Tex

No trim tab... that would be my first mod!

I concur with damkia! You get best distance in the right RPM band (2 strokes and all) which is mid 5 thousands in a 582 (with the right prop pitch). You need to work out what fuel burn you get at 5800 (max cont) but 18l should be MORE than required for planning purposes (though I always used 20l in the 582).

Running at between 5200-5600 you should be able to get close to 60kts avg IF you can fly the lift well. Plan 55kts.

Personally I never found any great fuel savings by running lower RPM in a 582... they are on song around 5500 generally...fuel saving at 5000 were negligible (and temps harder to manage).

A GOOD pilot uses the air masses to save fuel over distance by running the speeds according to lift encountered. For example: I struggled to get away from an early model 582 WB Drifter (slim pod) with me in a in a 912 Drifter poking along because the pilot in the 582 is an excellent glider pilot. He could wind it up and follow good lift lines/air and maintain 65kts.... at times though getting to 3 times my height!

Hi Phil as mentioned by others here: You get turbulence from the prop wash but not a massive rotational force... IF any rotation it is minor, VERY minor. The prop really doesn't wind up the air that much . It is best described as it is... WASH. The rotational disturbance is more defined and refined from the wing tip vortices. I have flown through hundreds of prop washes with in 90' of the proceeding aircraft (on tow). Messed with them while at altitude to feel it out (off tow). If you dig a wing into the prop wash AND a wing tip vortice at the same time you can and do get some dramatic effects but that is a function of how each wing happens to hit the turbulence.

Hang gliders fly behind trikes on tow all the time including through the wash. Sailplane pilots are taught to feel out the prop wash as part of their training (boxing the wash). They also go from low tow to high tow through the prop wash. You don't see them getting rotated around in uncontrollable rolls.

Fact is this is all just mechanical turbulence... some more violent than others because it is a factor of it its strength but also with respect to how your wing (or wings) hit it (including when in relation to each other) weather and conditions on the day as well.

Went out west again Mid May Dalby - Tara - Roma - Morven - Cheepie - Quilpie overnight; Quilpie - Thargomindah - Camp on Bulloo River. Day trips around the camp area then we flew to Tibooburra for the night and went out to Cameron Corner before heading back to camp. The run home was Camp - Hungerford - Engonia - Lighening Ridge overnight; Lightenting Ridge - Mungundi - Tara We absolutly bagged the weather by some excellent foresight and planning (by Yoda) and followed the high around.... TAIL WINDS THE WHOLE WAY. Bit disappointing as we were getting places to fast with not enough flying time

Quilpie

Morven

Great Skies

Camp

Cameron Corner Fuel

Yellow Belly

Lightening Ridge

That would be my plan too! Plenty of time to for refueling, a good stretch and scratch and to answer the questions of the inquiring hoards at all stops; still with plenty of time to enjoy the flying and views.

450 is a big day without tail winds in a Drifter. Yes easily doable but having done a few trips here of that distance it can easily end up being more than you want to commit too . I prefer to plan about the 360... even with moderate head winds you should be able to that comfortably - IMHO it makes for more enjoyable flying not fighting the clock the whole time. Bit envious here....

I had similar in my 582 Drifter using Avags on a long trip traveling at altitude and also believe it was plug fouling.

PS Reading that forum posts... don't be concerned if you do have to use AVGAS somewhere... or of mixing MOGAS with AVGAS when required.

Hi Justin,

That is a pretty standard set up for them. You should get about 11l p/h (maybe better) out of the 912, planning 13 will give you two hours plus reserve in the top tank before transfer. I just did a 1300nm round trip in one and never had to transfer in flight, which I do not trust with out confirmation of fuel level in top tank... which you will have anyway. 2 hours is enough airtime before a rest stop

I also had my 582 SB set up to draw from the bottom tank like Frank and preferred that for the 582 (using much more fuel) with boost for take off landing or over bad terrain BUT I did have an incident when the bottom tank was holed by a large rock kicking off the wheel and hitting right on the retention strap. If I had not seen the fuel spray on clearing my turn after take off I would have lost ALL fuel not long after: I landed with out incident back at point of departure. Just pointing out possible pro/cons. What you propose is good.

I think they could end up around the same money but I would think the 200hrs COULD be cheaper and you can get educated in the exhilaration and experience of all types of RA aircraft, then expand your horizons :)

Yes the 150hr requirement relates to the time period within which the hours were gained... hours ARE EVERYTHING (even if you are a better pilot with less hours... 'on paper' more exp) so the extra 50hrs is better than not having them; that is if someone doing 150hrs CPL and someone doing 200hrs CPL finished at the same time the 200hrs pilot (without more) would be viewed more favourably. If you can afford it and have the time however you should do the 150hrs and then spend MORE money for getting any extra endorsements you can, after 50 hours on endorsement flying you will then smoke the 200hrs CPL only pilot... simple hey?

Sweet! I guess you have had it running at least? Let us know as soon as you are airborne!

If the incidents of ruptured fuel tanks and fire can be reduced or eliminated then that is good but it is not a malady isolated to R44's.

None the less a complete tragedy; reports of the child on-board were wrong. I would also like to know if this tank mod had been carried out on this aircraft, those details are yet to be determined. Being endorsed on 44's (though not current) even more concerning for me.... if that be possible, sad day yet again.

A deep cycle battery!

Don't follow your logic here Maj... a high Amp battery is its discharge/load capacity. It relates to the load it will provide, not the supply for charge. It will only take what it is given and does not suck more amps. Then it will only give what is asked not provide what it can regardless. Can you explain your reasoning a bit more? I am trying to understand where the problem would be...

Indeed, while climbing!

The aircraft flew down wind. Then turned hard right (possibly 60deg bank) then flopped over to the left. I am thinking that the pilot turned right and realized he could not get back to the runway. I can only think that he turned back left to do a loop and get onto short final. This was all done close to the ground(possibly 500 feet or less) with wheels and flaps down and very slow.

Tom, the ignition switch is a common point for some aircraft eg the Acs key type - I wonder if the switch is the problem here ?

Which is odd isn't it?

Yes, they all have their oddities. I had a Kawasaki KH4 with (IIRC)...

The Kh4 is a great helicopter... I love their look and seating config. Wish there was one around here to fly.

Yes Yenn. Injected aviation engines are notoriously hard to start. Get to know the quirks of a particular one and you might have some chance. This used to be one of the bugbears of the larger piston engine helis in particular, due to their less effective fan cooling, compared with prop-blast cooling.However - I always understood that it was a mechanical injection issue, shouldn't EFI have solved that?

Good read, the warm start issue is quite concerning!!! Given they are putting them in some motor gliders and you really want that restart to perform with out any issue everytime. The injected engine should really be free of issues like this... one of the major benefits of going injected, I would have thought, is good starts!

Nice work Dazza miss mine that is for sure... but then I don't think I would have been able to get airborne since I sold it anyway with this weather.

I have to wonder what possessed someone to put fluro yellow wings on a blue fuse and white pod

Segue!

This is a Segway... much more fun