Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 04:47 AM - Fw: A trip to "Lightning Operations" (Dave)
2. 05:35 AM - Lightnings in cross winds (EAFerguson@AOL.COM)
3. 11:33 AM - Re: A trip to "Lightning Operations" (Ron Wullaert)
4. 12:55 PM - Re: A trip to "Lightning Operations" (N1BZRich@AOL.COM)
5. 01:05 PM - Re: A trip to "Lightning Operations" (N1BZRich@AOL.COM)
6. 01:07 PM - Back in Virginia (N1BZRich@AOL.COM)
7. 01:38 PM - Re: Back in Virginia (Brian Whittingham)
8. 06:04 PM - fiberglass parts (Tex Mantell)
9. 06:09 PM - Re: Back in Virginia (N1BZRich@AOL.COM)
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| Subject: | A trip to "Lightning Operations" |
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: Lightning-List: A trip to "Lightning Operations"
Pete
I concur, my question related to paragraph 6.3, sub notes. I am sure I
was reading into it about any engine below serial 856 having a lower
flywheel bolt torque of 24 ft lbs.
Thanks again, Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: Pete
To: lightning-list@matronics.com
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 7:43 AM
Subject: RE: Lightning-List: A trip to "Lightning Operations"
Dave,
From the service bulletin itself:
4.7 2200 Engines S/No. 2058 and Above. 3300 Engines S/No. 837 and
Above.
a) Maintain the engine as detailed in Modified Maintenance Schedule B
in Section 6.2
below.
As you can see engines serial number 33A837 and above only need to
comply with the revised maintenance schedule.
Pete Krotje
Jabiru USA Sport Aircraft, LLC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Dave
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 6:56 AM
To: lightning-list@matronics.com
Subject: Re: Lightning-List: A trip to "Lightning Operations"
Buz
I believe the flywheel bolt applies to all engines under serial 856.
If I read it right your flywheel bolts would not have the new torque of
24 lbs. I will be replacing mine on serial 751 with 219 hrs. Please let
me know if I am incorrect.
More stuff-- don't know if you were lucky enough to install a
Becker com, if not and have a Micro 760, I had to send mine in because
of a factory circuit board problem and internal ground strapping
problems. I had to call Australia to figure this one out. You can
receive, but sends garbled.
Auto pilot is almost done, excited to give it a try.
Dave McC
----- Original Message -----
From: N1BZRich@aol.com
To: lightning-list@matronics.com
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 9:28 PM
Subject: Lightning-List: A trip to "Lightning Operations"
Hello to all Lightning pilots, builders, and fans,
Hopefully this "rather long" trip report will generate some more
message traffic about the Lightning. I hope so. Feel free to inject
your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or questions. Someone on the list
will probably have the answers. Here goes:
I just spent another ten days with the Lightning guys in
Tennessee and thought I would post a few thoughts and observations. The
purpose of my trip from Virginia to Shelbyville was twofold. First, my
Jabiru 3300 powered Esqual LS (Lightning Stuff) now has 250 hours on it
(in the last 14 months) and I needed to do some time phased preventative
engine maintenance. More on that later. The second reason for the trip
was to help Joe and Linda Mathias (good friends from Virginia) with the
initial test flights on their Lightning and also help them with some of
the detail things like gear leg fairings and wheel pants.
The trip out here Friday a week ago was one of the roughest
rides I have had in a light airplane. I bumped all the way across
Virginia and the eastern half of Tennessee and at times saw winds as
high as 80 mph (about 30 degrees off the nose) and an effective head
wind of almost 50 mph. Luckily, the winds changed to mostly cross winds
as I got further into Tennessee, so I was able make up some time and get
my average speed up some. As I usually do, I made the trip non stop,
but it took 4.2 hours due to the head winds. I still managed to average
130 mph block to block, but I normally can make the trip in 3.3 hours
with a block to block speed close to 170. Fuel burn for this trip was
about 6 gph - slightly higher that I normally burn, but I kept trying
different altitudes with hopes of finding less head winds and smoother
air. No luck.
Saturday morning (24 Feb) the Lightning and Jabiru aircraft guys
attended an EAA fly-in here at Shelbyville. Yes, we took off from here
and then "flew-in". Nick in the prototype Lightning, Pete in a new
Special Light Sport Jabiru, and me in 31BZ, flew some formation before
landing for another great EAA breakfast. The ramp was full and the food
was great, so it was a good fly-in.
Saturday afternoon Pete helped me do yet another head torque and
valve adjustment (not a requirement for those of you that have the new
hydraulic lifter engines). We also replaced the distributor caps and
rotors, put on new plug wires, and set the gap between the flywheel
magnets and ignition coils. Note: the distributor caps and rotors are
time replacement items which I should have done at 200 hours. One other
thing we did was to check my engine serial number against the Jabiru
Service Bulletin having to do with the flywheel bolts. Luckily my
engine serial number (843) did not require the procedures called out in
the SB.
Sunday was spent doing a few other maintenance and clean up
items on 31BZ while Pete flew some more time off another SLA Jabiru.
Believe it or not, Pete and Ben (with family members) went to a Circus
here in Shelbyville Sunday afternoon. You would think they would have
had their fill of dealing with us "Clowns" on a daily basis.
Monday was a big event as Nick made a first flight in Rick
Bowen's Lightning which flew beautifully with no airframe corrections
required. I happened to be airborne flying some demo flights at the
time and was able to get a close up view of Rick's "jet" in flight.
Unfortunately, I did not have a camera with me, but it is another
beautiful Lightning.
Tuesday's big event was Linda and Joe's airworthiness inspection
by the local FAA DAR. The inspection went well - as do all of the
inspections in Shelbyville because the Lightning and Jabiru guys know
their stuff and have a great reputation with the FAA. I am always
impressed as to how "on top of things" the Tennessee gang is. If you
have any kind of "tool skills" and will listen to their guidance, you
will end up with a fantastic airplane.
Wednesday was probably a first for the Arion Aircraft group as
two Lightnings made their first flights on the same day. Linda and Joe
trusted me enough to give me the honor of making the first flight in
their "Lightning Bug" (N59JL) and it flew beautifully. Linda will take
over the test flying duties soon. Shortly after that flight Nick made
the first flight in Joe Cooper's Lightning and Joe was on hand to
witness the event. I had flown earlier that day with Joe in the left
seat of 31BZ and he is anxious to climb in his own cockpit to see how
much better the Lightning really is. Another neat thing about Wednesday
was that two Lightnings that had previously "flown the coop" returned to
"home plate". Earl Ferguson and John Davis both flew back to SYI for a
visit. Earl flew some demo flights in his soon to be "record setter"
(ask Earl what that means). And John's "red, white, and blue patriotic
Lightning" is absolutely beautiful, but I have to ask John where he got
that short "dorky looking" prop; in a box of Cracker Jacks maybe?
Saturday (3 March) was another EAA fly-in breakfast, this time
at Winchester, Tennessee. Three aircraft made the hop to BGF from SYI.
Pete flew the Jabiru 170 with Joe Mathias flying as co-pilot, Ben was in
the Jab 250 with Linda Mathias, and I took Joe and Linda's (N59JL) on
it's first cross country. The winds were forecast to be high all day in
this part of Tennessee, and the weather guessers were right. When we
got back to SYI we had a direct cross wind of 17 knots with gusts close
to 30. I must admit I was concerned, being in a new airplane, but the
Lightning handled the cross wind with no problem. The afternoon was
spent fitting gear leg fairings and wheel pants to N59JL since the winds
prevented effective test flying.
Sunday morning I put another 1.2 hours on Linda and Joe's
Lightning in order to reach a total of 5 hours so that we could do the
initial head torque. After that Linda and I flew one last flight in my
Esqual with her in the left seat and doing all the flying. She handled
the cross wind well and felt ready to fly her Lightning so she did just
that, flying for an hour. While Linda was airborne, Mark and I took
31BZ up for more transition training for him. Mark flew some loose
formation with Linda for a while in order to check her airspeed
indications. Overall a full, fun day. Linda's landing was superb, so
congratulations are in order for her initial solo in an airplane she
built. And it is a beautiful example of the Lightning.
A few other observations:
-The new Lightning Demonstrator is back from the paint shop and
it is going to be a super aircraft. It will have a great panel layout
with an impressive dual screen Grand Rapids EFIS set up. It should fly
in a few weeks. Look for this new Demonstrator Lightning at Sun-N-Fun
where it will be doing triple duty - in the display booth, in the fly-by
pattern, and flying demo rides for potential customers. Speaking of
SNF, so far it looks like at least five Lightnings will be there (plus
31BZ). I am sure we will have some sort of get together while there, so
make your plans now to attend. Lets make it a real "Lightning Storm".
-The Prototype Lightning will be testing a new prop to try in
the near future. Nick has been running it with a ground adjustable
carbon fiber Sensenich set to a pitch of 56 inches and the engine will
still turn up at least 3400 RPM. Nick mounted a new Sensenich wooden
64ZK58 on Saturday and will be trying it out this Monday if winds and
weather allow. Stand by for a "sonic boom" as Nick starts testing the
Lightning with this prop. Nick will provide actual test results when
available.
-The Jabiru hangar (next to Lightning) is full of Jabiru
aircraft in various stages of completion. If you want a "turn key"
Special Light Sport Aircraft that will run circles around a Cessna 172,
a Piper Cherokee, or certainly any LSA, take a look at the Jabiru 250.
I am lucky enough to have flown the Jabiru 170, 250 and 400, and all are
impressive. Talk to Ben about a test flight in one of these unique
airplanes, but do it soon - they build one a week and they are sold out
until sometime in June.
-Final thoughts: It never ceases to amaze me at the overall
value and capability that the Lightning represents. If you want a truly
beautiful kit built aircraft that is relatively inexpensive (compared to
other aircraft with similar performance), quick to build, and has
amazing performance while being extremely economical to operate, you
absolutely have to seriously consider the Lightning. You will not be
disappointed. And remember, it can also be built to meet the Light
Sport requirements. Also, if you are in a real hurry to get in the air,
sign up for their builder's assist program. With their expert help and
guidance, you will soon be flying an aircraft of your own creation.
That is certainly a rewarding experience. Another observation is that
the quality of the finished product when using the builders assist
program, is absolutely superb. All of the Lightnings built here that I
have seen (and I think I have seen them all) could easily be called
"show quality". They will get lots of attention at any EAA fly-in. If
you don't win a trophy it may be because the Judges asked you "How long
did it take you to build your airplane?" They may not believe you.
-Heck, I want a Lightning. Anyone want to buy a fast Esqual?
Blue Skies,
Buz Rich
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| Subject: | Lightnings in cross winds |
Buz brought up cross wind landings in the last set of messages. Very timely.
March came in with a bang last week. I went flying Saturday with Barry Grant
who is interested in a Lightning, and we picked the worst wind conditions
I've had with this new airplane. Bumpy air up to 7500', Landing conditions at 17
to 18K with gusts to 25 and wind directions variable. Four landings and TOs
at 3 airports. Every time I picked a runway based on the current wind
direction, it changed to a 90 deg cross wind by the time I lifted off.
The bottom line: In none of the takeoffs or landings did I run out of
aileron or rudder. It is safe to say that I have a demonstrated cross wind
capability of 18+K at or near max gross. Performance at lower weights was about
the
same.
I do have a recommendation for takeoffs in gusty wind conditions. Hold on
the runway until you have about 5K+/- over normal lift-off. Then use the extra
airspeed to climb quickly to 20-30 feet above the runway to avoid being set
back down by a gust.
Note that these are observations for my airplane, in LSA configuration with
vortex generators. Your airplane will be different, and you should do your own
testing. All disclaimers apply.
Earl Ferguson
N17EF Atlanta
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| Subject: | A trip to "Lightning Operations" |
Buz
I'm a huge Lightning fan living in Belgium. I've been following the
Lighting list for almost a year now and I must say, It's because of
reports
like yours that I get more and more attracted to this great flying
machine.
I will be traveling to the US for a business trip in April. I've made
some
changes to my plans to be a few days earlier in the US so that I can
visit
you guys at Sun-N-Fun. Looking forward to it already!
Ron
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of
N1BZRich@aol.com
Sent: maandag 5 maart 2007 4:29
Subject: Lightning-List: A trip to "Lightning Operations"
Hello to all Lightning pilots, builders, and fans,
Hopefully this "rather long" trip report will generate some more
message
traffic about the Lightning. I hope so. Feel free to inject your
thoughts,
ideas, suggestions, or questions. Someone on the list will probably
have
the answers. Here goes:
I just spent another ten days with the Lightning guys in Tennessee
and
thought I would post a few thoughts and observations. The purpose of my
trip from Virginia to Shelbyville was twofold. First, my Jabiru 3300
powered Esqual LS (Lightning Stuff) now has 250 hours on it (in the last
14
months) and I needed to do some time phased preventative engine
maintenance.
More on that later. The second reason for the trip was to help Joe and
Linda Mathias (good friends from Virginia) with the initial test flights
on
their Lightning and also help them with some of the detail things like
gear
leg fairings and wheel pants.
The trip out here Friday a week ago was one of the roughest rides I
have
had in a light airplane. I bumped all the way across Virginia and the
eastern half of Tennessee and at times saw winds as high as 80 mph
(about 30
degrees off the nose) and an effective head wind of almost 50 mph.
Luckily,
the winds changed to mostly cross winds as I got further into Tennessee,
so
I was able make up some time and get my average speed up some. As I
usually
do, I made the trip non stop, but it took 4.2 hours due to the head
winds.
I still managed to average 130 mph block to block, but I normally can
make
the trip in 3.3 hours with a block to block speed close to 170. Fuel
burn
for this trip was about 6 gph - slightly higher that I normally burn,
but I
kept trying different altitudes with hopes of finding less head winds
and
smoother air. No luck.
Saturday morning (24 Feb) the Lightning and Jabiru aircraft guys
attended an EAA fly-in here at Shelbyville. Yes, we took off from here
and
then "flew-in". Nick in the prototype Lightning, Pete in a new Special
Light Sport Jabiru, and me in 31BZ, flew some formation before landing
for
another great EAA breakfast. The ramp was full and the food was great,
so
it was a good fly-in.
Saturday afternoon Pete helped me do yet another head torque and
valve
adjustment (not a requirement for those of you that have the new
hydraulic
lifter engines). We also replaced the distributor caps and rotors, put
on
new plug wires, and set the gap between the flywheel magnets and
ignition
coils. Note: the distributor caps and rotors are time replacement
items
which I should have done at 200 hours. One other thing we did was to
check
my engine serial number against the Jabiru Service Bulletin having to do
with the flywheel bolts. Luckily my engine serial number (843) did not
require the procedures called out in the SB.
Sunday was spent doing a few other maintenance and clean up items on
31BZ while Pete flew some more time off another SLA Jabiru. Believe it
or
not, Pete and Ben (with family members) went to a Circus here in
Shelbyville
Sunday afternoon. You would think they would have had their fill of
dealing
with us "Clowns" on a daily basis.
Monday was a big event as Nick made a first flight in Rick Bowen's
Lightning which flew beautifully with no airframe corrections required.
I
happened to be airborne flying some demo flights at the time and was
able to
get a close up view of Rick's "jet" in flight. Unfortunately, I did not
have a camera with me, but it is another beautiful Lightning.
Tuesday's big event was Linda and Joe's airworthiness inspection by
the
local FAA DAR. The inspection went well - as do all of the inspections
in
Shelbyville because the Lightning and Jabiru guys know their stuff and
have
a great reputation with the FAA. I am always impressed as to how "on
top of
things" the Tennessee gang is. If you have any kind of "tool skills"
and
will listen to their guidance, you will end up with a fantastic
airplane.
Wednesday was probably a first for the Arion Aircraft group as two
Lightnings made their first flights on the same day. Linda and Joe
trusted
me enough to give me the honor of making the first flight in their
"Lightning Bug" (N59JL) and it flew beautifully. Linda will take over
the
test flying duties soon. Shortly after that flight Nick made the first
flight in Joe Cooper's Lightning and Joe was on hand to witness the
event.
I had flown earlier that day with Joe in the left seat of 31BZ and he is
anxious to climb in his own cockpit to see how much better the Lightning
really is. Another neat thing about Wednesday was that two Lightnings
that
had previously "flown the coop" returned to "home plate". Earl Ferguson
and
John Davis both flew back to SYI for a visit. Earl flew some demo
flights
in his soon to be "record setter" (ask Earl what that means). And
John's
"red, white, and blue patriotic Lightning" is absolutely beautiful, but
I
have to ask John where he got that short "dorky looking" prop; in a box
of
Cracker Jacks maybe?
Saturday (3 March) was another EAA fly-in breakfast, this time at
Winchester, Tennessee. Three aircraft made the hop to BGF from SYI.
Pete
flew the Jabiru 170 with Joe Mathias flying as co-pilot, Ben was in the
Jab
250 with Linda Mathias, and I took Joe and Linda's (N59JL) on it's first
cross country. The winds were forecast to be high all day in this part
of
Tennessee, and the weather guessers were right. When we got back to SYI
we
had a direct cross wind of 17 knots with gusts close to 30. I must
admit I
was concerned, being in a new airplane, but the Lightning handled the
cross
wind with no problem. The afternoon was spent fitting gear leg fairings
and
wheel pants to N59JL since the winds prevented effective test flying.
Sunday morning I put another 1.2 hours on Linda and Joe's Lightning
in
order to reach a total of 5 hours so that we could do the initial head
torque. After that Linda and I flew one last flight in my Esqual with
her
in the left seat and doing all the flying. She handled the cross wind
well
and felt ready to fly her Lightning so she did just that, flying for an
hour. While Linda was airborne, Mark and I took 31BZ up for more
transition
training for him. Mark flew some loose formation with Linda for a while
in
order to check her airspeed indications. Overall a full, fun day.
Linda's
landing was superb, so congratulations are in order for her initial solo
in
an airplane she built. And it is a beautiful example of the Lightning.
A few other observations:
-The new Lightning Demonstrator is back from the paint shop and it
is
going to be a super aircraft. It will have a great panel layout with an
impressive dual screen Grand Rapids EFIS set up. It should fly in a few
weeks. Look for this new Demonstrator Lightning at Sun-N-Fun where it
will
be doing triple duty - in the display booth, in the fly-by pattern, and
flying demo rides for potential customers. Speaking of SNF, so far it
looks
like at least five Lightnings will be there (plus 31BZ). I am sure we
will
have some sort of get together while there, so make your plans now to
attend. Lets make it a real "Lightning Storm".
-The Prototype Lightning will be testing a new prop to try in the
near
future. Nick has been running it with a ground adjustable carbon fiber
Sensenich set to a pitch of 56 inches and the engine will still turn up
at
least 3400 RPM. Nick mounted a new Sensenich wooden 64ZK58 on Saturday
and
will be trying it out this Monday if winds and weather allow. Stand by
for
a "sonic boom" as Nick starts testing the Lightning with this prop.
Nick
will provide actual test results when available.
-The Jabiru hangar (next to Lightning) is full of Jabiru aircraft in
various stages of completion. If you want a "turn key" Special Light
Sport
Aircraft that will run circles around a Cessna 172, a Piper Cherokee, or
certainly any LSA, take a look at the Jabiru 250. I am lucky enough to
have flown the Jabiru 170, 250 and 400, and all are impressive. Talk to
Ben
about a test flight in one of these unique airplanes, but do it soon -
they
build one a week and they are sold out until sometime in June.
-Final thoughts: It never ceases to amaze me at the overall value
and
capability that the Lightning represents. If you want a truly beautiful
kit
built aircraft that is relatively inexpensive (compared to other
aircraft
with similar performance), quick to build, and has amazing performance
while
being extremely economical to operate, you absolutely have to seriously
consider the Lightning. You will not be disappointed. And remember, it
can
also be built to meet the Light Sport requirements. Also, if you are in
a
real hurry to get in the air, sign up for their builder's assist
program.
With their expert help and guidance, you will soon be flying an aircraft
of
your own creation. That is certainly a rewarding experience. Another
observation is that the quality of the finished product when using the
builders assist program, is absolutely superb. All of the Lightnings
built
here that I have seen (and I think I have seen them all) could easily be
called "show quality". They will get lots of attention at any EAA
fly-in.
If you don't win a trophy it may be because the Judges asked you "How
long
did it take you to build your airplane?" They may not believe you.
-Heck, I want a Lightning. Anyone want to buy a fast Esqual?
Blue Skies,
Buz Rich
_____
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ir=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eaol%2Ecom" target="_blank">AOL.com.
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| Subject: | Re: A trip to "Lightning Operations" |
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| Subject: | Re: A trip to "Lightning Operations" |
Hi Ron,
Great to hear that you will be at Sun-N-Fun. I look forward to meeting
you there. I will probably fly down a day or so early and be there for most,
if not all, of the show.
You are right about the Lightning being a great flying machine. The
Guys in Tennessee have come up with a great combination of airplane and engine.
The Lightning and Jabiru 3300 together have the kind of a synergistic effect
where the sum of the parts is more than the individual parts when taken
separately. From the Lightnings beautiful lines, to it's fantastic performance
on such a low fuel burn, it is hard to not love it. Add to that the
economical kit cost and the quick build time and you have an unbeatable combination.
Ask anyone that has flown one and you will probably get a big smile, then
they will probably have a hard time coming up with the words to describe how
much they enjoy the airplane. "Wow" seems to fit.
Blue Skies,
Buz Rich
<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free
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| Subject: | Back in Virginia |
Just to follow up on my recent trip report, I delayed my return trip to
Virginia yesterday due to forecast direct cross winds of 20+ gusting to 30+ at
my
home airport. It gave me more time to fly some additional demo rides at
SYI. I made the trip today even though the winds were about the same except
that they were more aligned with the runway - only about 30 degrees off. I was
expecting some great tailwinds since I had such high head winds going to
Tennessee. Well, it didn't happen. I tried 5,500, 7,500, 9,500, and finally
11,500 and even though I saw winds as high at 94 it was all a direct cross at
altitude. The only tail wind component I ever say was 4 on the tail and that
was intermittent. I somehow must have angered the person in charge of winds
at altitude. Well, at least it wasn't a head wind. Block to block speed was
168 mph burning 5.5 gph. You have got to like that 3300 Jabiru on a "slick"
airframe. Great economy.
I will also pass on the latest on Linda and Joe's Lightning since they are
still in Tennessee without their computer. When I left this morning they had
10 hours on their airplane and everything is working as intended on the
engine and airframe. They are having some problems with the Chelton EFIS, but
that is apparently due to a bad "air data computer" which will soon be replaced.
Linda is now doing all the test flying and she and Joe have done two head
torques on their engine. When it is not in the air, they are busy fitting
gear leg fairings and wheel pants. Both of these projects are very time
consuming but well worth the effort in terms of increased airspeed, and lower
drag
profile. The Lightning guys have the latest design pressure relief "coke
bottle" style wheel pants and those, combined with gear leg fairings, added about
20 mph to my airplane, so the Lightning should see the same or more.
Maybe this is the time to inject a few more thoughts on building an airplane
and using a builders assist program. None of the below are based on
specific situations I saw at SYI, just the potential for homebuilders to possibly
get in over their head:
-Thought # 1 - It is going to be your "baby" so make it like you want it.
Add any and all "whiz bang" equipment you want so it makes you happy.
However, talk it over with someone who has tried the equipment and see if they
are
happy with it. Also talk it over with the SYI guys. Will it be compatible
with the airplane you are building? Do you really want to put floats on a
lunar lander? If you don't have the expertise to do it yourself, will they be
able to do it for you? At what additional cost? Etc., etc.
-Thought # 2 - The KISS principle is just as important today as it has ever
been. In the long run, keeping things simple will result in less problems
building and probably less maintenance headaches in the future.
-Thought # 3 - If you are using a builders assist program that program was
designed to get you safely into an airplane that meets the Experimental
Homebuilt rules - where you must be involved in 51% of the processes required
to
build the airplane. The assist program is also designed towards a basic
airplane. If you start adding those "whiz bang" parts I mentioned above, you
are
adding to the time it takes to complete the airplane and possibly causing
scheduling problems for the "assistors".
As I said, these are just some thoughts that came to mind while "heading
east" at 11,500 today. Maybe I was oxygen starved, but maybe there is a "pearl"
in there somewhere. Just my $.02. Your mileage may vary.
Blue Skies,
Buz
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Message 7
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| Subject: | Back in Virginia |
Buz,
GLad that you made it back safe and sound. Winds were really kicking on
Wednesday when I was there. Did Nick manage to get the old spinner to work
on Rick's plane or did he just replace it all together. Looking forward to
flying the plane more when I get back in a few days. It is beautiful here
in Houston. Been watching a pair of F-16's patrolling the city and several
T-38's training. Also saw some Navy trainers and Coast Guard choppers.
Brian W.
From: N1BZRich@aol.com
Subject: Lightning-List: Back in Virginia
Just to follow up on my recent trip report, I delayed my return trip to
Virginia yesterday due to forecast direct cross winds of 20+ gusting to 30+
at my
home airport. It gave me more time to fly some additional demo rides at
SYI. I made the trip today even though the winds were about the same
except
that they were more aligned with the runway - only about 30 degrees off. I
was
expecting some great tailwinds since I had such high head winds going to
Tennessee. Well, it didn't happen. I tried 5,500, 7,500, 9,500, and
finally
11,500 and even though I saw winds as high at 94 it was all a direct cross
at
altitude. The only tail wind component I ever say was 4 on the tail and
that
was intermittent. I somehow must have angered the person in charge of
winds
at altitude. Well, at least it wasn't a head wind. Block to block speed
was
168 mph burning 5.5 gph. You have got to like that 3300 Jabiru on a
"slick"
airframe. Great economy.
I will also pass on the latest on Linda and Joe's Lightning since they are
still in Tennessee without their computer. When I left this morning they
had
10 hours on their airplane and everything is working as intended on the
engine and airframe. They are having some problems with the Chelton EFIS,
but
that is apparently due to a bad "air data computer" which will soon be
replaced.
Linda is now doing all the test flying and she and Joe have done two head
torques on their engine. When it is not in the air, they are busy fitting
gear leg fairings and wheel pants. Both of these projects are very time
consuming but well worth the effort in terms of increased airspeed, and
lower drag
profile. The Lightning guys have the latest design pressure relief "coke
bottle" style wheel pants and those, combined with gear leg fairings, added
about
20 mph to my airplane, so the Lightning should see the same or more.
Maybe this is the time to inject a few more thoughts on building an
airplane
and using a builders assist program. None of the below are based on
specific situations I saw at SYI, just the potential for homebuilders to
possibly
get in over their head:
-Thought # 1 - It is going to be your "baby" so make it like you want it.
Add any and all "whiz bang" equipment you want so it makes you happy.
However, talk it over with someone who has tried the equipment and see if
they are
happy with it. Also talk it over with the SYI guys. Will it be compatible
with the airplane you are building? Do you really want to put floats on a
lunar lander? If you don't have the expertise to do it yourself, will they
be
able to do it for you? At what additional cost? Etc., etc.
-Thought # 2 - The KISS principle is just as important today as it has
ever
been. In the long run, keeping things simple will result in less problems
building and probably less maintenance headaches in the future.
-Thought # 3 - If you are using a builders assist program that program was
designed to get you safely into an airplane that meets the Experimental
Homebuilt rules - where you must be involved in 51% of the processes
required to
build the airplane. The assist program is also designed towards a basic
airplane. If you start adding those "whiz bang" parts I mentioned above,
you are
adding to the time it takes to complete the airplane and possibly causing
scheduling problems for the "assistors".
As I said, these are just some thoughts that came to mind while "heading
east" at 11,500 today. Maybe I was oxygen starved, but maybe there is a
"pearl"
in there somewhere. Just my $.02. Your mileage may vary.
Blue Skies,
Buz
<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free
email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at
http://www.aol.com.
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| Subject: | fiberglass parts |
Nick, just received the parts,thanks for the quick response. The quality
of the fiberglass is really first class. Panel and pans dropped right in
and require very little trim.
Thanks again TEX
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| Subject: | Re: Back in Virginia |
Hi Brian,
I think the plan is to put a new spinner on Rick's airplane. When I
left at mid morning today, I am pretty sure the old spinner was already removed
and a new one being fit.
Buz
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