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NT5224

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Everything posted by NT5224

  1. NT5224
    Ladies and gents I’m genuinely interested in what people think about the latest congressional hearings on UAPs. (The new term for UFO). Some are claiming the evidence for UAPs is becoming much more credible, with new forms of complementary data recordings and such. Some are saying the US government is basically accepting that there is compelling evidence for UAPs… Meanwhile the same old whackos are insisting the US government holds physical and material evidence for space-aliens, Little Green Men and the saucers they fly in. Pilot testimonies seem to be an important part of the evidence under discussion. Most of us on this site are older people with extensive experience. We are also practiced observers of other aircraft in the sky. So I’m wondering if anybody on this site has spotted an inexplicable object or phenomena while flying? I’ll receive any such reports with an open mind. Or anybody been abducted and probed? 🤣 Cheers Alan
  2. NT5224
    This is very sad news. Condolences to the families of those involved. I don’t know Caboolture airstrip but reckon it might see some traffic and movements. It will be really interesting to learn how this failure of separation occurred. It is all too easy to become complacent in the pattern around a bustling airfield. When CASA did their last safety seminars they focused on the case study of a collision between a fix wing and a rotary wing very low over a strip following some mixed up radio calls. The actual calls made by both aircraft seemed reasonable but could be subject to misinterpretation, and both pilots misinterpreted. Let’s hope this awful tragedy yields some lessons for us all. Alan
  3. NT5224
    Yeah I appreciate the reason for discrepancy, but my point remains, that’s a big wing area on a small aircraft. Doesn’t look that big in the pics… Interesting. Alan
  4. NT5224
    Sorry in the original article (above) it gives wing area as 235 sq feet, which struck me as rather impressive on 65 hp. The Wikipedia post says 167 sq feet. I’ll go with the latter as correct Alan
  5. NT5224
    Hi is the wing area cited for this aircraft correct? Just curious.
  6. NT5224
    Hi folks I recently browsed aircraft prices and realised they appear to have gone mad. I guess it’s a post COVID thing like 4WD vehicles but more so…. So here’s my question. People may be asking $100000 for a flogged c172 or $140000 for an equaled weathered Champ, but are they actually changing hands at those extraordinary prices? In Recreational category I saw Jabirus and the like advertised at over $80000… Are people actually paying those prices? Or are the sellers dreamin’ ? Alan
  7. NT5224
    Do Windy get weather from BOM? I thought the raw data was sourced from US ( NOAA) and European agencies. Sometimes you see organisations like the British Met office also credited. I had thought what Nev said was correct that BOM just locally interpret data from global weather models. I didn't think anybody in BOM actually contributed to the development of those models. We don't locally forecast weather anymore and as I noted before, the local accuracy where I live has been way out. Alan .
  8. NT5224
    Yenn Call it what you like. The BOM is useful and deserves our tax dollars only as long as they can forecast weather with some level of accuracy. A prediction of a probability of a weather event is not what a farmer needs for his crops or a fisherman needs before setting sail, or you or I need for flight planning. They can couch what they do in any terms they like, but if they're underperforming they have more to worry about than what people call them. Alan
  9. NT5224
    Hi folks Just an observation. The BOMs predictions for weather in northern Australia have been totally inaccurate this year. They have missed major storms that nearly took the roof off my house. Predicted rain when there hasnt been any and issued flood alerts hours after we had heavy rain storms. They literally issue wild weather warnings after the event and update their website retrospectively to cover their tracks....its crazy... This performance is far far worse than it was even a couple of years ago. What has happened? I hear they shut down regional offices a couple of years back. Alan
  10. NT5224
    A statement from Rotax.... https://www.rotax.com/en/news/latest/detail/statement-from-brp-on-the-alleged-use-of-rotax-engines-in-mohajer-6-drones.html
  11. NT5224
    Ok I stand corrected. So Rotax engines aren't stamped with registration numbers then? My Lycoming is.
  12. NT5224
    Hey back to Rotax! What about my earlier point that if these drones are rotax powered then somebody should be able to calculate the number of units (Shahed drones), remaining, based on the number of motors produced and accounted for in 'legitimate' aircraft? I have read that between 150-200 drones are thought to have been deployed over Ukraine. How many rotax engines could Iran potentially posess and so how many remaining drones? Having flown behind a rotax (scary high revs for a Lycoming aviator!) I would consider them fairly low performance for a 21st century weapon of war.... ALAN
  13. NT5224
    Sorry folks... This thread is about Rotax engines and their application to powering Iranian Drones. I was surprised that hundreds had been acquired by Iran and were now apparently buzzing around over Ukraine. Alan
  14. NT5224
    Hi Methuselah. So you've piqued my interest here -and seem very well informed. Who indeed supplied the weapons to kill 15000 Ukrainians between 2014 and 2022? Alan
  15. NT5224
    Hi Ian. As mentioned previously my hangar is based on a 12m x 12m dome structure with additional steel wall and access door of my own design. The floor is compacted roadbase. I have built the whole thing in the last two years using current material prices for under $8000. The arched structure kit took 7 days to throw up, the wall another 3 days. A good practical solution for my situation Alan
  16. NT5224
    There are many stories and images on the net now including by credible sources (BBC and ABC) highlighting that the Iranian Shahed drones raining down on Ukraine are Rotax powered. The Ukrainians have displayed the wreckage of crashed drones. Its not a good look for Rotax and their Canadian parent company... They are commencing an investigation. My first thought is what a waste! (These are one shot weapons right?) My second thought is how many Rotax aero engines must have been exported to Iran? It must have been hundreds. Didn't anybody consider this slightly unusual? Is recreational flying a big thing in Iran? Or go-carting or snowmobiles ( or whatever else they use those motors for?) This presumably gives Ukraine and her backers an idea of how many of these drones are still out there... Based upon how many Rotax motors were sold to Iran.. I don't think the engines have been locally pirated because they have 'Rotax' stamped on the plastic covers of the engine. Apparently the British and Americans use Rotax in their drones too. Alan
  17. NT5224
    Yeah saw this too. Sounds pretty awful! Hope the poor bloke gets the best possible treatment and is able to recover. Our thoughts should be with him and his family right now, but once he is out of danger it would be interesting to know what happened there. The prospect of fire in an aviation accident is pretty terrifying. I think we can become complacent thinking fires are less likely with our slow moving aircraft which have fewer electrical systems which can be shut down in an emergency. Wishing our fellow aviator for a rapid recovery. Thats the priority now! Alan
  18. NT5224
    Thanks Bruce. Good advice. Fortunately ( or unfortunately!) my Father in Law is a German old school structural engineer who checks engineering designs for a living. Nothing is ever quite precise enough! So the potential uplift of our dome structure was carefully calculated before we hoisted it, and I ended up doubling the weight of concrete holding it down. Alan
  19. NT5224
    Hiya Jack Really interested in your experiment there. We initially planned to do the same thing (we build everything else at our place ourselves) but to be honest the 12m span defeated us, both in terms of design and our ability with equipment available to build and raise it. As I said above, I costed a steel shed /hangar at very significantly higher than the tension membrane dome we ultimately went with. So I'm really interested to see how you go. Very best of luck mate. I'm sure it'll be a great hangar! Alan
  20. NT5224
    That’s a good point which is why I’m not fully closing the back wall and leaving the door open. Just some hessian material for shade which comes down in winds. Alan
  21. NT5224
    Yes that is a solid point onetrack. Our shelter was definitely at the cheap end of the scale and our expectations about its durability are realistic. However a replacement cover is only $2000 and just takes a day to throw over and tension. We couldn't have thrown up a steel shelter of comparable size for less than $20,000. So we get five cover replacements for the price.... That will keep my aircraft sheltered longer than I am likely to be flying... Another factor is that we erect all our infrastructure ourselves because of the cost of bringing in trades. These arched tension structures are really easy to build to get a 12m span and can be thrown up by just two people and a dog. Alan
  22. NT5224
    Ok been a while since I updated this. After months of delay and other chores prioritised, I have thrown up a back wall to my hangar. This keeps the morning sun off, and driving rain out in the monsoon. Used some steel members I had lying around the place and sheeting collected from the Darwin Tip shop. So far, everything you see has been built for about $8000. The Boy (our German Shepherd) loves the hangar and serves as airstrip Guardian and wildlife chaser. Alan
  23. NT5224
    Mo No idea. Might be 6K or 5K but still bloody expensive. They organise accommodation along the route but im guessing it's something to do with insurance or support. But still, it won't be sending them broke... In addition each team has to raise a minimum of 2K sponsorship We were all set to do it four years ago but dropped out due to a professional opportunity which came up for my wife. At such strong money we probably won't go back. Alan
  24. NT5224
    Palmyra's a great name. But for me it's always that sand blasted spot out in the scrub in Homs province. Dust storms and toppled columns. And more recently hoodlums with their black flags. Alan
  25. NT5224
    If you go to the Outback Air Race live tracker you will see 'Once in a Blue Mooney' appears still in Darwin while the rest of the pack are now flying the Gulf Country. Actually the Tracker is in Palmetston -not even at MKT airfield. Be interesting to know what has happened. Have they flown on without their tracker, or is the aircraft still parked at MKT? Some mechanical problems maybe? Darwin is local for us but many competitors will already have flown across the continent just to reach the start line. A few mechanical tweaks might have been needed... Alan
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