BrendAn

On 12/04/2022 at 8:43 PM, Jase T said:

Hey team. Considering an older Lea kenstrell With a rotax503. Reasonably competent 2500 hour pilot but limited tail dragged time (aboit30 hours about 20 years ago. Thoughts / comments/ personal experience appreciated ' o

I have been told they were based on the single seat thruster with several improvements on the thruster.

On 12/04/2022 at 2:40 PM, turboplanner said:

Ceramics failed in the 1980s/90s in both clutch discs and engine components, primarily combustion chamber parts such as piston tops valve tops, valve seals. We've had many discussions on this site about combustion chambers getting too hot and damaging components as a result, and ceramics were going to break through this barrier, but the failure was in installation and servicing; there were just too many hours and broken ceramics during installation. The clutches failed for a different reason; they were designed for almost instant engagement, but the drivers just couldn't adapt to an instant start; they wanted to slip the clutches. In those circumstances the ceramics acted like machine tools and tore up the flywheel face, shortening the life. Today there may be a chance with robotic assembly etc.

One of my Isuzu trucks has a ceramic clutch and it is a horrible thing to operate smoothly

Turboprop thruster 😁

31 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

Hi Craig, great to hear you have 4 machines now. We have 4 flying in our Cowra group now with 2 more under restoration. We are flying 2 over for the Parkes flyin next Saturday april 2.  

I didn't get a chance to catch up thruster but will be back up there in the winter I am hoping . Will give you a ring when I am .

53 minutes ago, extralite said:

Brendan's Thruster has a new home for now. We have 4 which is probably one too many but for now its great as we have the room.  Two 500's and two 300's. Be nice to have some visitors sometime to see how many we can get in the air at once.  It is near Tullamore NSW and lots of nice dirt strips around.

 

The interesting thing is how different they each fly. The T300 pictured flies very nicely, except when pulling the power in the flare. The first few times it almost caught us out in how quickly it ran out of the desire to remain suspended.  That is compared to the other Thrusters which really says something. It may be because the skins are not as tight as the others. Still nice though. Engine runs beautifully.  It has a primer which is a great idea.

 

One T500 tends to roll into turns more than the other but they both fly nicely (for a Thruster.).  

 

The last t300 we still haven't figured out yet. It is a very tidy machine but it pulls downward when under power. More than what is comfortable. Now we have an additional T300 to compare it to and a certified test pilot, we might be able to find and correct it. Everything seems okay....C of G, aileron droop, angle of tailplane. But someone has done something and it has messed it up. 

 

As for a training machine, i can see the benefits. They really encourage you to be watching your airspeed and attitude. However an instructor would need fast reflexes or there must be some bouncing i would be think. 

 

 

t300brendan.heic 5.69 MB · 9 downloads

You have your own squadron now Craig.  Try leaving the thruster in the sun and pull the middle straps tight when it's warm. Might help a bit. 

Hi. Tried the phone number on the X air website. It's disconnected.

Are they still in business.

2 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

I often look out at the wings while flying and have never noticed any sign of deformation.  In examples with slack skins putting more curve in the lower battons might help a little, there would be no magic, there never is in aircraft.  

On another note. I hope to be going for a flight in a thruster in 2 weeks up at Parkes.  Also having a lesson in a tecnam soon. Looking forward to that. Also going for a tif in a gyro. Might not know anything but I have a few flights ahead of me.👍

1 hour ago, Thruster88 said:

I often look out at the wings while flying and have never noticed any sign of deformation.  In examples with slack skins putting more curve in the lower battons might help a little, there would be no magic, there never is in aircraft.  

As you know I am only a learner with aircraft but I understand when you say there no magic but some small improvements would surely add up. Why would people design things like wheel spats and strut fairings among other things if they don't make any difference.  A knot or 2 here and there will add up.

1 hour ago, Thruster88 said:

My Thruster t500 is completely stock except for the 582 upgrade over the 503 it left the factory with. It will do 64knots GPS along the runway at 50 feet in calm conditions 100% power. To get 73knots would be a stretch in my opinion. In straight and level flight the elevator is neutral, changing the angle of incidence would upset that and add drag. I reckon Steve Cohen knew what he was doing, it wasn't his first rodeo.  

Have you stiffened up the bottom of the wing. I was told this makes the biggest difference .

31 minutes ago, RFguy said:

did you get booked ?  Victoria- so did he shoot at you ?

Towing my thruster on the trailer at 100 was about as close as I got to flying it.😁

51 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Wing riggers AoA will affect the attitude the fuselage makes with the horizon at cruise speed.  Reducing to 3 Degrees would have to produce a nose up attitude at any speed the Thruster would achieve, I would think. There's no magic in all of this. A thruster is a pretty draggy machine and as I've mentioned before, Loose skins degrade the general performance a lot.. The near new one I flew about 1986 flew much better than any I've flown when they got older. I've done quite a few power off overspeed dives at very steep angles and you don't get high airspeeds there but you do get down fast. Nev

The one I am talking about may have had more done than I know . Like strut fairings maybe. It was clocked by a policeman with a radar gun. 2 passes at 136kmh

10 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

The thruster has something like 8deg on the main wing. I have heard someone cut it back to 3 deg and added extra or stiffer battens. I don't know which. Also adjusted ailerons for slight neg and achieved a cruise if 80 knts with a 582.  And I know that's one but the vne was put as 80 knts because they had to put a figure in at the time. It was not a tested number. 

Sorry. I put the wrong number there. It was 73 knts. Got my conversion wrong. 136 kmh

5 hours ago, facthunter said:

I've done a rough calculation and I work it at  about 10 degrees, 3x what a normal Glide slope(ILS) is. I agree with your first 3 sentences absolutely and Tony Hayes  (TOSG) was re rigging the wing AoA when he passed away. I spent a lot of time corresponding with Tony, a very knowledgeable and pleasant fellow and a great asset to the Thruster movement. Nev

The thruster has something like 8deg on the main wing. I have heard someone cut it back to 3 deg and added extra or stiffer battens. I don't know which. Also adjusted ailerons for slight neg and achieved a cruise if 80 knts with a 582.  And I know that's one but the vne was put as 80 knts because they had to put a figure in at the time. It was not a tested number. 

1 minute ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

its all over the news and pprune and Facebook

I was at work mate. I only heard it on 3aw.  

There was a fatal Ag plane crash up at seaview today.  I haven't heard any more. 

54 minutes ago, Yenn said:

You will miss out by not learning on the Thruster. It is a much harder plane to fly well than the Jabiru. Just see what I mean by the comments about speed control on landing. From memory the Thruster had one speed 50kts. Climb,descent and cruise. I put mine in a dive once and it didn't go over 70 kts.

I heard the only way to get a thruster to loop is a full power dive until the windscreen buckles then pull her up.

1 minute ago, RFguy said:

ahh well, J160 flies  bit faster than a J230. smaller wing.

I still think 70 kts landing is a bit hot for landing , but will depend on conditions , available runway etc

 

be sure to know if its a C or a D. AGAIN READ SECTION 4 Normal Procedures

Reading the PoH should be mandatory for students ! (in my opinionated opinion) 

 

https://jabiru.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/J160-C_Section0-9_Rev3.pdf

 

https://jabiru.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JP-FM-11_J160-D_POH_Rev2.pdf

 

 

beleive it or not, the manufacturer actually knows best....

 

 

It's a c

Thanks RF. It is good to read an experienced pilots perspective.  I will look at the Poh. I have a lesson at 4.00 today.  They also have a 230 which I can hire. The 160 is cheaper and I love flying in it. Must try the 230.

1 minute ago, RFguy said:

Have a look at the PoH as a backgrounder. You can download from the website

My J230 at 600kg, lands about 40-45kts (benign conditions) . 

70-75kts (full flap)   in a 600kg J230 is more like early to mid final  just so the faster planes behind you dont run into you.

65 mid final.  maybe 56-60  over the fence if you have plenty of runway to burn

Remember there is a huge stall speed difference between no flaps (57kIAS approx, then  flaps in TO posiiton 47kts ish and landing flaps 40kts ish)   all aloading, CG , dependent etc.

 

 

 

 

I am only a learner and did mention the only thing I find a bit disconcerting is landing that fast but he said I would not even think about after more air time.  The plane is a j160. Beautiful aircraft. I was impressed with how comfortable it is and smooth in turbulence. A

The CFI told me Jabiru have small control surfaces so they handle better if you don't go under 70 knts landing.

Just now, RFguy said:

70 kts landing speed ?

ahhh no, not in ANY Jabiru.

 

discuss .

 

What do you mean

4 minutes ago, jackc said:

I did a couple of hours in a Jabiru 230 and it flew well for me……not sure about grass strips though, I will be in my Thruster this coming week, weather is looking good for it. Will see how it goes, probably nice and slow which is more to my liking, don’t ever see me in some slick plastic fantastic 🙂.  Brendan, just look to the skies for fun days ahead, no matter what you fly 🙂 

 

Certainly will.  

Hope to be taking the thruster up to her new home next Monday. Got her pulled down ready to go.  Sad to see it go now. But on the other hand I have started lessons in a Jabiru and loving it.  3 lessons last week and another tomorrow. The only thing that bothers me with the Jabiru is the 70 knot landing speed but I will get used to it I hope.  I have been offered a flight in a thruster when I deliver mine so I will get to experience the thruster at last. 

On 30/01/2022 at 10:33 PM, SupaThruster said:

Hello all. New to this site, 

just finished myT300 rebuild and she is now registered

Looks great

3 minutes ago, jackc said:

Sorry to see you had to sell it 😞. I have just been through the hangar thing, my CFI is 65km from home and the hangar I have leased for 12 months is 70km from home.  I assembled my machine 2 days ago and will relocate it on Friday. THEN I can finally get it into the air.  Gives me 12 months to build my own hangar and finish strip at home. Rang Floods today my new crate 582 arrives end of March, now……so have  that to look forward to as well.

Thanks jack. At least it's going to a good home . The new owner is going to take me flying when I deliver the thruster.

Sounds like your having fun up there. Will waiting for photos of your flight.