On Mar 4, 8:17 pm, Scott Skylane wrote:
Actually, that's an aftermarket mod, never was a factory option.

185s had them. Factory, I think.

For those that want to see the cracking spar, take off the two
fairing covers at the base of the fin. Four screws in each. With a
good flashlight, look forward from the rear of the airplane through
the big hole in the top of the middle of the stab and see the
lightening hole in the forward spar. Cracks will (hopefully not) be
seen radiating from that hole in a X fashion, diagonally upward and
downward. If you're really unlucky, there'll be four of them. With a
mirror, you can stand forward of the stab and get a good look, too. I
prefer that way, because I can then check the attach bolts through
that spar.

The OP should know that the SB says that cracks that do not reach
the spar flange radius can be stopdrilled and monitored. His mechanic
should take a close look at the SB again. The amount he flies, they
might go no farther.

I wonder how this airplane's previous owner moved the airplane. Or
has he had it since new? Has it had a lot of heavy, wet snow sitting
on it?

I once flew a 172 that handled all funny. When we got it home,
we opened thing up and found that spar cracked all the way through
both flanges. Only the skin was holding things together. I had one guy
hold one end of the stab still and I was able to move the other end up
and down an inch or two. Dangerous. And the wing strut lower attach
bolts had no nuts on them and were backing out. All this just after an
"annual." A drive-by annual, I think.

Dan