Spin

I wouldn't get too hung up on the exact wording on the SAAA site, they are stating the outline of what is coming in the exemption and probably hadn't even considered our own exemption, which requires that a pilot of an RA reg aircraft shall be a member of RA etc, etc. This is why law can take so long to make it onto the books, it is supposed to have all the loopholes and anomolies thrashed out beforehand - supposed to at any rate. Whatever, I think it is a great development and look forward to its implementation.

Fortunately we aren't like the US legal jurisdictions and Turbo is quite correct, aside from the wheel owner/operator who will have a claim for the repairs to, or pre-incident value of the wheel, along with his direct financial losses for the period he will be without it, there isn't much to interest the solicitors here. They much prefer something where there is an undeniable injury of some description, preferably in circumstances less well documented than this was. Mental anguish on the part of the two kids and possibly their mother isn't nearly as attractive.

He he, I think you've hit the nail on the head Tex, there seems to be a whole industry based around developing fantastic new inventions then sucking up money from govt and private sources for years whilst they are supposedly being refined and readied for sale. The pity is the real new products that could benefit from these programs lose out because their people are less skilled at playing the funding game. I know cynics have suggested that at least one of the aero engines that have been in development for 10 years or more would never come to the market whilst there was govt development funding available:thumb_down:. They are making more money that way than they ever could trying to sell engines. Of course that gives our more gullible conpiracy theorists ammunition to claim that "they" have stifled another world changing invention. How's this one for an example of a BS artist at work; apparently this appeared at an Indian Aero expo in the last year or two with a gobbledegook story about a new power source and antigravity device. Strangely enough the inventor is a little shy about public demonstrations:roflmao:

Was sent this by a friend overseas. Interesting, there is always something new under the sun. I'd say with some rounding off and rethinking the undercarriage design it could make a very effective UAV for confined areas or even shipboard operations. Imagine not having to cater for long and vulnerable rotors.. Unless there is a massive surplus of weight there to be got rid of, I'm less optimistic about the claims of future passenger transport, 70kg payload for 120hp isn't very impressive when you consider that a 120hp Jab will legally lift 360kg, never mind what it could ultimately do. The 914 in the recent Sling round the world flight dragged a useful load in the 800+ kg range aloft for the final leg across the Atlantic! I do also wish these inventors would leave off the exaggerated claims about ease of maintenance, I can assure you I don't know too many car mechanics that I would have working on something that I'm going to leave the ground in, esp if it has the glide ratio of a piano! Austrian research company IAT21 has presented a new type of aircraft at the Paris Air Show which has the potential to become aviation's first disruptive technology since the jet engine. The D-Dalus (a play on Daedalus from Greek mythology) is neither fixed wing or rotor craft and uses four, mechanically-linked, contra-rotating cylindrical turbines, each running at the same 2200 rpm, for its propulsion. The key to the D-Dalus' extreme maneuverability is the facility to alter the angle of the blades (using servos) to vector the forces, meaning that the thrust can be delivered in your choice of 360 degrees around any of the three axes. Hence D-Dalus can launch vertically, hover perfectly still and move in any direction, and that's just the start of the story. Like most cars and aircraft these days, it sounds very complex but it's all controlled by computer algorithms, so it's simple joystick control for the user, and far less exacting than a helicopter to fly. Existing rotary wing aircraft offer VTOL capabilities but have vulnerabilities which make them unsuitable for many applications. They are challenged in bad weather, at long ranges, at high speed and in operating to and from lurching platforms, such as boats in rough weather. By contrast, D-Dalus is particularly suited for such conditions and can thrust upwards and hence "glue down" on landing, which it can also do on a moving vehicle. Indeed, landing on a moving vehicle is one of the D-Dalus' many party tricks, and it's a natural for landing on watercraft. Not surprisingly, since it initially broke cover at the Royal Aeronautical Society conference a few days ago, it has already attracted a lot of interest from military quarters. The D-Dalus is also near-silent, and has the dynamic stability to enter buildings and handle rough weather with ease - things which existing rotorcraft simply cannot achieve. The aircraft also has a sense-and-avoid system which, in conjunction with its complete lack of vulnerable external parts (such as rotors), means it can hover in very close proximity to vertical rock faces and walls, making it suitable for search-and-rescue operations, as a surveillance drone with hover-and-stare capabilities and as a proactive tool for urban battlefield situational awareness. The lack of vulnerable external moving parts will give a small D-Dalus-type drone the ability to fly into buildings through windows, and its unique capabilities also offer 360 degree vision, another aspect lacking in traditional rotor craft which have blind spots due to the rotors, and nowhere near the same maneuverability as the D-Dalus. IAT21 forsees many applications based on these key new criteria - apart from being able to enter and search buildings, it could conceivably remove radioactive contamination or explosives, extract casualties, or hold and direct water hoses for fire fighters. As it can lift heavy loads, and becomes even more efficient in doing so as it scales upwards in size, it is also envisaged as a platform for loading and unloading ships when cranes are not available. The D-Dalus is also so simple mechanically that it needs little maintenance and requires no more maintenance expertise than an auto mechanic. It should be noted that all VTOL aircraft capable of carrying large payloads are complex and very costly to maintain. Currently, tests are being conducted using a 120 bhp KTM engine and turbines around five feet long - and the capability of lifting a payload of 70 kg. More tests are planned over the coming weeks. IAT21 is now also working with Cranfield University in the U.K. on a larger, more powerful motor, a new hull shape for the craft, and advanced guidance and control systems. The forces on the blade pivots are understandably huge, and in initial testing it was found that all available bearings failed, so inventor Meinhard Schwaiger, who already has more than 150 patents to his name, knuckled down and invented (and patented) his own, near-frictionless swivel-bearing to cope with the stresses. The D-Dalus is constructed of carbon fiber, and appears to be scalable for a range of potential applications including maritime search and rescue, freight transport, operating alongside and within buildings during fires - the long term hopes for the platform include a passenger version for public transit.

One angle on 7 News provided a partial answer as to why they claim not to have seen the wheel, it was difficult to see against the trees behind it, but even if it hadn't been there they would have been uncomfortably close to the trees:yikes:. Definitely has a humorous aspect given that no-one was injured, but how lucky can you get??

It's not something that came up in the discussions I heard, but I guess logically their "target market" initially is more GA than RA and really just involves a downgrade in the privileges they may exercise in return for the lowered medical requirement. I get the impression that this licence is viewed as complimentary rather than opposition to RA-Aus, which has to be seen as a success, given the relative numbers involved.

Almost certainly will, but the numbers aren't likely to be that dramatic, most people who take advantage of it are likely to be older GA pilots who are facing medical difficulties and who would otherwise have to sell their sub 1500kg aircraft to get into an RA type. Someone starting from scratch, unless they really need the extra MAUW is more likely to stick with an LSA type, with the maintenance savings under RA and a less onerous training regime. Of course if SAAA are able to get the maintenance requirements for homebuilts changed to allow non builders to work on their own aircraft, that could change the equation a bit for a few more people.

Yeah, heard the same thing at a talk by the Pres a few weeks ago - makes a lot of sense and would be great for me. I need more than 2 seats at the moment, but have no medical issues so that's ok for the moment. Later on once the youngster flys the coop I can go the alternate route but could keep a bigger aircraft - hmmm maybe that RV7 is a goer for later on after all! Here's holding thumbs for a common sense decision.

I reckon you're right Dazza - they've been punting that thing for about 6 years already.

Cool but...... The Akoya is an amphibious LSA from the young French company Lisa Airplanes. The two-seater aircraft can reportedly land on water, snow or ground without additional modification. The aircraft is made entirely of composite materials and is powered by a Rotax 912 ULS FR 100 hp engine that runs on unleaded fuel. The aircraft has a max speed above 120 knots and a range of almost 700 miles. The aircraft's unique design includes hydrofoils that are connected to retractable landing gear outfitted with skis. The aircraft's tinted canopy allows pilots and passengers a 180-degree panoramic view. The Akoya's wings are foldable, dropping the aircraft's width to just under 13 ft. when not extended. Lisa Airplanes reports the aircraft can take off and land over less than 650 ft. It made its first flight in August 2007. Prototype test trials were completed in 2009Lisa Airplanes expects the Akoya to receive LSA certification during the summer of next year. The aircraft comes with a price tag of €300,000, which comes out to a little over $400,000 in American dollars. Lisa Airplanes says deliveries to first costumers will begin immediately afterward. http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasp ... ibious-lsa

Couple more; Richard Bach - Biplane, A Gift of Wings and Nothing by Chance. Bach isn't for everyone, his philosophy and theology can get in the way of a good yarn, but I quite enjoy him in small doses. Brian Shul - Sled Driver about flying the SR-71 Roy Watson - Bush pilots do it in fours Tom Wolfe - The Right Stuff James Salter - Gods of Tin Beryl Markham - West with the Night Eric 'Winkle" Brown - Wings of the Weird and Wonderful, plus others

Welcome Tony, hope you enjoy the company. You'll be able to host your own flyin with that strip, quite a few sociable SEQers on the forum. Cheers Carl

Good thread! I don't think anyone has mentioned Stephen Coonts. Flight of the Intruder, The Intruders and Final flight are fictionalised stories about his own and other experiences in combat during and after the Vietnam War. Some of his other books also have an aviation theme, eg Hong Kong, Cuba and I rather enjoyed his science fiction books about a Saucer as well. Cannibal Queen is autobioagraphical about a flight around part of the states in a Stearman. I'm not in Don's class when it comes to picking out inconsistencies, but I do get a bit rattled when people write about things in detail and get the technical bits wrong. For that reason I've always rather enjoyed Dick Francis' books, meticulously researched, to the extent that when he wrote Rat Race - about an air taxi pilot, his wife learnt to fly. Slightly dated now but still an enjoyable read I find. Someone else who can be relied upon to get aviation detail correct is Stuart Woods, crime thrillers that are undemanding airport reading. He is a pretty experienced pilot, owning and flying aircraft from a C182 to his current Cessna Mustang light jet. Who said crime(writing) didn't pay! I can't think of the titles right now, but there are some brilliant, older books about test flying during and after WW11, Alex Henshaw (Sigh of a Merlin?) about the Spitfire, Roland Beaumont (Bee) about the Typhoon, later the Lightning and quite a bit of background about the TSR2. My local library carries some pretty good books by Aussie authors too, I'll have to scratch around for names but there is some good stuff about the RAAF in and after the war in the appropriate section of the non fiction library. Edit. Garry Cooper - Sock it to em Baby about being an FAC in Vietnam is an excellent example.

All the 208B's I've had anything to do with had a tail stand, saves embarrassment when you're loading from the back, forward - not quite so good when you've stuffed it full of boxes and it still wants to fall onto the rear tiedown. Incidently the damage was caused by a hyena having a little chew, a not uncommon problem where that 206 works.

Ouch! I can believe it, I spoke to the Caravan offsider above and he reckoned it was so finely balanced, that removing his weight from the RHS was enough to set it on its tail without the stand. And we wonder how some of these accidents happen......

The fabled 206 taildragger? Reminds me of the Caravan that pulled up on a dusty apron somewhere in darkest Africa, PT6 whining away at rather more than idle power, yoke pushed against the dash until the offsider had scrambled out and set up the tail stand. No photos unfortunately, cameras attract unwelcome attention in that part of the world.

I reckon the topic of steep turns, stalls, spins and all variations in between has been beaten to death by the chattering classes - anyone want to begin the process of picking the fly droppings out of the pepper for these photos? Operator purposely de-identified to protect the not yet proven guilty:cheezy grin:.

Glad to hear it, I had an ex military instructor (SAAF) for my first 30 hours or so and really enjoyed his approach, but subsequently had dealings with a couple of ex RAF types who were nothing if not rigid and doctrinaire, which has no doubt coloured my impression of the breed.

Indeed I did and I would be amazed and not a little disappointed if our cryptic friend wasn't aware of the potential excitement that awaits those who stall with the ball displaced from where it belongs. I well remember spending a lesson or two in a Cessna Aerobat, with an ex airforce instructor doing just that.

Ain't that the truth - more yank talk. That said, what is portrayed as "fundamental" knowledge can sometimes be nothing more than ancient doctrine which has attained the status of "law" thanks to endless repetition. Unfortunately instructors can be prone to simplifying technical concepts for the sake of students understanding and it is this simplified version which is taught to successive generations by instructors who were themselves taught by rote. The whole throttle vs elevator debate for adjusting an approach path is one example - we saw otherwise reasonable people all but come to blows over the question in a thread here, within the last year. The military system of instruction probably has much to answer for in this regard, the whole system is of necessity geared to the lowest common denominator and does not encourage any deviation or independent thinking. Notwithstanding comments made in the ABC video storm in a teacup, military systems of management and discipline do not translate particulaly well into the civilian sphere.

In certain circumstances, stalling in a 60 deg bank could be highly entertaining and will almost certainly lead to aerobatics of the inadvertant sort!

"You mean something like this: http://www.spservices.co.uk/item/EMI_EMIWindscreenCenterPunch_76_0_24_0.html" You're going to suffer serious disappointment if you try and use something like that to get out through perspex - the material is too soft and you'll just push a little dent into it.

A bit more, full of the normal half truths and guesses; http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8351888/light-plane-crashes-into-sydney-carpark

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/plane-crashes-into-bankstown-airport-car-park/story-e6freuzi-1226146775378 Apparently a Cessna crashed after take off/ on landing - into the car park / a nearby paddock:scratching head: depending who you ask. Photo shows it upside down at any rate. Both occupants got out ok I hear:thumb_up:

Maj, you've put up some very interesting photos before now, reckon you should start a dedicated thread. "Golden age..."