skippydiesel

So - do any of you have an AoA in an RAA aircraft ??

If so, paperhanger you would comment on how useful you find the device and what brand it may be ??

Thanks Wiraway - Yep! the CS can have (Beta needs to be specified/ not automatic) other talents beside maximising available thrust at different stages of flight.

As for the weight - the Airmaster CS that would suit me is 9.1kg, about 5.5 kg heavier than my current ground adjustable.

My battery, mounted on the firewall,  is 6.6 kg and may be the best relocatable (with appropriate cable upgrade) ballast that I have (other than adding lead to the tail somehow) to minimise/negate the balance equation without loosing more "pay load".

Sorry forgot one other defence - that the injured/dead wilfully set out to cause themselves harm or did so despite your best efforts to prevent the incident(s)

14 minutes ago, SplitS said:

Fly with zero insurance and set your affairs up in such a way as to be a hard target for lawyers I have it's not cheap but good luck litigating me.. The passengers have to take a level of responsibility explain the risk and make it their call. We have gone insane with litigation no one takes responsibility for their actions no one forces anyone to go for a ride.

I whole heartedly agree with "We have gone insane with litigation no one takes responsibility for their actions no one forces anyone to go for a ride."

I admire & support your philosophy, unfortunately I think you are living in a parallel universe, if you think that full disclosure, even signing a piece of paper to that effect, somehow removes your chance of being successfully sued.

In our world, its is impossible to sign away not only your own right to claim damages but most definitely the rights of third parties, such as dependents/relatives.

At best you may reduce any finding against you, by demonstrating that the injured/dead took the risk in full knowledge - assuming you are not found guilty of negligence (eg faulty mechanical work or departing into a risky weather system).

If negligence is proven, no amount of paperwork/witnesses in your defence, will prevent claims against you & your estate (unless the injured/dead was somehow a party to the negligence itself). 

2 hours ago, Hwansey said:

>16,500 hrs 

B747-400, B747-200,300,SP. B767, B737,  

CMD INST, Aerobatics, TW, CS, Retractable, Ag Rating,

Hull 140k. 5 mill liability 

No claims, no accidents, no incidents

Well "blow -me -down" (the alternate expression would leave me open to accusations of soliciting ) I think you just might have grounds for feeling undue financial persecution.

9 hours ago, Jaba-who said:

Mostly not correct though Bruce.  The real ridiculous earners are singers, entertainers and movie stars.  If not a single one of them existed the world and everyone in it would not be an iota any worse off. 

Many have observed that the least productive (actually deliver a material good) are the highest remunerated with the converse also being true. This is an overstatement but contains significant truth.

Your observation on entertainers (including sports people in my book) can also be extended to all those "professions" that deliver a service, which if removed would have little negative impact on society as a whole (ie an individual here or there may feel "pain" but society would move on without so much as a hiccup).

When viewed as dispassionately as possible, we (that is all of us) pay handsomely for some very peculiar services. Short list of, my suggested,  parasitic professions;

Religious of all persuasions

Politicians of all religions

Lawyers

Doctors

Insurers

Money traders

Media tycoons

Standing military

Entertainers

ETC

I put entertainers last because almost all of use enjoy the arts and sport to some degree. Where technically feasible, we would probably enjoy it just as much generated from/by our local population,  as an amateur service but it is in the nature of our species to want to rise to the top of our passion(enter competition) and thus is commerce born.

39 minutes ago, Hwansey said:

I was presented with an email this afternoon advising me that my aircraft hull and public liability insurance policy was due and that the new premium was a 24% increase over last years for exactly the same coverage and excess.  Given the lockdowns and restrictions have affected my use, I have paid out $168/flying hour. The same usage over the next 12 months would equate to an hourly rate of $210 for insurance. Time for a rethink methinks. 

Please "expand" :

flying experience (hours)

type eg endorsements for CS/retractable, tail wheel, aerobatics, night VFR, etc, etc

aircraft & insured value

claims history (not details) just something like  2  claims in 10 years will be sufficient

Might give us some insight into why you have had such a hike in your premium

So

1 hour ago, OZJohn said:

Servo for CS.pdf I have been using CS propeller on Rotax for the last 8 years. Very satisfied with the result. Maintains propeller speed within 100 revs over the range of 4800 to 5500 engine revs.

Operated by pushrod by servo motor mounted on top of gearbox. Push for coarse, spring loaded for fine just in case anything goes wrong. Moves blades through a 10 degree range.

Can also be used as fixed in flight adjustable by the flick of a switch if required for training.

If you require any further info PM me. John.

Veeery Interesting OZ John - Another Czech aircraft company (how many are there). On face value it would seem to adhere to the KISS principal. Pretty much what we have been discussing of late (me thinks they have stolen our concepts ha ha).

One thing I dont understand is why they opted to place the servo on top of the gear box - yes I can se the lever effect but must play havoc with the ability to present a small engine cowling profile.  this is where either a step/linear drive could be brought to bear.

I would also ask for a heap of additional information:

Aircraft performance from TO role , climb to cruise with RPM & if possible, fuel consumption for each phase. If the latter a problem perhaps your trip planed fuel consumption.

Cost delivered to AU if you have it

Photos of your installation (with & without spinner)

16 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

Spot on, Turbs! That’s been my experience for forty years, yet I was was booked for noise in 1974 on my bran new Ducati.

I lost the case in court because it was “undue noise”, even though I told the magistrate that even at full throttle, my stock standard 72 dB Silentiums made less noise than the many Harleys idling thru around town-with impunity-with mufflers removed.

OK you should know that admitting to committing a felony that is not as bad as others is no defence - you should have claimed undue persecution, in being singled out from a crowd ie why weren't all the other noise makers charged? (hinting that he police officer involved in your case had something against you personally)

1 hour ago, Kyle Communications said:

 

 

The big issue with the CS unit is the hardware design of the prop hub...sounds easy but not so much at all. The forces and stresses to make stuff move at 2300rpm and multiple blades...yeah..better engineers than me do that stuff. I know my limitations 🙂

 

Don't under rate yourself - Rather than try to develop an IFA hub and blade set up - why not purchase a good system "off the shelf". Then use your off the shelf black box, your favorite linear actuator, some bits from JayCar (or similar), a bit of machining and we are in business.

12 hours ago, Kiwi said:

Flybox Propeller regulator
PR1-P

man_PR1P_eng_rev31_45.pdf 799.08 kB · 4 downloads

Interesting - the magic black box for about $600 AU - seems like a good deal - so now we just need a good deal on a safe/reliable prop/hub set up , Kyle & RF's best selection for the linear actuator - an off the shelf hall effect RPM sensor,  a little bit of machining (I can probably arrange that) and we have ourselves a CS prop for a smidgeon of the big boy price.

No offence intended M61A1 but you clearly have no concept of how a highly infectious epidemic/quarantine situation must be managed IF IT IS TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF SUCCEEDING.

The problem with the NSW & Federal Governments is that they are putting short term economic interest ahead of human health.

It has been understood since ancient times, that for a quarantine to be successful it must be 100% This concept of outbreak control is complete BS and can only lead to greater economic and human suffering.

We still have a chance of eliminating the virus from within our national boundaries – SA/WA/Tas/Qld/NT all understand this. I suspect Vic (Dan) does as well. Without the co-operation of NSW, total elimination CV-19 is unlikely (not impossible). 

The naysayers point out that C V-19 will still come in from overseas – true that’s why strict NO EXCEPTIONS (no special circumstances/wealthy/politicians/sports people/media personalities/etc) quarantine for all incoming persons must be implemented – that way the virus can be kept out of the general population and any positives can be handled appropriately in quarantine.

Australia used to have quarantine stations, in the vicinity of our major ports. With modern medicine we fooled ourselves that they were no longer needed. Nature has a way of demonstrating how arrogant we have become. We need new purpose built quarantine stations, strategically located (Central Australia would be good and bring a few much needed jobs or Christmas Island or similar) able to handle thousands of entries into Australia - the only way to keep us safe and still have some semblance of international human movement. I doubt very much that the "Bubble" concept will be manageable in the long term.

With a clean population, life has a chance of returning to some semblance of normalcy – within our national boundaries.

Those industries that have been built on short term overseas visitors (international tourism) - I don’t think it would be wise to invest in any related activity for many years to come – this includes passenger airlines.

What of an effective vaccine? Could be round the corner. Could still be years away or never. Even if we get one, what will be its efficacy and for how long will immunity be conferred? Then there is the problem of distribution – will the wealthy West supply sufficient vaccine to the poor of Africa, Indian Sub-Continent, Asia, Pacific and the Middle East, for a complete control/elimination? If they don’t the virus will continue to circulate, probably evolve and come back to bite us big time.

There you go then - a pair of geniuses - I can see it now $4000 pro & hub $400 CS control system - use at your own risk. Ill be your test pilot ( no brain, no pain)

I recon clever chappies like a certain RF Guy & Kyle Comms could  could easily design a CS prop,with mostly off the shelf stuff - might be better to get an existing proven hub & blade set up (no point in reinventing the wheel ha ha)

Does anyone have an opinion on Peltor headsets????

Guys! Guys! Just get yourselves a Rotax 912/914 powered glass aircraft and you wont have any overfly noise complaints - the neighbours push/ride on mowers makes far more noise than my little Zephyr.

The Europeans have very strict aircraft noise limits (so I am told), so make an effort to design quieter propellers and muffle their engines. 

Sounds like an electronically actuated IFA - no point when you can do it with a simple Borden cable & some clever leverage - why not go the full CS by having an RPM input/response??

Okay! okay1 a stepper driving a linear actuator with a pitch ball screw - seems to meet all the criteria - What will you control it with ? Something like the CS black box with  the option to have pre programmed pitch points for TO, Climb, HS Cruise & Econo Cruise, that can be switched to manual for "playing with" the pitch and may be an auto feather function for the day the noise stops.

Seems to me we ae all on the "same page". 

I figure that the important  & heavy bits of a CS/IFA are the hub and system for holding a blade root securely. A blade root  that must be able to rotate/move through a very small arc. Once this has been sorted, a cam type mechanism is needed  to make the movements. The movements must be identical on all blades, fully controlled and repeatable.

I looked at the linear actuators but felt the step motor had inherently & potentially better "vernier" type control. What I have in mind is something like a rack & pinion set up (which is a bit like a linear actuator anyhow).

The deforming blade concept is certainly KISS but I must confess it doesnt quit grab my attention.

Small tangential topic drift:

Just out of curiosity I have been finding out about step/stepper motors - they are truly an amazing bit of technology.

The motor itself is  quite simple, unfortunately the drive/control is a tad complex (for me).

Cant understand why a suitable step motor, attached to a worm drive or jack screw, could not be used in Rotax (hollow offset propeller shaft) type engines for in flight prop adjustment. Mounted on the top of the crankcase and driving through the hollow shaft to  the blade pitch mechanism in the hub. This must be second only to a manual adjust system in simplicity and potential light weight.

As for the drive/control - if I understand the system at all (?) It can be very small and light and several layers of redundancy can quite easily be incorporated.

I suspect that the variose black boxes" supplied with electric constant speed propeller systems, are in fact, a step drive linked to a simple RPM pick up - driving a step motor located in the prop hub.

It seems nuts to me to have the motor in the hub, usually hung out front, where its weight is having a greater impact on W&B and where it is subject to rotational loads and its "connection" with the driver & power supply must go through a slip ring arrangement (potential failure point).

I will be interested to get your feed back on this.

3 hours ago, Jaba-who said:

I think it probably is OK for the average recreational pilot if it covers up to the full 10 million. But if I understand the wording as stated there is only $250k for passenger injury. Since that’s the most likely cause of a claim and claims for injury or death can be huge it doesn’t sound like it’s suitable to me. But I’m only going by what what’s been said . 
Currently the GA insurers and brokers are saying for a 4 seat aircraft you should have $20million cover. Based on past history of events I guess.

 

So I’d guess that for 2 seats yep $10mill sounds OK. But $250k doesn’t. 
..........................................

 

Is $250k enough -no way. Not even to cover lost lifelong income for a tradie. 

Is $10mill enough -  depends. 
 

 

 

Hi Jaba - Just remember:

• It is in the interest of the insurgence company to "up the anti"/escalate your anxiety/insecurity ie they want you to pay  the highest possible premiums that they can squeeze out of you - it all means bigger profits for them. In the final assessment, it is your perception of risk (not theirs)  that you might/should want to insure for.
• From a cost effective perspective you will probably never have enough insurance - there will always be that situation where it was not quit good enough.
• I am not sure, but I think insurance is probably the only product/service you will pay (dearly) for, that neither you or the provider, want to get delivered/pay out on.

Hi Robin - just responded to your "private" communique but not sure if got through - please confirm  success/failure?

85 year old head set?  Must be steam powered . About time you bought a new pair 😂

ATEC Solo - Pre loved - its in Europe unfortunately but if the price is right https://www.planecheck.com/eu/aspdet.asp?nr=49883.

Fantastic performance about $50 K Au but importation /registration/GST will add another approximately $10 K - Still for $60K you get incredible performance & econamy.

Its a bit of a worry when I see the abbreviate caption "Waraton Horn stopped Working 22 hrs ago"