onetrack

The rescue chopper has been grounded and unable to access the site further, due to meteorological conditions. Read, intermittent rain and low cloud. Also, quite treacherous terrain, as with most aircraft crashes in hilly, heavily wooded regions.

https://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/story/6010350/pilot-dies-in-plane-crash/

Literally hundreds of millions of cars run on our roads utilising fuel injection - and have done for more than 40 years, in some cases.

Todays EFI is efficient, highly reliable, and a fuel-saver - and it's much more likely you would have a rotating/moving major engine component failure (valve, rings or piston), than an EFI component failure, if you had EFI fitted.

Carburettors may be very simple, but they are as anachronistic as wire strut wing supports, and bicycle wheels for undercarriage. 

Old K - What were you doing, operating a Michigan loader at Moorebank in 1970? I was at Casula in 1970, doing an Engineers course at SME, along Moorebank Rd, but I don't remember ever hearing or seeing a Mustang in the air.

Maybe we were too busy making earthmover noise, and building Bailey bridges, and floating MK3 ACCO's across the Georges River on pontoons, to take any notice of Mustangs flying overhead?? 

Pmccarthy - Re VH-IVI - the pilots name was Ray Whitbread, not Whitebread. It appears the previous owner of IVI had a different opinion as to what caused Whitbreads crash - and it wasn't the canopy becoming detached - in his opinion, it was Whitbread who had released the canopy, trying to get out.

After all, many thousands of Mustangs were built and flown under combat conditions and detachment of the canopy was not something that was a known Mustang problem, nor even mentioned in anything I've ever read about them.

Page 5 of the interesting article below, gives the previous owners opinion about what really happened to IVI and Ray Whitbread.

http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SAAM-Profiles-Mustang-CA-18-Mk-21-A68119-VH-IVI-v11-3Jul16.pdf

And here's me thinking he was one of the new breed of automation pilots - you know, those pilots who ride with a dog in the cockpit, and the dog is there to bite him, if he touches anything. 

Isn't he supposed to have a dog guiding him??

Given the investigation into the delegating of part of the certification from FAA back to Boeing I think it will be some time before the whole sad affair is resolved. The US will be keen to get it done quickly as they won't want Boeing crippled by this. It is like GM was during the GFC, Too big to fail. The rest of the world though will be somewhat more cautious I suspect. 

It's estimated the cost of compensation to Boeing for the fiasco, will be limited to about USD$2B, so it's just business as usual for them, albeit with a hiccup.

The longer term damage whereby many airlines have incurred severe financial damage by not being able to use their parked-up 737 MAX's, is something that has yet to be played out.

I'm not sure how those airlines will be able to recover any of their losses, if at all - and this could mean bankruptcy for some of those airlines, if Boeing don't get those parked aircraft, up and running again, fast.

A machinery dealer bloke in the Northern Perth suburb of Wangara, has had a complete Vampire perched on a pole outside his premises for many years.

The exact position he has his business is actually on my parents former farm from the 1950's, and the site his shed is built on is actually a former swampland.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bill's+Machinery+Marketing+Service+Pty+LTD/@-31.7978777,115.8505055,3a,82.6y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipM5ZfiLkwoyAimOUhB9vz1Rb3r5Iw2RwkKKBitc!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM5ZfiLkwoyAimOUhB9vz1Rb3r5Iw2RwkKKBitc%3Dw129-h86-k-no!7i1023!8i682!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x2a32ad884855f889:0x9bb54545323bf5c4!2s302+Gnangara+Rd,+Landsdale+WA+6065!3b1!8m2!3d-31.7980821!4d115.850377!3m4!1s0x2a32ad884855f889:0xc358b5d82dd83715!8m2!3d-31.7978777!4d115.8505055!5m1!1e4

I'd really like to know how you go about harvesting ferret urine on a commercial scale? - in volumes enough to squirt down a hundred rabbit burrows?  In my experience, the rabbits would just promptly dig some new burrows!

In a previous life, I was an agricultural earthmoving contractor, with several Cat D7 dozers. A regular job I carried out for farmers was ripping rabbit burrows with the D7 rear-mounted ripper.

It was very satisfying, running over rabbit burrows with a 25 tonne crawler tractor, and then dropping the 3-shank ripper in, to it's full 800mm depth, and turning their cosy homes into a wasteland of soft dirt that collapsed onto them - and which they almost never managed to dig their way out of.

One farmer, who was obviously consumed with rabbit hatred, told me how he had a pile of enduring rabbits living in a heap of dirt and sticks and trash - and one warm day he set fire to the heap.

He was also obviously a vicious, vengeful bastard - because he said, the rabbits tried to flee the flames, and he reckoned he enjoyed the sound of squealing rabbits on fire, dying in the paddock by the dozens.

I guess the RSPCA would hang him by the gonads if they found out he did that, to lovely harmless little furry critters, today.

It's not until you see the total destruction of the Agricultural areas of Australia, by overwhelming numbers of rabbits, do you get an idea of the depth of rabbit hatred amongst farmers.

Just got sick of flying? They broke up? Seems like nothing has happened with them, as regards on-line activities, since about Oct 2017.

But there is a reply to one comment on their blog, by Alicia in Jan 2018, so they must still be around.

Maybe they just had to go back to the corporate grind for a while, to pay for more flying adventures?? 

http://australianadventure.net/blog/2017/04/28/episode-10-unexpected-flight-home/

Boeing are claiming they have the MCAS problems sorted with a new software fix. But it could be a while yet before the regulators sign off on it, particularly in the Land of Airbus.

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/26/707050572/boeing-737-max-software-fix-and-report-on-fatal-crash-expected-this-week

This flight error is unbelievable in this day and age of computerisation, 24/7/365 communication methods, and systems that have been in place for aeons, all designed to prevent aviation errors.

There's no mystery as to why Boeing fitted the MCAS. It was fitted to try and give the same "feel" to pilots and FO's, from the 737 MAX, as the earlier model 737, with the original engines. 

The fitment of the new engines unbalanced what was originally a balanced design, and as a result, Boeing felt the need to restore the original models mild handling. 

It became obvious in testing of the 737 MAX that the new engines could upset aircraft response in some rapid pitch-up situations, because the nacelles were providing additional, unexpected lift, and interfering with airflow over the wing above the engine.

So, in came Boeings answer, the MCAS, to reverse any unexpected additional pitch-up caused by the new engines.

Kind of like fitting automatic steering correction to the new re-engined, higher-powered, bike or car you just bought, to counter the oversteer caused by the massive additional power - but the manufacturer neglected to tell you the automatic steering correction was fitted, and told you even less about how it worked.

Wagners prospectus stated that "Wagners is the largest independently-owned cement manufacturer and supplier in SE QLD., supplying approximately one-third of the markets cement requirements". (1.1. Introduction)

By this, I presume they are referring to the QLD or East Coast cement market.

https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20171208/pdf/43q0b0sb8d4sfn.pdf

It's now been revealed that the 737 MAX has 2 AoA sensors - but Boeing engineers in their wisdom, decided that only one was needed to drive the MCAS system. A complete lack of redundancy right there.

In the case of the Lion Air crash, it appears that particular AoA sensor was faulty, and feeding incorrect date to the MCAS. Lion Air maintenance apparently failed to pick up the faulty AoA sensor - perhaps because it was an intermittent fault.

It is increasingly likely that the Ethiopian crash was caused by identical reasons/conditions to the Lion Air crash - a single faulty AoA sensor, pilots unaware of how the MCAS responded or operated, and an unwillingness to hit the trim cutout switches, when the MCAS was constantly countering their efforts to bring the nose up.

There's also warnings that Boeing was left to carry out System Safety Analysis on the 737 MAX MCAS design, rather than having the FAA or another independent body carry out the SSA.

In this case, the flaws of internal corporate safety analysis, regarding potential safety problems, related to major design modifications, have been shown to be very large flaws.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/19/03/18/1730247/flawed-analysis-failed-oversight-how-boeing-faa-certified-the-suspect-737-max-flight-control-system

This is just typical corporate manoeuvring, jousting to get the best supply price deal. It happens every week in corporate Australia. Boral have just pulled out the Bunnings offer - "If you can get it elsewhere cheaper, we'll beat their price by 10%".

Adelaide Brighton Cement is facing similar pressure to reduce margins, because cement demand is falling somewhat, with the slowdown in housing and apartment construction. 

Wagners and Boral will simply front up to each other and joust in the finest corporate fashion, with Wagners simply saying, "Alright, let's go to the arbitrator, and you put your money where your mouth is" - i.e., show us that your lower cement price offer is genuine.

Cement production in Australia is pretty competitive now, it's not like it's a high-profit-margin industry, facing competition from cheap imports. Imported cement quantities are less than 200,000 tpa, a very low percentage of overall cement usage in Australia.

Wagners are only in a bind with cement pricing because of their own desire to become a dominant player in the industry. They own 3 cement plants now, and have plans for building 7 more.

In a period of economic slowdown, which we are definitely now facing, they'd be well-advised to shelve some of their cement production expansion plans until the construction industry shows signs of expanding again.

In overall terms, even if Boral do win, with a genuine lower cement price offer, the $20M loss to Wagners bottom line isn't anything more than a mozzie bite to their total operations and income.

The violent reaction in the share price fall is typical of stock market over-reaction. Sounds like someone made a heap of money buying Wagners shares at the 23% share price discount, two days ago.

Below is an excellent dissertation on the 737 MAX's MCAS problems - written straight after the Lion Air crash, late last year.

The source of much of the increasing problems with the MAX, is the new engines, which have added a number of potential problem-causing scenarios, particularly related to the bigger engine positioning, and the new design, engine nacelles.

Add in AOA or airspeed sensor faults, coupled with the MCAS loop, and you can see where the handling problems are getting beyond pilots, who have not been run through the increased number of fault scenarios, or even how the MCAS works.

https://leehamnews.com/2018/11/14/boeings-automatic-trim-for-the-737-max-was-not-disclosed-to-the-pilots/

There is news that investigators have found the horizontal stab in the Ethiopian crash trimmed for nose-down position - which is reportedly the same thing found on the Lion Air 737-800 MAX wreckage.

I think this is possibly the reason behind the grounding of the 737-800 MAX by Boeing.

It looks like Boeing engineers are starting to understand that there needs to be changes in Boeing automation to account for sensors feeding incorrect data to ADIRU's, to give better fallback options to pilots.

I believe Poteroo may have touched on part of the reason behind both crashes - the pilots in both crashes were possibly reluctant to turn off any automation (trim cut-out switches, specifically), and hand fly the aircraft, to regain control.

The basis of many training regimes, particularly in the "3rd World" countries, could be that the aircrafts electronic controls are virtually fail-safe, and it's better not to interfere with their operation. It could also be a cultural thing amongst the pilots from these nations.

The terrifying, and overwhelmingly problematic fact remains, that two virtually brand new 737 MAX's, with experienced pilots at the controls, have flown straight into terra firma/ocean in recent months, and this is a situation for grave concern - for all concerned.

It simply means that technology must be overwhelming the pilots, and that there are automation conflicts that were never envisaged, or thought through, simply because of the vast number of possibilities, multiplied by the number of components in the systems.

Sensor errors are common, and every failure in the chain should mean the systems automatically revert to a simpler, fail-proof system, for backup.

It appears the automation designers are designing electronic systems that are falling back upon reliance on other electronic and electrical backup, thus compounding information errors.

Go to a metal fabricator or steel supplier who has a laser cutter, and they will cut one for you, with incredible accuracy, as long as you supply an original. You can select the material used, and stainless steel is ideal.

Yes, those hydraulic exhaust tube benders are a pretty pricey piece of equipment - it's bad enough, the cost of the actual machine, but the sheer number of mandrels and formers needed, to cover all the sizes and shapes, is what really blows them out of the water.

Does anybody know what kind of tool can make ball ends in exhaust tubing?

cscotthendry - Take a look at this exhaust tube bender in action between 2.50 and 3.55 min, and you will be enlightened!

With a Dick in charge of State Development, do you really think this Qld space industry is qoing to get off the ground? 

Seriously, I do think the powers-that-be really need to identify where the demand and benefits are going to come from, from a home-grown space industry.

It's all very well looking for the outer edges of the universe - and planets 400 light years away, that might sustain life - or even looking for aliens - but none of this has any long-term, real benefits to the man in the street.

What we need to concentrate on, is improved and rock-solid communications systems (particularly in wartime, when what we currently have, will be under attack), and things such as innovations for getting rid of dangerous space junk.

The amount of satellite junk starting to pose major problems in Space is already causing concern - imagine what the situation will be like in another 30-40 years, when a solution to the problem will become very pressing.

I personally doubt that there is any benefit whatsoever in trying to get people to live on Mars or some other planet. The benefits to us Earthlings are just not there.

There is only one planet in our solar system that sustains life as we know it, for homo sapiens, we need to look after this planet long before we race off to stuff up another planet with our experiments, waste and general destruction in the name of "advancing science".

Spacesailor, coal is rapidly being consigned to the dustbin of history, solar power will overtake coal for power generation within 20 years - and very few will be sorry to see the end of coal mining or coal burning.

AussieB1rd - Sorry, I have no dimensions or specifications for the Belite standoffs - try emailing James Weibe at Belite, I believe he's a quite a helpful guy.

That's some niche to find. Those high-flying, mega-buck racehorse owners would happily pay huge money to ship their prize steeds around the world. Once you're in with the global racehorse set, money is no object.

What next, I wonder? Shipping some of our top quality bush camels to Saudi Arabia, to boost their weakling, inbred racing camels?? 

Ahh, hang on, they'd have to go via Emirates, wouldn't they? Well, there's another target market for Wellcamp - getting the Middle Eastern airlines to include the place in the ME carriers stopovers.

You can only obtain those ally standoffs from Belite Aircraft, as Belite get them custom-made locally.

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2010/07/wichita-machinists-disc-brakes-and-part.html