Old Koreelah

I’m surprised the rotors are individually controlled; the simplest (and presumably most reliable) way to control that craft is surely via weight shift.

1 hour ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Not off topic, but a change...  I really liked the Jabiru engine article in the latest online Kitplanes...

Bruce could you post a link?

Crickey that was close! He did an amazingly good job missing surfers and putting it down i shallow water.

6 hours ago, old man emu said:

...If the whizz-bangery of Cyber warfare can knock out our infrastructure's control mechanisms with a click of a mouse key...

Which is why Australia should employ our best and brightest in cyber defense.

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...then we should look at basic weaponry. It works in Afghanistan and any other number of economically restricted countries...

A powerful argument for a well-armed citizen militia, like the Swiss model. Unfortunately, this country has far too many crazies who I wouldn’t trust with a Stanley knife, let alone a military weapon. I blame the Gun Culture in American TV shows and movies.

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We might live to see the USA suffer the same meltdown that happened to the USSR...

America outspends the rest of the world in weapons while millions of its people live in poverty, so it can’t be far off.

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Who says that Russia is a powerful military threat?...

Australia’s defense forces got their start because of scares about Russian invasions; there are forts and gun emplacements all over the country which were built by the colonies in fear of the Ruskies. 
Russia will continue to flex its muscles and defend its borders, even making incursions into nearby nations “in defence of ethnic Russians”, but it isn’t and has never been a threat to the American homeland.

6 hours ago, willedoo said:

...Or do we stick with the theory that we can never unilaterally defend ourselves. That would mean sticking with the status quo of the U.S. alliance and designing our military to follow a coalition around the world on never ending adventures.

I fear your analysis is spot on, Willedoo. The only ray of hope is that the US voter might be tiring of “never-ending foreign wars”.

 
A major factor is the US isn’t in any economic state to make war and China’s economy is looking pretty dodgy too, despite the claims of the CCP.

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The point is, are we militarily and economically too weak to adopt an isolationist stance. I'd say we are and have long ago boxed ourselves into the U.S. corner with no practical way to break out. That means buying more useless equipment and tagging along on their adventures, with the carrot on the stick being that they will hopefully help defend us if necessary. It has a big bearing on the type of military equipment we acquire.

A depressing corner we have painted ourselves into. Despite Australia joining in all their silly wars, I believe there is nothing in our treaties with the US which would guarantee they’d come to our aid if we really needed it. 

14 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

Dave and I changed our plan for Coonabarbran today due weather and had a local in the RV out to lake cowl gold mine instead...

 

Nice little plane; what is it?

14 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

 

 

I wouldn’t want to be working down that hole if the levee broke...

3 hours ago, kgwilson said:

Before I even got to replace the carb temp sender the indicator needle broke off the gauge..

My fuel pressure and fuel flow gauges (bought second hand from Maj Millard) have worked faultlessly for over a decade, but the fuel pressure needle flutters about, presumably with the engine pump pulses.
I’m sure it‘ll break off one day.
One thread suggested installing a ‘T’ junction and a short length of hose full of air to dampen or remove those oscillations.

8 hours ago, Yenn said:

I just had my oil pressure drop to near zero...

It took a few days for me to get another gauge hooked up to check if it was the gauge or a real drop in pressure.

Yenn I have a separate oil pressure gauge to test the VDO; so far they agree.

I also fitted a low oil pressure warning sensor (set at 180kPa) in the hole just around the corner from the standard oil pressure sender. Yesterday it  momentarily lit up on late final, with the engine idling. The factory tells me the pressure in that gallery is slightly lower.

Yesterday I flew over to a mate’s strip to help him with his radio.

After all the recent cooling modifications, my little plane is purring along perfectly. CHTs on cruise are all even and around 135C, even though the ram air ducts now enclose the whole length of the cylinders.

The oil cooler now exhausts separately under the cowl and even though I closed the outlet to 35X140mm, the oil only got to 70C, so I’ll have to tape some of the inlet for winter. 

We were getting ready for today’s planned flight west to the Warrumbungle Wings and Things Community Field Day.

Bluddy rain.

Jason and his team have worked so hard for this event only to have a rainband dampen the whole area. I’ve just spent weeks renovating my wooden prop, so a little rain is a big turn-off for me.

Maybe it will have passed by lunchtime...

I believe it was mentioned that the wing swept forward, in order to give the pilot good visibility.

On 09/04/2021 at 8:37 AM, FlyBoy1960 said:

Wasn't the flying Dr all started by John Flynn ?

Yes, but he wouldn’t allow his doctors to do their own flying, so this bloke set up his own operation:

https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/5399449/meet-clyde-fenton-the-maverick-flying-doctor/

A quite entertaining book:

https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Doctor-Clyde-Fenton/dp/0724505318

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

...OK from you  about 5 posts ago.. Control of airspeed is the biggest factor relating to safety . Since power is at idle it's about attitude. IF you are low the recovery becomes more critical. The smoother and more positively the process is achieved the better. Initially practice at a safe altitude. Get trained by someone who knows how to do it. Many don't.

Thanks for the advice Nev. I got a basic introduction to sideslipping yonks ago in a Thruster. My little plane handles quite differently, but I guess the principle is the same. Can’t fit an instructor in mine, but might have a session in a Sportstar.

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

    Sideslipping is more necessary in UNFLAPPED planes. IF you have adequate flaps why not just use them?

Good point, but there will be situations where a sideslip is useful.

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

...Regarding how the plane goes with flap I'd be guided by the handling notes for the type.

Not available for my heavily modified version.

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

..Crude flat sided fuselages can FLAP around a bit and some control shielding may occur with flap use that may be a little off putting..

That might be very useful, Nev. My fuselage is slab-sided but even in the most extreme slip I’ve been game to do, I haven’t noticed any turbulence, but the flaps were shut.

I guess it might require more than wool-tufting to see where the wash from my flaps goes; perhaps some long streamers.

1 hour ago, old man emu said:

...When you add aluminium powder to dope and apply it to fabric, the dope will react with the fabric, but the aluminium is locked in the mixture with the dope. The air can't get into the mixture quickly enough to have it combust (explode) instantaneously...

As a kid in the 60s I could buy all sorts of chemicals by mail order, including aluminium powder.

One of my rockets went off prematurely and severely singed my hair. Others toughened up the entire neighborhood...

9 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Quite often, we get stuff about how the airship will have a resurgence but it doesn't seem to happen.

I was told recently that a project to develop high-altitude communication blimps/dirigibles has been abandoned.

Can’t find a link, but perhaps others know the name of the company involved.

2 hours ago, RFguy said:

...needs that oil spray jet in the crank case to provide a 2nd means of piston cooling...

RF that would be nice to have, but sounds like a big modification..

2 hours ago, RFguy said:

How's your oil temperature now ? 

Oil temps stable at 85C, with the outlet flap half closed.

Just got home from a camping trip off grid, so catching up on correspondence. Hope to fit the latest modification of my RH ram air duct on Wednesday. No.1 head is too close to the prop and since widening the ducts, I have to get more air in and rapidly slow it down before it changes direction down thru the fins. Will report on progress, but I hope it’s cooling well enough for my trip to the Coonabarabran spectacular this Saturday.

No matter how economic renewables become, the LNP will find ways to subsidize fossil fuels.

Just watch this week’s 4 Corners report on their unseemly rush to spend taxpayer funds on gas pipelines before that technology is totally obsolete.

Australia is going further out on the fossil fuel limb.

Very soon the rest of the world will saddle our country and our exporters with punitive emissions tariffs.

4 minutes ago, old man emu said:

 

It will be a big win if they can do it. There's many a step between concept and completion. No doubt our Federal Government is keen to provide support if simply in the way of tax concessions, he said with a ironic grin.

Just work out how to sell it to them as support for the fossil fuel industry...

5 hours ago, RFguy said:

Which means before goign crazy on cooling the bores all the way round, one has to be confident the piston temperature is down also, otherwise cooling the bores may have unwanted repercussions...

Now he tells me!
On the basis of this and other Jab engine discussions I recently enlarged my ram air ducts to cool the entire length of the cylinders- not just the top third.

I also fitted snug ducts all round the barrels.

At the same time, I re-directed oil cooler air out a separate exit under the cowl, expecting this to greatly increase “suction” of cooling air thru the top half of the engine.

Results have been disappointing: CHTs have barely changed, presumably because that air now has to spread out and cool more hot metal.

 
With no way to monitor temperatures of the steel barrels, I have no real way of knowing if I’m making progress. 

4 hours ago, facthunter said:

No I've never commented on prop direction only X-wind and visibility over the nose .. I have stated that, in my observations, it's rarely done well and is therefore less effective and sometimes dangerous.  Nev

Nev, although slipping always feels a bit scary, that’s the first mention I’ve seen of danger from slipping.
One experienced pilot told me not to slip with flaps deployed (makes sense) but I wonder if 1st stage (about 18 degrees) is unsafe. 
Can you outline how to keep safe while side slipping?

34 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

How long have we ( US ) been playing with Drones .?

Marilin Monroe and an ex president were employed making them  ( Ronald Reagan methinks ) ?...

I severely doubt Reagan ever built anything; I believe he spent WWII making B grade war movies.

21 hours ago, anjum_jabiru said:

...I would suggest that all students and experienced pilots, should practice go-around with full flaps a few times, with a certified flying instructor, or at least as a part of a check ride or BFR, to get accustomed to the flight characteristics of the aircraft they are flying...

Preferably at altitude.

All this defence spending might make us look like a modern, formidable nation, but we are not investing enough to secure our economic future, so how can we afford to pay billions for these imported toys?

Too many paid sit-down money while energetic foreigners have to be brought in to do the jobs our pampered unemployed won’t touch.

Australia is resting on our laurels while many other nations are racing past us.

Just one example: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-55806760

You raise a valid point, Spacey. Japan is once again a key ally (Japanese warships protected our WWI troop ships) and Vietnam is no doubt tilting towards the US as China becomes more assertive.

Meanwhile old allies often strain the bonds.

Yesterday I flew for an hour to test a few modifications.

All went well and the view was awesome.

Pic 1: A peep over the Liverpool Range looking down the Hunter. Note the buildings right up near the stop of the range; what a great spot to live!

Pic 2: Even after a week of sunny days the farmland is still sodden; not a good place to land.

8 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

This would provide a good base line for design. There are plenty of them flying in the USA, only one I believe in Australia.

Great for visibility, but probably the worst possible configuration on a prang.