flyvulcan

A comprehensive response will come tomorrow. I’m somewhat knackered after a very long day of discussing programming of ECUs with my engineers, speaking with component suppliers, liaising with my Marketing Manager about the new website and social media campaign, planning our assembly facility with the relevant staff, responding to a multitude of enquiries that come in amongst many other things. Things are definitely happening and the engine program is progressing, but it is an extremely technical and complicated program we have undertaken, requiring many resources, time being one of them. Anyway, I shall update the thread tomorrow.

Erm, the aircraft in my avatar is fitted with a Rotax 912 ULS and has a cruise of over 180ktas and a top speed of around 190ktas... It is waiting for an IFA prop to be fitted to expand that envelope a little more as it runs out of pitch at the top end with the current fixed pitch prop on it. I am currently having a new version being built that will be faster... The Jab3300 version is currently topping out at 201ktas. My 200hp turboprop version will top out at ? Full credit to Robin to achieve what he did with a Sonerai.

We have one that is being fitted to a Rotax 912ULS. It will use Bolly blades. I don’t think any have been made since we got ours from Hughes Aircraft. If anyone has firsthand experience with the system that they can pass on before ours flies, any feedback would be appreciated.

My Turbine should be running before the middle of the year... and it’s fuel consumption shouldn’t be too far off a piston.

I heard the pilot was a 95 year old former member of the French resistance, holidaying in Italy and was flying on his ohm with no one else in the aircraft...

Mike is a top guy and is an incredible advocate for aviation. Me and Mike at Oshkosh this year:

As luck would have it, our Lightning was delivered to our workshop in Adelaide a few weeks ago. It has been unpacked and we shall shortly begin to assemble all the components that were removed for painting and were shipped loose, i.e. gear leg fairings, wheel spats etc. Once assembled, we will generate the to-do list. Obvious tasks left for us are to design and install the panel and complete the firewall forward development and finishing the installation of the engine, system and cowling. Here are some photos of it in our workshop so you can see how it has turned out so far: Cheers, Dave

Avalon...

And anyway, what else would you expect to be loaded into an aircraft whose flight originates in the Ivory Coast...

I hear that it was the new electric version of the Caravan designed by Elon Tusk.

I hear the flight was to an area near Rome. Tuskany I believe.

The latest flight last weekend after some fuel system work to fix fuel level indications and to sort out the tank transfer system gave the following results with the nosewheel pant reinstalled: Straight and level, full throttle - 195kias/194kcas/201ktas, 3100 rpm from the Jab3300 With a smooth paint job to replace the rough primer coat, there should be a few more knots to wring out of the airframe. Amazing aircraft! Time to get it back into production!

When it’s repaired, he will be welcome at Palamino Airfield near Murray Bridge.

I’m manning the SAAA stand on Friday morning.

The designer, Bill Husa was a very experienced design engineer. He had many successful designs under his belt and both aerodynamics and structures were his areas of expertise. Some extremely novel and innovative design features are incorporated into the construction of this aircraft. For example, it does not have a standard spar structure. Instead of a main and rear spar, I believe there is a series of corrugation like structures within the wing to replace the typical spar/rib structure. Bill was extremely aware of Vmca issues (minimum control airspeed on a single engine for those not familiar with the term) and indeed, we discussed this when I viewed the aircraft. He had designed the aircraft such that this should not be an issue. The vertical stabiliser is actually quite large and has a long moment. I sincerely hope that this aircraft is flown successfully, and that it can continue to do so as a testament to Bill’s contribution to the recreational aviation fraternity.

We haven’t been able to find out. Run out of money to be able to race it at Reno, afraid to fly it, we don’t know. Having watched it grow from concept to reality, I’d be disappointed if it didn’t get to fly. I was working on a project with Bill Husa who designed and built it. Bill was designing an aircraft for me. I spoke with him on a phone call one day to discuss our project and he told me that he hadn’t been well the last few weeks, but that he would be sorted within the next couple of weeks. I read on another forum a week later that he had died. He had cancer and not told anyone. He was probably only around 50 years old. Bill was a terrific guy and a real asset for the homebuilt community with his unselfish sharing of information and advice. He is sorely missed.

Hi Ted, Did you complete the entire two weeks of builder assist with Nick? Could you post a few pics of your aircraft? Mine is still with Nick having the interior fitted. It should be on its way to Australia shortly. Dave

This aircraft is for sale in the US. I was fortunate enough to view it during construction and watch it take shape. I never saw it finished until it was listed for sale recently. Its nickname by its designer/builder (Bill Husa of Orion Technologies) was Gumbo. It was to be a custom unlimited Reno racer. Anyway, I thought some may find it interesting. If you have US$350k, you can buy it outright. It has not yet flown and the owner is already selling the engines off so is parting it out. Very sad....

All the best Bex. We want both your humour and your tenaciousness back on the forum! Don’t let us down! Dave

The Lightning Bug flew again on Sunday. The aim of the flight was to determine the effect of reducing the pitch of the newly fitted Bolly blades by 1 degree difference from the flight that was made the week before. Here are the results. @Sea level, 27degc, QNH 1015 Max. static rpm 2600 @2,500’pa, SAT 22degc, QNH 1015 MAP 29”, RPM 3100, kcas 185, ktas 194 MAP ??”, RPM 3140, kcas 190, ktas 199 Max. CHT 320 (limit for max. continuous is 358 so well under limit) Oil temps still hovering at the upper limit so this still needs to be addressed. So with painting, fitment of nosewheel fairing and a general tidy up, with the blades set as-is, we anticipate a 3000rpm, 185-190ktas cruise. A more economical 2800rpm cruise should yield around 180ktas. At the bottom end of the speed range, bearing in mind that the ASI has not been calibrated for low speeds, stall speeds were as follows: Clean - 70kias First notch of flap (T/O flap 20 degrees) - 63kias Stall symptoms and behavior were conventional. Might this be the fastest Jabiru 3300 around?

Hi Ted, It’s good to hear of your progress. The 340 with Prince prop should be good. We ran a Prince P-tip on our Lightning Bug and it was an excellent prop. Lonnie Prince makes a good product. Our Lightning is still in Shelbyville getting the interior installed. Hopefully, it will be packed up and shipped later this month but I suspect that Christmas will get in the way and it might end up being shipped during January. We are certainly looking forward to getting it into our workshop here to finish the panel, firewall forward and fiddle bits. All we need now is our engine ?

Yes, I forgot the $11,000 Airmaster constant speed prop... Its our own engine so that’s not an issue for us. The 200hp Turbine will retail for around $70k so someone else doing what we are doing would have around $200k in it, less for us as our engine is at cost. That said, a good used Lightning can be picked up for $70k so our Lightning will be very expensive compared to say the Jab3300 Lightning’s available on the market now. But it will serve our purposes in being the test and demo airframe for our engines.

Kit cost US$36,000 Builder assist (2 weeks) US$8,000 Paint at factory US$11,000 Interior (carpets, side panel covering, seats) US$3,500 So total before shipping = US$58,500 = AU$81,000 then add (estimated) Packing, Insurance and Shipping $12,000 GST on import $9,000 Instruments $20,000 VH rego - bugger all Hull Insurance - will we even be able to get it? 200hp Turbine engine - Company provided so total cost around $122k plus engine. Gulp!! I’m glad this is a company expense! This aircraft will be the test airframe for both our 200hp and 120hp Turbines and will also be our company demonstrator in Australia so we want it to be a high quality aircraft.

Our Lightning just got back from the paint shop. It will be reassembled, the control runs will be installed and the interior will go in. It’ll the be taken apart again and shipped to Adelaide to await the installation of the instrument panel and firewall forward.

I wasn’t there to ask either the SAAA or AOPA management in open forum about the relationship between those organisations and RAAus, as I had hoped to do. However, after I wrote in this forum about asking the RAAus management at Airventure Cessnock about the relationship, I was contacted by the SAAA President who explained the background to the current lack of cooperation between RAAus and the other sport aviation bodies. It was interesting to hear his perspective and at the same time disappointing to know that there is such a big chasm between two organisations that in essence, represent individuals such as all of us here that have the common passion that is recreational flying.