Vorticity

Well, when my crew left the jab3300 started first turn and the two rotax 912s would not start :( I saw the quad bike help out two Cherokees. Rod stiff was talking to someone over at the jab display regarding the cold starting. The guy has a new jab engine and it won't start in the cold. Rod was very eager to hear about this. They have apparently been placing engines in a freezer room so as to work out any starting problems butvthey keep starting. He asked theowner if the could try out a new gizmo in his engine. Good to see some interest in continued R&D.

I hope his holiday doesn't take him to far inland, he mmay not come back!!:yuk:

One of my uni lecturers used to say that in the future you would have a pilot and a dog up front. The dog would be trained to bite the pilot if theyvtried to touch the controls!

Sonex do component kits. There are videos available from some guys in Canada, homebuilt help mtal building 101 etc. The have a complete series for the building of the entire CH701. These would really help. The first thing to do is maybe to see if you can watch them all and stay awake! They have a great video for the rudder. Combined with the rudder starter kit from zenith and you could get a good taste. Most techniques used are covered in books, websites and videos. EAA gave a brilliant set of online videos. I had not used a simple dimple die until this week. I got online, watched an EAA video, read some other builders websites and the practiced on scrap until I was happy. Building any aircraft is a serious undertaking, make sure you enter into it with eyes open. Maybe gi and look at some peoples projects? I'm in Brisbane if you want to see a sonex under construction.

I dunno, with 10 people all doing a bit here and there it could end up pretty disjointed. I know that I find my best building I'd when I make constant progress and one part leads to the next. I'd love to build with another mate at some stage as an extra set of hand would be great! My wing is getting pretty heavy now it has skins and 100s of clecos!!

I would love to see you try and sue RAAus (me and 6000 or so other pilots) because you had failed in one of your legal responsibilities as a pilot, to ensure that you are apprpriatley licennsed and current to conduct the flight. I find it personally offensive that you think it would have been appropriate to sue all of us. The team down in Canberra work hard, I don't see why they should be copping the harsh words being thrown about when you where clearly part of the system that failed. I bet everyone reading this thread went straight and checked their own ticket!

I am finding this quite interesting. So way back when a bunch of guys decided it would be awsome to strap a small engine on a glorified kite and go for short hops over the paddock.Someone else has already detailed the small logical steps that have lead to our current privalages. The stronger aircraft, no need to fly overloaded, raises the issue of expectation managment in my view. When did it become 'expected' ti be able to load up a recreational aircraft with 2 big guys, gear and enough fuel to fly from Brisbane to temora in one hop, at 8500ft? So I think it is more about the missions our aircraft are to complete. If you are doing mainly local flights with the odd nav consisting of legs less than 3 hours than what is the problem with 600kg? The aircraft are proving to be plenty strong. I have been recently hiring a tecnam with 5000hrs and it looks new. Sorry, but as has already been said, if you want to climb to 9500ft in your RV, switch on the autopilot and fly massive stretches of the country in single legs than go do that. No one is stopping you and it doesn't require a heap of additional work to be added to an already overstretched RAAus staff. For those who argue that increases are a fact of life, when will it stop? What is the logical step when people would finally be content? I suspect that the large majority of members engoyingvthe pleasures of their Jabiru/tecnam/drifter/Savannah are quite content, they don't want anything more and that is why RAAus never hears from the large masses.

Unacceptable from jabiru but not isolated. I've seen a tecnam where the flaps were built incorrectly. There is definatley value in doing a very thorough acceptance inspection when you buy an aircraft. Don't completely trust a busy assembly line no matter if it is in Bundaberg, Europe or the US.

The aerocarb/aeroinjector uses a very different principle to that proposed by rotec. Have a read of the section regarding the aerocarb at Jeff Shultz's Sonex #0604 Building Log and then that at the rotec website. I think you will find some major differences.

Is this correct? My undestanding was that a RAAus certificate holder could maintain their own aircraft provided it is not used for hire or training. I dont recall anything regarding being the builder if the machine. I know that this is the case for SAAA, hence if you buy a nice second hand RV you will have to pay a LAME to maintain it.

Look vvery closly at the completness of the kit. You will be working on this thing for a long time, an enjoyable build is worth extra $$. My kingdom for match hole construction!! Vorticity frustrated sonex kit builder!

Good question, depends on your instructor. I started my RAAus study coming from a very strong technical background like yourself. The problem is that aeronautical theory while complex, needs to be simplified so as to be most relevant and efficent in the cockpit. What worked for me was finding an instructor who did good briefings. As we ran through the briefing Kev would get me to explain the theory that was occuring. This gave him the chance to confirm that I correctly understood the study while giving him the chance to bring all that theory into 'stick, rudder and throttle' response. As an engineer it is too easy to fall into complex explainations when the answer needs to be simple in control inputs. I had other schools demand that I participate in there $$$ theory course. I think the way that kev and I did it was better. If you can find a book called aerodynamics for naval aviators than it could be good reading for someone with a physics/maths background.

Why a factor of safety of 5? Was that used or is it a standard thing for cables?

It isn't to stop people crashing into it, it's to protect any over-flying aircraft in case of an explosion, hence the 1500ft upper level.

I have emailed the ops manager regarding a pilots behaviour and even attached a video. I had already spoken with the pilot who promptly informed me that I nor anyone else knew what we were talking about. I emailed RAAus due to the number of locals complaining to me as I flew 'one of those ultralights'. I had no response from RAAus and the pilot just got worse.

You can buy g meters from mgl or similar or even put one on an iPhone and track the g that you pull through your flight. Honest though tomo, you shouldnt be too worried about breaking a drifter. The one at dalby is a nice machine, has not been upside down in the surf and isn't constantly aeroed. Most of us fly such sedate flight profiles that it just isn't an issue in newish type aircraft such as the jab or a tecnam. Don't worry about the g meter, and keep listening to that little voice in your head like you did in inglwood.

Within each composite panel there is often a layer of copper mesh for conductivity. Between each major panel is a more substantial copper bonding strip. As I am sure you could guess the repair of any damage to this system is very important to ensure you don't get a blow out.

Thanks for putting this out Ian. I was starting to think that this magazine was worth buying and was actually going to pay for a subscription next pay-day! Honest truth, the problems that we all see when we go flying are pilot issues not GA/RAAus. I think there are some bitter people out there angry that RA have risen from the weeds and are having way more fun. Vote with your $$. If this mag doesn't want the fastest growing sector of the aviation industry buying/sponsoring their product than that is fine.

funny you should mention that! There is a bit of an emerging hemp industry out that area. I remember some time ago being at a dawn Easter church service at a property just east of Cecil plains with my parents. As the sun came up we realized that the pastor was standing in front of a couple of rows of hemp! I wasn't the only son visiting that weekend, one of the other parish members had their AFP badger son out. He approached the owner afterward as obviously he had to know! It was of curse the genetically modified strain that lacks hairs which contain the drug. Fom what I here it is an amazing crop! Never know, maybe one day those modules could be hemp!

I need to find an 8ft x 1ft piece of 6061-T6 to make a new rear spar channel for my sonex. I have a quote to supply it but would need to purchase a minimum 12 x 4 sheet. Does anyone out there have an offcut in the pile from building and be willing to sell it? Alternatly if you are in Brisbane and want to split a sheet let me know. A new part from sonex is US$22 but the shipping is scary! If someone is about to order a sonex could you please sneak it into your box?

I bought a headset, interface and helmet deal from mendlsons. I didn't use power from the aircraft, just zip tied the radio interface on and it worked with the icom. I added a blackwidow antenna later on and this was a great improvment.

Hi, I'm just playing with some numbers and was looking info. Can anyone give some ball park figures for the cost of buying and erecting a hanger? This would be assuming that you already have the land. Any numbers regarding cost and how many aircraft it would house would be greatly appreciated.

bOnding alluminim is all about creating a chemically active surface, hence the strict process to ensure quality. FAA won't accept bonded joints alone, you have use a mechanical fastener as well. I'd leave that up to the raaf guys and stick to rivets in the workshop at home. Is there a supply issue with the normal glue?

Yes, like a law abiding flyer I carry a radio and monitor the correct frequency. Is there any regulation against using one of the many audio input systems that prioritize the radio traffic and cut the other input? Your argument maybe distraction or adding complexity to the cockpit environment. This is a CRM issue for the individual to manage just the same as managing a passenger. As far as I can see Andy was looking for some advise to do something legal and for his own pleasure, I don't see anything wrong with it. Does anyone have the information that he is seeking?

Can you please direct me to the thread regarding new rules. There is nothing better for me than being out on my own in the front of a drifter at this time of year at 1000ft with the warm air on my face and some good music through my headset. Magic. I had an auto fade function in my setup but there was rarely traffic to interupt my bliss.