Show Posts - europaflyer

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - europaflyer

Pages: [1]
1
Hangar Flying / Re: Links to all Long-EZ plans!
« on: January 19, 2012, 06:26:05 PM »
flyingwaldo - you have to remember that here in the UK we're not really blessed with an abundance of lovely long runways. Some of the nicest airfields have rather short strips with annoyingly tall hawthorn hedges at the end - all prickly and no fun at all as a cushion for an RTO... and the resulting banter back at the clubhouse will do your head in :)

Bill James - fair point, well made. As I say, I will have to look in to the CF issue very, very carefully. Massive potential to waste time and effort for little or no return.

Steve - yes, but if I close my eyes in a PA28 I could think I was in a Spitfire (or Mustang probably in your case)! Plus I'm an inveterate tweaker and fiddler. 'Standard' for me is a kind way of saying 'average'...

Basically, yes, I know the great Mr Rutan got it bang on. 'Improving' a great aircraft is a great way of making it worse in unexpected ways. Simpler is generally better, as I know as well as anyone having started out in gliders. However, I really do have a desire for something a little beyond the 'stock' EZ if there is such a thing... I'm just at the stage of bouncing various good or not so good ideas around before embarking on the grand project!

2
Hangar Flying / Re: Links to all Long-EZ plans!
« on: January 19, 2012, 05:16:52 AM »
Thanks for the advice Easyrider and LongEZDaveA.

I realise the retractable main gear is probably not the most sensible or practical option! I believe Rutan estimated the speed increase at 12-14kt, with the obvious disadvantages of complexity, cost, weight and reduced fuel. Looks good though! :)

No, I'm not a carbon fibre expert, but know enough to realise that it is not a simple swap. Frankly, I'll have all on convincing the UK LAA to let me install the ULPower engine, let alone fit a retractable gear or use a different material. This is something which I will need to consider very carefully.

As for the CS prop, I've always believed that the only reason people use fixed pitch props is because they don't want to spend the money. I had the disadvantages of a poorly suited prop shown to me early on - my first training aircraft would cruise at 100kt on 50% power (7gph) or, alternatively, 100kt on 100% (14gph)! Climbed well though... But would have been so much more aircraft with a CS prop. I suppose that has prejudiced me against fixed pitch.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

3
Hangar Flying / Re: Links to all Long-EZ plans!
« on: January 18, 2012, 10:24:44 AM »
Thanks saybeengineering and flyingwaldo...

I was leaning in the direction of the ULPower, particularly as, being air cooled, it should be more of a direct replacement for the Lycoming, and somewhat lighter as well. With fuel approaching the equivalent of $14 per gallon here in the UK, we can't afford to have speed as a priority anymore!

A slightly more adventurous change I have been toying with is using carbon fibre of a lower weight than the specified glassfibre to reduce the weight of the airframe. How much lighter the fabric could be to achieve the same strength I just don't know. Bet I could shave a good few pounds off though. Couple that with the modern engine, 3-blade CS prop and a retractable main gear and I would have one seriously efficient aircraft. Whether or not using CF is even a halfway possibe idea, though, I have no idea!

4
Hangar Flying / Re: Long-EZ Plans Section VI (Airbrake) anyone? Links to all other Long-EZ documents
« on: January 18, 2012, 04:27:41 AM »
Got the answer on another forum - there never were Long-EZ specific plans, it used the plans from the VariEze incresed to 17.5x17.5in. Explains why the plans jump from II to VI. I've added the link to the post above, which is now a complete list. This is included with the TERF-CD, so all credit to them. However - caveat emptor! The rollover bar mod is not, although all the other Rutan mods are. It also lacks the 14 drawings and the later Canard Pushers. Links to these above. ALso available are computer-searchable copies of the CPs and (possibly incomplete) lists of mods extracted from them.

Is the rotax underpowered? Perhaps. The 914 I was thinking of using has 115hp max and 105 continuous, which is marginally short. Another option I was exploring was the ULPower 350i with 118hp or 350iS with 130. Either way, they will knock the Lycoming dinosaurs out of the water in terms of fuel consumption.

5
Hangar Flying / Links to all Long-EZ plans!
« on: January 17, 2012, 03:32:50 PM »
Hi all,

I am planning on building an EZ and have gathered nearly all the documents I need, bar one. I can't find Section VI (airbrake) anywhere, and it doesn't come with the TERF-CD. It says in Section I that it exists, but I am beginning to wonder! Does anyone know if it is online anywhere?

For reference, here are links to all the other necessary documents. I have nothing to do with any of the sites, so don't know if they are copyright-legal.

Section I Plans - http://www.zshare.net/download/82198264a2f5a9d8/

Section II L Plans - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/LONGEZ/LEZLEI.PDF

Section VI Plans - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/VARIEZ/VEZVI.PDF

POH 2nd Edition - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/LONGEZ/LEZOMAN.PDF

Canard Pusher 1 to 109 - http://www.cozybuilders.org/Canard_Pusher/

Drawings - http://www.opencanard.com/assets/Open-EZDrawingsR5.zip

Roncz Canard Plans - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/LONGEZ/LEZSPC.PDF

Roncz Canard Templates - http://www.opencanard.com/assets/Roncz_Canard.pdf

Rollover Bar Modification - http://www.ezarc.org/downloads/rollover.pdf

Large Rudder Modification - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/LONGEZ/LEZHPR.PDF

Internal Rudder Bellhorn Modification - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/LONGEZ/LEZIRB.PDF

Misc. Rutan documents - http://maxqcomposites.com/aircraft/terfcd/TERF%20CD/Rutan%20Plans/Main/

Got the whole dang lot apart from that pesky Section VI! Can anyone help? And before anyone asks - yes, I will buy the TERF-CD so I am not in breach of copyright, I just wanted to check that its contents were what I needed before buying.

My plan is to build a Rotax powered EZ, which will be the first UK built EZ for a number of years. Shame this fantastic aircraft is dying out, but ALL the plans are out there if you search hard enough.

Updated - link to Section VI plans now up - this is a complete EZ plans list.

Pages: [1]