Wednesday 23 December 2015

168 June 2015

 RansMail #168  June 2015
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Sad News - Jeremy Monnett & Mike Clark both of Sonex Aircraft were killed in an Aircraft Accident on 2nd June 2015 at their home airfield Oshkosh.
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Steve Duckworth & Mike Clark each built a 'Fokker Eindekker'
Enjoyed formation flying in Sussex late May.
Air Britain Vintage & Classic Fly In this week-end 20 & 21 June at North Weald.
Free Landings, PPR, get a slot from 01992 524510.
Improved UK Met. Service coming this month ( BMAA forum by Dominic Connolly).
The Met Office, regulated by the CAA, provides comprehensive free weather forecasts and actuals designed for private pilots, including: Briefing charts; TAFs and METARs.    http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/ga
Its range of forecasts and actuals for private pilots has now undergone an enhancement programme, and the new and improved service is being launched this summer.  http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/ga/changes-updates With access from mobile phone and tablets to view at least five METARs, save preferences, Aerodrome warnings.
UK CAA  ORS4 No.1111: Noise Certificate for Single Seat Microlight Aeroplanes
This exemption allows single-seat microlight aeroplanes to land or take off in the UK without being subject to the requirement to hold a valid noise certificate & to enable microlight owners and manufacturers to benefit from the deregulatory measure before the ANO is amended.
UK Safety Data - General Aviation Report: April 2015
Mike Gregory owns an Werner powered Rans S6 which is unusually tricky to land.
C of G and Tail rigging angle are under investigation. In S & L stick is forwards a little i.e. elevator down. Tailplane mount currently in top hole.
Farnborough Radar- Fails to provide even a 'Basic Service on busy GA week-ends ? I asked NATS:-
I flew, admittedly in good visual wx, from the SW corner of the Gatwick zone to Newbury (Bourne Park). Being a lovely but busy day & plenty of traffic I listened & tried 'Basic' to check what was near me. 'As usual' the operator kept telling pilots they were too busy to offer a service.
Why do they go through the motions, when even the paltry 'Basic Service' is unusable during busiest traffic times ?  My query was passed onto Jonathon Smith, the GA lead for NATS.
CAA Study of Wind Turbine Wake.
Wind turbines are being widely deployed within the United Kingdom and are therefore becoming more common in places closer to aerodromes, other aviation related activity sites, and aircraft undertaking their operational duties. In 2014 these factors, coupled with the likelihood of widespread deployment of larger wind turbines, prompted the CAA, in association with University of Liverpool, to commission a research project (the Wind Turbine Wake Encounter Study) that would clearly outline the nature of the wake created by wind turbines and identify its effect on aircraft operations (in particular General Aviation and all helicopters) when encountered.

Clive Innocent's Reality Escapade is flying with 912 Rotax power - he's so pleased.
Back on 25th May we carried out engine runs on G-PADE. After using my compressor to purge the oil system, I went for a start-up. After 20 seconds or so the float bowls had filled with petrol and away it went  & I took 'Paddy' up the strip under his own steam for the first time. Next step is weight and balance, Permit inspection and check flight, along with mod forms, work sheets and yet more cash off to BMAA. It's been a hill to climb, in expense and work. It will be great to be able to fly again.
Five months since my Jabiru suffered catastrophic failure, I completed the engine change. The decision was to move away from Jabiru, which I've flown behind for over ten years, and replace it with a Rotax 912. I had to have the oil bottle ( dry sump ) and coolant radiator made for me, which took about a month. My exhaust system also had to be custom made by specialist firm CKT, who wanted my £1,200 up front with a promise of 4 weeks deliver, they actually took twice that. The 912 is totally different to the Jabiru, so the engine compartment had to be completely stripped from firewall forward. 'TLAC' ( The Light Aeroplane Company)had a bare steel engine mounting frame from stock which I had to have powder coated locally. It seems to have taken an age to finish the job, but after many hours of literally blood, sweat and tears, accompanied by many thousands of pounds, the aircraft is finished.
Last week, following it's inspection, I conducted the check flight. Nervously lining up at Hadfold Farm on 05, I opened the throttle & introduced full forward stick to get the tail flying. The acceleration was brisk with rotation occurring after about 7 or 8 seconds. Timed climb was a comfortable 1,100 ft per min. Maximum climb indicated at 50 kts showed 1,300 ft per min, though that was with the nose uncomfortably high. Slow flight was the same as with the Jabiru, whereas the WOT test - after a few seconds of settling down into level flight - had ASI touching 100 kts !  Easing the throttle back provided a comfortable and economical 75 kts.
Returning back to land, I was delighted with a lovely gentle three pointer. Great to be back in the sky !
Bob Hartunian, A 912 Tip (Fawnskin, CA. USA).
Here in the USA, an experimental builder is allowed to innovate changes to his plane as long as it makes sense and follows good aircraft principles. I just installed a Rotax 100 h.p. 912S into my Pulsar XP and made up braided stainless oil lines between engine, oil cooler and reservoir tank. But instead of using aircraft lines and fittings at high price, I bought the same parts from Summit Racing at less cost. Parts are identical to those from Spruce at fraction of price.
Rich Shankland (Emeraude builder & owner USA)
The May issue of RansMail must have tickled folk as quite a few readers including Rich said they loved the Visit to the Tower narrative."I have not flown appreciatively for a couple of years now. The Emeraude just sits in the hangar, though I don't let her gather much dust. Charge the battery once in a while and make sure the paperwork is up to date. I'm going to need to consider selling her soon. We all get old, hopefully".

Last month I received by e-mail the last USA issue of Experimenter.
It will be integrated with EAA Sport Aviation starting in July and no longer on general release unless you become an EAA member. Which is an expensive way to read it in the UK - Pity !There was in Mat at  http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/513537-may-2015/16  an interesting article on the USA Escapade, which is popular in the UK too.
BMAA Defect Alert to failing batch of Semperit fuel hose.
Ron Atkinson forwarded a 747 taking off from Amsterdam
EVA Air Boeing 747-45EM taking off from runway 36L at Amsterdam-Schiphol, Netherlands.
The great timing and angle just makes this shot, and the size of the 747 looks surreal.
The distance to the fence was 145 metres(475ft)... Yikes! I wonder if anyone computed the take-off distance prior to the trip?   [Or is it actually  photo montage ?]
Gary Pearce & his CFM ShadowHas built a 1/4 scale 7 foot wingspan model of his full size his Streak Shadow. It's taken 6 years of winter evenings to get this far. It with and without covering, it should weigh 5kg when ready for flight.  Covering is White Solatex and Yellow Ultracote. The Boom is from a Carbon Fishing Rod and Canopies are 0.5mm clear Lexan.
New Readers added this month
Glyn Tich Mudd. Owner of a Rans S6 ES G-CDFU. Everyone knows me as TITCH, but I have always spelt it TICH, otherwise most would not know who Glyn was. I started  to fly about 5 yrs ago with a Shadow which I still have at the moment, but bought what I think is a lovely looking aircraft, a Rans with a 582 blue top in it. The main reason is to able to take my Dad  with me as its easy for him to get in and out of. I am very  lucky to fly from a local farm strip at Ravningham near Beccles  Norfolk. With only 25 hrs on Rans I am slowly feeling that I am part of the plane and still enjoying all the aspects of hrs building both on the ground as well as in the air.
Glenn Millar. I have an S6ES with a 912.
Tim Brotherhood.
Westlands Airstrip, Sussex, 24th May - Taylor Titch & Taylor Monoplane, Father & son owned.
Flight sans Parachute - tail gunner F/Sgt Nicholas Alkemade (from PPrune)
RAF rear gunner who in 1944 survived a long fall without a parachute.
Sywell Expo end of May, I met up with Peter Greenrod & Martin Evans from Mid Wales.
We were lucky with the Saturday wx gap, only one decent day between two pretty low cloud & rainy days. I took photo's of 2nd hand a/c for sale, interesting compared with the new stuff, though none really took my fancy. Unrealistic for my field & pocket, would be a good old C 172. Chatted to Dave Sykes, asked him what stopped his solo flex-wing flight to the N Pole. ? He broke a finger in Germany whilst erecting his wheelchair (thumb/forefinger are still causing him problems) and the head winds were far too strong anyway, he said
I got home in 1 hour 10 minutes from engine start, more bumpy than on the way up, exacerbated by having to stay below London TMA and thus over the Chilterns at only 800 agl. Back at Jackrell's, one of the Jodel residents arrived back soon after me also having been up to the Expo.

Martin's Group owned Rallye Club at Welshpool

Martin kindly sent me this, about restoring his ancient Manor House.
Goetre Hall, Meifod in Powys, mid Wales is a grade 2* listed mansion house built for the Earl of Powys in 1617 on the site of a much earlier house.  A further wing was added sometime around 1750 at the time the jettied porch was filled in and enclosed.  A final wing, comprising a small ballroom was built around 1820.
The house had been neglected for the best part of 90 years as had the 5 acres of once grandiose gentleman’s gardens.  An attempt was made in the 1960s to bodge repairs.  But this excessive addition of concrete and paint only exacerbated the problems of rot.
Martin Evans and his wife Keri undertook this sympathetic restoration three years ago. Whilst they now have a clear sight of the bottom of their savings pot, they are nearly there.  “The house has been re-wired, re-plumbed, re-plastered, re-everythinged and large quantities of the rotted oak timbers replaced.  Then we took over the work entirely ourselves.  All the plastering which used lime mortar, horse-hair and oak lath support.  We are also working hard to restore the long-neglected gardens which feature an amazing approach driveway lined with specimen trees including a selection of Wellingtonia (Sequoia/giant redwood) trees.  The garden was so over grown that there were parts we never even knew we had for several months after.
Special features of the house are the cruck frame still apparent in the original wing as is the elaborate Jacobean over-mantle in the dining room and the much cruder carved 17th Century fireplace in the living room with depictions of serpents and Knights Templar amongst others.

“It is the dotting of all the I’s that takes the time.  The little trims in each room we left for another day.  Well now we’re starting to visit them.  It resembles the Forth Road bridge inasmuch as it will never really be finished, and there will always be something to repair or renovate.  You don’t really ever fully own a house like this, you keep it in trust for whoever comes next.”
Richard Boyton is acquiring a classic & inexpensive, low hours in Permit mid 1990's Rans 6-ESD XL with Rotax 503. Being a glider buff, he's anticipating the attractions of slow but sustained power aided flight.
A free monthly digest of UK General Aviation safety related information.
penny.gould@gen-av-safety.demon.co.uk  [Certainly reading it makes you think']
World-Wide Accident listing - all a/c types      http://aviation-safety.net/index.php
Old RansMails are now on line courtesy Peter Greenrod. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4702449/Ransmails.pdf
Collected Rans S4 & S5 Tips      http://ranss4s5tips.blogspot.co.uk/
Rotax practical owner help    http://www.rotax-owner.com/rotax-forum/index
Rans Aircraft USA site   http://www.rans.com/aircraft/home.html
The LAA stock CAA Charts all post free, better value than the usual merchants.
New Massey Ferguson MF 135 Tractor - well 1972 - whereas the Fergie is 1948
After many delays - about 1/2 year since shaking hands on the deal - the replacement for the Ferguson grass work tractor arrived at Jackrell's Farm airfield. Its wheels have since been painted & look better now. 


Mike
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