onetrack

Lawyers are there to find loopholes in vast reams of documentation surrounding insurance, carriage regulations, terms and conditions and hundreds of other legal requirements. They usually find them. In this case, the aircraft was perfectly capable of continuing its planned flight, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it by way of design, as proven by millions of other successfully completed flights by the same model. The reasons behind the crash are simple - inadequate piloting skills. Vast numbers of properly trained pilots transit the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone with no problems, every day and every night of the week. That failure to provide pilots of adequate and competent skills (which all the pax thought was being provided), would have to fall on Air France, and around their levels and styles of training and competency checking.

I'm on a roll here! Another option is - Kelpro produce a range of CV joint boots. Many are for specific vehicle fit, of course - but they also produce about 3 sizes of "universal fit" boots. If you find the Kelpro part number, a Google search on the Kelpro part number will usually bring up the boot dimensions - or some sites selling them will provide dimensions. The only problem with the CV joint boots that I can see, is that the base is designed to fit a circular CV drive forging, so you would need to fabricate a metal adaptor that screws to the firewall, and which would have a circular top to allow the securing of the larger diameter of the CV joint boot to it. The CV joint boots are exceptionally durable, I'm pretty sure they're nitrile rubber. Nitrile rubber is not as flame resistant as silicone rubber, but it's not highly flammable, either.

You can also purchase "rubber bellows" for hydraulic cylinders, which are designed to keep contaminants away from cylinder shafts and seals. These are also available in silicone rubber, and they have the advantage of being vastly more flexible over a longer range of movement, than a simple gear shift boot. https://www.steerforth.co.uk/standard-rubber-bellow-gaiter-p-4433.html

There's actually a whole pile of YooToob videos of people sewing up their own custom-shaped shift boots (or gaiters as they're also known) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaPqzw2eGJk

Or ... you could simply check the dimensions of a larger size, off-the-shelf rubber shifter boot, off eBay - typically for big American pickups - and see if that would do the job. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/277258163920

.........and he promptly decided that area could be lit up for a targeted air strike by the new F-36 Drifters. Yes, dear NES'ers, you heard it here first (from the new kid on the block, apparently - but don't let that bother you, as it doesn't bother OT. "A new breath of fresh air" [to the NES] were the words used when OT joined the NES). But I digress. As you may be aware, the Govt is less than impressed with the underwhelming performance, the high maintenance costs and the poor parts availability of the F-35's - so they quietly contracted a "behind the scenes" deal with Turbine Exotic Fighter Planes, a little known military equipment manufacturer, located in a semi-rural factory on the outskirts of Moorabbin. This contractor purposely kept a low profile to keep out any Defence Dept snoops, who might give away the companys manufacturing secrets. And of course, the credentials of the CEO were impeccable, being an Afghanistan veteran, a veteran of the Road Transport Wars, and also highly skilled at keeping grubby unwanted fingers off exotic products, such as American muscle cars. TEFP realised early on, that all warplanes were completely expendable, and as such, it was a total waste to spend $16B on 72 fighter planes, only to have them turned into scrap in the sky within minutes. The CEO of TEFP cunningly devised a plane to recycle end-of-life Drifters into new fighter aircraft at extremely low cost and with minimal effort. He was quoted as saying, "Why waste $16B on high-tech, overseas built fighter aircraft, when for $15B, I can supply reconditioned and upgraded F-36 Drifters in larger quantities, knowing full well, they'll still only be turned into scrap in the sky, within 5 mins of takeoff, anyway? This is a no-brainer, this is how the Ukrainians are winning their war!" Of course, the CEO kept the information highly confidential, about how he would turn ancient, lightweight flying pieces of scrap, into new, hi-tech flying pieces of scrap, until one day, a "Military News" photographer, bored with endless "delivery updates" on long awaited Military products that took decades to appear, decided to crawl through the hedge of the adjoining property to the TEFP factory, to try and snap some "exclusive" shots of F-36 Drifters being rebuilt and armed to the teeth. What he saw horrified him, and he could not believe his eyes. There was the CEO, barking orders to...............

My apologies Skippy, I meant to write CO, knowing full well that CO2 is carbon dioxide - I just had a late evening brain fart. Yes, there could be gas leakage potential with the home-made boot, I guess that would depend a lot on the thickness and evenness of the silicone RTV spreading. Another approach would be to fabricate a mold and make a boot from silicone rubber. I've done this myself for the manufacture of a mold to make a rubber mounting. It's easy enough to purchase the chemicals for manufacturing silicone molds. However, the material only seems to come in pink colour - I'm not sure if Marty is right into pink, for his aircraft colour scheme. 😄 https://www.flowresins.com.au/products/pinkysil?srsltid=AfmBOor7DvBhG6bxCiGN5nzFHphpt09AkjRyaN_ZCCErwLIZ1YMc7Cya

That's a firm Yes. Wool felt has no ability to stop CO2 getting through it - even though it has some uses in filtering some chemical smells and chemicals with large molecules. CO2 has small molecules that pass easily through the relatively porous regular wool felt material. But if you employed wool felt containing activated carbon particles (charcoal) in it, then the CO2 would be trapped by the activated carbon.

There are only two Bunyips recorded publically - on the pages below - but neither looks like the machine in Scott Perkins photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Ultralight_Industries_Bunyip https://aeropedia.com.au/content/ultralight-aircraft-bunyip-and-wombat/ However, going through the photos on the Aeropedia site may yield success. Using "ultralight" as the search term bring up 9 pages of photos of some pretty odd aircraft. I can honestly say I've never seen a machine like it, that solid single curved boom on the underside of the wings structures and the engine is certainly unique, and represents a great deal of innovation.

Here's one blokes solution, Marty (link below). The three biggest problem that I see for your requirement, in trying to find a commercially-made boot, are; 1. It seems that all boots are designed to fit round or square holes. I have yet to find a boot that fits a slot, and which allows substantial movement in a straight line. 2. There are grommets, and there are boots. Many grommets offer a wide range of shapes, but they're not designed to allow a substantial range of movement, as boots are designed to do. 3. You really need the material to be fire resistant. As a result, silicone would be the best choice, it's very heat and fire resistant (450°C), and self extinguishes once the flame source is removed. I think this bloke has produced a workable solution, even if it's not professional-looking. I wouldn't trust those PVC or nylon cable ties, though, I'd be looking at something more durable. https://www.kitplanes.com/diy-firewall-boots/

.....said, "Have you ever seen what $10M in $100 notes, in a suitcase, looks like?" Turbos brow furrowed (indicative of his intense thought application to all thorny problems), he thought silently for maybe 20 seconds, then said............ No". "I thought not. Neither have I. But if we keep in with this Riverina Mob, we're eventually bound to see what it looks like. And I was just wondering if $10M in a suitcase would put a Jab well over MTOW?" Turbo replied, "Not if you throw out the...............

They may be painted to look like Rotax filters - but I'd have to opine, they're the filters that don't meet with Rotax approval.

......the stoned fruits barely know what's going on, thanks to that regularly-available supply of mind-altering weed, for which the Riverina is well known. Of course, despite Cappys protests that his low level flight was merely recreational, everyone else knows that his flight was merely a test of "flying below the radar" (so to speak) to see if his "Riverina consumer supplies" activities would arise any interest from the local constabulary - let alone any CASA representatives. To Cappys huge relief, as he waited on tenterhooks for an extended period after landing, there was no knock at the door, no unmarked grey cars mysteriously parking near his favourite cafe on a regular basis, no strange glint from something reflective in the distance - so after a couple of weeks, he became less nervous, and didn't jump at the sound of a paddy-wagon door closing, so he could now..............

Nev, automated filter manufacturing produces a consistent product with accuracy of materials being constantly checked - even to ultrasonic thickness checking of filter pleating. Just one of those frocked Pakistani boys having a bad day at work, is going to result in a bad batch of filters, that their minimalistic QC checking system would never pick up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-A7nQz_H_s

Aww, c'mon Danny - these finest quality Rotax filters are produced in our ISO 9001: 2015-graded factory, with a dedicated and highly skilled workforce!! I can offer you a supply of thousands at a great price, to ensure good profits for you!! 😄 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvTaCWx4fo

You've never seen fat profit margins until you've been involved in retailing filters. The simple fact that one brand of filter can have 15 different, widely-varying prices, according to who you source it from, is enough to make you realise that filter floggers are in the same category as doctors and lawyers for "higher than average" income levels. I have friends with a filter retailing business. They have little problem paying all their bills, they indulge in premium motoring purchases, and also own large motorboats. Good luck to them, they know their business. But I rarely buy my filters off them.

The greatest oil filter I've ever encountered, was one you never changed - you only cleaned it out! It is the centrifugal oil filter, as fitted to the older and larger Deutz diesel engines. The filter had a rotary section that was spun via small nozzles that were operated by the pressurised engine oil. The rotary section spun at up to 5000-6000RPM - which action threw even the tiniest contaminants to the outer housing, where they gathered in a firm layer. The cleaned engine oil drained back to the engine, and the process continued as long as the engine was running. Because these centrifugal filters removed so much fine contaminants, the heavy duty Deutz diesels often had a much longer operational life than other diesels. To clean the filter, you merely removed the filter cover and peeled out the layer of compacted contaminants, washed out the filter housing, and re-assembled the unit. They really are one of the most effective oil filters ever designed. But their weight would preclude fitting the design to light aircraft.

....be more than just a lowly Kepper (and OT notes that a Kepper is a split, salted and smoked, herring or salmon), so to that end, PO Joe set about graduating into a Great White Shark, whereby he could command some real attention, and put the fear of "having the bite put onto you", into...................

I still remember the co-pilot of the B52 crash caused by "Bud" Hollands idiocy - he ejected just a couple of seconds too late, and ended up in the fuel fireball. What a horrible way to go.

.........and Petty Officer Joe Cook was the one holding the key to the Time Door. Now, not many people know that Petty Officers get their name from ... well ... just being petty. Joe Cook was well known to walk the deck, and complain about the grubbiness of it. "Avast ye swabs!" he'd cry out, "I want this deck scrubbed spotlessly clean!!" And Midshipman Turbosail would run up and say, "But Sir! We've just scrubbed that deck clean!!". Whereupon Petty Officer Cook would say, "Well, I want it swabbed again, until I'm satisfied with the cleanliness of it!! Set to, or I'll order some lashings to improve the cleanliness!!" And at that, 20 sailors would dutifully start swabbing the deck again, all under the watchful eye of PO Joe, who would twirl the key, thinking about what to do..........

Bob, I was reading just a week or two ago, about how the USAAF has really tuned up its pilot ejection training, and refined ejection seating mechanisms, so the ejection survival rate is now very high.

All four crew ejected safely, and there are no serious injuries reported to either crew nor anyone on the ground. I believe the correct naming terminology is F/A-18, followed by a letter (C, L, etc) to denote the precise model. Fighter jets collide mid-air at US Air Force show WWW.9NEWS.COM.AU The base in Idaho was locked down as emergency services rushed to the scene.

......Tasmania, which gave them a big advantage in terms of strong winds - and in addition, he found they were also loading on cat meat and furs for the Asian markets from the well-concealed, huge Turbine cat farms, with the doubly added advantage of when the cat furs were loaded, all the ship rats deserted, thus aiding............

The rural and remote areas will probably be very keen to see some travellers in this current travel gloom. I'll wager they're seeing a substantial drop in traveller traffic. I've heard reports of up to a 25-30% drop in rural and remote area travel and accommodation, due to the major cost burden of fuel prices. Another factor is the possibility of including a pass over Lake Eyre, which is apparently close to 80% full at present, with the possibly of it being 90% full by the end of June. Many 4WD roads (Strzelecki and Birdsville) are still under "caution" driving conditions in the Channel country and Northern S.A.

Skippy, your planning for such a venture should also include fuel availability, meals bookings, and accommodation, as required.