MajorTom

Hope you will 80knots...

 

Panel has Trig radio + transponder and a nice Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 running EasyVFR

 

 

 

 

Hey Friends,

 

it has been some while since my last post. Sorry I was bussy flying my Savannah. First 10 hours I did solo flights then my friends wanted to go with me. I love the look on their face, when we are crusing the air. Right now the hobs couter reads 76 hours and the list of friends to go flying is much longer then the list of friends already done it.

 

I want to take the opportunity to again say thanks to you. You where a great help. What would I have done without the collection of tipps I got esp. from Mark and Kyle. Thanks Guys... you are great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my first 15 hours.... 12,5liter 130kmh

 

It ist no fun to fly 150kmh in turbulent summer Weather

 

Climb rate is very good

 

Handling is great

 

 

Problem partly solved. Seems the clamps holding the rudder pedals where to thight. I just put 2 Nm on the bolts, but even that was to tight for new parts with paint on them.

 

I love flying my Savannah!

 

 

Thanks for the advise, I will check that.

 

And Bob, now that you mention it, I remember, when I installed the bungee, my front leg became stiff too. But I see no way to change that.

 

 

By now, I have 30 landings with my Savannah and 25 more in a teachers Savannah. Slowly I am getting used to it. Esp. the amount of trimming is new to me. In flight school C42 there was no trimming needed.

 

There is one thing I need to solve. My rudder does not move easy enough. It needs a little to much force and seems to move kind of stepwise (hope this was english). Any idea?

 

 

Yes Dan, this Savannah smile mine....

 

 

Congratulations, Major Tom!And what a great summer you have ahead of you!!!

Thanks Bob, I am very excited. Now, there is much learning to do, like it was while building.  There have already been 3 hours of training on a flightschool Savannah, but still I do not feel "at home"  while doing circuit training. Esp. the  need for so much trimming is new to me.

And Bob, you have been a great help for as first time builder and spared me much trouble. Remember your wing tank  tutorial? "No matter what ICP writes, DO NOT DRILL" ....Thanks Bob, come over for a beer or two any time.

 

 

Hey MT. Do you sleep at night, or just keep building your aircraft? I can't believe how quickly you have got to this stage. 

It seems, I spend every free minute with my built....  But I also invested (too) much time in side projects like flight sticks, avionics and custom dashbord. Much time can be safed by installing the ICP  privided cables and instruments. A good manual could safe unnumbered hours and much frustration. So maybe the Savannah can be built in 500 hours

 

The first flight took place on May, the 8th and was done by a flight instructor and Savannah owner himself. He was very pleased and would have switched planes instantly, because my Rotax runs amazingly smooth. On the 3. testflight, I was on the plane with him and did some airwork. It was so great to fly my own plane. Never ever would I have even allowed myself to dream such a thing and now its reality. I still feels kind of unreal. He also gave me 3 hours of training in his bird and when the wether is nice and calm, I will do my first soloflight.

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

 

 

 

 

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

Well, thanks.... I'm still looking for some nice noseart. The ICP arrows look nice, but why built a plane all by yourself and then paint it like a factory bird? What do you thing of a siluette from "the jungle book" "Hakuna Matata" or the sabortooth squirrel from ice age chasing a nut....???

 

 

The breaks seem to be o.k. just a little to full.

 

On wednesday my plane had its final inspection and was declared airworthy. In a couple of days, when the paperwork is done, testflights can begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Sam,

 

the Savannah is a good plane to built. Flight data are aviable in some weeks, because I'm just about to start test flights.

 

If you are interested in building, you might want to check www.savannah-blog.de

 

 

I hope my cylinders will work. If not it would be good to know what Matco cylinders to buy?

 

 

Otherwise its a visit to the bank manager and go the derringer route ;)

NO... I will rather go to to the big "AERO" fair and protest in front of their show area, wearing nothing but a banner "Junksaler"

 

You fill them from the brake caliper. I used a large syringe and pushed the oil through

Yes, thats the way I did it. It seems the upper part of the cylinder is kind of a resevoir and it is so full that smales changes bring it to overflow a little. Today I will try to fill the second cylinder an see how this one behaves...By the way.... Final inspection and first flight is planned for middle of May.

 

 

I ran into trouble with the ICP brakes. Problem is: when I push some times on the cylinder some oil is starting to come out in bubbles. The oil is coming, when the cylinder is released. I don't know if this is o.k. and will end when the brake fluid level is leveled. The cylinder has no resevoir, don't ist? ( Sorry, can't find the right words, hope the meaning clear)

 

 

 

I use the easter weekend to install my BRS Parachute... this version is much more compact than the junkers system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did my windshield a couple of days ago. At first it seemed impossible to do, but following the hints of Mark, it worked out o.k. As Mark I started with 2 (later 4) holes in the lower front, them brought all in shape and drilled at the doorside. Then disassembled all again, inserted a 2mm EPDM stripe under the front bars and reassembled. What I changed, was the rubberedge. Found me something more fitting. And, as Rank might like to know, again the painted rivets proved quite o.k.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junkers is even more expansiv in Germany. Also the german savannah distributer seems to be highly paid by Junkers to decry any other brand. In the end I pay over 1000 Euro less for my complete parachute kit.

 

 

I'm in direct contact with BRS and will install my chute in a couple of days. The ICP manual is for Junkers. The BRS instalation is different. e.g. rocket behind chute... handle in the middle under the instrument panel.... I will post pictures, when time comes. These pics are from BRS

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am surprised you like the inox tube fuel lines. I rather find it difficult to handle them. The double the number of conections. Also I don't like the muddled up diameters.... Connector on one side 6mm the other side 10mm and in betwen 9mm inox tube...

 

How did you solve this?

 

 

very nice color sheme

 

 

Hey Rank,

 

I think you are right. That is sheetmetal basics.

 

ICP might know best, but more likely they just don't care.

 

Newest carelesness I found:

 

They tie the parashute lines to the fuel lines in their factory builts. So if you hang on your rescue system and think you are safe, you can enjoy a nice gasoline shower.

 

No joke, I got pictures!

 

 

This was not my idea... I learned it from this video:

 

Wheels and Tires

 

 

Good to hear from you Richard.

 

You might consider one more step. Once the wheels are pumped up for the first time, release all air again and then fill up again. This allowes the inner tube to fit better.

 

 

I finaly was able to get the 4-way mixer/thermostate in. To ease the installation some silicon elbows where bought. The mixer sits behind the engine on the pilot side.

 

Hopefully all works out allright. Oil and water are supposed be at perfekt temperature in minutes and stay there...

 

Also finished is my little flight-stick spinnoff project. I kind of started it because, I was to afraid to get the expensiv rotax engine out of the box.