eightyknots

If that is 945 lb in total we are looking at an empty weight of 429 kg. That is a lot more weight than Karl's 770 lb. I wonder if that is correct?

Hi Karl, This is a screen shot from the video. What sort of cowl are you using?

Hi Karl, Up till now, every time I mention a Viking 130 I receive predictions of gloom from others. One person had "calculated" that a Savannah with a Viking 130 would need a minimum of 13 kilograms (or 28.5 pounds) of lead to be placed in the tail to compensate for the heavier-than-Rotax-912-engine. Another person's opinion was that the 28.5 lb of lead would not even be enough. It is good to hear that it is within the weight and balance range. However, I think Mark has given very wise advice about shifting the battery in the back. The extra cable length and shift of the weight of the battery will help keep weight off the nose wheel. You said that your plane weighs 770 lb (or 350 kg). Many Savannahs end up around 300-318 kg (660-700 lb). Is the extra weight just from the Viking 130 or are there other factors that got your plane up to 770 kg?

The Australian X-Air + Pipistrel dealer once flew from Queensland to New Zealand in an RA-Aus aircraft. He left OOL (Gold Coast Airport) and flew to Lord Howe Island. Then he flew to Norfolk Island the next day. The third flight was from Norfolk Island to Kerikeri, New Zealand. The plane was a Pipistrel Sinus. The distance is about 2,500 km. Here are the details:

I like the idea of the stereo separation as you have described! What model Garmin radio is that?

I hope you have pictures of the Down Under crop circles that you can share with us.

That rebuild is proving to be a h-u-g-e job. I am sure the end result will be completely worth all the effort. PS: Mark did you see the "what is the best radio" question on this thread?

Perhaps ask Mark Kyle*? He is a radio tech and I am sure he has a recommendation (or two). * Kyle Communications on this forum

You've been working hard. It is great to see the Rotax in position!

Happy new year to all the Rec Flying forumites!

I love it!

A good idea: a mooring line would stop your Drifter from drifting!

* for more BOM info: https://levilaviation.com/thebom/

I am starting to think ahead to my dashboard even though I am at the start of my aircraft build. I have a number of choices and, as I see it, they can be: 1. Steam gauges only supplied by the kit maker (so no extra cost). 2. Android or Eyepad based system, perhaps in conjunction with a BOM* (Broadcasting Outer Module) system as well as some essential steam gauges for redundancy. 3. A mixture of a 'workhorse' Dynon D10A system along with some steam gauges. 4. Glass panels only. I would be interested in people's thoughts about what is light effective and cost-friendly. (Mike, In addition to the Dynon D10A are your other instruments still steam gauges?)

MTBF = Mean Time Between Failures.

Hi Baz, Mark has done us a great service in setting up this thread! The many pictures and suggestions he has uploaded are really helpful and informative. Also, other Savannah builders have added their useful suggestions which adds to the richness of this thread. I finally started to build my Savannah S last month and, being a first time REAL plane builder (I did build my first balsa wood aircraft 50 years ago and other model aircraft after that), threads like this are a fantastic source of extra information. This thread would have to be one of the threads viewed most times on this forum. Well done Mark: you're a great bloke. PS: in addition to the Savannah rebuild thread that Mark also started (see the above post), the series of threads from iBob are also really useful.

Or just leaving it the sun may do the trick. I had this bluish plastic on stainless steel some years ago. This also had been on for years. The plastic pulled off one small section at a time ...until I left it in the sun for a couple of hours. It came off easily after that.

I can't believe it either...and yet it seems to be all too common. What is it about aviation that seems to attract dodgy operators? I don't know how these people live with themselves. It makes doing a build myself more and more attractive. Is it time to name and shame? I am disappointed and disgusted. If these 'build experts' are the cause of eventual airframe failures, I wonder if their guilty consciences will get them to get back to all the other planes they have built and correct the deficiencies? ...I would say not! The main problem is that the media will report something like "catastrophic ultralight airframe failure leads to multiple deaths". They may add the word "home made" in their article to make matters worse for careful home builders. Before long, CASA will launch an Enquiry. This Enquiry could recommend a strict (and costly) inspection regime and/or tough restrictions on home builders. I am glad you're discovering their shortcuts Mark, and correcting them.

I think you're right Mark. I went on a large US fishing vessel berthed in Sydney Harbour around 1987 or 1988. In addition to an on board helicopter and a large fish processing factory on this vessel, they had a GPS. The captain told me it was "very new technology". The GPS unit was really large and looked heavy. It couldn't have been carried by a glider.

This is a hair-raising, horrible situation. I am glad the 'victim' survived.

Perry flew over my house a couple of weeks ago (before all the bad weather came along) and I did not hear him either.

Great work Marty. With this kind if progress, you could be airborne at the end of summer.

It has been four months since we heard from BEX. Are You Oh Kay?

Did you stick with the bungee, or go with the Viking spring? FYI: the Viking dealer is in your neck of the woods.

Someone should really encourage him to do that. It would be a great read spanning a large part of aviation history.