Wednesday 23 December 2015

158 August 2014

 RansMail #158 August 2014
 
Peter Jackson & Annie GT450 Flex around the Southern England.
Annie and I went for a potter round Kent later on in July - round Dover (fog/low clouds forming out at sea and rolling over the top of the cliffs) - up to Maypole (met Ian with Rans, then on his recommendation had a Brie & Bacon Baguette at the local pub... excellent and without doubt the most unhealthy item on the menu !) Over to Linton for Bob P to do the annual permit check flight (note all the BMAA forms seem to have changed in the last month... - landing back at Jackrells about 6pm. So in the last 4 weeks "done" southern England. Time to look further afield, I guess.
 
Clive Innocent & other Southern Flyers 26/27 July at the 'Cheese & Scrumpy F.I. at Weston Zoyland, Somerset.
We were certainly blessed with excellent weather this weekend. Smooth flying most of the way to Zoyland, with good vis. Present from Southern Flyers were myself, Gary with Pat and Peter with Annie. We were taxied to a parking spot near the old WW2 control tower on flat short grass surrounded by 6ft maize. All very cosy. Lots of new people to meet and chat to, as well as older acquaintances. I had to sweet talk one of the organisers to allow my pal Mark fly in with his 1946 Cessna 120. They were concerned that the 600yd strip wasn't long enough for him. In fact he was  easily stationary by the half way point. Then 3 very low passes by a WW2 Dakota with invasion stripes only 100ft directly overhead on his way to the Yeovil air display, a wonderful sight. 
The sun blasted us with UV rays all day till I felt and looked a bit like a lobster, I will buy a wide rimmed hat asap. Food was laid on in the form of a glass of Scrumpy in the afternoon together with cheese. Very nice indeed. The evening the hog roast was served in a bap with sage stuffing and crackling garnished with apple sauce. Mmmmmm !  It didn't stop there though, as there was a super chilli  rice dish as second course & cakes for dessert.
General chat continued until people drifted away to bed at around midnight, difficult though due to the live band playing at high volume. Good but just too loud. Sunday morning off to the club house for coffee and egg and bacon roll for breakfast. At a relaxed pace, we stuck camp and stowed our gear. It was the first time I have used my new tent, which folds up into about 6 small hoops. So I was grateful to Peter J and two other chaps who assisted me, I shall do a few dry runs in the garden before it's next deployment
The flight home was generally smooth and in fantastic vis, until Winchester where received a severe clear air knock put me over somewhere past 60 degrees, the only lump all day. I put down with a smooth 3 pointer on 05 at Hadfold, and used just a little brake to get off into the rigging area easily. A cracking weekend.
 
Two Lancasters have flown together for the first time in 50 years.
Following a day of maintenance checks after its 3,700-mile journey from Canada across the Atlantic to Lincolnshire, UK, the Canadian Lancaster called Vera has joined The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's aircraft. It is the only other airworthy example, of a design by Roy Chadwick was born near Widnes, England in 1893.
About 7,300 Lancasters were built during World War Two but most survivors were scrapped.
 
DIY maintenance engine cleaning: (various, off BMAA forum ).Alloy: nip into a BMW dealer and nab a hand pump spray of their alloy wheel cleaner, spray, agitate with brush and it brightens the alloy casings, but rinse carefully as it is acidic. Muc-Off motorbike cleaner is kind to plastics - can be diluted up to 10:1 so good value. After washing, dry off by running for a few minutes, shut down & spray plastics and rubber parts with Armorall Protectant in a little pump dispenser you can find at some garages, Harley owners do this.
Some exhaust paints last five minutes, but the spray paint used on an Efel wood burning stove is bombproof. Simonize heat resistant paint gives a really nice semi-gloss durable finish and withstands 800 oC. GT85 is the best thing you'll ever buy - WD40 etc. is silicon based so dirt sticks to it - Teflon based GT85 repels dirt & water, with excellent lubrication properties and brings up plastics and rubbers like new. My 'new' 2002 Rotax 912, 80hp motor was in a sad state cosmetically at 300hrs after being laid up for 5yrs. It was sonic brushed using GUNK engine cleaner then all surfaces were GT85'd, polished or given a quick spray up, plus powder coated rocker covers. Treat her to a wipe-down with GT85 after every other flight and in the damp months a very light coating of AFC50 (onto a cloth first then wiping over the area) keeps any corrosion away.
 
New Readers Welcomed this month.
 
Fred J Felch. (Wisconsin USA, under 2 hours from the EAA in Oshkosh). Has a wife and 3 great kids ages 1,7, and 26. Working on my Private Pilot license now & just put a deposit on a RANS S4 that’s been stored for a long time.  Should have it home within a few weeks. I’m 44, work as an estimator for a company that builds speciality vehicles and displays for the marketing industry. I’ve always been a tinkerer- cars, building wooden boats, in the midst of a hovercraft build now.  It seems a plane would be the logical next step, perhaps the S4 will be my inexpensive time builder  able to drop into the many small rural local airstrips . We have a nearby instructor doing dual training in a Quicksilver, it looks like that is about the closest plane available, but it’s similarly high drag and low mass, so it’s a lot better than nothing.  Also transitioning to the “taildragger”  rather than tricycle gear will be a bit of an adjustment.  I will absolutely get all the paperwork available.  Seller says there is “some” but didn’t have specifics.  He’s given up on the idea of learning to fly and is just trying to get this out of his neighbour's barn where it is stored before winter.
[It's a tail-wheel a/c, which looks better in a classic sort of way than the tricycle. Interestingly the steady stays are forwards not rear as in the standard design. Perhaps the constructor 'improved' them to save one more hole drilled in each longeron plus plastic washers , bolted via a 'U' folded Ali bracket. But is it stronger ? mike].
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Before the wings were removed for storage a while back
 
Dave Rowlands. I am based in Herefordshire & recently started flying lessons with Swift Light Flight School who operate at Shobdon. Have been scouring AFORS for a microlight to buy for when I am qualified. I like the look of the Rans S6 and hopefully next Spring I will be the proud owner of one (Budget & availability permitting).
 
John Kelly. I’m taking my first microlight lesson in a C42 mid July one evening at Slieve Croob flying club in Northern Ireland. I noticed a nice single seater hangared at the airfield when I was being shown around it - it was a lovely machine and caught my eye -  I asked the owner about it to find out it was a RANS 4, then I googled RANS 4 for some info and found you. It's for sale on AFORS along with a Rans 6 which is sitting beside it in the same hangar.
 
Patrick Thody.
 
Andy Mackinnon.
 
Chris & Ruth.
My wife and I are half owners of Rans S6 ES, callsign G-TIVS shared with a gentleman who used to keep it at Farway Common a little farm strip near the east Devon coast line. Now she is based at Dunkeswell airfield. She has a 582 Rotax blue top engine. I learnt to fly in a C42 and then bought an X-air which, the Rans replaced, with easier access and great visibility we are very happy with it.  A keen aviator, starting with skydiving which I have been doing for 33 years, Paragliding with a tandem rating, then Paramotoring. BASE jumping is still on going. Jumping from Buildings  Antennae  S pans-Bridges and Earth – Cliffs. That's the mnemonic. I have been flying for about 5 years & has taken the place of the Paramotoring and Paragliding. Picture lined up on 22 at Dunkeswell I am the passenger. [I sent them a back copy RansMail on wing fold. When folding, the wing tanks need to be emptied about 2/3 so when the wing is vertical it doesn't pee out of the cap/breather. Also take great care when folding the wing not to be too quick & risk poking the flap end through the fuse side fabric. Put and leave an over length soft plastic tube over the two 'L' shaped door holding brackets on the wing underside (to save poking your eyes out and place a protective blanket or a piece of household pipe insulation over it when folding - to avoid pushing it through the fus. side fabric. When the ailerons pins are uncoupled, high front across cabin Ali tube, we found it helped to use a double soft plate joined by a short elastic to keep the ailerons together with the flaps & stops them flopping around. mike].
 
Three More Rans' for Sale, UK.
Stuart - stuart@CEDCS.com  After 3 years and 60 enjoyable hours in my S6-116 I’ve decided that it’s time to sell it as my Corby Starlet now has a full Permit. It has a Rotax 912UL, a full panel with vacuum DI and horizon, aerodynamic trim, good covers, Icom radio, microavionics intercom and ANR headsets, Permit to May 2015. Engine and airframe hours 698. See advert in Popular Flying or AFORS (search for “S6-116”) for full details and photos. Great value at £16,500. 01244 671417.
 
Stewart Luck. RANS S6 ES for Sale. The first RANS S6 machines built as part of the Boeing/RAeS Schools Challenge display flew at Farnborough 18th July. Mine was the first kit built by students under LAA inspectors' supervision. Having done its job as "proof of concept machine" & I am now selling it.with a Jabiru 2200, 4 stroke engine, flown 250 hours, with a new permit and could be registered as either a light plane or a microlight. Training for a license is also possible and can be negotiated in the package. Contact Stewart Luck for more information. captainluck@hotmail.com 07974188395  or 01 799 540866
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Alasdair Ross Rans S6 582 For Sale. As I am a low hr. flyer, mostly solo & wrong side of 70, also my wife is not too keen on flying, I am considering SSDR, so if you know of anybody looking for a good taildragger, Coyote, 360 a/f  19hrs on Rotax 582 motor, send them my way. I would expect about the £9950. First built 1993, new skins 2003, always hangared, or with heavy duty outdoor covers, originally 503, then modified, treated with Nikwax regularly. Engine changed last year to 582, Silver top with Blue top crank. Since I got her, new screen, dynamic trim (massive difference) new tail cone, aerofoil legs, larger tyres, new ASI, Wing fold, and possibly a special open trailer.  I am in the Highland region, Knockbain Farm, North of Inverness, will collect interested viewers from the airport.     alasdair_ross@hotmail.co.uk   mob. 97763791567.
 
Henry Hallam (USA VariEze) sent this American focused but some good footage:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsAKWma3zbY
It ties in with the current long running theme on the thread on Pprune forum being written by the old boys in their
90's who were pilots or had connections with towed op's in WW2.
 
Frank Ogden (SSDR trike & paraglider or power glider) aims for France.
Departing the UK on August 22, to fly with other microlight chums around France. My little Chaser simply doesn’t have the legs - and fuel capacity - for this sort of adventure. Gwyn has agreed to lend me his Quik GT450 trike with Rotax 912 engine.
 
The UK Radiotelephony Manual CAP 413.  http://www.caa.co.uk/IN2014124  clear, concise, standard phraseology and associated guidance for radiotelephony communication in United Kingdom airspace. Amendment 3 to Edition 21 effective 24th July 2014.
UK CAA General Aviation Report - Occurrences processed by Safety Data in July 2014.
 
NotamPlot from Dave Sussex U.K.  Flight Planning, including European Notams - all for free.
He continues to enhance this mapped route planner & recently added much of Europe & its airspace other restricted areas etc. plus their up to date NOTAMs too. The local UK chart is quick to see if a proposed flight is clear of today's NOTAMs and Dave's whole site is easier to read off & much better laid out than the paid for competitor's version.
Charlie Brooker is on the verge of going solo in a Parham glider.
He visited Jackrell's last week & spends every waking hour at Parham. He was promoted to a Cadet member, has earned a bursary for his flying and is developing a nice eBay business selling people's unwanted items to fund his desire to be a pilot (at all costs!).
In that context, any ways he could gain flying work experience (he's not allowed to fly) please let us know - we have until January to sort out something for June 2015. kevin@brooker.com
 
Conair (sp. corrected !) Sports continue to support Rotax maintenance at competitive cost: http://www.conairsports.co.uk/
 
For SSDR Zigolo - very basic (makes the Rans S4 into a Rolls Royce by comparison) and Trail two seat a/c kits.  graham@spriteaviation.co.uk
 
Old RansMails are now on line courtesy Peter Greenrod. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4702449/Ransmails.pdf
 
Chilsfold Farm, West Sussex F.I. last Saturday (text by Richard & Sue Hasler, Sportcruiser G-CGMP who sent pictures & by Clive I.)
Between the showers of Friday and the remains of Bertha on Sunday, Farry Sayyah managed to order some perfect weather for us to fly our Sportcruiser to Chilsfold Farm for a Fly In on Saturday 9th August. We've only owned it a year and this was my first ever fly in, so we were very new to almost everyone. Farry's two recently built Bristells were on show, one with a new Jabiru 3300 engine installation. The paintwork and finish up to Farry's usual high standards.
Thanks to Farry, Ann and Ian for a super fly in today by a couple of dozen assorted a/c with a very generous lunch spread. Lovely to meet new people with their machines. Don Lord Rans S6-116 flew into Hadfold from Swanborough Farm, Lewes to meet Clive, then we flew all the way to Chilsfold Farm (a little over 6 nm ) & spent 2 1/2 hours there talking to some very nice people.
Climbing into an RV4 just to get the feel of it & fancied one of those: nice rich blood red colour too.
Farry was demonstrating the Bristell - a bit like the Sportcruiser, but aluminium construction. He did a 30 ft  high speed pass, very impressive, then demonstrated it's slow flight capabilities and flew into a stiff breeze with flaps down and very little throttle, to produce the most benign stall you ever saw. It just descends vertically slowly without any wing drop or even a nod of the nose. Return to Hadfold Farm downwind was about 4 min's - I flew around  a little  to make it worthwhile.
A little gusty, as it was described by most pilots, except the guy with he RV who said his plane just chops straight through it at 130 kts. A very pleasant and civilised fly-in, on possibly the last hot day for a while. The Jackrell's S6 pair went too (Mike & Keith) and Tony F. with his Gyro caused a stir.
 
Compton Abbas mailed me about a free Lady pilots F.I.
I asked if I'd get a free landing too should I turn up in Drag and they quickly replied 'Yes'. That sounded like a bit of fun.
Thus in quasi-female attire with Coral Pink finger nails, lipstick & beads plus handbag and straw bonnet, as 'Mikaela' I was very welcome. (Did I break a few hearts ?)
Steve Slade was there with his Rans S6, unfortunately his photo of me at the bar is too alluring to show here !
 
Mike. [Held till next month the saga of Rotax 'Ducati' ignition black boxes slowly failing &: the windiest spot in the U.K.]
 
 
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