Kyle Communications

I havent been keeping a direct log because its been pretty disjointed but wings tail feather and flaperons around 40 hours. The fuselage so far around 50 to 60 hours so a total so far would be around 110 to 120 hrs. I havent been rushing it either. I got to say I love building it and am not tired of it at all. In fact after I get this one flying for a while I will buy another one and build it why I am flying the original one then sell it when the other one is ready to fly. The reason is two fold...The main one is its just a great project to do and the second one is now I know how to do it I am sure I can do it even better. Not by modifying the design or anything like that I just know I can do a better job on the finsh. Dont get me wrong I am happy now with everything I have done on it but the next one I would do it much better. lets face it really its a 650 part 14,000 rivet mechano set but I would like to get a better finish than standard on areas of fit and the skins on the flaperons and wings etc. if you look at most savannahs they all have the same little indents everywhere due to the design. I would like to maybe make sure that the parts fit together better. I did it on the nose skin on the wings but after I did the first wing it was just like the rest of the savs so I made some mods and the second wing looked much better so I went back and modified the first wing but it didnt quite come up as good as the second. its only asthetics really. So thats the plan down the track...but I have to get the first one flying yet :)

Mark

I have a question for previous or current XL builders that maybe cruising this thread. The manual doesnt explain this very well. The pivots for the elevator. Supplied are 2 brass bushes the same size and another that is longer. The manual says both short ones are at either end and the long one is in the middle. But this does not compute when you go to fit them. To me the long bush should go on the side that has the trim tab and belcrank this leaves 1 smaller bush left for the middle section. The problem is the small bush does not fit through the alu angle extrusion used for the attachment off the stab. The longer bush goes through nicely but the smaller bush is just slightly larger. So you can see my predicament. I rang Steve yesterday to find out how he did his but he hasnt got to attaching the elevator yet. Maybe Ian can tell me...either that or I am reading the italio english wrong :(...If I fit the large bush to the middle pivot the bolt they specify isnt long enough also the short one is not long enough to fit the belcrank to for the trim

Mark

Also cant seem to find any washers for the aileron/flaperon ball link rods. Can anyone remember if they were supplied separately maybe with the rods as I can not seem to find them at all....been chasing around to find some locally they are AN960-5...no one locally I can find has them :(

Hi scotty

There is a difference though. gary was powering the radio with dc only not via the battery. If you have the battery connected on the radio and have the dc plugged in depending on how the radio charges it could be more than likely your battery. Especially if its 2 plus years old. If you are going to use a HH in the aircraft you either use it on battery only and take a spare battery or disconnect the battery and power it using the DC power in cable. Then you dont overcharge batteries or create other issues

Mark

I was away for the weekend just over a week ago so not much done but earlier this week and this weekend have been doing a lot of the smaller fiddly jobs. Its great to finally see boxes of bits being slowly dwindled down. The firewall is in and the engine mount supports are in the floor has been rivetted and the rudder pedals done, I have selected the "advanced" position as I am 188cm tall and wanted the pedals a bit further away. Its surprising how much time is taken up doing these small jobs and just finishing off the bits and pieces. Have struck a couple of things. One mistake was when I built the stab and elevator its was quite a long time ago now about 10 months or so and of course now I am fully aware of how the manual is constructed and you make mistakes along the way and have to drill out some rivets and correct what you misinterperted in the manual or they just didn't tell you in the manual and you find out the hard way. Example is because there are 3 different versions of the trim on the elevator I am sure it didn't tell you that one hinge point is longer than the other and as I did it over a day or two a week or so apart I put the wrong one in the wrong side. There is one hinge that requires the bellcrank for the trim to me mounted on it in the elevator. of course I had the smaller one on the wrong side so had to open up the elevator and remove both hinges and then re- rivet the structure back..only took about 15 mins but is just a crap off. Also there are a few places you need to install countersunk rivets...they dont tell you about these ones in the manual...well not that I have found anyway. I have put a couple of pics in to show. On the crossmember on the firewall just at the top you need to put 3 countersunks there for the top plate for the nosewheel strut also the firewall strengthener for the bottom of the engine mount and also under the front for the main bolt for the bottom of the engine mounts a countersunk will need to got there as well.

I will start to do some painting now of the firewall and internal floor of the cabin at the front. Have sussed out where I can get all the paint as per Maj Millards system which is the wattyl etch prime and undercoat and the top coat is Protek paint. I like the idea of sealing off the firewall from the cabin so Reg Brost has made some entry exit alu pieces for the throttle and nosewheel steering rods and supplies some silicone boots that go over them then he seals it off with a heat resistant silicone sealer he also seals off the firewall to the skins with it. You get it from BSC motion technology I got that on the weekend so will do the painting then seal the areas off will take some pics when I get them done...thats this weeks job to make the pieces out of scrap alu and do the painting. I wont be around this weekend its a long weekend so going up the farm to do some more work and mow the strips as I may go flying again in the next couple of weeks and would love to fly up there and do some landings etc

Ok thats all for now

Mark

I would use the 3 amp..if there is a problem big enough to blow the fuse the difference between 2 and 3 amps is nothing in a short circuit situation

Mark

Get a Savannah VG XL factory built :)

Mark

excellent video as usual Tommo

1 amp sounds a bit small actually would think it would be a 2 amp or 3 amp fuse and not normally slow blow. It should be a std fuse. The dc lead from memory has a plastic fuse holder inline check the caps on the end of the wire to make sure they are not corroded or have any vertigrease on them as the radio wants to draw its maximum current at PTT i would think around 1.5 to 2amps then if there is any resistance in the power cable,plug or fuseholder or fuse then you get voltage drop and the radio will detect this and turn off

Mark

Check your fuse that is in the DC lead powering the radio. The radio had low voltage so thats what I would look at first. Its could be a high resistance fuse or possible faulty fuse holer

Mark

Hi Peter

I would agree about going the extra to cyclone rating. We got a quote for our house for the farm its sort of like a 2 storey shed on steroids its 350sq mtrs with a great patio out the front at the top floor. These types of all metal houses made from colourbond are class 1 rated not class 10 like sheds are. We got quote for the house at the local rating for Bundaberg and it was 54,000 and then we got the quote for a cyclone rated one as if it was in Cairns and that was 60,000 so only 6,000 more which I thought was very reasonable so we will get the higher rated one and I would do the same for the hangar/workshop. The doors for the hangar are what I am concerned about I would want the strongest ones of course within reason. I would have thought what I want and the size of the hangar I want inc the concrete floor would be around 30- 40,000. It sounds a lot but the hangars at Kilcoy they recently built were 36000 for the small and 56 for the larger ones but they are quite high as well

Mark

The property is up near Childers so not in the cyclone area but I would like the shed constructed to a cyclone rating as you never know now with what the weather is doing and the tip is that cyclones will be moving more south

So getting this in my head looking at the front of the hangar with the sliding doors it would be 15mtrs wide but 12 mtrs deep?... if so I would want a roller door at the front and at the back directly behind it on the rear wall so I can drive the tractor or anything else straight through. What do you think

Mark

I have been looking around also for options to build a hangar/workshed at my property. I need mine to be at least 18x9 maybe a bit larger as I want my tractor to go in there with the slasher attached. 24x10 would be even better but the costs go up dramatically. Also what type of doors are better or cheaper...its a big decision to get your head around. I know the smaller hanagrs built at Kilcoy by Chris Gratton shed were 36,000 and the larger ones were 56,000 but mine needs to be longer rather than more squareish as the Savannah will take up about 10mtrs wide and 7 or so mtrs deep the rest will be for the tractor which I need at least 8 mtrs deep. It will be facing east so the doors need to be considered how strong they are as well I dont want them to blow in. The opening at the front needs to be 3 mtrs to fit the tractor in so there will be doors to open at least 10 mtrs to fit the aircraft through and maybe a roller door for the tractor and the other openings. Any advice would be appreciated

Mark

Hi Nunans

It is basically like a etch primer. You put it on where any 2 faces of the aluminium touch it stops corrosion between mating surfaces.

Mark

Well I am no expert with the flying yet but I recently got some new glasses with flying in mind as well as driving. I have 3 pairs of glasses now its a pain getting older. I have 2 sets focally the same the top is for long distance the bottoms are set for reading but at a slightly longer distance than normal. I set a set of clear in these and a set of sunglasses but NOT polarized so I can read lcd displays as polarized on some lcd's you cant read the lcd. I went flying 2 weekends ago with the new sunglasses and they were perfect for flying. I could see for miles out the windshield and just dropped my eyes and the instruments were all perfectly in focus so I was really happy with the result. The other pair I have is for working on my workbench doing the radio and electronics I do for my normal work. They are set totally differently. The tops are set for 800mm and the bottoms are set for 200mm. The bottoms are set so I can pick up the job and look very cloesly at the pcb then I can just look uo at all the test equipment and read the instrumentation. The other 2 pair the ones for driving and flying I am glad I put some thought into them when I got them made this time. I am extremely pleased with the outcome after the first "test fly" of them the other week.. Just put some thought into what you want to use them for

Mark

Hi Ian

Yes real progress is being made now. infact I will hopefully order the engine in the next week or two. It takes 10 to 12 weeks I am told just got to get some bucks aside for it thats the hard part. I will hopefully get most of the plane finished and painted by the time the engine arrives so all things going well it will be flying in september of october this year. I still have to get my licence yet anyway so got a lot to do :) I have been away this weekend so no further work since thursday night but here is the latest up to date pics

Mark

Hi pete

I am away to dalby this weekend then up my farm the next weekend but should be home during the weeks...its not at the same place you went to..well the wings and other gear are still there but I am building the fuselage at my home at Burpengary so come around here just ring me or PM and I can give you the address if you dont know it already... Just got the front floor in tonight and the front sides up to the firewall will go on tomorrow night. Construction is very fast now it is here. I work 1 to 2 hrs a night and 3 hrs or so on the weekends when I am here.

Mark

The manual is hard work really it could be done so much better...just have to read it plenty of times and get the parts then lay them out and see where they all fit. Some of the drawings are very good and are self explanitory but others are not good and you have to work things out. But I have to say I am enjoying building the sav. Its really a fullfilling exercise some bits are very boring but most are great. I will hopefully order the motor soon as it can take 10 weeks or so to get it and hopefully by then I will be ready for it. A couple more weeks and it should be almost completed to the point where I will be finishing off all the little jobs then it will be onto cleaning it all down and preparing to paint everything. By the time that is done the engine should be here and it can be fitted up and the rest finished. Just got to come up with the 20 grand for the motor and prop :)

Mark

Hi All

Further progress over the last week or so. It certainly helps doing 1 to 2 hrs a night on speeding up the build. Most time is spent really getting the next set of parts ready. Cleaning,deburring and painting the black goop on and waiting for it to dry..the rest of the time is deciphering the manual :). Have fitted the joystick and control rod also made the flaperon mixer and belcranks. I found it easier to do this from the front rather than do it through the hole in the bottom...I am not a small guy so easier for me not to spend too much time in that opening. Cant work on it this weekend as going out to Dalby for a big model aircraft fly-in its once a year..Tommo should know where it is its on the Cecil Plains Road

Mark

Hi Neil

Yes it was great. I had a fantastic day yesterday went for an hours flying to get my hand back in after being so long since I was doing any real flying as when I was doing my PPL back in the mid nineties. I did a touch and go and also another landing and they were pretty good so I was very chuffed...sort of like riding a bike you dont forget :)

Also flying Bill's just confirmed again that I made the right choice in aircraft it is just such a nice aircraft to fly and I love the powerful rudder. I had a short flight in his old sav that Ultralights has now but that was about 2 or 3 years ago and thought it was great then but now after a good twiddle on the stick I know I made the right choice for what I want to use it for

Mark

Hi GDL

I have done a lot of work in Canada........ Ottawa,Toronto, Thunder Bay, Medicine Hat and Vancouver over a few years of travelling to install lasertag systems there. I love the place except in Winter it was a nasty shock I had to throw away all the clothes I took with me and bought the local stuff as our gear doesnt work at -21 to -35 deg C. Canadians are great people very similar to us aussies. eh

There is no train station at Caloundra you would need to get the train to Landsborough then catch a bus or catch a bus from Brisbane to Caloundra its only just over an hour from the Brisbane transit centre. Caloundra is a good base to work from although public transport there is not that great. I had no real issues driving on the "wrong side of the road" when in Canada or the USA the big issue was driving out of the garage (gas station) and turning the wrong way thats really the only difference and a car will give you much more freedom. We are a very spreadout country similar to Canada and similar distances.

Caloundra has its own small airport although it will be closed in a few years then you have wehere we are south about 25mins by car to Caboolture airport then you can go north up to Gympie airport about 45 mins from caloundra then if you want to see the jabiru factory its about another 2.5 hrs drive north of caloundra. I am sure if you get on here before you come there will be plenty of phone numbers you will get from people on here that would love to help show you around. I am about 30 mins drive south of Caloundra and will have my Savannah flying by then so would love to take you flying...if I have my Pax endorsement by then but should be.

Its winter time here now and its about 9degC at night and 25degC during the day so very comfortable.

Mark

I need hangar space at Caboolture as well when I get my Savannah finished too later this year

Mark

Hi All

progress is being made :). There is a lot of work and riveting for the rear section of the fuselage I am surprised how long it has taken. There must be 2000 rivets in that section. Thats now done and now I am into fitting the cabin section. This is going together quite well so far. I have put the battery in the new position I was toying with the idea of placing it down the back in the original position as there has been some discussion about the current VGXL being a bit nose heavy. I rang Bill Grieve and asked him about his factory built one as he has done a couple of weight and balance on his and after chatting to him I will go with the battery in the new position. His came out in the mid range and needs his tie down kit in the back compartment where thee battery used to be to keep the sav flying without any stick pressure when he is fully loaded. I thought with the extended engine position and the prop extension the balance would have been a bit more forward but apparently not so its behind the seats. I have been doing an hour or two most nights and progress is nice and steady.

Mark

He has done some mods to make it fly faster and more efficient with the 80hp engine. I am sure he has a 100hp for the new one.

Toms original savannah is a 80hp one of the first built here I think but he has also done a few mods on it. I took these at Monto flyin last year. Hence the question from Maj