Sapphire

That would be a better option that anybody with a single ignition could and should do. Taking off all the heads and replacing or modifying them is a fiddly hassle-especially if you break a ring. If you replace the head, you have to probably run in new rings as well.

I would have tried to determine their positions from their many broadcasts and flown over [if practical] to within visual range and copied their rego no. From then on you could play God.

A while back a pilot I knew had an engine failure in a Sapphire with a Rotax 503. The engine ran rough and cleared a few times. He said the fuel flow meter and other instruments were swinging wildly. Eventually he flipped upsidedown landing in a high wheat paddock and spent some time trapped trying to break open the pinned canopy. A long investigation showed there was fuel in the tanks, in the fuel line, in the carbys, and it was not contaminated. The CDI units were functional, the plugs and wiring were functional. Conclusion was that some temporary mysterious electrical fault caused the problem.

Yes, I ve seen on the internet conversions done with two mags, two plugs, extra crankshaft bearing, cooling baffles. Maybe there are very tiny plugs available-say 6mm dia so strength around a plug boss is not so critical. Someone in this world must have already done it himself. Ive got a workshop ready for action.

Did he grind and polish the mirror himself? Like the collapsable tube design. Did all that when I was a kid longer than a long time ago.

The a/c's I am looking at now have half vw engine and a rotax 447. Others will come up. Perhaps drilling another plug hole is not too complicated. It doesnt have to be for best combustion but to keep you in the air. Has any one done this?

Perhaps it would have been more acceptable if they put in calls with normal aviation wording , _________ traffic, this is Jabiru ABC [position, altitude] climbing to 2500 for local flying.

I have a question for any electrical experts out there. I am looking for single seat a/c with dual ignition. A lot have single ignition. Is it possible to put in another cdi unit and connet both to the same plugs. Thanks, Norm

I like the one about watching crash videos all night. Gives you a sense of superiority. BTW how do you reply without dragging down someone elses post?

[ Very versatile. It is equally at home on your prop as on your head.

If you take a nav course you will see the error of this statement. You don't fly on gps alone-the Americans can switch off their satellites, your gps can malfunction, and some other reasons pointed out by a CFI. You always know where you are on the map by dead reconing. Where do you learn this.......?

Wise choice. It is hard to determine the condition of any fabric covering even with tests-very subjective. I stayed away from them in my past aircraft-fibreglass is much better, unless one comes up really cheap.

True, improper mainenance and lack of flying skills have stood out in accidents. I like the aircraft but needs to be flown by a diciplined pilot. Cowboys need not apply.

It's not a cross country machine. Though piston aircooled aircraft engines are not reliable as well. Not properly designed. That's a story that would take several threads/

I think they would thermal very well. At 20 knot stall speed you could work the thermal flying 25 knots giving you a very tight radius to stay in the core where there is greatest lift. Its like going up in a fast elevator watching the earth get smaller and smaller.

These days I only get turned on by an interesting aircraft.

I previously had a Varieze which required these devices. The downwash from the front cunard would stall the outer wing area at low speed [ie short final] causing uncontrolled roll. Modifying the shape of the wings leading edge was another method to solve the problem by Rutan

Thanks, but that is the same Chinook I was looking at in Gumtree and it has been taken out. Must be sold. It's about hour drive from me. There are some Sapphires for sale and coming up for sale. A while back I put an ad out for a Quickie in the local paper; they are a hard aircraft to find. Eventially a lady phoned me up and said I could come anytime to her place for a "Quickie"

They look easy to get into. The Sapphire I used to have was a bit of climb, and the Varieze would turn you into a ballerina. That 60 kt [65mph] sound more realistic vne. Ideal for thermalling as long as it has good aileron contol. They have thermalled these engine off for long periods. The Chinook I was looking at on Gumtree is not there anymore so he may have sold it. Now looking at another Sapphire or even a Rutan designed Quickie.

Gets 10 to 1 glide ratio on paper. Try to get fast from one thermal to another and you'll sink like a rock. Flew a ka6 for a while and could out thermal high performance gliders. Push the nose down to 60 kts and your variometer is screaming sink to you/

Yes, true wing warping would be where one wing changes angle of attack.