The Smilin’Jack |
|
| EAA Chapter 866 monthly newsletter January 2002 |
BY Larry Gilbert
Saturday, December 1 we held another chapter breakfast and it is evident that we are making progress at Dunn Airpark as a chapter that is fun to belong to. In addition to our regulars, a number of Dunn pilots and hangar tenants showed up to dine with the chapters finest. Something like 33 or so breakfasts were sold and we all had a lot of fun. The NOTAM was still in effect that required anyone flying in R2935 to have a discreet xponder code and ATC frequency to fly-in so there were no fly-ins this time. Anyway we had a good time and the weather co-operated once again to make it a very pleasant event.
By Larry Gilbert
Well almost any way. On Wednesday meeting night I called FSS and gave him Ray Thomas’s N number and explained that it was a no radio no electrics J3 Cub and asked him about NOTAMS for R2935 he said to me, "you don’t have to talk to anyone anymore!" Good news indeed! Funny thing happened though another time that I called FSS. I asked about the NOTAMS and then asked if the enhanced class "B" restrictions were over and he said no! I said "do you mean that the class "B" still goes all the way to the ground?" He said that it did. He was misinformed about this and gave me bad information. It was confusing for a while till we called FSS again and got the correct information that the enhanced "B" was no longer in effect.Back to normal? I guess, but there doesn’t seem to be much activity at Dunn since these restrictions have been lifted.
By Larry Gilbert
After the shuttle left on the 4th, the restrictions were lifted so on the 5th I flew for about 45 minutes in the pattern trying to shake some of the rust off by doing some take offs and landings. On Monday the 10th of Dec. I decided that it was time to make a little trip and headed for Deland. A couple of miles North of Dunn the clouds started reaching down and so I decided that New Smyrna would be far enough. Landed there and wandered around a little and headed back for Dunn. Practically as soon as airborne I was in some rain. Visibility wasn’t all that bad so I continued on. Funny there was a rainbow or a complete circle of rainbow colors looking out the left side. This would have made a great picture! Anyway I flew through a couple of showers and upon approaching Dunn it looked as though there would be a hard shower on the airport real soon and I was planning a straight in to 15. About 1 mile out I changed my mind and decided to fly to the west and circle till the rain shower was past. The rain had already started on the South end of the airport and I just couldn’t see losing visual contact while on final. In about 10 minutes the rain was mostly over and I crossed the South end of the airport to enter a down wind for 15. When I looked to the North the sight was incredible, a rainbow extending straight out right off the end of the runway as if it were a glide path down to runway 15! Of course it disappeared quickly. Was a neat sight! Tuesday the 11th Loretta and I went to Deland and had a nice lunch and a great flight. Third Saturday is fly-in breakfast day at Valkeria so me and 52L headed down there. I asked a couple of the guys if they wanted to fly down with me and they refused. Maybe they don’t trust my flying ability! Gene Driggers departed Dunn a minute or so behind me in his Titan and we met up again at X59 for breakfast. We arrived there at about 10:00 AM and had breakfast with the Valkeria bunch. I mention the time that we got there because we usually tear our breakfast down our set up about 9:30 or 10:00. One time a couple of months ago, the Valkeria bunch showed up at our breakfast at 10:00 and it was too late. Bill Furnholm, Jeff Braddock, and I took my beloved Skyhawk out one beautiful Tuesday morning and flew to Deland for the "big sandwich," it was so clear that we saw the VAB when departing DED! There was a brisk wind out of the Northwest which slowed our ground speed to about 85K to Deland and 114K when headed back. Wind was right down the runway (30) at DED and directly across ( 33/15) at Dunn when we got back. Jeff who is a friend of Bills, is real interested in learning to fly and possible build his own airplane and even expressed interest in joining our little band of Smilin ‘Jackers!
News You Can Use ---
ASTM Reintroduces 91/98 as Alternative To 100 LL
EAA Vice President of Government and Industry Relations
Earl Lawrence was elected secretary of the aviation fuel committee (J.2)
of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, which
met in Miami this week. The fuel committee establishes and maintains
specifications for all aviation gasolines throughout the world. In addition,
ASTM approved the reintroduction of 91/98 grade aviation fuel, which can
be produced as an unleaded fuel and can serve as an alternative to 100LL
in more than 90 percent of the general aviation piston fleet. EAA chaired
the task group that led to this reintroduction, which provides another fuel
option for aircraft owners and companies developing new engines and engine
controls as leaded fuels are eventually phased
out.
New engine on the way!
Several months ago I wrote about a small turbine engine that is being developed
up there in Pennsylvania. The following is a progress report on this
engine.
Affordable Turbine Power is nearing the ready-to-fly status with their
turbine engine in their RV-4. A new German MT constant-speed propellor has
been installed (read big bucks!) ; it is electrically-controlled for pitch
adjustment, and many changes were necessary on their computer system, which
will control all engine and propellor parameters. They had previously
used a variable-pitch three-blade propellor, electrically adjusted, essentially
from an ultralight; it was not capable of absorbing all the power available
from their engine.
LONG STRUGGLE, FINAL SUCCESS, I FLEW MY RANS S-16 SHEKARI… -- By Ed Fry
( A friend of mine who started this project several months before we moved to Florida wrote this for his chapter newsletter (Chapter 400) in PA. - Larry Gilbert.)
It was a long battle that finally has given way to fantastic delight! I have soloed in my airplane, a long tale of hope, dream, sweat, effort, disappointment, patience! On Sunday, November 25, 2001 five and a half years after first seeing my dream plane at Sun-N-Fun 1996!
I participated in an Alligator Flight with EAA Chapter 400 members to the Sun-N-Fun Fly-In, Spring of 1996. While sulking around after realizing the Zenair Zodiac I had flown 1,000 miles to see and sit in didn’t turn me on in the least, I wandered into the RANS tent. On an easel in the back of the tent was a water-color of a new model. They called it their new HPFB (high performance fast build). It could fly on 80 to 150 h.p., was stressed for + or - 9 g’s, and would cruise close to 200 m.p.h. with the higher horsepower. Best of all, it could be built in as little as 600 to 1000 hours. WOW! This was it! Man, this was exactly what I was looking for all along!
The fuselage was pre-molded fiberglass, with the empennage incidence already locked in. I would not have to build in an accurately-controlled-temperature environment, which I didn’t have. The wings were all aluminum construction, and used pulled rivets, no bucking. Tri-gear or tailwheel, your choice. A 4130 chrome-moly steel welded cage took the engine, landing gear, and flight loads, also adding substantial crashworthiness to the structure. I already had a Subaru EA81 engine waiting; it was claimed to produce 100 h.p. After I got home I sent RANS a deposit of $1,000, which locked in my pre-production price of $15,000.
That marked the beginning of my patience battle. I waited three years to get my kit. It was shipped Christmas Eve 1998, and received New Year’s Eve, in a crate 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 16 feet long. My wife Vivian and I took inventory of the parts in the kit the day after New Year’s Day, 1999. My father and I worked hard nearly every day until mid-March, when business at my store (I sell and service commercial and residential lawn-mowing equipment, and other small-engine implements) boomed to meet the requirements of grass-cutting season, making time and shop space for working on the project hard to come by. Up to that time, we made great progress, and had a grand time! After assembling the right wing, getting the hang of the construction, we were then able to complete the left wing in three days! What a blast! Each wing has ½ of a degree of washout in it, and the accuracy of the CNC pre-punched holes had it all locked in! We were impressed. By this time, the wings were done, the fuselage shells, top, bottom, left and right, were bonded and riveted to the chrome-moly steel cage, and the internal controls were installed. It was sure looking like an airplane sitting on its gear. I towed it home, taking my wife Vivian’s car’s garage space for the summer, until the grass-mowing season slowed down and there was room in the shop once again.
November 1999 had us back in the airplane-building business. We finished in March 2000, and found a hangar at the Altoona-Blair Co. Airport. In the meantime, RANS had experienced a wing spar attachment lug problem, and promised an improved re-designed magnesium lug to replace the original aluminum plates. I waited a year for those replacements! More patience! We decided to go ahead and install the wings and get our FAA inspection done. Mr. John Loomis of the FAA Pittsburgh FSDO passed us in July, giving us a superior workmanship comment; a happy reward for our work and wait!
Our Chapter 400’s very competent, highly respected, immensely knowledgeable, quite gifted newsletter editor Paul Nuss agreed to test fly the Shekari for me. (Note I did not say he was smart!) The first flight was not very successful. There had been some symptoms of overheating on the ground, like we read about in Spitfires and Messerschmidts; we assumed the speed of flight, and great supply of air rushing through the Dodge Omni radiator, mounted aft of the engine, would cure that problem. It didn’t! The water temperature climbed rapidly, off the high end of the scale, followed by the oil pressure falling rapidly to zero. Besides, there simply wasn’t adequate power. Paul had nursed the Shekari to a bare 300 feet a.g.l. while performing a prompt return to get back on the runway before the engine seized! Paul said the airframe felt smooth, with nice handling, but the engine just didn’t have enough stuff, not to mention the extreme overheating. Not what I wanted to hear! More patience!
In October 200, I bought a 1998 Subaru EJ25 engine from a wrecked Forester from Mueller’s Auto Salvage, for $2,400. This is also liquid-cooled, 4-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine, but is fuel-injected and FADEC controlled. All electronic, spark, fuel injection, everything! Making a whole new engine mount, I also mounted two small radiators from 4-wheel ATV’s, up front, just inside the round cowl inlets. Cooling now seemed fine, but
only 4,350 r.p.m. was available, no way would it rev past that! Major frustration, and more patience! No one seemed able to help me. Subaru Corp. wouldn't even talk to me. A friend got the local dealer’s top tech guru to sit
in on a run-up with a diagnostic tester hooked up. He checked everything, and found nothing wrong! In hindsight, it seems simple, but at the time, we had hit a brick wall. It seems there must be an input to the controlling computer from a sensor in the transmission of the car, which is normally used to provide voltage to the speedometer to run the indicator needle. This signal gets converted to a pulsed square wave signal at 5096 pulses per minute, allowing the control computer to think the car is moving, and fire the ignition past 4350 r.p.m.’s and give you full power, to 165 b.h.p. It feels like we’re getting every bit of it now.
A few small glitches encountered during the ensuing test flights by Paul Nuss were ironed out with success. But, the performance might be beyond my experience. Fast airplane, very light and quick controls, and it is a taildragger! Paul recommends that I consider converting to the nose-wheel, tricycle gear configuration. Good thing I had anticipated this from the beginning of construction! I order the nose-wheel kit from RANS. They tell me they are re-designing it for bigger, heavier engines, and they will ship when ready. More patience!
The nose gear is installed. Finally, I’m ready, mechanically, if not skillfully. Good friend Paul Nuss again to the rescue. Paul had given me tailwheel training in his Taylorcraft, and also in Ralph Holtz’s L-4 Cub, which I enjoyed. Now Paul gave me some training in Ralph’s fabulous Extra 300L, which offered similarly light and fast and powerful control responses, as well as somewhat sharp stall characteristics. After a lot of contemplation, on Sunday November 25, 2001, a nice clear and calm afternoon, I sucked it up and went out and flew my long-on-frustration hard-won-success RANS S-16 "Shekari". IT WAS PURE JOY! Everything Paul said about the smooth but sensitive control response was true. In the smooth air of that beautiful calm day, it felt wonderful. I’ll let you know how it goes in rougher conditions.
Empty weight has come out at 1041 lbs. Cruise is 170 mph indicated air speed at 4,700 r.p.m. I think I’ll dial in one more dergree of pitch in my ground-adjustable Warp Drive propellor.. My test flying has just begun. It is such a good feeling to look outside while at work, and know that, now, if I could just play hookey from work, I could actually get in my own airplane and FLY! I’ll keep you all apprised of my progress. Wish me luck! --Ed Fry
President’s Corner
by Steve Pangborn
Welcome to the New Year. 2001 seemed like it just arrived and now we have 2002 on our doorstep. I trust everyone had a safe and joyous holiday season. By the way, we can ALL extend the party season by participating in YOUR EAA chapter banquet the 12th of this month. See me or any of the other chapterofficers for details and tickets!
The December pancake breakfast started out the holiday festivities and it was a complete success. I’m not sure of the "tally" {check with "cook the books"}, but we did well and were able to once again pay the bills for the month.
Finally, Lily and I were able to take to the skies again after what seemed like an eternity of groundings. We just bored holes in the sky the first day up, letting us both get the feel of flight again. Later in the month, I flew up to Blue Ridge near Oak Hill, and visited with Eva and Vince Grasso. They gave me the tour of her "zoo" and introduced me to the latest additions to their menagerie. I also sold them a pair of tickets to our chapter extravaganza {hint, hint, buy, buy!} on January 12th!
I’m pleased to announce that I am the first builder in the group to finish a Nieuport. I haven’t scheduled a test flight yet, but I’ll have to do that eventually, I suppose. Oh, by the way, my Nieuport is a 24" wingspan Guillow’s balsa model….got’cha! I’ll bring it to a chapter meeting for show and tell one of these days.
Well, enough for this month. Don’t forget the chapter pancake breakfast this month. Your help and/or participation is greatly appreciated. See you all at the banquet!
Blue Skies Steve
SWALLOWS
Received the following via e-mail from member Patti Patch and thought it might be worthy of publishing in this prestigious chapter newsletter. ...... Larry Gilbert
I guess I was wrong about things picking up! How about a little story about flying? Its called Dance With the Swallows. c G.Lee 2001
On a beautiful summer day, not so very long ago, Grandfather was preparing to wash his breakfast and lunch dishes. He ran the hot water and put in the detergent, but when the sink was
full, the water was much too hot for his hands. "OOCH! OUCH!" said Grandfather and pulled his fingers out very quickly. "I think I'll go out on the deck and have a cup of coffee while I wait
for the water to cool down a bit". So he made a cup of coffee and went outside with it. As he stood on the
deck, leaning against the railing he looked around and saw a small flock of Swallows playing in the sky. Some were chasing bugs for food, but one pair were playing tag. They would chase one another, twisting and
turning like acrobats in the sky until it was time to trade places and the other one would be the chaser.
Grandfather was delighted with how well these little birds could fly and glide. He grinned from ear to ear as he watched them playing. It even made him giggle deep down inside. He had to turn and twist himself to
follow their darting and weaving above him. Then something unusual happened. The Swallow that was chasing, suddenly turned and glided in a big circle, down to Grandfather's eye level. It glided past him at the edge of the garden, while the others continued to play high above. Grandfather turned to watch this one Swallow and thanked it for the wonderful show of aerobatics they were putting on for him, and the Swallow flew off again after its friends. Grandfather rested against the railing again with his back to the garden, and sipped his coffee. After a few minutes he looked up at the roof of the house and his eyes got as big as saucers! There on the roof were dozens of Swallows! And in the sky above him were dozens more! When he saw them, they started gliding down the slope of the roof like a sleigh ride, straight at him. Then they would dart and
turn in circles around his head. This made Grandfather giggle and grin, and he twisted his head to watch
certain ones as they turned quickly, one way and then the other to see if he could watch as fast as they could fly. Soon there were more Swallows trying to get Grandfather's attention than there were Swallows on the roof. Grandfather was twisting and turning, left and right. His head was bobbing up and down, right and left. He was dancing like he was at a Native Pow Wow, and the Swallows loved it, because he was watching them while he did it. After about ten minutes, Grandfather had either spilled or drunk all his
coffee, and decided he had better go in and finish washing the dishes. When he got to the sink and looked out the window, he saw the Swallows still flying around the yard. And suddenly they saw him! They flew
toward him so quickly and so close to the window that Grandfather thought they might crash into the window. But the Swallows are much better fliers than to do a thing like that. They flew straight at him and then pulled up and over the roof. Time after time they flew at him. Sometimes several at once, until Grandfather realized that they wanted him to come out and dance with them some more.
Grandfather dried his hands and went out on the deck again. He danced and danced for half an hour and had a delightful time. Then, the one Swallow that had first seen him watching them, came down very low. It
glided slowly past him just beyond arms length away. Grandfather watched with a big smile on his face, and the Swallow looked straight at him as it glided by. They were saying "thank you for the dance" to one another, and then the Swallows all took off and flew into the sky. Grandfather watched them go, and saw them circle a lady neighbor. But she just covered her head and hurried toward her home.
Only Grandfather danced with the Swallows because he loves things that fly, and the Swallows knew it!
Graham Lee
Milt Farrow’s Corvair engine
Recieved this note via e-mail from Milt
I received my cam, shaft and cam gear in the mail this past week with a set of main bearings-hope I can get the case together this month-then the new pistons (forged) and bearings will be next-after that things should come together rather quickly.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Smilin ‘Jack Chapter 866 annual winter party 6:00PM Holiday Inn Titusville
First Saturday.... every month (Jan 5th this month) Dunn Airpark (X21) Chapter 866 Smilin ‘Jack pancakes and MORE breakfast. 8:00 AM to ??
Contacts Steve Pangborn 321 631 1979 nc72085@phonetech.com, Neale Cranston 321 269 0803
Second Saturday.... every month Melrose Landing (FD22) Pancake breakfast 0900 to 1100 Contact Connie or Stan, 322 475 3522
Third Saturday....every month Valkeria (X59) EAA Chappie James Chapter 1288,
pancake breakfast 8:00 to ?
This chapter newsletter is published monthly to inform members and friends of our chapter about activities concerning our chapter and members. Our chapter is open and we welcome all who are interested in aviation activities of any kind.
The newsletter will be mailed prior to each monthly meeting. As editor I need your input so please submit materials for this newsletter. When you have something, you can submit via e-mail, on a computer disk, in writing, or by word of mouth. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month.
President
Vice
President
Secretary/Treas
Steve
Pangborn
Colleen
Betts
Neale Cranston
4625 James
Road
4801 Doreen
Road
2021 Malinda Ln
Cocoa, FL
32927
Cocoa, FL
32927
Titusville, Fl
32796
Newsletter Editor
Larry Gilbert
2002 Malinda Ln
Titusville, FL 32796
BIG PARTY