Jeeze, you guys need to fly for a bargain basement 135 for a few years.

To clarify:

The fan is mechanical, mounted on the shaft from the gear reduction which drives the prop.

The placarding is molded into the plastic fan.

The placarding is quite visible without opening anything or touching the airplane. All one has to do is walk up and look.

As for notifying the manufacturer, I pointed this out to Icon employees, salespeople, flight instructors and the A&P mechanic, all full time Icon employees, many months ago. I was assured that they would get back to me with an answer.

I have never heard a word.

BTDT. It’s not a relative measure.

a lot of tractor-config parts get turned around and look weird in pusher prop configurations. I wouldn't jump to any conclusions that it's wrong.

If it is not installed wrong, then it is placarded wrong.

Either one renders the plane unairworthy.

Reminds me of the dry vacuum pump manufacturer that did not like it when someone came out with an inexpensive overhaul kit. They added “no overhaul” in the casting. The OH kit provider then added a sticker to cover it that states “FAA APPROVED OVERHAUL”. The pump maker subsequently reversed the letters in the casting making it impossible to cover with a sticker.

Bottom line-just because it says “NO OVERHAUL” on it does not make it not legal to overhaul.

If an aircraft is certificated with parts that are not built under PMA or uses non standard hardware then it is legal on that aircraft. I suspect that the fan would be in that category but I am surprised that they did not trim off the placard. Maybe the lettering was not raised.

If it was issued the airworthiness certificate in the configuration you’ve seen, then by definition it is NOT unairworthy. Whether it is a good idea or whether it conforms to what most of us would consider “best practices”, is a different question

If it is not installed wrong, then it is placarded wrong.

Either one renders the plane unairworthy.

That right there is funny. Sounds familiar.

Why the hooharah when your signature is not in the logbook? Ten plus aircraft similarly equipped wrong might have had issues addressed by the FAA. Since there has been nothing mentioned elsewhere, my guess is much todo about nothing. There is an explanation. Keep searching.

Is something that is molded into the housing automatically a placard? I thought official placards were listed in the POH and if it was not listed on the POH (or maybe is that the type certificate data?) then it is not a placard.

I’m with you on This.

Although the OCD in me would tell the procurement guys to shave down those molded ridges to avoid any future confusion or attempted misassembly.

The TPE331 on our Mu2 had a placard that said “Propeller Rotation —>” on the gearbox.
Which would have been perfect for a -5 motor.
But our -6 went the other way.


Carry on.

Regardless of the functionality, or even legality of the part, the fact that it is there, in that configuration says that Icon is either too cheap, lazy, or ignorant to address the discrepancy. It’s not a good look for a company that needs all of the good looks it can muster.

I’d be very disappointed if the FAA knowingly approved that part as it is described. I would not accept it on my airplane without a certified letter of approval from both Icon and OKC.

FAA doesn't approve individual parts in the LSA world. It's a whole different beast. It has it difficulties, though. Manufacturers have to approve any changes and updates (including avionics). If they refuse, about your only recourse of to take it E-LSA.

I'm sure it's an off the shelf part. And when it was designed for it's original purpose, it sounds like it was designed to blow ON to an engine. Maybe, in Icon's rear engine design, better cooling is gained by pulling air away from the engine. If the installation meets the design, as approved, then it's legal. If grinding down the molded in letters takes too much structure out of the fan shroud, then a small sticker saying that in Icon's design, the fan should blow in a different direction (maybe a nice arrow and an Icon logo).

"Front toward Enemy" is my all time favorite molded in "placard".