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pmccarthy

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Everything posted by pmccarthy

  1. So what happened to the engine, that was about to be started, or the aircraft that was about to be produced?
  2. I had a choice of a new 404 or a used beetle. The 404 was a run out model in 1971 and no one wanted them. I chose the VW and a friend bought the 404, it was a great car.
  3. I have spent some time in India on many visits and find it a vibrant place where people work hard on their business opportunities. It is possible to live very well if you have a business income. Friends have a cook, servant and a driver etc. and a nice house which might be modest by Oz standards but would do me.
  4. I had a FS Texan and it ran hot when climbing in summer, so I had to level out or nearly level out periodically to keep the temperature ok. The Storch may be similar.
  5. Yes, I have been slipping it a lot. That is very effective.
  6. My recently acquired Vixxen likes to fly but is reluctant to descend. I have found that rates of descent with one POB and half fuel at 50 knots end engine idle are: No flap 200 fpm 1/2 flap 400fpm full flap 400 fpm. The flaps are actually flaperons. Idle at 50 knots is 2200 rpm which is a bit higher than I would like, my previous 912s idled at about 1800 on the ground, about 2000 in flight. This is all manageable but getting it down to 50 knots is critical. With a stall speed of 27 knots at MTOW the old 1.3 rule would suggest a speed on final of 36 knots but with low inertia 50 knots is safe, 45 over the fence. Then add a bit of power for the round out, pull the flaps immediately on the ground. I was expecting the full flap setting would have a higher rate of descent but have tested this several times.
  7. The article says he is using the Subsonex for locals and the RV for the long trips.
  8. I had a very unwelcoming experience at Grafton a few years back, and have told a few people it was South Grafton . The previous post made me realise I was wrong. It is confusing, because it is south.
  9. Was the Jabiru an option from Fly Synthesis on the Storch, or is it a conversion?
  10. Cars for the mining industry is an interesting challenge. Several have been purpose built in Australia but failed - too expensive up front mainly. Then all the imports that have been tried, including the Hummer and various 4wds from India and Asia. But the Landcruiser always came out on top, even in corrosive underground environments where they only lasted two years.
  11. We had Tim Penney from CASA give a presentation on this at Kyneton last night. It was really good. It was CASA AvSafety Seminar - "Non-Controlled Aerodromes: Manage Your Risks" If it is presented near you, I would recommend it.
  12. It is much more expensive to run a flying school with CASA than with RAA. That cost must be built into hourly training rates.
  13. That means you are missing two thirds of the traffic, the ones without ADSB but with OzRunways..
  14. Thanks RF, I also know of 912 stoppages due to fuel supply, fortunately with a safe outcome.
  15. Survey result so far - no one on this forum has experienced failure of a normally aspirated Rotax 912, Lycoming or Continental engine. Interesting.
  16. The last few years were low for several reasons. This year I am back on track to meet my 2010 to 2016 average. So that is the number I have chosen in your survey.
  17. In another thread, engine reliability has been raised. Some people don’t trust single engined aircraft. So let’s have a quick survey. What is your experience of engine failure in normally-aspirated aero engines? Express it as engine failure per thousand hours of your flying experience. Limit it to Lycoming, Continental and four-stroke Rotax engines. Perhaps only answer if you have at least 500 hours of flying experience. Of course we are talking about mechanical failure, not fuel a management issues. Auto conversions, older or minor makes, turbo and injected engines not included. My experience, for what that is worth, is zero failures per thousand hours.
  18. Every day there are dozens of single-engine flights over built up areas, water and forest where there is little or no option to glide clear. A mid-Bass Strait engine failure would almost certainly be fatal. Ditto flights over the eastern range to places like South Grafton. And all that traffic over cities where you would be looking for a golf course, perhaps a 50-50 chance. We trust our engines because they have been shown to be very reliable. When planes come down, it is more likely fuel mismanagement, stalling in a turn or VFR into IMC. If anyone is afraid of engine failure in a well-maintained aircraft then they should get their jollies with a home sim setup.
  19. Someone who popped up on this site again a couple of days ago once strung us along for months, perhaps it was years, with a new engine he was developing. Did the same with a plane. It pays to be skeptical.
  20. Do you mean all the single engine flying that is done legally and safely today over towns and cities? Or do you have a particular type of engine in mind?
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