The Baron

Yea ok. Would love to get a two seater and just can never find any for sale

Tony told me personally that you couldn't three point the Thruster, plus several other things I didn't believe.

Hey I know this is a bit off topic but is it possible to get the plans to build a T500 from scratch ?

Sport pilot went west when the magazine was sub contracted out and recreational pilots lost control of it. The magazine seems to concentrate on the high end money spenders of the sport with only token acknowledgement of the actual "Ultralight" members. Don't bother with it any more since the classified ads have disappeared to commercial interests, members post have become few and far between. It seems to be a vehicle for the aggrandisement of the current RAA Aus management and as such is not really worth while any more. The removal of the the free magazine was a blatant money grab by the organisation at the expense of the members. If the costs had been maintained and not blown out with perks, salaries etc then the organisation would have retained its friendly family atmosphere but, hey, maybe that's progress, money as opposed to people count...

Thanks guys i love the old photos and stories, i still fly a single seat Thruster i find it the most enjoyable and relaxing type of aircraft to fly, bring back all the old rag and tube aircraft.

Hello... Have been reading quite a bit on this site as I have an interest in learning to fly...obviously. I live in Far North Queensland near Mission Beach and have been looking for a new past time that involves the air! Was a skydiver for many years up here and no longer have the drive to jump out of planes. Tried scuba last year and it didn't do a whole lot for me. Am very interested in Paragliding but the options up here are very limited. There sure is a lot of landing strips up here though! I have no doubt that I will enjoy being at the controls rather than leaping through the door. My Dad was a pilot for a long time from the 60's onwards.My question is. Can anyone tell me which model Thruster this is? I am in no rush to buy an aircraft and understand that getting a licence is my priority right now. Also meeting folk from up this way for advice and help.

Cheers :) Todd

I am slowly getting ducks in a row for re-assembly and re-commissioning of the Thruster Gemini but am still lacking a decent spade-handle engine mount and a dual carb inlet manifold for a R503. Can anybody help or put me in contact with someone who might have either of these items? Will trade cash, parts or a left kidney. cheers Riley

I have found a pull start thanks guys, cheers Steve.

Wanted to buy pull start for a 503 Rotax engine fan cooled

Hi Baron did you find a starter?

Jim Cuthill at Eagle Hawk does training in a Thruster

GA experimental has no rego fee no licence fee no inspection fee, if you build your own aircraft you can maintain it yourself !

I don't read the online version but to be fair, the printed version was losing my interest pretty rapidly anyway.I felt it was getting too technical and GAish.

Wanted to buy pull start for a 503 Rotax engine fan cooled

No worries Thanks Steve,I enjoy flying the old girl and much more fun than GA.

Fact of the matter is i have moved house and interstate, long story short,i would be intersted in selling her (the aircraft not the missus) i have not advertised yet but if anyone on this thread is interested please give me a call on 0422019958

 

Or email: [email protected]

 

Asking 10 k ,is regoed.has trailer but thats not regoed.

 

Ps good luck with the Gemini project!!

Tyro mk2. However my belief is that the fan will always trump free air. Cheers

Hi Baron, I've experience with both free air and fan on a 503 and would not go down the free air path again. The primary reason relates to on ground movement where a long transit from hangar to threshold and the start of my take off role caused over heating and costly engine damage when relying on free air.In my case early in my flying hours, the cylinder head bolts snapped and the piston destroyed the cylinder wall at 1500 feet elevation plus 3 miles after take-off. This was enough prompting to make me seek the advice of Eddie the Expert, Gary at Bert Flood Imports. No matter how cleverly I framed my question to trick him into endorsing Free Air, Gary seemed to frame his response the same (and I'm paraphrasing here), "the fan is of part of the 503 for a reason you idiot". Also he seemed to suggest that fuel mix, fresh fuel, good filters, guages, plugs and all else per Rotax operators manual contributed to good safe performance.

Strangely, since operating with the fan and factory cowlings, the overheating issue has resolved.

 

If the relatively minor amount of power expended to drive the fan effects your aircrafts overall performance a motor upgrade may be required.

 

Many pilots operate with free air with no problems. Of course there are generally many solutions to engineering problems, however Rotax built in a solution for temperature issues and trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak is a waste of energy which adds to down time and cost; that's my experience.

 

By the way, it took a couple of rebuilds before the message finally sank in. Cheers, Paul

Looking at your aircraft DP it is a single seat Thruster which means it is not a 95/25 compliant aircraft it is 95/10 so you can either fan cool it or free air it with no issues. Of all the 503 powered Thrusters i have seen have been free air cooled with the rear cylinder scoop supplied by rotax. Pilots i have been speaking to recently all say they haven't had overheating problems while taxiing as there is ample air coming from the prop, so i will be setting mine up as free air

Thanks mate, you say it clearer than the TOGS description (finally got into the site) Whilst she fits most of what you have said, I've just looked at the RA-Aus cancellations register and they say she first registered on the 28th June 1992 as a T84 and came off register on the 18th Feb 2006. On Monday, I found another listing somewhere? that said she was serial number 1016..? but also a T84.Where Steve got the impression she was a T100 I don't know and will have to ask him.

How do I contact Kay? any ideas?

fan cooling. the fan slows the air at high speeds and speeds it up on the ground

What is the best application,free air or fan cooled for my thruster where would i get a air scoop if free air is the way to go, cheers, Steve.

Good to see her flying again Richard as Corky said she flys really nice, gotta keep them Thrusters flying. I am flying a real early Thruster Gemini and loving it cheers Steve.

As far as i am aware Tony's wife Kay has the rights to the manuals that Tony had printed and she will supply them on request ph. no. is 0754231963 cheers,Steve

Can any one tell me if Tony Hayes wife KAYE is still with us I am after a thruster type handbook I sent an email but it returned if any one has information on her and or her whereabouts and possible email address could you post it please THANKS kermit

Thanks mate