Friday, 8 January 2016

RansMail #153 March 2014 

Winter winds unfortunately don't agree with light a/c
U.K. - Aircraft flipped over weekend of 15th February 2014.
North Weald - confused about the landing fees ? Ginge clarifies.
The airfield is Council owned and they charge no landing fees. "The Squadron" hold a lease for their area only and ask a landing fee for use of the facilities that they provide. But, the Wings Cafe zone has a different leaseholder who have decided not to charge, thus visitors to Ginge's flying school & on their patch have none either & there is no precondition to buy lunch. It is actually more complex than that but as far as visitors are concerned that gives the idea, Ginge hopes that helps.
For this Year's potted Eu touring list I've added route Notams For Belgium
Steve Reyburn (USA). What happens when they put power line over your grass strip?  
You learn to fly under them!  Hartman field in Kokomo, Indiana.   Although we fly out of this field it probably should not be listed on the FAA sectional.
Charlie Brooker (Sussex UK) has been successful in sourcing a Bursary from the Caroline Trust.
The funds will be posted at the gliding club for his exclusive disposal. His goal is to go solo on his 14th birthday - a tall order, but something he appears committed to.

Mike Mold said last month's link to 'Aircraft Engine Lubrication – What you should know'  didn't work. Please try again with.
http://paft-nj.org/POWERPOINTS/PDF_FILES/AIRCRAFT_ENGINE_LUBRICATION.pdf

Phil Kemp (Air-Britain Fly-In Director) Vintage & Classic Fly-In 14-15 June, 2014 North Weald (EGSX) Airfield.
Our annual Air-Britain Fly-In. All Rans pilots will be most welcome to join us - make it into a social gathering of Rans owners if you wish.
No landing fees - PPR required (see website) - On airfield camping available - Supporting Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust. http://www.air-britain.com/flyin-about.html  Many thanks in anticipation and look forward to meeting again at North Weald, Stow Maries, Panshanger etc.
Brian Bell's Skyscape, Jackrell's Farm the afternoon before Aurora Borealis could be seen from England.


A welcome to New Readers.
Noel Eaton. I am a student pilot on 3 axis microlight, training in an EV 97 Eurostar. I have been talking to some of the guys at my local airfield about choosing my first machine, Rans S 6 has been mentioned quite a few times, 
Michael Murphy. Not a Rans owner but thinking about becoming one. I am based in Mayo, west Ireland. My first plane was an X-Air which I had for three years and recently sold & now hoping to get something 912 powered to travel out further. I viewed a Rans S6 912 in a hangar, but not yet flown because of weather. I believe the trim system is not very good but can be replaced with tab system - is it easy to source in the UK ? --Well I went ahead and bought rans s6 G BZRA. Just delivered yesterday evening so not flown yet except for trial flight.  I would appreciate the RansMail relating to tail plane angle.  
[The trim tab as supplied with elastic bias is simple and can work pretty well provided the overall trim and tail-plane angle of incidence with respect to the wing underside is correct. The front pair of adjustment holes are limited in the range and most owners don't check. I added one lower hole since when it's been perfect. The tab kit mod is/was expensive & may do the trick at the expense of extra drag if compensating for the tailplane error. m]
Mike Payne (LAA 037013). Could you add me to the RansMail circulation list please. I have a share in a Jodel D112 based at Netherthorpe and occasionally fly club PA28's at Sherburn in Elmet. Both airfields being a good distance from where I live in Lincoln. Have looked at Rans aircraft for a number of years and quite like the S7, but the new S20 also looks very nice (just looking). Low and slow flying is good, it keeps me occupied now the children have left home
Richard Stubbs. (South Africa) Are spare parts are still available for the S4/5 model Rans. I have the opportunity to purchase a 220 hour 503 Rotax example.What about the elevator hinge mod and steel cable seat brace issue ?  Has anyone to the best fitted the HKS 60hp motor to the Rans S5 ? Our CAA rules that engines over 10 years old regardless of hours have to be to be re-built/opened up. It's a pity because the 503 in particular seems well capable of 800 hours plus if well maintained.[The Tips link in RansMail should help. Skins are costly wherever you may source them i.e. Rans Agents, sail makers, flex -wing replacement firms etc. The seat cable is fully described in the UK LAA TADS documentation and replaces the old original fabric strap suspension with steel cable & steel flat plate to ensure the seat underside doesn't jam the elevator control rod. The elevator issue is by the control column where nylon rollers were added to keep the elevator rod from twisting out of position when using left/right stick. A featherweight S4/5 requires instruction especially for landing. i.e. controlled power all the way to touch-down. Several competent light a/c pilots learnt that - their first landing ended in tears. In the air it's great, with wonderful vis. The take-off is almost too instant,  holding her down till about 30 mph before climbing out of ground effect maintains authority.  m]
HKS powered Rans S4/5 in the USA - no other details. 
Another Rans with a half VW, RansMail of August 2007.
Brian Hope (LAA Mag editor).  SSDR = Single Seat DeRegulated.
The CAA proposal for newly registered single seat microlights up to 300kg max all up weight (315kg if recovery chute). This realistically suggests a max empty weight of about 200kg & 40mph max stall speed permitted. Existing registered single seat microlights will be allowed to deregulate if the owners so wish, but is not yet in place for the expected April announcement .
The  Kent Strut will be hosting a visit by Phil Hall the new CEO of the Light Aircraft Association at their monthly meeting on the 27th March 2014 starting at 8pm.
Phil will be giving a short presentation with a question and answer session to follow so if you have any burning issues or want to hear the latest from Head Office, this meeting is not restricted to Strut Members, all are welcome. The venue is the usual Cobtree Manor Golf Club on Bluebell Hill (Chatham Rd, Maidstone ME14 3AZ), full details are available on our website www.kentstrut.co.uk
Ulrich Klausing (Canada) wrote with many pictures.
I quit trucking Propane, it made me worry too much, now I am back hauling ore from the Minto Mine 3 hrs north of tow & home every night (but one rather short night, have to get up at 3 in the morning). The weather got really nice at the beginning of February. Beautifully sunny and mostly calm days with the temperature climbing at noon up to -5 C, at night they still go back to -25C or deeper. I took advantage of a couple of days off to spend 2 nice days flying in the Piper Cub.The pictures are from Monday Feb 24th. There are probably too many again, but I couldn't decide which of them to delete. I numbered them from 1 to 20 so you can follow the flight chronologically & for reference I added the VFR chart. We basically followed the road from Whitehorse to Fraser and than left the safety of the road for a loop down Tutshi Lake and from there to Tagish. In case of trouble we would have landed on the lake, so probably would have nosed over in the snow.I made a trip with friend Horst down the Carcross valley and over the southern lakes & we stayed mostly up at around 8000 to 9000 ft.  The next day I went to Carcross again with Jeremiah, the other owner of the Cub at 4500 ft and after a low pass a couple of feet above the strip to check out the surface condition we landed there. We had a nice chat with Ed, who lives there at the airport and who had already seen our first approach & talked about using the location for glider flying in the future.
I put the S4 back on skis last week too, but want to exchange the heavy duty aircraft grade bungees to some lighter ones before next flight. The bungees were too strong for the Aluminium undercarriage. It got quite a bit distorted - at least when sitting on the ground. Its last flight was Oct. 21st. on wheels. Thanks to Peter Greenrod for the Collection of all the old Rans Mails.
[A sample for RansMail, for all his amazing sights please see -
---- then click the top left square with lines to get titles. m].
Peter Greenrod (N. Wales) had a preview of Ulrich's news
Thanks for the mountain pictures,  that's my type of flying.    It can get a bit like that around Snowdon sometimes but my flights in the mountains in New Zealand were the only stuff like that. I managed to fly the Rans and Bede 1st March, 45 mins in the Rans and 1.5 hours in the Bede.   I got a new permit for the Bede but needed to do the flight tests both for the new prop and permit.  
My own Rans S4 is for sale (mike)  It's a job to keep the hours up with two planes & the S6-116 needs more use. The Permit is valid, she's hangared in Sussex with the wings off & a sick 447.
Wilfrid Rouff - part owner of a Rans S5 now also has:
On March 8th, close to Villelaure, south of France, a forced landing was necessary due to an engine failure when the fan belt of Rans S5's Rotax 503 broke causing extreme heat. Pilot is not wounded. Mind the belt and its tension for pre-flight checks !   - No engine can operate if you fail  to cool it.

 
The BMAA announce that Seager Publishing will be organising the 2014 Flying Show. Publishers of FLYER magazine, they have worked with the BMAA on the show for the past three years. http://www.bmaa.org/news_item.php?wnID=7881
Dan Warren recently completed his S6 recovering project.
I took the decision to go solid colour rather than the more traditional 2 or 3 colour pattern & decided on black for 3 reasons.
1. The black outlived the White on the previous covers 2. I'm told its one of the more visible colours in the air 3. I think it looks great !
I got the skins from Nigel at Top Flight Sails and if anyone is thinking of getting any covers made I can't recommend his work highly enough. I'm hoping to get around a bit more this year, if anyone sees me out and about come say hello. Note the stainless self tappers (painted matt black) into the lower ribs to stop them slipping. My inspector noticed I didn't originally have these, I've never noticed them on an S6 before and my previous S6 didn't have them either. It's in the build manual, Does everyone else have these ?


[Yes, only one screw per rib on the S6-116 and the heads are really tiny, some 3 mm diameter.m].
Old RansMails are now on line courtesy Peter Greenrod. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4702449/Ransmails.pdf
Ken Manley sent this.
Who would have thought young people in Moscow would put on a "flash mob" happening, dancing to an 83 year old American song, written by Irving Berlin, a Russian born American Jewish man.    http://www.youtube.com/embed/KgoapkOo4vg?rel=0
The Royal Aeronautical Society. Space in 2014 – a look at the year ahead
The launch of the most powerful rocket in more than 30 years, the Falcon Heavy, and the beginning of operational space tourism by Virgin Galactic will be the highlights of an exciting year in space. Read more analysis from the RAeS Space Specialist Group.
UK CAA CAP 747 now provides a single source of mandatory information for continuing airworthiness. 
Directives for Annex II aircraft published in CAP 476 are now included (and those issued by EASA have been removed, but available on their own website).
The new CAA/NATS 1:500,000 Southern England and Wales VFR chart (Edition 40) will be published on the 3rd  April and as well as the usual updates and amendments, this year the presentation of controlled airspace will also be amended to make the chart even easier to use.
Dave Wilkinson - One of the Annual Mandatory checks on my Rans S6 (with Rotax 503) is to take off the stabiliser and elevator and to examine the Vertical Stabiliser Spreader Tube front mounting holes for any signs of cracks with a 10 x magnifying glass, this is a check I have done for the last three years but this year I found a hairline crack. (photo of tube and crack along with photo of tube in situ attached). The tube was only £45 from Skycraft, the new one being fully sleeved.
The wooden rib plate for tensioning the wing pocket is varnished and the inspector would like it checked and re varnished. It will be a straight forward job if the wings are folded (I Think !) I also recovered the seat bases and am in the process of re spraying the cowl - which isn't stopping me flying.

Ron Atkinson reminds us flying can be dangerous:
 
Andy Barlow of hmfc has his Quantum 912 for sale, due to on-going health issues (only flown 8 hrs through 2013).
Now offered to RansMail readers too, G-MZBT is in very good condition, red with red and lilac/mauve and white wing and 478hrs on the Riotax 4-stroke engine, 458hrs airframe. Oil change 2hrs ago, Permit to 27th Sept this year. New tyres and tubes, hang bolt and a few other spares & a brand new carbon fibre pod in red - pristine cost £600. [Helmets (Flycom, medium and large) and suits (Ozee, medium and large) available separately.]There is a little water staining to the top surface of the wing but nothing too bad. She has a Pilot 3 GPS fitted and digital display for the instrumented engine information. Fitted with Flycom comms and an Acom radio. stone catcher, strobe and landing light.  Minimum £9000 & no offers below or swaps please, otherwise Afors £10,500 if no takers in the club.She has been a joy to fly and own. 
01722 428759 day time Monday - Thursday andrew.barlow@chemringcm.com. Evening/weekends 01980 610885 or internet barand@hotmail.co.uk
Clive Innocent (Jabiru/Escapade)  had a great flight last Sunday 16th March
From Hadfold Farm, West Sussex, over Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth Harbour, along the middle of the Solent, round the Needles & along the South of the IOW to join down wind for 23 Right at Sandown, then a good lunch & a chat with some pals before flying home again.
The Needles, Isle of Wight.
Mike.
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