ianwells

Hi Mark Lots of progress today, firewall, rudder peddals, front wheel gear nearly in. Rain did halt play for a while though. Work tommorow. Have you tried normal "tin snip's for cutting the hole out with? no good? Doesn't the kit come with sight gauges for the extra tanks? I havn't looked at the wings yet[ATTACH]12480.vB[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]12481.vB[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]12482.vB[/ATTACH]. Good look with the plumbing inspection! Ian

Hi I'm currently building a new savannah XL, Hope to have it flying for next Monto, wherever it is this year. Being as I live in the Whitsundays, lots of islands and water, I'm seriously cotemplating putting some floats on it in about a years time. Is there a Savannah in oz with floats yet? Is it a good idea? Ian

Hi 3d matty Welcome to north queensland and welcome to flying. Can't go wrong with a drifter for you're first aircraft. Cheap, safe and FUN. Try one at Charters towers. Ian

Hi Mark I'm cracking along now with the front fuse, assembly has moved into the drifter trailer once I managed to get out of the donga. Be careful when you put the long and short floors in, the description is in CAP.15 page 10 when they are installed at page 5! READ PAGE 10 FIRST I Nearly stuffed up badly. I think one of Reg's photos even shows the floor in the wrong order which nearly threw me.[ATTACH]12452.vB[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]12453.vB[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]12454.vB[/ATTACH]The rain finally stoped yesterday long enough the go for a fly, still very wet though[ATTACH]12455.vB[/ATTACH] Good to be in the air again! Firewall tomorow Regards Ian

Hi Eightyknots Thats just the way it came. Its actully where the battery goes, the top edge certainly dosent seem to fit very well, due to it not being bent like the fuselage. I was thinking about putting a crease down it to make it match!

Hi Mark Great Tips for the Tips! I'll certainly give that a go when I get to the wings. I've just finished the rear fuselage. All went well, just it wont fit out the door now! I'll have to either unrivet it or take a chainsaw to the donga wall.[ATTACH]12415.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]12416.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]12417.vB[/ATTACH] Ian

Hi Mark, I did put in the wires for the servo, but with so much false information and sketches of things that arn't correct it makes my very nervous when riviting the skins on, just in case something has been forgoten. It would be a hell of a job to remove a full skin! I also ended up with a few left over parts! normaly not a good sign but I think all is good. RE rivnuts. Ihave been advised that rivnuts have a tendency to seize up avter several years of use, then they start to turn inside the skin making removal VERY dificult. Nutplates have been sugested as a much better system???? I now have two folders for the big blue book, one for part one, one for part two so I can look at both versions at the same time! regards Ian

Hi Mark, looks like a neat job on the fuel tanks. At least I've an idea how they go now. I've put together the stabilizer, elevator and trim tab over the last coulpe of days, main problem is the maual shows p[arts of three different sytems. Short trim tab, long trim tab and long trim tab with electrical opperation. Once I sorted out which system I had and which "sketches" were relavent it all went together OK.[ATTACH]12362.vB[/ATTACH] Keep up the good work Ian

Hi Herve I think the closest micolight intructor to mackay would be the guys at Montpelier airpark which is just south of townsville. Tel 0407 918 638 or 07 4729 0126, there is also a couple of places to learn 3 axis RAAUS style in Mackay at Palmyra racetrack and Marian. If you have youre paraglider there is a great site at Eungella. Welcome to North Queensland Ian

:confused: sounds easy!

The place is called "Heathrow" I think there is a similar size airport with the same name back in pommieland (origionally Heath Row airfield). If there is ever any confusion between London HeathRow (LHR) and Leathebrook HeathRow (LHR) and you want to visit, then ours is the one furthest south! Beware if you do visit you may have to go into a holding pattern as our resident air traffic controler (Drifter Pat) is drifting WAY TOO far soth shortly to Adelaid. I believe that an other one of the Heathrow drifter squadron "Tara" now resides at Palmyra!

Hi Frank You're place looks alot like ours! We'll try to get up youre way once the savannah gets launched and we get a bit more range than in the drifter. We did once fly to the northern territory and back in the drifter, but it took three weeks! What are the beaches there like? hard sand? Ian

The Best!

Hi Ross. I had to get the Savannah thing happening as Julie froze her butt off on the way to Monto, It was cold enough on the ground, but up at 5000 feet in the back seat of a drifter in the middle of winter BRRRRRRR!!!!!! Hence the Savannah. A flight in Reg's Maroon one(Queensland colours) with cabin heat did the trick. You can imagine the main subject of conversation on the 3 and 1/2 days it took us to get back home. CABIN HEAT!!!! perhaps weve gone soft or lived in NQ for to long. May have to move further north soon! Just pop in if you are passing over, the build is happening at heathrow, Ther's a file and de-burrer on the table next to the Kettle. See you soon. Ian

Here's a picture of the strip[ATTACH]12312.vB[/ATTACH] Ian

Hi Windsor68 our strip in just north of Lakeside airpark near midge point, we have flown into Palmyra a few times. I believe that someone will be teaching in a Savannah there soon? I will take a couple of lessonds in one before I test fly mine, this may be sometime away. I think I'd need to get a high performance endorsement for the Savannah anyway! Ian

Hi Tomo You're always welcome in the Whitsundays, our strip is just south of Proserpine. Great place to fly. Or build planes![ATTACH]12311.vB[/ATTACH] Ian

Hi Stanzahero this is my first build but one of several that appear to be going on around the country, and on these forums. What a learning curve it is. I didn't realise the building would be so enjoyable, the poor driffter is getting neglected as there's not enough time to fly and build!! Ian

Thought I better land at last and introdce myself as i've been hanging about the forums for sometime. I presently fly a Driffter 503 from a private strip in the beautiful Whitsundays. I have just started construction of yet another Savannah XL and I'm having a ball with it. There just arn't enough hours in the day to get all those rivets in! I have been following Mark Kyles blog of his XL build very closely, keep up the good work Mark! Have you sused out the wing tips yet? Regards to all Ian Remember "He who dies with most toys WINS"