Spin

Ouch:crying:, is that the one that washed away near Grantham, Eastmeg?

Posted on VAF forums;

Superior Air Parts, Dazza? Interesting direction for the Chinese, especially considering the Continental deal recently as well. I've got mixed emotions about this; on the one hand prices may improve, although I do wonder where the volume that the Chinese normally aim for, is going to come from. On the other hand, they are rather better at cutting corners than they are at innovating so I'm not sure how that is going to fit into an aviation context. Another one that has survived from the list I posted above, is Ecofly who have recently begun advertising locally.

You're right, there has been rather a lot of that going around this season.

I was doing a bit of digging around earlier, reading up on the subject of alternative powerplants for aircraft. I came across the following article the aero-news page; I find it incredibly frustrating that many of these engines which appear to show so much promise, ultimately haven't delivered. Ask anyone who had an aircraft grounded for months in the Thielert debacle what they think of alternate powerplants (then duck!) Me, I want a 100-120hp diesel that will run on Jet A1, uses an automotive base for the sake of cheaper spares, weighs the same as or less than a 912 and is about the same dimensions, TBO 1500 hrs initially, costs about what a Jabiru 6 cyl does ...... I'm not holding my breath though. Remember this was written 6 years ago; 004 Year In Review: Engine Technology Advances In 2004 Fri, 31 Dec '04 Something New... Finally By ANN Contributor Christopher J. Armstrong New engines are finally becoming available for experimental and certified aircraft that use modern materials and production techniques for greater strength with lighter weight. Most feature digital engine management systems for fuel injection and ignition timing providing better performance and economy. Several of the new engines are compression ignition diesels, which allow the use of the much less expensive diesel or jet A fuels. The Bombardier V-220 and V-300T are liquid cooled 120 degree V-6 regular gasoline engines. They are all aluminum for lighter weight, with Nikasil plated cylinders for durability. They have integrated 3:1 reduction drives which allow higher engine rpm while keeping propeller tips subsonic for quiet, efficient operation. The V-220 is 220 HP and weights 419 pounds. The turbocharged V-300T produces 300 horsepower and weights 463 pounds. They use fully redundant Engine Management Systems with Full Authority Digital Engine Controls to achieve 0.420 and 0.412 lb/hp-hr fuel burn respectively. FMI: www.vaircraftengine.com The Thielert Centurion 1.7 is a 1.7 liter,135 hp inline 4 cylinder turbocharged diesel with direct injection. The Centurion 1.7 weighs 295 pounds and achieves a astounding BSFC of 0.35 lb/hp/hr in part due to it's high, 18 to 1 compression ratio. Certified installations are available for many common training aircraft like Cessna 172, Piper PA28 and Diamond DA40 and two are used in the Diamond DA Twin Star. The new CENTURION 4.0 is a 4 liter V8 that weighs 625 pounds and produces 310 hp with an 18.5 to 1 compression ratio and has also achieved it certification. Both engines develop constant maximum power to maximum altitude, have integral propeller reduction drives with 1.69 to 1 ratio and support hydraulic constant speed variable pitch propellers. FMI: www.centurion-engines.com DeltaHawk continues to develop their V-4 Turbo Diesel in 160 and 200 hp models. The DH-160V4 weighs 327 pounds and has achieved 0.39 lb/hp/hr specific fuel consumption, very respectable for a 2 cycle engine. Upright, inverted and vertical versions have been run. They are currently flying the DH-160V4 on a Velocity RG These engines are direct drive, and achieve maximum power at a propeller friendly 2700 rpm. A pad for a hydraulic constant speed propeller governor is provided. FMI: www.deltahawkengines.com Mistral Engines flew their G-230-TS-b1A turbo-supercharged 230 hp, 328 pound rotary engine on a Piper Turbo Arrow III for the first time on March 27, 2004. The engines are based on Mazda 13-B engine components with plans to produce all custom components in the future. Mistral developed a 2.8235:1 ratio 6-pinion planetary gear propeller reduction drive. The normally aspirated G-190-A1B engine develops 190 and weighs 291 pounds. FMI: www.mistral-engines.com Ecofly has developed and integrated the engine from Daimler Chrysler's SMART car into an aircraft engine. It is now flying in B&F Technik FK Light Aircraft's FK9 SMART. Mercedes-Benz designed this 82 hp, 0.7 liter, 3 cylinder turbo motor to be light (132 pounds in car trim), compact, quiet and very efficient. The all aluminum engine has dual ignition and an intelligent turbo charging system that develops rated horsepower to over 8000 feet and "overboosts" to develop additional power at low rpm. The new version from the Smart Roadster has more power output over the whole rpm range. Flight tests of the FK9 Smart showed better performance then a Rotax 912 equipped FK9 in both climb and cruise. Cruise speed at a mild 4300 rpm is 111 mph burning less than 2.6 gallons/hour. Bosch fuel injection system eliminates carburetor icing and gives the engine great fuel efficiency. Ecofly's conversion of the engine incorporates a toothed belt reduction drive of 2.1 to 1 and includes a centrifugal clutch that engages the propeller at 1300 rpm. The package is very quiet measuring only 54 dba during JAR certification testing. The installed weight is 11 pounds more then that of the 912s. The Brabus tuned 101hp, 7000 rpm version is being tested and will be available if it is found satisfactory. FMI: www.ecofly.de/english.htm The Innodyn turboprops (formerly ATP) continued development with models ranging from 165 to 255 horsepower. They have two engines flying in an RV-4T and RV-6AT. FMI: www.innodyn.comindex.html Some light aircraft engines that were announced or are early in development to watch for 2005 include: Masquito Aircraft is developing the M2.6l Aero Engine for use on their helicopter. It is a 120 hp engine weighting 110 pounds (excluding exhaust, fuel pump and oil.) FMI: www.masquito.be Masschi Motor Company has started design of the Masschi 105. They project this very small (16" wide and high and 25" long) 105 hp engine to weigh only 101 pounds ready to run. It is a 4 cylinder horizontally opposed engine that appears to achieve its compact width by using an side valve configuration. The valves are directly operated by the cam shaft in the block, opening and closing ports that are located in a combustion chamber alongside the cylinder. Also called flathead or L-head engines, they tend to have low compression ratio and low volumetric efficiency but are simple, compact and light weight. It is being developed for use in LH aviations new all composite light aircraft. FMI: www.lhaviation.com ULPower Aero Engine's 90 hp, 150 pound UP260i is a 4 cylinder horizontally opposed, direct drive engine with pushrod actuated overhead valves. It has electronic, variable timing ignition and multipoint fuel injection. ULPower is currently Dyno testing the prototype. FMI: www.ulpower.com The AeroTwin being developed for the Airscooter II ultralight helicopter is a two cylinder inline, turbocharged 4 stroke that develops 65 horsepower while weighing 95 pounds. It uses two belt driven overhead cam shafts, with 2 valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection and ignition. The engine uses titanium for connecting rods and the crankshaft, and composites materials to achieve the low weight. The reduction drive is a 18.5 pound gearbox with 3 ratios available 2.136, 2.000 and 1.875. The engine is designed for both vertical or horizontal operation and the cylinder head is designed to allow it to be rotated 180 so that intake and exhaust positions can be optimized for pusher or tractor use. FMI: www.aerotwinmotors.com, www.airscooter.com Mark Beierle, designer of the Earthstar line of aircraft is developing the Rad-Cam R8600. The R8600 (8 cylinders, 600cc displacement), is a 2 cycle, cam driven radial engine. The cam drive provides two power strokes per cylinder per revolution, for 16 small power pulses per crankshaft rotation. The shape of the cam provides for a long dwell time at top dead center to improve combustion efficiency. Improvements over the first prototype case ported with reed valves, longer stroke, built in intake manifold with impeller and a pressurized oil system. This engine is designed to put out 60 hp @ 3000 rpm and should weigh in at 65 lbs ready to run. The prototype engine has been airborne for a few quick hops in an Earthstar ultralight.

From last month's members market; RV-7 19-7123. 90 hrs TT, Superior IO-360 180 hp, Sensenich metal prop, 150 kt @ 28 lph, 3,000 fpm climb. Analog panel contains ASI, VSI, ALT, Tacho, oil temp, oil pres, 4 way CHT & EGT, G-meter, fuel pres, manifold pres, amps, volts, 2 fuel gauges, Icom A210 VHF with intercom, Garmin mode C transponder, SIRS compass, key start & glove box. Dual brakes, electric flaps, sliding canopy, leather upholstery. Price reduced due to unpainted. Further reduced for urgent sale $129,000 + GST. Will deliver. .............. SA

Yup there's one out there, for sale for some time and been the subject of heated debate as to just how the builder managed to add that degree of lightness:oh yeah: Back to the subject at hand, the aircraft concerned is a recently completed (within last few weeks) RV-12, hence Rotax 912 powered. I didn't want to get in the pilot's face afterward and ask the inevitable questions, but speaking to another pilot who got airborne shortly before the RV, he called engine out at 800' and immediately set about looking for somewhere to put her down. There was a short clip on Qld 7 news this evening, bit more damage than I saw in passing, undercarriage damaged, L wingtip damaged and nasty gouge outboard on the R leading edge. Rather nice to see fellow pilots shutting the media out, they didn't even seem able to ID the pilot:clap:, only person who commented was a bystander who reckons the plane clipped a pole on the way down and slewed into a paddock. Sad to see a lovely little aircraft hurt, but a good result none the less. By the way student pilot, which site misidentified the RV model?:thumb_down:

Now why am I salting the pennies away to buy an aircraft - if this little Maruti can fly, just imagine how that 250,000km Toyota Starlet is going to go! Indian inventor says modified Maruti hatchback can fly, he just hasn't fired it up yet... By Pratap Chakravarty in Bangalore From: AFP February 12, 2011 4:53PM A prototype of the "Flying Maruti" developed by Indian inventor A.K. Vishwanath at the Aero India 2011 show. Picture: AFP Source: AFP IT would be the ultimate answer to the daily horror of gridlock on the traffic-choked, exhaust-filled roads of Indian cities. Unassumingly parked next to some of the world's most lethal warplanes, a converted 800cc Maruti hatchback has stolen some of the thunder from the supersonic exhibits at the Aero India 2011 air show in the southern city of Bangalore. The attraction? Rotating blades fitted on the four corners of the roof, and a vacuum section around the tyres which — its inventor insists — gives the car a vertical lift-off capability, allowing it to soar over any traffic jam. Built in the 1980s by Japan's Suzuki and only phased out last year, the Maruti 800 was India's first small car, revolutionising transport for millions of people for whom car ownership had previously been a distant dream. Now A.K. Vishwanath hopes his "flying Maruti" will have an equally dramatic impact on the way people look at car travel — although it has never actually flown and he is extremely tight-lipped about its exact inner workings. "After studying 2.5 million shapes and objects linked to automobiles and working through complex theories I built this technique which will give my car vertical lift capabilities," the soft-spoken inventor said. Mr Vishwanath, 52, has devoted the past 16 years to developing his prototype, obtaining 40 patents along the way, and says he drew inspiration from many sources, including the aerial prowess of bumble bees. An electrical generator kickstarts the device, after which its original engine pumps out "energy flows" which, he says, will provide the lift-off and cruising capability. "My invention is backed by complex mathematics and I have already tried a scaled-down version in a wind tunnel which I built myself," he said. The car was developed by Mr Vishwanath's own company, B'Lorean — named after his hometown Bangalore and the gull-winged DeLorean sports car of the 1980s, famously used as a time-travelling machine in the Hollywood blockbuster Back To The Future. Mr Vishwanath says he has been approached by several firms willing to fund his work. "Business talk can begin, but only once the necessary paperwork is out of the way," he said. Other specialists are also working on the project. "I believe in its principles and I joined him to learn more about the technologies involved," said engineer B.N. Raghukumar. Flying cars are hardly a new concept, and early prototypes of one sort or another were tested as far back as the 1930s. Serious modern versions include the Terrafugia Transition, a "roadable aircraft" with a flying range of around 400km that was developed by Terrafugia — a private company founded by MIT graduates in the US. The fact that the flying Maruti has yet to get airborne has left many sceptical about its inventor's claims.

Saw a flyer for it this morning; thanks to poor planning I've not been able to go to any before now, but am determined to rectify the ommission this time around. Here's the info per the RA-Aus website; Hosted by Darling Downs Sport Aircraft Assn. Inc, this fly-in has become an iconic event in the region and is the premier attraction for all types of aviation in southern Queensland. See various types, shapes, sizes & models of recreational, ultralight and homebuilt aircraft including sport, vintage, general aviation and any other flying machine. Come late pm Saturday, 12 for BBQ, drinks. Fly or drive in, see ERSA. On field camping, bring your swag. Advise for catering. Contact Trevor Bange Ph 0429 378 370 AH 07 4695 8541 Email [email protected]

An RV-12 suffered an apparent engine failure and put down successfully on or next to a rural road in the Jacobs Well area this morning. First reports are that damage is relatively minor - by the time I drove past there was a major scrum including Ch 7 news, so I decided not to add to things and stop for a photo, although it appeared like a collapsed nosewheel and a scraped wingtip. Very impressive and speedy response by the emergency authorities including the EMQ helicopter - thank goodness they were not actually necessary:clap:. Well done to the pilot for the successful landing - there are an awful lot of smallish powerlines along the roads thereabouts.

As Bass says there are some on the register so you should be ok, the only potential sticking point being that the stall speed is right on the RA Aus limit, 44.9kts according to the official specs. http://www.krnet.org/kr-info.html has some real world figures, with some of them showing figures a fraction over the limit. It's probably worth speaking to Steve Bell n co at RA Aus, it may be that with some on the register, they will take the stall speed as being already established - it would be a tad disappointing to do all that work and then get knocked back! Try Rocketdriver on here for more info, he is refurbishing two at the moment and has no doubt done his homework.

I remember seeing video of a Cri Cri taking off from roofracks on a Pajero, don't know that he landed back though! I have also seen the Cub on a truck trick several times, my own photos are still in paper format, awaiting scanning, however herewith one from jetphotos that I witnessed - better than mine anyway I suspect. The pilot is Scully Levin, an airline Check Capt at one stage, also known for some unusual landing habits in a Harvard, not to mention some amazing display flying with various models of B747.

Is that the doco about Dan Cooper, often referred to as DB Cooper? One of our members with airline experience will no doubt chime in, however yes 727's do have a rear airstair type door, very useful for operations from airfields other than those where mobile stairs are available - or for departing in flight without meeting various bits of aircraft in passing:oh yeah:. I had a bit to do with one in some African hellhole and had it explained that after the hi-jack, an additional latch was added to the rear door of all 727s, which prevented it being opened whilst there was significant airflow past the door ie. airborne. Edit: make that "supposed to be added", there has been a lot of deabte as to whether a certain aircraft which departed Luanda, apparently in the hands of a single pilot and has never been heard of again, was thus equipped. [ATTACH]10905[/ATTACH]

G'Day Frank, that's great to hear you and yours came through ok. Welcome back! Cheers Carl

Good to hear that them Morgan are starting to breed north of the border, I look forward to seeing the flock expanding at the various fly ins in SEQ.

Thanks Vev, that explains things - I suspect part two may explain the mandatory part, as one of the earlier posters pointed out many aircraft have had new fins and strakes added, not uncommonly to address spin recovery.

I guess I could say the same thing, you may not like the legal environment we live in (nor do I a lot of the time) but that doesn''t mean that people have to be kept in ignorance of their rights under that law. My suggestion to Kevin stands. I see the debate has moved on and Jabiru are doing the right thing by people, so to speak and will be paying for the parts. From a PR point of view they would probably have been best advised to lead with that story and put the right spin on it from the get go. I see it virtually daily at work, just a little forethought regarding how the person on the receiving end may perceive your motivation pays dividends. Also, has anyone got any input as to the reasons for the modification - it was suggested that it may be due to a lack of rudder authority in certain situations. I'm battling to understand how an increase in the fixed fin area will address this, normally that is done to increase directional stability in one or more phases of flight or even to assist in spin recovery. I'm referring here only to the new ventral fin, I follow the flap modifications.

I guess you see it all there! I remember dealing with more than injured person after Larry, all of whom had come through the cyclone fine but had brought themselves undone in the clean up, including the genius who went up on a wet roof to clear off tree debris - in thongs!

Adopt an idea from the RV-10, someone is selling a belly pod with space for a little folding m/cycle. I've got a photo somewhere, I'll dig it out n post.

Those are brilliant, good choice to go by air I reckon, all that mud n water would wear a bit thin after a while on a bike. Looks like a great outing.

Nev that is an emotional response with little basis in fact, the litigation environment in the US that all but put the big three out of business is very different to our consumer protection legislation. US juries were giving punitive damages into the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars - as in the case of a '48 Piper Cub where a widow sued because it had only a lap strap seatbelt and a 3 or more point harness would have protected her husband better. The fact that he may or may not have even been wearing the strap, flew into cloud and came out in a vertical dive before impacting terra firma was of lesser importance! Ridiculous by any measure, but not analygous to our situation.

Yea Gods, that is a fair chunk of hardware to add to the poor little Jab. Strikes me that if a lack of rudder authority was the problem, they should be adding area to the rudder surface, not to the fixed fin? Surely adding a fixed strake is only going to exacerbate a weathercocking tendency, as per the example given? From my admittedly limited Jab experience (and not in a J170 either) I would have liked more rudder - but then I actually like to use my feet and even the Tecnams could do with more imo. Now a Cub....:big_grin: I'm inclined to agree with you Kevin, if Holden called me and said that my new ute needed a different spring assembly to make it less liable to wag its tail - and I had to fit it by the next service, I'd be looking to them to pay for the mod too. If I were you I'd be quietly keeping up the pressure on them and when they knock you back, take a trundle along to the local consumer tribunal with your paperwork - aircraft manufacturers operate in exactly the same consumer legal environment as any other Australian business and I'm willing to bet they would come second in that argument.

Interesting to see that, I was born overseas and had fella from out west vehemently object to my use of "guys" n an interview, soon after arriving. He (a transplanted pom!) advised me that the correct Australian term was "blokes". Go figure.

Glad to hear you're in one piece Maj - any word on how your and other aircraft fared? Just to echo what others have said, I clearly recall reading an article by Bob Grimstead where he stated that chainsaw accidents were at one stage the most common cause of US commercial pilots losing their licences! I use one regularly on my bush block and although a marvellous tool, I tend to have that quote in mind when picking it up.

And likely to remain out for some time I believe - huge job to inspect all the lines, ID faults then work their way through it. Some idiot was mouthing off about it being a fizzer and how the authorities exaggerated this morning, should get him to go talk to some of the folk in Tully, Cardwell etc. That wind through one of the cities would have been devastating and we would almost certainly not be congratulating ourselves on the lack of casualties. Even after seeing Innisfail in the raw immediately after Larry, I was absolutely gobsmacked to see the marina at Port Hinchinbrook shifted bodily onto the shore, on TV this evening. Saw a quick glimpse of an aircraft on its back somewhere up there too - I imagine it won't be the only one sadly. Hope all our forum members weathered things ok.