MJW Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Happy New Guys an Girls, hope its safe flying for everyone for another year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausadvance Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 well I finally have some picys up....the true love of my life....(thank Christ my girlfriend doesn't read this forum!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Went through the photo archives and finally found a couple of the good ship Lollipop. This was the first certified Drifter ever sold by Austflight, I bought it in early 1987. In 1989 I took a former student on a five month trip to the Top End and back including the Kimberley, Darwin in the NT, Arnhemland and far north Queensland. We covered 8000Nm and worked on cattle stations as cook, boreman, musterer and teaching stockmen to fly. Had a ball. I modified the plane quite a bit for the trip, you can see the slimline long range tank under the fuselage, a much improved panel, under the front seat legs I had shaped toolboxes and the rear seat was partially enclosed with a 'chariot' style of fairing, that fairing made a huge difference aerodynamically and making the back seat just as protected and comfortable as the front seat. I also fitted much larger wheels than standard, they were off a golf buggy and allowed landings in mud and on quite soft beaches. the photos were taken just after returning from the trip in Sept 1989. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausadvance Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 alan thats just beautiful! what is the red line running up the wire brace in the second photo? also just to make you feel real old, you bought that only a bit over year after I was born! but i guess at the same time, an Austflight drifter is my first aircraft and mine is only a few years younger. so a testament to the aircraft that they still have the appeal and performance they do! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 alan thats just beautiful! what is the red line running up the wire brace in the second photo? The red line is the breather for the long range tank, I took it well away from the fuselage because in those days, stupidly, I was a smoker and used to enjoy a cigarette while aloft. You can even see the cig lighter I installed on the panel, at lower centre... also just to make you feel real old, you bought that only a bit over year after I was born! Yes, but Drifters keep you young forever .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 That's getting real use out of it. Surely you would not bother to fly on the days the headwinds exceed 30 knots? WB...Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 That's getting real use out of it. Surely you would not bother to fly on the days the headwinds exceed 30 knots? WB...Nev The beauty of going on a long trip like that with no firm schedule or destination is that you fly when you want and you go whichever way suits you on the day, so that reduces the headwind days... but doesn't eliminate them by any means. Fully loaded with two of us, camping gear (tent and sleeping bags went inside the wing), a backpack each hung on the seat back and A frame, tools, cooking gear, food, fishing gear etc we could cruise at 52kt (we were both quite lightweight) and the average groundspeed for the trip was 42kt so there was plenty of time to watch the world go by! A TV station in Darwin did a feature on the trip because it was the longest unsupported trip by ultralight at the time and POST magazine did a centrespread about it. I think I've still got a copy of that somewhere, now I'm sorting archives I might come across it and if I do I'll scan it and post it here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Better still, send it to Sport Pilot. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza 38 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Went through the photo archives and finally found a couple of the good ship Lollipop.This was the first certified Drifter ever sold by Austflight, I bought it in early 1987. In 1989 I took a former student on a five month trip to the Top End and back including the Kimberley, Darwin in the NT, Arnhemland and far north Queenslater Drifnd. We covered 8000Nm and worked on cattle stations as cook, boreman, musterer and teaching stockmen to fly. Had a ball. I modified the plane quite a bit for the trip, you can see the slimline long range tank under the fuselage, a much improved panel, under the front seat legs I had shaped toolboxes and the rear seat was partially enclosed with a 'chariot' style of fairing, that fairing made a huge difference aerodynamically and making the back seat just as protected and comfortable as the front seat. I also fitted much larger wheels than standard, they were off a golf buggy and allowed landings in mud and on quite soft beaches. the photos were taken just after returning from the trip in Sept 1989. [ATTACH=full]20316[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]20315[/ATTACH] That was the first Drifter that I have ever been in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausadvance Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 and did you catch the bug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza 38 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 and did you catch the bug? I haven flown a Drifter since 1990.:peepwall: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausadvance Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I haven flown a Drifter since 1990.:peepwall: thats just not acceptable! get down here to lismore now, its time to remind you what real flying is, instead of sitting in a box that happens to get off the ground! this said though I have a feeling going by some of your previous posts in other threads that you have some time clocked up time in members of the cub family, if this is the case ill give you that, flying doesn't get much better than the a cub...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Here are a couple of Drifter pics that have probably never been seen before. I built this full enclosure shortly before the big trip north with a view to getting Austflight to offer the enclosed version as an option for the cold southern climate. Once I'd test flown it I flew it over to Austflight at Boonah and the response was - absolutely nothing, they weren't interested at all. Oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausadvance Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 did it improve performance by minimizing drag or did the extra weight keep things as they were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XP503 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Any other photos from the early yrs at Kooralbyn? Good design but the open cockpit is what drifters are all about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 did it improve performance by minimizing drag or did the extra weight keep things as they were? Speed went up very considerably, from 52kt cruise to 60kt cruise. The weight wasn't an issue, the whole enclosure only weighed about 14kg IIRC and could be fitted or removed in about 30 mins including removing/fitting the original pod. The reason the nose of the enclosed pod was so low and pointed was to pick up the original pod mounts on front underside and top of the panel. At first it had a very strange flying characteristic. It would start to yaw and then just keep on going around until you were pointing 30 or more degrees off the flightpath but it didn't feel like you were skidding anything like that much and you didn't want to roll so you didn't need any opposite aileron. It fair put the wind up me at first. Once you were flying at this ridiculous angle it was stable but only delicately so, a touch of rudder would make it yaw further or start back toward straight and then keep going to be skidding in the other direction at a high angle. To keep it straight you had to be 'on the ball' (or yawstring) all the time and keep the feet working. At first I thought it must be that there was so much side area forward of the CG it was almost balancing the side area aft of the CG and so the 'weathercocking' effect of the fin/rudder was almost overcome. Later I found that it was a laminar flow effect and as soon as some yaw was introduced the boundary layer on the shielded side broke down and the resultant drag pulled the nose around. VGs fixed the problem, in fact it was one of the first times I came across VGs, I read about them in a book, maybe Bingelis?? Any other photos from the early yrs at Kooralbyn?Good design but the open cockpit is what drifters are all about Yes I've got a bunch of Kooralbyn stuff but not the very early days, I wasn't involved there until about 1986. I'll post some as I come across anything of interest. Many were lost when left on the noticeboards there during the 'troubled years'. I wouldn't really agree with your comment about the Drifter there. There are many open cockpit aircraft and they all have their appeal, so open cockpit isn't restricted to Drifters by any means. In my mind the appeal of the Drifter is the unrivalled view from being in the front and the enclosed pod with its huge windows didn't change that at all except you could go flying very happily in the early morning in midwinter in Winton for example, at minus 3C and with a straight-off-the-desert wind chill factor of 15 - and still enjoy the wonderful view from up the front... You wouldn't last long in an open Drifter in those temperatures regardless of a good ski suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XP503 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Yea true. Fascinating stuff. Would be great to see the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Flew my old beloved 582 CB Drifter "Miss Adventure" 25-0452 again late yesterday, the first time in four years. I sold her back then to finance my current "Miss Adventure 2" a GR912 Heliview Lightwing. (That's 452 all rugged up in post #10, not long after I sold her.) It is now on it's second owner since I let her go, but is still in the area based at Ayr Airport NQ. She has since been refitted with new Fisher skins, a new bluetop 582, main tundra wheels, and some cockpit mods. I just dropped by yesterday to check out the new engine installation, and when asked to fly her how could I refuse !!... After a very thorough airframe inspection, I climbed into the still familiar front cockpit (I did well over 550 hrs in her back then, flew many, many, rides and quite a few 4 hour+ overland flights.) Damn, even the bit of black sheepskin I used on the front seat was still there !.......Same coolant guage and markings, that Beechcraft VSI that I installed, and the low coolant alarm that had served me so well all those 11 years that I owned her. I had very few dramas with her either in 11 years of solid operation, on one grey-top 582. Ok all good, bearing in mind this was a first flight with a newly run-in engine, I lined up on Ayrs' runway and away we went. After noting that all was just fine in the engine room, (even the coolant temps sitting in the same place !) I proceeded to throw her around a bit, and carry out some stalls, one with a good bootfull of right rudder at the break, just as she always liked. Then a landing on the grass, and another take off for more fun. After taxying back in and reporting her, and the new engine 'good', I loaded the new owner and we enjoyed some peacefull cruising at altitude in the senic and smooth late evening air. This is what drifter flying is all about for sure !!... Really amazing to me how your can hop in an aircraft that you haven't flown in four years, and just immediatly feel right at home !....a testment to a good aircraft design for sure. I reckon the work the new owners have done on her have improved her even more. The tail-shake she always had has gone, the new tight skins and tail give her a more solid cimb and helps the feel allround, and the larger main tires make the landings not much of a chore. "Miss adventure" still adorns her pod, and plenty of the original 'good stuff' is still there making her the throughbreed she always she always was. Thanks to Ken and Errol for the opportunity to fondle her once again !......................................................Maj... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Drifter Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Just replaced the propeller with a new Bolly prop. Makes a noticeable difference. Still trying to work out what pitch setting to keep it at. But had a little fun while trying it out. Take off from my home field. Cruising past my favourite ridge. Turning finals at home. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Love that shot by the ridge bluedrifter...that's drifter country for sure !..............................Maj... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Drifter Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Flying around Canowindra at the balloon festival. Had to take off just after sunrise to get these pictures. Cold night in a tent but well worth the effort. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Hawkins Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 They're not really all pics OF the drifter, but lots of pics FROM the drifter here in my latest blog entry on my flight to Monument Valley.... http://www.shutterflightphotography.com/drifting-to-monument-valley/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Went out west again Mid May Dalby - Tara - Roma - Morven - Cheepie - Quilpie overnight; Quilpie - Thargomindah - Camp on Bulloo River. Day trips around the camp area then we flew to Tibooburra for the night and went out to Cameron Corner before heading back to camp. The run home was Camp - Hungerford - Engonia - Lighening Ridge overnight; Lightenting Ridge - Mungundi - Tara We absolutly bagged the weather by some excellent foresight and planning (by Yoda) and followed the high around.... TAIL WINDS THE WHOLE WAY. Bit disappointing as we were getting places to fast with not enough flying time Quilpie Morven Great Skies Camp Cameron Corner Fuel Yellow Belly Lightening Ridge 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Isaac Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Ya bastards ... LOL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Just how do you stand on your head and hold two fish ?........great photos, looks like a great trip................Maj... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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