Thruster Swift - Project Update

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Hi Sportsfans,

 

 

Just another info update on Swift progress – especially for those of you panting for the new angle of incidence bracket.

 

 

The CAR 35 team have been head down and bum up developing a new Rec Flying light diesel engine but I prised some time out of them.

 

 

We had a very solid four hours on Monday taking the sharp edges off various issues and this has resulted in a cost effective and acceptable piece of component design. We will be having another similar session this coming Monday to finalise the design and will have the prototype built. In realistic terms we are probably a month away from me starting test flight evaluation from which will be struck the Engineering Order and you will then be able to get them.

 

 

We still have some work to do on the front lift strut geometry so that it will be simple and practical for existing owners to modify their existing struts with little effort and not have introduced twist to the wing via lowering the leading edge at the root.

 

 

The other big issue is the 450kg MTOW increase and a home grown Aussie version of the Thruster UK procedure is now having it’s sharp edges knocked off it. This is a very involved modification and a lot of effort is again being applied to cost effectiveness as well as ease of doing the task at home.

 

 

A big issue here was a re-vamp of the pulley system in the control circuits that promised to be a monster of a challenge. We appear to have got around that now and the rest of it will be relatively straight forward using build notes and parts that TOSG will supply under Engineering Orders.

 

 

Another issue is the flight envelope of a full Swift complying with design standards but we seem to have met that one very satisfactorily as well!

 

 

The remainder of the Swift mod package is reasonably straight forward in engineering and fabrication and most of it has already had more than adequate flight testing.

 

 

The new Swift GRP components (primarily the latest version pod with air intakes and a ventilating system) are already under construction with Lois and I starting to assemble the first Swift cockpit in about 3 weeks.

 

 

So things are now moving at last. It has been a long haul and I am really looking forward to the wheels leaving the ground on the first of them.

 

 

More later as it happens.

 

 

Aye

 

 

Tony