duncan_rtfm

Hi.  I have been sourcing all my wood (plywood, Hoop Pine and Cedart strips) from Boatcraft Pacific in Brisbane.  However, I am moving to New Zealand (far north - Paihia or Kerikeri) and was wanting to ask for recommendations regarding a good supplier of these materials in NZ.

Tyhanks in advance,

Duncanj

Oops - It seems I was less than clear.  I ive in Aus, but my son resides in SA.  He is wanting to learn to fly and has been offered a PPL or a Microlight licence path.  I know nothing about Microlite licences in SA, and I was hoping someone would have the necessary experience to say something like: "Th SA Microlite licence is roughly equivalent to a Recreational licence in Aus."  Or something along those lines.

Hi My son is in SA and is wanting to learn to fly. It seems his two options (in the area where he lives - Cape Town) are a PPL or a Microlite licence/cert (don't know the exact name).

Is there anyone with some experience with this?  Where can I (or he) find info regarding pilot licences in SA other than a full PPL.

Regards,

Duncan

...maybe fit floats to the Flea?  Ha ha.

My wife and I are considering moving to Paihia in Northland, NZ.  I've flown into Kerikeri (once) - but don't really know much about recreational flying in the area.  Anyone have any info/background/suggestions/advice?

I got my PPL at North Shore aero club about 15 years ago, and have done almost no flying since then.  I'm currently building a Flying Flea, which I hope to finish next year.  I'd like to be able to fly in and around the Bay of Islands.

Thanks.

Thank you for your replies.  I've dropped Coldsign a note asking for details, price, availability etc.

Cheers,

Duncan

Hi,

I'm looking for XPS foam sheets in Brisbane.  I'm not interested in the crap sold by Bunnings - I'm looking for something like the Dow blue foam quality.  I can get XPS sheets from Perth or Melbourne - but I'm looking for a Brisbane supplier/manufacturer.  I got a dozen or so sheets from a local supplier a while back, but can't find them again.  Google can't find them.

Help.
Any ideas?

Hi Barry,

Thank you.

Duncan

Hi Barry,

I was unable to open the attachment to your message.  I am guessing it was a picture of your tanks.
Could you pass on the welder's contact details anyway?

Thanks,

Duncan

Hi,

Does anyone know of a reasonably priced and reliable outfit which can weld a custom fuel tank in the Brisbane area?

Cheers,

Duncan

Any chance of finding plans for the McNair Myna? It's from Australia and New Zealand, was a kit plane in the '80s.

PHOTOGRAPH:
McNair Mynah ZK-FQU (c/n 003/MAANZ/403) at the Classic Wings Airshow at Omaka, NZ in 2017 (David C Eyre)
 

22 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

If you’re determined to not have any suspension, then at least add a decent layer of polystyrene (or similar) under your seat.

How about 18 inch balloon tyres with low inflation?  Works for the Aeromax...

21 hours ago, Student Pilot said:

Light aircraft have been using triangulated steel tube for undercarriages since the 1920's. Depends on the welding process and the welders skill as to any need for heat treating/stress relieving after welding. Chromemoly tube is very strong 1.2 mm would be ok, what thickness do the plans call for?

Plans?  What plans?  I'm it...

Hi Geoff,
Sounds an excellent idea.  Not quite sure how to do mine, since I will also need to be testing to make sure the wings/struts don't fail (I doubt they will, but good to be sure).

Duncan

Boatcraft Pacific sell what they call Aquacote - a water-based two-part polyurethane.  They recommend their undercoat which dries white, and sands easily.  The top coat is thin and watery, so 2 or 3 coats is required.  However I did my entire fuselage with only 250ml of the stuff.  Dries as hard as rock.  Also not cheap.

Aha!  Came across this:

According to FAR Part 23 h = 3.6* SQRT(W/S) where W is max airplane weight in pounds and S is wing area in ft^2. H is in feet.

The Fleabike weighs 300kg MAUW (660lbs).  Combined wing area = 13.5m^2 (145 ft^2).

3.6*(2.13) = 7.68 inches.

I'll drop mine from 9.2 inches.

Duncan

I came across this:  However, nowhere is the term "S" defined.  They do define "W" as weight (thank you).  Aaaargh!  However, from 9 to 18 inches seems about what I'd expect...

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2010-title14-vol1/pdf/CFR-2010-title14-vol1-sec23-725.pdf

Since objects fall at a rate of 32 ft/sec, the duration of the fall would need to be quite small - nowhere near 20 ft.  More like one or two feet at most I'd think

22 hours ago, facthunter said:

The weight  you would add would go against having any thicker.  If you use chromoly you have to heat treat it or at least stress relieve near the welds. The test for U/C adequacy is to drop the plane (or something equivalent) from a certain height and it's allowed to deform as long as you can still taxi it. I can't recall  what the height is but it is not that much.  I think 15 feet would cover it but better to check. With only the tyre to yield it's going to be pretty savage reaction' Would you like to jump a motorbike with NO suspension? It's also better for the suspension to yield before the rest of the plane (and YOU) gets all the force that can be involved.  You've only got one spine. Nev

Thanks for the comments.  I know the Aeromax has rigid 3-point suspension and relies only on the fat 18-inch low pressure tyres for damping.  I should give David Trump a call and get his thoughts on this.

Duncan

Excellent info kasper.  You're right, mostly known, but I thin k I may have underestimated the compression on the secondary members.  Thanks for the reminder.  I've been looking at 25mm square aluminium also, rather than steel.  Not sure about this however.

Duncan

Hi,

I'm looking for 3mm mild steel sheet.  I certainly don't need a full sheet (about 500mm x 500mm should do nicely).  Any ideas?

Thanks

Duncan

Hi,

I'm at the stage where I need to start fabricating my main gear.  The design calls for three triangulated steel tubes without suspension, relying rather on the cushioning effect of the 450mm balloon tyres.  The plane is going to be very light (MAUW of about 300kg) so this should suffice.  I have 25mm OD steel tubing in the shop which I was going to use, but I'm beginning to think that the 1.2mm wall thickness isn't going to cut it.

Any suggestions?  Experience?

Regards,

Duncan

Some years ago my wife and I visited Muriwai (on the coast near Auckland) and watched fascinated as hundreds of Gannets did great big circles out to sea and then back towards the rocks, skimming the cliffs by mere inches.  And then off they'd go again for another circuit.  I followed a single bird on his circuit, and he flew with amazing precision, time and time again.  Truly amazing.  Just having fun it looked like.

Hi,
I assume that the further aft the CG is from the main gear, the more difficult it will be to keep a tail dragger tracking straight down the runway, and vice-versa. Are there guidelines for this? Raymer suggests an angle of from 16 deg to 25 deg from the main gear to the CG.

My undercarriage can be swapped left/right to convert the Fleabike from a tricycle to a tail dragger, so I'm looking for some real-world experience from guys who have flown well-behaved tail draggers.

Any advice?

Duncan

Hi, So very sorry to hear of your health issues.  It's a sad day - and one which is down the road for all of us eventually.  Good luck with the sale.