Student Pilot

Used to use chain saw 2 stroke, upped the rate to 35/40 depending on plug chop from cruise. That's from a long time ago. Used in Robyn 440, Rotax's 447, 503 and 582. Memory could be unreliable 😄

Originally for training, now for hire and reward. Big market in joy flights, something like 5 flying in England?

There would be a Market if they were cheap enough but the price is something like 100k US. It is a pretty aircraft in the Miles Hawk sort of classic Deco style.

When everything old is new again? Seems a lot of problems of this subject has solved many times over. Fadec is talked about in newer aircraft, the FW190 from a couple of years ago (80) had a single lever throttle/propellor. The mighty Constellation had a very complicated engineers panel that involved all sorts of trickery to delay detonation on the Wright compounds. Water injection was involved in a lot of WW2 aircraft to delay detonation at higher power settings. Even lean of peak is not a new thing with Lindberg teaching rookie pilots how to get more range from Pratt 2800's in Corsairs during the pacific battles.

On a warm summers evening, somewhere in Cyprus

Aircraft Nev, they are Aircraft not planes 😜 A few aeronauts I have known speak highly of the 727, that and the Dreamliner as the nicest aircraft to fly.

There are some fellows who seem to think you must be challenged for everything you say Nev 😂 Don't know what their problem is, there's always something to learn in aviation. Maybe admitting they don't know everything would be a start? Don't let the hostility worry you, some of us are stilling willing to read your contributions and learn stuff. Stuff is good and aviation stuff even betterer, keep up the good work Nev 👍

Seems different priorities these modern times. Now people have 3 TV's on the dash, cluttered with every conceivable bit of information including the buzzbar oxidation rate. As well as a blinged out full 3 axis auto pilot. Personally like steam gauges, fewer the better. I do like a GPS though, great bit of kit. Most homebuilders now spend three times more on avionics and instruments than a brand new 172 used to cost. GA going the way of the Dodo.

There were maybe still is some concrete domes on the coast in England that were made to listen for incoming bombers

In some circles yes, I have heard of it being done once or twice.

"Tailwheel aircraft have less directional stability on the ground due to the location of the centre of gravity behind the main wheels. They are more susceptible to the effects of crosswind and the tail can have a tendency to swing sideways on the ground. They require more active input to maintain directional control and any yaw needs to be corrected immediately as it can quickly lead to a large swing and potential loss of control." Is this for school kids?

I think Oz is more litigious than the US now

Those figure will be contracting. With some dodgy operators (more than you think, GA as well as AG) not logging engine time reliability suffers. An engine that might be up for an overhaul at 3 to 4000 hours might have an actual working time on 10,000+ hours. So when that engine fails through componts being just plain worn out the engines reputation will suffer. The poor old R1340 P+W has suffered because of this with a terrible reputation for failures.

Flying AG aircraft one doesn't "maximise the length of the takeoff roll". Every loaded take off is as soon as you can, as soon as the aircraft flys. Accelerate in ground effect and climb at your best rate which when loaded is eight tenths of buggar all. Whatever the aircraft it's usually loaded to its max capacity, full available power is used for every loaded takeoff, conditions and job dictating. 1700 HP is still not enough with an aircraft that weighs 3T empty (AT802) and carries 4T with fuel and load on a 35 degree day. One track, that pic is a 402, with an 802 usually try to keep spray speed below 125 IAS. Air Tractors come with a variety of powerplants starting at a dash 11 or 15 PT6 (550-600HP) in 402's through to 1700HP PT6 -67F in some 802's with all sorts in between. Don't see many Radial 3/401's around these days, pity.

With the current price of P+W PT6-67F being close on 3 million US, Air Tractor are turning to an old solution of power plant. Air Tractor 803