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Messages - Bruce Hughes

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1
Hangar Flying / Re: Paint: What did YOU use?
« on: April 29, 2012, 02:21:37 PM »
"add a reducer to make it MORE viscous" SHOULD have read "add a reducer to make it
LESS viscous"

It is CRITICAL to use the right reducer, depending on the temperature.   I live in
Washington state.  A month or so after painting, I need a different reducer if I need
to repaint.   Guess how I know this.....

If you fail to sand the surface of the primer (now on it) EVERYWHERE, the new coat may
flake off in spots due to oil or other invisible junk.

If you sand, then prime, then fly, you will have to SAND AGAIN later.   Maybe you should
NOT fly it in primer.

PPG recommends that you clean the surface with an approved solution.  If you do that,
the approved solution will go through any pinholes and dissolve the foam underneath.
I made a new aileron due to that little problem.    PPG thinks that you are painting a
metal car.

The primer and paint are great but the hardener will shortly become junk due to exposure
to oxygen in the air.   You will need to buy new hardener after a few months.   That gets to
be quite expensive.

PPG does sell a one-piece patchup paint.  You should get some that matches the paint color
when you buy the paint as tiny imperfections can be touched up without mixing hardener,
reducer, and paint.

You should pick a commonly used white color (there must be hundreds of "white" paints)
in your favorite auto supply store, even though you are not buying your gallons from
them.   They carry spray cans for some white cars.  Then you are NOT bound to PPG
for later touchup, as you can get a spray can from the auto supply store. 

NEVER consider using IMRON unless you have a professional painter do the painting;
it is too toxic.  The PPG paint is dangerous enough; you need total clean air, as outside
the shop AND a special mask for painting.

Many years ago Ken Miller published a short discussion in a Central States Newsletter
regarding the filling of tiny imperfections AS YOU PAINT, with your PPG.   You should find
that discussion; it was invaluable to me.  When you spray and "run out" of paint in
the cup, there is still a tiny bit of paint.   Before it hardens, you add a little micro, mix,
and apply to any tiny spots that need a little fill.  Of course you need a helper to be
cleaning the spray gun at the same time or you will have a gummed up spray gun.

Bruce Hughes   :)

2
Hangar Flying / Re: Naca scoop and gear leg finishing.
« on: April 26, 2012, 03:01:31 AM »
O!  The word "microwave" finally gave me a clue of your concern.   I suppose
you know that the radiation in a microwave is absorbed by water in the food
and converted to heat.  You need a lot of watts for that to work.
Your transponder puts our very few watts.

The aluminum ground plane is between the antenna and the passenger.  It could be
supplemented by more aluminum or a copper grid under the passenger.  It think that
is gross overkill of a "problem".    Placing the antenna inside the main spar will give the
passenger even less protection from the "microwave effect".

I think your "guru" may have been "pulling your leg".   Did he tell you that on April 1 ?   ::)

DON'T drill a hole in the spar for the antenna.  So what will support it?  What will be the
ground plane?  Most of those antennas are mounted on aluminum airplanes and the
entire wing or fuselage acts as a ground plane.

If you put the antenna inside the main spar, the coax will always be in the way.  The
nose is a better location, if the battery is not in the way of the coax.  Of course it has
to be to one side due to the nose wheel.

Bruce Hughes  :)

3
Hangar Flying / Re: Naca scoop and gear leg finishing.
« on: April 25, 2012, 09:04:12 PM »
The aluminum that sticks out is fairly thin (but thick enough to not vibrate).
I feel sure it adds less drag than the step on the other side.  Anyway I
took the step off so it should equal the drag.   Nobody will run into it as
it is under the strake.   So what is your problem?   ???

Bruce Hughes   :)

4
Hangar Flying / Re: Naca scoop and gear leg finishing.
« on: April 25, 2012, 01:53:39 PM »
My antenna is to the right side of the NACA scoop.  I dremeled a small hole from the
passenger's space downward.  The hole is directly under the passenger's armrest about
half way from the the seatbelt hardware to the area directly below the stick.  The
antenna sits below a 6" aluminum plate (I hope that is large enough for a ground
plane).  Almost 1/2 of the aluminum sticks out into the air.  I faired it in as well as
possible.   The coax attaches to the antenna directly downward and IIRC was sealed
with a silicone glue.  I believe I remember some foam in the area; if so, I removed a little
foam all around and replaced the foam with flox before inserting the coax and antenna.

I am NOT recommending anything; I am NOT an engineer.  My advisor never said it was
wrong.   ???

Bruce Hughes   :)


5
Hangar Flying / Re: Is the LongEz going to be dead soon?
« on: April 12, 2012, 11:52:34 AM »
Nobody can legally copy Longeze plans; Burt Rutan has the copyright and has not
released it.  Fortunately it is possible to buy plans for the Cozy IV.   You MAY be
able to buy plans for the Longeze but you have to pay whatever the going price
is.   RAF sold plans in order to have sufficient income to buy food and pay rent.
We are lucky to have them.    RAF quit selling plans because some planes were
wrecked and the wives/relatives sued Burt.  In one famous case the pilot/owner
was drunk, took some other woman with him, but forgot to insert all 4 pins that
hold the Varieze wings on.  You can imagine how well it flew when one wing
shifted backward.   :(

 So the wife sued and lost.

Bruce Hughes   :)

6
Hangar Flying / Re: Should I pursue a pilot's license?
« on: April 10, 2012, 12:36:40 PM »
Note that the Varieze on Barnstormers has VERY LITTLE information.  You need to get a lot more
before you even consider it.   How much does it weigh empty?  When was the engine last run?   
How often?  How many total hours on the engine?  How many since major overhaul? 
ETC. ETC. ETC.   The Varieze is faster and more economical than other canards, but has
little space for anything except you and possibly a passenger.   The real killer (literally) is
assuming that you can carry X pounds of pilot, gas, passenger, 6 cans of beer, etc.   Some
are very light empty but poor construction can make an airplane that is essentially a single
person Varieze.  What do you weigh?   I know a pilot/builder that has a wonderfully built
Varieze BUT he needs to lose 50 pounds to fit in it. 

In any case NEVER buy any canard until you have an EXPERT canard builder check it out. 
There are some dogs (too heavy, dangerous shortcuts or changes in the construction, poor
workmanship) out there.   

Bruce Hughes
owner of an overweight Longeze   :(

7
Hangar Flying / Re: Hello and VE wing attach fittings
« on: April 07, 2012, 03:20:00 PM »
Ask Joe Person which metal to use!

Bruce Hughes   :)

8
Hangar Flying / Re: Should I pursue a pilot's license?
« on: April 05, 2012, 12:30:17 PM »
Hi whoever you are (I did not see a name)

I would suggest that you join the CSA.  You will get a directory which will tell you who is in
Minnesota, as well as the Jan. and April newsletters.   It is $30 per year.  If you cannot
afford $30, how will you pay for 5 gallons of gas?   The newsletters should give you a lot of
understanding of the group of canard aviators.

Bruce Hughes   :)

9
Hangar Flying / Re: Hello and VE wing attach fittings
« on: March 26, 2012, 01:45:57 AM »
You can see from Joe Person's post that you have a job ahead.   He has built two
great Variezes and he is a metal expert for Boeing.   What he says is 100%.   I know
3 people that might be able to help you.  Call all 3.  (1) Ken Miller in New York (see
www.ez.org for a number).   (2) Valerie Harris and her husband (I'll get her address)
(3) Burrall Sanders (Meadowlake airport in Falcon, CO)  (I'll get his address).   I
think you will have to trailer the Varieze to one of them; the one that has time to
work on it.   Maybe there is someone in Michigan that Ken or Valerie or Burrall knows.

Bruce Hughes   :)

10
Hangar Flying / Re: Hello and VE wing attach fittings
« on: March 25, 2012, 01:35:30 PM »
Hi Micah

Where do you live?   You need help from a Varieze expert (which Joe Person is).  I know of 6 people
that are scattered over the US that I would trust.  You may be close to one of those.  Tell us where
you live!!!.

Bruce Hughes   :)

11
Hangar Flying / Re: Downdraft vs updraft cooling
« on: March 19, 2012, 07:03:37 PM »
If I knew what I know now, I would have gone with downdraft.   I think the front of the
upper cowling adds drag, air flow through the oil cooler could be arranged better, and the
back of the lower cowling around the alternator and starter would give less drag.   Don't
know; I am NOT an engineer.

Bruce Hughes   :)

12
Hangar Flying / Re: Death of the Canard Builders??
« on: March 19, 2012, 06:55:20 PM »
Bill, the picture of Geoff and project is about twice as large as it should be for my
computer to handle it easily.  Takes a lot of fiddling around to see it.

Thanks

Bruce Hughes   :)

13
Hangar Flying / Re: Death of the Canard Builders??
« on: March 15, 2012, 02:26:23 AM »
Hi Whoever you are

Canard-aviators@yahoogroups.com is pretty active and very helpful for those of us (ME) that need
help.  It is true that a lot of Longezes are now flown by owners who are not builders.  We do have
some new builders, mainly of Cozies. 

Bruce Hughes   :)

14
Hangar Flying / Re: Crummy Review
« on: May 27, 2011, 09:47:42 AM »
Bill James should do it, if he has time.   There are also several others such as Joe Person.
Marc Zeitlin, although he flies a Cozy, would be another good letter writer, I think.   The
people who work on our canards would also be good choices (if any have time).

Bruce Hughes   :)

15
Hangar Flying / Re: New guy
« on: February 01, 2011, 08:11:34 PM »
Hi

If you want to buy a project, you will find one advertised from time to time on Ebay.
Be VERY, VERY careful on those; some have been offered more than once and may be 'DOGS'.
Every canard weighs something different and some are way too heavy or have other
defects.   Maybe dangerous defects.  I had a problem with my brakes that I created
and did not find for a long time.   I was lucky; I was not moving when I found the
problem.

David Orr keeps track of canards for sale.   He also can tell you if  it is a good deal or
a "dog" (like mine).   His email address is canardfinder@........  I have forgotten the
rest but someone else can give it to you.  Or look in the CSA directory in the CA section
for him.   He charges a "finders" fee.   Some canards are not advertised anywhere else,
I think.

You may find a completed project or a project through CSA and you should join it
anyway.  It is the best $30 that you will spend on airplanes.   See the home page
of www.ez.org for more information.  You will get the Jan. newsletter AND a
directory.  In the directory, you will find some guys who live close to you and can
give you some help.   It is ESSENTIAL to find someone who is an expert on
fiberglass work to show you how and to tell you some no-nos.   I had to learn
pretty much on my own and never got very good at it.  My project shows the
result of not knowing much.

Plans for the Cozy IV are available from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.   They also
sell some kit parts for the Velocity.   Both are larger airplanes and probably are
more than you need.   Sometimes you can find plans for a Longeze on ebay.
Watch out; they may just be copies.  Useable, I guess, but not exactly ethical
and they may not have the critical templates which are used up in building.

The CozyGirrrls is a very good source for all parts.  I would buy from them instead of
Aircraft Spruce.  There IS a difference and the two ladies sell better stuff.  Google
up CozyGirrrls.

If you really find a project that looks good to you NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy it
until an expert has looked at it.  I don't know where you live.  Tell us and we can
suggest an expert.   I don't know all of the experts but I can name 5 that I would
trust my life with.   They will charge for their time.

Bruce Hughes   :)

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