sfGnome
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Everything posted by sfGnome
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Interesting. I have no idea if you're right or not (my experience of instructors being limited to the RA variety), but I have a mate doing his GA FI course at the moment and I can't believe the amount of work that he has to put in.
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I was indulging another passion and racing in a triathlon. Perfect day for it. Flying twice in the next two weeks if the weather holds. Can't wait.
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Streamlined Strut Fairing Material
sfGnome replied to old man emu's topic in Aircraft Building and Design Discussion
I recall seeing a video demonstration (might have been on this site - I really don't remember) showing that a streamlined strut could be many times the diameter of a round one before the drag was equivalent. However, I also can't remember how many times more it was, so just call me Forgetful Jones... -
Streamlined Strut Fairing Material
sfGnome replied to old man emu's topic in Aircraft Building and Design Discussion
I wonder... What if you used the Al flashing to make the shape, and then fixed it to the strut by filling the space between with expanding foam? Block off both ends while you're filling it so that the foam expands against itself and fills the whole area evenly. Not only will it hold the fairing in place, but it will protect it pretty well from dents too. Not sure about the weight, but I can't imagine it being too heavy. -
Since when has that ever stopped a conversation...
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Hey, that's two good things in one day! Number one was spotting the mistake and fixing it in a really clear-headed manner, and number two was requiring a toilet break, thereby making us old blokes think that if it happens to young blokes too, then maybe we're not that old after all...
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I reckon that the question is not "Should I do the FI training?", but "Should I teach after competing the training?". Doing the training can only improve your skills, so it can never be a bad thing. As for the other question, well that's up to your instructor. If s/he throws everything at you and you handle it well, then why not? On the other hand, if you struggle with the strange situations, then even if you hold off the teaching for a while (or forever), you've still learned something more there too. In summary, go for it.
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Bum! Iggy's link makes it clear that clearance will still be required on the new lanes, so the western railway route is still the only path north past Williamtown for RA traffic. Hrmph!
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I taught myself on bungee-launched 2m and 144" gliders. I think it took me a couple of years before the day I came home with them all in one piece. Then I joined a club and got some instruction (!!) and worked my way through various electric craft up to a relatively fast sport/aerobatic one. That's where I really learned to fly in front of the plane, but one day something failed near the ground and it went in hard. I just couldn't bring myself to rebuild it again (again, again...), so I picked up the bits and I never went back. I've still got one little park flyer sitting there looking pretty. Wonder if it still flies after all these years
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The trick with Noise Cancelling Mics is that the two coils are connected out of phase. Any ambient noise hits both coils evenly, and because they're out of phase, the signal cancels. You voice, on the other hand, hits one coil much more strongly than the other, so it doesn't cancel and lives to tell the tale.
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Oooo. Looks a bit draggy. Better get to it with some filler and smooth off the surface a bit...
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No ridicule, Bob. I have a very similar picture taken on the way home from YTEM at Easter, and they were Easter eggs in my case.
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Now here's an interesting comparison to think about. Would it be fair to say that your average high wing has a more 'upright' windscreen than a bubble canopy low wing? Question is, would the additional slope on the bubble tend to deflect the bird rather than stop it dead (so to speak), and thus lessen the breaking force?
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Geez. There wouldn't want to be too many bindiis in the grass when you're landing... Good on you for having a shot at something a bit different.
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Biggles - what are the reflections in the window? It's a bit late in the year for Easter eggs, isn't it?
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Ever so slightly off-topic, but having an interested passenger can make a big difference - double the eyes and ears. Recently I was heading down the coast towards Wollongong where they occasionally have parachutists onto the beach. I don't know what I was concentrating on, but suddenly my beloved said "They just dropped some chutes" - she'd heard the radio call, and I was utterly oblivious to it! Experience won out in the end though. I spotted the drop plane on its descent while she couldn't see it... It was nice to watch them float down. It was a bit like having birds for company, but safe in the knowledge they weren't going to attack!
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Isn't that always the way. I hear voices in my head when I fly too... (Sorry, couldn't resist! Glad the flight went well, and may there be many many more!)
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What Has Old Man Emu Scratched Up Now? No 3
sfGnome replied to old man emu's topic in Engines and Props
Thanks OME. Clear & well written. -
You know, we talk about flying like a bird, but I think that what I really want to do is *land* like one! It's the ultimate STOL. Pick a point, flare to a standstill and just put the landing gear down... (dream on )
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Interesting to compare this one with the recent discussion about the Sportstar with the canopy that opened in flight. If I recall correctly, the consensus there was that it would happily continue with the canopy open/gone, and the main danger was the pilot being distracted. Is the difference that the Cessna has a large space continuing from the cockpit all the way back to the tail (in this case filled with would-be jumpers) where the airflow would be turbulent, whereas the Sportstar possibly has a wall behind the pilot's head so the air just flows up and over?
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I tried to get in on that but I couldn't get a grant...
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Makes some sense to me. I reckon that some times the best thing to do when you just can't 'get' something is to go away and sleep on it for a while - let your subconscious work on it in the background. Mind you, 2 years may be a bit longer than I'd normally suggest...
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Good on you, TW. Now you get to discover that when the licence begins, the training begins! Never stop learning (Now, where have I heard that before... )
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I reckon it looks too nice to risk actually flying...
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Just be careful that it isn't too easily bumped when your passenger shifts position in their seat. Things got a bit exciting for me once when we suddenly went full throttle while idling on the taxiway...
