 3W is returned to the hangar. 

The canopy should be carefully cleaned at the beginning of the day.  Generally, just use a light spray of Brillianaize cleaner and a soft cloth to clean smudges from the canopy.  If there is a significant (noticeable) amount of dust or dirt on the canopy, first rinse it off with a bucket of clean water.  It can then be “pat” dried with a soft cloth and cleaned normally.  It is best to keep the canopy cover on 3W at all times except for flight. Before takeoff fold and place e canopy cover in the baggage compartment.

7. Wing Tip Skid Repair

The wing tip skids on the LS-4a are attached with contact cement.  On occasion, these are knocked off.  This is intentional in the design since they are usually only knocked off when the wing tip strikes the ground in some unusual manner and this absorbs some energy which might otherwise have damaged the wing tip.  However, if a wing tip skid does get knocked off, the LS-4a should not be flown until the wing tip skid is replaced and the wing is thoroughly looked over for other damage which might have occurred.  It is not difficult to replace the wing tip skid.  Following is the procedure to do this:

• Contact the LS-4a Crew Chief so he/she can ensure the wing is examined for other damage
• What you need before starting:
  • Wing tip skid - Hopefully the skid that was knocked off was actually found in the take-off or landing area.  If it could not be found, contact the LS-4a Crew Chief who may have a spare or will know how to get one.
  • White gas or Xylol - There may be some in the south hanger but you can get this at a hardware store.
  • Contact cement or Pliabond - While there may be some in the south hangar this stuff usually dries out after opening so you may have to get a bottle at a hardware store.
  • Paper towels
  • Sharp pencil
• Cleaning the old contact cement off:
  • Saturate a a bit of a paper towel with White gas or Xylol and soak the old contact cement and let it sit for a minute.
  • Soak the paper towel again and then start rubbing the old contact cement off.  This is going to need to be repeated several times to get it all off.
  • It's easiest if you clean the wing tip and skid one at a time.
  • Note that you will not be able to get all the discoloration from the contact cement off the gel coat of the wing tip.
• Gluing on the replacement wing tip skid:
  • Using the pencil, lightly trace around the wing-tip skid when it is held in position where the discoloration of the gel coat is located.
  • Put an even coating of contact cement on BOTH the wing tip skid and wing tip in your penciled area.
  • Wait about 15 min for the contact cement to get tacky (read instructions on bottle), then push the wing tip skid on firmly, shifting pressure fore and aft on the skid.
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Updated 01/1/2025