My Savannah S model rebuild Blog

[Kyle Communications]

Marty I have had several bed slingers and fixed or modified a few of my mates ones as well. Always some sort of dicking around with settings or whatever and changing filament can be a real PIA at times. Also the quality of the printing can be a little "rough" at times too depending on how well you tune your slicer software. My BIQU crapped itself a few months ago but I do have a RatRig Vcore3 here that I got about 12 months ago but havent had the time to put it together but I had been keeping an eye on what was out there. Core XY is really the way to go for a 3D printer as you dont have the momentum of the bed to worry about. Thats why I got the RatRig and with the accelerometer you can get rid of most of the ringing on your prints. Bambu Labs came out with a rush with the X1 Carbon but its the top end one but really the extra 800 bucks really isnt worth it. The screen is nice sure but the Lidar they use seems a bit hit and miss. I went with the middle one with the 4 rack AMS cost about $1600 bucks..hedged at the price but was seeing too many good things about it. It arrived a week after ordering...holy crap the easiest thing to get going ..the speed is unbeliveable and the quality is beyond anything I have ever seen in real life come off a 3D printer.

The engineers that founded Bambu are all ex DJI drone guys so you know the electronics and software is pretty slick..and it is. The automatic material system is just so good.No feeding filament anymore it does the intial loading automatically and changing when you select which one you want to print. I use the Bambu App on the computer and its connected to wifi and it just all works not to mention I can start a print and then go out the I can be anywhere and oen the app on my phone and look at the camera thats in there to make sure its all printing ok. To date touch wood I have not had one failure print. Everyone is just fantastic so much better than I am used to. Some examples I printed below

 

 

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

That certainly looks great Mark. 

I'm on a bit of a budget so had to limit myself.

The Ender 5 Plus was recommended as a good budget / starting printer by a colleague who has, like you, been into 3D printing for a long time.  $620 on special,  couple hundred less than normal. 

Those prints you've got are brilliant. 

[sfGnome]

How strong are the parts you make, Mark? Do they have a weakness along the joints between layers, or do the layers bond really well? I used a lot of prototype parts at my last company, but we always had to be really careful to not stress them. 

[Kyle Communications]

The Bambu Labs unit really prints the layers super accurately and they seem to bond exceptionally well. These ones are just PLA but I may print a set in ABS as the Bambu has a heated chamber and apparently does very well. I tested to breakage one the the PLA first ones at 15% infill and it was pretty good. At 60% infill its really strong..there isnt any stress on it where it is. The rivets will pull through the covers if the chute is deployed

 

[bobcharl]

Looking forward to seeing some more updates on Mable.

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Bob

Not a lot since the engine start and run. A few things like the parachute is now installed and those covers etc. I am subdividing the Burpengary property and its a huge job as all the 2 sheds there have to be demolished to suit the new alignment. My dads shed and my electronic shed have been cleaned out but the build shed 15 x 7.5 mtrsmit has to stay until the new shed 18 x 9 mtrs is put up on the new alignment. All the stuff in the 2 sheds has been packed into spare rooms in the house and the remaining big shed temporarily. To do this Mabel has been shifted down to the hangar to give me more room in the big shed. When I shift what I am keeping into the new shed like my CNC mill and lathe and a pletherer of other gear then the big shed will come down. This will allow the new driveway easement to be done. Its been a massive job but then there are trees to remove over the new property lines and fences to be removed..2 shipping containers to be sent to the farm...etc etc...so I am afraid no work on Mabel now for a couple of months. Also the spare time I have has been used making CDI ignitions and trying to get more htrottle kits done in a very temporary workbench setup in the big shed. My missus is up me as well she wants to go flying and we still have no flying aircraft. Mabel needs a few good solid weeks and she will be ready but I just cant manage the time but she has to be done as soon as I can get the time. Everything is down at the

hangar wings and tail feathers have been painted..fuse as well. Just need to paint the cowls

 

 

 

 

[bobcharl]

Busy doesn't even begin to describe your life.

All the best Mark.

[Kyle Communications]

Mabel is now back at Burpengary. I have purchased in partnership with a mate of mine a little fun machine that was too good to refuse for the price. It hopefully will be flown this weekend from where it lives at Coominya to YCAB so I needed to put it in the hangar. So Mabel is now back here in the new shed I have just had to put up here due to doing a subdivision on our block. So Mabel will be getting work done on it as my time has been very little to work on her since we started this massive subdivision here and other big jobs up at the farm.

I will get the tailfeathers on and all connected also get the seat bases back in and do some finalizing on the wiring. I will bring the wings back here too and get them fitted as the struts will be slightly longer as I will be putting a little dihedral on the wings and the new shed is big enough for me to be able to accurately do this.Will also need to look at getting the seats made as well. After a little cleanup work on the Genesis it will go up to the farm then Mabel will go to the hangar to have the wings fitted and final fitout.

 

[planedriver]

All looking good. The space you have would be the envy of many.

[Kyle Communications]

After a long hiatis I have finally been able to get back to work on Mabel. 20 months it has taken to get the subdivision done at our place and to be honest a lack of enthusiasm didnt help due to being too tired to do work on her at night after doing all the work around here we have done here. 

The parachute is now hooked up just have to finish off  some final running the main strap out of the hole at the top. The seat bases are back in and the foam has been made and ready for upholstery for them to be done. They will velcro then to the seats that are std for a savannah. The tail feathers are on and cables run and ready for hookup. Wiring for the elevator trim is done,static is run up to the top of the fin also. I will bring the wings back from the hangar shortly and fit them. I will be adding some dihedral to these wings this time. I have 4 new sections of strut material so I have to cut and fit them then I have a bit of painting to get done. There are some cover strips that have to be painted and once the new struts are done they will have to be painted. The roof section has been covered in IR and heat film and it has been fitted. The windscreen is all fitted but out at the moment while I am working on it. Then once it goes it the base section will be sealed with black sikaflex..a special one I managed to source. It would be nice to get her flying by the end of this year 🙂. Also got to trial fit the mrs and myself in there today..she likes the new comfy seats

[sfGnome]

Which parachute do you have? Junkers/Stratos or BRS? I’m looking for some dimensions of the Stratos 601 so I can put the mounting bars in the right spot but I don’t want to buy the unit until I’m almost ready to fly as I don’t want to wast half its lifespan sitting in my shed while I’m still building. 

[rodgerc]

Time to get her in the air Mark

[Kyle Communications]

20 hours ago, rodgerc said:

Time to get her in the air Mark

Working on it now I have more time 🙂

[Kyle Communications]

22 hours ago, sfGnome said:

Which parachute do you have? Junkers/Stratos or BRS? I’m looking for some dimensions of the Stratos 601 so I can put the mounting bars in the right spot but I don’t want to buy the unit until I’m almost ready to fly as I don’t want to wast half its lifespan sitting in my shed while I’m still building. 

I have a Galaxy GRS-600 they are all pretty much the same. I imported it myself direct from the factory. I hope to do the same with the chute that will go into the RANS S-21 but its a bigger chute and of course more expensive. The importing though is a whole new world of hurt but I found out after just by mistake how these parachute guys get them into the country with all the dangerous goods requirements.

 

Supposed to get them repacked and rocket change every 6 years . If you have a certified aircraft then you have to comply of course but as a private builder I have far more latitude. I have done a lot of reseach on longevity and most are all fine for at least 10 years or more. Some have even been 20 years old and when let off for sh$ts and giggles they all seem to work fine. Just always need to keep an eye on the straps and connections to the frame

 

Mark

 

[onetrack]

The propellant in rocket chutes should contain Guanidinium nitrate, which is the same propellant as used in airbags in cars. I've never seen a recommendation to change out airbags in cars, they're supposed to still work after 30 years or more. There are still many questions around old airbags in use, because older airbags used sodium azide, which is as toxic as cyanide.

 

Takata stopped using sodium azide in airbags due to toxicity concerns, and started using ammonium nitrate, which was deemed safer.

But the problem that occurred with the ammonium nitrate in the defective Takata airbags, was that if it got wet (and it was supposed to be sealed, but sometimes the sealing failed), then the AN developed little tunnels through it, known as "Ostwald ripening".

High temperatures made the problem worse, and effectively caused the AN to detonate when initiated, rather than burn (there's a fine line between the two, as you all know with fuel detonation).

 

As a result, all airbag and ballistic chute manufacturers now use Guanidinium nitrate, which is a long-standing and safer propellant. This doesn't mean this product can be mishandled, it is still a toxic compound and needs to be handled accordingly, especially when disposing of product which has reached the end of its lifespan.

 

All propellant in airbags and ballistic chutes should be detonated on disposal, to change the chemicals into less harmful compounds.

 

Edited July 6, 2025 by onetrack
clarification...

[Kyle Communications]

This thread is alive again. Its had a long hiatis due to too many things going on in my life. Land subdivisions here and buying a new property. to put a house and hangar on at a Airpark airstrip, demolishing our house here in Burpengary in late october and moving 2 houses into the big shed here while we have been waiting for the house build company to get their finger out and finally this week they have started the new build. So Mabel had to be taken out to a mates place last October to be stored as there was no room here in my big shed or in my hangar which has another aircraft in it that I bought in partnership with a mate. I have been working on going through it to get it ready to fly.

So I havent done any work on Mabel since then. 

Another mate george in the hangar next door to mine has almost finished his new Savannah build but he owns 2 hangars back to back. He was now not needing his Dtreak Shado and decided to pull it apart and he offered me the section in his hangar so I gratefully accepted and I have now moved Mabel from my mates place over to Georges's hangar so now I can get some work done.

I have more time now abeit travelling to and from to the farm to get a few things finished around the place so we can sell it as we are getting too old to look after 125 acres now and this is why we decided to get into a airpark

Red tape and council incompetance in trying to get this house built is just crazy..We signed the new build contract for the house in Burpengary back in December and its only just starting now.

The new site at the airpark we are now fighting with the council with their red tape and money grabbing tactics as well....this is why yoiu cant get anything built in this country. The amount of this red, blue, back and pink rainbow tape is just out of control no wonder we are turning into a thrird world economy

I need to stop whinging about it...but it is so frustrating

 

Anyway after my rant ..I have just got back from a week at the farm working and will be working on getting the wings on Mabel. 

I will be putting some dihedral on this one. The engine has been run and the tail feathers are on..just need to put the rudder on get the wings on and the new struts cut and fitted. A few more things done then get her ready to fly

So will post some more as I get it done

Some pics of Mabel in the new hangar and the Mrs apparently went to the airfield and got me towing Mabel there. I didnt know she was there..she was spying on my with the Find My app on the Iphone...cant get away with anything anymore.

The Mabel song was done by my mate Danny used a AI song maker. It was just a audio file but I grabbed it and put some pics to it. Its a pretty good song. He wrote the words and the AI did the voice and the music. The world is getting crazy now

   

 

 

 

 

[skippydiesel]

FYI; You can get bucket seat cushions from almost any car wreckers. 

Just wonder around until you find a car seat  (x2) that suits.

You will have to remove the frame (not hard) and likly replace (or modify) the fabric/leather if warn.

(The one on the right is for an office chair)😈

[Kyle Communications]

The std savannah seats are pretty thin. The back needs to be thin due to the way the seat back panel is and I am pretty tall so dont want to be pushed any further forward.

I have used the originals as you can see in the previous post but the std seat base for this model which was a 2011 one the bases are curved and the thin seat went into it and after an hour or so you got a sore bum. 

You will see I totally changed the seat base and mounting to be a little like the sliding seat base on the later models but I changed it as well. The base is very flat and I planned to put a thick foam base into it.

I made up the seat cushion from varying grades of foam as advised by a upholsterer who is in our areoclub. Fiona is also one of the ARO for our airfield. She also looks a=fter our Mogas bowser..she does enormous work for our club. Once I got the size and shape I wanted she upholstered th base inserts and they turned out great. The std sav seats then velcro to the base. The seats are way more comfortable now and it does not adjust my preferred seating position.Really pleased with how they came out

 

[Kyle Communications]

Major milestone today. Mabel has wings. Now she is starting to look like a proper aircraft.

Had 3 of the guys give me a hand this morning  and we fitted the wings. I was pretty happy with the fit. The RH wing I needed to shave about 1 mm off some of the trailing edge spar stock to get it to fit the rear bolt up against the bracket.

The LH wing was a just perfect fit..no room though but it fitted fine.

I have the original main wing struts just holding the wings at the moment as I have all new strut material to make up some slightly longer ones that will give me about 1.5 deg dihedral. Dihedral makes the sav fly a lot better in the bumps it also looks better too

Now she is back in a hangar I can work regularly on her.

Hoping to have her in the air by the end of this year

[skippydiesel]

I always understood that dihedral was not such an issue with high wings - the fuselage acting as  a pendulum.😈

[facthunter]

Its a ground  banking limiter and Makes fuel draining better.  Nev

[Kyle Communications]

Yes it does help the fuel drain much better and that is a issue with a savannah especially when flying. My new tank setup in Mabel is a bit different to std as well and dihedral will make sure I get better fuel flow from the tanks

It does also help flatten out the bumps also it does make turns a bit softer. Tom Cadet who designed the Borabee, he is in Casino has modified his savannah with some dihedral and noted the better flying characteristics that it makes.

Tom has designed and flown many aircraft. The beauty is with this is if I dont think its any better I just put back the original strut lengths. The way the wingas attach make this very easy to do.

 

[Kyle Communications]

I have 2 of the original struts currently holding the wings up at their std angle. The dihedral I need for 1.5 deg is to make those main struts 20mm longer which will lift the tips up around 110mm from original. To cut the new strut alu I designed up a profile using Fusion 360 using the canvas option where you take a picture of the profile as straight on as possible. You can import that into Fusion then scale it to the perfect size. This also has the mounting holes in the jig to allow for the correct drilling position in the middle of the strut tube. The jig is reversable so you just turn over the strut align the jig to the end of the tube and drill the holes on the other side. The drill then will go through perfectly through both sides and it is centred. The jig also is made so you can hold it in a vice perfectly aligned straight and level and both sides of the jig allow cutting the tube squarely as you have a side to saw against.

Very happy with the way it came out and the ease of how it all went with the jig. Spent a bit of time getting the jig designed and dimensionally perfect but it was worth while. I have the stl file if anyone wants it. For those who are interested the main alu strut length was 2028mm it is now 2048mm long. The same jig is used for the rear strut it will also be 20mm longer than standard but the attachement at the fuselage end is fine and I can use the jig but the wing attachment end is a slight issue as that internal fitting was drilled when the kit was built and this aircraft was built so badly when it was built...see the beginnings of the thread about the original build quality. That I will either have to weld up the holes or try to drill the strut to suit the attachment which are not square. The issue is the outer wing attachment is not at 90deg to the strut like the inners and the main strut outer attachment. The outer rear attachmant is angled so this is drilled when you have attached the wing through the strut alu and of course it was poorly done originally. I would like to get 2 new out rear strut ends but I doubt very much the dealer here would have them. I will ask but dont hold out much hope.

[Marty_d]

Sorry if you've already mentioned this, but where did you source the airfoil strut material?

[Kyle Communications]

I cant rememebr exactly but when Reg Brost had Aerokits he told me where to get it from...it may have even been Capral alu. It was a long time ago just after I recued Mabel from central NSW. I am sure I sourced it here. It is the same stuff that ICP use so I gather its a generic type

I know why the sav also has no dihedral too. You can get a std front and rear strut out of 1 4mtr length of it. Once you go 20mm longer on both struts then you just run out of material. This is with the dihedral now. It ended up raising the underside of the wing around 80mm each side from std

It certainly looks better

Will take some better pics later this week. I got the new struts on yesterday. Only shows 1 strut on but both are done now

The rear strut wing side attachment I got my mate to weld up the drilled holes as they were not in the centre as this aircraft was originally so badly built. You fit the rounded ends to the UC bracket and the rear one you attach it then mark and drill the holes. Now my struts actually do have the bolt holes in the strut in the centre these now are fitted correctly