Geoff_H

Maybe you are right. Should I leave the underwing engines out.?

I have been building my own design for 5 years now. I have come to the conclusion that I am stupid ?

Using solar to make hydrogen from water using solar is good. It just needs an excessive amount of solar cells. One solar sell on a sunny day will produce enough energy to drive a Tesla 4km. With the losses of manufacturing hydrogen it would travel significantly less.

It might be cheap before the government pits taxes and excises, and a 3cent for 3 year levy. Bit it is a greenhouse gas so they will add a carbon tax and it will be more expensive than petrol. Lol

My project is not a lot. It is my own design. It is the second aircraft project I have been building over the last 20 years. There was a gap of 7 years when I owned the Mooney and basically worked in WA. However I regret not building at lest someone else's plans. A particular piece of folded light gauge aluminium took me 6 goes to get right.many parts have rebuilt at least once. I love the design part, after all I still regard myself as an engineer albeit a retired one. The maths is fun, the building disappoints me, I am not so great a tradesman. Over 70 so building hours per day significantly down. I try to do a little each day, a lot somedays. My current say home no matter what, covid-19 for over 70's, has me enthused with the wife only demanding some yard work (no shopping) things are happening. Geoff

I found this article. It is general and not specifically for your device. Do the download on installing.

As an engineer that just loves designing and building I suggest that if flying is your reason for building you will not enjoy the experience, buy an aircraft that has been built by someone that enjoys the build. He or she has usually only a small interest in flying and prefers an avid flyer to get enjoyment. Often the builder is not after much reward for their fun of building. Personally I prefer designing.

The Cherokee that I owned in 1980 cost $11k, I spent about $15k in non operation costs plus. Sold it for $11k after two years. Loved the aircraft but I needed to move from the country to the city, had to sell all toys. My Mooney cost $120k I spent $120k on updates and improvements. Sold it for$120k. Don't regret it at all. Loved that aircraft, used it in my business, saw most of Australia. Wife hates flying, when I retired I had no real use for it. So I sold it. I don't regret owning it. I hope that the guy that bought it is having fun now.

Having had two GA aircraft the best two days in ownership are the day you buy it and the day that you sell it!!

I remember in the late 80's. The manufacturer insurance per aircraft built went through the roof after a few big payouts. Aircraft went from a low cost (if my memory serves me right around $20k) to something like $150k (again memory). Cessna and piper stopped making singles for some years. This was truly a huge impediment to flying. From then aircraft were being repaired not replaced. Bloody lawyers. geoff

Mooney's have laminar wings with small pieces of angle attached to the leading edge. These are set in the factory in order to balance the wings, they are usually in slightly different vertical positions. When I would stall the Mooney I owned it would drop the left wing first. Maybe they needed readjusting. I think that the stall was the left wing becoming turbulent.

The prop wash comes from the nose wheel. From memory the net was just behind the nose wheel and two ropes with poles pulled it up when airborne and lowered it as appropriate. Cannot remember details, old age has set in, but I will do it to the cozy if I ever finish it, very unlikely.

I have seen a design of a net that was lowered and was in a position to protect the prop on landing. If I ever finished the cozy I was going to install one

The Bede 5 had a similar drive system. I expect that it has been solved in this aircraft. The long not so stiff drive shaft with a high inertia prop at one end and a pulsating engine on rundown broke the tailshaft. Solved with a one way sprag clutch. Look for vibration problems.

Two of my test pieces. Glued together with 5minute epoxy, and clamped for 24 hours. I couldn't separate them with a hammer. I was surprised at the strength. I will make the flaperons in nylon carbon and epoxy, 12 inch a piece and glue them together. I am in error in no welding in a previous statement, the exhaust will be welded.

My printer seemed like a bargain. Unfortunately it was the end of a design that was crap, a new design followed. To print the more exotic materials I had to redesign significant parts of it. It now has a water cooled high print temperature. It took nearly 2 years of design, build and redesign over and over again to get to where it is. The effort is now paying off. The advantage of 3d printing is that I do not have any need for welding. Even the engine mount will probably be an exotic high temperature material

When I was learning to fly around 1980 I was taught how to swing a prop. Safety and getting out of its way were important. Prop swinging does not seem to be taught these days. I have needed to start my engine several times, the guys doing it for me were much younger than me. I had to teach them. It took 5 minutes.

The more that I do the more I get amazed with what I can do. My flaperons look like being 3d printed

Only steel part is the rod, all else either nylon or carbon Nylon.Tyre has 50 psi in it, held ok for a month

Hey the bond between layers is welding in a most controlled manner. I have.made wheels amd forks etc. Interlayer strength is ALWAYS tested. You wouldn't believe the testing method, crude to say the least. The layers are hit with a 10 pound hammer in a manner that puts shear stress on the bond. However one must know how to print to get the best results. I will send a picture soon. I am so impressed with printed parts that the engine frame will be 3d printed.

Maybe you could make joints for the aluminium using 3d printed joiners. Each time would be round and secured by a pop rivet. Using Nylon infused with carbon the joints would be light and strong. Each joiner would need post printing preparation using a reamer in each "hole". A printer could make around 3 joiners per day, probably as fast as they could be used.

I have used it extensively in industrial applications. It works great, but I want to use it in my project. I am just wondering about the consequences of using in an aircraft. Would anyone use it as a locking device for wheel retaining nuts?

Has anyone had experience using Loctite style locking of aircraft bolts? What type of locking did the Loctite style glues replace? Nylon, metal crimp, wire, split pin?

I have sent mine back to the Bose at Silverwater. They fixed them for free

Years ago landed a Mooney with one brake locked on. When the speed dropped to around normal braking speed the locked wheel took over and the craft ground looped. It stopped very quickly indeed. Wheels going sideways can do that. Assuming that one brake is working, quite possibly so, then maybe just applying both brakes will result in a ground loop stop.