jsbrake wrote:
But wouldn't putting winglets on the bird invalidate the Type
Certicate?

I've been toying with the idea of the double-panel spoiler
modification, but I've been told that my TC would be gone and I'd be
in the "owner maintenance" category. I'm not sure that that's a good
idea.

I can understand upgrading the brakes and canopy not interfering with
the TC, but wouldn't the winglets be a structural change, and thereby
invalidate the TC?

As an aside, my TC states that my Kestrel must be "all white", with
blue-grey (or similar light) registration marks. I understand that it
was written in the early days of FRP, but would it be allowable now to
put bright red anti-collision accents on the extremities?

Well it all depends on where you live.

In South Africa gliders are maintained much as the BGA did before the
EASA onslaught. So we are - by definition - in owner maintenance world.
No type certificates are significant, except for first registration of a
type in the country.

The winglets are manufactured and tested by a qualified aero engineering
business. Any structural modification like this is subject to a pretty
rigorous approval process, then it is up to owners to decide if they
want them. As long as the change is performed and approved by a suitably
qualified person and signed off in the log book there is no difference
to flying a factory standard ship. Except that you can embarrass some
newer glass. It does make it harder to sell to places that do rely on
type certificates.