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Messages - Drew

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46
Hangar Flying / Oil Cooler needs replaced.
« on: January 28, 2008, 03:16:28 PM »
Here is another place to look.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/download/2007_catalog.pdf

While you are looking at leaks, look around the valve covers too.  If the gasket is cork, replace it with the silcone ones.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/siliconecalvecover.php

47
Hangar Flying / ID this fuel cap
« on: January 21, 2008, 08:03:04 AM »
Just got home for 2 weeks R&R.  Too cold to fly.  I'll be back in June.

48
Hangar Flying / Engine baffles
« on: January 17, 2008, 02:31:26 AM »
Don't rebuild baffles to plans.  Use the side pieces as a guide (can't give them to you----I am away from home until summertime).  The side pieces need to extend way aft.  Use berkut13.com for inspiration as to how to build the aft wall.  In the end, that aft wall needs to be one nice flat piece going across---not some monster wall with a hundred bends in it.

You can use my website for inspiration---but it is downdraft----but the same idea applies.  

You can use your old baffles for templates to get the right shape around the cylinders.  I started with cardboard paper (oversized) and trimmed to fit (lots of cowl on and off).

The berkut style baffles are much easier to build, much stronger, less prone to cracks, and have very few bends.

I know---not what you wanted to hear.

49
Hangar Flying / ID this fuel cap
« on: January 08, 2008, 03:58:19 AM »
Kind of looks like this one:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/Usher_flushCaps.php

50
Hangar Flying / Lowering Stall Speed
« on: January 01, 2008, 12:36:33 PM »
There are all kind of articles in CSA about installing trailing edge fences.  You need to build them bigger than on a Varieze.  They will allow you to maintain roll response at lower speeds.  In my longez, the first thing to notice about going too slow was a dangerous lack of roll response---while maintaining good pitch authority.

51
Hangar Flying / Cold air on the feet.
« on: December 21, 2007, 01:05:52 AM »
A lot of air comes in at the canard cover.  Seal it up with silicone if you don't take off the canard often---otherwise tape it up with glider tape.  On my longez, I took off the canard all of the time---so I taped it.  On the Cozy, I almost never take off the canard---so it is siliconed.  You will notice a difference.  You will also leak a lot of air through the nose wheel well---so pay attention there too.

For cold flying, I use the little chemical heaters that hunters use in their boots.  The heated socks did nothing for me.  But the chemical heaters will warm your feet up real good.  And if your feet are warm, then the rest of you is warm too.

Doing vents is a good first project.  You can't really mess it up---and if you do, just start over.  Here is a page from berkut13:

http://www.berkut13.com/berkut35.htm

52
Hangar Flying / Need brake pads
« on: November 26, 2007, 01:08:12 PM »
Try here:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/matcoBRAKERELINEKITS.php

But you will have to read the model number that is on the side of the brake calipers to see which ones to order.

You will need a tool too---as shown here:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pdf/2008Individual/Cat08236.pdf

53
Hangar Flying / night vfr
« on: November 18, 2007, 01:48:08 PM »
Good story---and one of the reasons I don't fly at night (mostly)----unless I have an ejection seat and/or more than one engine.

54
Hangar Flying / Winter: Preheating before flight.
« on: November 18, 2007, 01:42:17 PM »
To add to Snappy's comments....  The prop seal is the seal that goes around the shaft at the back of the engine (side where the prop is).  Many engines don't have a retainer to hold this seal in place---for the most part, only glue and friction hold it in place.  There have been several articles either in CSA or the CPs that tell how to build a retainer.  However, the point is----if you blow out the prop seal, you will lose lots of your oil.

Go to this page to look at some EZ heating that you can do:

http://www.berkut13.com/berkut50.htm#Heating

55
Hangar Flying / Landing Light In Belly
« on: November 15, 2007, 01:55:20 AM »
oops--forgot to include...

http://www.nasm.si.edu/becomeapilot/aircraft.cfm

56
Hangar Flying / Landing Light In Belly
« on: November 14, 2007, 01:41:14 AM »
Glennbob,
Don't have access to a lot of my flying stuff in Iraq.  However, here is a photo that sort of gives you an idea of my light installation.  Scroll down to the picture of my Cozy (only one on the page) and click on the picture.  You can  see the light there out on the strakes.

57
Hangar Flying / Landing Light In Belly
« on: November 13, 2007, 01:58:49 AM »
I have a light in each strake (outboard section).  One light is angled down in a landing light configuration and the other one is angled better as a taxi light.  Thinking about putting a wigwag flasher on these two lights.

Just keep in mind that some suggest not to put lights in the strakes due to the proximity to fuel.

58
For Sale/Wanted / Helmet
« on: November 13, 2007, 01:30:55 AM »
Longez---yes.  Cozy with "standard" canopy---no way.

59
Hangar Flying / night vfr
« on: November 07, 2007, 02:06:54 AM »
At least powerful strobes are a must just to be seen.  Position lights are good for those occasions that you may be butting up next to a pinky recovery.

For the most part (civilian aviation), I don't fly at night.  I make all my plans to fly during the day----and stick to it.  That is a risk factor that I can directly control.

I do fly IFR----but I keep it to simple IFR.  The kind where the FARs say you can't take off or land----but right after takeoff, you are in the clear.  Or if I know that I will be hard IFR for takeoff, will be out of in in half an hour or so, and then have a nice VFR landing.  Whatever the case is, I am pretty choosy about the IFR I fly in.  I also don't like flying in the rain---I avoid as much as possible.

My scariest time IFR (in my Cozy----and before I lived by the above "rules") is when I was flying west through a cold front (stupid) to Chicago.  Flew into a wall of rain---not too bumpy.  And of course, EZs leak.  I remember saying to myself that I hope my all electric cockpit holds up to all this water.  Then poof---my engine monitor craps out---this isn't good---what's next?  I kept bouncing between flight service and my center freq trying to figure out where the dry spots were.  Each call to center was confirming more and more cells popping up around me.  Finally I told center that I was going to divert to the nearest airport---they told me that the nearest was Parkersburg.  I was getting vectors for the approach when they said there was a storm cell over the IAF.  I told them---so give me the approach in the other direction----they said there was a storm cell over that one too.  Ok---how about the field?  No storm cell over the field.  I asked for vectors to the field and minimum vectoring altitude---and that if I could not find a hole, I would shoot backwards up the approach corridor and reshoot the approach.  All was good----found the hole.  Landed in some light rain with clouds all around me.  Wife and daughter went to the terminal as I buttoned up the plane.  Then some "crazy guy" came speeding towards my plane in his pickup truck.  He says "Get in!!"  I say "Why?"  He point to the mountainrange that just disappeared----I complied.  He raced me to the terminal just as the big rain started.  Couldn't see more than 2 ft outside of the terminal.

The big point is---I fly easy IFR---no reason to do "crazy stuff."  There are way more easy IFR opportunities than not.  The IFR license will let you safely not get stuck in a lot of circumstances.  And the hard IFR gets me stuck rarely.  In the above case, I should not have taken off that day.

60
For Sale/Wanted / Helmet
« on: November 06, 2007, 01:39:30 PM »
My military flying dictated that I wear a helmut and about 30 to 40 lbs of life saving gear.  While the helmut would give you some protection during and after explosively leaving the cockpit, it's main purpose (in my mind) was to give me a good anchoring position for my O2 mask which was much needed.  And that helmut, O2, comm, visor combination had to stay put on your head during 6+Gs of flight.

Feel the freedom of not flying a military plane and not having to wear an O2 mask.  For ultimate freedom, get the anr headset that goes in your ears (like ear-buds).

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