sfGnome

With great relief, I ascertained yesterday (I’ve been away) that my 2025 build 912ULS is not on the list. What I did notice was that the overwhelming majority (i.e. almost all) of the affected engines were 912iS and 914, so it looks like it was a batch assembly issue (“oh, was I supposed to put those parts in??”). A ridiculous number of years ago when I was working on a production line as an apprentice, it was each person’s responsibility to check the work of the person before you, so (theoretically), errors wouldn’t be hidden inside final assemblies. I expect that Rotax’s procedures have been updated now.

Sorry, Nev. i should have explained myself better. Anything that is it’s between a person (user) and a machine is a user interface. A brake pedal on a car (an analogue control) is part of the car’s user interface, as is the indicator stalk (a digital - on/off control). I was merely using the website example as I had hit it the day before and it was fresh in my mind. The point I was trying to make was that all user interfaces, including the control panels of planes, need to be test operated by ingenious fools before being put into normal use. I’ve spent my life designing user interfaces - mechanical, electrical and computer - and it took some embarrassing mistakes before I learned that lesson.

User interface design (i.e. ergonomics in the computer world) seems easy until you do it. I have many stories, but one will do. I was using a tourist website yesterday for entry to a museum. You enter your details, select the payment method, and then tick the “i agree to your rules” box. Nothing happened. I went around in circles for a while before i realised that, having ticked the aforementioned box, you *then* go back *up* to select the payment method. Somehow, that got through all the reviews and user tests and was released on a waiting world. Often, everyone who checks the layout of an instrument panel has likely been involved in the design, and are blind to the problems that “ingenious fools” will come up with. For user interface (or ergonomic) design, it is super important to let uninvolved, un-knowledgeable, un-instructed people loose on it in a safe, observed environment.

I tried to do that and dropped one when my assistants misunderstood an instruction (or I was less than clear, depending on who is telling the story 🫤). Thus, my wings now take up valuable floor space in cradles I made for them.

56? No worries. Medically, if you can drive a car, you can fly a plane. Talk to Go Fly at Canberra airport (there may be others there too). There are no other airports close by, so for you, it’s Canberra or bust. Alternatively, there’s the Canberra gliding club about an hour south (past Bredbo). That’s a good way to learn too, but the 2 hour round trip might get a bit tiresome. It’s no problem when you’re enthusiastic at the beginning, but if you start to struggle (many do), then the longer trip becomes a good excuse to quit. 🫤 As for building, there probably is an SAAA chapter at Canberra (https://saaa.asn.au/). If you’re thinking of building, it really helps to have people around who have already done it. Just don’t let them talk you into building what they built. Make sure that you check all the options and get something that matches your needs and wants. Anyway, that’s a fair way off. Get your license/certificate first! 😀

The MPC. They noted that after holding the price steady for many years, it had to be increased. Big jump, but cheaper than paying someone to do my maintenance.

That price is about to more than double. Will be published shortly.

I was able to line up my numbers to miss the rivet heads, but the logo on the tail hit about 20 of them on each side. They form a bubble when first applying the vinyl, but a pin hole allows the air out and the vinyl stretches a bit to sit down over the shape of the head. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to do it over hundreds of heads if applying large areas of vinyl.

Simple solution. Get your son to do the painting (and preparing) and see what paint scheme he prefers then… I went for something simpler. Plain orange with grey tips, but I did add a pointless picture on the tail for fun.

I don’t think that that’s right (but I’m not a lawyer). The contact details are also in ERSA, and it’s up to you to ask for the specifics if you want. To not do so is a bit like signing a contract to buy a house without inquiring as to the price (yes, I know that’s an extreme example). A vendor doesn’t have to display a price, but they have to tell you when you ask.

It's just occurred to me (yes, I'm slow...) that we can only look at keeping CO out of the cabin, and not deal well with fire. The design of the Savannah/Ventura/(& I presume)701 with the steering rods and throttle control rods piercing the firewall, means that the firewall can't be made well fire resistant. Even a silicone boot will fail relatively quickly in the presence of flames whereas a rubber boot will die immediately, so silicone it is. I mean, it doesn't hurt to surround all the penetrations with a fire resistant silicone sealant, but in the not very long run, any fire is going to get through.

Thanks for starting this thread Marty, and thanks to all who provided advice and suggestions. I’ve been putting this off, and it’s given me the gently prod to finally get my act together.

I had a Kanad, which wouldn’t pass the GPS self test. I returned it for replacement under warranty, and the replacement wouldn’t pass the test either. Given that each test drains the non-replaceable batteries so it can only be done a few times in the device’s life, I couldn’t keep trying so eventually I gave up. Maybe I just had bad luck, but I’ll probably go with the GME next time (very soon).

Confession time… I was flying one day and a parachute dropped past me not a lot of metres away. Was I playing with the avionics? Nup, it was a standard 6-pack. Was I not paying full attention to the possibility of a parachute? Yes (which is especially relevant because I had heard the calls from the drop plane, so I should have been looking more carefully). My point - apart from recounting an embarrassing lesson learned - is that the canopy is not glaringly obvious. I didn’t see it until it was (thankfully) off to one side of me. Some metres to the right, and I’d either be dead or locked up for manslaughter.

That may be true, but I know that I wouldn’t swap what the last few years of building has given me for the instant gratification of flying something off the shelf (though I’m happy to accept that I’m possibly not ‘normal’ 😁).