Today's Message Index:
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1. 03:30 AM - Re: JC's foldable project... (JC Gilpin)
2. 07:20 AM - Re: JC's foldable project... (Richard Pike)
3. 07:28 AM - Re: Elevator/Stabilizer hinge ass'y (KIRBY, DENNIS T GS-13 USAF AFMC AFNWC/EZS)
4. 08:36 AM - Re: Wing Swivel - Now OSH (w0odi)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: JC's foldable project... |
Gday All,
This is not Kolb related so I feel that I'm intruding on this forum, but
I've had several requests from folks on this list for more info, so I'll
try to cover it all right now even if it gets a bit long-winded, and then
I'll get out of your way.
For a start, I call it my 'High Clearance Trail Bike' HCTB. It's all my
own design and concept, but of course it's pretty much all been done
before, so it's just a matter of using what has already been proven to work
elsewhere. It fits the Australian 95.10 ultralite category which allows
300kg(660lbs) max T/O weight, but must allow for a 90kg(198lb) pilot and
15litres(10.5kg) of fuel, so max empty weight = 199.5kg(439lb). (Sounds
weird but that's the way they do it.) This one weighs 180kg = 396lb at
present. That's a fair bit heavier than most FireStars, which with options
of 503, heavy duty wheels and brakes, 15gal tank, etc, I would guess come
in at close to 350lb. I only weigh 165#, so my all up weight won't be much
more than a 200#er in a FireStar. It's heavier than best for max climb
performance, but built for a special purpose as follows. I built the
fuselage 10 years ago, then got distracted by other projects until now....
Fuselage construction is all welded aluminum, a mixture of 6061 T6
construction material and 6060 T5 ordinary domestic material. In Australia
all aircraft grade material must be imported and with the limited market
there's really only one supplier so you can imagine the prices..... An
advantage of this material used is that it's all weldable. Nothing is
thinner wall than 1.6mm(0.062", 1/16"), which makes welding easy enough but
adds weight. It's all welded with an old MigOMag 175, which is a totally
basic MIG, no pulse or hot start or variable heat while running, so it was
quite a challenge..... Have to travel really fast and don't hesitate, but
with a whole lot of practice it works well. Not as pretty as a TIG, but
100% penetration and large strong beads, if a bit lumpy..... But some
pretty good results if I do say so myself.... The heat from welding
anneals the material either side, so some loss of strength but take that
into account in design. But the good point is there are no hard brittle
spots that can lead to cracking, as can happen next to a weld in chrom-moly
steel.
I feel that I need to justify this method of welded aluminum construction
because so many are horrified by the very idea.... I have some experience
that proves to me how suitable it can be. I once converted a Beaver RX550
into a twin-engined, push-pull, with 447's front and back. (Incidentally,
push-pull is not a good arrangement unless you can have in-flight
adjustable props, and beside two 2-strokes is way too many to deal with!)
That conversion involved a lot of modification, including moving the
landing gear strong point and adding a front engine mount, and I did all
that in welded aluminum. I also considerably strengthened the pilot
protection cage with welded domestic tubing 3mm(1/8") wall. Then while
attempting to land on an outback road to access a fuel station, I hooked
the wheels in a single wire power line and crashed vertical nose first onto
the road...... Only injury was a broken ankle, but if it hadn't been for
that protection cage I'd have been hamburger..... The impact destroyed the
aircraft, with every bolted tube joint of the original manufacture busted,
and riveted web joints mostly torn away, but not one of my welded joints
broke! Lots of bent tubing absorbing the energy, but not one fracture....
That just confirmed testing that I had done in the workshop, and convinced
me that I wanted the next aircraft to be built this way. A shattered heel
bone takes a long time to heal, and as I hobbled around the workshop
working on this HCTB project, that ankle kept reminding me that this time I
want even better protection....
And there is massive pilot protection in this aircraft. The boom is 4x3"
0.062 wall 6060 T6 rectangular section, as used in the construction
industry. It goes right from the very front of the aircraft to the tail,
shaped like the keel of a boat. The connection to the wings and around the
pilot is thoroughly triangulated, with multiple redundant load paths and
all members carrying loads only in tension/compression, so no bending
moments. Extra structure out front to protect me from tree branches, wires,
or whatever may come. There are places I want to explore that will have no
good landing options, so if the engine stops it'll have to be a rough
landing into whatever terrain is down there. I'm tired of having to turn
back because landing options weren't suitable for an aircraft where I'm
sitting out front with no protection, and my feet would be the first to
arrive followed closely by my face.... With a 30kt landing speed, good
seatbelts, and the structural protection in this aircraft, I think it would
be walkaway from just about anything..... Not that I'm going to get
reckless about it..... No going to count on this protection over tall
forests..... Much of Australia is covered by 'mulga scrub'. These are
small trees 10-20' tall, often open spaced but not open enough to land and
roll. Very tough and hard, push a branch and it pushes back. Kind of like
mesquite, tough and ornery... Jutting up and out from the base are often
dead branches that are as sharp and rigid as spears.... That's the sort of
terrain that I want protection from....
The wing at present is the Dacron skin from a Drifter on my own ladder
truss frame. Goes OK, but I may change to something more high-lift for
slower STOL. Haven't built the folding mechanism until I settle of the
right wing. The tail is from that wrecked Beaver (only the tail and rear
447 survived). Still need to build a folding tail like the Kolb. Aileron
and elevator controls are push-pull cables, rudder by wire cables. The seat
tank is rotationally molded polyethylene, made here for gyros, 15 gal.
One aircraft that stimulated this design was the AirBike, except I didn't
want my feet outside the cockpit, with cold wind blowing up pant
legs...... This concept could just as well be built from chrom-moly or
aluminum tube joined with riveted webs. I found enough books on aircraft
design that give guidance on the incident angles, proportions of tail
surfaces, etc, etc, and measuring of other aircraft with proven flying
characteristics, so that this wasn't really an unknown design. I'm no
aeronautical engineer, but neither was Homer Kolb.....
My Kolb list access doesn't show the last photo I posted, but the rest of
you seem to have seen it, so I'll go ahead and post some more photos, then
get out of the way.
Cheers,
JG
=8BIt does look a bit like a High Clearance Trail Bike, eh....
=8BThat 'keel' goes right through under the pilot.
The landing gear and main strut mounts are all one piece to carry the
largest loads to one point.
That 'stinger' out front is to protect the prop in case I brake too hard
and nose over.
=8BThe early framework.
=8B=8B
=8BIt will eventually pack up like this to be able to load into the s
limmest
trailer for easy towing. The engine in front makes the folded width more
compact.
=8BLove this tail wheel! It makes this a 'tail wheel' aircraft rathe
r than a
'tail dragger'. As soon as it's on the ground I have complete steerage
control, on soft sand or hard asphalt, regardless of x-wind. It's 10"
diameter and 3" wide, and I'm willing to live with the minimal drag at our
speeds. I hated the little toy wheel on the Kolbs....
Those down tubes are 1/8" wall.....
My ankle feels really safe and comfortable in there....
I do like to sit well back behind the engine and all that structure up
front.....
Visibility is still pretty good.
=8B
=8BFirst flight, with the wings borrowed from a Zenith 701. It didn'
t like
those slatted wings, way too draggy.... Went better without the leading
edge slats, but still not suitable for a folding aircraft due to inevitable
dents in a metal wing from all the handling.
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: JC's foldable project... |
John you have designed a very clever and well thought out little airplane. I especially
like how the landing gear arrangement was done. Hope you never need to
prove it to be as tough as it looks.
--------
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0
Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWcDXT6pH7A
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=454303#454303
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Elevator/Stabilizer hinge ass'y |
Kolb Friends -
This has been a lively discussion ... precisely what this forum is intended to
bring out.
I ask, however, if we could please follow Matt's guidelines to crop all the previous
discussion thread that is not pertinent to the poster's direct point.
We're seeing MILES of previous post material following someone's short reply.
I'm getting carpel-tunnel in my right index finger trying to scroll down to the
next message ... and it's all unnecessary text to the context of the actual
post.
Not tryin' to be the List policeman here. Just asking that we try to be a bit
more brief in our responses.
Thanks, everyone ...
Dennis Kirby
Do not archive
Message 4
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| Subject: | Re: Wing Swivel - Now OSH |
Stuart,
Thanks for your reply... Sounds like it has changed quite a bit, I was much younger
in 91 and the walking wasn't a problem but now that I am older walking those
distances wouldn't be as much fun as they were back then...
The trams would be the way to go... I love the war birds but my main interest is
on the south end... :)
Sounds like you have a good spot if you are camping by the Red Barn that would
really be handy..
It would be great to have the Firefly then no Annual no registration... All I
want to do is fly and I don't really have any place I want to go other than just
get up and fly and look and the beauty of God's creation... It is amazing all
the things that you see that you have no idea that are there other wise.. Lots
of hidden treasures you get to see from the air..
The extra HP from the Hirth would be great... would be like a rocket... oh and
as you said about not banking and yanking I don't like to fly that way anyway
never did back in the days of flying GA stuff.... Love just flying along at a
relaxed pace between 500 and 1000 ft.....as I only have 10 hours on this machine
since i bought it last year so I am still learning what it can do and also
what I can and can't do....
Thanks
Larry
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