Live the Backcountry Adventure— Homebuilt Style!

BUILDER SHORTCUTS BIG-SCREEN ADVICE Should you buy a partially built kit? How to plan your EFIS installation

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Contents NOVEMBER 2005 VOLUME 22, NUMBER 11 On the cover: Richard VanderMeulen traveled to the Alaskan backcountry to shoot Glasair Aviation’s Sportsman 2+2. Read Brian E. Clark’s trip report on Page 4.

Flight Reports 61 AERO ’LECTRICS If it’s not your transmitter, then it must be your 4 SIX PILOTS, THREE AIRPLANES, antenna; by Jim Weir. ONE GREAT ADVENTURE 72 ENGINE BEAT Flying through Alaska and Western Canada is a once- Pickle it when you park it; by Tim Kern. in-a-lifetime experience; by Brian E. Clark. Designer’s Notebook 17 SKYRANGER II 67 WIND TUNNEL A new take on a classic design makes for fun fl ying; Neglect to consider internal airfl ow, and you’ll by Dave Higdon. pay the price in drag; by Barnaby Wainfan. Builder Spotlight Exploring 37 HOW TO PROWL THE HOMEBUILT JUNGLE 2 AROUND THE PATCH Consider these fi ve factors when evaluating a Recovery from Oshkosh. Good thing we do that partially built kit; by Ron Wanttaja. just once a year! By Marc Cook. 48 LACK OF CORNCENTRATION 24 OSHKOSH 2005: BIG NEWS FROM THE BIG SHOW Another Dawn Patrol trip to Cap Girardeau, and an The developments at this year’s AirVenture fl y-in other airplane ends up in the stalks; by Dick Starks. made it one of the best in years; a staff report. 52 COMPLETIONS 65 LIGHT STUFF Builders share their successes with our readers. A transitioning segment: How the powered parachute 53 BUILD YOUR SKILLS: METAL, PART 4 industry is adjusting to LSA; by Dan Johnson. Deburring and dimpling...time consuming, repetitive, you bet. But absolutely essential; by Dan Checkoway. Kit Bits Shop Talk 3 LETTERS 64 LIST OF ADVERTISERS 32 SEE CLEARLY NOW 69 BUILDERS’ MARKETPLACE Aircraft windows are like your eyes—it’s not vanity to take care of them; by Cory Emberson. 74 THE CLASSIFIED BUILDER 41 BUILD YOUR OWN INSTRUMENT PANEL, PART 3 80 KIT STUFF You’re hot for an all-glass cockpit. What do you need to Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha. consider while you’re still building? By Ed Wischmeyer.

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KITPLANES November 2005 1 Around the Patch BY MARC COOK

Recovery from Oshkosh. Good thing we do that just once a year!

have to confess that the annual Oshkosh extravaganza—sorry, I do realize that it’s Old Friends properly called AirVenture, but everyone I know just describes it by the name of It was a true pleasure to see old friend I the town we take over for a week and a half—leaves me in something of a tizzy. Rich Gritter at the show. You may Having worked on the production-aircraft side of the business and now fi nding myself remember his name from the Questair truly back home among the innovators and big-thinkers, I can gloat even more expan- Venture days. Back then, he and I fl ew sively about the opportunities presented to those who roll their own. the egg-shaped aircraft often, and I The tizzy? It’s just that there’s so much new, so many extremely cool products, I have always appreciated his laconic hardly know where to start. From this year’s show—the coverage of which starts on demeanor. (There is nothing worse Page 24—the highlights are almost too many to mention here. But being what my than a jumpy demo pilot.) friend Dennis Wolter (owner of Air Mod in Batavia, Ohio, and an old-motorcycle Today, Rich is involved with the prom- nut) calls a “chip head,” an electronics fanatic, I’d have to say that the rapid pro- ising HondaJet project based in Greens- gression of EFIS, electronic fl ight instrumentation, is perhaps the most appealing. boro, North Carolina. He described This technology is genuinely groundbreaking, and I’m heartened to see that it’s fl ying the twinjet with a rare twinkle of fi lling in at both the top and bottom of the market. There’s no question that so- the eye, which tells me it’s not just a called glass panels have revitalized production aircraft, if you call that revitalized. good performer but also a pleasure to Yet there will be challenges aplenty for us as electronic fl ight instruments fl y. It’s always a delight to see the good become ever more commonplace in homebuilts. Our Technical Editor, Ed Wisch- guys—smart, experienced, still enthusi- meyer, asked around at the show for the best advice in planning and executing astic—land great gigs. Well done, Rich. EFIS-based panels and got an earful. Clearly, we’ve moved away from the simplistic point-to-point wiring and comparatively noncritical systems designs of the past One Close To Home into sophisticated collections of electronics and computers that need to be care- Oshkosh brought a bit of tragedy as fully installed and thoughtfully designed to provide a high level of safety. well. One of Glasair Aviation’s Sports- One of the highlights of the show was spending time with the principals of man 2+2 demonstrators—in fact, the Xerion, a company ready to delivery a new engine monitor to the market. (What, same airplane you see on this month’s another one?) Called the AuRACLE, the instrument packs a lot of features and cover and in Brian Clark’s superb some very bright thinking into one or two compact boxes. (What’s with the crazy story about fl ying in the backcountry— names? I can see why you wouldn’t call it Ted’s Pretty Good Gizmo Box, but...) crashed. Sadly, the pilot, Mission Avia- The AuRACLE’s color LCD shows all the major engine and system parameters in an tion Training Academy founder Mike intuitive way, partly by use of long, curved bar graphs. The reason I like this design Crowell, was killed. After considerable is that it largely mimics the movement of the related controls—full forward for the debate, we’ve decided to push ahead with maximum values—and that the scaling of the bar graph is such that you should be a story featuring that airplane—a story able to gauge small variations without having to scan the digital numeric display. that was months in the making, sure, but As you’d expect, the AuRACLE contains pickups for all EGTs and CHTs, along also one that celebrates much of what with oil temperature and pressure, manifold pressure and rpm, volts and amps, got us into fl ying and keeps us there. fuel fl ow and instrument vacuum. It also has a horsepower computer that is the This is particularly hard because I fi rst I’ve seen that actually does it right. When you’re on the rich side of peak EGT, met Mike late last year as he was hard the AuRACLE calculates horsepower from mass fl ow; that is, by a combination of at work fi tting a small-block Chevy manifold pressure and rpm. Because the power curve relative to mixture is fairly to an Express airframe. His good fl at out there, it’s a good scheme; in fact, the one most monitors use to calculate humor and intelligence was immedi- power. But when you take the engine lean of peak, the AuRACLE changes over ately evident, and he was more than to a fuel-fl ow based calculation, which is surprisingly accurate for a range of en- generous with his time. MATA trains gines. (And, in any case, you will have uploaded your engine’s specifi cs through pilots and takes on special projects like the front-panel USB port, which also exports unencripted data, taken once every this to further the cause of missionary two seconds, to a “pen” device for transfer to your PC or Mac.) There are many aviation—as worthy an endeavour as other clever touches in the design, including a confi guration with a remote box you’re likely to fi nd. I can’t know what that can be mounted ahead of the fi rewall! Imagine not stringing dozens of wires Mike’s family is going through, but wish through the fi rewall... to offer my sincerest condolences.

2 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Letters

November 2005 Volume 22, Number 11 You Did What With Your Medical? April 2005 Volume 22, Number 4 I think you guys misspoke when you said, in the September LSA story, that EDITORIAL “...you don’t necessarily have to go out and buy a new airplane if you lose Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook your medical...” As I understand it, if you lose your medical—fail the exam [email protected] or have it revoked—you are not eligible to fl y as a Sport Pilot. Did I miss Editor Brian E. Clark Technical Editor Ed Wischmeyer something here? Art Director Suzanne Stackle J.T. Romer Contributing Editors Ken Armstrong, You’re right, J.T., and it was poor phrasing on our part. Guidance on the rule says Mary Bernard, Dan Checkoway, Cory Emberson, Dave Higdon, Dan Johnson, Gary R. Jones, Geoffrey P. Jones, John M. Larsen, that “you must have either an FAA airman medical certifi cate or a current and valid Howard Levy, Rick Lindstrom, Dick Starks, U.S. driver’s license issued by a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a terri- Barnaby Wainfan, Jim Weir tory, a possession, or the Federal government, provided you do not have an offi cial Webmaster/Data Manager Julia Downie Cartoonist Robrucha denial or revocation of medical eligibility on fi le with FAA.”—Ed.

ADVERTISING Publisher/Ad Director Cindy Pedersen Europa Alive and Well [email protected] I would like to bring you up to date with the current situation regarding Senior Advertising Manager Chuck Preston Europa Aircraft (2004) Ltd. As you are aware, the previous company, Europa [email protected] Management International Ltd., went into administration last year and was

BUSINESS OFFICE eventually wound up. The new Europa company was completely restruc- 531 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 105, Encinitas, CA 92024 tured and refi nanced and began trading in September 2004. We were fortu- Main Number: 760/436-4747, fax 760/436-4644 nate to be able to bring a number of ex-EMIL employees into the company Editorial: 908/647-2770, fax 908/647-2722 to utilize their wide experience and expertise. Our fi rst and most urgent PRODUCTION & CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING priority was to reestablish supplier connections and ensure that Europa Production Manager Marsha Blessing builders and fl iers throughout the world had a reliable source of parts, tech- 717/433-7985 [email protected] nical information and advice. I am pleased to be able to tell you that Europa SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT (2004) is now fi rmly on track and looking forward confi dently. However, I 800/622-1065; 386/447-6318 must correct the statement in Ed Wischmeyer’s article that may have given www.kitplanes.com/cs Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 the impression that we are unable to supply new Europa kits in the States. For Canada: Box 7820 STN Main, London, ON N5Y5W1 This is certainly not the case—we have supplied new kits to builders around the globe since the company began and are in the process of reinstating our BACK ISSUES P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 agency on the West Coast in the person of Kim Prout, whose knowledge of 800/622-1065 all things Europa is legendary. We have also established a distribution facil- www.kitplanes.com ity in North Carolina, which is functioning very satisfactorily. In short, the

QUALITY REPRINTS AVAILABLE Europa is available for sale anywhere in the world and most certainly in the Minimum Order: 500 U.S., which is an extremely important market for us and one that we intend Contact Mona Kornfeld, 203/857-3143 to service to the very best of our ability. John Wheeler Sales Director, Europa

CHANGE OF ADDRESS? BACK ISSUES: MISSING ISSUE? Call 800/622-1065 WEB SITE INFORMATION: SUBSCRIPTION QUESTION? General homebuilt aircraft information, back issue availability, online directories ordering info, plus a KITPLANES® article index and selected articles can be found at www.kitplanes.com. Visit www.kitplanes.com/cs. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome on an exclusive basis, but none can be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material. Or call 800/622-1065 from the U.S. and Canada. KITPLANES® (ISSN 0891-1851) is published monthly by Aviation Publishing Group, LLC, an affiliate of Belvoir Publications, 800 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854-1631, Robert Englander, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, Exec. Vice Pres./Editorial Director; Foreign, call 386/447-6318 Philip L. Penny, COO; Greg King, Exec. Vice Pres./Marketing Dir.; Marvin J. Cweibel, Senior Vice Pres., Marketing Operations; Ron Goldberg, CFO; or fax 386/447-2321. Tom Canfield, Vice Pres., Circulation; Michael N. Pollett, Sr. Vice Pres., General Counsel. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright© 2005 Aviation Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Printed in USA. Revenue Canada GST Account #128044658. Canada Publishing Agreement #40016479. Subscriptions: One year (12 issues) is $29.95 U.S. $41.95 in U.S. funds in Canada, includes GST. $41.95 in U.S. funds for Foreign surface mail or $57.95 in U.S. funds for Foreign Air Mail. Single copy price $4.99 U.S., $5.99 Canadian. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes and subscription inquiries to: KITPLANES®, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 or call 800/622-1065. KITPLANES® is a registered trademark of Aviation Publishing Group, LLC. KITPLANES November 2005 3 Flying through Alaska & Western Canada is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a true education. Six Pilots, Three Airplanes, One Great Adventure

BY BRIAN E. CLARK

The crew included (from left to right) Alan Negrin, Glasair sales manager, GlaStar builder and pilot Dave Ammenti, Dave Prizio, GlaStar builder, pilot and president of the GlaStar builders association, Ted Setzer and Mikael Via of Glasair. Plus the author, who served as photographer for this shot. While waiting for a charter to arrive to haul Prizio’s engine out of Terminus Mountain, the group hiked down to the river that ﬂ ows along the trench valley.

4 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Both the GlaStar and the Sportsman 2+2 designs can be conﬁ gured as either tailwheel or trigear airplanes. For this trip, all airplanes were converted to taildraggers for easier access to idyllic spots like this.

ello, my name is Ted. I’m with a group of six guys over here at Prince George Ninety minutes later (and just as Airport, and we’re looking for a place to stay tonight.” the dark was closing in), our GPS sys- H It was Wednesday evening, 6 p.m., and we’d just completed our second tems told us we were nearing the Elkin leg of the day, a short 1-hour jaunt from nearby Mackenzie—a side trip necessary Creek area. The runway looked like simply because we were starving. The only food at that airport consisted of Doritos just the type these airplanes were built and Oreos, and nobody had volunteered to boil water for freeze-dried food again. for—a narrow grass strip with a set of We’d fl own more than 1500 miles over three days, and we had another 500 tire tracks roughly in the middle. A to go. And rather than push onward like a horse running for the barn, the mood quick pass to check out the conditions, was more like you’d feel the last day of a long weekend—why can’t it last? What and we were on the ground a minute fun would it be to point the nose directly toward home and watch the unspoiled later, the airplanes positioned and tied scenery go by? Well, lots actually, but wouldn’t it be even more exciting if we could down near the end of the runway. stop and play along the way? We were in the British Columbia backcountry, man! We unloaded quickly—loading and We had three planes that could get in and out of anywhere, and, rather than gas up unloading was down to a science by and make a beeline for the U.S. border, we were in search of adventure! now—threw our bags in the back of a Ted and Mikael were the fi rst to spot the tourist brochures at Prince George. pickup truck that sounded like it might Reading the glorious descriptions of the various outposts in the area, surely exag- need a push to get started and began gerated, each of the vacation spots sounded idyllic. When we came to the entry the trek up the path to what looked for Elkin Creek Guest Ranch, the fi rst with its own private airstrip, we were sold. like the main lodge. Ted, commander in chief of our group when it came to adventure, dialed, and we Off to deposit our supplies in our all kept our fi ngers crossed. cabins, and a few minutes later we Surprisingly, the woman on the other end of the phone wasn’t at all weirded rendezvoused at the local watering out by Ted’s request. The ranch wouldn’t offi cially open till the next weekend, but hole, sipped some local microbrews the staff had arrived to begin preparations for the high season. She offered us two and chewed the fat with Susy and Ian, cabins—we told her we’d see her in 2 hours. our gracious hosts, and a group of just-

Photos: Richard VanderMeulen and Brian E. Clark KITPLANES November 2005 5 Backcountry Fun continued The groundwork for this year’s mission started long before the trip ever came to fruition. In May 2004, Glasair Aviation’s Mikael Via and Ted Setzer decided to arrived ranch hands. Don’t think any take the company’s latest design prototype—the Sportsman 2+2—to the Alaska of us were eager to get to bed that State Aviation trade show in Anchorage. The trip to and from Glasair’s Arlington, night, but suffi ce it to say, we slept Washington, location would provide a perfect chance to build time in the new well. machine, get footage for an informational video on the airplane and to get a sense Without a doubt, the last few hours for how the Sportsman would perform in the true backcountry, the environment had been the highlight of the trip. for which it was designed. As chance would have it, I stopped in for a visit to the Glasair factory on the day The Mission that Mikael and Ted returned. In all honesty, I’ve never seen two guys more excited Spontaneity. Not a word you generally about a trip they took in a small airplane. The stories went on for hours—landing associate with fl ying small airplanes, the Sportsman on gravel bars, getting in and out of the private strips designed what with all the preparation required to access backcountry hunting lodges, trying to get everything on video—and it to fl y safely and effi ciently. But with wasn’t long before we were watching the rough cuts of some of the footage they’d the right attitude and the right air- obtained. It was immediately obvious that the stories weren’t tall tales—the Sports- plane, there’s no reason that a trip has man really could get in and out of those gravel bars! to be planned to the minutia. And, in In short, Glasair decided to turn the once-in-a-lifetime trek into an annual

One of the Sportsman’s most attractive design characteristics is its ability to haul a ton of gear. In this airplane, we packed close to 350 pounds including, among other things: a bag of tools, a camp table, battery packs, two tie-down kits, three large duffel bags, a tent, backpacks, four folding chairs, three food coolers, a sleeping pad, a laptop computer and a shotgun. fact, it’s probably a bit optimistic to affair. The 2005 exhibition in Anchorage provided Mikael and Ted an opportunity expect that you’ll be able to stick to a to expose both Sportsman demo planes, two company sales managers, a crew of pre-determined route and timeframe, GlaStar builders and a few lucky journalists (me!) to the experience they’d talked especially when your trip involves about since the year before. I was on board the moment I heard about the trip. My crossing international borders and tak- plan was to ﬂ y commercially to Anchorage, cover the exhibition over the weekend ing in the backcountry scenery. This and spend the next week in the Sportsman maneuvering my way through the back- adventure was a prime example. country back to Arlington. We’d probably have a little fun along the way, I ﬁ gured.

6 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com False Start, Real Start After a day and a half spent working the Alaska State trade show and testing my hiking skills on the local peaks, I met up with the guys from Glasair at about 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Mikael fi lled me in on the details of the crew’s journey to Anchorage, a trip that saw lots of fun and a bit more adventure than planned. GlaStar builder and pilot Dave Prizio, president of the GlaStar Association builders group, suf- fered a tough landing and half ground loop on a rough strip at a backcountry hunting lodge near Terminus Moun- tain (aptly named, hah?). Casualties included a busted propeller and bent landing gear—Dave had come pre- The Sportsman was particularly suited for a trip of this nature—it gets in and out of short strips pared with tools and parts for routine without diffi culty, but its admirable cross-country characteristics make longer legs easy. maintenance and repair, but not an extra prop or gear. That being the case, a go of it. But looks can be deceiving, gear for six guys into three airplanes. a plan was in place to assist Dave in of course. Checked out of our hotels Not only did we have camping equip- getting his airplane back into shape. and ready to load the airplanes, the ment, clothes and food to stash away, Eager to get the adventure started, weather closed in. Back to the hotel, but the list included landing-gear legs, the decision was made to complete and the adventure would have to wait wheels and a replacement propeller the fi rst leg of the trip—Anchorage to one more day. If you learn one thing for Dave’s GlaStar. But, we crammed it Whitehorse—Sunday evening. In mid about backcountry fl ying, it’s fl exibil- in. My fi rst impression of the Sports- May, we knew that we had daylight ity...OK, make it two if you include man—I don’t think there’s a limit to until 10 or 11 p.m. at this latitude, patience. what you can carry. We were not trav- enough time to make the 4.5-hour Next morning, we met at the air- eling light—a few of us were not expe- journey if we left by early evening. The plane bright and early, weather look- rienced backcountry campers, and the weather looked clear enough to make ing clear. The fi rst challenge: packing amount of gear showed it. A few minutes after packing was complete, we got news from Dave: he’d talked to his insurance rep and decided that they’d charter a fl ight to haul his engine out of Terminus Mountain for disassembly and inspection rather than take the risk of trying to fl y the GlaStar out. This was good—the replacement propeller was jammed into the plane I’d be fl ying, extending into the front seat and severely limiting elbow room. Now we didn’t need to take it. By 9:30, we were ready to go. Ted and Dave took the lead in Gumby, the original Sportsman demo plane, which sported huge tundra With a chance to put down in scenes like this, the week in the wilderness is something that none of the group tires for this trip. Airplane will ever forget. Glasair will likely make the trip an annual event. No. 2, a GlaStar, belonged to

KITPLANES November 2005 7 Backcountry Fun continued builder Dave Ammenti; Mikael shared fl ying duties. Glasair sales rep Alan Negrin and I climbed into the third and fi nal airplane, a newly built Sportsman 2+2 demo. My second impression of the Sportsman—I fi t! My only concern going into this trip was the possibility of long hours spent jammed into a cramped cockpit. In my experience, there aren’t a ton of homebuilts than can hold my 6-foot-4, 220- pound frame without some comfort compromises. I’ve spent my share of fl ights with knees crammed under an instrument panel, upper legs limiting full movement of the control stick and neck tweaked to the side to allow for extra headroom. Not the case here, and a big sigh of relief. The great engine recovery begins, as Dave Ammenti and Dave Prizio get to work on removing Minutes later, we’d departed Lake Prizio’s O-360 so it can be shipped to Aero Sport Power for tear down and inspection. Hood’s gravel strip and were climbing above Anchorage, headed for a pass in I thought I was in New Zealand, not never experienced the feeling of fl ying the mountains to the northeast. With North America. Alan and I had never 100 feet off the deck, following each the majority of my fl ight hours fl own fl own in Alaska, and we passed our contour of a curvy river while on con- in two distinct locations—the desert cameras back and forth like little kids stant lookout for moose and grizzlies, and coastal areas of Southern Califor- on a sight seeing trip. head to Alaska. It’s a unique brand of nia and the urban and suburban land- Before long, we were through the fl ying. It’s hard work and you need to scapes surrounding my current New pass and on course for Whitehorse. keep your eyes outside the airplane, Jersey base—the scenery was a depar- Our fi rst opportunity to play. Keeping but it’s tremendous fun. ture from what I’m used to. We gener- careful to stay within sight of each oth- Four and a half hours of fun behind ally fl ew in the valleys, with massive er, we separated a bit to explore. The us, we arrived in Whitehorse, cleared snow-topped mountains framing our opportunity to fl y low to the ground customs and hopped across the street view. The ground was an endless sea was new to me, so Alan and I took the for a quick bite before heading back of green, the trees broken only by riv- Sportsman and headed toward the out. The day’s goal was to make it to ers, tributaries and lakes so clear that river we planned to follow. If you’ve Terminus Mountain, about 3 hours we could spot large fi sh. When we did have to climb high to trek over a mountain pass, the trees gave way to slopes of rock and snow. The lack of development, at times, went a long way toward assuring me that there are certain parts of our continent yet un- touched. And the weather wasn’t shy about adding to the picture. Patches of clouds allowed streaks of sun to reach the Earth, illuminating the valleys, rivers and waterfalls racing by below us. At times, banks of fog drifted over the lakes and clouds hid the mountain peaks. We fl ew through light rain often, heavy rain at times and witnessed at least one rainbow that ri- Ted Setzer and Mikael Via discovered the Terminus Mountain hunting lodge on their previous trip valed any I’d seen before. More than to Alaska, and it made a great stopping point on this year’s journey. once, I mentioned to my co-pilots that

8 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com /0PDF!-

from Whitehorse, so we could take SERIOUS PILOTS care of getting the work done on Dave’s GlaStar and leave the rest of the NEED SERIOUS AVIONICS week to adventure. Well...not quite. In the hour it took Only Op Technologies Offers us to refuel our planes and bodies, the weather closed in. We spent the next The Only FLIR Camera Ready EFIS Display six hours or so hounding the weather guy at the local FSS until we ﬁ nally decided it wasn’t going to happen. The waiting game began—welcome to the reality of cross-country VFR ﬂ ying, backcountry or hard surface. The Great Recovery Improved weather greeted us in the morning, and we wasted no time EFISEFIS heading toward Watson Lake, the last

The Only Fully Integrated EFIS

- Integrated Communication - Integrated VOR/LOC/ILS - Integrated WAAS/GPS - Integrated Transponder - Integrated FMS - Integrated Autopilot with Unspoiled scenes like this were the norm HITS Guidance Coupling throughout the trip. Wildlife callouts became a - Integrated Engine Monitoring popular game during our fl ights. INTEGRAIINTEGRAINTEGRATEDTED fuel stop before Terminus Mountain We've eliminated the radio stack and you won't miss it. and our fi rst stop in British Colum- Tune radios, set transponder codes, manipulate flight plans bia. The fi rst half of the 2-hour leg was all from the OP Integrated EFIS screen uneventful—after yesterday’s hiatus, we were happy to be back in the air and making progress toward more fl y- ing adventure. Wildlife callouts soon became a popular pastime. Ted, an experienced outdoorsman, could pick www.optechnologies.com out animals from a distance. “Moose on the riverbank, below my left wing,” he’d yell, and we’d all duck down low to get a good look. After an hour of fl ying, low became our only option. The terrain and the clouds crept closer to each other, and we got squeezed pretty tight. We arrived in Watson Lake to the joy of about six other pilots who’d been stuck for days. Reactions of other pilots to the sight of the three two-place taildraggers taxiing in quickly became amusing. Coming from the world of homebuilt airplanes, it’s easy to forget WWW.EGGENFELLNERAIRCRAFT.COM that there are plenty of airports where

KITPLANES November 2005 9 Backcountry Fun continued planes, let alone a kit. My guess is that Glasair picked up a few potential customers along the way. Experimentals aren’t spotted everyday. Next stop, Terminus Mountain. Mikael and Ted had discovered the hunting A look of amazement would often pre- lodge on their trip the year before and got permission to hole up in the cabins cede questions about the planes: “You during this year’s journey. Hunting season was a few months off, so the lodge was guys really built these things?” they’d empty. The trip there was perhaps the most scenic of all the legs. We ofﬁ cially ask. It was obvious that the sleek red entered “the trench,” a river valley framed by two sets of Rocky Mountains that

Scenes from our stay at Elkin Creek Guest Ranch, which we discovered at the last minute by combing through tourist brochures at a developed airport a few hours away. At left, the ranch’s private grass runway allows direct access to the resort. Otherwise, you’ll be driving for a while. The resort is a working ranch, however, and guests get a chance to learn hands-on what it’s like to work with the animals (center). At right, the main lodge and the individual cabins are a short walk from the runway. The whole scene is framed by amazing snow-capped peaks. airplanes didn’t match up with their extends from just above the U.S./Canada border all the way to the Yukon. The idea of a homebuilt airplane, and the trench would provide the setting for our next few days of ﬂ ying, and the scenery looks of jealously made it clear that wouldn’t disappoint. Lots of low ﬂ ying along the river, and a bunch of elk, sheep they’d be willing to trade their rusty and other wildlife to spot. old Cherokees for a few rides in the air- On the ground at Watson Lake, Dave had worked out a deal with an air

10 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com service from lower B.C. to haul his engine out of Terminus Mountain and get it essentials, threw on my rain gear and on a truck to Aero Sport Power, the nearest Lycoming engine shop. The charter announced that I was headed off into would be arriving at Terminus in the morning, so the mission for the day was to the woods to explore. remove Dave’s O-360 from the GlaStar and replace the bent taildragger gear with I could just see Ted’s mind turn- the airplane’s original tricycle gear. Shortly after landing (all three planes without ing: Just imagine, he was thinking, incident, this time), work began. Four hours later, the engine was off and the new the journalist we invited along for gear was in place. the ride, hiking solo and mauled by a

Here’s a small sample of some of the terrain we fl ew over during the voyage from Anchorage back to the Seattle area. At left, we spent a good number of hours fl ying down low, right over the river than runs the length of the trench. At times, we climbed through mountainous areas like the one in the center. We opted for passes when available, but had to climb directly over the top once or twice. As we reached the Vancouver area on the last day of the trip, we fl ew over the many inlets and waterways in the coastal environment and had some challenges with the weather.

By now, I was aching to explore the area on foot. Located on the eastern side of grizzly. He gave me two options: pep- a rather narrow section of the trench and therefore not far from the river running per spray to fend off attackers or the down the center of the corridor, Terminus Mountain truly provided a backcountry shotgun we’d been carrying in case of oasis for hunters, horse riders and pilots who happen to spot the dirt runway lead- a chance encounter with a predator. ing toward its lodge. The scene was directly from a movie—I grabbed my survival Having never shot a gun or even held

Going Places. Going Safe. Going Glass.

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KITPLANES November 2005 11 Backcountry Fun continued Next morning, we passed the time waiting for Cariboo Air to arrive by exploring the trails at the lodge and eventually winding our way to the river. The guys one, for that matter (yes, I was the of- cajoled me into taking a practice shot with the gun, as they were clearly amused fi cial city slicker on this trip), I opted that someone could have survived for 26 years without ever having done so. I un- for the spray. Ted mulled it over and loaded a round at a target piece of driftwood fl oating down the river—not a direct changed his mind: “You’re taking the hit, but I came pretty close! gun,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of Soon, the charter Cessna 206 touched down and we readied for the great engine the time you won’t run into a bear, but hoist. With seven of us (including the charter pilot), lifting the engine into the you’ll want this when you do. Three airplane proved a 30-second job. With Dave’s O-360 on its way to Aero Sport, the rounds should slow him down, at recovery portion of our journey was over and it was on to more adventure. least.” Slow him down? Nothing like a A few hours later we were at Prince George Airport, combing through brochures trip like this for fi rsts, right? for a place to stay. Ten minutes later with Ted’s on-the- fl y shotgun tutorial behind me, I head- A Tough Test: The Last Day ed for the nearby ridge. With my head After a few nights sleeping in FBOs and bare-bones hunting cabins, Elkin Creek on a swivel, I spent the next few hours Ranch was absolute luxury. Running water, indoor plumbing, home-cooked meals, traipsing around the lower portion of clean beds and the joy of spending time surrounded by a scene like this? None of Terminus Mountain. No up-close wild- us was eager to leave the next morning. life sightings, though I did manage to Before we packed up and headed out, however, the Glasair guys took the spot some stone sheep a couple hun- opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Sportsman and expose a few dred yards above me. And talk about of the young ranch hands to homebuilt aircraft fl ying. One of the three, Michael quiet: you’ve never heard quiet until Hodgson, had recently earned his private pilot license fl ying rental airplanes from you’ve spent an afternoon wandering the nearest GA airport, and he welcomed a chance to fl y an airplane built for this the mountains in an outpost miles and part of the world. The other two, Katie Myron and Carey Goddard, had no hands- miles from the closest road. on GA experience and seemed wowed mightily after a few minutes in the airplane. Back in camp, the guys had fi nished Their smiles said it all—I think that everyone in our group felt good about passing prepping Dave’s engine for tomorrow’s on the joy of fl ying to a few newbies. haul-out, and it was time to reward the Packed up, ready to go and we reluctantly departed to head for the border. day’s hard work with our fi rst taste of Twelve hours on the dude ranch, and it was enough to convince me that Elkin freeze-dried food, another fi rst for a Creek might be a prime spot the next time I come out west for a vacation. couple of us. Surprisingly, our meals First stop would be nearby Anahim Lake, a quick 1-hour fl ight necessary to fuel tasted good! The cold had started to up for the longer legs into the Vancouver area. On the way out, a few of us (the settle in for the fi rst time, really, and two airplanes with enough fuel) meandered around a bit to check out a few of the those hot meals were welcome. other resort ranches in the area and found two or three others with private strips. How ’bout that for a vacation—a week or two spent hopping around from resort to resort in your homebuilt plane? Nice. We formed a game plan at Anahim Lake—the optimistic goal was to make it to Nanaimo, B.C., directly to the west of Vancouver across the Straight of Georgia, but we knew that Campbell River, a bit to the north, might be a more realistic destination. Either would allow a last chance to fuel before the quick hop across the border to customs in Bellingham, Washington, and the fi nal half-hour jaunt back to Arlington. The challenge, however, is that the fog often creeps into the lower B.C. coastal areas—not a major problem if you’re prepared for it, but there aren’t a lot of airports to divert to. We knew there was a chance we’d fl y for an hour and a half and be forced to make a 180° and head all the way back to Anahim Lake. The fi rst half of the trip took us through the lower portion of the trench route— again, the scenery was unlike anything any of us had every experienced—and some real pilotage was necessary to fi nd the right mountain passes and keep us on course. As we reached Queen Charlotte Sound near Knight Inlet, the weather started to deteriorate. First, it was just low clouds and decreasing visibility, but it slowly got worse. It was marginal VFR most of the way, but we were determined to push it as far as possible having come this far. More than once, a 180° in the direction on Anahim Lake was imminent, but the clouds cleared just in time in each case. During the last few miles before Campbell River, which we’d decided on at that point, it got windy, turbulent and tough to fl y. By the time our wheels were Some quick side trips from Anchorage pro- down, pouring rain and a whipping wind drenched us on the way to the terminal. vided a chance to glimpse scenes like this. Lunch was quiet—there was some talk of the group mentality pushing us along,

12 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Ensure You’re Insured Heading to Anchorage in his GlaStar, Dave Prizio anticipated the need to be prepared for minor damage to his airplane. He brought a set of common tools, spare spark plugs, tires and other 1.25” Depth Available* Now With HP Readout A MUST Have Instrument oft-needed replacement parts. “I though to myself, what are the things that could go wrong that I might be able to fi x myself,” Dave said. But as prepared as he was, there’s just no easy fi x when the problem is bent landing gear and a busted propeller. Hence, the great GlaStar recovery effort that consumed the rest of * Optional UBG-16 remote display makes the mounted depth of the display 1.25” Dave’s trip and the few weeks following his return. All Instruments STC’d/PMA’d, many TSO’d as Primary Replacements. The O-360 made it to Aero Sport You’ll be money ahead to invest in EI instruments, which will protect your Power in Kamloops, B.C., as planned engine and save you money! Here’s how: shortly after the charter hauled it from Head off major problems. Find minor problems (clogged injectors, worn rings, Terminus Mountain. The shop tore it fouled plugs, sticky valves, etc.), before they become major repair bills or safety issues! down, inspected everything, determined that no work was required and reas- Gain significant fuel savings. It’s vital to lean your engine properly. If you’re sembled it. Frustrating, yes, but it was leaning “blind,” you could be taking a chance of causing preignition, detonation, excessive better to be safe than sorry, Dave said. buildups on valves and cylinder walls, or overtemping the valves and heads. He hired the same charter service to Reduce maintenance costs! Running your engine at proper temperatures and fl y the engine back to Terminus Moun- pressures WILL keep your engine running healthier and longer. tain, and he fl ew with a friend in a Piper Apache with a full set of tools and a new Stop adding extra legs to your flights. How much time have you wasted with propeller. A day’s work later, the airplane unnecessary fuel stops because of a lack of accurate fuel information? was back up and running. Departure Stop harming your engine with inaccurate RPM readings. You could from Terminus Mountain was unevent- be cruising at redline and not even know it! Mechanical gauges are notoriously inaccurate. ful, and he was back in the U.S. shortly. The total process took about a Pre-diagnose your engine problems. This will substantially minimize the month. The fi nal, all-inclusive price tag troubleshooting time and costs of your mechanic. Just imagine being able to tell your mechanic to check cylinder #3’s injector for a clog or a fouled plug! on the recovery effort: $23,000. But Dave’s out-of-pocket payment: a mere $100, the deductible on his AIG Aviation Electronics International Inc. EI Phone: (541) 318-6060 Fax: (541) 318-7575 www.Buy-EI.com insurance coverage. “The best part,” Dave says, “is that AIG even renewed my policy!” The lesson here? Understand in advance that you are subjecting yourself to a certain amount of risk when it comes to fl ying in the backcountry. What might be an easy fi x on a hard-surface airport with an A&P nearby can turn into a cost- ly, month-long ordeal. Make sure you’re insured for it. —Brian E. Clark

KITPLANES November 2005 13 Backcountry Fun continued by Ted to buy time. We touched down and started to taxi to the hangar, fi nally home and easily ahead of the other two planes. and it was a true learning experience Or so we thought. A second later, Ted and Mikael announced that they were for a low-time VFR pilot like myself. at the hangar. But how? They’d landed on the seldom-used grass runway, usually Campbell River to Bellingham reserved for glider pilots, on the side of the airport closer to the hangar. Sneaky! wasn’t much easier. The weather had cleared while we regrouped in the Postgame Analysis: The Sportsman terminal, and the briefi ng indicated Twenty-one hours of fl ight time behind us, the trip was in the books. But, it a pretty smooth ride as long as we wouldn’t have been possible without an airplane capable of the variety of fl ying steered clear of a few isolated cells. Not we’d just completed. In my opinion, a trio of proven traits combine to make the 2 minutes after we were up, however, Sportsman 2+2 a unique design when it comes to homebuilt airplanes: we had to divert across the Straight of •First, it can haul a ridiculous amount of gear. With a full-fuel payload of nearly Georgia to the Vancouver side. Navi- 700 pounds and enough space behind the front seats to pack a ton of cargo, the gating around the weather in a busy airplane can truly handle two American-sized men, enough food and supplies for area that nobody fl ew in regularly a week and some of the comforts of home we often sacrifi ce to fl y our favorite quickly proved challenging, and the airplanes. tension was obvious. Near Vancouver, In prepping for the trip, I consulted with the guys at Glasair for a list of gear visibility dropped dramatically and required to survive and stay comfortable in the backcountry. The long list was Alan and I, in the trailing aircraft, were rather overwhelming (and a bit overboard, I thought), but I took their word for it forced to separate from the two lead and fi gured it would be better to err on the side of caution. The end result? I fl ew planes. We called ATC and managed to scoot around the clouds for the next half hour and eventually made it back to Bellingham, where the others were waiting. Cleared customs quickly, and it was back in the plane for the fi nal leg home. Destination in Sight About 15 minutes outside of Arling- ton, Mikael, Ted and Alan, the three guys from Glasair, each in a different airplane, challenged each other to race back to the hangar. Even as the trailing airplane, Alan and I knew that we’d win easily—we were in the fastest of the three airplanes and had been hold- Before we left Elkin Creek Ranch, Glasair’s Ted Setzer gave a few of the ranch hands a chance to ing back throughout the trip. “I’ll be experience the Sportsman from the resort’s grass strip. waiting at the hangar with the door open,” Alan declared as he went full- to Anchorage with 80 pounds of equipment (stuffed into a 56-inch-long duffel bag fi rewall on the throttle. designed for hauling hockey apparatus) and a healthy dose of skepticism that the Few minutes later, it was obvious airplane would be able to handle so much gear. Not to worry, of course. The duffel that Ted and Mikael were ganging up fi t through the rear door with no problem, and the biggest obstacle became carry- on us to somehow defeat the quicker ing the bag, not fl ying with it. airplane. “Are you thinking what I’m Another testament to the design is that we didn’t volume out before we maxed thinking?” Mikael asked Ted. “Yep.” out on weight. We conducted a fun little experiment when we stopped at the Alan and I tried to elicit an explana- hunting lodge, borrowing their scales to weigh the contents of each airplane. We tion, but none was forthcoming. We managed to stuff 320 pounds of gear into the N105TW, the airplane I fl ew, and didn’t know their plan, but we knew close to 350 pounds in N345GS. Not bad! we were well ahead of them. •Second, this airplane is built for short strips and rough runways. Set that throt- On short fi nal, someone made a ra- tle to full power, and you’re off the ground in no time. And that’s at max gross dio call: “Arlington traffi c, this is King weight—I can’t imagine how quick it gets off at a lesser weight. Landings are no Air XXX, I’m disabled on the runway different. I’d hoped for a chance to really witness these characteristics up close on and request that traffi c hold until we some gravel bars, but a week of rain prior to our trip wiped out many potential can get clear.” With the runway just landing sites. ahead and no King Air in sight, Alan And rough runways presented no challenge. The Terminus Mountain strip that knew immediately that it was a ploy claimed Dave’s GlaStar was about as rough as they come—the Sportsman just took

14 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Aviation Consumer Awards ECi TITAN® Cylinders “Editor’s Choice” for 2004

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KITPLANES November 2005 15 Backcountry Fun continued Making Alaska Safer: The Capstone Program unexpected, and you’ll do fi ne. Surviv- Flying in the Alaskan wilderness can be an exhil- planes to see each other and also allows ground al gear, extra food, a current ELT, a per- arating proposition, the experience of a lifetime. stations to track fl ights. sonal locator beacon, tools for routine Given the terrain, weather and lack of navigation To appreciate the program, it’s helpful to maintenance, a satellite phone and aids, it can also be treacherous. Yet for many know how the Capstone equipment factors ser- other precautions should be a part of Alaska residents, fl ight services are indispens- vices into the overall plan. A few clarifi ers on the your load. And, some common sense. able. With 90% of the state unreachable by road terminology: Making such a trip a group excursion and the population geographically dispersed, •Flight Information Services (FIS) allow air- will go a long way toward staying airplanes often provide the only access to much craft to receive current and forecasted weather safe. needed goods and services. To better the odds of and special-use airspace information. “Don’t do it yourself,” Dave Prizio safety in such operations, a joint project between •Traffi c Information System-Broadcast (TIS- says. “Flying to remote country with- the FAA and the Alaskan aviation community has B) determines aircraft position and uses radar to out other pilots is probably not a good been initiated, and it could have implications for broadcast the position to other aircraft that are idea. But go as a group and you’ll be how we fl y in the Lower 48. ADS-B equipped. fi ne. Think about the survival aspects One of the problems with Alaska fl ying is that •Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broad- of your trip and plan for the situations radar coverage is mostly unavailable below 5000 cast (ADS-B) broadcasts position, attitude, vector you might encounter. When it comes feet, yet icing concerns and short fl ight distances and other information for use by other aircraft to fl ight planning, you need to do your mean operations are frequently conducted at and ground stations. Use of ADS-B to provide homework, but it’s not such a big deal. less than 2000 feet, leaving little margin for er- radar-like services is the fi rst of its kind in It just takes time.” ror. By equipping planes with a sophisticated avi- the world. And fl ying an adventure like this onics package and training pilots how to use it, The processor in the MFD integrates and dis- with a group of pilots is not just fun, Alaska’s Capstone Program seeks to address the plays ADS-B, GPS, terrain, weather graphics and but it will be one of the biggest learn- state’s most serious safety problems: controlled IFR database information, making it available at ing experiences in your aviation ca- fl ight into terrain (CFIT), mid-air collisions, inade- a glance to the pilot. A Universal Access Trans- reer. By the time you’re home, your quate fl ight information (especially weather) and ceiver (UAT) transmitter/receiver communicates decision-making skills will be honed inadequate infrastructure for IFR operations. It’s datalink information for the ADS-B data air-to-air to the max and you’ll know your co- all about improving situational awareness. between aircraft as well as TIS-B and FIS servic- pilots better than you ever wanted to Given the statistics, Alaska seems an ideal es between aircraft and ground stations. Couple in the fi rst place. On top of that, you’ll proving ground for the Capstone Program. these capabilities with an increase in the number have stories to tell for years. According to the FAA, the state is home to 10% of airports served by an instrument approach, Sold? Great...now head to the air- of the nation’s air carriers and commercial and factors that contribute to the most serious port. Or to the FBO at least—grab your operators, and this 10% historically generated aviation accidents in the region are signifi cantly charts for the trench route, the Baha- about 35% of the nation’s air carrier/commercial reduced. Further use of a satellite-based sup- mas, the woods and lakes of Maine, operator accidents. On average in the 1990s, port system may come in later phases of the the Artic Circle or whatever other area someone would be killed every nine days. The program. you’ve been dreaming of since the day University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) found But does it work? A UAA summary report on you fl ew your fi rst solo. Start planning. that the accident rate in the Phase I area of the Phase 1 found the accident rate in the Y-K Delta And, as they say, stop dreaming, start Capstone program (the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) was less than that of the rest of the state for the doing. was especially high. Of the 112 accidents involv- fi rst time. The university also reported that virtu- ing air carriers and commercial operators from ally all operators in the area routinely use fl ight FOR MORE INFORMATION on the 1994-96, it was determined that 38% might have monitoring, and 69% said it had improved their Sportsman 2+2, contact Glasair Aviation been avoided with availability of information safety and decision making. At villages where at 360/435-8533 or www.glasairaviation. in the cockpit of the type provided by modern Capstone has created instrument approaches, com. For info on Elkin Creek Ranch, con- avionics equipment. fl ight unavailability due to weather was cut by tact Adventure West Resorts at 877/870- At the end of Phase I last year, the Cap- 50%. Most importantly, from 2000-2004, the ac- 0677 or www.adventurewestresorts.com. stone Program had equipped 208 commercial cident rate for Capstone-equipped aircraft was and “public use” aircraft with state-of-the-art reduced by 47%. cockpit technology and trained pilots in its use. The Capstone Program is now in Phase II, cov- The aircraft selected for the project received an ering a larger portion of the state. With already IFR-certifi ed GPS navigation receiver, an ADS- impressive results, it is likely that commercial B transmitter/receiver, a multi-function display and air carrier operations in underserved areas (MFD) with traffi c/terrain data, TIS-B providing across the country are taking note. If the pro- radar information, a terrain database and fl ight gram’s successes continue to accrue, similar en- information depicting airports and other fl ight hancements to fl ight operations nationwide may safety information. Capstone equipment allows not be that far off. —Mary Bernard Look like fun? Get out and do it!

16 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com A new take on a classic design makes for fun ﬂ ying.

BY DAVE HIGDON

ometimes the greatest reward of resembles the Colt in that it’s sort of stubby in overall length, but there’s a step up familiarity is the lack of surprise and duck under needed to sit down in a low seat on a fl at fl oor, a high wing fl ank- S that comes from an encounter. ing each door, with skylights to give it an airy feeling. Call it purposeful rather Meeting an old friend again after years than fast-glass sleek. of no contact, for example, seldom car- The SkyRanger II felt as recognizable for its confi guration as it did fresh and ries the stress of new meetings. The same new thanks to its structure of bolted aluminum and Dacron fabric. My eagerness thing holds true for driving an old car to fl y this little plane rose from my response to it visually. “Looks fun,” I thought. for the fi rst time in years, or returning to “Looks nimble, easy, like it should have no surprises.” As it turned out, it had only an old house. Sure, there may be a little one: a surprisingly nice blend of fl ying characteristics and solid performance on uncertainty, as we wonder “Will it be like the HKS700E engine, the fi rst SkyRanger so powered and the newest engine option it was?” But once we recognize the terri- available for the diminutive sport plane. Only after a bit of fun and frolic in the tory, we can relax and enjoy ourselves, 60-horsepower version did a second SkyRanger catch me unawares, showing how catching up rather than breaking new much more spirited it fl ies behind 100 hp. ground and savoring what we once liked about the experience. An International Heritage Saddling up in the SkyRanger II was The roots of the SkyRanger II stretch back almost 15 years and across an ocean to a lot like that encounter with an old French designer Philippe Prevot, who created the original design in the early 1990s acquaintance. Yet, ironically, my past in Toulouse, France. Toulouse, long the hub of French aerospace and aircraft man- travels never brought me into direct ufacturing, was a fi tting place for the birth of a sport aircraft like the SkyRanger. contact with the design. I never fl ew Now the home of EADS Socata, the general aviation manufacturer, and airliner one—heck, I probably didn’t give maker Airbus Industrie, Toulouse has been the birthplace of French aircraft designs it much thought at all. It was just dating back to the Golden Age of aviation. another incarnation of aviation’s most Prevot sought to create a design of such simplicity and strength that construc- common airframe confi guration, prac- tion and repair could be undertaken almost anywhere on the planet. The founda- tically an archetype: the high-wing, tion for the fuselage and wing structures is nothing more than straight pieces of trike-gear tractor. The SkyRanger II tubing joined into a high-strength structure by way of metal gussets and high- stands tall on its gear, presenting itself strength bolts, covered in simple stabilized Dacron cloth. The only curved parts in much like a vintage Cessna 150 or, bet- the airframe are the ribs, which give the wing its camber, and two pairs of tubes ter yet, a Piper Colt—except cuter. It with simple bends to give the cabin its shape.

Photos: Dave Higdon KITPLANES November 2005 17 SkyRanger II continued SkyRangers between 1992 and 1997. Here in the U.S., the SkyRanger fi rst appeared at the Sun ’n Fun fl y-in in 2001, The resulting design, patented for imported by Rick Helms of Sabre Aircraft. Through some changes in focus and its clever exploitation of the basic tri- ownership, the rights to import the SkyRanger were sold to Dean Gross and Doug angle, subsequently passed numerous Koenigsberg on December 1, 2003. Out of that transaction came the birth of structural studies and strength tests. SkyRanger Aircraft Company, Inc., headquartered in Hedgesville, West Virginia. With easy, predictable fl ying character- Today the two manage import and assembly, along with the dealer network that istics, the SkyRanger caught on. Manu- markets the SkyRanger II and supports its growing customer base. facturer Synairgie in France built 198 Kits are manufactured by the Ukranian aerospace company Aeros Ltd., which employs former workers from the Soviet Antonov Design Bureau. Nearly 1000 are fl ying worldwide with more than 150 in the U.S. Simplicity Never Goes Out of Style Prevot’s SkyRanger design is arguably one of the best incar- nations of the KISS principle, which advocates keeping it simple. The straightforwardness of the airplane’s design and construction are apparent half a runway away. The fuselage, fl at on all four sides, foretells of the straight-tube-and-gusset construction you see when peering inside the airframe. The tube-and-brace wings sport tubular fore and aft spars that attach to a central fuselage frame at the front and back of the cabin area. Dual lift struts converge to a single point at the bottom of the fuselage—far enough aft to keep the One version of the SkyRanger panel is like a nice, black loaf of bread struts from obstructing the two top-hinged cabin doors across the structure; still, there’s plenty of room. The center stick is your that open into the cabin. The wide cabin, with generous main control. The golf-ball-tipped levers activate the throttle. luggage space behind the seats, skylights above and clear VAN’S RV-8A GIVES YOU MORE: PERFORMANCE: 200 mph cruise speed, startling STOL performance, agile, docile, and beautifully balanced. UTILITY: 700 lb useful load, two baggage compartments, room for two 6’8” occupants. CONFIDENCE: Reliable Lycoming power, traditional aluminum construction. SUPPORT: From a company that’s been in business 30 years, sells airplanes all over the world and tells the truth about performance. FUN: It’s an RV...ask any pilot! AND LESS: TIME and EFFORT: Pre-punched, pre-formed components fit Send for comprehensive video/info pack. Only $18.00 postpaid inside the USA, $25.00 perfectly. + shipping outside USA. Specify video format. COST TO BUILD and FLY:Van’s kits may be the best value in aviation today. All hardware, cowls VAN’S AIRCRAFT, INC engine mount, etc., are 14401 NE KEIL ROAD included....not extra cost items. AURORA, OREGON, 97002 503-678-6545 Simple efficient airframe means low WWW.VANSAIRCRAFT.COM maintenance and reasonable operating costs .

18 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com The difference in materials from those antique designs— aluminum tube and synthetic cloth as opposed to mild steel tubing, doped fabric and paint—means the SkyRanger II tips the scales at less than 500 pounds when mounted with the HKS powerplant. At a maximum gross weight of 1050 pounds, the HKS-powered SkyRanger II offers more than 550 pounds of useful load, about 490 pounds for the cabin after fueling the 10-gallon tank. The simple cable-actuated fl ight controls are wholly conventional and, and the conventional tractor mounting pre- cludes many of the pitch changes that power adjustments can bring to an improperly executed pusher aircraft. But now we’re getting into how the SkyRanger fl ies, and we The wide doors of the SkyRanger II and the placement of the lift-strut don’t want to spoil the surprise. lower attachments make for easy access to the 43-inch-wide cabin. Lexan over the bowed doorframes, sits Prefl ight Ritual squarely under the 31-foot wingspan. Thanks to the simple construction and execution of the SkyRanger II, Together, the combined effect of the preparing for a demo fl ight proved straightforward. The walkaround inspec- doors and skylights gives the cabin a tion took only 4 minutes. Hinges and control linkages, struts and attach large feel, and it’s not merely an illu- points, gear and cabin parts—all the fasteners felt in place and solid. Con- sion. At 43 inches across, the cabin is trol cables were taut and secure, and wing internals (visible through zip- wider than the Cessna 150/152 and pered ports on the wing bottom) were solid and fi rm. The propeller was bolted vintage designs that fall under the def- fi rmly to the hub of the HKS700E, and there was fuel in the tank. initions for Light-Sport Aircraft, such as the Luscombe 8 line, the old Tay- Time to Light the Fire and Fly lorcraft, Aeronca Chief and even the Master switch on, boost pump on and turn the key. The twin-cylinder engine fi red “newer” Cessna 120/140. almost instantly on hitting the starter, settling into a low, rumbling idle befi tting

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KITPLANES November 2005 19 The squinty-eyed cowling covers a Rotax 912, continued SkyRanger II which provides very good performance in the SkyRanger. The twin-cylinder HKS engine is also an option.

IAS rewarded me with a climb, but an instrument problem made it diffi cult to determine the rate. Was it 600 by the book? Any estimate was based on nothing more than pitch angle. Were we at the required 300 feet for the west-side stretch of the departure line? It looked like it through the clear door panels. But the lack of an external static source made the air instruments untrustworthy, particularly in steep climbs. The altimeter didn’t start to show more than 100 feet AGL until after the climb was arrested, and the vertical speed indicator and airspeed indicator also worked at odds with one another. At one point after retarding power to begin a descent, the ASI showed us slowing while the VSI showed us climbing. The instruments indicated the exact opposite of what was going on. When the power came back the SkyRanger pitched down slightly, accelerated slightly, and then stabilized into a descent I believed to be about its four-stroke nature. The engine warmed quickly, and as soon as I completed 500 fpm. The ASI should have shown my cabin checks we taxied for the 27 end of Sun ’n Fun’s Paradise City strip. The acceleration in airspeed and the VSI a hand brake mounted on the center stick worked well to slow the airplane from taxi descent from the start. As it was, the speeds. The nosewheel steering responded nicely and with proportion—a little like instruments didn’t agree for about a Goldilocks’ porridge: not too slow, not too quick, just about right. minute, and even then, the numbers Advancing the throttle to full power while moving onto the 1500-foot runway seemed wrong. accelerated the SkyRanger II smoothly. With the engine holding comfortably at 5800 rpm, the plane needed about 4 seconds to exceed stall speed with takeoff fl aps—about 35 mph indicated—and it lifted off smoothly. A boisterous bit of southwest crosswind offered an immediate opportunity to sample the SkyRanger’s handling as the departure end of the runway remained about 1000 feet ahead. Crosswinds at Paradise City are as much a part of tra- dition as corn roasts, funnel cakes and airplanes. If you stay a few days, you’ll likely see some entertaining launches and landings on both the main show runway and the Paradise City strip. This was one of those days. What a treat to feel the SkyRanger respond to inputs as quickly as my hands and feet made them. The rudder kept us straight, and the ailerons countered the roll induced by rotor turbulence coming over a tree line that hugs the runway’s southern border. Once above treetop level, the roller coaster ride subsided, leaving me with the less challenging task of The sturdy spring-aluminum maingear legs employed on the SkyRanger fl ying a crabbing climb. However, monitoring the climb and II soak up the bumps from rough terrain and botched landings with equal ease, while the disc brakes provide ample stopping power. altitude suddenly became a challenge. Yes, holding 55 mph

20 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com HKS Works on SkyRanger Thankfully, the GPS mounted in the cockpit helped resolve some questions of speed. At the redline of 6200 rpm, the HKS700E happily pulled us along at about 83 mph true airspeed, a fi gure cross-referenced on upwind and downwind runs by the GPS against the ASI. This is good performance for running at what amounts to pattern altitude; the SkyRanger would probably be a bit quicker at its optimum cruise altitude. Cruising more comfortably at 5800 rpm brought the speed down to about 77-78 mph and made me wonder: Is that really only 60 hp coming out of the hearty little twin? Stall speeds varied slightly between 38 mph clean and about 33 mph with fl aps, as the SkyRanger settled into something more like a mush than Panel a’plenty. The SkyRanger II allows builders their own choice for the panel dimensions to make customizing easy, whether you want a full-blown stall. lots of space for plenty of instruments and avionics, or something The ailerons, effective enough to muscle through 45-to-45 smaller to accommodate a minimal set of gauges and radios. maneuvers in about 8 to 9 seconds, remained effective right through the mush/stall mode. The rudder handled crosswind stalls with ease, allowing me to keep the ball centered with little effort. More Performance? Starting and holding a coordinated turn took a little work and some thought. SkyRanger Aircraft offers four other Like so many of the older airplanes mentioned, the SkyRanger II reserves its re- engine options for the SkyRanger II, wards for pilots knowledgeable in the use of the rudder in turns. In this area, the including the Rotax 503, 912, 912S and rudder seemed a little more responsive than most, forcing me to keep a light touch Jabiru 2200. As fortune would have it, with my toes and rudder movements small. an almost identical version with the Rudder inputs were required to start a coordinated turn. After 35 minutes of 100-hp 912S served as my platform for fl ying, the technique became clear: rudder fi rst (but just a little) and aileron next; this story’s photo shoot, so it seemed reduce rudder and adjust as needed, and keep rudder inputs light and minimal lest smart to take the opportunity to exam- the skid ball begins to bounce between the extreme ends of the glass tube. ine the differences. By the time I was ready to try some runway work at South Lakeland Airpark, As might be expected with a 66% the little SkyRanger felt comfortable, if not second nature. Employing a standard boost in power, the 912S version accel- pattern entry for a northbound arrival, a reduction in power and a little use of erated much more smartly, climbing the effective pitch trim off after about 2 seconds at 40 mph allowed me to slow the indicated in that plane, which had a SkyRanger to about 48-50 more responsive set of air-data instru- mph for the downwind. ments thanks to a true pitot-static After entering downwind, system. The climb performance proved my right hand came off far more energetic, giving about 1000 the stick and applied the fpm at 55 mph indicated. fi rst notch of fl aps, turn- Stalls came a bit higher, only by a ing downwind to fi nal. couple of miles an hour, but power-on The rest of the fl aps came stalls were basically a myth. The 100-hp in after rolling out about version really didn’t stall at all, instead The HKS700E twin-cylinder, air-cooled engine is a good match 500 feet above the runway. hanging on the propeller and climbing with the SkyRanger—powerful enough and economical, too. (It’s worth pointing out at almost 75 fpm with the stick full aft. that the location of the The landings changed least of all, with fl aps —between the seats—and the throttle on the far left side of the panel made it touchdown speeds at about the same a bit awkward to change fl ap settings. At least, it felt clumsy to me.) indicated airspeed as in the HKS-pow- Now my speed was down to about 40 mph, as best I could tell, and the SkyRanger ered plane. But in cruise, the power felt right as we headed toward the grass beyond the displaced threshold. Pull- difference showed most with about ing the engine to idle and holding the nose off at about 35 mph provided a nice 95-100 mph at 75% power, trimmed as descent and preserved the energy needed for a small fl air. The mains gently kissed level as I could manage in the roughest the turf and, after swapping hands again, I moved the fl aps back to zero, lowered air of the day. the nose and turned off at the 500-foot mark. Not until the turn did I need to use Of course, the maximum gross the hydraulic disc brakes that are standard on the plane. weight is higher (1212 pounds), and The SkyRanger gave similar results after slipping off the last 400 feet on the next the empty weight is up to about 540 attempt and using a steep approach to a soft-fi eld landing on the one after. But pounds, adding 70 pounds to the use- slips took more muscle than expected and weren’t the SkyRanger’s most natural ful load the airplane can carry. maneuver. If all-up performance is your desire,

KITPLANES November 2005 21 SkyRanger II continued the 912S or the 80-hp 912 may be better choices, albeit at higher fuel burns. It’s worth noting that using a higher capacity (20 gallon) tank will cut 60 pounds off the full-fuel available payload. But if getting the shortest takeoffs and highest cruise speeds aren’t as important to you as fun, frugal fl ying, the 60-hp version is an excellent balance of power, light weight and great fuel economy. The HKS engine also The SkyRanger’s simple, bolt-together construction reduces build time. Fins under empennage offers better economy compared to the help increase yaw stability. higher fuel burn and oil requirements of any two-stroke engine in the same power range. factory already covered. Tubes, horns and wires—virtually everything is ready to bolt together. Takeoff and climb performance were more than ample with the HKS Great Fun engine and more rocket-like with the 912S. But handling in both was as close to The predictable nature of the SkyRanger identical as it can get, with the only difference the result of the higher nose weight II made for great fun during my time of the 912S-powered version. fl ying both versions. Construction is Would I change anything? Yes, but only a couple of items. First, based on goofy, as bolt-through-hole simple as any unpredictable readings of the air-data instruments in a panel with no external design on the market, and the airframe static port, the manufacturers might want to consider making a rudimentary static has the strength and stability to take system part of the kit. The accuracy of using the open back of the air instruments on the lowest time pilots. as the static source will be as varied as the quality of fi t around the cabin and Control surfaces come from the cabin doors, and it will never be as accurate as with an external static source back

22 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Parts like the strut components and aileron control horns come fabricated and ready to bolt together when assembling the SkyRanger II.

on the fuselage. Frankly, given the Maine and the other came from West altitude constraints fl ying the Paradise Virginia, it’s plainly apparent that Sky- City pattern with three other patterns Rangers make pretty fair cross-country overlapping, I found the lack of accu- machines as well. Very nice. rate altitude and airspeed information FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact uncomfortable. SkyRanger Aircraft Co. at 304/754-6010 Second, operating the fl aps was the or visit www.skyrangeraircraft.com. most awkward aspect of fl ying an otherwise easy-fl ying airplane. Whether the cabin can be designed to avoid the need to switch stick hands to handle SKYRANGER II the fl aps, I don’t know. Thanks to the Price (excluding quickbuild options) ...... $13,995 fl ight-control system with a single, Estimated completed price ...... $23,000 central stick, the SkyRanger requires Estimated build time ...... 250 hours Number flying (at press time)...... 1000 dual throttles placed at the front cor- Powerplant ...... HKS700E ners of the cabin. The traditional fl ap 60 hp @ 6200 rpm systems would be either a single lever Propeller ...... Ivoprop three-blade fixed-pitch Powerplant options . . . Rotax 503, Rotax 912, Jabiru 2200 to the pilot’s left or electric actuation. The SkyRanger’s central manual system Airframe is, at best, an awkward compromise in Wingspan ...... 31 ft Wing loading...... 8.43 lb/sq. ft the effort to reduce parts count. What- Fuel capacity ...... 10 gal ever, it never felt as natural as the rest Maximum gross weight...... 1050 lb of the airplane. Typical empty weight...... 450 lb Typical useful load...... 600 lb Beyond those two quibbles—one Full-fuel payload ...... 640 lb small, one fairly large—the SkyRanger Seating capacity...... 2 boasts all of the qualities pilots look Cabin width...... 43 in Baggage capacity ...... 100 lb for in a recreational airplane: easy construction, a strong, solid airframe; bal- Performance anced, friendly fl ying habits and good Cruise speed...... 80 mph (70 kt) 5500 feet @ 75% power, 3.3 gph performance for the power. Maximum rate of climb ...... 600 fpm (at max. gross) At a starting price of around $20,000 Stall speed (landing configuration) . . . .32 mph (28 knots) with an engine, few kits in the market Stall speed (clean) ...... 38 mph (33 knots) Takeoff distance...... 450 ft offer a more frugal way to have fun on Landing distance ...... 200 ft the fl y. That may be the SkyRanger’s biggest surprise. When you consider Specifications are manufacturer’s estimates and are based on the configuration of the demonstrator air- that one of the planes piloted for this craft. As they say, your mileage may vary. article was fl own to Lakeland from

KITPLANES November 2005 23 BigOshkosh News from the 2005: Big Show

Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne ﬂ ew to Oshkosh on White Knight, its launch aircraft, and wowed the crowd with a few passes before touching down. Th e developments at this year’s AirVenture ﬂ y-in made it one of the best in years.

A STAFF REPORT, COMPILED BY BRIAN E. CLARK

24 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com shkosh AirVenture 2005 marked the fourth time since I started O at KITPLANES® that I’ve made the trek to the plains of Wisconsin to check out the latest and greatest in the world of Experimentals. For three years, I listened as fellow journalists, exhibition vendors and homebuilder attendees groused about the good old days when attendance was great and new products were everywhere. I often wondered to myself, would there ever be another year like the Oshkosh events of old? Turns out that AirVenture 2005 was just the show I’d been waiting for. By Another big draw was the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, Steve Fossett’s round-the-world vehicle, which arrived late in the week. looking at the full fl ightline, the busy campgrounds and the traffi c entering the grounds each day, it was easy to later in the week. Both taxied to Aeroshell Square, where the public could get spot the rise in attendance. The EAA up-close views. Then, there were other noteworthy airplanes for the GA crowd: The estimated the count at 700,000 people, HondaJet made its public debut, as did two fl ying examples of the long-awaited a 7% increase over AirVenture 2004. Eclipse very light jet. And the number of showplanes to- But it’s the homebuilts that we care about, right? Well, no shortage of news on taled at 2927 with a record number of that end, either. On the high end, we saw the Viperjet in its new, pressurized form, homebuilts (1267). and Epic Aircraft showed the in-development jet version of its six-place turboprop. Without a doubt, a few big attrac- For the rest of us, a special area was set aside for Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) manu- tions surely pulled in aviation enthu- facturers to display their wares, and the main homebuilt display area teemed with customers daily. On to the details! Here’s our summary of the new and noteworthy aircraft, engines, accessories and avionics displayed at the show. The sheer volume of exhibitors makes it darn near impossible to cram everything into one article, but keep your eye out over the next year for features on the more exciting developments and announcements of new products and features in the What’s New section of the magazine. Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft No surprise here—the still-unfolding LSA rule was a dominant theme once again. The good news is that more airplanes have received initial Special LSA (SLSA) certifi cates, meaning the manufacturers are free to sell the planes legally as ready-to-fl y or kit LSAs. By show’s end, the total number of “certifi ed” LSA designs was close to 15. In addition, we discovered that at least a few SLSAs have been delivered to end users throughout the country. Flight Designs Viper Aircraft fl ew in and displayed its much anticipated Viperjet MKII, USA, importer of the CT, has delivered close to 20 airplanes, a pressurized, reworked version of the original Viperjet. and a few other manufacturers have sent a handful of units to customers. In the coming months, we’ll start talking to some active Sport Pilots out there and continue to report on the siasts from across the country: Space- implementation of the rule and the new planes available. Finally, we had a chance ShipOne, Burt Rutan’s space-traveler to samples a few LSA designs fi rsthand. Look for our report in an upcoming issue. and perhaps now the world’s most famous homebuilt, fl ew to Oshkosh on Kit News White Knight, its launch aircraft, and Viper Aircraft (www.viperjet.com) showed off its much-anticipated Viperjet wowed the crown with a few passes MKII, a pressurized, reworked version of the original Viperjet, which fl ew in before touching down. And the Vir- 1999. Six airplanes are under construction, most at private build shops, and the gin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, Steve Fos- company expects the fi rst customer-built jets to fl y in early 2006. Cost for a kit sett’s round-the-world vehicle arrived starts at $183K.

Photos: Brian E. Clark, Marc Cook, Cory Emberson, Tim Kern, Howard Levy, Rick Lindstrom KITPLANES November 2005 25 Oshkosh 2005 continued $8000. A QB kit for the STOL CH 801 is facture and import as both ready-to-fl y also in the works, Zenith says. LSAs and Amateur-Built kits: the Mer- If you thought the M-14 radial- Looking to increase the utility and maid, which debuted in 2004 and is powered Murphy Moose didn’t have market segment for the Tundra, Dream currently in production, and the Par- enough power, check out the fi rewall- Aircraft (www.dreamaircraft.com) has rot, a new design. The Parrot is the fi rst forward conversion unveiled by Que- introduced a few new developments. all-metal aircraft to feature the high- bec-based Aerotek Aviation (contact A trigear version will soon be available wing composite aircraft shape, and the Murphy at www.murphyair.com). A with a free-castering nosegear attached company says the 912S-powered plane fi rewall-forward package for the 450- to the engine mount via a single tube, will carry two people with 30 pounds hp PT6A-20 goes for $95K, and claims shock absorption provided by the fl ex of baggage for 600 miles at more than include 32 gph, 155-mph cruise, 2000- of the strut itself. Additionally, Dream 100 knots. fpm climb at gross and no vibration. is in the fi nal stages of producing a Aerocomp, Inc. (www.aerocompinc. Aerotek makes the Moose mods and quickbuild kit. The company’s fi rst com) announced its latest project, the can even help you build the airplane two customer-built airplanes are near- Comp Air 12 turboprop. The 12 will at its builder assist center. Production ly complete. use essentially the same airframe as will be up in three to six months, and Sonex, Ltd. (www.sonex-ltd.com) the company’s Jet model, but it will the company has 50 hours on the pro- exhibited the Sonex Sport Trainer, a feature a single Lycoming T-53 turbine totype airframe/engine combination. slightly modifi ed version of its popu- engine. The design is a month away Zenith Aircraft (www.zenithair. lar design aimed at the LSA crowd from fl ying, the company says. After com) announced the availability of (though offered in kit form only, for suffering an engine problem in fl ight quickbuild (QB) kits for its popular now). All controls, including throttle, on the journey to Oshkosh, the jet it- Zodiac XL 601 design. The QB kit, mixture, trim, fl aps and brakes, have self did not make it to the show. But, which features a pre-assembled fuse- been moved to the centerline of the the company expected its fi rst jet cus- lage and pre-built, then disassembled aircraft. The dual-control airplane is tomers to fl y by the end of September. wings, will reduce build time to 200- designed to be used as a transition Skykits Corporation (www.skykits. 300 hours total for a cost of an added trainer for Sport Pilots. com) presented the Savannah, for Czech Aircraft Works and Sport which it is the North American dis- Aircraft Works (www.skyshops.org), tributor. At fi rst glance, the Savannah its U.S. distributor, displayed the two resembles the Zenith Aircraft CH 701, designs the company plans to manu- but Skykits says the design has been al-

Aerotek Aviation is one of two companies working on turbine engine projects for the Murphy Moose kit. Aerotek uses a 450-hp PT6A-20 (inset) and sells a ﬁ rewall forward package for the engine/airframe combo for $95K.

26 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com “My Sensenich prop’s inexpensive, reliable, simple, durable and requires no engine oil to operate.” —Johnny “Rascal” White Auburn, AL

“Ask me about props, and I’ll tell you to use the ‘KISS’ principle—Keep It Sensenich, Silly! Mine is an 85 pitch, and I meet or exceed all the Vans numbers. So far the only RV-x person to outrun me was a 220 hp RV-4. Everybody else running constant speed props have been left behind.”

For years homebuilt enthusiasts like Johnny White have been looking to Sensenich for the highest quality, most efficient lightweight propellers on the market—at the best prices! With superior engineering and a rigorous, 56-point factory inspection, it’s no Lycoming president Ian Walsh arrived in his wonder Sensenich has been AD-free for over three decades. RV-8A, which features the company’s O-390. Talk to your kit manufacturer or check out SensenichDirect on the web. tered to offer more headroom, a longer Sensenich. Right on the nose. wing, a new tail section and a higher 14 Citation Lane, Lititz, PA 17543 gross weight. Kits, which take only 250 (717) 569-0435 • Fax (717) 560-3725 hours to build but meet the 51% Rule, Email [email protected] • Web www.sensenich.com are available for immediate delivery. Epic Aircraft (www.epicaircraft.com) unveiled the in-development Epic Jet, the Williams FJ-33-powered version of the Epic LT we fl ew for the August issue cover story; the company hopes to fl y the $1.6 million homebuilt (for now) jet to the NBAA expo in November. The company’s build center in Bend, Oregon, is complete and the fi rst customer-built Epic LT was expected to fl y shortly after Oshkosh; six others are in progress. Mustang Aeronautics (www.mus tangaero.com), manufacturer of the Mustang II and Midget Mustang kits, noted the success of its Mustang II quickbuild program. The QB kit adds about $10,000 to the project but saves nearly 500 hours. The new Team Tango (www.team tango.com), owned and operated by a group of builders that purchased design rights, says the company is completely running and can deliver Tango 2 kits immediately. The company has a few interesting builder projects under construction in its build center including a full-wet-wing project (88 gallons total) that is expected to fl y

KITPLANES November 2005 27 Oshkosh 2005 continued company has had getting manufacturing completed in Russia. He says that work is progressing once again and that, having learned a lesson about post-Soviet busi- cross-country without fuel stops. Team ness practices—mainly involving that substantial language barrier—he’s getting a Tango has also built two Foxtrots, the handle on it. More (good) news is expected by the end of the year. four-place Tango, but is not in produc- CLASS, manufacturer of the Bush Caddy line of kits (www.bushcaddy.com), tion with the design yet. announced a new model. The L-162 is 14 inches shorter than the L-164 and Sreya Aviation (www.sreyaaviation. features a 2500-pound gross weight. It’s designed for 180-350 hp engines, and com) debuted its in-development the performance is just better than the L-164, the company says. The prototype is Envoy, a Walter 601D-powered six-seat expected to fl y by Spring 2006. composite aircraft it intends to sell Pawnee Aviation ([email protected]) debuted a new in-development as a complete, built-it-at-the-factory helicopter kit, the 16th in a line of R&D designs. The 350-hp Chevy-powered package, similar to the Epic program. helicopter was expected to fl y in the month after Oshkosh, and Pawnee will sells Anticipated cost, without options like kits for $67,500. retractable gear, pressurization and Kitplane Builders (www.thekitplanebuilders.com), a new builder assist shop located near Toronto, hosted a booth and told us a bit about their operation. Unlike many of the hired-gun shops, this build center is designed for customers who actually plan to work on their airplanes and adhere to the 51% Rule. So far, the center has specialized in the Van’s RV series, the GlaStar and Zenith Aircraft kits, but the company hopes to grow and add more designs to the list. Engine News Though Continental has continuously produced its O-200 for more than 40 years, the introductions of the LSA O-200-A (for OEMs, www.tcmlink.com) and the TMX-200 (for Experimentals, www.mattituck.com) are good news. Here’s a tip: if you send a good core to Mattituck and order a rebuild, they’ll make you a brand new O-200 and put your data plate on it: $16,500. Epic Aircraft unveiled the in-development Epic Jet, the Williams FJ-33- powered version of the turboprop Epic LT. Lycoming’s IO-390 (www.lycoming.textron.com) fl ew to Oshkosh in a special RV-6A. How special? It’s owned (and was fl own to Oshkosh) by Lycoming’s new head honcho, Ian others, is $449,000, and the company Walsh. The display included customer training (a big hit) as the revitalized com- hopes to fl y the prototype by October. pany announced a kit engine program for 320, 360, 390 and 540-inch engines. The Arion Aircraft (www.arionaircraft. 390-inch, 210- com) displayed its Lightning, an hp engine is in-development composite kit ex- particularly tar- pected to fl y by August. According to geted to Experi- the company, the aircraft takes a best mental aircraft, practices approach, using some of the and Walsh up- successful composite design charac- graded the RV- teristics present in other designs on 6A he bought the market. Production is due to start with a neat in- in September, and a builder assist stallation. program is available for the $26K kit. Rotec Engi- Sherpa Aircraft’s Glen Gordon was neering (www. at the show with a pair of the outsized rotecradialeng bushplanes, one with the familiar ines.com) an- Lycoming eight-cylinder IO-720 and nounced that another with a Garrett turbine. He now its seven- Proof that builders are looking for shorter build times than ever, Zenith said that the company is also working cylinder R2800 Aircraft now offers a quickbuild kit for the Zodiac XL 601. on a Walter variant but work on that radial engine has project is being held up by the need a nine-cylinder to create a new exhaust system for the brother, the R3600. The diameter is just 1.5 inches greater than the 2800’s (at 33.5 Czech turbine. Meanwhile, Gordon re- inches), and the compression ratio is the same. Horsepower is increased to 150 at mains upfront about the troubles the 3000 engine rpm (at which speed the prop runs 2000). Six select customers are

28 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Experimentals—company representatives said that a production-line O.E. contract is imminent—but, should the engine prove successful, it may well be offered to us. Put this one on your way-down-the-road shopping list. The Mistral Mazda-based rotary engine (www.mistral-engines.com) is going to be normally-aspirated for the foreseeable future. Francois Badoux, Mistral’s CEO, says the packaging problems of the original turbo far outweigh the extra power, so he continues work on an all-new turbo while he delivers the air-breather. New? He’s about to introduce an integrated starter-alternator, housed in the bell hous- ing. Customer demand and price will determine whether the new setup is standard or offered as an option. Also at the show was a clever FADEC simulator so pilots could work the single power lever and see Two new radials on the scene: Rotec’s how the twin-row rotary would respond. The R3600 (left) and Gesoco’s R-263. company is working quite hard on improving the normally aspirated engine’s fuel specifi cs and continue to keep a Jet-A-burning version in development. Carl Bumpers fl ew in from Racine, Wisconsin, in his DeltaHawk-powered Veloc- ity (www.deltahawkengines.com). The 90° V-4 prototype, fl ying for two years, has been due to receive the $20,000 tested and refi ned, and DeltaHawk says it engine shortly for in-fl ight will deliver the fi rst 35 customer engines by evaluations. Rotec says 40- January 1. There’s 180 hp available at 2700 50 R2800s are now fl ying, direct-drive rpm from the turbocharged, most in the U.S., and the intercooled, water-cooled, 330-pound Jet-A highest-time engine is ap- drinker, which was originally conceived to proaching 500 hours. help set distance records. While the buzz at the Innodyn Cliff Coy runs Gesoco Industries (www.gesoco.com) with his dad, George, and (www.innodyn.com) booth was in he told us that the new fi ve-cylinder R-263 radial makes 125 hp in the direct-drive response to its 500-hp twin-pack version he had at Oshkosh. Higher-powered versions are in the works. Based on turbine, the real question was when M-14 heads, the rest of the engine is new. It’s made in Romania, but don’t worry: the fi rst production single turbines unlike many former Soviet-bloc products, you will be able to hook up your Ameri- were scheduled for delivery. Accord- can aviation hose fi ttings, and it carries an SAE prop fl ange. The 125-hp engine ing to new CEO Greg Gross, the fi rst weigh 220 pounds, and the 33-inch-diameter engine has a TBO of 1500 hours. two would be shipped in the month Eagle Engines (www.eagleengines.com) unveiled its Xtreem 540 engine, featur- following the show, as they’re still ing Millennium cylinders, Light in testing at the moment, and Inno- Speed Engineering Dual Plasma III dyn hopes to ramp up to a consistent electronic ignition system, cylinder production level in 2006. The twin- fl ow matching and the new PCU pack combines two engines into a 5000 lightweight prop governor. single gearbox, and the idea is to use Selling for $41,000, the 250- to 300- both for takeoff, then shut one down hp Xtreem 540 is completely elec- at altitude. When it fl ies, we’ll follow tronic and is suitable for aircraft up with more details. such as the RV-10, Glasair III and The company formerly under the Starduster. Bombardier umbrella is now called Eggenfellner Aircraft (www.eggen Aircraft Engine Services (www.vaircraft fellneraircraft.com) is now offering engine.com). The engine remains a a DVD installation guide for $49 Xerion’s AuRACLE is a new engine monitor on the purpose-built, liquid-cooled V-6 run- plus shipping and handling, a great scene, and its features are impressive. ning through a geared PSRU. A no- way for any potential Subaru engine show at Oshkosh was the Murphy customer to get a look at what’s involved in installing one of these conversions. Moose being used as a testbed for this engine, but a heap of parts that made Avionics & Accessories up another engine being run on the Having shipped more than 2000 of its EFIS-D10 (and D10A) units, Dynon Avion- test cell was on display. AES says that ics (www.dynonavionics.com) announced the debut of the larger-format D100. the 220- and 300-hp variants of the The new unit features a 7-inch, high-resolution color LCD display and split screen engine aren’t immediately destined for functionality. Selling for $2395, the operational features are identical to the D10.

KITPLANES November 2005 29 Oshkosh 2005 continued

Chelton’s latest software release, gine monitor in a new square screen V6.0, was unveiled, featuring enhanced format. Engine rpm and manifold VNAV autopilot control. Exclusively pressure are constantly displayed, distributed by Direct-To Avionics even as other displays are changed. (www.d2av.com), it’s the fi rst EFIS/ Amperage is now visible in addition autopilot combination available for to voltage, as well as the hottest the Experimental market with both CHT and EGT. Four-cylinder ver- LNAV and VNAV coupling. When in sions start at about $2500. VNAV mode, the EFIS offers low-speed Hangar B-17 (www.hangarb17. envelope protection and will not allow com) keeps adding more function- The Lightning from Arion Aircraft was scheduled to the aircraft to stall, the company says. ality to its PocketEFIS and PalmEFIS make its fi rst fl ight shortly after the show. Anticipating an October 2005 deliv- systems including terrain avoid- ery date, Grand Rapids Technologies ance information and see-through (www.grtavionics.com) announced the weather overlays that don’t obscure EFIS Horizon Series 1 automated MFD, the underlying terrain data. With a which combines graphical fl ight in- full-blown package, including hard- strumentation, real-time weather and ware, priced under $2000, these por- “Highway in the Sky” attitude infor- table navigation systems rival many mation. Measuring 6.25 inches wide panel-mounted units in capability. by 4.75 high, this single unit pretty To the enjoyment of a ton of much combines all cockpit instrumen- homebuilt pilots, Garmin (www. tation and navigation needed for a list garmin.com) showed off the GPS- price of $5995. MAP 396, it’s latest handheld GPS Mercury Computer Systems (www. system. Featuring XM WX Satellite DeltaHawk plans to deliver its fi rst 35 customer mc.com/vistanav) introduced what it Weather, the unit offers a plethora engines by January 1. calls the “fi rst portable 3D synthetic of weather products to aid in-cock- vision system” for GA, the two-piece pit decision making. Expected street VistaNav system. The display features price is about $2500. forward-looking and planview imag- Zaon Flight Systems (www.zaon ery lush with terrain features. Deliver- fl ight.com) announced the Traf- ies of the $3995 system are scheduled fi cScope MRX and XRX portable for September 2005. collision avoidance units slated for Xerion Avionix (www.xerionavionix release in November 2005. Priced .com) introduced the AuRACLE engine at $499 and $1795 respectively, monitor with a number of innovative the MRX provides range and rela- features. Shipments are scheduled for tive altitude of the nearest threat, October 2005, and a four-cylinder unit while the XRX adds quadrant bear- will cost from $2300 to $3100, depend- ings and trends on multiple targets ing on options. Check “Around the along with several other features Patch” in this issue for more details. such as data output for MFDs and I-K Technologies (www.i-ktechnolo voice alerting. gies.com) introduced the AIM4000 en- KitlogPro (www.kitlog.com) has upgraded its builder log software. Dream Aircraft is offering a trigear version of its Meeting the FAA guidelines for rugged Tundra design. builder logs, the new version enables you to post your log to its server at no charge. The online fi ltering capabilities enable you to see what other builders are doing with similar projects. The software is available for $49.95 if you’re starting from scratch, and upgrades can be had for $9.95. Next Year As usual, dates are already in place for the 2006 extravaganza: July 24-30. Start planning now. Sonex displayed its Sport Trainer model, FOR MORE INFORMATION on Oshkosh AirVenture, visit www.airventure.org. which features centered controls.

30 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Morry Hummel: Still Having Fun at 90 On August 5, just a few days after the close of Oshkosh AirVenture 2005, homebuilt aircraft designer Morry Hummel turned 90 years old. Like many of his peers, Hummel got this start building model airplanes. “One time,” Hummel said, “I played hooky from school so I could get an airplane ready for a contest. I won the contest, and the prize was a movie ticket to see Howard Hughes’ ‘Hell’s Angels.’” Hummel said he didn’t realize it at the time, but now he sees that he started on a lifelong path in aviation at that moment. Hummel is most famous for his all- metal Hummel Bird, based heavily on an earlier design that he admired and improved. “The Windwagon was a tricycle- gear airplane,” Hummel said, “and the fuselage was so low you couldn’t use a shoulder harness. I raised the bulkheads, added a canopy for year ’round fl ying, added the shoulder harness and made a taildragger out of it. [Years later] the designer, Gary Watson, told me he would have made it that way in the fi rst place, but the public wanted a trike.” Fortunately for Hummel, a lot of people wanted a taildragger, too, and the Hummel Bird has developed almost a cult following over the past two decades or so. It does a lot, with a little. Hummel is justifi ably proud: “It gets 3 mph per hp—that’s effi ciency. It’ll go 97 mph on 32 hp, and it’ll handle a 25-mph crosswind. That’s hard to beat.” Furthermore, “It’s very responsive—some say it’s sensitive, but it’s just responsive. Most people won’t part with it once they’ve fl own it.” But the airframe is only half of the reason for the design’s fame. In 1982, Hummel fl ew 350 miles to Oshkosh in 3.5 hours with a 32-hp modifi ed VW engine. “We used a ‘half VW’ to save weight,” Hummel said. “We developed the counterweights, so it’s a smooth-running engine. We developed the correct balance for the crankshaft with information provided by the engineers of the Stewart War- ner engine balancer. The small, bolted-on counterweight on the prop hub is used because you can’t make the weight on the crank big enough. It’s not new—the two-cylinder Franklin engines used them, so you need to give them the credit.” But some of the other half-VW engines haven’t fared so well. On an opposed twin, the pistons both come in at the same time, building a lot of pressure inside the case. Some of the “homemade” two-cylinder opposed engines sprayed oil out through a reed valve. Hummel admonishes: “You need to collect that oil and use a little hole near the reed valve to dribble it back in. Then, when the pistons come apart again, they suck the air back in.” The Hummel Bird is tiny, and for years people have asked Hummel for something just as pretty, just as responsive and nearly as economical—but bigger. This is the year, and the Ultra Cruiser is the airplane. It’s already a winner. John Jacobs, test and demo pilot for Hummel Aviation, built an Ultra Cruiser and took home a Grand Champion award at Sun ’n Fun 2005. Hummel lost his right leg below the knee in a crash in 1995, and he no longer has a medical, but he’s not slowing down. He and his wife, Myra, along with longtime friend and coworker Tammy Sperling, are often out on the fl ightline at local and national fl y-ins. Hummel also helps new company owner Terry Hallett on almost a daily basis. Hummel has always emphasized the fun of building and fl ying. He says the question prospective customers ask most often is how long it takes to build the little jewel: “If you do a little bit each day, it’ll get done. It’s an attitude thing— if you think about how long it will take, most people won’t start. But don’t always think about when you’ll get it done...it’s supposed to be fun!” —Tim Kern

KITPLANES November 2005 31 See Clearly Now Aircraft windows are like your eyes— it’s not vanity to take care of them. BY CORY EMBERSON

ou’re 10 miles out from your destination, and you just know you should have got a big scratch—is progressive abra- the fi eld in sight by now. Your approach is into the setting sun, and where a sive removal. (More on that process Y runway should be, all you see is a backlit swirl on your windshield. How could later on in the story.) this happen? You cleaned the windshield at your last fuel stop, using a trusty shop rag or a paper towel from the FBO. It looked clean enough then, so why can’t you Smoothing Creams see through it now? Chances are that scratches are to blame. When using so-called self-diminishing Renny Doyle of Attention to Details in Hailey, Idaho, spends his time on the creams, it’s a good idea to test them on front lines of aircraft detailing, including the occasional touch-up of Air Force One, an inconspicuous area of the plastic and he says ignorance about how to clean them is the culprit in scratched surfaces. before launching into the entire opera- “Probably the most evident cause of scratches is a lack of knowledge—that’s what tion. Application technique is critical we see out there more than anything,” he said. “People think cleaning your air- for a successful outcome; depending on craft is a pretty unscientifi c process, but really, what you use to clean your aircraft the product, you either apply the cream glass with is probably the number one cause of scratches. A lot of people will go in a straight line with the scratch, or at fl y, come back with a bugged-up windshield, and take their cleaner of choice and 90° to the scratch. Apply in a circular a diaper or a paper towel, and just start wiping. Even if you use the right materials, motion only if the directions specifi - just having sitting dust on your windscreen, and taking the perfect towel to it, can cally say to do so. cause damage.” There is also consensus on the choice Alan Evans of Flitz International agrees. “From what I see, a lot of guys will take of application material—a clean, dense an old cloth or a rag, and they’ll wipe their windshield with it, usually a terrycloth towel or a paper towel,” he says. “A terrycloth towel will pick up debris and hold it in the cloth, and when they wipe their window, it looks great until they go fl ying into the sun, and then they start seeing some little spider lines. Paper towels have wood fi bers in them, which will scratch the surface.” Here’s the rub: Anything that’s harder or more abrasive than your windows will scratch them. It’s that simple. For pointers on the right procedure, check out “Clean, Don’t Be Mean” on Page 36. Take It All Off So your “glass” is damaged, what do you do? There are several levels of scratch If the damage is severe enough to use Novus removal and plastic maintenance to consider, depending on the level of dam- 3, it must be followed up with Novus 2 for age. For minor scratch repair, “clean-up,” if you will, try a liquid process. A more fi nal fi nishing. Be sure the plastic is cool to aggressive form—not quite a last resort, but for use only when you’re sure you’ve the touch before beginning the treatment.

32 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com microfi ber cloth. Microfi ber traps dust and lint that gets on the windshield, absorbs it into the cloth and prevents further scratching of the surface. An 80/20 blend of microfi ber/polyester is the ideal density, although 70/30 works well, too. “I would defi nitely use microfi ber before I would use terry,” Doyle says. “A lot of people use old T-shirts and diapers—two of the worst items you can use. All you’re doing is transferring the dirt from the surface of the window to the surface of the cloth, creating a big sanding block.” Novus One of several cream products widely used for acrylic windows is Novus, which comes in three levels of aggressiveness: Novus 1 for polishing, Novus 2 to treat fi ne scratches, and Novus 3 to remove heavy scratches. After removing surface dust with a microfi ber cloth, Novus 2 is applied in a circular motion until dry; it is then buffed with a clean microfi ber cloth to fi nish. You may repeat this process as necessary. Because Novus 3 is reserved for heavier scratches, it shouldn’t be used on polycar- bonates or coated plastics. After removing the surface dust, Novus 3 is fi rmly applied at a 90° angle to the scratch, and reapplied as needed. When only fi ne scratches AeroShell’s Plexicoat is designed to remove fi ne scratches and hazing. remain, remove the remaining polish and use the Novus 2 polish.

Flitz coat, you don’t need a lot of product— Alan Evans of Flitz recommends its use maybe the size of a dime. It spreads very for minor scuffs on aircraft windows, but thin, and an average bottle should last notes that it is not a plastic cleaner. “It a year or two,” Doyle says. “It won’t has a polish in it which diminishes as build up as a daily cleaner, and rain you use it,” he says. “When you fi rst put will bead up and sheet off.” He recom- it on, it’s aggressive enough to take a little mends applying it in the middle of bit of surface away, but then the polish the windscreen, moving outward and diminishes and gets fi ner and fi ner. If we upward in the direction of the relative compared it to a sanding system, you’d wind. When applying, look for a very Frequently used to polish metal surfaces, Flitz polish also removes light scratches from take each individual sheet of sandpaper light haze; if it becomes opaque, you’re aircraft windows. and sand that surface down; the Flitz will putting on too much. do that all in one step, going from 2000 grit to near infi nity to bring the surface back to a clear, smooth fi nish.” Cream Products, Tested Flitz polish should be applied with a microfi ber cloth and buffed before it is Perhaps it’s no surprise that the cream allowed to dry. Evans strongly recommends that the polish be applied in a straight products were easy to apply, but not line. The temperature ranges for optimal scratch removal are somewhat forgiving effective in removing more than fi ne —the warmer it is, the more the surface expands, and plastics can become scratches by hand. There was some brittle when it’s very cold. “Anything above freezing would be fi ne,” Evans says. improvement in the surface, but the “The best temperature range is between 70-80°.” scratches were still there. All three products we tried reduced the surface Plexicoat hazing on the window. Plexicoat is part of AeroShell’s Flight Jacket kit of eight cleaning and polishing Of the three products, Novus 2 products, and it is intended to remove light scratches as well as dirt, oil and bugs. and Novus 3 were the most effective It’s applied with a slightly dampened microfi ber cloth or anti-static hand pad in dealing with the light scratches by (included in the Flight Jacket kit). It is then removed with a clean cloth. hand, and the medium scratch (on Doyle, who uses this product in his detailing work, points out that any our test panel) was diminished effec- product is only as good as the delivery method. In addition to using clean micro- tively. The deep gouge was diminished fi ber towels and constantly turning them, water conditions make a difference in somewhat, but it’s diffi cult to generate the results. Doyle’s shop uses a water treatment system because its water is very enough horsepower by hand to repair hard. He recommends using distilled water for rinsing the windshield if that’s the that kind of gouge. Novus suggests case with your water; otherwise, tap water is fi ne. He also recommends the gentle using a power buffer with these prod- approach when using Plexicoat. “We tell people to start out with clear water and ucts if the window is badly damaged. their hand, and soak the window down with the spray bottle of clear water. Then Flitz was reasonably effective in gently take the palm of their hand and just knock the dirt loose fi rst, and then start diminishing the fi ne scratch, requiring the cleaning process.” fi ve applications by hand. A buffi ng Only a small amount of cleaner is needed. “With some of the resins, like Plexi- and polishing ball that fi ts a power drill

Photos: Cory Emberson, Marc Cook KITPLANES November 2005 33 See Clearly Now continued is also available for heavier scuffi ng. it dries out, it takes a lot more time. Plexicoat was the least effective in Scratch-Off. Scratch-Off uses a repairing the fi ne scratch; it didn’t have the muscle to remove the medium and similar process to Micro-Mesh, except heavy scratches, but it’s not meant to do that. It did effectively clear the yellowing the various sandpaper grits are replaced and hazing. by four compounds that are matched with two different foam pads. The True Grit: Progressive Abrasive Removal extent of the damage determines where Now that we’ve exhausted the quickest route to scratch removal, it’s time to hoist in the process you’ll start, ranging from the big guns. We took a close look at two leading products in the fi eld: Micro-Mesh chips and gouges to hairline marks and from Micro-Surface Products and Scratch-Off, available from Aircraft Spruce. swirls. The coarser compounds, SO- Micro-Mesh. Mom was right: Before you begin a process, read the instructions 1 (Micro Cut) and SO-2 (Micro Lite), thoroughly. “Make certain you have a full understanding, the proper tools and the are used with a yellow foam polish- proper setting for a successful result,” says Debbie Abrams of Micro-Surface. “Do not try to restore a window under time constraints.” Micro-Surface carries several versions of Micro-Mesh damage removal kits, which may be applied either by hand, using sandpaper over a foam block, or with a power orbital sander or power drill. “While the process has been greatly decreased by using power tools, it still requires time and cannot be rushed,” Abrams added. “Rinse, wipe off and inspect after each step, working with a bright light on the opposite side of the plastic.” Micro-Mesh’s instructions stress that removal of the surface damage will take about 70% of the total restoration process, and that it’s essential to remove all of the degraded material. The Micro-Mesh process requires that you determine the type and extent of the damage, which will then determine where you start. For reference: Deep scratches can be felt with a fi ngertip, and minor scratches can be Scratch-Off uses progressively fi ner compounds to remove plastic damage using detected with a fi ngernail. foam pads attached to power tools. Once the In the Micro-Mesh system, a series of damage is repaired with the yellow pad and progressively fi ner sandpaper grades are compounds, you can remove swirls from the plastic and apply a glossy polish with the used with water or compressed air to white pad and compounds. remove surface damage ranging from crazing and deep scratches to hairline and fi ne scratches. The sandpaper grades ing pad that attaches to a backup plate range from 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper inserted in your power drill. This back- for crazing to the very fi ne 6000-grit for up plate will stay in place during the minute scratches. Crazing, a series of fi ne entire operation. The process is sim- lines below the surface, requires aggres- plifi ed by the color-coded compound The Micro-Mesh scratch removal kit is used sive sanding and is the most diffi cult to labels—two yellow-labeled compounds manually. Other damage removal kits are sold by Micro-Surface for use with power tools. remove. for the fi rst phase, and two white- Once the damage has been removed, labeled compounds, SO-3 (Micro Brite) the surface is restored with Micro-Mesh and SO-4 (Microsheen), used with the abrasives, starting with 1500-grit sandpaper wrapped around a foam block. The sanding action should follow a 90° angle from the previous sanding pattern until a satisfactory level of transparency has been achieved. Clean the surface with water, and polish with Micro-Gloss to fi nish. “In order to have success, all the damage must be removed after the fi rst step,” Abrams says. “If, after the fi rst step, you can still see the original damage you are trying to remove, it will also be visible after the sixth step. Take the time to be as thorough on step three as you were on step one.” Put to the Test We used the Micro-Mesh KR-70 kit, which contains a foam block, sandpaper sheets ranging from 1500 to 6000 grit, and Micro-Gloss scratch removal liquid. This was The fi ve scratch removal products were tested the most time- and labor-intensive process, but my patience was rewarded. The on a retired aircraft acrylic windshield. Each results on all three scratches were very good, and the Micro-Gloss cleaned up the section contained a fi ne, medium and heavy scratch. Scratch removal was most effective hazing. The Micro-Mesh directions are detailed and clear, but it’s important to with the Micro-Mesh and Scratch-Off systems; thoroughly read them before you start. You decide which grit to use initially, the use of power tools greatly reduced the depending on the severity of the damage. It’s crucial to keep the surface wet; once effort required to repair the damage.

34 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com The most aggressive Scratch-Off compound (SO-1 Micro Cut) following application. The application pad is attached to a back-up plate, which is then inserted in a power drill chuck. white foam pad in the second phase. The yellow pads are used for cutting and removal of deep imperfections, and the white pads are for high-gloss polishing and removal of swirl marks. Again, patience is the key. Don’t work an area for too long at high speed, and don’t exceed 1200 rpm. If an area of plastic becomes overheated, dampen the pads with water and continue at a lower rpm. Generally, you should work with an area twice as large as the length or size of the damage. Also, avoid working in direct sunlight; if you have no choice, keep the plastic surface misted with cool water. An important caveat: This product is not recommended for use on pressurized aircraft. Scratch-Off Tested, Too Scratch-Off’s strength lies in the fact that you can apply progressively fi ner paste compounds with two different foam pads on a power drill. The two coarser compounds, labeled in yellow, are applied with the yellow pad. The two fi ner compounds, labeled in white, are applied with the white pad. The instructions are detailed and under- standable; read them before fi ring up the equipment. The fi rst step requires wet sanding with 600-grit sandpaper, not included in the kit. The results were excellent—even the heavy gouge was repaired. The fi nal compound (SO-4 Microsheen) left the newly repaired plastic with a high gloss, and the hazing that had plagued it was much improved. The foam pads cleaned up easily and dried quickly.

KITPLANES November 2005 35 See Clearly Now continued Don’t Start Of course, preventing damage to your windows in the fi rst place will save time, money and effort. Care during the building process is critical. Evans notes that the windshield is normally the last thing a builder puts in the plane, and care should CONTACT INFORMATION be taken to prevent any damage to it while moving components around the hangar. Additionally, belts, watches and rings should be removed while building or Aircraft Spruce (Scratch-Off) cleaning. Even airport security passes and eyeglass lanyards may cause damage. 877/4-SPRUCE Doyle advises using canvas drop cloths over the windows during maintenance. www.aircraftspruce.com “If they bump something taking it in and out, it will hit the drop cloth and not the window,” he says. “A $15 drop cloth, painter-taped all around, will protect your Attention to Details, Ltd. new glass from a hangar mate or the bird life in your hangar.” 800/871-4781 www.detailingsuccess.com Other Flying Friends...Aren’t Doyle suggests keeping bird droppings and bugs off windows as well. Bugs are very Aviation Laboratories acidic and will start to open up pores within the acrylic, introducing more possi- 713/805-7171 bilities for cosmetic issues, including distortion. If you’re fi nicky and don’t want to www.avlab.com remove the bug remains by hand, you can water the windshield down, and then remove them with a soft lambs-wool mitt. He also cautions against abrading the Flitz International Ltd. windows so much that a bird strike will cause a break in a thin spot. “If a scratch 888/883-5489 penetrates halfway through the plastic, I’m going to think really carefully before www.fl itzpolish.com replacing it. If it’s more than a fi ngernail-depth scratch, you have to have somebody look at it.” Micro-Surface Finishing Products A canopy cover will protect your plane from the elements, but it’s critical that 800/225-3006 the windows beneath it are clean. When the wind starts whipping, it will grind the www.micro-surface.com dirt into the windshield. “We had a situation in Reno a few years ago when one of the L-39 jets came in,” Doyle said. “The wind was gusting pretty good that night, Novus, Inc. and the pilot’s putting his canopy cover on, which became a big block of sandpa- 800/668-8760 per. The next morning the pilot was just frantic—the whole top of his canopy was www.noscratch.com/novus/ opaque. We completely polished it to get it all off, but you’ve got to use common sense.” Use canopy covers only on clean windows, and make sure they fi t snugly Shell Flight Jacket to avoid chafi ng. 800/64-LUBES When it comes to maintaining scratch-free windows, good housekeeping skills http://store.shell-lubricants.com are essential. “Don’t just grab whatever’s there to clean your windows,” Doyle says. “You’re better off not cleaning them than cleaning them with the wrong thing.”

Clean, Don’t Be Mean Getting bug parts, grime, assorted effl uvia off your windscreen or canopy doesn’t require cracking the rocket-propulsion textbooks, but it does require more than a bit of sense. We’d call it common sense, 1. Start with water. Clean, plain, 2. When you’re sure the wind- 3. Apply the polish or cleaner preferably soft water. Pour shield is free of debris, wipe of choice according to the but it’s apparently not so common. liberally over the windscreen with a dry microfi ber cloth. directions. If you use your When we hear from the plex and use your bare hand to wipe hand, you’ll reduce the manufacturers, they say, almost the bugs and grime aside. For chances that junk picked up in particularly tenacious stuff, a towel or applicator pad will universally, that the proper way thoroughly wet a towel and scratch the window. (Yes, it’s to clean a windshield has become place it on the windscreen. Let yucky...get used to it.) a lost art, like programming in it sit, preferably in the shade, for fi ve or 10 minutes. Lift the COBOL or pushing a lawnmower towel and set it aside. Do not without a motor. So, for the rest of use it to further clean the wind- us, here’s the process. screen (it’s now full of ugly bug bodies and grime). 4. Wipe dry with a microfi ber towel and check your work from the inside. Usually, when it’s bright outside and dark in the cabin, it will be diffi cult to discern swirls or missed gunk; have a look from the inside out. Now, go fl y.

36 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Consider these ﬁ ve factors when evaluating a partially built kit.

BY RON WANTTAJA

Often, those who buy partially completed projects aren’t actually looking for them—they just come across the right deal, unexpectedly. Advanced stages of contruction, like this Avid, are often attractive for those looking to ﬂ y soon. How to PROWL the HoMebuilt Jungle

o you want to start building now, instead of waiting weeks or months for a kit or builder groups. Some kit companies to be delivered? Yes! Do you want to fi nish construction months, if not years, are well respected for offering sup- D sooner? Sure! Do you want to buy a “kit” for a design that was never offered as port even to second-hand kit buyers. a kit? Ah-hah! Then consider buying a partially completed homebuilt aircraft. Others, understandably, take a differ- Before the modern kit era, it was said that about two-thirds of fl ying homebuilts ent approach: In short, “You’re not a were completed by someone other than the person who started the project. With customer of ours, so why should we the higher fi nancial outlay required for kits today and the major advancements in offer you support?” And do keep in the completeness of the kits, this number has probably dropped a bit. (And, for mind that kit airplanes improve over some designs, probably quite a lot.) the years. Don’t buy a Kitfox Mark II In many cases, builders of such projects are mostly interested in getting their thinking it’ll be a low-cost route to cash outlay back. Buy their project, so the thinking goes, and you’ll get hundreds SkyStar Vixen performance. of hours of head start for about the price of the kit alone. For plansbuilt planes If the kit is no longer sold (or if it such as Pietenpols, where no true kit is available, you may end up buying the never was a kit to start with), do an equivalent of a quickbuild kit with major components already done. Internet search to locate some web Of course, there are dangers. It’s a jungle out there, and unwary homebuilders pages and user discussion groups. Find end up on the menu. If you’re considering a partially built project, here are fi ve out what to look for. You might even major factors to consider: Plane, Raw materials, Options, Workmanship and fi nd a knowledgeable builder near you Legalities. Or, PROWL for short. Let’s PROWL the project-buying jungle. or the project who can help with the initial inspection. Plane At the bottom of the desirable list I’ve known several folks who have bought partially completed homebuilts, and are those planes that failed to make a few of them had been searching with a specifi c airplane in mind. Most just came dent in the market and one-of-a-kind across an advertisement and decided to jump on it. But just like buying a new kit, designs. Good designs get built; if the you should consider your mission before buying a project. Don’t buy a 300-horse- companies fail, their designs often power hot rod when all you need is a RANS-class fun machine. return to the market time and time The ideal project is a plane that is still sold new because you know you’ll be again. There are a number of planes able to get replacement parts, advice and support. Parts can be purchased from that appeared, caught some atten- the kit manufacturer, and the source for advice and support may be the factory tion and quickly faded away, often

Photos and Illustrations: Ron Wanttaja KITPLANES November 2005 37 Partially Built Projects continued for good reasons such as poor perfor- instrument panel and engine. mance or bad handling. Obviously, If parts turn up missing on this cur- you shouldn’t tackle a one-of-a-kind design unless you have the ability to build sory check, then it’s time to consider from scratch without any guidance from the original designer or other builders. a more formal inventory. If the seller The fi nal aspects are the physical size and characteristics of the plane. If the doesn’t have the original packing list, project is fairly complete, you’re going to have to fi nd a way to transport largish see if you can get one from the kit airplane components from the seller’s home. This isn’t so bad with a smaller air- manufacturer or from another builder. craft, but it can be quite a problem with a big four-seat project. While the original Your main goal is to ensure the design- kit shipper knew how to package things tightly to fi t into a few crates, it’s likely specifi c components (parts unique to your amateur transportation job will require more trips. this aircraft type) and the expensive parts (such as the engine, if it was Raw Materials included in the original kit) are present. There are two aspects to our “R” word: the quantity and condition of the raw And what if parts are missing? If the materials themselves, and what percentage of them has been converted into list of the missing items is extensive or aircraft parts. expensive, it certainly gives you lever- Quantity can be tough. If you’re buying a used kit, you want to receive all the age for price negotiations. But more parts that came from the manufacturer. The obvious answer is to demand the likely, it’ll be just a few parts with the original inventory list for the kit and visually confi rm that each component is seller saying, “I know they’re here present. But the unpacking and inventory may have taken the original buyer days somewhere...” If the list isn’t large or to perform. And are you really going to count all 1250 AN960-10 washers? pricey, you might just ask him to send A quicker approach might use the aircraft plans or building instructions to sup- them to you when (if) they turn up. port an inventory by system. Page through the wing instructions of the plans It’s possible they’ll even be found once and verify that at least the major components—spars, ribs, fl ap tracks, etc.—are the other kit parts are moved out of present. Then make the same effort on the tail feathers, landing gear, fuel system, the way.

Before you cut a check, make sure that all the kit parts are delivered as part of the deal.

38 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Sure, you can try to knock the price Options down a bit more. But you want the One big advantage of buying a par- parts, not merely a cost savings. A little tially completed project is that the good faith now may pay off later. deal may include items that aren’t Parts condition is also important. included in the original kit, such as If it’s a wood airplane and the wood an engine or avionics. But one big has been stored in the backyard under drawback of such a project is that a tarp, it’s likely to be little better it might include items such as an than fi rewood. Aluminum and steel engine or avionics. corrode and can get creased or other- Much of why we build is based on wise damaged if the owner has tried freedom of choice, but that’s not the to cram them into a too-small stor- whole consideration. If the builder age spot. How the seller has stored the bought an engine fi ve years earlier raw materials is a good clue towards and just shoved it into the corner of his or her construction habits. If he’s the shop, it may have corrosion problems. Engines can be stored for a long time, been casual with the material that was but they should be pickled: special oil used and desiccant plugs installed. The going to form the airplane, he prob- engine should also be turned over a few times by hand every month. If the owner ably was casual while building, too. didn’t do this, the engine could be And don’t forget the hardware— in very sad shape. (For more on the the nuts, bolts, washers, turnbuck- fi ne art of picking, see this month’s les, cables and other standard aircraft Engine Beat, Page 72.) items. If the seller has stored them in Avionics, if kept dry, don’t dete- cabinets, see if he’ll make the cabinets riorate signifi cantly, but they do go themselves part of the deal. It’s a lot obsolete. Loran-C was pretty hot easier than trying to sort out a bunch stuff a few years back, but few peo- of mixed parts. ple want to carry one of those boat The degree of completion of a for- anchors anymore. Depending on sale project is diffi cult to determine. A the manufacturer, the warranties for plane can be structurally complete— “new” avionics may have expired standing on its own three feet, the years ago. If all you want is a simple engine installed under the cowling— VFR panel, any extra instruments or and can still be hundreds of hours electronics cost you money. While from fi rst fl ight. The subsystem work, you’re looking at items not delivered such as the fuel and electrical systems, with the kit, consider the seller’s tools and other shop equipment as well. If he isn’t can take the lion’s share of the build going to fi nish that RV, he probably doesn’t need the rivet gun, sets and all those time, and the project you’re looking at fancy bucking bars. You might be able to get those included in a package deal. may not be far along in that regard. It’s the kind of fi ddly, specialist-type work Workmanship that some builders are slow to tackle. Workmanship is the prime consideration when examining a partially built project. Some materials have a limited shelf Like a bad cook charring a T-bone, poor construction technique can take valuable life. If you buy a moderately old proj- metal, wood and fi berglass and convert them into worthless scrap. ect, any epoxies or paint (and even I know two people who bought fuel-tank sealer) are probably beyond projects and found major mistakes their usability date. This can add hun- had been made. One person bought dreds of dollars to the effective cost of a fi berglass airplane and belatedly the project. discovered that a previous builder On that note, when you’re discuss- had left peel ply between fi berglass ing the materials with the seller, fi nd layers. The peel ply should have out what processes were used during been removed before the layup con- construction. If it’s a wood airplane, tinued; it wasn’t. In the second case, know what glue and varnish were a bracket for wing-bracing cables used. For a composite plane, know the had been installed at a 90° rotation epoxy or vinylester type, or, for a met- to what the plans called for. al plane, the type of corrosion protec- The ability to check workman- tion. Some processes aren’t compatible ship depends on the construction with each other. mode and the degree of completion. Aluminum airplanes are probably

KITPLANES November 2005 39 Partially Built Projects continued easiest; if normal inspection panels are in place, a good fl ashlight can let you examine every nook and cranny. Composites are probably the toughest, as problems can lurk inside a layup and leave few clues to an outside viewer. The commercial airplane world uses a lot of exotic systems to evaluate the quality of a composite part; you probably won’t have those systems available. If you haven’t built an airplane before, or if you don’t have any experience with the particular construction method used by the project, it’s an absolute necessity that you bring an expert of some sort along. A builder of the same type of airplane or an EAA technical counselor who specializes in the same type of construction would be ideal. See if there’s an A&P in your local EAA chapter, especially if the project includes an engine. In evaluating workmanship, there are two primary tasks. First, what is the quality of the basic workmanship? Are there bubbles in the fi berglass layups? Were the edge-margin rules for holes being followed? Have the edges of metal parts been smoothed, or do they include notches (stress risers) that can precipitate cracking? Check the illustrations included with this article for some of the more obvious problems found on designs built from different construction methods. Second, did the kit builder follow the instructions? If they’ve been making changes, you’ll have to decide whether you’re comfortable with the alterations. If you aren’t, you’ll have to redo those aspects of the aircraft. That will cost you time and money. Legalities The biggest question that comes up when people talk about buying partially completed aircraft is: “What about the 51% Rule?” The answer—it’s not a factor. The 51% Rule requires that more than half the building be done for education or recre- ation—it does not require that the building be done by one individual. Homebuilts can be built in partnerships, by EAA chapters, by school groups or by any number of separate people, one after another. However, when the plane is inspected, the DAR will want to see proof that the aircraft was constructed by non-professional builders. When you talk to the previous builder, make sure the deal includes the builder’s log and any photos taken during construction. This isn’t quite as necessary for classic low-and-slow recreational airplane designs, but the FAA has become cau- Is It Worth It? tious about the hired gun constructors who build the hot new machines for a fee. Is buying a partially completed If the project is that of a popular high-performance aircraft, make sure all aspects homebuilt worthwhile? It depends on of the previous construction are documented. If they aren’t, the inspector may all of the factors mentioned: whether suspect that a major portion was performed for hire. In this case, proof is vital. the airplane design itself is a good one, While talking to the condition of the materials and de- the seller about doc- gree of completion, the options and umentation, ask if he accessories included, the quality of or she will also give the existing work and how well docu- you the receipts for mented the amateur construction is. the material they’ve Those who have bought other folks’ purchased. This can projects usually have a common com- be quite important plaint: “It took more work than I ex- when it comes down pected.” But that’s a common theme for to warranties on any homebuilder, whether they started instruments and avi- from scratch or got a head start with onics, plus it may be someone else’s project. Buying a project useful in reducing is a shortcut, but it doesn’t provide an the bill if your state instant airplane. It can be a good op- tax offi cials hit you tion as long as you go into it with your up for money when eyes open. The market may be a jungle, If you buy a kit that has signifi cant work completed, you’ll need to fi nd immediate storage space for some pretty large components—espe- you fi nally register but partially completed treasures are cially if you’re dealing with something the size of this Aerocomp kit. the aircraft. there to be found.

40 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Planning your EFIS-equipped panel requires considerable forethought regarding failure modes and ergonomics. This theoretical Sportsman 2+2 panel includes EFIS displays from two manufacturers that rely upon different data inputs. A third attitude reference in the form of an electric ADI creates suitable redundancy. A fault-tolerant dual-bus electrical system should be considered mandatory. Build Your Own Instrument Panel, Part 3 You’re hot for an all-glass cockpit. What do you need to consider while you’re still building? BY ED WISCHMEYER

t’s like anything else—if you know how, it’s not a big deal. If you decide on your channel GPS receivers, so the regula- own that you can just go ahead and do it without paying your dues, you’ll pay tions are way behind the technology.) I other things—like a big check to somebody else to fi x your mistakes. There are Clearly there’s a difference of opinion many things you can do while you’re planning your instrument setup and, indeed, in the industry, a matter that’s not while you’re still building your airplane that will help make the process easier, less helped by the highly variable approval expensive and, best of all, result in a safer, more useful installation. process. But, fi rst things fi rst. What do you need to do to get your EFIS certifi ed for IFR? If you get a certifi ed EFIS, like the Chelton, you’re way ahead of the game. But if Steamed Gauges your EFIS is not certifi cated, you’ll need to check with your local FAA FSDO, FAA Most pilots appreciate that EFIS sys- MIDO, DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative), or ABDAR (Amateur-Built tems achieve tremendous consoli- Designated Airworthiness Representative) and see what they’ll sign off. dation of information; it’s all there, You’ll not believe the answers we got when we asked a number of vendors and right in front of you, in what should avionics shops at EAA AirVenture 2005 what answers they and their customers got. be a logical presentation. But the cau- Some of the answers were, “no problem.” One of the answers was, “no way.” Why? tious types—and shouldn’t we all be, The regs don’t cover EFIS systems, so you can’t use one. The most unique answer at some point?—know that anything was that yes, you can use an EFIS, but the regs require a airspeed, altimeter, attitude manmade can fail, and to put too indicator. You can use the EFIS as any one of these, but only as one. All the rest many critical fl ight instruments into have to be separate instruments. Can you believe it? one box invites trouble. Historically, the applicable concept is that no sin- How About TSO? gle failures should deprive you of your A related question is, does the EFIS have to be TSO’d if you’re going to use it for ability to control the airplane. If you IFR? You can guess how consistent those answers were! We heard from one knowl- lose your vacuum system, for example, edgeable source that transponders do not have to be TSO’d, they only have to meet the electrical system will power your the requirements of the TSO—so you could build your own transponder, if you turn and slip, or better, turn coordina- wanted to. However, GPS receivers and installations have to be TSO’d, even for tor, and you will be able to control the experimental aircraft. (This same source stated that GPS RAIM requirements —for plane fl ying “partial panel”—it’s high four good satellites with certain geometries— don’t consider the capabilities of 12 workload fl ying, but doable. If you lose

Photos: Ed Wischmeyer; Illustrations: Created on Panel Planner KITPLANES November 2005 41 DIY Panel: EFIS continued the electrical system, you’ll still have the vacuum-powered attitude indicator and directional gyro, and you’ll survive without the turn coordinator. For example, consider any of the new-production aircraft with glass panels. Those have dual electrical systems, so if one electrical system dies, you’re not out of business. And, if the EFIS dies, backup fl ight information is Even smaller panels, such as this virtual Van’s RV-8, can have high-end EFIS units. Again, simple provided by the mechanical attitude “steam gauges” back up the electronic displays. indicator, airspeed and altimeter, and the magnetic compass. It has come to light that many pilots, as they grow ac- that’s a training issue...) customed to fl ying on the glass, fi nd If you decide that you want to go all electric with dual systems, there are mul- it even harder to fl y on just the steam tiple options. The Eggenfellner Subaru crowd have developed such an electrical gauges when called upon to do so; it’s system design, and you should fi nd other electrical system designs out there. “Lots turning out to be nearly as diffi cult a of things you do for certifi cation you would also do for safety in an uncertifi ed task as an instrument-rated pilot fl y- system,” said Tim Coons of Sagem. His point is that just because we’re not bound ing on just needle/ball/airspeed. (But by the same certifi cation requirements as production aircraft regarding electrical-

This RV-10 panel, created by AeroCraft Avionics (a division of Lancair Avionics), has the critical backup ﬂ ight instruments right in front of the pilot rather than shipped off to some far corner of the panel; it’s a smart design that will likely be safer in the event of a main-tube failure. This panel uses a pair of Grand Rapids displays.

42 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Aerotronics created this Lancair IV-P panel using exclusively glass gauges, but created a fault- tolerant system by using displays from different manufacturers, combining Chelton for the main displays, along with Dynon and Honeywell (Bendix/King). system design, we shouldn’t ignore some of the requirements. Moreover, our conventional engines will almost all have a spare accessory pad for a backup alternator to provide true redundancy. (The GAMI Supplenator is a great example of forward thinking in this regard, using a small but powerful alternator driven from a free AN pad on the engine. It feeds its own regulator/power- management system and provides main, avionics and essential buses.) Points of Failure However, you don’t necessarily need a full dual electrical system, you just need to eliminate single points of failure. The Dynon attitude indicator has a great design in which there are two separate power input connectors, and the unit will get power from which ever one has power. And if both die? There’s an optional internal battery, good for two hours. Many systems have 30 minutes of battery power (coming from a regulation), but if you are in instrument meteorological conditions, that 30 minutes is not necessarily long enough to get you on the ground or even to VFR conditions. But we’re still not through with single points of failure. Many EFIS systems will connect their components with “daisy chained” connections, where a sensor may talk to Box A, which in turn talks to Box B, which in turn talks to Box C. If one of those boxes quits working, or if one of those cables quits working, or if a connection quits working, everything downstream of the failed component will not get the data from that sensor. It’s important to talk to the designers of the EFIS system you’re considering so that you fully understand which parts of the sensor chain are critical to all functions in the box, and which, if any, can suffer failure without the display either going blank or (worse) providing inaccurate or misleading information. Department of Redundancy Department So now, once you’ve chosen your system, determined that you can get it certifi ed, and that you don’t have single points of failure in your airplane, then what? Well, back up a second... A single point of failure means that you will lose a required functionality if just one of the right kind of problem occurs. That might not be enough for safety, however, because of what’s called “common failure mode” problems. Suppose that the backup to your EFIS is a mini-EFIS, either from the same or different vendors. Most of the current EFIS systems use three little solid state gyros, and three accelerometers, and a little microprocessor programmed by some really smart engineers. However, the normal operating environment specifi cations for these systems include a maximum rotation rate, and if the aircraft rotates too DIY Panel: EFIS continued you recover from an unusual attitude with it? Can you perform an ILS with your backup gyro? Having the instrumentation may make you legal, but if you can’t rapidly, the gyro can lose track of use it, you won’t be safe. (You see the same thing in some VFR panels which have which way is up. If your primary and a turn coordinator for inadvertent IMC encounters, but the VFR pilot can’t safely backup systems are both susceptible fl y partial panel.) to this failure mode, and you inadver- tently perform a high roll rate maneu- On to the Installation ver, you can lose attitude both sensors So, now you’ve chosen your EFIS system, have taken care of single points of because of this common failure mode. failure and common failure modes, and you’ve checked that your system will get Greg Toman of Grand Rapids Technol- approved. How do your actually install it? ogy refers to the solution as “dissimilar The fi rst step is to mount the components, and this isn’t too hard. First, consider redundancy,” in that it’s good plan- the panel mount instruments. Traditional mechanical attitude indicators come ning to have a redundant system that in two varieties, for vertical panels and for panels tilted back 8 degrees. If your works differently than the primary sys- EFIS has the gyros mounted internally, make sure that your EFIS can be set to tem. If both primary and backup sys- match the instrument panel tilt. Paul Dunscomb, Dynon design engineer, showed tems are subject to the same potential me the user-programmable setting on their system, which allows for such an trip-ups, you really haven’t gained full installation. redundancy. On homebuilt EFIS systems, some mount directly to the panel, some mount Suppose you handle that problem— in racks like traditional avionics. Both work fi ne, but you have to know which is are you good to go? Maybe. Think which before you start cutting metal. about the practical issues; how you’d On some EFIS systems, the gyros are remotely mounted. For example, Crossbow actually fl y your planned setup. If is a vendor of remotely mounted solid state gyros used by several EFIS vendors. your backup instrument is a two-inch Make sure that the gyros are mounted with proper alignment to the airframe, “peanut gyro,” is that adequate? Well, in all three axes. Do those gyros need to be near the c.g. of the airplane? We got adequate for what? Maybe it’s good answers both ways...so it’s worth a call to the EFIS vendor or a shop that has suc- enough for maintaining level fl ight cessfully installed such a system to fi nd out if your particular system is sensitive to and doing gentle maneuvers, but can the mounting location.

Are you up to the task? While modern digital avionics are capable and, believe it or not, actually a bit simpler to wire than the old analog stuff, there’s still an incredible amount of work behind the panel. This is detail-oriented work that you should consider leaving to the pros.

44 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Some systems will have a remotely mounted magnetometer to measure the earth’s magnetic ﬁ eld, and that sensor will need to be mounted in an area that is electrically quiet. In general, this means that the magnetometer is mounted away from anything else electrical, including wires. One customer ran the magnetometer wires right next to the wingtip strobe wires, and wondered why the magnetometer didn’t work. The strobes didn’t seem to mind, though... Running Some Wire Now you’re ready to start wiring, and here’s where the rubber skids off the road. Avionics wiring is as much like electronic hobby shop wiring as aircraft woodworking is like home supply store woodworking—not hardly at all. Avionics wiring is really not all that hard—you need the right materials (wiring and connectors), the right tools, a meticulous mindset, and the right knowledge. The show stopper is that these are all in short supply, and if you miswire your avionics, they won’t work any better than crossed cables in your ﬂ ight controls. First, you need the right materials. Greg Richter of Blue Mountain Avion- ics told us that this means the $12 connectors instead of the $2 connectors, stranded wire, and not the automotive kind, machined, not stamped, gold plated pins, and everything else. Trou- ble is, these parts are not necessarily as available as are inferior, unsuitable parts, and the vendor may not know if they’re selling you the good stuff or not. Why the fancy parts? To keep vibration and corrosion from disabling the system(s), that’s why. Next, you need the right tools, and those are specialized tools. In the avionics world, for example, a $300 crimper is a cheap tool that will probably do the job okay if you know what you’re doing. Although this sounds drastic, consider the difference between a hundred dollar air drill (okay but hard to start) compared with a good air drill at nearly twice the price, or the difference between an air hammer and a rivet gun. You just need the right tools. One vendor told me that

KITPLANES November 2005 45 DIY Panel: EFIS continued some of the more common problems are over-crimping wires, thereby cutting the wires, leading to intermittent connections. You’ll also need a meticulous mindset. One story we heard was that metal aircraft builders are, in general, used to the meticulous, repetitious work of setting rivet after river, whereas composite builders are used to assembling large chunks of airframe, and do not have that required mindset. It’s one wire after another, each carefully placed, crimed, and double-checked. Nothing broad-brush here. Lastly, you’ll need the right knowledge. One story is that a builder doing his own installation bought the correct crimping tool, with all the bells, whistles, and shims for adjustment. However, the tool came without an instruction book, and the crimper was never adjusted for the wire gauges used. The result was that every connection was over-crimped. (And that’s only slightly better than every one being under crimped!) The best advice seems to come from a vendor who said that if you already have the tools, or if you’re into ham radio or exotic stereos, go ahead. Otherwise, your best bet is to buy a harness ready made, or to hire out As you begin to plan the overall layout of the panel, you’ll need accurate dimensions; most EFIS the work. Adjust your budget so that manufacturers will provide plans and drawings for your consideration. you can afford a reliable installation. As Gary Wirrell of Aerotronics put it, “buy low, install high. Your system is for an SL-30 navcomm, TruTrak autopilot, data link, and the other most com- only as good as the installation.” The monly requested accessories. Yes, you’ll pay a bit for Direct To’s experience and overwhelming impression we got is for having someone else make the cables, but we tend to think it’s worth the that if you have to ask about wiring it investment. All it takes is one or two broken or misrouted wires to cause system- yourself, you’ll be way, way, way ahead wide grief. farming it out. One of the more forward thinking The Bottom Line solutions to EFIS installations comes So what’s the bottom line, EFIS-wise? The EFIS world is new and exciting, but the from Direct To Avionics, to be an- FAA and its designated representatives are way behind. It’s like this whole arena nounced by the time this article is is waiting for the days of the wild west to arrive to bring law and order. Check the in print. Kirk Hammersmith told us legalities before you sign those really big checks. EFIS systems are pricey, and if you of the SV-10 system, based upon the can’t get it signed off, it’s too small to be useful as a boat anchor. Know how your Chelton Sport EFIS, but also including EFIS system works, in detail, as well as your aircraft’s electrical system. Use this a complete soup to nuts installation knowledge to avoid both single points of failure and common mode failures. Get package—mounting bracket for the the knowledge you need for a safe and reliable installation. If you’re going to use AHRS, and instructions on where to your EFIS for IFR, you will be betting your life, and the lives of your passengers, on install it, and a complete wiring har- the reliability of the total system. ness for the RV-10, including not just Do your homework and avoid the shortcuts. As my dad used to tell me, “you the EFIS system but also connectors can’t bluff the physical world.”

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KITPLANES November 2005 47 Lack of Corncentration

Fellow Dawn Patrol member Mark Pierce surveys the damage and plans an escape. If anyone ever says a plane can’t come straight down in level ﬂ ight attitude, show ’em this photo. There’s non-damaged corn still standing upright just behind the tail section.

Another Dawn Patrol trip to Cape Girardeau, and another airplane ends up in the stalks. BY DICK STARKS

ircraft down! We have an aircraft down!” Mark Pierce’s voice entered my head- pilot briefi ng by the Air Boss and the set with the force of a lighting strike. “Oh crud!” I thought. I looked around FAA before the show. By scheduling us A just to make sure it wasn’t me—again. Nope...there was runway under me. It to fl y just before the waiver went into had to be Butch. effect, Sweetie could ride in the front A second later, Mark’s voice on the air again: “He’s in the corn, but he’s OK.” In seat of the Taube, and we’d all be legal. the corn? Arghh, not again! Had my curse struck another member of The Dawn Now I don’t know about you, but Patrol? even after fl ying our little replica WW- It was deja moo all over again. I warbirds in airshows since 1986, I still get pumped going to the airshow Setting the Scene pilot briefi ng. There’s all these military It had all started so simply. Mark Pierce in his Nieuport 11, Butch Witlock in his manly men who fl y the latest jets to Nieuport 12 and Sweetie and I in her Taube were to open the 2005 Cape Girardeau the amazement of the crowd. Then airshow before the waiver period started with a salute to WW-I aviation. (If you don’t there are the heavy-iron pilots with know why we were fl ying before the waiver, that’s a very important detail. In 2004, their WW-II and Korean War warbirds. we fl ew on Sunday after the waiver period started, and my rear end still bears the Next, you have your civilian pilots fl y- scars from the gnawing I got from the FAA for having Sharon in the front cockpit of ing unbelievable aerobatic routines in the Taube during our fl y-bys in front of the crowd. That was a very serious no-no.) their custom-designed planes. This year, we’d hashed this all out in advance, settling on the details in the Last—and defi nitely the very least—

48 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com there’s us: Mark Pierce, Butch Witlock, Sharon Starks and me, the past-middle-age, over on his back and really trashed the WW-I replica pilots, slowly going to fat, hiding in the back of the room, trying to plane.) look like we belong there. In the cosmic scheme of things, we are the plankton in So, it was into the corn instead. the airshow performer food chain. Butch made one of the best off-fi eld Airshow pilot briefi ngs forced landings you’ll ever see. He got are so impressive! They’re the Nieuport 12 to where the wheels so military. It’s so macho— were just brushing the tops of the corn testosterone actually drips stalks and turned the ignition switch from the ceiling and laps off. At the same time, he pulled the around your ankles. The Air stick back, and she went straight down, Boss stands in front of the in level-fl ight attitude, into the 8-foot- room and says, “OK. Time tall corn. (The fl ushing sound heard hack in 15...10...5...4...3...2 then was the Air Boss’s meticulously ...1...Hack...9 a.m.” All over planned schedule swirling down the the room, watches are set porcelain highway. I think I heard his at exactly 9 a.m. Well, most scream of rage all the way out there on of them. This all sounds so the runway.) neat, so exact, but in my case The plane didn’t even fl ip over on a complete waste of time. It Butch Witlock, instant celebrity. The TV crews were on the its back. She settled down on her belly takes me 5 minutes to push scene to chronicle the recovery efforts, and the Dawn Patrol when the gear went, and Butch just the right combination of made the local news. stepped out of the cockpit and waved buttons on my watch just to up at Mark to signal that he wasn’t get it ready to set. But believe me I’m there with a stern look on my face, pushing injured. Butch then called the tower to buttons like a wild man so I can at least look like I’m doing it right. report he’s survived the ordeal in tact. Next, the Air Boss goes over the airshow schedule. Everything is scheduled to Naturally, an ambulance raced out the exact minute: engine starts, taxiing, takeoffs, routines and landings. This is to fi nd the crash site. Butch called going to go like a Swiss watch. Only one problem: The Air Boss and the airshow organizer had scheduled The Dawn Patrol as the fi rst act in the show. We’d done it before, and we’d no doubt do it again. Yessireebob, even before the airshow was scheduled to start, we knew we’d fl ush the lovingly prepared schedule right down the tubes. It’s just a gift we have. And we’ve perfected it over the years, too. Unfortunately, most of the time we do it at the Cape Girardeau show. Why they keep asking us back escapes me. Probably for the comic relief. Back to the Adventure Regardless, we were here, and it was time to get our routine underway. Butch, Mark, Sweetie and I were supposed to take off 5 minutes before the waiver went into effect, make two left-hand-pattern passes down the runway, land, and be on the ramp with engines shut down when the waiver Human ballast was required to hold the tail down while the went active and the airshow offi cially started. wings were removed. The author takes his turn as ballast and enjoys the only rest he got during clean-up operations. Sounded like a good plan to us. We cranked our engines at 10 minutes before waiver, taxied out and were cleared by the tower to take off right on time. I was talking to the tower and took off fi rst. Mark was right behind me, then Butch. Sweetie and I were them again and said he was uninjured. making our fi rst pass and were right behind Butch when he lifted off. Another ambulance raced out. When We’d made our second pass and were landing when Mark’s announcement lifted Butch told them again and another the hair on my head. From then on, it was a typical Dawn Patrol adventure. ambulance went screaming out, he Butch had been making his second pass when a crew of engine guys in the quit calling. crowd noticed that his engine was sounding strange. Butch made his left cross- Next, the fi re trucks headed out. The wind turn and about then noticed his oil pressure needle jumping all over the tower could see the plane’s tail stick- place. His cylinder head temperatures were climbing, too. ing up out of the corn and directed the Then the snowball-headed-downhill (SBHDH) syndrome commenced, to wit: as fi re trucks straight to where Butch was all the gauge inputs fl ashed, the engine started to lose power. Butch tried to make waiting. This scared him more than the soybean fi eld, but it was quickly apparent that this wasn’t going to happen. (As the crash did—he said the fi re trucks it turned out, this was a good thing. The soybeans would probably have put him sounded like a Panzer Division charg-

KITPLANES November 2005 49 Dawn Patrol continued ing through the corn, and he was yell- ing at them to slow down and not run over the plane. At the same time, the guys in the fi re truck were hoping that Butch was standing by the plane. They sure didn’t want to run over the pilot who had just survived an off-fi eld landing. Everything turned out well. They found Butch, bought him back to the ramp, and the airshow started...35 minutes late. We decided to retrieve the airplane when the show ended. Recovery Efforts The Dawn Patrol Rapid Response Disastrophe Squad and Aircraft Recovery Team prepared for action. Water bottles, tools and bug spray were Here’s how the Nieuport 12 looked on its way out of the corn fi eld. Probably looks worse than it packed into Butch’s car and Nieuport really was—new prop, new landing gear, some work on the wings and a complete engine tear trailer. We were ready to rock and roll. down and Butch will be back fl ying. The squad consisted of Butch, Mark Pierce, Ed Mesco and Hugh Trusty. gear and leading and trailing edges of the lower wings at the root were the only Also accompanying us was the FAA casualties. Amazing. representative for the show and a TV Besides whatever had gone wrong with the engine, of course. cameraman. Slugging down water and sweating like pigs, we had the tail feathers and wings The airshow ended, and away we on the trailer in an hour. Lifting the fuselage onto the trailer was a different story. went. We followed the trail of crushed Only the arrival of Dan Harris and Timothy Matlock saved our butts. Dan is the corn stalks about 500 feet into the fi eld airport operations supervisor for Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, and Tim is an to the landing site. Butch had brought airport intern from Central Missouri University (poor sucker...he sure stepped in it her straight down into the corn, and this day.) They were young, fresh and had muscles all over their bodies. By then, it looked to us like the prop, landing we more mature guys were looking kinda rode-hard and still-wet. With Dan and Tim’s added muscle, we had the fuselage on the trailer in about 5 minutes. The only injury came when I stum- bled over some corn stalks and received a real good trailer chancre on my ankle. My blood-soaked sock was just tossed in the trash when Sharon saw it. But we managed to get the plane back to the hangar and tied town to the trailer. It was time to go hit the pool at the motel. Boy, that fi rst beer burned all the way down. Right Back At It The next day at the pilot briefi ng, there were a lot of corn jokes rattling around. I was amazed that Mark and I were still on the schedule. The look the Air Boss gave us was kinda grim, and the airshow organizer’s smile seemed strained, too. The Trail of Woe. Sharon Starks shot the site from the front cockpit of her Taube on the second day There was a distinct chill in the air. of the airshow. You can tell where Butch dropped her in; the little notch in the path is where the The best quote of the day came from rescue team turned the trailer around to head back out. the FAA guy: “Remember...I’m unhappy

50 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com till you’re un- head to run hot from the lean mixture. happy.” This got Finally, the electric oil-pressure gauge chuckles from became intermittent. This fl uctuating the manly men. false reading caused Butch to believe Mark, Sharon his engine had no oil pressure while and I got shivers in fact, it did. All these rolled into a up our backs. severe snowball syndrome. Mark and I But, bottom line, after all is said and did ask if we done, it’s a “fi xable.” Butch needs new could land way landing gear and some minor work on down at the end the leading edges of the root end of the of the active run- lower wings. While the repair is going way away from on, the engine is being torn down and the view of the inspected to make sure there was no crowd so they internal damage. A new prop is on or- couldn’t see the der. Butch thinks he’ll be back in the Fire trucks, ambulances and trailers will wreak havoc on a nicely planted landings. That air in about a month. The Lost Squad- cornfi eld. Here, Hugh Trusty starts the long walk down the corn-stalk got an amused ron Nieuport 12 will rise again! highway carrying one of the ramps from Butch’s trailer. snort from the And, even better, the NTSB has heavy-iron guys declared the whole ordeal an “inci- in the crowd, dent.” (That’s a very good thing.) but I didn’t care. Landing a twitchy little short-coupled taildragger on pavement is The take-home message from the always a daunting challenge. Give me grass or gravel any time. Nosewheel pilots latest Dawn Patrol saga? Add a redun- just don’t understand the nuances of conventional gear pilotage. They’ve never dant ground to the airframe! Guess had to resort to the Taildragger Shuffl e, a necessary maneuver at times when land- who went straight to the fi eld upon ar- ing on pavement. Add the pressure of several thousand people watching you land, riving home to check the ground strap and you’ve got a recipe for a real Kodak moment for the crowd. on his Taube? Then, guess who added Butch’s TV interview in the cornfi eld had been given a lot of coverage Saturday another ground strap...just in case. night. The TV station’s web site even had streaming video of the “landing” on its web site. Yielding to popular demand, we’d pulled Butch’s trailer and plane out to FOR MORE INFORMATION on the adven- the fl ightline for the public to view during the airshow. It was an instant hit. Butch tures of The Dawn Patrol of Kansas City, was surrounded by folks all day long listening to him tell his story. His best expla- visit www.kcdawnpatrol.org. nation for the damage: “Dirt’s hard.” The Diagnosis The instant the airshow was over and the crowd had left, we all gathered to take a good long look at Butch’s engine to try to deduce the problem. It wasn’t lack of oil. It wasn’t ignition, and it wasn’t compression. We drained a little oil and checked for metal. Nothing. All fi ttings were still connected. Then, by accident, we found it. It was defi nitely a SBHDH item: a tiny little thing that in aviation can sneak up on you, grab you by the nose, bite you right in the butt, and depart leaving a gaping wound. The ground strap from the battery to the engine was loose and was causing intermittent contact. This caused three things to happen: One, the electric ignition became erratic. That was the strange sound the crowd heard. Second, the electric fuel pump was only The arrow points out the offending ground strap, which was loose at the engine attach point. A pumping part of the time. This caused second, redundant ground strap from the battery to the frame may have prevented the ordeal. the engine to lean out and the cylinder

KITPLANES November 2005 51 Completions BUILDERS SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES

Donald and Sharon Hall’s RANS S-6S Coyote II On March 24, 2005, I made the Coyote’s fi rst fl ight from the Decatur Shores Airport. The airstrip is 2200 feet long with Brian Stevens’ Eagle R&D Helicycle takeoff over water and landing with a large hill at the other After nearly three years working on my Helicycle project, it end. The airplane fl ew well, needing only a rudder trimtab. fi rst fl ew on April 15, 2005. The Helicycle is the latest design Things happen fast on takeoff as the Rotax 912 ULS has lots of BJ Schramm, who started Eagle R&D in Caldwell, Idaho. of power. BJ set up an excellent factory checkout/inspection program. The RANS kit was complete, and factory support was The factory checkout consists of a week of inspection, test- outstanding. The workmanship on the RANS quickbuild ing and fl ying, at which time you can transition into your kit is excellent. ship. The transition was uneventful, except of course for Anacortes, Washington the thrill of lifting that garage ornament into the air for the [email protected] fi rst time. I received the majority of my training in a Robinson R22, which I truly enjoyed. The Helicycle has a semi-rigid, under-slung, teetering main rotor system; the engine is a Solar T62-32. My Solar consumes about 11 gph; yet, considering the fun you’re having, you feel like you’re getting away with something. The Helicycle is a fun little ship to fl y, and the feel inspires confi dence. Thanks to all, with special thanks to Sari, Julie, BJ, Doug, Merit, Silver State, Universal and the West Desert Aviators. Hats off to BJ, Carolyn, Blake and all the folks at Eagle R&D. 1500 W. 1800 N Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

Steve Pettyjohn’s Sonex Less than two years after my kit arrived, Sonex No. 451 made its fi rst fl ight. Jim Vojtko, my instructor and test pilot, Submissions to “Completions” should include a typed, double-spaced description (a few paragraphs only—250 words maximum) of the reported that it fl ew great and was very responsive. I enjoyed project and the fi nished aircraft. Also include a good color photograph the building process immensely. Now that my Sonex is at (prints or 35-mm slides are acceptable) of the aircraft that we may the hangar and not in my garage, I miss working on it in the keep. Please include a daytime phone number where we can contact evenings after work. But I get to fl y it on weekends! you if necessary. Also indicate whether we may publish your address in I would like to thank my fl ying friends and other Sonex case other builders would like to contact you. Submissions should be builders who helped along the way. My trigear Sonex has sent to: Completions, c/o KITPLANES® Magazine PO Box 124, Liberty dual sticks and is powered by a Jabiru 2200 engine and Aero- Corner, NJ 07938. Digital submissions are also acceptable. Send text Carb, and pulled through the air by a Sensenich wood prop. and photos to [email protected] with a subject line of “Comple- It was built light with a basic instrument panel, including a tions.” Photos must be high-resolution—300 dpi at a 3 x 5 print size is Grand Rapids EIS and Microair transponder. the minimum requirement. Scottsdale, Arizona knipet@infi net-is.com

52 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Take It All Apart Yep, all of it, down to the last little Build Your Skills piece. This is the process with which you should become familiar. Assemble it, then take it apart, then assemble it again. Sometimes you might repeat this cycle as often as three or four times. Unfortunately, you can’t just ﬁ ll all those freshly drilled holes with rivets and call it done. Why not? Several reasons, actually. You probably still have the plastic coating on some or all of your parts, and that obviously needs to be removed. There are also most likely little chips of aluminum sandwiched between parts—an inevitable byprod- uct of drilling. Those must be cleaned out, otherwise they would introduce undesirable gaps into places where parts should contact each other. Any air gap is a potential place for moisture to collect and for corrosion to form. And, of course, you will need to deburr—and most likely dimple— every last hole you just drilled. So grab your Cleco pliers—it’s time for some disassembly. Plastic Be Gone Once you’ve got everything separated again, go ahead and remove the plastic coating from ribs, bulkheads, stiffen- ers, etc. The plastic should peel right off. If it’s stubborn, you can use a heat gun or a hair dryer to help coax it off Metal Part 4 more easily. On the skins, you can actually leave most of the plastic on until after you’re done riveting, but for now you do need to expose the holes Deburring and dimpling...time for deburring and dimpling. There’s some controversy about consuming, repetitive, you bet. this—whether or not you can effectively deburr and dimple skins with the plastic left on. My opinion is But absolutely essential! that the plastic hinders the deburring BY DAN CHECKOWAY process (we’ll get into that in a minute), because you can’t really tell if the hole ou spent an inordinate amount of time carefully jigging that chunk of air- is smooth or not if it’s covered with frame structure, plumb lines dangling from the corners, laser levels beaming plastic. It also adds a thickness layer Y every which way across your shop like a scene from Mission Impossible. You that might prevent a crisp dimple from squared it all up perfectly, clamped everything in place—and eventually you had the being formed (we’ll also cover that in nerve to drill some holes. After all was said and done, every hole in the semblance of a a bit). In any case, I believe it’s best to wing or tail or fuselage had been drilled out to ﬁ nal size. Now it sits there like a metal remove the plastic around holes before porcupine, adorned by silver Clecos radiating out in all directions. What’s next? Well, deburring and dimpling them. you’re about to discover an aspect of metal aircraft construction that might seem a bit Here’s a common trick that allows counterproductive to the uninitiated. you to remove the plastic from lines of

Photos: Marc Cook KITPLANES November 2005 53 Metal Part 4 continued holes but lets you leave the bulk of the skin protected. The idea is that you can strategically remove about one inch of plastic—only along the rivet lines. This leaves enough room for deburring and dimpling, and will leave enough area exposed for the rib or bulkhead fl ange to mate up without the plastic getting in the way. The plastic you leave on between rivet lines keeps the rest of the skin protected during the reassembly and riveting process. By using a hot soldering iron and a straightedge, you can easily perforate (by melting) the plastic. Grind or fi le the soldering tip smooth and round so it won’t scratch the aluminum. Heat up the soldering There you are, feeling like a hero because you’ve drilled each hole to perfection. You’re on a roll. iron, and carefully drag the tip along You’re almost done! OK, now take it all apart. Really. the straightedge about half an inch away from the holes. It doesn’t take any force—just drag it gently and let fi ne line, but you’ll quickly get a feel for the amount of deburring as you go along. the heat do the work. Once you’re There are several tools and methods that can be used for deburring holes. The done, you can peel the strips of plastic old-school method is simply to take a drill bit (one that is at about two times larger away, exposing just the lines of holes. than the hole in question) between your fi ngers, and rotate the tip of the bit on the hole. This cuts away just enough material to smooth out the edge of the hole. OK, Let’s Deburr Everybody has drill bits around, so this is a good “cheapskate” method. But you Once you’ve got the plastic off, it’s time can expect to get blisters on your fi ngertips after doing hundreds or thousands of to deburr all of the holes. Any time you holes this way! drill, the process leaves the edge of the hole relatively rough. The sharpness Your Excuse To Buy More Tools of the bit doesn’t matter. The hole will If you’re like me and don’t mind spending a few bucks to save skin—or if you always have imperfections along the ordered one of the common tool kits—you probably have some sort of “speed edge, and each of those scraggly burrs deburr tool” on hand. This is basically just an offset shaft with a freely rotating is a stress riser just waiting to do nasty handle and a non-piloted countersink cutter (the deburring bit) at the tip. All it things. We discussed stress risers in a takes is a turn or two with this tool and the hole is nicely deburred. previous installment, but the idea is Another variation that some tool vendors sell is a hex shaft adapter that can that anything but a smooth edge is a be used with a cordless screwdriver. Just install the deburring bit in the adapter, burgeoning excuse for a crack to form. mount it in your cordless driver, and go to town. This is one way to make quick Take a close look at the back side work of deburring lots of holes. of a freshly drilled hole. You might be And if you don’t mind surprised by what you see. Even if you spending a little more, don’t see large, obvious scruff, you can they even make special run your fi nger over the hole and feel deburring drill bits. These what I’m talking about. If your fi nger are bits that you can catches on the edge of the hole at all, it needs to be deburred. The idea behind deburring holes is that you just want to remove those imperfections, smoothing out the edge of the hole. You don’t necessarily want to countersink the hole in this step (we’ll cover countersink- The process of removing the protective plastic sheeting is ing in a bit), you just want to easy with the right tools. Draw a hot soldering iron along your “break” the sharp edge. This is a straightedge—let the heat do the work. Peel and you’re done.

54 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com chuck up in your drill, and they have spring loaded cutters that take the edge off come intimately familiar. There’s the hole as you insert it into the hole and then pull it back out. This variation “dimple countersinking,” which is the deburrs both sides of the hole in one fell swoop. Nothing like a timesaver. act of pressing or stamping a well into a relatively thin sheet of metal; and Easy Does It then there’s “machine countersink- When deburring holes, just be careful not ing,” which is a process in which you to overdo it. There’s a fi ne line between actually cut material away from around adequately deburring a hole and countersinking it. You’re not trying to form a bevel—you simply need to remove any sharp edges. If you can run your fi ngertip over the holes without feeling like it “catches,” then you’ve done the job effectively. Sometimes, the way fl anges are bent or the way a part is formed, you won’t The burr. No matter how sharp your drill bits, have direct access to the back side of the the act of drilling will leave chips and fl akes behind. Deburring takes this junk off. Simple hole with a conventional deburring tool. as that. In cases like this, you can usually use a Scotch-Brite abrasive pad—like sandpaper—to smooth out the holes. If you do this, you will most likely disturb the Alclad coating on the aluminum and you might want to consider corrosion protection if you haven’t already. (We’ll get into this controversial topic, whether to use an anti-corrosion treatment or not, in a future installment.) Keep in mind that you need to deburr both A “speed deburr” tool uses a simple fl uted bit sides of every hole. For every hole you drilled, on an offset handle. One turn and you’re done. there are technically at least four holes that need to be deburred. That is, there are at least two mat- the hole to form the bevel. In the end, ing pieces that share the hole, and each piece both methods serve the same purpose obviously has two sides. So if you just drilled 500 and form countersinks of identical holes in your wing, you now have at least 2000 dimensionS—but they are not neces- holes to deburr! It’s not the most exciting work, sarily interchangeable. but consider it a rite of passage! Crank up the When you start carving away metal tunes and get to it... for rivets to be able to sit fl ush with the skin, you need to make sure you Countersink Or Not? leave enough material for the rivet Once you’ve fi nished deburring all of the holes, head to serve its purpose. If the mate- The drill-bit method is defi nitely old you’re ready to move on to the next step. rial is relatively thin, once you form school and for certain the cheapest Depending on the particular kit you’re building, the countersink the rivet head might way to deburr a hole. But you’ll wear yourself out! the rivets in exterior surfaces may be protruding not have enough “bearing strength,” or fl ush. Protruding rivets have a round or domed head that sits above the surface of the skin. This is pretty much the easiest type of fastener to deal with, because once the hole is deburred it’s basically ready for the rivet. The down side is that the head sticks up into the slipstream and causes a tiny amount of drag. Multiply that tiny amount by thousands of exterior rivets, and you actually have considerable room for drag reduction. Especially on faster planes, it becomes essential to streamline—which is why fl ush rivets are employed on those designs. Flush (countersunk) rivets get embedded into the skin, leaving a smooth, undisturbed fi nish. Of course this benefi t comes at a slight cost as far as your time and effort are concerned. If you’re dealing with fl ush rivets, then you have to prepare the skins and under-structure accordingly—you need to make room for the rivets to settle into the skin. The act of forming the little “troughs” in which the fasteners sit is called countersinking. The deburring cutters come in a variety of sizes and Technically, there are two fl avors of countersinking with which you’ll be- countersink angles.

KITPLANES November 2005 55 Metal Part 4 continued method of the two. The tools you will use to form dimples are called “dimple because there’s less material to “grip.” dies.” They come as matched sets with To avoid this situation, there’s a a male and female die. Typically com- basic rule of thumb saying that you posed of hardened steel, dimple dies can machine countersink material that have a shaft that inserts into whatever is .040-inch thick or thicker. Any thin- dimpling tool you’re using. On the ner than that, and you need to dimple dimpling face, there is a “pilot” on the countersink. The premise is that when male die, which fi ts into a hole in the you machine countersink, you don’t female die. The size of the pilot and bevel want the countersink to “bottom out,” determine what size the dimple dies are. or go all the way through the material. For example, most builders will want to On skins that are thinner than .040 have in their tool arsenal a set of 3/32- 1 you are likely to do so. and /8-inch dimple dies for typical rivet The deburring sets come in a variety of con- Conversely, if you try to dimple holes, as well as #6, #8, #10, etc. sizes fi gurations. You’ve got your extension handle countersink material that is thicker than for respectively sized screw holes (we’ll (left), drill chuck version (center) and basic speed handle (right). .040, you most likely won’t be able to cover screw sizes in a future installment). form a proper dimple. On thicker stock, If you’ll be building your own fuel you need to machine countersink. tanks, then you might consider using a special set of 3/32-inch “fuel tank dimple On most kit airplanes, the thickest dies,” which actually form a slightly deeper dimple to accommodate a bit of tank skins are .040, while most skins are sealant getting in there under and around the anywhere from .016 to .032 inches in rivet head. thickness. The point is that 99% of the So you’ve got these dimple dies—what do time you will end up dimple counter- you do with them? There are lots of methods sinking your skins. On stuff like spar of dimpling, and likewise there are several tools fl anges, longerons, and anything else that get the job done. As I mentioned, dimple that’s relatively thick, you will prob- dies have a shaft—and it is deliberately the same ably end up machine countersinking. diameter as rivet squeezer set shafts. This means There’s no rule that says you can’t mix you can stick your dimple dies right into your and match techniques, either—and by rivet squeezer and use it to compress the dies that I mean you might have a thin skin together in each hole. This works when you’re riveting to a thick piece of angle, such as dimpling along the edges of skins, fl anges on ribs a longeron. You would dimple the skin and bulkheads, etc. and machine countersink the angle. You can use a hand squeezer, or if you have a pneumatic squeezer you can save yourself a To Die For For deburring large pieces, use fair amount of effort. Regardless of the squeezer this hook-shaped tool. As with all First let’s talk about dimpling, since it’s deburring, a little bit will do the job. style, you need to adjust the set (either by using the easier and more straightforward Don’t take a lot of material off. the threaded adjustable style, or by using shims/

56 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com washers) so that when the squeezer is fully actuated, the dimple dies contact each other. When I use an adjustable set in a pneumatic squeezer, for example, I set it up so that the dimple dies just contact, and then I tighten (expand the adjuster) an additional half turn. Nice Dimples To form the dimple, insert the male pilot end into the hole, and then actuate the squeezer until it bottoms out. If it’s a hand squeezer (and not pneumatic), give it a good, hard squeeze. You can feel it bottom out once the dimple is formed. Take care that you’ve got the dimple dies oriented correctly—that is, you want the dimple going toward the inside of the structure, not poking out! Dimple dies come in various ﬂ avors, and you’ll Using your hand or pneumatic rivet need one pair of each in the common sizes. squeezer for dimpling works great along the edges of things, but the holes you can reach are limited by the depth of the yoke. If you’ve got a huge wing skin that needs dimpling, the hand squeezer obviously isn’t gonna cut it. The most common tool used for dimpling skins is the C frame. This tool is just a large C-shaped steel frame with a ﬁ xed base The hole on the left has been deburred too where you install one die and a sliding aggressively. Just knock the edges off the shaft above it with a female end where hole; don’t go so far that it starts to look countersunk. you insert the other die. Often the shaft is spring loaded to automatically pull up and away from the work. The idea behind the C frame is that you can slide the skin deep into it, and it has the ability to reach holes that are in the middle of the skin. Typically you place the male die in the base, and the female die in the shaft. This way, you just position the skin until a hole pops down onto the male die’s pilot. Then you lower the shaft with the female die right onto the pilot, and give the shaft a good whack or two with a dead blow hammer. Slide the skin over to the next hole, whack, repeat. You can do this solo, but it goes much more quickly with two people. One person positions the skin, and the other holds the hammer and Used in a pneumatic squeezer, the dimpling the shaft. Especially with larger skins it’s nice to have a helper. die makes quick work of thin material. Just be careful of where you put the tool, and know Some builders design a recess into their workbench where the C frame sits before you pull the trigger which side you’re even with the bench top. Alternatively, some people use chunks of foam, or supposed to be dimpling!

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carpet-covered wood shims to raise the material up fl ush with the base of the C frame. A friend of mine, who has built several planes, came up with a brilliant modifi - cation to the C frame to make life easier. He utilized a pneumatic piston with an electric foot-switch controller to actuate the shaft. This takes the hammer out of the equation and frees up both of your hands. All you have to do is position Hand squeezers can do more than just the skin, then step on the foot switch squeeze rivets. They’re great at dimpling to actuate the dimpler. holes in fl anges. It may be loud, but it sure gets the job done quickly! Another friend and airplane builder came up with a variation on the C frame that uses leverage instead of impact to form the dimple. All you do is pull down on a lever to actuate the plunger. It’s smooth, quiet, and it forms a perfect dimple every time. That tool is called the DRDT Used in tight spaces, the pop rivet dimple dies consist of a pair (deep reach dimpling of dies and a common nail. You can use a common rivet puller to compress the dies together. It’s slow going, but works well where tool), and it’s avail- you can’t swing a normal tool. able from Experimen- tal Aero at www.experi mentalaero.com. If you notice circular marks around each hole, don’t fret. Those are normal. Most fi rst-time builders worry when they see them, thinking they’ve made a mistake. Nope, the circle is just a mark that the dimple dies leave on the skin, and it means you did it right. Alternate Techniques Occasionally there will be times when you can’t use a conventional method for dimpling a hole. A specifi c example would be the fl anges on tapered control- surface ribs. Where the fl anges come together at the end of the rib, there’s just not enough room to get the squeezer‘s yoke in there, and you can’t use the C It’s the big whoops: You’ve pulled the trigger and the male die slipped out of the hole. You frame or a variant of it. Never fear— were either slightly off (top left) or way off there’s a tool for every need. In this case, (right). Believe it or not, there’s a way to fi x you can use the Vise-Grip dimpler, which this. (See text.) is a modifi ed pair of Vise-Grip pliers with

58 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com The male dimple die isn’t all that sharp, but it can easily poke a hole in thin aluminum. Most fi rst-time builders freak out when they make this mistake. While you might think the world is coming to an end, it’s really not that bad. You have at least two options to repair it. The easiest solution is—deburr the hole and put a rivet in it, and nobody will ever be the wiser! If the hole coin- cides with some under- structure, then the best The C frame dimpler/riveter makes relatively quick work of the thing to do is to fl atten process. To use, carefully position the work over the dies (not shown here) and smack the head of the tool with a hammer. the dimple out (using the method described above), deburr the hole, dimple dies welded right onto the jaws. This tool is and leave it alone! Yes, capable of getting into some pretty tight areas. You might leave it alone. If you’re have to bend the fl ange back slightly to gain access to the concerned about it cos- back side, and that’s OK. Just bend it back when you’re done. We’re not talking metically, then all you have to do is about 90° of bend—just enough so that you can get the dimpler on there. dab some fi ller in there when the time There’s another situation in which you won’t be able to use conventional dim- comes. With a little fi ller and paint, pling methods. You might have to form a dimple in a portion of a skin that curves you will literally never know this little aggressively, and you might not be able to do this on the C frame. Or, let’s say mishap ever occurred. you have to form a dimple in a skin that is already installed on the airframe. You These mistakes do happen, even on obviously can’t use the C frame or a squeezer there either. Again, a specialty tool award winners. There are always ways comes to the rescue. You can buy “pop rivet dimple dies” for this purpose. Such a to fi x them. Don’t sweat it! simple, elegant concept, pop rivet dimple dies slide over a nail, and then you can use a rivet puller to compress the dies together, forming the dimple in whatever Ground Rules On Dimpling is sandwiched between them. Pop rivet dimple dies are incredibly handy to have Before we move on, I want to cover around for these somewhat rare occasions. a couple of ground rules regarding dimpling. First of all, it is not accept- Common Dimpling Mistakes able to dimple a hole until it has been There are a couple of common mistakes people make when dimpling. Let’s say drilled to full size. As tempting as it you go to dimple a skin, but you didn’t pay enough attention to the way you had may be, with all of these components it oriented. It was too late before you realized that you formed the dimple inside having been match-drilled with pilot out. If you happen to accidentally form an “outie” like this, don’t worry. I’m pretty holes from the factory, you absolutely sure it happens to everybody at least once. The fi x is to take a pair of fl ush rivet must drill all of your holes to fi nal size sets in your squeezer and fl atten out the dimple, and then you can dimple it again before dimpling. Even though you in the correct orientation. Keep in mind, though, that by doing so you weaken might think you’ll save a bunch of the aluminum at the dimple. Fixing one in a hundred like this is usually not a big time by not drilling, not having to deal—but if you messed up all of ‘em, it may be wiser to replace the part. The point deburr, etc., dimpling the undersized is, think twice before you squeeze that fi rst dimple, and make sure you’ve got it pilot holes is a recipe for trouble. oriented correctly. When you form a dimple, the mate- There’s another mistake that seems to happen to even the most experienced rial around the hole is stretched very builders. You got ahead of yourself and you accidentally pulled the trigger on your slightly as it gets reshaped. If you do pneumatic squeezer, or you hit the shaft on the C frame—but you did it before you this starting out with a smaller hole, had the skin lined up. The hole wasn’t positioned over the male dimple die. Or the material needs to stretch even maybe the skin shifted off the male die as you dimpled it. Regardless, now you’ve more—and the material is stressed. got a fresh hole staring you in the face. There’s a very good chance you will

KITPLANES November 2005 59 Metal Part 4 continued

introduce stress cracks, which may start out microscopic, but over time will Actual Size 6"W x 2.75"H x 2.5"D radiate out from the hole and plague your airframe with failure points. So just don’t do it—always drill holes to full size before dimpling! And while we’re on the topic of stress cracks, this is a reminder that Prices include probes. you absolutely do need to deburr both sides of every hole before dimpling. If FOUR STROKE POWER! THE 700E - 60 H.P.

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you dimple a hole that has not been Order on-line thru our secure server deburred, the chances of cracks form- www.aircraft-tool.com ing and radiating out are defi nitely Serving the Aviation Industry for increased. So deburr your holes before Call Toll Free:1-800-248-0638 over 30 years! dimpling—you want this airframe to stand the test of time, right? I think we’ve just about worn out our welcome here with dimpling, so we’ll wrap up for now. In next month’s installment we’ll get into the fi ner points of machine countersinking— the same idea as dimpling but with thicker material and a new set of tools. We’re also going to dive into rivet identifi cation in detail.

Dan Checkoway is an RV-7 builder—now ﬂ yer—and developer of the RV Project Kitplanes.com/aircraftdirectory web site (www.rvproject.com). He can be reached at [email protected].

60 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Aero ’Lectrics BY JIM WEIR

If it’s not your transmitter, then it must be your...ANTENNA!

ast month, we explored a spiffy method for determining whether or not a trans- rope simply goes up and down at the mitter is mitting and modulating. This month, it’s time to turn our attention to same time without any little “ripples” L the second element in the communications process—the antenna. or standing waves. Why should you care about measuring your antenna, you ask? You cut it to However, if she is slightly out of sync length, attach the coax, and you’re done, right? Not quite. I can’t count the num- with me, there will be little ripples on ber of people who call me up, tell me their VOR antenna is already glassed into the rope. The more she is out of sync, place and ask why it doesn’t work. Dozens of reasons why, not the least of which the higher the ripples get. The ultimate is a failed connection between the coaxial feed line and the antenna elements. Or, case is when Gail doesn’t move the after the antenna has been in place on a metal ship for a few dozen years, it stops rope at all (dead short) or simply tosses working because of the corrosion between the airframe and the coax ground lug. her end on the ground (wide open). Then the ripples get very large indeed. Who’s War? Oh...VIZZ-War If we had a ruler, we could measure the There are those who say that antennas are a black art. I don’t buy it—it’s just that instantaneous amount of ripple and you can’t see the little electrons dancing around like you can watch a piston do its routine. But while you can’t see the electrons, there are relatively simple instruments that will let you “watch” what is happening to your antenna and feed line via meters and readouts. I’ll admit it up front—it’s an awful lot easier to make these measurements with lab instruments that would easily pay for a month’s stay in Hawaii. But...we budget-minded folks can certainly hobble along and make meaningful measurements with stuff that costs less than a 4-hour stint in your favorite avionics shop. Without going into song and dance about how we make antenna measurements, let me just state a simple fact for the record: there is one prime parameter that tells us almost everything we need to know about the little rascal. That parameter is called Voltage Standing Wave Ratio—VSWR, commonly pronounced VIZZ-war. Picture this: I’m standing in the driveway with a 10-foot rope in my hand, Gail Here’s the homemade VSWR bridge in ﬁ nal (my wife) holding the other end of the rope. If we are perfectly “in tune,” when form. It does require use of an external I start to “wave” the rope and she waves at exactly the same “frequency,” the indicator (voltmeter or oscilloscope) to read the results.

call it the VSWR of the system. Much the same with antennas. Mea- sure the ripple, call it VSWR, and test it against some standard that you don’t want to exceed. Enough with the simi- les and metaphors already. Let’s get to the electronics of it. Three Choices for Testing An instrument called an antenna analyzer can measure VSWR directly. Such a gadget sells new for about $300, though you can ﬁ nd it on web auc- tion sites for $150-200. There are a few nice things about an analyzer: it will measure VSWR directly on any antenna from 2 to 170 MHz, it is internally battery powered, and it’s completely In one way, this $5 home-brewed version works the best—it’s the only method that allows a self-contained. Connect the coax to sweep-type signal generator that covers an entire band, giving you an instantaneous readout of the “test” port, dial up the frequency, the VSWR over the whole band of frequencies. and the little panel meter reads the

Photos and Illustration: Jim Weir KITPLANES November 2005 61 Aero ’Lectrics continued

VSWR of the load connected to the far end of the coax. What could be simpler? There are a couple of tricks that you need to be aware of. First, a 50-ohm resistor has a VSWR of 1:1 but doesn’t radiate worth a darn. This system works for antennas made out of nothing but metal and good insula- tors (like copper and polyethylene). Second, you can’t just measure the antenna by itself if it is intended to work with a ground plane. The antenna needs to be installed as a system, not as an isolated element. Install the antenna where it is supposed to go and then test it. Finally, to make sure it is radiating and you aren’t getting a false reading, wave your hand near the outer tip of the antenna (about 3 inches away). If the antenna is radiating normally, the VSWR meter will go nuts. The second way to measure VSWR is with what’s called a “bi-directional wattmeter,” or, colloquially, a “Bird” (after the company that makes the most popular instrument). A Bird will do something that the antenna analyzer will not do—test both transmitter and antenna as a complete system. The transmitter power goes into one port, the coax/antenna connects to the other port, and by rotating a wheel on the front of the Bird, you can measure how much power the transmitter is producing and how much of that power the antenna is refl ecting due to a VSWR mismatch. The antenna analyzer is connected to a test The third way is the true home-brewer’s method. A cheap and dirty VSWR bridge antenna at the input port at the top. This can be made for less than $5. In the hands of somebody who has played with it for antenna is showing a 2:1 VSWR at 127.7 MHz 40 years, it’s as good a measurement tool as any of the other methods we use. The (left meter), and it has a 25-ohm resistive component (right meter). only drawback is that you have to use an external signal generator and an external indicator (voltmeter or oscilloscope) to see what is going on. However, of the methods mentioned thus far, I’ve used this little rascal many more times than the other two during the course of my Aero ’Lectrics projects. The reason? The signal generator can be a “sweep” type signal generator that covers an entire band, and you will get an instantaneous readout of the VSWR over the entire band of frequencies rather than just one or by plotting points one by one. Interpreting Your Results. Now that we know how to test for VSWR, you may want a basic understanding of what it really means. Without going into the dregs of the math behind it, let’s just say that those ripples on the rope are wasted power. The larger the ripple, the more power is wasted in the form of heat. Since VHF power comes wrapped in $50 bills, it behooves us to get those ripples down as far as reasonably possible. The whole shooting match, of course, comes down to defi ning reasonable. An old rule of thumb I’ve used for more time than I care to admit is that a 1:1 antenna (theoretically perfect) radiates 100% of its power. A 2:1 antenna radiates 90% of its power. A 3:1 antenna radiates 75% of its power. And it gets much worse from there. My limit has always been a 3:1 antenna at the band limits. (You can draw a straight line on a graph to go from VSWR to radiated power and you won’t The Bird bi-directional wattmeter with input be all that far off.) port on the left. Immediately next to that in the center of the instrument is the slug, which So now you’ve got the whole picture coming from both ends. If your antenna has both a power and frequency calibration. analyzer says it is a 2:1 VSWR, your 10-watt transmitter will radiate 9 watts and This particular slug measures power up to 5 dissipate 1 watt as heat. If you measure 10 watts going out and 2.5 watts coming watts from 100 to 250 MHz, but you can get them for different power/frequency combina- back, your antenna has a 3:1 VSWR. tions. They’re not cheap, however. So why not just design the antenna for a perfect match all the way across the band? Because an antenna can be resonant (a perfect match) at only one frequency. As you go lower or higher, the antenna is ever so slightly detuned and therefore Jim Weir is the chief avioniker at RST En- refl ective. The trick is to get it as good as you can at the band center and then make gineering. He answers avionics questions in the Internet newsgroup rec.aviation. it “fat” enough to just tick 3:1 at the band edges. You regular readers know full homebuilt. Check out his web site at www. well by now that the “fatness” or aspect ratio of an antenna determines the VSWR rst-engr.com/kitplanes for previous articles bandwidth. Need more bandwidth? Make it fatter. and supplements.

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64 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Light Stuff BY DAN JOHNSON

A Transitioning Segment: How the Powered Parachute Industry is Adjusting to LSA.

any pilots think of powered parachutes as ultralights. Indeed they have Polling the Players been, and they’ve been one of that segment’s most successful aircraft types. Buckeye Aviation is one of the original M According to Phil Lockwood of Lockwood Aviation Supply, “Powered para- leaders in the PPC segment. Several chutes once accounted for the largest share by far of all Rotax two-stroke engines sold in years ago, the company spent $200,000 the U.S. However, that volume has declined signifi cantly in the last two years whereas preparing to gain Primary Category cer- demand for the Rotax 912S engine used in fi xed-wing LSAs is higher than ever.” tifi cation. “But after we invested signif- Some observers, myself included, have seen powered parachutes as an indus- icantly,” said Ralph Howard, an owner try in turmoil. With the deadline for the end of two-seat ultralights inexorably of Buckeye, “the FAA told us they were approaching—they must transition to the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) category by unsure that powered parachutes could January 31, 2008—what do suppliers of these slowest-of-all aircraft plan to do? get through the process.” The effort How will they address the new rules, and which of them are planning to certify ceased and was not restarted, leaving their aircraft? Howard and his team feeling like the Time to investigate. I spoke with rug was pulled out from under them. several leaders in this industry to However, the experience may have hear how they plan to cope. given Buckeye a leg up on its competi- tion in the eventual push for an LSA Call It Transition certifi cate because the company has Most of the industry leaders I spoke already completed much of what’s with agreed that new customers required under the ASTM standards. who start fl ying PPCs a year or two “Going through the effort helped from now will not see the FAA’s new us refi ne our processes, and our new requirements as burdensome. They models today are the best we’ve ever won’t have experienced the lack of built,” Howard said. regulation enjoyed in the ultralight According to Howard, most Ameri- days, and those pilots suffi cient- can customers seem to be waiting for ly interested will accept the new things to shake out. But the emergence paradigm. of other markets has created enough Current PPC owners and pilots, demand to offset the lack of business on the other hand, are the ones Many pilots who have been fl ying two-place pow- from domestic customers in waiting. struggling. This is the pilot who has ered parachutes as ultralight trainers see the new “We’re as busy as we were pre-9/11,” LSA regulations as burdensome. already bought a machine, studied Howard said, having recently sold 10 to earn the Basic Flight Instructor aircraft in China. “Even Homeland approval from one of the three sanctioned organizations, and maintained his own Security is talking about buying a aircraft. Come January ’08, his world will change dramatically. To earn a Sport couple machines.” Pilot license, he must fl y with an instructor to get signed off to take a written, oral Randy Snead of Gemini Industries and fl ight test, all of which come with additional fees. The required written test puts a fi ner point on his comments: is a generic one for Sport Pilot; some current PPC pilots feel they’ll be quizzed on “The release of the SP/LSA rule had a subjects of relevance value to PPC fl ying. For many experienced pilots, this seems big effect on the PPC industry—the like going back to fi rst base. whole industry is really down.” Snead Additionally, the aircraft itself will need to be transitioned. A pilot who has worked with Buckeye during the push already been fl ying his ’chute for many hours will have to take the machine to to gain Primary Category approval, a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) and pay for an inspection that so he too feels comfortable with the seems unnecessary. And, even after completing these tests and inspections, he’ll ASTM standards for PPCs. In addition gain no additional privileges of value, many enthusiasts say. to the technical background, Snead Even those who may accept the change to Light-Sport Aircraft are sitting on has earned his Designated Pilot Exam- the sidelines right now, company leaders report. This leaves an industry segment iner (DPE) status for PPCs. struggling to maintain its operations. Perhaps it’s fairer to call the industry one The biggest drop in business, Snead in transition, rather than turmoil. It is a time of change and such times can be said, is in upgrades. Previous buy- threatening to some. ers often upgrade to more powerful

Photos: Dan Johnson KITPLANES November 2005 65 Light Stuff continued

engines, new carriages and new wings, and that makes up a signifi cant percentage of business in the industry. But the drop is not surprising, because more power and more weight can inch an aircraft toward the LSA category, even if it’s a single seater. Conversely, Snead says that “Single-place interest [in Part 103-legal aircraft] is up.” Powrachute started late but rose swiftly to become one of the leading companies in the crowded fi eld of PPC producers. According to Gaylen Geigley, marketing/sales director, SP/LSA “is killing us! Industry sales have declined to about half where they were a couple years ago.” Geigley says the problem is customer uncertainty. “People are scared to act,” he said. On top of that, the industry of factory-new powered parachute buyers is getting hammered by sales of used PPCs. “Current pilots are drop- ping out,” he said. “They’re selling The uncertainty surrounding the powered their airplanes for very low prices,” parachute industry is likely to last until sometimes $7000-8000 less than the questions are answered over the next year. price of new PPCs, which average $15,000-18,000 for those with two- will likely sell for $55-85,000), so the stroke engines. PPC industry hopes to attract custom- In the near term, Powrachute ers with fewer dollars to spend. will respond by promoting its Part But while Heldeberg works on the 103-legal Rascal model. “We’re close SLSA version, Viscio confi rms that “a to releasing a Rotax 503 dual-carb, good portion [of our customers] are dual-ignition model that will meet switching back to Part 103 machines 103 defi nitions,” Geigley said. At rather than deal with the new regula- the same time, Powrachute is relo- tion requirements.” In all, this seems cating to a new facility that will help to be a trend. it better control inventory as the company prepares its fi rst Special Getting Over the Hump LSA (ready-to-fl y) model. “We hope The PPC pilot community is uncertain to have an SLSA by the end of 2005, about the near future, and customers but not likely before,” Geigley said. are showing it by not spending on “We’ll sell an aircraft certifi ed to the new aircraft or upgrades. Confusion ASTM standards, a quality product reigns over the requirements and how Until the Light-Sport Aircraft rule arrived on the using modern techniques with the diffi cult some perceive it to be to meet scene, powered parachutes accounted for the appropriate document records.” the new regulation. However, we’re majority of two-stroke Rotax sales in the U.S. Heldeberg Designs, manufacturer only one year into the new rule and of the Blue Heron line of PPCs, as greater understanding is accumu- is also at work on an SLSA model. lated in the community of producers Nicholas D. Viscio, son of owners Nick and Marie, is an engineer who served on and pilots, most manufacturers expect the ASTM subcommittee that devised the PPC standard. Through this connection, business to improve. the folks at Heldeberg believe they understand the procedures they must follow to The industry is clearly in a phase of gain approval. shifting from “exemption ultralights” PPCs that have gained SLSA approval “will cost more to produce,” said Nick to ASTM standard-meeting aircraft. Viscio, president of the company. “We want to make a product that goes out These leading manufacturers seem to N-numbered and ready to go in every way.” feel cautiously confi dent of fi nding Why the increase in price? “It takes more to get the parts to the shelf even if the ways to survive the uncertain period cost of the part has not changed,” Viscio said. Material traceability is required in that’s likely to last for at least the next building certifi ed airframes, and parts used in a particular aircraft have to be identi- year or so. fi ed so problems with those components can be tracked to the airframes that used TO REVIEW ALL “Light Stuff” columns them; a service bulletin can then be issued to owners. that have appeared in KITPLANES®, visit According to Viscio, the price of two-stroke-powered PPCs could rise from the www.ByDanJohnson.com, which links to present $15-18,000 range to $20-25,000 in order to cover the costs. While this is the KITPLANES® web site with articles of a signifi cant increase, the price remains much less than fi xed-wing SLSAs (which interest.

66 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Wind Tunnel BY BARNABY WAINFAN

Neglect to consider internal airﬂ ow, and you’ll pay the price in drag.

esigners work hard shaping airplanes for minimum drag. They try to keep the required airfl ow down and move the airfl ow over the surface as smooth and turbulence-free as possible, and they air through the airplane effi ciently. D put enormous effort into optimizing airfoils and tweaking fairings to get that The greater the losses in the ducts, the last knot. And while the fl ow over the exterior of the airplane is critical, the effects more air will be needed and the greater of taking air onboard the airplane are also signifi cant. Regrettably, designers have a the drag penalty for each bit of air. tendency to neglect the effects of internal airfl ows on many designs. Surprisingly, the design of such internal airfl ow systems can be almost as important to an air- Ram Drag plane’s performance as its external shape. At the moment the air enters an inlet, it has momentum equal to the mass of But I Didn’t Inhale... the air times the airspeed. When the All airplanes must inhale some air as they fl y in order to function. But, there is air enters the airplane, the momentum a drag penalty every time air is taken onboard. Ideally, the airplane would be a of the air is transferred to the airplane. completely sealed vessel, but engines and people need to breathe and be cooled or Since the momentum is directed aft bad things happen. relative to the aircraft, this momen- The majority of air taken aboard is used for engine cooling, and the drag penalty tum transfer causes a drag force acting for this is non-trivial. On piston-engine airplanes, the drag of the engine-cooling aft. Some of this energy is recovered airfl ow can be as much as 15% of the entire airplane’s drag. Engine-breathing air if the air is ejected from the airplane and cabin ventilation add even more. While this drag can’t be eliminated, proper with rearward velocity. If so, then design of inlets, ducts and outlets can keep it to a minimum. the net drag is the difference in rear- The goal of a good internal fl ow system design is twofold. First, disturb the outer ward momentum between the air as it airfl ow as little as possible. Second, minimize the amount of air taken onboard, entered the airplane and the air as it and use it effi ciently. A major part of this is accomplished by careful attention left. If the air is not dumped overboard to real airfl ow needs. The system should be designed to ingest only enough air or is allowed to seep out through gaps to do the required job—no more. Once the air is inside the airplane, the ducts it and leaks, then the ram drag penalty fl ows through should be designed to minimize energy loss. This helps keep the is equal to loss of the full momentum Figure 1. of the ingested air. In such a case, the inlet has almost as much drag as a fl at plate with the same area as the inlet placed normal to the airstream. Ram drag can be a signifi - cant part of the total drag of the airplane, and overcoming drag takes power. Figure 1 shows the thrust horsepower required to overcome the ram drag of 1 square inch of inlet as a function of airspeed at sea level. The shaft horsepower needed is actually 15% to 30% greater depending on the effi ciency of the propeller. Notice how fast the power needed to overcome ram drag increases with airspeed. Why? Ram drag is proportional to the air-

Illustrations: Barnaby Wainfan KITPLANES November 2005 67 Wind Tunnel continued

speed squared. Because power is proportional to drag times velocity, the power required to overcome the ram drag of a specifi c inlet rises proportional to the airspeed cubed. What this means is that things that are not important at lower air- speeds become signifi cant at high speed. Looking at Figure 1, we can see this effect: At 100 knots, the power required to overcome the ram drag of 1 square inch of inlet is 0.07 horsepower. At 150 knots, it’s about 0.25 hp, and by 200 knots it’s up to more than 0.50 hp. On a really fast airplane, at 250 knots, the same inlet that took 0.07 hp to push through the air at 100 knots Figure 2. now absorbs 1.1 hp. We need to pay attention to every bit of air we take onboard. As airplanes get inlets for this example were sized at faster, every bit of air exacts a rapidly increasing penalty. 0.35 square inches per engine hp. This is a good rule of thumb for old-fash- Cabin Air ioned metal baffl es with rubber skirts, The air that ends up in the passenger cabin loses all or most of its kinetic energy although some newer systems work by the time it gets to its destination. Cabin ventilation air blows through vents, well with much smaller inlets.) and it ends up at rest relative to the airplane and at a pressure that is close to the Results look similar to Figure 1? Yep. free-stream static pressure. The kinetic energy the air had when it entered the in- The power required to overcome ram let has been lost to turbulence. Accordingly, the airplane pays the full ram drag drag rises rapidly with airspeed. If you penalty for cabin air, since none of the energy in the air is recovered when it goes look at the fi gure, you can see that just overboard. overcoming the ram drag of the cool- Fortunately, the total amount of air that is used for cabin ventilation is small ing air absorbs a signifi cant percentage compared to the air needed for cooling. The drag penalty for cabin air is less than of the engine’s power, particularly at the cooling drag but as we have just seen, it is signifi cant. higher speeds. The chart is probably a little pessimistic because it assumes a Cooling Air mass fl ow ratio of one (that is, no air The majority of the air taken onboard a piston-engine airplane is used to cool the spills around the inlet), but it’s repre- engine. On a typical air-cooled engine installation, cooling air fl ows in through sentative of the drag of a mediocre cool- the inlets and is slowed down and compressed above the cylinders in an upper ing system with a simple “dump it out plenum chamber. It is then directed by the baffl es through the cooling fi ns on the the bottom” exit for the cooling air. cylinders, ending up in the lower plenum chamber. The cooling air then fl ows out The best way to reduce cooling drag via the air outlets. is to reduce ram drag by minimiz- The plenum chambers that contain the cooling air when it’s inside the cowl are ing the amount of air that enters the formed by baffl es that seal against the sides of the cowl. The baffl es are supposed inlets. Keeping the engine cool to contain the air so that the only path it can take from the upper plenum to the requires a given mass fl ow of air through lower plenum is via the cooling fi ns on the cylinders and the oil cooler. The pres- the cooling fi ns. Ideally, only that sure difference between the plenums forces the cooling air through the fi ns. Any mass fl ow of air will enter the cowl. To leakage around the baffl es is undesirable because it allows air to pass through the approach this ideal and keep the cowl without absorbing heat from the engine. engine cool, we must minimize losses of The ram drag of the engine-cooling air is a major portion of the drag of the pressure and air leakage in the cooling airplane. Figure 2 shows the power needed to overcome the ram drag of the air fl ow path. cooling air entering inlets sized for typical light airplane engines. (Note: The On most light planes, the baffl es are

68 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Builders’ Marketplace

sheet metal and are attached to the engine. Edges made of rubberized fabric fi t against the cowl to make a seal. Because the baffl es are not physically AVIATION OXYGEN SYSTEMS attached to the cowl, some leakage inevitably occurs. The baffl es are fl at, Aircraft Multi-point Fuel Injection 1st With High Duration • Operates all engines from 65 to 800 HP Oxygen Systems! and the cooling air fl ow path from the • Applications for V6/V8 engines inlets is likely to have corners that • Manual Mixture Control 1st With OxySaver Cannulas! • Bolt on Kits for Lycoming Engines cause turbulence and slow the air • No Carburetor heat required down. It is also diffi cult to form the • Instant throttle response *********** *********** • All Mechanical, No Electronics sheet metal tightly around the fi ns to • Increases mid-range HP FastBuild “Built In” Kits make sure all of the air fl ows over hot • Approved for Aerobatic use for Custom Installations. • Compatible with all Fuels Easy and Fast Installation! portions of the cylinders. All of these • Precise Fuel Metering under all conditions Please Contact Us For Free Brochure effects reduce the amount of air that Tel 800-237-6902 (EXT. 57) 111 Airflow Drive passes though the cylinders; to com- Spartanburg, SC 29306 207-637-2331 (864) 576-4512 Fax 207-637-2329 pensate for this ineffi ciency, we must (864) 576-0201 (Fax) e-mail [email protected] take more air onboard and pay the www.airflowperformance.com Or Visit Our Web Site Email: [email protected] WORLD penalty as ram drag. www.aerox.com LEADER Recently, some homebuilders and racers have built cooling systems that solve some of these issues and cool the engine with much smaller inlets than previous systems needed. Such setups use composite—and, occasionally, carefully crafted sheetmetal— plenum chambers above the engine to contain the cooling air, eliminating the leakage that occurs with typical sheet metal and rubber baffl e systems. These new, more effi cient systems also typically use sealed ducts to carry the cooling air directly from the inlets to the plenum. Both of these design features help reduce the amount of air that must be inhaled to keep the engine cool. When an inlet/plenum system like this is combined with an effi cient outlet that ejects the cooling air aft rather than dumping it down- ward, the total drag of the engine cooling system can be signifi cantly reduced from the levels that are typical of production aircraft. A good general rule of aerodynamics says, “Don’t annoy any air you don’t have to.” Minimizing how much air we take onboard for cooling and other uses is a good place to start.

Aerodynamic questions of a general nature should be sent to editorial@kitplanes. com with a subject line of “Wind Tunnel.” They may be considered for future topics of this column.

KITPLANESKITPLANES NovemberNovember 2005 2005 69 69 Builders’ Marketplace

Aerodynamic questions of a general nature should be sent to editorial@kitplanes. com with a subject line of “Wind Tunnel.” They may be considered for future topics of this column.

KITPLANESKITPLANES NovemberNovember 2005 2005 69 69 Builders’ Marketplace continued

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KITPLANES November 2005 71 Engine Beat BY TIM KERN BY Pickle It When You Park It

aybe you’ve accepted that dream assignment out of the country, or you’re defi nitely), Lycoming recommends the building a new house (leaving no money in the budget for the airplane). following procedure: M Whatever your situation, let’s assume that you won’t be fl ying for awhile. • Run the engine up to temperature, Although it may not be top of mind, you really should think about preparing your drain the hot oil, and replace the fi lter. airplane—mainly the engine—for its extended slumber. Then add a new approved preservative mixture, as detailed in L-180A (one How Long Will It Be? part corrosion preventative compound It’s one thing to leave your plane out on the ramp overnight and quite another to with three parts mineral aircraft oil). leave it behind while you’re doing a year of Guard duty. All the love in the world • Run the engine up to temperature, won’t stop rust and corrosion, but proper preparation can preserve your engine’s getting the oil to 160-180° F. looks—and function—nearly indefi nitely. It’s called pickling. • Bring the aircraft indoors and drain If you are going to be fl ying again within a week, or even a month, most engine the hot preservative solution. Save it for experts agree that all you need to do is make sure you had your engine up to oper- another time; it’s reusable, and you’ll ating temperature on the last fl ight, and that the oil is reasonably clean and fresh. need about a pint of it right away. Shut it down normally and take the usual parking precautions. • Pull all the spark plugs, and spray After a month or so, however, the requirements change. But it’s not just time; about 2 ounces of the preservative it’s location as well. Leaving your aircraft behind in Yuma during the summer (or mixture into each cylinder while Fairbanks in the winter) is different from leaving it in Key West for a few months cranking the engine over fi ve times. during hurricane season. (And this is not just because of the hurricanes.) Stop cranking the engine (many me- Yuma is hot and dry, so your main concern is dust; you’ll want to protect the chanics recommend that the pistons engine with a moisture-permeable blanket. Inside the engine, the climate’s low not be at top or bottom dead center humidity will help slow the onset of corrosion. In a Fairbanks winter, the low tem- when you stop), and spray another 2 peratures inhibit chemical reactions. If you have the engine cowling sealed—using ounces of preservative mixture into cowl plugs, for example—a lot of your work is done. each cylinder. Key West (and environs like it) form the worst case and will subject your engine • Replace the spark plugs (use de- to high temperatures and humidity in a salt-air environment. During hurricane hydrator plugs if available), and don’t season, actual ocean spray may be a problem. If you can’t get your airplane off the budge the crankshaft. island, you’ll need to do some heavy pickling. Lycoming notes that, “active corro- • With the engine still warm, put sion can be found on cylinder walls of new engines inoperative for periods as brief desiccant packets into the intake and as two days.” If your engine isn’t new (say it’s got 50 hours or more), you may have exhaust passages. (Use some red rib- a little more time before you need to start worrying thanks to a benefi cial oil fi lm bon here, both to aid in removal and on the cylinder barrels. But a little worrying can, and should, spur action. to help you remember to take them Bill Middlebrook, vice president and third-generation engine rebuilder at Penn out before you start the engine.) Yan Aero in New York, advises, “Anything that’s not fl ying for 30 days or more • Seal the intakes and exhausts with should be preserved.” moisture-proof tape. • Add highly visible tags: “Engine The Best-Way Theories Preserved. Do Not Turn Propeller.” While various experts possess differing opinions on the best way to pickle, a good These should go on the propeller as starting point (and ending point, for that matter), is Lycoming’s Service Letter well as over the key switch. L-180A. “That basically explains what to do, when to do it, how to do it and what Lycoming notes that when you’re to use,” Middlebrook says. ready to fl y again, it is not necessary Lycoming takes the approach that conditions dictate protection regimens. to fl ush the engine before adding There’s the light protocol: “In a favorable atmospheric environment the engine of your fl ying oil. “The small amount of an aircraft that is fl own intermittently can be adequately protected from corrosion oil mixture coating the cylinders will by turning the engine over fi ve revolutions by means of the propeller.” That’s only be expelled from the engine during for short-term parking. “Unless the aircraft is fl own, repeat this procedure every the fi rst few minutes of operation.” fi ve days.” However, it’s important to remember If the plane will not be fl own for an extended time (over 30 days, but not in- that, “Oils of this [preservative] type

72 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com Authorized Kodiak Service Center For: are to be used... for corrosion preven- a long time, fi ll the case and cylinders tion only, and not for lubrication.” In to the top with oil. His logic is sound: other words, when you add the preser- If it’s full, he says, there’s no room for vative solution to initially pickle the water. And without water, there’s no engine, don’t run it any more than corrosion. AIRCRAFT ENGINES recommended. “It’s not necessary to use aero oil,” Engines, Parts, Middlebrook points out that the he said. “Car oil is fi ne—just be sure outside of the engine can also suffer it’s fresh oil, not used. And there’s no & Related Accessories. corrosion, so clean it (don’t use soap or advantage to using an expensive syn- Serving the industry a caustic agent) with a proper solvent, thetic. You’re not paying for lubrica- for over 10 years and give it a good coat of advanced tion; you’re merely displacing the 250+ page catalog corrosion protection. Then wrap the water.” Don’t even think of turning it 1-800-LA-ROTAX engine, but not with a completely over when it’s full. (1-800-527-6829) Orders waterproof bag, as some breathing Phone: (863)655-5100 is good. “To combat corrosion on the Another Big Don’t Fax: (863)655-6225 engine’s exterior,” he says, “brush Cor- Ground running is no substitute for e-mail: [email protected] rosion-X on the outside every so often.” fl ying. Temperatures cannot stabilize www.lockwood-aviation.com throughout the engine, and many Lockwood Aviation Supply, Inc. Ready to Fly? cooling systems just don’t work well Master Service Center 1998/99 When you’re ready to fl y again, remove on the ground. Lycoming cautions all the tape, pull out all the desiccant that ground running “will tend to Lockwood Aviation Repair, Inc. packets, open the sump drain, remove aggravate rather than minimize corro- Specializing in the repair and overhaul of the spark plugs and hand-crank the sion formation in the engine.” Getting ROTAX Aircraft Engines engine gently, just one revolution. If the engine hot enough, specifi cally FAA Repair Station #L2DR339H you want to give your engine a treat, getting the oil hot enough, is what (863)655-6229 change the oil fi lter again. The small takes a lot of the moisture out of the amount of preservative solution in crankcase. Merely heating the oil a the fi lter shouldn’t cause any trouble, bit accelerates the chemical reactions but you may want another chance to that are already taking place. You need remove any last drops of accumulated to fl y more than around the pattern, water rather than run them out when too; the oil needs to get up to its nor- the engine heats up. mal temperature to fully extract the KITS! Put the drain plug back in, fi ll the entrained moisture. INTORDUCING OUR NEW QUICK BUILD crankcase with the right amount of SPORT TRAINER KITS HAVE YOUR your regular oil and hand-crank the In Summary NOSTALGIC J-3 REPLICA IN NO TIME! engine several times, until the oil pres- Exterior corrosion treatments can be sure rises. Put the spark plugs back in, applied whenever convenient during CALL FREE have one more look and start it up, your normal fl ying cycle; when you TODAY! CATALOG! following the regular procedure. If you intend to park for a while, spray or have a wood propeller, don’t forget brush a good corrosion inhibitor on a to check the torque on the prop bolts clean, dry engine. before you start the engine. And even though you’ll no doubt be distracted by whatever is taking you Extended Storage away from fl ying, a bit of effort before Sometimes, you truly don’t know you go will make your life much easier when you will fl y again—or maybe you when you return. just purchased an engine, and you’re INCLUDES A FREE still a year or more from fi nishing the SET OF SPORT TRAINER airplane and the engine’s just sitting FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit Penn DRAWINGS WITH THE PURCHASE OF A on its pallet. Depending on where it Yan Aero’s website at http://pennyanaero. QUICK BUILD KIT! came from, it may be OK to leave it com. You can fi nd Lycoming’s Service KIT64 there. On the other hand, wouldn’t Letter L-180A at www.prime-mover.org/ you rather be sure? Aviation/Manuf_Page/sl180a-1.html. WAG-AERO Middlebrook recommends that if Details about Corrosion X are available at 1-800-558-6868 you have to leave the engine sitting for www.corrosionx.com. www.wagaero.com

KIT64 store.wagaero.com

KITPLANES November 2005 73 The Classified Builder

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KITPLANES November 2005 75 The Classified Builder continued

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76 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com GESCHWENDER REDUCTION DRIVES for Chevy UltraVair 2-cylinder Corvair conversion ultra- AFFORDABLE VORTEX GENERATORS V8s and V6s, $7,500. John Worden, Alternate light engine. 80lbs and 35+ hp. www.ultravair. GUARANTEED! AirPower www.alternate-airpower.com com ph# 319-981-6761. Conversion manual We promise you’ll takeoff and land shorter and safer. $56.50 US/Canada, $65 International. Send Tough, lightweight, easy to apply. All instructions and [email protected] 509-627-3096. templates. Only $95 complete set. Visa/MC. payment in USD to: UltraVair Aviation LLC, VW Reduction Drives & Culver Props @ HARRISON DESIGNS, LLC P.O. Box 2741, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406. 1-877-272-1414 Valley-eng.com. Try our new Prop Pitch www.landshorter.com calculator @ CulverProps.com Valley ROTARY ENGINE CONVERSION PRODUCTS Engineering, LLC, 573-364-6311 AERO METAL Tools and Methods for Better . Tracy Crook’s conversion guide $35 EFI/Ignition controller $875 Metalwork. 4-star instructional videos for alu- 2.176 and 2.85 ratio PSRUs $2450/$2890 minum and chromemoly. Air shaping ham- TIRED OF ROTAX PRICES? See our NEW engine monitors on web site REAL WORLD SOLUTIONS mers. Aircraft aluminum gas welding. Hand 5500 NW 72 Way Bell, FL 32619 tools. Workshops. Books and booklets. Free Ph: 386-935-2973 www.rotaryaviation.com line card. TM Technologies, 530-292-3506, ENGINES from $100. Air-cooled, liquid- CA. www.tinmantech.com cooled, single, twin, opposed, triple, 4-cyclin- der, rotary. Kawasaki, Rotax, McCulloch, HELP WITH YOUR HOMEBUILT Solo, Zenoah, JPX, KFM, etc. Parts and More Engine! Less Cost! 84 hp, 4 stroke, 1000 hr TBO, accessories. J-Bird, 262-626-2611. Electric Start, DCDI & ECU, 160W Alternator. 134 lbs. In Stock Now. Contact: Verner Engines Sales & Service FLYDIVER, LLC Helecopters, Rotorcraft 360-490-6268 • [email protected] ONTARIO HELICOPTER FLYING CLUB - Be www.FlyDiver.com a part-owner. It’s much more affordable! GEO/SUZUKI Reduction Drive Kits for 1.0 Learn well. Email: [email protected] Nothing beats watching over someone’s shoulder to learn! Ph: 705-329-2673. central Ontario, Canada. How-to construction DVD’s: Electrical Wiring 101, thru 1.6 Liter - 62 to 140 hp. Manual “Con- Metalworking 101, Licensing a homebuilt, verting the Geo/Suzuki for Homebuilt Aircraft” ROTAX ® engine repair, more! Previews at website: $49.95 + $8 s/h. Raven ReDrives Inc., 1025 Homebuilders Supplies HomebuiltHELP.com Rosewood Ave., #100, Boulder, CO 80304. 9186 County K, Brussels, WI 54204 TERMINALTOWN–Wiring supplies: mil-spec www.HomebuiltHELP.com Ph: 303-440-6234. www.raven-rotor.com terminals, tefzel wire, crimpers, heat shrink, fuse blocks & cable ties. Terminal, connector HI-TECH FOAMS. Seat foam, sit for hours, and fuse block kits. Online catalog–secure ROTAX ENGINES REPAIR/OVERHAUL unsurpassed comfort and impact safety. Authorized repair station for Rotax 2-stroke, ordering. www.terminaltown.com 4-stroke repair and overhaul, located at Westosha Airport, Noise and vibrarion foams for experimental Wilmot, WI. Sales and service. FAA certified Airframe, and general aviation aircraft. All products Powerplant & IA Mechanic. Miscellaneous meet FAR 25.853 and FAR 25.855 burn speci- SKIES THE LIMIT ENT. PO Box 277, Wilmot, WI 53192 VISIT our website www.metalcrafttools.com ficiations. Many kit drawings and seat pack- Ph: 262-862-9099 • Email: [email protected] for information on our products & classes. ages available. Send SASE to: Hi-Tech Call or write for free catalog: 931-707-7778 Foams, 3710 Airpark Rd., Lincoln, NE RV-6, RV-7, RV-8, RV-9 AND GLASTAR ENGINE or 17 Park Lane Spur, Crossville, TN 38571. 68524, 402-470-2346, www.seatfoam.com PACKAGE. WWW.EGGENFELLNERAIRCRAFT. COM 386-566-2616.

LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT ENGINES. New, used, rebuilt 4-135 HP engines, redrives, exhausts in stock. C.D.I. conversions all Rotax $275. Complete engines and crankshaft rebuild center, genuine Rotax parts all in stock, quick turnaround. Our 25th year. Airscrew Performance 623-842-3902.

ROTAX® AIRCRAFT ENGINES Easy ordering - Fast Shipping - Expert Advice - Fair Price New and Used Engines and Parts. Our commitment to Customer Satisfaction and Technical Expertise guarantees premier service to EVERY customer. WWW.RTX-AV-ENGINES.ca [email protected] 1-866-418-4164 Toll Free

TURBINE ENGINES FOR SALE T-58s, Walter 701s, Vipers, Nimbus, Boeing T-50s, AI-25, and more. Turbines By Gateway, Inc. 928- “Except for the minor item of weight 346-1055, E-mail: [email protected] it satisfies all of the light sport regs!” http://turbinesbygateway.com

KITPLANES November 2005 77 The Classified Builder continued

ATTN: HOMEBUILDERS! Many Great Low- IVOPROP. Inflight or ground-adjustable. Priced Products! RV Products, Canopies, Low Propellers, Services Carbon/graphite fiber composite blades Fuel Warning, Low Oil Level Sensor, discounted with stainless steel leading edges. Number PROPS INC. Quality & Performance for all Trutrak, more! www.aircraftextras.com 2, 3- or 6-blade. No.1 selling prop in the Homebuilt, Kitbuilt airplanes. Computer designed world. Constant speed electronic governor. Placards, Circuit breaker panel and switch and Hand Crafted. www.propsinc.net 354 SE Readily reassembles from 3-blade into 2- overlays, Fuel cap engraving, Vinyl N-numbers, 2nd St. Newport, OR 97365. 541-265-3032. blade configuration and one spare blade. Rocker switch engraving, Data plate marking. Beautiful high-gloss finish. Unique pitch Over 15 years experience serving the aircraft SABER MANUFACTURING - World’s largest industry. Aircraft Engravers 860-653-2780 adjustment, no protractor needed. Low drag manufacturer of the highest quality Prop engravers.net hub. 30-day money back guarantee. Ivo- Extensions, crush plates, solid spacers, and prop Corp., PMB #330, 15903 Lakewood stainless steel replacement lugs. Your source Blvd., #103, Bellflower, CA 90706. Call: SUPPLIED-AIR BREATHING PROTECTION for extended thread prop bolts. Worldwide 800-FOR-PROP or 562-602-1451. Fax: 562-602-1374. Website: Ivoprop.com distribution, 21 years of proven success, NO E-mail: [email protected] failures! Web site: www.sabermfg.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 817-326-6293. GSC SYSTEMS - Propelling the world since 1984. Best quality Eastern Maple Hardwood, PRINCE P-TIP Carbon Fiber Anti-vortex available in fixed pitch, ground adjustable 2- and Hobby Air Supplied-Air Breathing Systems will protect you from breathing toxic fumes and dangerous particulates in a design, automatic pitch control, increased 3-blade, 2-blade mechanical in-flight adjustable painting, sandblasting, etc. environment. HVLP paint spray and now available props for PPG market. Diam- equipment is also available from: efficiency and noise reduction. Avid, BD-4, eters range from 36”-72” with option for leading AXIS PRODUCTS, INC. BD-5, Cozy, Defiant, Glasair, Glastar, Kitfox, edge protection on all models. Outstanding Gilberts, ILL 60136 Lancair, Long/Vari-Eze, RV’s, Sonex, T-18, 1-888-458-1322 • www.axispro.com customer service. 6255 OK Landing Rd., UAV/RPV, Velocity, Zenith. Continental, Vernon, BC V1H-1M5. 250-549-3772 ph, Online Shopping Jabiru, Lycoming, Rotax, Subaru, Volkswag- 250-549-3769 fax. www.ultralightprops.com; on. 2-Blade, Multi-Blade, Scale, Wind Tunnel, email: [email protected] AIRCRAFT DIRECTORY ONLINE — the Custom. Computer designed for all configu- most up-to-date, comprehensive database SENSENICH WOOD PROPELLERS rations. Repair and Overhaul. Worldwide of over 700 designs including: kits, plans, Designs for Continental, Lycoming, Rotax 912+, rotorcraft, ‘chutes, and trikes. Instant infor- Exporting. Prince Aircraft Co., PO Box Jabiru, VW & most others. Competitive prices. 65+ years of quality and experience. mation in an easy to use searchable format 2669-H, 6774 Providence St., Whitehouse, SENSENICH WOOD PROPELLER CO., INC. with photos, design specs and e-mail and OH 43571. Phone: 419-877-5557; Fax: 419- 2008 Wood Court, Plant City, FL 33567 web links. www.kitplanes.com/directory. 877-5564; E-mail: [email protected] Ph: 813-752-3711 • www.sensenichprop.com For a printed edition, call 800-622-1065 Website: http://www.princeaircraft.com and order the most recent Dec., Jan. & Feb. back issues. All major credit cards accepted. Real Estate

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INTRODUCING THE “DOUBLE EAGLE”

2 Place Sports Plane powered by reliable 4 cyl. VW. Empty wt. 385#. Plans, videos, propeller hubs: L. E. MILHOLLAND PO Box 747, Brookshire, TX 77423 Ph: 281-375-5453 Email: [email protected] www.betterhalfvw.com “Are you sure this is a roundtrip ticket Harold?” Kits & materials pkgs., welded fuselages: John Bolding, 281-383-0113. Estimated cost $5,000-$7,500.

78 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com FALCON EAST, HEADQUARTERS for FAL- THE AR-5 Tapes. Three clear, easy to under- Next Month CONS, XP, UL, new used, parts, owner’s assis- stand VHS video tapes study every aspect of tance. 845-528-8940. www.aerofalcon.com the design and construction of Mike Arnold’s SEAPLANE - Weedhopper, single-seat, over- one-of-a-kind, world record setting, all-compos- hauled Rotax 277, aluminum floats, good sails, ite homebuilt. “Downright inspirational,” Dave trailer optional, ultralight-legal, $7,500. 450- 538-5120, www.ultralight-flying-boat.com Martin, Kitplanes. “Fascinating...very highly recommended,” Peter Lert, Air Progress. Recom- LEARN ALL ABOUT FLYING ULTRALIGHTS AND LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT from the world's mended in Andy Marshall’s book, “Composite oldest and largest magazine dedicated to ultra- Basics”. For complete details, video reviews light and light-sport aviation. In publication 30 and more, please visit: www.AR-5.com years. Send for your free information package today. Ultralight Flying!, PO Box 6009, K-5, TRAINING videos and DVDs for rent. Sporty’s Chattanooga, TN 37401. Phone: 423-629- and King Schools available. Private, instru- 5375. Website: www.ultralightflying.com . ment, CFI, plus A&P, and entertainment titles! www.quicksilverultralight.com www.justplanevideos.com 601-544-0668. Float Planes 800-852-8756 4130 AIRFRAME Construction and Structur- Video Tapes & DVDs al Repairs 3-video set, $85. Shaping Alu- minum Wheelpants 2+hrs. EAA rated, “Best CHALLENGER VIDEO, $10. Exciting 45-minute hand tool video available.”, $40. Shrinking VHS video of Quad City Ultralight’s Challenger Magic video, $35. Aluminum Damage Repair 2006 DIRECTORY OF HOMEBUILT II and Challenger II Special. We will also include AIRCRAFT, PART 1: KITS a complete information package with prices. video, $35. Fairings and Reverses video We present Part 1 of our annual Send $12 to QCU Aircraft Corp., PO Box 2+hrs., $40. Aluminum Gas Welding and buyers’ guide to homebuilt aircraft. 370, Moline, IL 61266-0370. Web page: If you’re in the market for a kit, start ALCOA 2+hrs. video set, $50. 60pp cata- www.quadcitychallenger.com Or call: 309- here; compiled by Julia Downie. logue with purchase. TM Technologies, 764-3515. Fax: 309-762-3920. We accept 2006 READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS: Visa/MC. 530-292-3506. CA. www.tinmantech.com THE RESULTS ARE IN The polls have closed by now, and we’re busy tallying the results of Classified Line Ad our second annual Readers’ Choice Rate/word: 1 time 6 times 12 times Awards. Check the December issue $1.25 $1.15 $1.00 for the scoop on who won in each 20 word minimum per ad. category. To place your THE DIRT ON LANDING GEAR online ad, log on to Classified Box Ad www.kitplanes.com 4 word heading, 25 words of copy, For many homebuilts, landing gear plus your company name, address, is a typical problem area and one and up to 3 contact numbers. that needs a lot of attention. Learn Advertising Deadlines 1 time $94 • 3 times @ $89 ea. about types of gear, maintenance 6 times @ $84 ea. procedures and the common chal- ISSUE: Jan ’06 AD CLOSE: Oct 5, 2005 12 times @ $73 ea. ON SALE: Dec 6, 2005 lenges faced with each. ISSUE: Feb ’06 AD CLOSE: Nov 11, 2005 Classified Photo Box Ad Includes ALTERNATE FUELS ON SALE: Jan 3, 2006 1 4 word heading, 1" x 2 ⁄8” B/W photo, FOR AVIATION USE ISSUE: Mar ’06 AD CLOSE: Dec 7, 2005 25 words of copy, plus your ON SALE: Feb 8, 2006 company name, address, We’ll examine some alternatives and up to 3 contact numbers. designed to keep the cost of ﬂ ying To place your ad in reasonable. 1 time $188 • 3 times @ $177 ea. Kitplanes magazine, 6 times @ $167 ea. PLUS... phone: 717-433-7985 12 times @ $146 ea. BUILD YOUR SKILLS METAL or email: [email protected] Digital Photo Specifications: ENGINE BEAT Fax: 717-427-1525 1200 dpi resolution for B/W, WIND TUNNEL Tiff and EPS formats accepted. KITSTUFF Subscriptions: Ph: 800-622-1065 (US & Canda) • 386-447-6318 (International) • Fax: 386-447-2321 Available November 1

KITPLANES November 2005 79 Kit Stuff BY ROBRUCHA

80 KITPLANES November 2005 www.kitplanes.com