Justin Hawkins

Thanks for those links. The dynafocal mounts on the Titans look pretty sweet. I'll have to call them to see if they'll sell me the machined blocks. This is the way Wayne mounted the 912 on the Fisher MK1. Looks brilliant to me, and also looks like it could be adapted to the Austflight SB582. Any thoughts ?

Can't get the parts through Wayne because they were never actually produced for the Austflight Drifter. He said he saw the one at the factory, but didn't build or design it. He did, however, say that it used the 582 mount, adapted for the 912. He also sent me pics of the Fisher MKI 912. He's a hell of a guy. If my numbers are right, I don't think it will be incredibly hard. I'm pretty sure the prop shaft offset will allow for a 64" prop. This might require 4 blades and lots of money. Maybe I can raise the engine a bit for a bigger diameter 3 bladed prop.

I talked to Wayne about the conversion, and got a few pictures. Looks like I'm going to begin designing a mount for the 912. I'd rather go with a 80hp 912 instead of the S, so we'll see how that goes.

I have not talked to Wayne. I won a 912 ULS on ebay, so it sure would be sweet to mount it up.

I second the recommendation for Wayne Fisher. I'm in the U.S., and spent the extra money to have Wayne do mine. I'm glad I did, as they are very well done.

Does anyone know of a source for the rubber vibration isolators on the drifter ? Mine are cracking, and I can't source a replacement in the states.

After much research, I'm still considering the HKS. I just worry about losing climb performance. Besides that, looks like a great engine. Anyone seen one on a drifter ?

I've considered the HKS, but there's a few factors I'm not to happy with. One, it's only 15 lbs lighter than a 912 installed. Two, in order to get close to the power of a 582, it needs to swing a big prop, which the drifter can't accept. Three, a used HKS is more expensive than a used 912.

Well, I think I'm gonna try. Gotta do the weight and balance calculations before I plop the money down on a used 912. Mounts shouldn't be that hard to adapt to the 582 mounting plate. Advertised installed weight with all accessories is 140 lbs. For a 582, it's 110 pounds, which does not include the oil injection tank and bracket. I'm hoping it's possible. Not really to concerned about additional horsepower, but would certainly like the increased reliability, quieter operation, and less fuel consumption.

Has anyone swapped out there 582 for a 912 ? I heard Fisher designed a MKII around the 912, and that it was stretched 12". However, unless my weight and balance calculations are off, the extra 30lbs in the back wouldn't put the CG out of spec. My SB582 is based in the US, and therefore registered experimental, so certification isn't a concern. Thanks !

Guys, So sorry for the late reply. I dropped off the face of the earth. I've got some brass rod stock, and I'll try to get a few sets of bushes made based on the drawing above. I'll post here when they're done, then you can message me a shipping address. Again, sorry for the long delay. Justin

Just in case anyone is curious, it appears that my rudder trim issue is solved. After fitting new sails from Wayne Fisher, the trim tab was left off of the rudder, and it now flies straight. I believe the thing that fixed it was reshaping the wing battens, mine were pretty far out of spec.

Just finishing up the new sail fitting. I just wanted to clarify - Can someone tell me where the forward attach point is for the cables that run from the trailing edge of the wing to the tail ? Is it the same an4-10a bolt that attaches the aft strut to the wings, or is it one of the smaller bolts (there's 3) on the aft strut itself, near where it attaches to the wing ? Thanks !!

I fly both on a regular basis. Today I did about 2 hours in each. The xair I fly belongs to a buddy whom I'm teaching to fly. The drifter is mine. I also own a Diamond DA20c-1. So here's my opinion: The xair is fantastic for learning to fly. It's one of the most forgiving airplanes I've ever flown (and I've flown LOTS). It cruises at about the same airspeed as the drifter, albeit a bit less efficiently due to drag caused by the wide fuselage (side by side seating). XAIR PROS - Super forgiving Easy to fly Very pitch stable Rugged suspension Tough - very unlikely you'll break it. Can be enclosed for cold weather flying. CONS Not nearly as good of visibility as the drifter Loud (in the cabin) Uncomfortable. I get bad cramps if I sit in it for more than 45 minutes at a time Lacks the open air feel Whereas the Drifter (mine is a factory built SB582) Drifter PROS Unrivaled visibilty Open air feel Quite in the cockpit ( a big deal to me) efficient cruise Very slightly better STOL performance compared to the xair Comfy for long flights, even for tall guys CONS Less forgiving when landing Less parts availability and factory support You'll have to bundle up when is gets below 40 degrees F Your passenger is farther away (can be a good thing) Chance of something going into the prop (pusher vs tractor) Maybe I'm biased, but I say Drifter any day. Don't mind the people who think you need a fast bird. You'd be suprised how far you can take a drifter with 17 gallons of fuel. I've got a fast plane too, but 80% of my flying is in the drifter. Speed is expensive, and hard to justify.

Thanks Farri ! Well, it has quit before. That's part of the price you might pay. I simply do my best to minimize the risk through preventative maintenence, and I always try to have a "way out" if possible. Although it's not always possible and I understand this. It's all about balancing the risk VS. Reward. Any pilot that thinks they can completely eliminate the risk is confused and in denial.

It's actually a mountain biking ap, which explains the annoying mile markers. It's called Cyclemeter. The best thing it does is post a link on my facebook page when I leave on a flight. If Someone needs to know where I am, they can go to facebook and my track will lead to my current position. This was used to help find me after an engine failure dumped me in the middle of nowhere. Here ya go: http://www.abvio.com/cyclemeter/ It's $2, but worth $50.

Sorry it's been so long fellas. Here's a few: The rest of the pics from this flight are here: http://www.shutterflightphotography.com/reservation/

A snapshot of the flight deck from a recent flight.... Here's a link to my blog with more pics and details of the flight: http://www.shutterflightphotography.com/exploring-the-southern-mesa-verde-cliffs/ And while I'm bragging, here's yet another link to a new gallery on my page: http://www.shutterflightphotography.com/reservation/

I should be able to do those. The materials will be about $25 I think. Shipping from the US shouldn't be to much. Send me your address via PM and I'll get some off to you. Once you get them and you're happy, you can paypal whatever you think they're worth (maybe around $3 each plus shipping) It might take me a week or so to get materials and get em made.

FYI, I never did find a source for the bushings. Even Wayne Fisher didn't know where to look. So I bought a lathe and made some. So in the future, I can supply PTFE or delrin aileron and flap bushings for the flap equipt drifter, if anyone needs them made.

Hi, I've got an oportunity to get a good deal on a nice 3 blade kiev prop to replace my worn out Brogla 4 blade. Problem is, it's a 1610mm diameter, which doesn't leave a whole lot of clearance between the prop and the elevator control tube. Does anyone know what the minimum clearance should be ?

Yet another question - I've got a lot of play in the aileron and flap tubes where they pass through the brackets that bolt to the trailing edge of the wing. Had anyone replaced these bushing before ? If so, is there a source (preferably in the US) for new ones ? I emailed Wayne Fisher, haven't heard back just yet. I'm sure they're a standard size. I could probably find some if I knew the ID / OD needed. Thanks again guys.

Order placed with Wayne! Thanks for the info fellas. I decided on Dark blue and White.

After talking to Wayne, I'm gonna go ahead and order the sails from him. Now it's just a matter of choosing colors. I wonder if the colors on his site actually match the sails. I'm thinking dark blue and white.... Any suggestion ? The airframe is red.

Skyfox, What do you mean by camber ? Both ailerons were to high ? To low ? My drifter has flaps. Seems like pitch trim and control on my bird is great.