# AD 75-17-36: Brass Nipple Failure

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Current
- Products: JR Aerosports Firefly 6, Firefly 6B and Firefly 7
- Effective: August 13, 1975
- Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD
- Product type: Aircraft, Balloon
- Amendment: 39-2326
- Registered aircraft: 148 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/23A57D564C2EED7E86256A34006B370D.0001
- DRS record last changed: May 30, 2024
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/75-17-36

## The airworthiness directive

75-17-36 BALLOON WORKS, HOT AIR BALLOONS: Amendment 39-2326. Applies to Models Firefly 6, 6B, and 7 with burner S/N 510 through 562.

Before next flight, accomplish the following or an equivalent approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, Southern Region.

To avoid separation due to a possible brass nipple failure, install safety wire extending from each of the three corners of the bottom plate to the lower portion of the upper Rego valve body. Assure wires are uniformly tightened.

Within the next five hours of time in service from the effective date of this AD, accomplish the following:

1. Disconnect main burner tubes from manifold. 2. Drill out nine rivets holding pan to the bottom plate. 3. Unhook three burner support springs. 4. Remove upper burner assembly from lower burner assembly. 5. Unscrew nuts to remove pilot light tubes. 6. Clamp square section of Rego valve in vise. 7. Unscrew and remove burner manifold. 8. Inspect nipple. If nipple is steel, reassemble the burner,* if nipple is brass, proceed through the following steps. 9. Unscrew nipple with pipe wrench. 10. Replace brass nipple with steel nipple, Balloon Works P/N A4032B. 11. Reassemble in the reverse order.

Safety wire is not required after steel nipple is installed.

*Use teflon tape or pipe dope type sealant on nipple threads.

This amendment is effective August 13, 1975, and was effective on receipt for all recipients of the air mail letter dated July 24, 1975 which contained this amendment.

## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS A14SO](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A14SO): JR Aerosports Ltd.; names 3 of 28 models: Firefly 6, Firefly 6B, Firefly 7

## Registered aircraft it may apply to (OpenAirDocs)

Matched by airframe and engine model; the AD's applicability may narrow it by serial number, part number or equipment.

- Aircraft: 148 (148 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Balloon Works 144, Firefly Balloons 2, Firefly Balloons 2010 1, Medema/Balloon Works 1

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Balloon Works FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7): 129 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Balloon Works FIREFLY 6B](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-6b): 12 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Balloon Works FIREFLY 6](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-6): 3 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Medema/Balloon Works FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/medema-balloon-works-firefly-7): 1 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-firefly-7): 1 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 6B](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-firefly-6b): 1 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Firefly Balloons 2010 FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-2010-firefly-7): 1 aircraft (airframe model)

All 7 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/75-17-36/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/75-17-36/aircraft.md

Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs.

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