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rgmwa

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Everything posted by rgmwa

  1. rgmwa
    Good job! Lucky they had a nice paddock handy. Landing in the surrounding hills may not have had such a good outcome.
  2. rgmwa
    I've wondered the same thing. The centre section between the two fuselages must take a lot of bending and torsion that you would think would be reduced if the tails were joined. Still, maybe there are more complex resonance modes if the tails are joined that might affect its effectiveness as a rocket launch platform. Having just one connection point near the centre of gravity is simpler in that all the forces have to go through one main structural member, and maybe that improves stability. Who knows, but I'm sure there will be a good reason.
  3. rgmwa
    This topic has come up before. Some of my favourites, in no particular order: Fate is the Hunter - Ernest Gann A Higher Call - Adam Makos North Star Over My SHoulder - Bob Buck Weather Flying - Bob Buck Wind, Sand and Fire - Saint-Exupery The Hardest Day - Alfred Price A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin Hustling Hinkler - D.R.Dymock Sagittarius Rising - Cecil Lewis War in a Stringbag - Charles Lamb First Light - Geoffrey Wellum The Flight of the Mew Gull - Alex Henshaw The Man who Saved Smithy - Rick Searle Gallipoli Air War - Hugh Dolan Forever Flying - Bob Hoover Boyd - Robert Coram Killer Caldwell - Jeffrey Watson No Moon Tonight - Don Charlwood The Final Hours - Johannes Steinhoff The Last Plane Out of Berlin - Jeffrey Watson Messerschmitts Over Sicily - Johannes Steinhoff I Flew for the Fuhrer - Heinz Knoke The First and the Last - Adolf Galland Flying Doctor - Clyde Fenton Mustang Designer - Ray Wagner Fighter - Len Deighton The Flight of the Condor- W.E Johns
  4. rgmwa
    True, Galland was a fighter pilot, so he saw its advantages from that point of view. Many 262's initially intended as fighter-bombers ended up being transferred to fighter squadrons (and there weren't many of those), or were abandoned. From memory, I think they built about 1,400 but only had a fraction operational at any one time. I suspect high speed is not as important in an Amy support aircraft as the ability to carry a lot of ordnance, have good endurance plus good acceleration and manoeuvrability. Douglas Skyraider and Warthog are examples. Typhoons and Tempests were pretty effective too. For what it's worth on this idle Saturday afternoon, in my view the FW190 would have made a better hit and run weapon that the Me262.
  5. rgmwa
    The Me262 wasn't very manoeuvrable, which would be a disadvantage for a ground attack aircraft. It was also slow to accelerate and the engines had to be handled gently. However, its speed made it an excellent interceptor despite its rather short endurance. Galland certainly thought Hitler's idea was a serious blunder and misuse of the plane's major speed advantage over allied fighters and its ability to knock down bombers with its 30mm cannon and missiles. However either way, it was a case of too little too late to alter the outcome of the war, so whether Hitler was right or not is probably a moot point. Goering eventually conceded that Galland was right despite initially backing Hitler.
  6. rgmwa
    My download speed is 1.3 Mbps from a Sydney server and 0,2 Mbps upload which probably explains no noticeable difference. We're about 40 km from Perth CBD. What's this NBN thing I've heard about?
  7. rgmwa
    Dan Horton also did some practical tests on fire retardant sealants that were written up on VAF. His conclusion was that 3M Fire Barrier 2000+ performed best. Not expensive either. https://www.3m.com.au/3M/en_AU/company-au/all-3m-products/~/3M-Fire-Barrier-Silicone-Sealant-2000-/?N=5002385+3293123941&rt=rud
  8. rgmwa
    Marty, this might be what you're looking for. Haven't tried it myself, but looks like a good alternative to steam gauges and the price should be right:
  9. rgmwa
    Mostly because they remind me of the old days. Besides, they look nice.
  10. rgmwa
    Most Dynon and Garmin panels have the ability to display 6-pack analogue `dials'. After getting my licence in decades old aircraft about ten years ago I decided this was the way to go when I built my own plane, at least initially. However, after the first half hour I'd got used to the ribbon displays and never bothered with the analogue option. I agree that the position of hands on a dial are quicker to interpret at a glance, and did put a round ASI, Alt, compass and vintage 8-day clock in the panel in case the electronics ever gave up.
  11. rgmwa
    Have you tried a heat gun or hair dryer?
  12. rgmwa
    QwikEFIS might be worth considering. http://members.iinet.net.au/~ninelima/efis/index.html I have no connection with the author and don't use it personally, but it looks like good piece of software for Android devices.
  13. rgmwa
    Is there a link to John Brandon's tutorials?
  14. rgmwa
    The current system seems fine to me.
  15. rgmwa
    ... and the Thruster!
  16. rgmwa
    Protruding rivet heads may make it difficult to get the wrap to stick around them. Any voids under the vinyl might become a corrosion trap?
  17. rgmwa
    I don't think so, Ian. I have a PPL, my plane is GA and I'm not in RAAus, but recreational flying is what I do, so the name works for me. There are also professional pilots on here who fly for fun in their spare time.
  18. rgmwa
    Is there an option to turn off the timeline bar on the left side of the screen?
  19. rgmwa

    Rotax 912

    rgmwa replied to Rodr's topic in Savannah

    I agree. The iS package from Vans is $5,000US more than the ULS. I don't know what Bert Flood charges for the iS but I'm sure it will be a lot more than the ULS. It's also difficult enough to find trained Rotax mechanics locally, and those with iS experience will be even more scarce. It may be different in Europe, but I think that for us in Australia the ULS still makes a lot of sense. However, the iS is certainly a nice engine with impressive performance and if I was building again I could be tempted to try to find the extra cash. Fortunately, I'm not building.
  20. rgmwa

    Rotax 912

    rgmwa replied to Rodr's topic in Savannah

    Just for interest, Vans publish these performance figures for the 912iS and 912ULS respectively in the RV-12, based on their testing: Range (7500’ @ 5500 rpm) 630 miles 433 miles Range (7500’ @ 5000 rpm) 605 miles 435 miles Tank capacity is 20 US gal, all useable. Miles are statute miles. These show that the iS is significantly more fuel efficient than the ULS.
  21. rgmwa

    Rotax 912

    rgmwa replied to Rodr's topic in Savannah

    I flight plan at 19. I did a long trip recently (over 4,000nm). Tacho time was 45.0 hrs and I used 773 litres giving 17.2 lph average. Time spent warming up, taxying, descending/climbing etc all affect the average fuel consumption so 19 lph is about as near as I can determine for steady cruise. I have a fuel flow meter, but it's only as good as its calibration, and in any case only measures fuel going to the engine, not fuel going back to the tank via the return line. Even in steady flight it can fluctuate between 16 and 20 lph for no apparent reason so I don't rely on it.
  22. rgmwa

    Rotax 912

    rgmwa replied to Rodr's topic in Savannah

    My average fuel burn on a 2-3 hour flight (912ULS) based on tacho time is about 17 lph but steady cruise (112-115 kts IAS at about 3000 feet and 5200-5300 rpm) is about 19 lph.
  23. rgmwa

    Rotax 912

    rgmwa replied to Rodr's topic in Savannah

    About 19 lph at 5200-5300 rpm in my case.
  24. rgmwa
    I wasn't telling you to spend $50k on a plane. I was giving you an example of how you might estimate the fixed cost of owning it if you paid cash for it. All the running costs and other ownership costs are obviously on top of that as per the video. I suggest you contact a flying club and find out what it costs to hire a Cessna 152. That will give you a rough but useful idea of what it will cost you to own a plane like the one in the video yourself, You may do it more cheaply, but if you don't fly much it may work out more expensive. The video is not very relevant to Australia except as an example of the kinds of things you may want to include in your own cost estimate.
  25. rgmwa
    Buy it for $50k, keep it ten years, sell it for $30k, fly an average 30 hrs per year and your cost to own it is about $67/hr. Change the numbers and assumptions to suit your situation.
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