facthunter

Support.

Being a priest, he has extra back-up as well. N..

Adaptor.

Captain, use an old time expired plug, machine the part away that retains the insulator and remove the insulator. I think they are 10 mm. Nev..

Alcohol.

I've never seen a cropduster that high. There must be some reason N..

Seriously.

Chris, (bushpilot) I know you are fair dinkum, but YOU are still in charge. You cannot blame anyone else for you getting in trouble, even with weather. There is more good info out there than when I started, so you are better off. There was a fair bit of luck in my survival in the first 500 hours of VFR flying, and I realised that if I continued to operate in the environment that I was in, the numbers had to come up BAD one day for me, (which is what you are saying). You (the pilot) were trying to get the customer there, even if the conditions were known to be marginal at the outset, that was what was done.

As a recreational pilot, you are not under any great pressure,(unless self-imposed) to fly under conditions which you don't like or feel you can cope with. Learn about meteorology, You can never know too much about it. Weather can play strange tricks on you, The more you are aware the better you are prepared.

You do better landings when you can see the ground that you are landing on, and when you have the engine running, ie Not out of fuel. Keep these options open when possible. Nev...

ALTERNATIVE

Don't rule out the Continental 0-200D. Very price competitive and a very appropriate motor for a high drag machine, needing a fair sized propeller. Nev...

Wifes confidence.

Kelvin, there are no guarantees here. A wife flying with her husband is not a common thing, in fact it appears to be relatively rare. If she was helping you to build the aircraft, then that might help, and she should be able to operate the aircraft as well, in case you get food poisoning or something. The level of safety is very much determined by you in these aircraft, as you can design it, build it, service it and decide your own level of competence (above the required minimum of course). ie. when, where and how you fly is up to you. My wife flys with me and gets involved with the planning and navigation and that keeps her busy. She will fly it to give me a short break to draw some lines on a map or such. She will never like turbulence, and has no desire to fly with anybody else. I'm not sure if she would want to come up with me in a Drifter either. You have to work on it. Good luck ..Nev..

Even fuel indications.

johnm, I suspect that the differing readings are caused by flying one wing low OR ball displaced from centre. (only has to be a little bit). IF this is not the case, as for example if the venting produces uneven pressure I would try to maintain quantities even, by turning the low reading tank OFF, if one tank is getting near empty , as an empty tank can introduce air into the system, sometimes. Do this at a good height just in case the engine falters. Good idea to return to 2 tanks prior to making an approach, unless one is empty, or almost so. Double-check your selection always when operating FUEL selectors and monitor your engine for 3 or 4 minutes after making a change. Nev..

Quick.

Indeed they do.. Better to see them than FEEL them . It IS a problem.. Nev..

Who will?

Rufus, People CAN still do it ,but will they? Nobody is stopping anyone but you will be a bit lonely. From a personal perspective, I feel that the "rag and tube" means different things depending where you come from. As an example, I tend to think of the term meaning steel tube and aircraft like the Gazelle and superpup (Mini Auster or Cub) where as I have found most who have been long associated with this movement see Wheeler scouts and thruster types as corresponding to that category. These use a larger section of Aluminium tube as a "spine" and are quite distinctive.

People who are confident with it (and competant) have no fear of sheet metal, and will build in this medium. I don't know what the skills base is like amongst our members. I would like to get communication with others who are interested and capable in a practical way. Life's too short to learn it all the hard way, and most of the techniques that I am referring to have been well established in the past. So, Any takers? Nev...

Power output.

RPM is but one element of the power equation. Without knowing the TORQUE being absorbed by the propeller, (which changes with density altitude , propeller condition & type, Airspeed etc.) you are almost nowhere. Fuel flow can be a pretty good indicator ( especially with jet engines but need altitude related charts. Engine mass airflow would be good too . all you would need to know with the bing carbs is the position of the dashpot slides. I agree that lean mixtures are the most likely culprit, which I have always stated, but there are some snake oil salesmen out there who suggest otherwise. Nev..

Still lookin.

Boleropilot, Just my 2 bobs worth. The wire braced version is more draggy (although stronger), than the SB. and if you are considering 2 occupants of substantial size I would want the 582 powering it. Get an inspection by someone who knows them backwards (so to speak). Nev...

Acknowledged.

Good result Ross, obviously you got back home OK. A significant achievement. Nev....

How?

There are quite a few ways. The load can shift, passengers can relocate themselves, when not supervised. The configuration of the plane can be changed without applying the new index. Items can be double loaded or placed in the wrong locker. etc. A tricycle undercarriage aircraft can get airborne in a dangerously tail heavy state because the propwash will keep the elevator functioning, and the tricycle undercarriage has the obvious effect. This does not happen with a power-off approach. Nev..

Clarify?

Captain, you said you wanted to be a real PIRATE. Is that a Freudian slip? C'mon, show us your wooden leg!

That MET. stuff is a uniform standard used world- wide. One Plain language system that I was directed to the last time that this subject came up, while a commendable effort, did not hit the spot (in my view). I have used the standard form of code for ever, and maybe I'm dumb, but I reckon that unless you are extremely carefull reading it you could miss some critical detail. There used to be 2-digit numbers to correspond to each different weather phenomenon which acted as a recognisable double-check and you got maps with fronts and little wind arrows all over the place. You got a full personal and a printed briefing as well if you gave the required notice. Yes, there was a morse code key near the window. Doesn't your aeroplane have one of those? Nev...

Variety.

I don't wish to stifle good discussion, but let's not make things any more complicated than they already are. I don't think that anyone is forced from his current low- performance aircraft, except that as a percentage, with present trends, you will be in a minority, as are tailwheel aircraft.

I havent found that a large airspeed variation causes a significant problem with a group going to a common destination, if some leave before the others, although the existence of a wind of say 30 Kts, could mean going another day, realistically, for the slow types.

There is a saying that if you have a deadline to meet, take your car, or fly airlines. IF you have PLENTY of time, take your aircraft. Inability to fly VFR. delays you for days, not hours.

The 600 Kg AUW, is only for LSA category aircraft, and when the limitations of this category are examined it loses a lot of its appeal, in my view. We are effectively limited to 544 kgs max at the moment. Too light to carry 2 people, fuel, and some baggage, UNLESS built out of composite (EXPENSIVE)! Wood is the cheapest material to construct an aeroplane from, or perhaps Al tube and sails. The ubiquitous Volkswagen is probably the cheapest engine (Left close to its natural state) , but will it pull 2 people? Not usually, because the prop is too small, (direct drive). We have grown like topsy, and our complicated rules are a legacy of this. Since it is available to do so, good, fast aircraft will be purchased by people who can afford them and that is inevitable, and anything good in aviation will not be cheap. Will I buy one? Most likely not, but people have been paying 400K+ for gliders for a while. Progress( some would not call it that, but it is DEVELOPMENT) is inevitable and only a SAFETY problem will limit it. Despite a looming diversity, I wouldn't like to see too much "splitting" or unnecessary limitation occurr. Most of us would not have been able to imagine what we have on offer today, a few years ago, and the future will be no different. To build a low- cost aircraft will be a challenge, but not an impossibility. Nev..

Horsepower/ RPM.

Chaps, you have to refer to the Dynamometer curves to derive horsepower figures, but with the propeller application perhaps IT is the determinant.(being fixed pitch). It will certainly be a squared relationship, ie double the revs= 4 times the power.

Macnoz, there are standard metal preparation procedures for Aluminium alloys in aircraft assemblies (engines) and there would no doubt be an electrolysis possibility with the two dissimilar metals. This would be more significant in a salt laden environment. ie near the sea. Nev..

Cost of cyls etc.

Macnoz, that is a lot more than I would have hoped you would have to pay. You can replace the 4 cylinder barrell & head assemblies on a Cont. 0-200 for less than $4400 Aud. This includes pistons, rings gudgeons & all valves & valve springs fitted as well, and all this is certified. You have a 2400 Hr. TBO & probably get 800 hr on a "TOP". Pity you could not seal the corroded area without replacing the Cyls. What did you do about the corrosion on the crankcase face? Nev..

Pitch stability.

Pelorus, the NORMAL set-up design-wise is to have a bit of downforce on the tailplane assembly, for stability in pitch, (and safety). From an efficiency point of view this is not a good idea as the aerodynamic download might as well be actual weight, in fact the OPTIMUM situation for efficiency is to have the tail assy doing some of the lifting. This is used in some large jet transports to gain extra range and fuel is transferred fore & aft to achieve this, and a more rearward C of G is permitted at higher indicated airspeeds, not in take-of or landing. Flying boats are preferably loaded close to the rearward limit...

Note...Rules applying to weight and balance as applies to us do not permit USEABLE fuel to be used to bring the C of G into the design range.

The rear-heavy loading error MUST occurr to produce the tailplane stall ( resulting in the rear of the aircraft descending) and causing loss of pitch control. As the speed reduces this effect will show up. SO you need to

(a) be tail-heavy (load shift or error)

(b) get fairly slow. Nev...

Lollypops are not good for you anyhow.

Big change.

As I see it, we used to operate on concessions against legislation. We now will operate under rules in our own right. This is a big change in principle (I know there are some who feel we may/will lose in the process, and that a fair amount of discussion on this forum has already occurred in this regard, and I hope it will be ongoing and productive, However I don't want to examine that aspect of it now, in this post).

There was a CASA survey to contribute opinion to how the changes might be implemented, last year, and members of this forum were asked to get involved in the process. From memory most of us felt a little overwhelmed, which I find understandable.

Nothing stands still, and this document, ( ops manual) has been delayed too long already, and it has to satisfy legal constraints so we can operate. Under these circumstances, I can't see that there was any other option than to expedite its production using the best expertise available. I hope it will evolve with time to something that serves the movement appropriately. Nev..

Correct answer.

In my view, airsick had a "correct" answer to the question posed. What's more it has some relevance to our flying environment, insomuch that if an aircraft is loaded tail heavy, ( by a fair amount) at slow speed, the horizontal stabiliser & elevator combined may be incapable of providing the lift required (even with full forward stick, which may exacerbate the situation) to prevent the tail falling, and inducing an uncontrolled pitch-up, and an almost immediate stall on the mainplanes. This is an unrecoverable situation worthy of your attention. Nev..

Static port location.

2 ports, one on either sideof the fuselage to average the reading, and interconnected and located where the motion (varying speed) in level flight, of the aircraft does not cause the pressure to vary. The exact position is found by a bit of good guesswork and experimentation. Invariably using the internal cabin pressure will result in an error because of the reduced pressure caused by the motion of the aircraft through the air. ( Higher speed indicated, particularly as you go faster where the error becomes greater). Nev..

Downwind worries.

You have no option when landing uphill, since with some planes at a certain slope they will not pull up under brakes, and the downslope can be such that the aircraft will just continue forever while still in the air, (floating)..

......some years ago there was a bit of a kerfuffle at AVALON when a number of Jabiru's landed downwind, under instructions from the tower, and damaged their nosewheels. Some wanted to blame the TOWER. The situation is quite clear that the PILOT (PIC) by accepting the instruction, accepts the responsibility. The proper course of action if the pilot considers it not ACCEPTABLE is to inform the tower to that effect. In the real world , this is not always easy, as the pilot may be somewhat intimidated in an environment with which he is not familiar, and not aware of his rights (and responsibilities.)

...... Regarding landing downwind with a taildragger, I have never, and generally would not attempt it, unless it was uphill where the power required would enable control (directionally) to be maintained, almost to a standstill. Nev...

YES.

A Velocity has 2 properties, a magnitude (size) and a direction. You knew that all along Ian....Nev...

Correction.

It's a CAT, and they're PIDGEONS...N...

Warning.

Bill Posters will be prosecuted. They're still after him!.. N....