IBob

Looking good there, BC!

You're leaving a terrific trail that will be a real asset to other builders here, Mark.

I would start by checking the idle jet and throttle stop settings, as per the Rotax manual. This is a quick static setup and should be checked anyway. Setting at the factory can be a bit rough. You mention having trouble starting: are you starting using the choke? This requires the throttles to be entirely closed, or the choke will not work. I normally start a cold engine, even on mild days, using the choke, then transition to the throttle. The choke has it's own jet etc, almost like a mini carb within the carb, I would get that going first. Maybe also check that your floats are okay, this is done by weighing them.

BC, the ICP setup comes with a flat plate that pivots down to operate the brakes, up for brakes off. It's the yellow bit in the pic, taken with the brakes off.

Okay, I see when you look at what they call the Install Drawing, they identify an Inlet Side and an Outlet to Brake Side: so long as you stick to that I'm sure you'll be fine.

I should add that some versions of the parking brake valves are one-way valves , with the brake lever lifting them to become 2-way valves when in the brakes off position. The brakes are operated by first selecting the brake position on the lever, which makes the internal valves one-way, then stepping on the brake pedals to apply pressure, which is then held by the one way valves until the brakes are turned off, with the lever lifting the one-way valves and making them 2-way. The gotcha with this setup is that sometimes folk hook them up with the valves the wrong way round. The result then is that pressing on the brake pedals does nothing, as the one-way valves prevent the pressure going to the wheel cylinders. And further, if there is confusion over the lever position, there may be no brakes on landing.

BC you will use a lot of rudder, especially on takeoff. The lines from the pedals/cylinders have enough slack in them that they never pull into a tight bend, even with full pedal. And the fittings at the cylinders are cocked forward so that the lines stay forward of the pedals, out of the way. Marty, yes, it's just a pair of stop valves, ganged together, one for each line. To activate you step on the brake pedals while shutting the ganged valves. Allows you to park with wings level on a slope, so avoiding fuel crossfeed and overflow. But best supplemented with some sort of chocks if the slope is steep or the visit is long. ICP sell it as an option, comes complete with a steel mounting plate for the ganged valves.

BC here's what I've got:

Sounds good........but how do you know? Did they install a sight-glass while they were at it???

Of course.........your ancient and less lumpy landscape........tunnels few and far between........(

Which brings us to the question of what train drivers do. To which the answer is the tunnels. But also in those tunnel walls are periodic brick alcoves. Which maintenance workers would retire to when each train was due. And were they would be perfectly safe.......apart from the occasional yellow stripe across the chest.......(

Momentary thread drift, but concerning getting things out of aircraft in flight: Periodically skydivers are approached by families to spread the ashes of their loved ones. A mate of mine has been tapped several times, and the first thing he learned was not to take the lid off in the aircraft, or the result is that part at least of the deceased remains in the aircraft where he/she/it circulates rapidly in the blast from the door, generally coating everything and especially hanging up in any beards or hair the pilot may have. The second thing he learnt, however, was to loosen the lid before you go: on this occasion he was asked to scatter the ashes of a fellow skydiver, duly left the aircraft with the lid on at 8,000ft, then wrestled with it for over 6,000ft before giving it up as a bad job and opening his canopy. The container continued in freefall, and went into an adjacent golfcourse. Where try as they might, the entire crew at the jump club were unable to find it, so it's out there somewhere still. Fortunately, the wife of the deceased felt the deceased himself would have seen this as a most excellent joke, so she went home happy.........)

Okay, so the container is one part of the equation. Getting to the container is the other. And my comment earlier about Levi 501s was about that. It happens that, when in the seated position, the fly on some trousers goes down a lot further than it does on others. And while I haven't checked the rest of the range, I can most certainly say that Levi 501s are 'others'. So, unless one has unusually long and flexible delivery equipment.........definitely give the 501s a miss.

Very classy action, Mark.....)

Sigh. This was always going to turn into a pissing contest.................(

I'll just finish up the cocktail gherkins.............)

Never fly wearing Levi 501s...........................(

Plus one for the Lightspeeds here......)

I'm fully retired now, Mark. And I honestly don't know how I found the time to fit in any work......)

Is this the right place for Microlights Aren't Real Aircraft and Microlight Pilots get their licenses off Kornflakes packets, and shouldn't be allowed? Or is that a separate p***ing contest???.............

My vote goes to the jackal: anyone hanging around a van de graf generator waving a knife is going to need all the votes they can get...........)

C'mon, Marty..........it's quite obvious they had invented the chainsaw. They're just hangin' around there now waiting for someone to invent the chain............)

888z nobody here is trying to sell you anything. You asked for information to help you choose, people are responding by pointing you to information that may be useful. Part of that is understanding why there was a general move away from LE slats to vortex generators. And the Stolspeed owner was foremost in that and there are very good studies on his website. With the engine size and fuel consumption there is no magic : x fuel in gives you y hp/kw out. The 80hp engine will give you an aircraft that requires a longer takeoff run, climbs slower, and cruises slower. It's that simple. Regarding the Savannahs, there is some confusion with the naming, which seems to vary a bit from country to country. 1. Here in NZ I do not think we have any of the original models with the LE slats. 2. We have the next model, which is called the VG because they removed the slats and added the vortex generators From there, ICP remodelled the fuselage in 2 stages: 3. We have the model after the VG which is called the XL or VGXL. This has the remodelled front end, larger cockpit etc, but still has the flat sided rear fuselage. 4. And we have the model after that which is called the S. This has the rear fuselage remodelled and rounded. Finally, so far as i know, nobody imports the BRM aircraft here.

888z here is a link to an excellent site, where the owner has done a great deal of work on the question of slats vs vortex generators. I recommend reading up on this, if you have not already done so: https://www.stolspeed.com/slats-v-s-vgs As for fuel economy: I think I'd be right to say pretty much nobody down this way fits an 80HP engine. Part of the reason for this is that the fuel consumption is only a part of the ongoing cost of owning and running an aircraft, and the extra $$$ on fuel and consumption is well spent in terms of range and performance. The ULS is also a better proposition when it comes to resale.