Kyle Communications

I believe the new owner has more than 50% share. So controls the company and its direction. Stiffy is still there just for the profits I would think'

Christian if you are going to be coastal all the time then consider alodining. It actually isnt that expensive if you can find a powwdercoating place that does it. There are plenty around and they often have 6 metre long tanks that can do your skins no problem. The smaller parts you can do at home like I did. Just need to make a good size tank about 1 mtr long and about 300 high and 300 wide. Alodine..the good stuff is available...I got mine from a distributor over the south side of bbrisbane. My S rebuild is completely alodined . The sheets are easy..well the big parts because someone else does them for you but there is a lot of small parts. You need a acid bath first then wash them off then alodine them and let the alodine dry. The black stuff is still a must. I also would spray etch prime over the where you will be putting in all external rivets like the pics I posted

Enrico. yes. email me. [email protected]

It is water based and supplied in the ICP savannah kits for putting between mating surfaces. We tried finding a equivalent here. I found a maybe similar product used in marine applications but never bought any to try. I just order the tins direct from Aerokits the ICP distributor. My RANS is being done with it as well. Having dealt with a few wrecked sv's and rebuilds and a new build this stuff is very good and the alu does not corrode or scale at all between panels..rivets maybe corroded and other parts but where ever the black stuff is the alu is perfect no matter what age

Hi Christian I am in contact with guys in a another country that assemble savannah and venturas as factory builts. I was talking to them about the Ventura and they told me a std 912 100hp is not good its marginal...a 914 is just ok but the Ventura flys very well with the 915 IS

I use the best product for a job to make the job quicker or easier..I am not worried about the expense. I have dealt with much more nastier stuff in my worklife, Carbon tetrachoride and triclorethelene also PCBS in transformers and other related high voltage distribution equipment and I have a farm and deal with all sorts of other nasty crap too for the farm.....I take whatever precautions I need to. I am not a cheapskate I do the right thing for the right job to be as efficient as possible. That maybe your view above but this is my view..you do what you want and I will do as I want to. I am still alive and kicking You also really have a strange view..why would I think I am a hero????... I think your on the wrong planet Skippy. I was asked for my advice..you either take it or dont...simple.....I am not offended if you dont take the advice I offer because it was the way I did it and it worked fine. I really dont care for your opinion on it either way..this is my opinion and I dont have to explain it to you or anyone. Do what ever you feel comfortable with. My 2 cents worth Mark. is my name by the way...maybe I should start calling you by your last name. You would think after all these years on here you might actually get it right for once

Yes correct only on the outside that way the heads of the rivets have a coat of etch under them. The etch primer is super thin not like a full paint job like the pictures

Iso is no where near as good as acetone. Acetone is fine dont be a pussy just like anything use your head how you use it. I use much more carcenogenic liquids in my electronics manufacture. its like anything .... use the right gloves and wear a mask..takes 30 seconds to put both on. Use the best stuff for the job. Anything can kill you

The black goop is a must but it must go on first to the bare alu. No primer at all for the black stuff. Its a water based paint that when dry seals oxygen off totally under where is was painted. dont put primer under it or over it. Make sure you always clean the bare alu with acetone of similar before putting the goop on to remove any oil/grease that maybe on the sheets. Where maybe black stuff may be seen depending on the lay of the parts allways prefit the parts then use masking tape to get a perfect line because once the black stuff sets its can be removed but its elbow grease and acetone and a scotchbrite otherwise you will see it under your paint What engine are you putting in?...It really needs to be a 915IS or similar hp

Christian I would not alodine any of my aircraft again its a massive job..looks really great and if it was living next to the ocean or I had it on floats then maybe the alodine again. The black stuff is all you need to be honest just make sure you apply it on both mating surfaces and let it dry before you do the join. That black stuff is damn good and it prevents any corrosion between joints or mating surfaces. The alu is 6061T6 and it is not supposed to have any sort of major corrion but it still can if it is not prepped properly. The only thing you need to do is the black stuff and where you are going to place rivets its a good idea to run over those lines with etch prime and even dip you rivets into some etch prime before you rivet them. A good etch prime over the whole aircraft external before painting. The alodine is overkill for most aircraft. After building 2 savannahs and helps a lot of other doing their kits this is what I now do. I have a RANS S-21 Outbound kit being done now. I am using the black stuff on every mating surface...like the tops of the ribs and then the corresponding position of that rib on the skin and the same with any other mating joint in the aircraft. There is no alodine in this S21 just the black stuff and etch prime as I said If you go through the Sav S rebuild you will see what I mean about the etch prime over where you will rivet skins as this at least gives you a layer of protection under the rivet heads...this is where most corrosion occurs Mark

I just use the stuff I use for electronics on heatsinks...works fine

Rodger thats also the same for a std MV licence holder let alone any of the other CASA licences

Its not that simple for some of us. I require a drivers licence medical..done by my GP every year as I drive on a HR licence ( its a 30 min appt and cost $200 !!!!) ...and I have "special conditions". So even if I have a std licence I still need a medical as I am a type 2 diabetic...not bad only just now but used to be bad. A std licence would just be a sign off by the GP but because I have the HR licence I then come under the Austroads banner for trucks. CASA cant refuse me a Basic Med licence though and I have had one but the Basic Med I need to go to a DAME where the GP is cheaper. The Class 5 licence is still the same for me BUT I am now looking at possibly shifting my RANS S-21 from what was going to be Group G to possibly VH Experimental because its easy for me to do. I havent decided yet but if I wanted to re engine the S-21 that would make it up to 820kg MTOW which of course takes it out of Group G

I think he said his cost 55k that was std wheels and 4 tanks and exteneded baggage area...no prop

Heard from a new builder who just got a new S kit here a few weeks ago that there are no steam gauges supplied now but some AVmap EFIS and the slip indicator...

Yep they told me that too...so I had to get my usual heavy vehicle drivers licence done last month and send the medical on that to them like before. I just find it stupid that you can use a Class 2 med with RAAA and not the new Class 5...one would think it SHOULD be seamless

Nice one Peter...good things take time

If you build your own for Group G like I am doing then its no different to experimental rules from what it will look like. I dont have to have a LAME..but if you bring into Group G a already existing aircraft and you are not the builder then its a different matter

150k I think I saw about a month ago on FB

No different to house prices..they still keep going up despite the economy... The only way to keep the pricing down a fair bit it to build it yourself . Though kit prices are getting out of control too now but still a lot better than buying a "factory built" if its for your own use/pleasure then building is the only way to be able to afford it. The price difference is crazy. My first Savannah kit back in 2011 ....I paid 27k for I believe now they are 48k !! so by the time you add a engine at 38k and radio and prop you are over 90k then they have to build it. I bought a RANS S-21 kit in 2018 and it was exactly a year until it arrived here so in 2019 it cost me 64k landed here to my door in Oct 2019 all taxes and freight paid. To get the same kit here now is around 120 to 130k and that is no engine or avionics at all or paint and time to build. To but a finished S-21 in the USA now factory built I think is around US$195,000 so thats 320k aussie plus by the time you get it here. I could not afford that now. Thats why old secondhand ones are at the crazy prices now..its all typical of the market. I just went and recosted my kit for the S-21 at todays pricing. Mine cost me US$34k when I bought it. The current price for the same kit is now US$60k. Thats basically AU$92,000 at the exchange rate of 0.65. When I bought mine the exchange rate was 0.72 which is about AU$47,200 so basically double the price now and no engine or avionics or paint yet. Then of course you have the freight, the port charges and import fees and of course slap on the GST on all of that so at least AU$130k maybe more by the time you get the kit home...still thats a lot cheaper than a factory built at AU$300,000 plus all the charges and taxes to get it here

Nev I didnt take your comment like that at all...I know exactly what you said though. Being in business for more than 30 years and designing many products I have been in that position before and its a gamble when ever you do anything like this. I have been lucky though as the 3 things that I have put out there for the aircraft community so far have been very successfull...sometimes I think too successful. The flap bracket I designed for the Savannah I sold more than 50 sets..I still. get calls for them but getting the 63 thou 6061 T6 up here to Brisbane for it is very problematic now....the freight is 2 times the cost of the sheet. The replacement CDI modules for the Rotax I made..which started out as a sort of hobby job for a couple of local friends up here grew legs and turned into a monster with now more than 500 units sent all over the world The Throttle bars are up to around 30 now I think The issue is now getting the time to make all this stuff as I prefer to do it myself to keep the quality as high as possible. being retired now I thought I would have a bit more time to allocate to doing these but it turns out I think I am busier than I was than when I was working and doing all this as well. Just had a order from a guy in NZ this morning who wants 4 CDI...They are the last 4 that I have in stock so have to get to making another batch. No rest for the wicked !

3 of the 6 are gone already Nev, Two were done last night and one ordered this morning. All paid and I have dropped off to the post office this morning. It doesnt matter what aircraft it is it just bolts to the rotax. The only issue is the person has to organise how they connect to my throttle lever that controls the system. No one has had any issue so far.

I have 6 throttle kits if anyone wants one. You can email me at. [email protected]. I expect they will go pretty fast.

What ADSB are you using?

I have never had to replace a blade only for anyone. Not sure on the freight cost but the blade themselves are AU$650 each. I would have to find out the freight. Each part of a Eprop has a embeded chip in it with the parts specs recorded in it when its made. I will require the serial number of the broken part so they can make the replacement to the exact same specs. This is required for balancing of the prop to make sure the blade you require is the same weight.