Moneybox

How meticulous are you at using the correct components when maintaining a certified aircraft? I want to replace my Sportstar throttle cable. The original is fixed in position until the release button is pressed to allow fore and aft movement. It does have a fine adjustment by rotating the knob but it doesn't work in all cases. If on full throttle, pushed all the way in, the knob just spins without releasing the cable. The fine adjustment only works after the cable has been released from the full throttle position. I did a little research. The McFarlane cable pictured below is US $307.88 in the US. I can purchase it from Aircraft Spruce in Perth for $634.70. I decided to do the right thing and email Evektor. They replied with a part number for the cable and a part number for the two grommets where it passes through the firewall. I have to buy through the Australian distributor. The cable is available here, the grommets have to be imported. I said forget the grommets, I have plenty in stock. The cable price is $1488.30. If I play by the rules this is the price I must pay.

My prop is a Kaspar KA-1 set at 11° fine pitch. I never tried maximum revs at standstill but it appears too fine. A couple of notches towards course should prevent easily over revving the Rotax.

It says Carburettor Preheater if required.

In the Evektor Harmony I was taught to test the electric fuel pump and carburettor heat on runup. Beyond that they were never used unless there was an engine problem that needed sorting out inflight. For every take-off, landing and maneuvers both were turned off. I had two trainers, one the LAME and both instructed the same.

Well I did it. I threw the chainsaw in the boot, drove 7hs south to the Sportstar and cut the taproot. She is no longer solidly grounded. 😅 I'd waited months for my compliance engineer or anybody sufficiently experienced to do the test flight. It never happened so I left here on Friday morning and arrived in time to do a little maintenance so that it was ready for Saturday morning. The forecast was for SE winds of around 20kts gusting to 40kts but that's fine on a runway 14-32, directly up the runway. I'd flushed the old fuel and replaced it a few weeks back so this time it fired up straight away. Anybody watching would have thought I took way too long to get underway but I wanted to be sure I'd ticked all the boxes. 13 years out of the air is a long time. The last flight recorded in the logbook was 11/6/2007 but I've found a few loose sheets that added the last 200 hours. I really wanted a more experienced pilot to take the first flight but I got tired of waiting. Not just because it may have faults but it has a throttle control that I find very difficult to use. Anyway I made the necessary radio calls, followed the run-up procedure and lined up for take-off. To say I was a little nervous was an understatement but all I had to do was push that awful throttle control. I set the propeller to fine pitch and gently pushed the throttle button all the way home. It leapt off the mark like nothing I've been in before. I reckon I was in the air in less than 100m, undoubtedly the headwind had something to do with that. I had intended to keep it close to the runway for the first stretch incase something went wrong but by the end of the runway the altimeter was showing 600'. At that point I took a glance at the tacho, a little 2" one on the wrong side of the panel, I was a little shocked to see the little Rotax was singing along at 6700rpm, about 900 beyond the red line. I gave the throttle knob a quick flick anti-clockwise, it did nothing so I quickly pulled some extra pitch on the prop to bring the revs back to about 5000 while continuing to climb. By the time I was over the quarry where we usually reached 500' and turned crosswind I'd hit 1000' so then I had a crack at releasing the throttle. It's awkward pushing the button to release it while pulling it to reduce revs. I can't do it smoothly but it's not so bad when you have time to fiddle with it. From there it got easier. I headed down-wind in the circuit just to stay close to the airstrip but at this stage I was not confident enough to land so I headed for the training area. At 4000' I thought it safe enough to try some stalls. I guess with my light weight and the lightweight plane I should have expected it but it continued to climb at idle until hitting the bottom line on the airspeed indicator, 30kts before a gentle but distinct fall, no stall warning and no vibration. I tried a couple more but next time I'll see what it does with a couple of notches of flap. The L2 who helped me put the wings back on and made out the condition report straightened a couple of things that appeared bent in the travel from Queensland. One was the stall warning switch and the other was a fixed trim tab on the RH aileron. Perhaps neither was actually damaged because now the stall warning doesn't work and it was flying with a heavy right wing. Once on the ground I bent that little trim tab up a little and now it flies level. Anyhow, eventually I headed back to the airport, can't stay up there forever it seems. Even though I was taught to not use the carby heat I pulled it on when turning base and off half way down final. The wind was gusty but still directly down the airstrip. The airspeed indicator was showing 55kts when I touched down but in reality I was probably only doing 25kts ground speed. There was the tiniest chirp from two tyres but no other feeling. My first thought was I'd bounced but no, I was firmly on the ground after the best landing I've ever done. I went out again at 6:30pm after the wind dropped and did a few circuits and some great landings. I don't know if it was just the headwind or the Sportstar eager to get back on the ground but all my landings were soft and so much easier than all those previous. This morning I went up again. I flew down to White Gum Park with the intention of filling up at their 98 bowser. When I flew over the airstrip the windsock was stretched directly sideways, perhaps a good 30-40kt cross wind. I decided I was not ready for that so headed back to Northam, parked the plane and drove back home very happy.

It may be best to keep your rubber hose sections short. The bigger diameter hose will suck flat easier than the original small hose.

With a population of nearly 1.5 billion there are probably plenty of other pilots. He probably knew if he didn't fly it home he'd never fly again.

If you don't get an audible warning that other aircraft are nearby you'd have to be looking at the instrument instead of out the window.

Response from Evektor. Dear Phil, Please contact our dealer Mr. Steve Cesco ([email protected]] for Your order. You need following items: 766395 Vernier Throttle Control, 1pc 076810 Grommet, 2pcs Now I just need to know what these parts are before I go ahead.

Unless you get a sudden low like a cyclone where the reduced pressure outside allows the higher internal pressure to blow the building apart.

I like this idea. I've been looking into building that big tilt door and whatever I use is going to weigh over 400kg for a 12m x 3m door. Last year I built a shelter for Mrs M's Mercedes Vito. It's made from light gauge steel RHS tubing and covered in 90% shade cloth, cheap, fast and secure. I first bought a heap of tex screws and washers to secure the shade cloth before finding Wiggle wire. This bundle consists of a 'C' section aluminum channel that you fasten down with a few tex screws and a spring wire that you wiggle into place over the cloth. It not only secures the cloth but tensions it as well. I laid a whole 7m x 8m roof in a day and it's still looking good. Fastened to a frame it could make a large light weight door.

I've emailed Evektor to see if they'll allow the modification.

I don't know if they come apart but the bit that I want to replace is the knob control. To move my throttle knob in or out the button has to be pressed to release the lock or it can be rotated for fine adjustment, not what you need for a fast response in an emergency.

Yes that may be true however if you check the small print, they will, questions like “is the vehicle modified?” “Are there any accessories?” etc. Even if you answered this honestly when first insured did you update your insurance when you had the suspension lift of fitted the roof rack? items like this can be said to have a detrimental affect on the stability of the vehicle. Then where do you stand when you make a claim? These businesses are not here to protect you, they are looking at their bottom line and what they can do to protect their financial interests. I had the inside of the Hyundai fitted out as a camper. Part of that was the installation of two LiFePo4 batteries that blew up destroying the vehicle. What chance would I have with an insurance claim? It wasn’t worth finding out just as it wasn’t worth paying the insurance.

Yes I’m quite well aware of that. Insurance is something I don’t have much to do with. We’re conditioned through fear that we need insurance, home and contents insurance, car insurance, personal liability insurance, life insurance, aircraft insurance, public liability insurance, flood insurance, income protection insurance, health insurance, landlord insurance, personal disability insurance and the list goes on. If you have been conned into all these insurance policies and the worst happens, have you ever tried to make a claim? Sometimes they may pay but they are careful not to overlap those payments even though they’ll happily sell you policies with overlapping cover. In most cases Insurance is just a well designed business operating on poor ethics and our fear of the unknown, the what-iffs in life. We’re all sucked in feeding the big machine. I avoid it wherever I can.

Wow, this is a really lively thread. 🤣 I don't like my Sportstar/Rotax Vernier throttle that locks into position. I've trained in a few planes all fitted with a simple push-pull cable with friction adjustment. I like being able to just shove it quickly to full throttle or back without thinking of pressing the release button. I've seen these Vernier cables that look to be a better option. It still has the fine adjustment but can be quickly pushed or pulled without having to release it first. Any comments, for or against?

While driving around Perth I've been thinking of this door. I decided the best option might be like shown in the video KRviator put up but constructed from freezer panel. I think it might even come in full length 12m sheets. It'd be light weight and rigid, well insulated and easily installed.

Please excuse my crude drawing, I can't photograph it because I'm in Perth but this is the direction he laid the iron sheeting.

One of the guys here in Cue has a dome shelter that self destructed as everything plastic does up here. He bought long lengths of Zincalume and ran them longitudinally, end to end, starting at the bottom of the arch working to the top either side. It created a very neat and solid shelter that will surely outlast any fabric. It’s over his drive-through workshop so has no ends. For his hangar he has a couple of 40’ containers with a steel roof between but no door.

I really like this door, no tracks to fill with dirt or to get easily damaged. The worst part is I’d have to build it myself and I really don’t want the work.

My plane is sitting in Northam out in the weather. There are at least 40 hangars but it seems nobody has space to spare. The shire are going to release more land but it’s a drawn out process. First it must go before council then the Dept of Lands Conservation and Land Management or any other of the similarly named government departments. The land clearing permit can take up to two years. Then I tried the Shire of Wongan Hills and Ballidu just 100km north. The said they have land available but the same Gov Dept delays apply. There are only three hangars but approval to build can also take up to two years. What a painful bunch of useless public public servants we have. Anyway we must plan ahead. I’m interested in other peoples hangar door preferences. I like the bi-fold doors but the cheap nasty sheds being offered cannot support the weight. We looked at a great one last night, it was made in 2m sections and slides sideways around the corner and down the inside of the LH wall. There are lots of designs, some easy and expensive others no so much. I’m interested to know your Hangar Door preferences.

Slight mixture adjustment on a two stroke can make huge differences to power output. When racing dirt carts with a 100cc Yamaha we used to reach behind an lean the mixture for an extra boost of power in the straight or overtaking. You couldn't keep it lean when backing off for a corner or it would instantly raise the combustion temperature sufficient to melt the sparkplug. Slightly too rich would noticeably reduce power and slightly too lean would boost it. If that is a truly smart carburettor I can believe it could give significant improvements in performance and fuel consumption.

but the barbecue is pretty cool...

I've never seen that type of starter. The father-in-law always had a bandaid on one or two fingers.

Imagine the liability claims these days. The lawyers would have a field day.