Old Koreelah

Sorry, but I don't follow: could you explain how deflation of the tyres reduces drag, please?

(On a totally different tack, many would-be stowaways don't realise how compact the retracted undercarriage system is and have been crushed or frozen to death in flight.)

Lyle

My 1960's Flight book said the C5 has 28 main wheels and, to reduce drag, the tyres are deflated before retraction.

A Presidential visit needs months of planning and costs mobs.

Not sure if this has ever been linked here. It is impressive

I'm glad I don't have the responsibility of choosing which warplane to spend all our money on. A decade's investment and no guarantee that some other design is not going to make it obsolete before we even take delivery! The technology is changing so fast, and the types of wars we get mixed up in are so different to what was anticipated. Will we need pilots? Will avionics be reliable?

Add to that the news that Chinese-made chips are the heart of many weapons systems and many are fakes- which means the damned thing won't work when you need it to. Is there a way to test all weapons without destroying them?

All arguments for a home-grown industry that we can trust.

Lyle

I suppose I should say welcome Lyle even if we do stay in touch off & on. Gee I've known you now for must be at least 25 years.

Welcome Lyle . Good to have you onboard , and especially someone of my vintage too ! . I haven't seen or heard of Steve Cohen for a few years and wonder if he is still doing projects at Wedderburn . Are you in the Sydney area ? , and if so , do you ever venture over to The Oaks ? .. Once again , a big welcome .Dave C

Taking my cue from Ozzie, I guess I'd better do the intro thing as well. I was recently told of this site so here I am.

Like many, I never thought I could afford to fly and indulged in motorcycling. Though I still ride a fair bit, a recent return to road racing after a 34-year rest scared the pants off me. Those young blokes go so fast! I can stay with them through the corners but the prospect of getting getting high-sided and spat off has dampened my enthusiasm. I can still remember most of my crashes and it hurts, so I'd better protect my ancient bones.

In the late 1970's, between practice sessions at Oran Park near Luddenham, my mate Steve and I watched these two bloody idiots under flimsy fabric wings buzzing along powered by chainsaw engines. Years later I got to know Steve Cohen, one of those blokes! Thanks to the efforts of pioneers like these most of us can now afford to go flying.

After forays into gliding and building a large diesel homebuilt, I ended up buying a Jodel D9. I have spent far more time redesigning it than flying it. As we all know, getting your pilot ticket is just the start of the learning process, and forums like Ian's and this one are a vital way for flyers to share our experiences. Each bit of advice has the potential to improve someone's design or flying; it may even save a life.

Looking forward to being part of this aviation community.

Lyle Passfield

 

 

So true, Dex! years ago a bloke I knew proposed a regular "look on each other's shed" idea. The idea has merit.

I am continually concerned with the use of VG's on a (very ageing) fleet of Piper Cheiftains.Sure they increase the MTOW....but...in a failed engine scenario..they are a recipe for disaster...increased drag ...less single engine performance..

What an awesome aircraft! I happened on one at Wanaka last week- what's left of the Warbirds museum was closed, and the nearby Toy and Machinery museum was well worth the dozen $. An AN-2 towered over cars, bikes and other historic relics, and it was fascinating to see the wing structure up close. As can be seen in Scottw's pix it has what looks like full-span slotted flaperons on both upper and lower wings. Not so, there is a gap between flaps and ailerons, but their stricture is near-identical. At high AoA air flow is accelerated up and over the upper surface, improving low-speed control. Perhaps a design we home builders can learn from.

Incidentally, i believe an AN-2 was once used by a whole family or three to defect from the Soviet bloc to the west.

That's a bit disturbing. Last time the flying program was great. My antenna is up.

I was there a few days ago and was very disappointed to find the hangar partly demolished and its impressive new replacement closed. I was told that all warbirds except the Hurricane had been sold off. My trip was not wasted, however, as the nearby Toy and Machinery Museum is awesome. Several hangars full of vintage and classic cars, trucks motorcycles and aircraft, all mixed together. The expensive restoration process is being avoided: cars, planes etc. are taken into the museum as their rego expires.

Having been clobbered by a few items at high sped on my motorcycle, I have learned the value of Lexan (polycarbonate). My thin helmet visor once bent in enough to flatten my nose (without causing a bleed) after being hit by a large pebble at over 130km/h. No damage or injury. I would not trust a perspex windscreen to a bird strike unless it was quite thick.

I also suspect that there is a hedge fund that wants to buy Qantas and needs the share price suppressed...

All good advice. Learning how to scan with our eyes is not easy! Perhaps we could all benefit from some training with the Aust. Vol Air Patrol and similarly-experience search personnel.

In its pouch on my belt, ready to open and activate. In the event of a bingle, it may impede my scrambling out of the wreckage, so its right next to the buckle to be easily removable.

Speaking of duct tape.....

During a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane. And a bear smelled it. This is what he did to the plane.

I often find accounts of war from the other side interesting, especially U-Boat novels.

My favourite fighter pilot is Saburo Sakai, ("Samarai") who mastered the awesome Zero to down 64 Allied aircraft.

The Zero had outstanding range compared to contemporary Allied fighters- he once flew for 12 hours and 5 minutes until tanks dry, then glided in to land. Perhaps I can stir up a debate: I believe that if the Luftwaffe had operated a few squadrons of Zeroes during the Battle of Britain they would have won the war.

His accounts of the fighting over New Guinea includes an amazing dogfight with an Australian bomber. After the war he tried unsuccessfully to have its pilot decorated posthumously. Perhaps most extraordinary was his 600 mile flight all the way from Guadalcanal home to Rabaul, bleeding from head wounds. He lost an eye and part of his brain but returned to flying, downing a B-29 at the end of the war. Made of stern stuff.

Bloody awesome video, Motz! Technically one of the better ones around. I bet plenty of people want to know about the cameras used, how they are mounted, the sound input and how it was all edited.

Beautiful to see the outside shots. The country side could do with a few drops of rain...not. I'd be worried about finding a firm dry bit of level ground in the event of engine failure.

This video has lots of potential as an instructional tool- (my only criticism is being unable to see the panel).

You two blokes obviously had lots of fun. It's great to see and hear such relaxed and happy lessons: perhaps an approach some other instructors could emulate.

Your video deserves a wider audience- it's shows RAA flying training in a very positive light.

Lyle

Just booked his flight to sydney. The plan was to fly down and get him, but the wx isn't looking the best. I'll fly him home instead (well, he can fly me home).Evrythings ready to go and training should start on friday.

We have quite the itinery planned for Solomon. Visits to garages where aircraft are being built, restored, slapped together..lol..

 

I found an old KR2 in a container recently, thats in some serious need of TLC, im hoping to contact the owner and see if he would let us (solomon) restore it to flying condition ( or as close to as possible).

 

Thanx again to Blueshed and Howard Hughes for their donations to solomons cause. And of course Liz (foxy) for the use of her (pink) aeroplane.

 

I will be blogging the training, so watch this space..

 

cheers

Crickey, Cazza, the show is on the road already!

I would love to see a hands-on session, complete with big-screen demos, of finding NOTAMs, weather briefings, etc.

A whole hour session could be filled with associated topics, so that we're sure everyone can really access all the safety info they need for a flight.

We once had a CASA/Airservices lady tell a packed house at Narromine all about flying Victor One. Perhaps they could run a session on getting to grips with the many services they offer.

Lyle

Well done W68! With a new ground crew and aircrew who knows what the future holds?

Very interesting concept, and thanks for the clear explanation, Turnerj.

Eventually, if fly-by-wire filters down to our little aeroplanes then we will have truly lost the plot. (We already see autopilots being considered)

No more battling with quirky handling, learning individual engine management skills and enjoying the challenge of mastering different and demanding aircraft. Skills lost, interest gone, variation and challenge a vague memory from the good old days.

Bland, bland, bland.

On a totally different note: I should have followed my own advice while riding my motorcycle on the roads. Twice this week I have had to perform a radical manoeuvre to stay alive. To re-write a quote: ... never be surprised when a large vehicle pulls out in front of you; be surprised when they give way.

I like it. wonder if it will make the grade.

Personally I'd be very wary of purchasing a repaired Jab, or any other composit aircraft after a crash repair, without talking with whoever did the job, and finding out the full scope of the repair, materials used etc. I'm sure you'd agree with me there.

I'd also be very suspicous of any major structural Jab repair after crash damage,unless it was carried out by the original manufacturer IE: Jab factory.....................................................................................Maj...