Majority opinion was that the failure mode did not make the voltage regulator himself the most probable diagnosis (it should fail or work, but should not show temporary partial failure modes).
However, it was the most probable cause:
The regulator sits below the copilots knees in front of the seat at the cockpit bottom. This is at the same time the most convenient place to put small, but heavy things (oil, tiedowns etc). That's what I did: placing a small bag exactly on top of the regulator (which is out of the pilot's sight). Thus blocking ventilation of an already warm item was very likely the cause.
We replaced the Ducati regulator with a new one and I dont put the bag on the regulator anymore. Problem solved, no more symptoms in 80h flown since replacement.
Lesson learned: be careful, look what you do, sit back and think it over from time to time.
What usually kills VR's is heat. Either from the electrical load or external heat. Either or both of these can overheat the VR and you'll have an eventual failure. The VR should be in a place than can get cooler air vs next to hot objects or in dead air flow spaces where it has a hard time dissipating the internal heat.
Of course putting your other things on top of it made it retain heat.
Roger Lee LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN) 520-349-7056 Cell
If your regulator is located in dead air, a shroud and a small computer fan should make a huge difference in the running temperature (and therefore the life span) of the regulator. It takes very little air movement to show a large improvement.
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