chris

not a lazy mans approach, but a very accurate way to build.. The RV's have been using predrilled pilot holes for years.. The 650 is a great kit and you will have one of the most inspected and decleared safe to fly kit aircraft by the FAA, CAA and LAA.

Good stuff Now get on with the phase 1 testflying..

Chris

Wing overs? G Meter in the AC, or calibrated bum?

Chris

:thumb_up:

Here is a quote from one who has had the upgrades done to his 650..

OK... went flying again today; again manuevering flight - and lo and behold I found a difference!

Today i performed more aggressive wing-overs (but lazy onset) - 2g pulls. Also did slow work (stall series - including accelerated stalls at high bank angles - all below Va), including emergency descents at Vfe with tight turns.

Here's the difference: the ride is stiffer. For example during emergency descents (full flaps, spiral descent at Vfe - which is now 70kts rather than 80kts), one can feel the ride more than in the past. This is also true during stalls if you hold the airplane into the stall. The sloppy bumping around stall passes through the whole airplane.

Upon reflection, I guess this shouldn't be a surprise since the wings are stiffer and they are coupled tighter to the fuselage.

What do you want to do Build or fly or a combo of both? The new Zenith 650 will be a great aircraft. If you buy a kit now or buy a set of plans and slow build it if you want. If you buy a kit now now it will have all the upgrades done. So it will have the tick of approval from the FAA , NTSB, UK and other airwothiness boards worldwide.

for the record there are over 65 XL's and 650's being built. Where are you located? If you want to come to Natfly there will be a Zenair Australia stand and there you can meet and talk Zenith builders and flyers and have all your other Q's answered.

Chris

Zodiac XL

Jab 3300

Sydney

I respect your viewpoint Paul, however the issue lies with the 601XL structural failures which appear to be several times more frequent than those suffered by the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately the designer has not helped the situation by firstly insisting that there is no problem and then apparently grudgingly coming up with a fix after the FAA started making noises:question:I have flown an older 601 and liked it well enough (except for the wing skin acting as an aileron hinge!), but I'll be honest and say that until the fleet is modified and there are no more unexplained cases of wings folding, I will not be flying one.

Sorry to bring FACTS back into this discussion but as you stated you flew in an OLDER 601, thats great.. Now the facts the older 601's have a very different and thicker wing design and structure than the XL..

For the others

who remembers the early RV's and the problems thay had..

Total cost for the upgrade as about $500 worth of metal. yes it will take about 80 hours to do the upgrade and will strengthen the wing.

Also have a read of the flutter testing report available, with correct cable tension it does not flutter, with slack / loose cables it does. Ok maintain correct cable tension..

Now back to building for those of us

that are living the dream not just dreaming the dream.

new Zenith Australia Dealer

NEW AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR NAMED BY ZENAIR

Zenair Limited of Canada, well known manufacturer of Chris Heintz recreational aircraft designs since 1974, is pleased to announce the appointment of Allan Barton of Bendigo, Victoria as its new distributor for Australia. Under the name Zenair Australia, Allan will take over the work started by Sport Air Services located in Brisbane (Gold Coast).

“As the owner of Cummins Spinners Pty Ltd., Allan is well known to Australian sport pilots as the maker of world-class aluminum propeller spinners and accessories”, said Michael Heintz, on behalf of Zenair; “his expertise and personal experience (Allan has already assembled a Zenair kit which he regularly flies to regional fly-in events) will greatly enhance our visibility as well as customer support for Zenair’s numerous kit designs.”

Zenair Australia plans to import and distribute Zenair kits and spare parts and will offer demonstration flights, familiarization training, as well as technical support and builder assistance for builders, owners and fliers of the popular brand.

“We have ambitious plans to develop the remarkable STOL line of Zenair planes for the Australian market,” says Allan. “From the original two-seat “Sky Jeep (CH 701)” to the 180 HP four-seat CH 801 or the new Light-Sport utility CH 750, these robust, high-performance STOL planes are ideally suited to our vast and rugged country environment.” The new company already has a kit for one of the new STOL CH 750 on order. There are plans to have the fuselage on its gear in time for NATFLY 2010.

For more information on the STOL CH 750 or on the new Zenair Australia, call Allan Barton at 0417 121 111 or write to [email protected]

Zenair Australia Press Contact: Allan Barton

0417 121 111

ZENAIR Australia Pty Ltd.

PO Box 567

Golden Square Vic 3555

Tel: 0417 121 111

e-mail: [email protected]

Web: Web Hosting Australia | Domain Registration | NetRegistry | Australian domain name registration, domain names and website hosting

October 25, 2009:clap:

The HDS has a much thicker wing and is joined out about 2 feet from the fueslage. the XL has it wing joints right at the fuse and the MLG is a flat bar system like a Cessna from the fuse not the wing like the HDS..

Chris..

Zodiac XL

Jab3300

QWERTY

"I have flown several hours in a mates 601 XL"?? considering there are so limited XL's flying, and non in TAS wehre is your mates Zodiac XL located?? or was it a standard 601?

Chris

got a picture of the dash???

Chris.

This report is not the accident report only the ATSB report into the canopy fragments that the RAA asked them to look into, the RAA are doing the full report and that is not out yet.

Chris

Zodiac XL

Sydney

Gang

I am doing the aft fuse angle mods, as well as the canopy locks. I will end up with a Todds one eventually. If I was not finished with the older canopy I would do the new 650 one.

Chris..

601 Xl's alive and well

guys

Sportair is alive and well, Liezel is alive and well, I just spoke to her this afternoon at 4pm. They changed the phone number a few months ago, the number is 07 55363622. or Email her on [email protected]..

There will be a big Zenith BBQ and get together on the Sat at Nat Fly 09 . We will even be having a guest speaker from the USA come and give a talk on ALL things Zenith.. So if ever you were thinking of getting a Zentih product CH 650 or 750 STOL aircraft, now would be the time to come to natfly and have all your Q's answered. so come up and look, at the aircaft, there will even be a QB kit on display.

We now have over 65 people building XL's with 3 XL's being flown in the last couple of months..Yaahoo.

Techie 49 contact me off list and I will help you with XL stuff and the newsletters :hug:I wish I had bought a QB kit as it saves so much time and good value for money.

John Contact me off line :thumb_up:as well and I can help you with your thought process and Aircraft decision.. I originally wanted an RV9.. I am still happy with my XL but the new 650 is even better..

Chris

Zodiac Xl

Jab3300

..

I am going GA .. already have the rego VH CSE.. I am building under the SAAA. I spoke to RAA and they said come on down anytime.. its just a paperwork exercise..

Spoke to CASA and they said it was hard to come up as no building inspections, test flight paperwork, lots of issues ect.. I may go down test the waters later, if I dont like RAA I can always go back to VH.

The beauty of the Zodiac..

Chris.

So just to confirm its only the rudder plans you have and not the whole plane plans? you would have to buy the rest of the plans for the XL/ HDS ext

Chris.:thumb_up:

going well jut finished the dual stick instal and getting my Jab 3300 FWF package ready to install. Canopy next..

Chris..

rudder kit

Do you have a set of plans that go with it?? which model?? when were the plans drawn?

Chris.

Jab engine mount plate

Hi

just got my mount and mine were all .125

Chris.

A lot of the updates and stuff can be fitted to Xl's. I for one will be going with the new canopy locks

Chris.

XL Kits /Building

Hi All

Chris Up in Sydney

I am building an XL and my Jab USA 3300 FWF package is in the air as we write.. It was shipped yesterday. Up to fiting the canopy at the moment but waiting as there is a new canopy and locking system in the wind.

I am also about to put out the next Zenith odiac Newsletter.

Hi Ian, your build is progressing well

Chris.:thumb_up:

All

just to bring a fact back into the accident in Charters towers. Clives wife Jannet could talk on the radio and had a headset on at the time. She had been chatting, talking on the radio all the way up on the trip to the others in the other aircraft. What happened, happend to both, that's why the RAA are doing a thorough investigation. The facts will come out, we as pilots will learn and hopefully be safer.

Chris.