Today's Message Index:
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1. 09:48 AM - Verner Bites the Dust (Kirby Dennis Contr MDA/AL)
2. 06:37 PM - Re: Firestar 2 Vortex Generator Tests (David L. Bigelow)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Verner Bites the Dust |
--> Kolb-List message posted by: Kirby Dennis Contr MDA/AL <Dennis.Kirby@kirtland.af.mil>
> Kolb Friends -
>
> I've made the decision to install a different engine in my Mark-III. I
> purchased a Rotax 912UL.
>
> Most of you might recall: I originally built my Kolb with a Verner-1400,
> a 2 cylinder 4-stroke engine. Because of reliability issues with the
> Verner, 25 hours is all I've accumulated in the 2 years since my Mark-III
> was finished. It has been a frustrating 2 years.
>
> The ironic thing is, the Verner engine itself runs fine - it's the
> reduction drive that has been plagued with problems. I've seen the same
> redrive component fail FOUR times in 25 hours of run time. In each case,
> I discovered the failing part during the postflight inspection, and in
> each case, it was apparent that had I continued flying for even just one
> more hour, complete & catastrophic failure of the redrive hub would have
> occured, causing the prop to part company with the engine. Unacceptable.
>
>
> Although the US distributor from whom I purchased this engine has put
> forth exceptional effort in working with me, replacing the broken parts
> and trying to help me solve the problem, we have been getting zero support
> or help from the factory in Czech Republic.
>
> So, I'm done with this engine. The Verner distributor has agreed to buy
> it back for about 2/3 of what I paid for it in 2001. Yeah, I'm losing
> some money on the deal overall, but I'm just glad I'm able to make this
> decision without having suffered a disaster yet. The most frustrating
> part has been the down time. With 340 flyable days in New Mexico per
> year, I should have at least a hundred hours accumulated on my Kolb by
> now!
>
> I have been monitoring Barnstormers for the past several months, and
> finally came across a 912UL that was being parted out from an Aventura
> amphibian. Only 35 hours on the engine. And it arrived just yesterday.
> I've already ordered the 912 installation kit from New Kolb - I'm ready to
> begin transplant surgery on my Mark-III. Hopefully, I can still beat Big
> Lar back into the air!
>
> If there is a lesson here that I can share with you all, it's this: "You
> get what you pay for." In the 1980s, you could go out and buy a Yugo for
> HALF the price of any other economy car. But in the end, you only had ...
> a Yugo. At the time, I thought that I was getting a real bargain in
> buying the Verner, as it was only three-fourths the cost of a new 912 for
> the same horsepower. Well, friends, there is a reason why Verners
> worldwide number in the hundreds, while Rotax has sold hundreds of
> THOUSANDS of aircraft engines in the past 20 years. Go with what's
> reputable - you'll be better off in the long run!
>
> As I embark down this new 912 path, I'm sure I will be bugging all you
> other 912 Kolbers for installation and operation advice. Sorry for the
> long-winded post - but if even just one Kolb owner benefits from the
> lesson I learned, then sharing it was worthwhile.
>
> Dennis Kirby
> Mark-III, engineless (temporarily), but soon to be 912-powered in
> Cedar Crest, NM
>
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Firestar 2 Vortex Generator Tests |
--> Kolb-List message posted by: "David L. Bigelow" <dlbigelow@verizon.net>
Richard,
Interesting that the stall speed is increased on your Firestar. Like you, I find
the handling improvement to be the biggest benefit. Before VG's I found the
FS to handle in a somewhat "sloppy" manner. My remarks about new pilots getting
some time in the Firestar before installing VG's is because of the difference
in stall characteristics. In an unmodified Kolb, if you get slow in the
base turn, the nose just sort of drops a bit and the sink increases until you
relax back pressure - not too likely to be fatal. With VG's, when it stalls,
the nose drops to at least 20 degrees nose down, and a definite recovery is needed.
This could ruin your whole day when close to the ground.
One thing else I forgot to mention is a small change in trim. With VG's (at the
same airspeed as without VG's) the aircraft is a bit more nose heavy. It would
appear that the VG's cause the center of lift of the wing to move aft. This
is good for me - even with a some aileron droop rigged, I ended up putting
6 pounds of lead weights in the nose cone.
Dave Bigelow
FS2
Kamuela, HI
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