danny_galaga

Cool. I still can't tell if my ENGINE is in the list, but it's academic because my gearbox definitely is, so I guess I'm going to have to get it inspected. I could do it myself, but it's good to have an official mechanics stamp in the paperwork I think.

https://services.casa.gov.au/airworth/airwd/ADfiles/PISTON/ROTAX/2026-0121-E.pdf?utm_source=Swift Digital&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Airworthiness Directives I can't actually tell if my own engine is affected. What does Rotax 912 A1 etc mean?

Funnily enough, I was actually referring to the fact the Drifter engine is high and behind, and there's no cabin, so CO poisoning would be pretty unlikely 🙂 But the way my comment was misinterpreted is funnier 😄

😄

You don't. But you do get immune from the queeziness that can develop from ODOURS like exhaust fumes, petrol fumes etc You only get a high level of co if it can build up. This is why people wind their windows up when they're trying to top themselves. My plane is so drafty everything just goes straight through. Naturally I must be copping a small amount, since I can smell the exhaust fumes, which must have the odourless co in it as well. And I'm aware that once breathed in, it stays for a long time, as the reason it poisons you is by latching onto (haemoglobin?) in lieu of oxygen so can build up that way. The last two passengers didn't even notice the exhaust fumes. I'm endeavouring to find where it's coming in though. I would know if it's dangerous levels of co if the piece of crap co sticker things I've bought twice weren't already out of date and permanently black. Might get an electronic detector.

Flight on Saturday. The usual pootle around Boonah, with passenger. Unfortunately, she started to get I'll from some exhaust fumes leaking in. I'm so used to driving bomby old cars I'm immune by now 😄. Will have to try and figure it out

They look great in a living room 😄

Generally easier with an alternator, since you only have to regulate the rotor field current, not the whole output current.

It's designed for what, 15 amps? If you keep your load under that, an amp is an amp. A modern motorbike runs a headlight/s, electronic instruments and EFI etc. it's not like Ducati design the regulator to just work for an hour or so. It should work as long as the engine is running. If it can last 3 or 4 hours, it should just as easily run twice that long. Yes, it's true that many pilots are running their system close to the max, but it still seems to me to be poor design to not reliably run at its top end. As witnessed by my Carmo and moneybox Chinese copy.

They do. Big name brands set up the whole factory. Quite often bringing in German or American machinery. They don't hide it. Look at a genuine iPhone charger for instance. It has made in China written on it. Where the quality Chinese manufactured parts get a bad rap is from people buying a counterfeit part. It LOOKS the same, but is made by some fly by night company, they spend just enough to make the exterior look the same, but if it's electronics, then the design is inferior and/or uses inferior components. If it's mechanical, then, as before, they make sure it LOOKS the same, but the materials are inferior. And people keep pushing this nonsense about them all coming from the same factory. Usually the sellers, spinning a yarn about it being the same but they can sell it cheaper because it's not through an official channel, fallen off the back of a truck yadayada. Counterfeits do not come from the same factory as the genuine products. Just the same country. All this aside, I don't think there could be a worse design than the genuine Ducati regulator, so even a cheap Chinese knock off, in this particular instance, would probably be an improvement 😄 I went with the Carmo. I think it cost MORE than the Ducati, but is designed and manufactured by a reputable Dutch aftermarket outfit. Because it was a new build, I just wired it to suit that regulator.

This is a terrible generalisation. Didn't I post here about the dangers of fake mobile phones chargers? The genuine ones AND the fake ones are made in China. All I'm saying is the looks don't make the electronics work

Totally agree. But 'looked the part' could be your epitaph after it caught fire because it was dodgy 😄

I'm glad it's still going well, but when it comes to electronics, never determine its veracity by whether it 'looks the part '. In the long run, what will determine this parts veracity is you reporting back from time to time. Google is the judge of its veracity for any other potential user 🙂

You want forward slip to lose height, side slip to keep your plane lined up with a runway with a crosswind.

Yeah, my instructor was great, he kept up to speed on a Tiger Moth and a Gypsy Moth. Also a Bird dog. Since the school closed down I've felt it. In the past, if I was feeling a bit rusty, I'd get him to come up with me to iron things out. And yes, I don't think I was getting the wing down enough. Will practice at altitude next time 🙂

My flight before last was doing circuits after being overseas. Was rusty, pretty strong crosswind, with a bit of gusting. I got into a bit of bother on several of the landings. Was not handling my side slip technique well. So my last flight two days ago was no wind at all. Practiced a few different things in the circuit- flapless (with a half arsed 'almost' wheeler landing) and a number of deliberately high approaches to do some forward slips. Easier than side slips for me but at least it helps me keep my crossed control 'feels' up.

Absolutely agree with you here. Case in point, my old air-cooled VW. Even though I was running it on unleaded, it would still build up some sludge, and that's because I was using plain oil, no detergents. Which is best for an engine with no filter. The sludge helps trap particles. 😇

One good thing about the Rotax 912 is that because it's a dry sump, you hand rotate the prop to 'burp' it. Crankcase pressure pushes what little oil there is in the case and return line into the oil tank. The upshot of this is every time you check the oil, you've prelubed and pressurised the oil somewhat. Just from hand spinning half a dozen times the oil pressure gauge shows pressure. Dry sump is a pain in the arse when it comes to oil changes, but I like the fact you've ipso facto prelubed it each morning 🙂

The problem with Google is it freezes past prices in time. What is the CURRENT cheapest price you've found for the Rotax filter, from a supplier you can trust? Funnily enough, I bought one earlier this year and can't remember who I bought it off and how much 😄

912 has a gearbox magnet, you would have noticed that does in fact pick up ferrous particles. There's this small upstart called 'aircraft spruce' you could take a gamble on for your Rotax oil filter.

This is where you reduce your odds, and buy a Rotax filter from a reputable aircraft parts supplier, and not from Hellokitty99 on eBay with a 96% rating.

Damn, exactly as I described, except the back alley is in Pakistan!

There are a number of important features in a device like an oil filter that can be comparable to the USB chargers. That is to say, you can make them LOOK legit, when they are not. One of the most important of those is how the can is crimped onto the base. It could be done by a modern high spec machine, or a busted arsed 70 year old Soviet piece of shit in a back alley in Vietnam and they could LOOK the same to you and me. Im not a LAME or industrial engineer so I'll be paying that extra $20 ro-tax each year.

You KNOW that we agree on the rip off nature of Rotax parts that are made elsewhere. But this is one of those cases where I would rather pay a little more to have Rotax written on the part, which imparts a guarantee that they deem it safe for use. Unless I can explicitly determine that some other brand is the exact same thing, and not just LOOKS the same, I'm happy paying an extra $20 a year or so. Unrelated to Rotax, but I've posted this article before on the perils of assuming something is exactly the same just because it looks the same, or the makers CLAIM it's the same: https://www.righto.com/2012/10/a-dozen-usb-chargers-in-lab-apple-is.html

If $36 is expensive to you, you may be in the wrong hobby 😇