Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 02:09 PM - Re: Balance Master (Richard Pike)
2. 02:22 PM - Re: Re: Balance Master (william sullivan)
3. 02:36 PM - Re: Re: Balance Master (George Helton)
4. 04:40 PM - Re: Balance Master (Richard Pike)
5. 06:29 PM - Re: Re: Balance Master (John Hauck)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: Balance Master |
Got the Balance Master in the mail over the weekend, (Thank you Jack Hart!) installed
it and test flew the Firefly yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?vcfoOJJDpg
(Climbs good for a 277, huh?)
Here is the landing, just to show I don't always bounce them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulIJ_WHLMfY&feature=youtu.be
Substantial improvement in the vibration level, but not in the way we expected.
It is now smoother than previously at cruise rpm's, best around 5500, and the
smoothness band has widened out a bit. It is now smooth down to 5000, but still
vibrates a lot between 5000 and 4000, but not as much as before. In any event,
it is much better at normal cruise, and a tad better in that rpm area where
it stinks. The next thing we will be trying is to convert the 277 to dual ignition.
Back in the 80's, I had a Maxair Hummer with a 277 on it, and the 277 has a charging
coil that lays directly beneath the ignition source coil inside the magneto.
The normal ignition relys on points, but years ago, small engines could replace
the points and condenser with a small solid state device called an Atom.
It is about the size of a postage stamp, and acts like an ignition points device.
Got a friend with a machine shop to weld up a place on the hemispherical dome of
the 277 head, which I then milled flat and tapped for a B8ES plug, added a small
coil, and wired the whole mess up. Details are in the March 1990 EAA Experimenter
magazine.
Anyway, it worked great, and also - unlike the points ignition - the Atom has
an advance and retard function. Which had the effect of causing the 277 to idle
a lot smoother. And might also have an effect on the vibration level at lower
power settings. But if not, it is still always nice to have dual ignition.
So now I will be calling some of the snowmobile places up Nawth to see if I can
find a 277 head to experiment on. But that will be a topic for a different thread.
--------
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0
Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479734#479734
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Balance Master |
Very nice, Richard. What is the stall speed on that?
Try here for parts: http://alssnowmobile.com/
Bill Sullivan
Tarboro, NC
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 4/30/18, Richard Pike <thegreybaron@charter.net> wrote:
Subject: Kolb-List: Re: Balance Master
To: kolb-list@matronics.com
Date: Monday, April 30, 2018, 5:09 PM
Pike" <thegreybaron@charter.net>
Got the Balance Master in the mail over
the weekend, (Thank you Jack Hart!) installed it and test
flew the Firefly yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?vcfoOJJDpg
(Climbs good for a 277, huh?)
Here is the landing, just to show I
don't always bounce them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulIJ_WHLMfY&feature=youtu.be
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Balance Master |
Richard, if you should decide that a little more power might be nice? I have a
nice little Rotax 377 w/ 2:58 gearbox with approximately 80 total hours and a
new 66X28 Tennessee propeller with 10 hours. I flew the engine for 50+ hours and
the propeller for 10 last season. Lots of extras included. For sale. Email
me if your interested. Its available actually to anyone on the Kolb list.
Have a great day! George
George Helton
Firestar FS100, 2702 Hirth
14GDH
gdhelton@gmail.com
Do not archive.
> On Apr 30, 2018, at 5:09 PM, Richard Pike <thegreybaron@charter.net> wrote:
>
>
> Got the Balance Master in the mail over the weekend, (Thank you Jack Hart!) installed
it and test flew the Firefly yesterday.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?vcfoOJJDpg
> (Climbs good for a 277, huh?)
> Here is the landing, just to show I don't always bounce them:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulIJ_WHLMfY&feature=youtu.be
>
> Substantial improvement in the vibration level, but not in the way we expected.
It is now smoother than previously at cruise rpm's, best around 5500, and the
smoothness band has widened out a bit. It is now smooth down to 5000, but still
vibrates a lot between 5000 and 4000, but not as much as before. In any event,
it is much better at normal cruise, and a tad better in that rpm area where
it stinks. The next thing we will be trying is to convert the 277 to dual
ignition.
>
> Back in the 80's, I had a Maxair Hummer with a 277 on it, and the 277 has a charging
coil that lays directly beneath the ignition source coil inside the magneto.
The normal ignition relys on points, but years ago, small engines could
replace the points and condenser with a small solid state device called an Atom.
It is about the size of a postage stamp, and acts like an ignition points
device.
>
> Got a friend with a machine shop to weld up a place on the hemispherical dome
of the 277 head, which I then milled flat and tapped for a B8ES plug, added a
small coil, and wired the whole mess up. Details are in the March 1990 EAA Experimenter
magazine.
>
> Anyway, it worked great, and also - unlike the points ignition - the Atom has
an advance and retard function. Which had the effect of causing the 277 to idle
a lot smoother. And might also have an effect on the vibration level at lower
power settings. But if not, it is still always nice to have dual ignition.
>
> So now I will be calling some of the snowmobile places up Nawth to see if I can
find a 277 head to experiment on. But that will be a topic for a different
thread.
>
> --------
> Richard Pike
> Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
> Kingsport, TN 3TN0
>
> Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.
>
>
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479734#479734
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Message 4
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| Subject: | Re: Balance Master |
Stall speed (indicated) is currently between 30-35 indicated. The airspeed indicator
reads about 5 mph fast at 55, and needs to be calibrated, so the real answer
is - I don't know. Using the FAA's data sheets, it meets 103 specs, so
- yeah - it is pretty slow. We have a set of VG's from StolSpeed sitting on the
work bench, but they have not yet been installed. Waiting for the weather to
warm up, so that the adhesive will stick better. That should buy us another
4-7 mph, will report on that when we get to it.
Thanks for the offer of the 377, it would probably be smoother, but we are currently
barely legal as a Gen-U-Wine Part 103 legal U/L, a 377 would totally blow
that out of the water. (I have no idea how the Kolb Factory makes legal weight
with a 447, but that is none of my business...)
Right now, aside from trying to get the vibration on power-off descent to diminish,
we are very happy with the 277, it burns a bit less than 2 gph, and has
great performance. Once we put dual ignition on it, we will like it even better.
If we were to change it, we would probably go with one of the powered parachute
engines, lose about 20 - 30 pounds of weight, and get WAY better fuel economy.
Something that you have to experience to appreciate, is that lighter really is
better. Once you fly a really light Kolb, there is something about it that is
really unique. Reminds me of flying the Hummer back in the 80's. If the wind is
blowing and it is likely to be trashy, drag out the MKIII, add a passenger,
and that works really well. In trashy air, weight is your friend.
But if it is early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, and it is glass smooth,
drag out the Firefly, and go fly it. As Beauford used to say, it really
is a "tissue plane." Still a tough-as-nails Kolb, and turbulence is not going
to hurt it, but it floats and flits around. A very different experience, and once
you learn to trust it, it is a good ride.
--------
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0
Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479740#479740
Message 5
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| Subject: | Re: Balance Master |
To me, a Firefly flies better in wind and turbulence than a FS. Looks like
your airplane is more FS, with the FS wings, than Firefly. The Firefly
fuselage has a lot of FS in it. Been a long time since I have flown a FF,
but I still remember the winds at Lakeland and how well the FF handled them.
Only time the wind bothered me in the FF was when we were encountering
really stiff rollers of the trees just before touchdown. I did run out of
aileron once. It got my attention when the stick hit the aileron stop, but
I didn't crash. ;-)
john h
mkIII
Titus, Alabama
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-kolb-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Richard Pike
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2018 6:41 PM
Subject: Kolb-List: Re: Balance Master
Stall speed (indicated) is currently between 30-35 indicated. The airspeed
indicator reads about 5 mph fast at 55, and needs to be calibrated, so the
real answer is - I don't know. Using the FAA's data sheets, it meets 103
specs, so - yeah - it is pretty slow. We have a set of VG's from StolSpeed
sitting on the work bench, but they have not yet been installed. Waiting for
the weather to warm up, so that the adhesive will stick better. That should
buy us another 4-7 mph, will report on that when we get to it.
Thanks for the offer of the 377, it would probably be smoother, but we are
currently barely legal as a Gen-U-Wine Part 103 legal U/L, a 377 would
totally blow that out of the water. (I have no idea how the Kolb Factory
makes legal weight with a 447, but that is none of my business...)
Right now, aside from trying to get the vibration on power-off descent to
diminish, we are very happy with the 277, it burns a bit less than 2 gph,
and has great performance. Once we put dual ignition on it, we will like it
even better.
If we were to change it, we would probably go with one of the powered
parachute engines, lose about 20 - 30 pounds of weight, and get WAY better
fuel economy.
Something that you have to experience to appreciate, is that lighter really
is better. Once you fly a really light Kolb, there is something about it
that is really unique. Reminds me of flying the Hummer back in the 80's. If
the wind is blowing and it is likely to be trashy, drag out the MKIII, add a
passenger, and that works really well. In trashy air, weight is your friend.
But if it is early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, and it is glass
smooth, drag out the Firefly, and go fly it. As Beauford used to say, it
really is a "tissue plane." Still a tough-as-nails Kolb, and turbulence is
not going to hurt it, but it floats and flits around. A very different
experience, and once you learn to trust it, it is a good ride.
--------
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0
Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is
amazing.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479740#479740
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