Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 05:03 PM - Re: Questions about Kolbs... (Richard Pike)
2. 05:11 PM - Re: Questions about Kolbs... (Stuart Harner)
3. 06:15 PM - Re: Questions about Kolbs... (Herb)
4. 07:20 PM - Questions about Kolbs... (JC Gilpin)
Message 1
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Subject: | Re: Questions about Kolbs... |
Me & my bud are in the process of rebuilding an original 1985 Firestar into a Firefly,
so cannot give you any answers at the moment. Will be posting the results
of our experiment over the next few months. Our goal is to make it a gen-u-wine
Part 103 U/L.
If necessary, we are looking at several Powered Paraglider engines, all of which
look promising should the Rotax 447 turn out to be too heavy.
Sorry for the delay, but that's the best we can do.
--------
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=464501#464501
Message 2
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Subject: | Questions about Kolbs... |
For true Part 103 status the Firefly can meet the requirements with a
447 IF built very carefully. 40 HP is plenty for this little plane.
The Hirth 2702 is almost and exact replacement for the now out of
production Rotax 447.
However the Hirth F-23 is about 20 pounds lighter and produces 50 HP! If
I were to build another new Firefly I think the F-23 would be my choice.
Especially if trying for the 254 pound weight limit. Rumor has it that
no one is running around weighing Ultra-lights checking for compliance.
I have no experience with an Ultrastar, someone else will have to answer
that one.
I have discovered a large flaw in my Firefly but it is not
Kolb=99s fault. There is WAY too little time on the tach!
Info on my FR here: Serenity
<http://harnerfarm.net/serenity/serenity.html>
Questions always welcome.
Stuart
From: owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Craddock
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2016 2:09 PM
Subject: Kolb-List: Questions about Kolbs...
Hi everyone,
I have been shopping for a good used UL - I am looking for a legal
weight UL that is easy to trailer and assemble in the field.
I used to fly the old Teratorn Tierra, and it never was practical to
trailer and assemble in the field. The Kolb Ultrastar and Firefly seem
to fit the bill, but I was really interested in what Kolb owners think -
I had some pretty basic questions about these:
Is the Ultrastar or Firefly with a 447 really under 254 lbs dry weight?
Do they fly well? does the landing gear hold up for off-field operation?
Has anyone flown both Ultrastar and Firefly to compare how they handle?
Do you like your Kolb? Any bad things about owning one?
What is the actual dry weight of a Firestar I or II with a 447 or 503?
Could it ever be 103 legal?
Thanks in advance for this info, or for any advice you may have...
Jeff Craddock
Lakewood, CO.
Message 3
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Subject: | Re: Questions about Kolbs... |
Ah! North Dakota, palm trees, gentle breezes...That what you are
dreaming of Stuart?? :-)
The Firefly built by Bryan does not get the complete Poly fiber
finishing process as I recall? The 4 inch wheels certainly look lost..
Both of my builds ran near 30+ lbs over ..Full enclosure, two full
coats of Poly brush and poly spray...and I kept adding color till I was
satisfied..:-) I also used larger rims and tires and mountain bike
mechanical brakes.. I also run three blade IVO props which add some
extra wt...Two blade Tenn prop is necessary to meet pt 103.
I seem to recall that the early Firefly's used .028 Cro Molly tubing.
and that .035 was made standard across the line when the Factory moved
to Ky?
No doubt, Jack Hart is the guru when it comes to building a anorexic
Firefly...:-) Herb
On 12/30/2016 07:10 PM, Stuart Harner wrote:
>
> For true Part 103 status the Firefly can meet the requirements with a
> 447 IF built very carefully. 40 HP is plenty for this little plane.
>
> The Hirth 2702 is almost and exact replacement for the now out of
> production Rotax 447.
>
> However the Hirth F-23 is about 20 pounds lighter and produces 50 HP!
> If I were to build another new Firefly I think the F-23 would be my
> choice. Especially if trying for the 254 pound weight limit. Rumor has
> it that no one is running around weighing Ultra-lights checking for
> compliance.
>
> I have no experience with an Ultrastar, someone else will have to
> answer that one.
>
> I have discovered a large flaw in my Firefly but it is not Kolbs
> fault. There is WAY too little time on the tach!
>
> Info on my FR here: Serenity
> <http://harnerfarm.net/serenity/serenity.html>
>
> Questions always welcome.
>
> Stuart
>
> *From:*owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com
> [mailto:owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com] *On Behalf Of *Jeff Craddock
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 29, 2016 2:09 PM
> *To:* kolb-list@matronics.com
> *Subject:* Kolb-List: Questions about Kolbs...
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have been shopping for a good used UL - I am looking for a legal
> weight UL that is easy to trailer and assemble in the field.
>
> I used to fly the old Teratorn Tierra, and it never was practical to
> trailer and assemble in the field. The Kolb Ultrastar and Firefly
> seem to fit the bill, but I was really interested in what Kolb owners
> think - I had some pretty basic questions about these:
>
> Is the Ultrastar or Firefly with a 447 really under 254 lbs dry
> weight?
>
> Do they fly well? does the landing gear hold up for off-field
> operation?
>
> Has anyone flown both Ultrastar and Firefly to compare how they
> handle?
>
> Do you like your Kolb? Any bad things about owning one?
>
> What is the actual dry weight of a Firestar I or II with a 447 or
> 503? Could it ever be 103 legal?
>
> Thanks in advance for this info, or for any advice you may have...
>
> Jeff Craddock
>
>
> Lakewood, CO.
>
--
"Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies
give way to tyranny."
Aristotle
"Daddy, tell me...why are you going to the pig farm for a reeducation and what
does it mean "A basket of deplorables"? "Are you unreedemable"? And" who is Stalin
and Mao Zedong"? Mark Twain's GGgranddaughter...
Message 4
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Subject: | Questions about Kolbs... |
I've flown and trailered both a FireFly and a FireStar fairly extensively,
so have a direct comparison. They both fly really well, and fold/unfold
easily.
I trailered and flew the FireFly from 48 airfields in 14 states in 9
months. The story is at http://jgwalkaboutusa.blogspot.com.au/
Then trailered and flew the FireStar from about 100 airfields over three
summers. The stories at
http://jgflyingroadtrip2013.blogspot.com.au/
http://jgflyingroadtrip2014.blogspot.com.au/
http://jgflyingroadtrip2015.blogspot.com.au/
These were wonderful adventures, only made possible by the easy
folding/trailering features of the Kolbs. I don't know why we don't hear
more about other Kolb owners really travelling around with their aircraft.
The Kolbs are so easy to fold/unfold and load into a trailer. Took me 25
minutes to fold and load, and same to unfold and ready to fly, always
without any help. Did it three times from three different airfields on some
days. Much better than travelling around in a larger fixed wing aircraft,
cause can travel long distance without the risk of being caught by weather,
and when arrived at an airfield have wheels and a dry bed for the night.
And doesn't cost much to travel that way, just fuel cost. There are so many
fantastic places to fly, as you will see by the photos in the blogs.
There's no way to really make the FireFly 103 legal with a 447. I only know
of one, and that was using the additions allowed with floats and stretching
the rule for ballistic chute allowance, and having no pod and absolutely
minimum everything....
I much preferred the FireStar for an aircraft to fly and land, especially
from rough strips. The FireFly, with it's short wings, is like a little
sports car, great sporty feel, but doesn't hold off and land as slow as the
FireStar. Of course the FireStar doesn't come near the weight for 103, with
a 503 weighs probably closer to 340lbs. And it sure is worth having the
dual ignition 503 if you're flying 'bush'. As long as it wasn't going to be
103 compliant anyhow, I added a 12 gal fuel tank to get some reasonable
range. Also Carlisle turf tires make landings on rough or soft ground much
easier on the landing gear. Those mods made it into a really useful and
capable aircraft for exploring the country, as you will see.
I resent the 254 lb limit of the 103 rule, cause all it does is allow a
very marginal flying machine, just ideal for getting up in the air high
enough to get hurt..... The 95.10 ultralight category in Australia allows a
generous empty weight of 200kg (440 lbs), which would easily include the
FireStar, and makes for a really substantial aircraft. Of course we need a
Light Sport license to fly it, but that's also a very sensible requirement
for safety.
So as far I was concerned, in my travels with the FireStar without numbers,
"If it looks like an ultralight, sounds like an ultralight, and flies like
an ultralight, so let it be an ultralight". I flew from about 150 airfields
and never was really challenged. One sour old bugger in N Dakota asked a
lot of doubting questions and took lots of photos, then when he went home
for lunch and probably to check on the internet, I loaded up and
disappeared.... Whenever I rolled into an airfield that was occupied, I
approached and asked if it was OK to fly my 'ultralight' from there. The
answers were nearly always welcoming, "Hey that's cool what you're doin',
if you need anything just come and ask...." Only twice was I denied access,
once at a private glider strip near Durango with no reason specified, and
at Sturgis ND when the big motorcycle rally was on, and he was very
apologetic, saying that there were so many fast aircraft ferrying
passengers in for the rally that it was too congested for a slow
ultralight, and he was correct, I didn't want to fly in that traffic
anyhow. And I certainly wasn't the only non compliant 'ultralight' flying
in the US, lots of them.... Just carefully follow the air rules and keep
out of the way, and don't cause an incident that would trigger an
investigation.....
I mostly hunted out the quietest unoccupied airfields that I could find.
Before I started out I spotted them on a Google Map like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?msa=0&mid=1M3r-k35k5fYqbOwxanex3pa2m1c&ll=35.50755579512139%2C-105.40188799999999&z=4
Those quiet airfields also made for ideal camping spots, with basic
facilities, and peaceful and safe. Vandals seem to avoid airfields.
So, by all means get a Kolb and a trailer and have an adventure!
Cheers,
JG
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