Hangar Flying

I am at COB Speicher.  Got all my gear and Army training at Ft Jackson during record breaking heat (~110F everyday---full body armor----I know---hotter in Iraq---but not nearly as muggy---I was wet for 2 weeks straight).  I found Kuwait to be extremely dry, Baghdad surprisingly humid, and Speicher not so bad (but then again, it is starting to cool).

Did you notice there is sand everywhere?  :lol:

This is my third time to Iraq (first time on the ground).  Who would have ever known that Navy guys would be on the ground in Iraq?

For this type of airfoil, the 50% chord is the thickest part of the airfoil (as opposed to the quarter chord for most).  The best way to line up your line is to eyeball the end of the canard and look for the thickest portion---make a mark.  Then measure this mark from the back edge of the canard (not the elevator---but the aft edge in front of the elevator.  With an accurate measurement, you can lay out a couple of measuring marks on the "right" and "left" canard.  From here, you can snap a chalk line.  Use the template to draw the vg marks (I used a small magic marker---can't see the mark with the vg on top---even though the vg is clear.  Use silicone to attach them.

My connection in Iraq is not letting me see my homepage---but if you look on my page, you will see the layout of vgs---this will give you an idea of the layout that you need.  I had spare vgs left over when I was done.

Also get hold of all the CPs.  It is crucial that the owner have the plans as well as the CPs.  I think the CPs are on line---I just use my TERF CD to look them up.

Your gear legs should have a metal sheild between the fiberglass gear leg and the axle.  This should protect the leg from the radiant heat off of the disk.  Many people also wrap the leg in this area with fiberfrax.  Make sure that the brake line is protected.

On my longez, I vented the back of the wheelpants---in otherwords, I just cut the tips off.  Then when I parked the plane nose down, all the heat went out the back.

My Cozy has a vent slots cut on top.

Bottom line---failing to protect your gear legs will get them melted.

Also---always do your flight testing with the pants off---at least the portion that involves highspeed taxi tests.

As others have mentioned---don't cash out!  I am a simple military guy who has been owning a Longez and then a Cozy since my early 30s (I am 2 years older than you---wife and daughter).  My approach to life was to first fund all of my requirements
-1st: make sure that I could live in retirement (IRAs/TSP---max non tax accounts---then supplement with other retirement income until reaching comfortable levels)
-2nd: make sure education accounts appropriate for daughter
-3rd: what is left over is for everything else (1st and 2nd are untouchable).  I could get a really big house and a nice car but then there would not be anything left for a plane.  So the trick was to live below my means (smaller house, used car, etc) to reach goal

For those not used to budgeting, you would be surprise to find out how much beer, smoking, and Starbucks coffee costs you per year.

If you can't talk yourself into the smaller house, used cars, ditching the Starbucks, then partnerships are another way to go

Bottom line----my guess from your post---is that you can afford to take the plunge.  But do you have the discipline to make the numbers work out (you can't have it all----can you really choose what is important to you?)

Once attached with RTV, they won't come off.  Not only does rain effect the GU canard, but so does bugs, dirt, and clouds.

You can see my baffles on my website---and see how simple it is.  I copied my inlets from George Shell.  You can do a search for him and see some detailed photos of his baffles.  Mine are somewhat different---but it all does the same thing.  Unlike George, I had a  door in the left pressure plenum so that I could check the oil.  With my pressure plenums up from the strake and away from the fuselage, I had no probs.  Others have had good results with small Naca scoops on the top.

I still had my bottom Naca.  I walled it off and installed a bunch of round circle thingys to attach scat to.  Oil cooling came thru one of these (completely separate from engine cooling.  I also had a rectangular slip joint on this wall that gave me ram air to the carb.

Just one more opinion.  I have both updrafted (according to plans using a NACA scoop) and downdrafted a Longez.

The mods to the cowl for downdraft were not a big deal.  The baffle job for downdraft was muuuuuccccccchhhhh easier and cleaner than the updraft.  I had lots of problems cooling my O235 in a updraft configuration.  I had no problems with an O320 in a downdraft config.

For updraft---all the stuff you have to baffle around  (pipes, alternator, starter, breather (for some))----as well as getting a good seal with the lower cowl-------all go away with downdraft cooling.

Good luck bending lots of metal and trying to seal off your updraft.

BTW, I still run updraft on my Cozy with good results---I just hate all the stuff the aft baffle has to get around.