pylon500

Where does the time go! 😱 12 months since an update... OK, well, work is progressing, but it's mainly all the little fiddly bits that don't look like much when finished, and don't really inspire many photographs (that and the fact I keep forgetting to TAKE photographs!). Anyway, the engine is finally (I hope) in and assorted bits are being connected to it. This is a view looking down which basically shows some of my specialised design features. The muffler sits vertically in a semi-sealed container, which has fresh air fed to the bottom of it by the black foil tube. Hot air exits at the opening shown, into a duct built into the top of the cowling, which is scavenged by the prop. We can also see the secondary rear spar carry through (the aluminium tube), which is a backup to a U shaped spar arrangement running under the engine. The little hatch on the left leads to the oil tank. Here is an (earlier) view of the top cowl showing the exhaust shroud duct. This does NOT carry the exhaust, that exits out through the top of the cowl, this is just the hot air around the muffler, being diverted so as not to flow down over the engine. This is part of my plenum system to smooth airflow both through the radiator, and around into the engine bay. The black tube to the exhaust box visible on the left. This makes more sense when the cowl is shut, but hard to photograph. The front of the cowling is not as prominent in this photo, and this was taken before the plenum airfoils were fitted. I guess I should take some more photos...

'The tricycle undercarriage assists greatly in reducing the tendency for the aircraft to flip upside down when you hit something in a crash landing. I'd imagine flipping upside down would be extremely unpleasant, and also likely to result in an increased chance of injury.' Hmm, 🤔 , from memory, more RV-•A's (the nosewheel versions) have ended up on their back than their tailwheel counterparts...

Yes, still instructing, building, trying to figure out how to build another hangar, writing (no, I've basically given up on that now), and trying to get back into adding to forums...

Busy, busy, busy and finally got a chance to come back here... Just looking at the pop rivet problem, I've only ever bought cheap tools and have run across this regularly with rivet guns. Oddly enough even the 'el-cheapo' guns will probably have the hardened jaws, and I find the problem is not so much with the jaws, but with the cheaper quality of the nickel(?) plating on the rivet stems, which tends to shave off in minute flakes and after reasonable use, builds up in the jaw grooves until the first 'slip'. After that the slippage becomes more frequent thus shaving off more plating, and the gun will usually stop working after about a dozen awkward rivets. Pneumatic gun heads are pretty easy to take apart and clean, hand plier guns are a bit more difficult, but you can squirt a bit of thinners, metho, petrol (anything non oil related, not kero or turps), and then blow through with an airgun. Meanwhile, lots of little fiddly things happening, so not a huge amount of VP, and this photo is a few weeks old as well... And this one is even older as it has almost been closed up now; (I can feel the questions coming...)

Just a heads up to people out there doing their own thing, orange baffle rubber (and I think orange fire-sleeve) does not like fuel and will break down. History; While refuelling a Savanah, I would typically unscrew the fuel cap and sit it on the wing next to the filler neck. This one time, as I picked up the cap, I found a piece of orange 'rubber' sitting on the wing? Looking under the cap I discovered someone had manufactured 'gaskets' for under the cap, made of glass reinforced baffle rubber (a neoprene I think), checking the other caps I found they were all falling apart! New seals were made from rocker cover rubber/cork composite.

I think you guys are in the wrong thread, this is the airspace debacle, not the 95:10 debacle, you should be over here;

Progress is slow, but happening. Just thought I'd throw this in for an update. As you can see from the second photo, space is at a premium.🙁

I guess it would have been this one... https://aeropedia.com.au/content/aero-at-3/

G'day all, just going a little sideways here for a second... Found a new airstrip register site, and wonder if anybody (in Tassie) knows the owner? https://landingareas.com.au/ It looks pretty, but as soon as people see you have to log in to use it, most will just move on. Owner should at least have a contact detail (email) so people can update his info, and figure out how to register to log in...🤔

Maybe talk to Ole at Australian Aircraft Kits ...

VH-PIG has been a range of aircraft including a C-150, a Pitts S2S, and a Vans RV-7A...

'VH-POX' That's interesting, I always thought VH-POX was either a Heinz CH300 or Tri-Z? It was a homebuilt made by a gynaecologist I had heard, sadly passed away last year 😱 And VH-POK appears to be a C-206, and other variations, PQX, PQK are also Cessna's. I wonder how recently the top photos were taken?

Soar Aviation 🤔 The girl built that BD5J long before Soar existed. Took this photo at Canberra early 2007.

I think I saw an error in their advertising art;

All 'specs' need to be taken with an American pinch of salt (a bucket). I have spoken to BD-5 owners, and the numbers, while still impressive are usually nowhere near Jim Bede's comments. Stalls are typically between 65~85kts, depending on wing type (four or five to choose from, A, B, D, J & S). Quoting one owner; My BD-5a, first flew in June 1997 after four and a half years of construction. It was a third hand, untouched partial kit when I bought it for $500. This isn't an easy plane to build, but aftermarket support and parts are available. No complete kits were delivered by Bede Aircraft before they folded in the mid 80s. However, they shipped over four thousand partial kits, so many original ones are still available. Full kits are now available from Bede Micro Technologies in Oregon. Alturair, in ElCajon, Ca. also provides parts. My example is powered by a Rotax 583 turning a Prince 43x43 P-tip prop. Modifications to the design include stretched "A" wings with a 19' span and a leading edge cuff, all pushrod stabilator control, and a reshaped aft fuselage. Unlike its popular reputation, this is an excellent handling and easy to fly plane. It's quite stable and has perfect control harmony! Mine has an empty weight of 510 lbs., stalls at 80 mph. and cruises at 170. ROC is 950 to 1,000 fpm. Best glide is a 15/1 ratio at 120 mph. Much as I still love the aircraft (I've got sort of two kits), it's nowhere near an RAAus type aircraft, and really needs a lot of work to make it more 'usable' with it's assorted maintenance problems, buckling skins, leaking tanks, etc.

"Oh ye of little faith..." Anyone remember that one?

I agree with this statement BUT, not the other way around. The Drifter is one of the most benign tail draggers out there, it's a good stepping stone into tail wheel, but being able to fly one wouldn't guarantee being able to fly something like a Skyfox. Never flown a tailwheel Corby, so don't know what they are like on the ground?

Thinking Sapphires, who would be interested in buying up the production? https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/goornong/miscellaneous-goods/unique-opportunity-3-complete-aircraft-moulds-jigs-templates/1267852166 Don't look at me, I've already have too many projects...

Having Rotax deny sales to Turkey, or any other country that could be similarly labeled is a moot point as said manufacturers will simply go to the Chinese clone company and buy their Rotax's from them.

[quote]we should ask the regulator for a map of where our little aeroplanes can fly.[/quote] 'You don't fit into our grand scheme boxes, we don't want you to fly, now go away...'

Which is weird because that thread is General Aviation, while the discussion is obviously a Governing Bodies topic?

'Welcome to OneSky™ Australia, where we want everyone to be included.' To be included in 'OneSky'™ will cost you about ten thousand dollars per aircraft for initial installation, An annual fee will be paid to 'OneSky'™ to register each of your required devices, You will have to comply with all 'OneSky'™ decision changes as they come, If you wish to leave your circuit area you will need a flightplan lodged with 'OneSky'™, With 'OneSky'™, you will be safely integrated with; •Military aircraft, •International Airlines, •Civilian Airlines, •Regional freight aircraft, •Military IFR traffic, •Civilian IFR traffic, •Private IFR trafic, •Military UAVs, •Civilian UAVs, note: If you cannot comply with the integration of 'OneSky'™, you probably shouldn't be flying (it is for rich people after all). WE hope you enjoy your 'OneSky'™ experience.♥

I'm surprised there's not a raging debate going on here? I guess that since ultralights all died off, we;re all happily flying around in our $200K sport planes, with dual coms, dual nav, ADSB transponders , FLARM (for good measure) and Avmaps/Ozrunways flight following. Who needs to bother looking outside anymore...? *Please refer to this thread;* Oops, removes foot from mouth and moves on...

Yes, convex, or as we used to say, 'up in the bowl' or bell. As someone commented, you could thermal tightly up into the bowl, then punch out through the side, and provided it was a singular cumulus cloud, you would be out in a few seconds. REALLY not a good idea in a street 😱 As for instruments, most Blaniks (and IS-28's) came fitted with a battery powered 2 1/4" turn coordinators (Bat and Ball), that seemed to work fairly well. 🤔 But yeah, wouldn't want to be ridge soaring with all that cumulogranite around.

We're open to ideas to remove plastic from alloy, but often the problem is UV degradation caused, believe it or not, by fluro lighting, which make the plastic brittle and can no longer be peeled off as it just breaks into little pieces. •Heatguns work to a fashion, but a very narrow temperature is needed between having no effect, to becoming a (hot) sticky goo. •Thinners and metho do absolutely nothing, except maybe dry the plastic and make it harder. •Turps will attack the adhesive and will sort of work on very old plastic as it becomes somewhat permeable, but if only 'partially' baked, will only attack the edges. Going to paint strippers, petrol and the like are not guaranteed, and make an even worse mess sometimes. I think I remember having some success with 'gunwash' once upon a time...? Meanwhile we're dealing with lots of little fiddly bits;