Hangar Flying

T'was said:
> This forum area is becoming a useless embarassment.
and:
> Who is (are) the adminsitrator(s) (sic) for this forum?
and:
> I agree this forum is too valuable to let sick scum bags ruin it for all of us.

Noel Wade and I spend a few minutes every chance we get to delete the offending messages.  (The site owner, A. Sisco, has given us that administrative ability.)  We do no other "moderating" although sometimes I'm tempted ...   :-)

I'm just getting back from the race at Kanab so I haven't been able to keep on top of it like I should.  But if you really care, you'll address your comments to the site owner rather than ruminating about it here.

Go to the site's home page (http://ez.org/) and click on the link for "Contact Us" (on the left side near the bottom).  I'd recommend keeping it civil and constructive lest A. Sisco does what I do when I come across messages that are not: I delete them without reading.

And to the few people who actually view the offending messages posted here: how smart is that?  Why increase the "Views" count and give the spammers any encouragement at all?

--
Joe

I flew to Sandpoint, ID (SZT) the other day to visit a friend and to use the compass rose.  My home base of Lewiston (LWS) has a nice new one but it's off by exactly twice the magnetic declination (can you imagine how that happened? :-).

Before my return takeoff, I taxied onto the compass rose and sequentially lined up on the four cardinal headings.   Naturally I did this with the engine running and a "normal" electrical load (i.e. strobes).  The compass rose was within about 100 yards of a workman who was doing something with a transit.

My friend (who is also a pilot) stood by and watched the process and later Emailed me this:  "Here's something to sooth you with a laugh.  When you guys were taxiing around to the various points of the compass rose, the guy surveying on the grass near by, finished up, and as he walked by with his equipment he muttered to us, "seems like they're having trouble finding their way to the runway."

Sheesh!  It would be funny if the public's ignorance of aviation wasn't so pitiful.  OK, it's still funny!

--
Joe

Try these guys
http://www.lycon.com/
I know several people who have success with them
Regards
Easyrider

Someone responded that Lycon gave them credit for their O235 when they built his O320.  Alas, in my daily morning delete-the-Viagra-spam-postings duties, I accidentally deleted that post.  Would the poster please post it again?  And please accept my apology.

In my defense, I'd like to point out that it's early here (6 AM) and I haven't had my coffee yet :-)

I'm off to the Arlington EAA fly-in today -- back in a few.

--
Joe

Kurt,

In America everyone is entitled to their opinions even if they're wrong but your pilot neighbors are pretty clueless.  4000 feet of runway at 30 MSL  is pretty deluxe by most standards.

3000 of runway at some unspecified density altitude is what most EZ flyers consider the minimum for low-time pilots.  With experience, one can handle somewhat less with a high degree of safety.   Gross weight plays a large part of it for takeoffs and speed control does for landings.  (I.e. be light and be on speed if takeoff or landing distance is critical.)

My own O235 Long-EZ does just fine dual with 20 gallons of fuel on a 2900' runway at 2240 MSL (Sunrise Skypark, ID40) unless it's very hot (high D.A.).  Even then, some headwind makes it easy.  On the other hand, full fuel or a couple of porcine aviators at high D.A. will water your eyes as the runway goes behind you yet the canard won't fly.

You'll do just fine with 4K' at sea level.  Illegitimi non carborundum.

What airport do you live on?  Except for the neighbors, it sounds like a good one :-)

--
Joe

... music that mutes when tower keys up ...

[My $.02]

My Softcomm intercom does this as do nearly all of them AFAIK.  This sounds like a "must have" feature but in practice isn't so wonderful.  

It's pretty annoying to try to listen to music on a long X-C when Center frequency gets busy and the music is continuously interrupted.  If my intercom gave me a choice, I'd disable this feature and simply keep the tunes at a managable level so I could listen up for my callsign in the nearly continuous chatter that often goes on.  When I get near the traffic pattern I simply stow my MP3 player and Tower has my undivided (audio) attention.

Of course, your values may be different.
[/My $.02]
--
Joe

Hello Les (and welcome to ez.org),

The Electroair ignition system is still being sold (http://www.electroair.net/)

While I don't have specific knowledge of that particular ignition system, I do know that J.C. Whitney sells an Equus tach and that some EZ-flyers use or have used them (notably Gary Hertzler).   Gary gave me one which I disassembled and modified to include a divide-by-four circuit so it could use a direct P-lead pickoff but I did not feel the quality of the unit was acceptable for my use and I shelved it.  If you need it, I will "unmodify" it and send it to you.  I also traced out the schematic and if you are so inclined, perhaps you can use it fix your own unit.  Contact me at jdubner@yahoo.com

BTW, I flew into Santa Ynez last Sunday.  Saw the Flying Fish (John Fisher) briefly as I was getting ready to depart.  What a gorgeous place to be based!

--
Joe
Long-EZ 821RP
Lewiston, ID (but currently in SoCal)

My Tac quit working. It was the one that Jeff Rose sold with the Electronic
Ignition. It was an "Equus" automobile Tac that I believe was altered to use with his system. Any Ideas of a replacement for this. Jeff is out of bussines.
Thanks
Les Clark
IZA

My Long-EZ uses the Brock fuel cap and I've found the required 1-7/8 X 1-11/16 X 3/32 O-rings at Ace Hardware.  It's an industry standard "dash 131" size (AS-568A-131).

But since I often use mogas, I've opted for Viton parts, which I have not been able to find locally.  McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/) carries them (search for p/n 9464K131).  

--
Joe

My intuition is that I willl be flying with a noticeable penalty in range, payload capacity, flying speed, and/or "stallling" speed.

My O235-L2C Long-EZ is also nice-looking (but only VFR) and weighs 971 pounds.  Part of that weight increase is due to its nice finish (lots of filler and paint) and part is due to the heavy equipment I have installed (33 AH battery, large alternator, ham radio gear, large wheels/tires/pants, etc.)  Although YMMV lets address each of your concerns:

1.  range:  at 5 GPH in cruise, 140 KTAS, and 52 gallons of fuel possible, there's no penalty in range :-)  The airplane will fly longer than I care to.

2.  payload capacity:  my lady friend and I are both "lightweights" -- not over 300 pounds between both of us.  Takeoff and climb performance are noticeable degraded (dual with a big fuel load and luggage) but still very decent although it doesn't do well above 12,500 MSL until shedding some fuel wieght.  With no luggage and medium fuel (e.g. out for a $50 hamburger) there's no issue.  Solo under those circumstances, well ... it's a rocket!

3.  flying speed:  weight isn't much of a factor in the induced drag required to compensate for the additional wight.  My R.A.C.E. results were pretty decent with speeds of 185 - 190 mph.

4.  "stalling speed":  all I know is the IAS when I get the pitch bob -- about 63 mph (working from memory here) which seems pretty standard.  (I realize IAS != CAS at this AOA.)

That said, of course I'd like better climb performance.  OTOH, I really like my "creature comforts" and the look of the nice finish on the airplane.  Except for takeoff performance on shorter runways at higher density altitude,  the climb performance is at least adequate (and often very good).

Of course, an O320 would let me have my cake and eat it too <g>.