Hangar Flying

Hey guys, would you mind telling me which FSDO is the good one that I should go to?  It's paperwork time and I hope to be ready for inspections in a couple months. I work at Van Nuys airport and base at Whiteman.. but you're right, very few people seem to identify with experimental aircraft at VNY.

Chris

Oops, I forgot to tell you about my engine set-up in the last post. I have an O-320-E2D 560 SMOH. That engine is 7:1 low compression and 150 h.p. I am going to run an LSE Plasma II ignition on the top plugs and keep the Slick mag firing the bottom ones. I am definitely going with fuel injection but need to call and talk to Airflow Performance and make a more educated decision between their fuel servo or a Silverhawk (bendix). I have Hal Hunt 4x4 exhaust pipes, 6 inch Saber prop extension, spin-on 90 degree oil filter, and a Hertzler "Silver Bullet" 65x80 prop.  I am running a Skytec HT starter and ND 40 amp automotive alternator. The oil cooler is a small positech (4112?) and is mounted on brackets behind the oil sump and under the crank case. It is ducted out the back to aft baffle (like you see on Berkut13). In a long time, when I get bored and think i'm going too slow, I'll spring for some high compression pistons.

Chris

Hello, I'm sure replies on this subject might vary a little on a case by case basis but I'll do my best do describe my Berk-EZ to you. I think most of us with Berk-EZs, especially those who took it upon ourselves to modify our airplanes/projects as such, would all be building and flying Berkuts in a perfect world. In my case I just couldn't afford it so I wanted to do everything I could to make my airplane look and feel as "Berkut" as possible. From one airplane to another you might see some, all, or even more of these changes.

My airplane has a Berkut nose and nose access hatch, Berkut cowls with armpit and belly scoops, and the rear/firewall area of the plane is built to exact Berkut dimensions.  The canopy is a Berkut canopy but it was never cut in two halves. It is also built and mounted per the Long-EZ plans. Other little things that are Berkut Ideas.. some right out of the manual include the lower winglets, canard saddle and elevator fairings, fuel system layout, left pilot's console/map case, throttle quadrant set-up, baffling, brake system, and oil cooler installation.

It can be taken even further by adding retract gear, as is the case with Frank's airplane, carbon spar caps and wings, larger ailerons, and adding the extra foot of length in the fuselage. The stiffer wings/spars and more powerful engines are what is going to make it feel or fly more like the Berkut. Apparently the Berkut's faster roll rate and response is due to the stiffness of the carbon airframe rather than the increased size of the ailerons themselves.

Anyway, I hope that helps to answer your question and hopefully more guys, including Frank, will be able to chime in and add to the discussion.

Chris Randall
Berk-EZ N742X
Finishing electrical and starting final engine install
KWHP, CA

I have to agree with Frank. Me makes some very good points and the numbers on that airplane with the specified equipment just dont match up.  Being that its an O-235, the speed may not be too far off, but the climb prop makes me wonder. Who knows about the rest. Anyone who knows Frank (and I havent' even met him) knows that he loves being involved with canard airplanes and sharing it with anyone he can around the country. His attention to detail and above all else, smart decision making and SAFETY is paramount. He is simply trying to point out some discrepencies and things to think about when looking to buy and start flying a canard airplane. Things that may go unnoticed and overlooked to those that are new to are community. Last year was a dark and dangerous year for Canard Aviators and it hit frank very closely. I think he's just trying to do anything he can to keep us all safe.

Respectfully,
Chris Randall
Berk-EZ N742X

I am about to make the exact same installation/modification on my Berk-EZ. www.berkut13.com has a great engine install section and mine should end up being similar to that. He shows the install of the Bendix/Silverhawk servo and the K&N air filter. The Silverhawk is a smaller servo and a simpler install. Airflow performance is a little heavier and requires some secondary mounting fixtures. It does provide more power, higher performance, and a very thorough installation kit though. I'll take another look at airflow but will probably end up going with the Silverhawk for simplicity's sake. Here is my Engine/Accessories list:

O-320-E2D 560 SMOH
Hal Hunt in-cowl exhaust
Denso automotive 40 amp alternator
Skyteck HT starter
LSE Plasma II Ignition
One Mag
Silverhawk Injection w/ conical K&N air filter
Positech 4211 Oil Cooler

Chris
N742X KWHP, CA

Hello, I just finished installing LSE wheelpants on my Berk-EZ. I did things a little differently. First I figured out where holes and cuts need to be made and did that slowly and carefuly. Then I cleco'd the two wheelpant halves together and got them aligned and on the strut where I wanted them in relation to the wheel. I used super glue, bondo, blocks, whatever I had to hold them in place and then I mold released most of the wheelpant with packing tape. I cut laid up 6 plies of 8"x12" BID over the wheel pant making a flange that wraps from the top to the strut-side of the pant. Cut slits in the BID rectangles to have them wrap nicely around the strut, overlapping them onto the strut an inch or so. After that I laid 3-ply tapering bid tapes from my still-wet flange onto the top and bottom of the strut. Fill it and let it cure, then sand it out and clean it up. Next match drill the flange/pant for clecos and then take everhthing apart. I removed the pant and mold released the new flange now, put the wheelpant back in place, and filled it to the flange with micro and a flox corner. Clean and sand again then remove and install nutplates on the wheelpant, with flush screws going through the flange. Vans Aircraft sells an axel nut that is tapped #10-32. One of those on each axel with an AN-525 screw holding the pant onto the axel/nut worked very well. I can take some pictures of the finished product and email them to you, but unfortunately I got too into the building and installation and don't have much to show during the process. Just one way of getting it done...

Chris Randall
Berk-EZ N742X
KWHP, CA

I think they are both closer to 4000 hours... Not sure about Melvill's but I know Dick's is getting close.

Hi Stooge... there are probably more canards in the socal area than any other region in the country.. eat your heart out! Santa Monica, Whiteman, and Chino are the best places to check out, with a dozen or so aircraft at each place. You'll have to ask around for names and numbers of the boys at KCNO and KSMO. I'm at Whiteman (KWHP) and in our hangar we have my nearly complet Long-EZ (many Berkut and other mods), a classic Vari-Eze and a Velocity RG. Just a ways down we have Elwood Johnson (ejandlinda@earthlink.net) with 3 Longs in his hangar. Shoot me an email and let me know if you want to meet up and look around.

Chris x24thepilot@hotmail.com