President's Corner
It probably was the headline in the newsletter that got all of us there, you know the "BIG work PARTY headline. Like everything else, ya gotta read the fine print. Just kidding! We got a lot done at the meeting last month because we had a good turnout and you guys came to work. Lots of sanding and wood preservative was applied to our Pietenpol project, with Wayne Bullington supervising the processes. We finally have an inventory of parts that we have for various things and especially for the Piet. In addition to all of this we have a complete inventory of the unassembled Continental engine that we are taking to the fly market at Sun n Fun. Incidently the engine is very complete and includes some new and extra parts. We intend to get $2,000.00 for this engine. A bargain! In addition to the engine we have a nose gear assy for a Piper Tri Pacer (I think) to take. All of this is about ready to take to Lakeland. It was a very productive meeting.
On the business end we discussed our last breakfast and learned that we made a cool $100.00. Not bad for a crummy wx day eh? Our faithful are renewing membership in this prestigious outfit so our treasury is doing well and we can continue to pay rent to the authority and the electric bill. Hey we came by a used air conditioner that we'll be hanging soon. Our summer meetings will be a lot more comfortable that last years were. How bout that?
Loretta made some of her famous chocolate chip cookies for the event too. They sold fast because they are delicious and the price was right.... FREE!
This chapter is really getting healthy!
Had fun this month doing mostly short hops with passengers to do the "Shuttle Landing Facility Tour." It is such a privilege to be able to do this! Bill Furnholm and I took Bill's son Eric on a tour of the facility and the beach and Eric, who is a ships captain took the controls of a small airplane for the first time in his life. He would be an excellent student for an instructor to teach to fly! Two friends, from PA. dropped in on us during "Bike Week" and we did the "Tour" plus the swamp run and a stop at The Outer Marker for lunch. Two men here from the UK, who are friends of Bill Mitchell and I did the "Tour." It was the first time in a light plane for one of them he remarked about what a privilege it is to be able to hop in a plane and fly out over the shuttle facility. Got to fly Tony Gyngell's better than new Archer one Saturday morning. What a nice airplane!
A couple of our friends came down from PA for the annual Bike Week event at Daytona and came to town to spend some time with us. I told them about the Warbird airshow at Spacecoast Regional and we decided to attend on Friday March 9. The show was quite disappointing. There was not much excitement except for the last performances by an A10, a couple of arriving F18s, and a good show by an F14. The sound system didn't work well so the announcements were very hard to hear. Many appeared to be leaving early. Don't think I'll pay to see this next year.
Great news! Steve has contacted Robert Decatur and Mr. Decatur has agreed to do the April program for us. As you may know, Mr Decatur is one of the original Tuskeegee airmen and a former federal judge. He will be speaking at our meeting . We also discussed getting our surplus parts, including our extra engine to the fly market at Sun n Fun. We have been offered a price for our engine and we feel the offer is too low so we plan to ask a reasonable figure for this at the fly market but have also decided that if the offer is increased to the point where we will get almost as much as we're asking, we'll sell it to this individual because the fly market gets 10% anyway. We also talked about the safety meeting that we're attempting to have. Larry said that Orlando FSDO must be too busy to respond to the phone messages and e-mails he has sent concerning this. We are looking to take another route for this and will keep you updated via this newsletter. Also we are considering doing a private pilot refresher type ground school and will invite everyone within and outside of the chapter to this. At our May meeting we may have another work party when we'll do some work on the Piet. Wayne Bullington who is in charge of the project said that this will be the last of these until he returns from up North next fall.
The following is a discussion that I thought was funny. It took place in cyberspace between Steve and onther Nieuport builders concerning flying wires. This was forwarded to me by Steve Pangborn.
For the Nieuport, I think I'd recommend about THUB on the loos guage.Or sell the guage and use THUB. About THUB pounds would be alright. I have no idea how many pounds or kilograms or ounces tension the cables are. I just pluck them and listen for "THUB". If it begins to sing its way too tight. If it just wobbles back and forth its too loose. It isn't any more critical than that. And it absolutely isn't 10% of 1600 pounds. Probably a bit more than 16 pounds. (1%)
Cheers
Graham
Bill Coleman wrote:
On 3/19/01 18:56, Graham Lee wrote:
I used the sound when plucking them. Pull the other wires away and
pluck the free wire. It shouldn't "sing", but it shouldn't be loose. Loose is "THUNK" Medium is "THUB", Too tight is "THUNG". The wires have a given strength. If they are tightened to ..say 500 pounds, that has to be subtracted from the strength of the wire and
what is left is all there is for the loads. Don't over tighten.
Graham,
There is a device called a Loos gauge. It was developed by a fellow
named Loos to check the tension of rigging wires on a sailboat. It can be used to measure the tension on a line with great accuracy. It's not unusual for tension wires to be tightened to 10% of their breaking strength in many applications (sailboat rigging and antenna tower guy lines amoung them) Given the ability to measure tension, what numeric tension would you recommend? Or perhaps you'd comment on the needed strength from each line?
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP?ASEL
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
?? Wilbur Wright, 1901
Why don't you get your cables to "THUB", then measure a THUB with your Loos gauge and then clue us all in so we can run out and buy/borrow/steal our own Loos gauge, Ha, ha!
In a March 19 conversation with Sue Gardner, FAA project manager for the proposed Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft rule, EAA learned that publishing of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) has been pushed into mid-summer. Gardner said the FAA would send the NPRM to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for review in early April, followed by an independent review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), each of which can take 30-60 days.
These developments are contrary to what the FAA said at a Feb. 28 project team briefing in Washington, D.C. There, the FAA said it would deliver the NPRM "in spring 2001." Considering the built-in reviews by three government agencies, publication by AirVenture Oshkosh 2001 (July 24-30) seems optimistic.
EAA will continue to follow the issue and encourage FAA to publish the NPRM as quickly as possible. Recently EAA President Tom Poberezny spoke with FAA Administrator Jane Garvey regarding the sport pilot proposal and its progress. Stay tuned for the latest developments.
President's Corner
By Steve Pangborn
Here it is, the end of March rapidly approaching, and we all know that heralds in the start of the new fly?in season¼..beginning with our own Sun N Fun Fly?in. Starting on April 8th and running through the 14th, it's an event you don't want to miss. If you attend for one day or all week, there will be things to see and do to satisfy everyone's interests{jeez, I sound like an advertisement!}! Be sure to set some time aside to attend. You might even hitch a ride on the tram I drive. Glad to take you wherever you need to go, even if to just rest those sore feet!
We had another successful pancake breakfast on March 3rd. Took in enough to pay the rent and electric for another month. Speaking of success', we had a very productive chapter meeting working on the Piet N Pol project. Aircraft parts got inventoried/cataloged, airframe pieces got a well?deserved coat or two of spar varnish, and other important items were attended to¼like "Retta's world renown desserts! A number of members including Wayne Bullington and Neale "numbers juggler" Cranston thought we should have these work sessions more often. We hope to do that every other month or so with some "premium" programming in between.
On the subject of premium programming, we will be honored with a very special guest for the April chapter meeting, who I'll let Larry go into more detail about. Just be sure and attend this very special meeting for a real treat.
One last item before closing. Anyone that would/could volunteer to help tag and/or deliver chapter aircraft parts to the Parts Mart at Sun N Fun would be highly appreciated. We hope to generate more chapter funding by selling some of the generous donations given by some of 866's members.
Enough "ranting" for another month. Be sure and attend the up coming chapter meeting AND Sun N Fun! As always, blue skies"
We have available at this month's meeting handouts on the arrival procedures for this fly-in. Also available for your viewing pleasaure is a video on this. I can attest to the worthiness of these handouts and the video if you intend to fly-in.
We have a COMPLETE + unassembled Continental A65/75
for sale. We're asking $2,000 for this. If it isn't sold by April by April 4, it is going to Sun n Fun to be sold at the fly market. Hey we have to pay them 10%, does this give you any ideas about making an offer? Contact Steve at
nc72085@phonetech.com
Private pilot ground school starting soon. This course will cover all subjects necessary to complete the knowledge test required as part of the Private Pilot requirements for license. Completion of course will include sign off for knowledge test. Contact Larry Gilbert 385 1908 or legilbert@juno.com
Every First Saturday Dunn Air Park, EAA Chapter 866 Pancake Breakfast.
Every Second Saturday, Charlotte County Airport, Punta
Gorda, EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast/ Young Eagles,
941-575-6360.
Every Second Saturday, Tampa, EAA Chapter 175 Fly-In
Breakfast/Young Eagles, 813-654-2921.
Every Second Saturday, Homestead, Fly-In and "Chikee
Chat" Seminar, 305-247-7886.
Saturday after Every Third Tuesday, Kissimmee Airport,
EAA Chapter 74 Pancake Breakfast, 321-678-5873.
Every Third Saturday, Valkaria Airport, Pancake
Breakfast/Young Eagles, 321-724-8671.
Every Fourth Saturday, Orlando, EAA Chapter 74 Pancake
Breakfast & Young Eagles, 321-841-7981.
Every Fourth Saturday, Crestview, EAA Chapter 108 Pancake
Breakfast, 904-862-2673.
Every First Sunday, Ft. Myers Airport, Chapter 66 Pancake
Breakfast, 941-945-7000.
Every First Sunday, Punta Gorda, Lo and Slo Flyers meeting,
941-505-0493.
Every Second Sunday, Naples Airport, EAA Chapter 1067
Fly-In Breakfast, 941-261-5701.
Every Third Sunday, Kissimmee Municipal Airport, west side of
the field, 9 am on.
Every Third Sunday, Sebring Airport, EAA Chapter 803
Pancake Breakfast, 941-465-6996.
Every Fourth Sunday, Bob Lee Airport, De Land, EAA
Chapter 635 Fly-In Picnic, 904-734-1032.
Every Last Sunday, Quincy, FL, EAA Chapter 445 Pancake
Breakfast.
The chapter newsletter is published monthly to inform members and friends of our chapter about activities of our chapter and members. Our chapter is open and we welcome all who are interested in aviation activities of any kind.
This newsletter will be mailed prior to each monthly meeting. We need your input so please submit materials for this newsletter. When you have something for this, you can submit via e-mail, on a computer disk, in writing, or by word of mouth. Please get the information to me by the 19th of the month. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month.
PresidentSTEVE PANGBORN 4625 JAMES ROAD COCOA, FL 32926
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Vice PresidentCOLLEEN BETTS 4801 DOREEN ROAD COCOA, FL 32927
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Secretary/TreasurerNEALE CRANSTON 2021 MALINDA LANE TITUSVILLE, FL 32796
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Newsletter Editor
LARRY GILBERT 2002 MALINDA LANE TITUSVILLE, FL 32796 321 385 1908 |