The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: danny_galaga on April 17, 2020, 09:38:28 pm
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This has taken away virtually all my gaming time, including C64 projects I had going.
But if I ever finish this thing, it will make for some fun aerial 'road trips' 8)
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That's really cool Danny. I've always been fascinated with Ultralites as well. Keep us posted on your progress.
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Yeah like I say I've been fascinated with ultralights since I was about 15. Longer really, because I loved the movie 'Those magnificent men in their flying machines' and at least one of those aircraft (Demoiselle) would now be considered an ultralight.
The Bushcat is not like the ultralights I used to dream of but it will be a hell of a lot more practical
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I used to see a guy flying around in a go kart strapped to a parachute. Looked fun.
Do they make an ultra lite that can fly with a 400lb passenger?
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Yes and no. If this 400lb person learns to fly they can fly in a Bushcat with a 75lb passenger :)
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What if we only put one butt cheek in the seat? >:D
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Very exciting and ambitious. I see one issue though. That garage is too clean.
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Good side project there Danny_galaga. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
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Good side project there Danny_galaga. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
It will be fun when it's finished ;D
I really haven't enjoyed building it as much as I thought I would. Right now being the exception, because I am working on the control panel, err instrument panel :laugh:
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You are using airplane grade screws and stuff aren't you? We'd prefer it if you don't die.
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I'm using what's supplied in the kit. The most critical bits are aircraft grade and the rest is whatever. For instance the brakes are from Matco who have been making aircraft parts for maybe 100 years. But the choke lever is a bicycle gear shifter.
Anyway, I'll put a four leaf clover in it somewhere. What could go wrong :burgerking:
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Have you flown it yet?
I think about this project from time to time, and what I’d do in case of a malfunction. I suppose panic just enough to make it look like I half heartedly cared whether or not it crashed.
I’m hopeful this isn’t a suicidal mission in slow motion....
:cheers:
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He's amongst the big boys now
https://dannygalaga.blogspot.com/2020/08/21-big-move.html?m=0
Damn.
You built an airplane faster than I tiled my shower.
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He's amongst the big boys now
https://dannygalaga.blogspot.com/2020/08/21-big-move.html?m=0
Damn.
You built an airplane faster than I tiled my shower.
:laugh2:
The girls just asked me what I'm laughing so hard about.
This project is awesome.
There is a small airstrip 3 miles down the road from me and I see a lot of small airtraffic as a result.
Really looks fun!
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Have you flown it yet?
I think about this project from time to time, and what I’d do in case of a malfunction. I suppose panic just enough to make it look like I half heartedly cared whether or not it crashed.
I’m hopeful this isn’t a suicidal mission in slow motion....
:cheers:
:lol
The main things that would give me the willies is a structural malfunction. Engine failure is not so bad. I read a good article once about what to do in unusual situations (engine failure is pretty straight forward) like what if the ailerons got stuck while you were rolling. Sharper people than me have gotten out of situations where I'd just think 'oh, well. This is how it ends'...
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Looks like a nice project.
Just don't end up like James Horner.
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Looks like a nice project.
Just don't end up like James Horner.
Had to look that up. He was flying a pretty powerful aircraft. Power is not a thing I'm going to have to wrestle with in my ultralight ;D
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Danny, I realise this might sound silly, but can you fly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbCBfi5-Bw
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You rule, Dan.
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Danny, I realise this might sound silly, but can you fly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbCBfi5-Bw
I believe I can fly ;D
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Still working on it :angry:
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Still working on it :angry:
Still working on what? - lets see some progress pictures.
I hear horse glue is better than goat glue so use that on the wings.
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Well I put the hinges on the sub door frames. So there's that.. Also starting to think about buying the engine now. Just as well because I've been saving rubber bands but I think it would be a PITA to wind up
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What exactly do you put in one of these for an engine anyway?
I would imagine you won't get enough altitude to have major issues with oxygen percentages...
Or will you?
Now I'm thinking about it, what type/octane fuel (assuming no need for a turbocharger-)
I love this project
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Well I put the hinges on the sub door frames. So there's that.. Also starting to think about buying the engine now. Just as well because I've been saving rubber bands but I think it would be a PITA to wind up
Electric engines perhaps?
https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/learn/products/electric-power
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There are now some electric options, And a company named Pipistrel actually sell electric aircraft, but it's all way beyond my price range. And the range is not enough since we plan on doing a bit of touring in this thing if I ever finish it.
Most popular engine for ultralights now (as opposed to microlights, which are smaller and are what ultralights were in the 80's) is the Rotax 912. It's about 1.2 litres. 100 HP. Twin carb or fuel injected. You can also get a turbo charged version. But why make it more complicated. Bobby, most ultralights are capable of going over ten thousand feet. But the licence I converted to actually restricts ME to ten thousand 😄 highest I've ever flown was 8000, which was easy. But low and slow is more fun 😎
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Gets chilly at 10k ft I bet!
Thanks for sharing this project here.
Stoked to learn some about this stuff through your efforts!
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Fitting windscreen and left door. Damn hard to see out that screen though ;D
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What exactly do you put in one of these for an engine anyway?
I would imagine you won't get enough altitude to have major issues with oxygen percentages...
Or will you?
Now I'm thinking about it, what type/octane fuel (assuming no need for a turbocharger-)
I love this project
Picked up last weekend. It's from the plane I hire to keep my skills up. Which is cool because it means I have 15-20 hours on this engine already 🙂
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Very cool.
Looks remarkably like an old Beetle engine!
And if this came out of the plane you were flying previously... what happened to THAT plane then...?!
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Funny story 😄
There were two planes at the place I hire from. This engine's hours were nearly up. The engine in the other plane had a lot longer to go. But THAT plane was damaged in a rough landing. Airframe was written off but engine was fine. Hire aircraft engines can't go over 2000 hours. But private can. These Rotax engines are good for over 4000 hours. So I get the engine that was nearly ready to be replaced, and the hire plane I was flying continues on with the lower hours engine
The funny story continues though. They 'borrowed' back my carbies because the butterfly valve shaft in the other engine got bent in the rough landing. So today I hired the plane and I'm STILL flying it with bits of the engine inow own 😄
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so what is the difference between and plane engine and say an engine used for a ground vehicle?
i've got a 20HP engine in a lawn tractor.
I don't think you can put it in an airplane.
intake and exhaust manifolds along with carbs are different i assume?
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You could definitely put that engine in a small ultralight. How reliable it would be is a different matter. Rotax got into the aircraft game because in the 80's when ultralights we're still a new thing people were using whatever they could get their hands on. From go kart motors to largechsinsaw engines. Rotax made two strokes for snow mobiles etc which turned out to be a good match.
People often say 'that motors not very powerful, my car engine would be much better'. But there are several really important differences that make car engines not as useful as it would first seem. First of all, propellers are most efficient at around 2500 rpm. So a lot of plane engines are designed to develop power around that speed. Rotax design their engines more like a car engine, and then add a reduction gearbox, roughly 2:1. Propellers might be more efficient around 2500 rpm, but it turns out petrol engines are most efficient around 5000rpm.
The other major thing a car engine spends most of its time at a fairly low power setting. To drive on the highway might take 20 per cent of its power for instance. But an airplane might be cruising at maybe 75-85 per cent power, ALL DAY. Not just that, on smaller aircraft especially, on take off you are using 100 per cent power until you level out. That could be five minutes. Imagine a drag race that was five minutes long!
To illustrate how seemingly under rated an aircraft motor seems, I learnt to fly in a Piper Warrior. I think from memory it had a Lycoming 0320 in it. That's pretty close in capacity to a Chevy 327. But the Lycoming only developed 150hp, AND only 4 cylinders! Like I say though, it could run all day near the top of its range.
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You could definitely put that engine in a small ultralight. How reliable it would be is a different matter. Rotax got into the aircraft game because in the 80's when ultralights we're still a new thing people were using whatever they could get their hands on. From go kart motors to largechsinsaw engines. Rotax made two strokes for snow mobiles etc which turned out to be a good match.
Not sure if it's true, but I also heard that some Rotax engines were shown to be so reliable that they were actually approved by the FAA for ultralight use. I had a couple of rough looking sleds I planned to fix up which had good running Rotax engines. When I decided that I didn't like cold, I seriously considered pulling and selling just the motors because, to the right person, they were worth more than the sleds.
So, has anyone heard of someone crazy enough to use one of the HF Predator 20hp 2-cyl engines in an ultralight? Being a Honda clone, they are surprisingly decent. But you wouldn't catch me leaving the ground with one. I think geared-down 2-strokes would be better. Not much to talk about on the low-end, but when they get up into their power band, they can be insane relative to size and weight. I had a 2-stroke, 3-cyl Kawasaki bike in my younger days, that I wish I kept. Then again, if I did, I might not still be here to talk about it :)
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You could definitely put that engine in a small ultralight. How reliable it would be is a different matter. Rotax got into the aircraft game because in the 80's when ultralights we're still a new thing people were using whatever they could get their hands on. From go kart motors to largechsinsaw engines. Rotax made two strokes for snow mobiles etc which turned out to be a good match.
People often say 'that motors not very powerful, my car engine would be much better'. But there are several really important differences that make car engines not as useful as it would first seem. First of all, propellers are most efficient at around 2500 rpm. So a lot of plane engines are designed to develop power around that speed. Rotax design their engines more like a car engine, and then add a reduction gearbox, roughly 2:1. Propellers might be more efficient around 2500 rpm, but it turns out petrol engines are most efficient around 5000rpm.
The other major thing a car engine spends most of its time at a fairly low power setting. To drive on the highway might take 20 per cent of its power for instance. But an airplane might be cruising at maybe 75-85 per cent power, ALL DAY. Not just that, on smaller aircraft especially, on take off you are using 100 per cent power until you level out. That could be five minutes. Imagine a drag race that was five minutes long!
To illustrate how seemingly under rated an aircraft motor seems, I learnt to fly in a Piper Warrior. I think from memory it had a Lycoming 0320 in it. That's pretty close in capacity to a Chevy 327. But the Lycoming only developed 150hp, AND only 4 cylinders! Like I say though, it could run all day near the top of its range.
running all day is probably top of the list of things you want your personal aircraft to do.
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You could definitely put that engine in a small ultralight. How reliable it would be is a different matter. Rotax got into the aircraft game because in the 80's when ultralights we're still a new thing people were using whatever they could get their hands on. From go kart motors to largechsinsaw engines. Rotax made two strokes for snow mobiles etc which turned out to be a good match.
Not sure if it's true, but I also heard that some Rotax engines were shown to be so reliable that they were actually approved by the FAA for ultralight use. I had a couple of rough looking sleds I planned to fix up which had good running Rotax engines. When I decided that I didn't like cold, I seriously considered pulling and selling just the motors because, to the right person, they were worth more than the sleds.
So, has anyone heard of someone crazy enough to use one of the HF Predator 20hp 2-cyl engines in an ultralight? Being a Honda clone, they are surprisingly decent. But you wouldn't catch me leaving the ground with one. I think geared-down 2-strokes would be better. Not much to talk about on the low-end, but when they get up into their power band, they can be insane relative to size and weight. I had a 2-stroke, 3-cyl Kawasaki bike in my younger days, that I wish I kept. Then again, if I did, I might not still be here to talk about it :)
Because it's in a different class of rules, I'm pretty sure the FAA have nothing to say about choice of engine. In fact, Rotax stopped making their 2 stroke airplane motors recently, which always had the disclaimer that they didn't meet regulations and it was up to you what you did with it.
I think the rules are simpler for ultralights because you can't cause as much havoc in an accident and also to encourage new ideas.
Just had a look at that Predator engine. That would work well in a microlight for sure. I think the class in the USA is called Part 103. You might use a belt drive to reduce the propeller speed 🙂
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aviation-interests/ultralights/getting-started-in-ultralight-flying/about-faa-part-103-for-ultralights
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I think the rules are simpler for ultralights because you can't cause as much havoc in an accident and also to encourage new ideas.
Just had a look at that Predator engine. That would work well in a microlight for sure. I think the class in the USA is called Part 103. You might use a belt drive to reduce the propeller speed 🙂
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aviation-interests/ultralights/getting-started-in-ultralight-flying/about-faa-part-103-for-ultralights
I guess so! There's more rules for flying a $50 drone than an ultralight :P
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I think the rules are simpler for ultralights because you can't cause as much havoc in an accident and also to encourage new ideas.
Just had a look at that Predator engine. That would work well in a microlight for sure. I think the class in the USA is called Part 103. You might use a belt drive to reduce the propeller speed 🙂
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aviation-interests/ultralights/getting-started-in-ultralight-flying/about-faa-part-103-for-ultralights
I guess so! There's more rules for flying a $50 drone than an ultralight :P
Yep, for part 103 microlights you don't even need a licence 😲
There's no such category in Australia, so to fly that same microlight here needs and ultralight licence, which is similar to GA (general aviation) but with some restrictions- only one passenger, much lower weight, no aerobatics or night flying etc.
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The 'control panel' is nearly done 🙂
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If you crash and die can I have your didgeridoo?
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Forgot the close up of the switch holes. Ignore the shaggy vinyl, that will clean up and be covered anyway.
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So I'm excited for you, I really am, but at some point are we going to get some go-pro footage of you actually flying the thing? Also please don't die.
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3 ---smurfing--- years and it ain’t left the ground yet.
:applaud:
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3 ---smurfing--- years and it ain’t left the ground yet.
:applaud:
More like 4 years. It's been a freakin albatross around my neck...
So no one likes my 'chem trails ' switch? Thought I'd provide some 'proof' for the conspiracy theorists 😃
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CP
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4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.
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CP
You have balls of steel -- I'm in the midst of getting my PPL right now-- and I love the ultralights, but I can't imagine leaving the ground in something I built myself-- I don't have nearly enough faith in my fabrication skills.
I'll fly my flight club's 172 and Archer around and burn my money that way :)
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Mike A . Two things have slowed me down. One was that there were a lot of things wrong with the kit, missing parts etc. So you'd be settling into a good 12 hour building session and within 30 minutes you'd find two left hand wing brackets or whatever. Now that epic 12 hour session is 30 minutes plus a ten day wait while they send you the part.
Second problem is that I started building it in our garage. But once it came time to attach the wings it was time to move it to a hanger. So now instead of just wandering out to the garage, it's a 80 minute drive to the hangar. Ennui sets in.
Nipsmg. I did my ppl in a Piper Warrior. I believe that's the model before the Archer. Good planes the Piper's, but virtually impossible to spin. That should be a good thing, but it means I've never done any spin training.
The bulk of the aircraft is just bolting stuff together. Not much fabrication involved.
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Nothing inspires confidence like an airplane kit that comes with the wrong parts.
:cheers:
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4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.
It would take me 4 years just to convince myself that my mechanical skills were sufficient to even start building an Utra-light. Probably another 4 to get up the nerve to test-fly it afterward.
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Nothing inspires confidence like an airplane kit that comes with the wrong parts.
:cheers:
And yet I have so many nuts and bolts left over 😃
Randy, if you can turn a spanner, you can build an ultralight. If all metal, you need to be able to pop rivets 🙂
Just looking at my CP, it's a veritable United nations. Instruments from Spain, Slovakia, USA, south Africa Germany and a dodgy USB charger from China 😄
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4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.
It would take me 4 years just to convince myself that my mechanical skills were sufficient to even start building an Utra-light. Probably another 4 to get up the nerve to test-fly it afterward.
I have the skills but i also always seem to have spare parts after. :dunno
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Backside. Still have to tidy and secure the wiring. Also, haven't done the radio yet.
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Does it all run on that weird airplane voltage?
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Also, haven't done the radio yet.
Or the RGB lighting.
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Does it all run on that weird airplane voltage?
You mean 12v? Yes.
The weirdness here is the wire. It's MIL spec aircraft wire. Has a higher temperature rating and won't produce smoke if burning. Is also lighter than automotive wire. But it only comes in white and is stiff as hell. That's why you see it in those lovely curls.
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Also, haven't done the radio yet.
Or the RGB lighting.
;D
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CP
so an actual airplane control panel is smaller than this?
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,167434.0/topicseen.html
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I've seen cows smaller than that.
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CP
so an actual airplane control panel is smaller than this?
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,167434.0/topicseen.html
Just a smidge
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She has quite the sexy backside.
Backside. Still have to tidy and secure the wiring. Also, haven't done the radio yet.
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I'm hoping to put the engine in on Wednesday. Then it will look more like a real one 😊
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I'm hoping to put the engine in on Wednesday. Then it will look more like a real one 😊
have you fired the engine up yet?
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It's in, but still a ways to go
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So what do you do when the radiator hoses that come with the kit are the wrong size? Turn to that venerable classic- the Datsun 120Y :D
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Funny that you mention the venerable Datsun 120Y, and previously bits both missing and left over.
I used to drive around Canberra in a Datsun 120Y, and had developed a few mechanic skills by that time. I've changed the very radiator hoses that you've used. I've also pulled apart, cleaned, and rebuilt the carburetor (the bit that feeds fuel from a cup) because it was chugging a bit at times.
As an aside, most modern engines got rid of carburetors and use DFI, direct fuel injection, more reliable... especially for airplanes lol. In WWII the famous Spitfire Merlin engine was limited by carburetors that failed when in inverse G maneuvers ... the ME109 had DFI and thus an advantage in some situations. So +1 for fuel injection.
Anyways, back to now, if you've never pulled apart and rebuilt a carburetor before, I recommend you keep it that way. wasn't fun.
There were like 110 tiny parts for that 120Y carby. No service or workshop manual tracked them all. It was in the days before digital cameras and smartphones, so no before or progress pics. Over about two days I got it apart. I cleaned it. I reassembled it, reinstalled it, all worked well and better than before.
But there were still like 4 parts left over! :o
EDIT: Been following your project, very impressive, make sure you post before taking off :P
:cheers:
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Hehe. Carbies are still very common on aircraft. Mine has twin carbies, but there is a fuel injected version. My sister's first car was a 120y. Dad and I rebuilt the engine as it was blowing a lot of smoke . We actually tied the engine to a pole and lifted it out by hand 😄
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Still hasn’t left the ground.
:notworthy:
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Still hasn’t left the ground.
:notworthy:
Much safer that way
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Yeah, the 120Y engines are tiny and the bay is very roomy. Good one to learn on!
If you have a big enough hill, and a ramp, you can make a Datsun 120Y fly.
I did once get my Holden HJ ute to fly. That was due to a series of hilarious but disastrous events, starting with the throttle suddenly stuck ON (rusty throttle cable) at 110km/h, leaving the road to avoid another car, then into a ditch (it appeared out of nowhere) and then bouncing out again on the crappy suspension (I wisely chose, in that split second, to NOT brake), and ending with us flying through the air for some indeterminate distance (it was very dark) before finally stopping landing.
After that Dukes-of-Hazzard moment, my friend and I looked at each other with that look of understanding... that we are both somehow miraculously alive. Even better, the throttle had somehow become unstuck :D WD40 on that sucker for next time.
Afterwards was tempted to paint red flying kangaroos near the rear tail lights (reference to Qantas).
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Still hasn’t left the ground.
:notworthy:
Much safer that way
Are mechanically deployed parachutes a thing for these, in the event the gliding parts stop working?
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Still hasn’t left the ground.
:notworthy:
Much safer that way
Are mechanically deployed parachutes a thing for these, in the event the gliding parts stop working?
Ballistic. Costs quite a lot. I think about 10k USD. I just have to hope the gliding bits (the wings) don't fall off I guess 😀
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Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.
Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.
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Holy ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- is that cool.
I love it even if it never leaves the ground.
And that prop is a work of art.
Where the hell did you get something someone cared enough to make that beautiful?!
I would think that brakes only matter if you are trying to land in a small amount of space.
:)
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That prop is keeping everyone UP, so why not beautiful?
I love bright yellow - makes it easy to spot the plane when you crash :D
Looks fantastic, don't let my jibes bring you down (pun intended).
8)
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Thanks guys!
There are still a few wooden prop makers around. A Tiger moth would just look wrong with a carbon fibre prop up the front 😄
It's actually pretty high tech. The leading edge is carbon fibre and the whole thing is covered in fibreglass.
I had the fibreglass parts of the aircraft painted at the factory. So I had a good look around at cars on the road. Needed to be something that was made in one place. No good picking a Toyota colour when there's maybe ten factories around the world. The plane kit is made in South Africa so whatever car colour I picked had to be the same there as in Australia.Likewise no point looking at pictures online because that's not a true Representation. I settled on 2018 ford mustang yellow 🙂
Yes brakes are great for short field landings, but sure are handy on start up too 😄. Also short field take offs because you can have full thrust before you roll. Gains a few precious metres
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Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.
Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.
nice propeller.
also
(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/f5374f40-fc9f-4326-a8ac-4c6323c4c202_1.f35b80f9b1c5c74efcfd6668bcfc90e0.jpeg?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFF)
$20.
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Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.
Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.
nice propeller.
also
(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/f5374f40-fc9f-4326-a8ac-4c6323c4c202_1.f35b80f9b1c5c74efcfd6668bcfc90e0.jpeg?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFF)
$20.
I'll need two for differential braking...
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Nice color, it'll be easy to find and bring your family peace some day. :lol
How much left to do before it leaves the ground?
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Nice color, it'll be easy to find and bring your family peace some day. :lol
How much left to do before it leaves the ground?
Next major thing is those wretched brakes. I will do some investigating on the weekend. The toe brakes hit the firewall, preventing them from working when you are pressing full right rudder. I'm a little scared there's something fundamentally wrong that I can't fix (like maybe the firewall is further back than it should be) but that doesn't seem likely. So it's a conundrum. My only other thing to try is check the deflection. Maybe it goes much further than it needs to. The rudder was updated and there are instructions to measure the deflection. But there doesn't seem to be a system to limit the deflection. So maybe what I have to do is make a bracket that will limit the deflection, thus stopping the pedals hitting the firewall. I will also the kit engineer contact guy person. He's been pretty helpful.
I also need to finish off the electrical, which is quite funny I dragged my feet on that seeing as how I used to be an auto electrician 😂
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I also need to finish off the electrical, which is quite funny I dragged my feet on that seeing as how I used to be an auto electrician 😂
I think I understand this reluctance.
It is a funny thing, but if I've ever done something professionally I hate doing it on my own time. Feels too much like work. Like, I spent many years until my mid-30's in all kinds of accounting roles, I'm good at it, but hate tasks like tracking costing for my own projects. I won't even do my own tax returns though they are simple enough.
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I also need to finish off the electrical, which is quite funny I dragged my feet on that seeing as how I used to be an auto electrician 😂
I think I understand this reluctance.
It is a funny thing, but if I've ever done something professionally I hate doing it on my own time. Feels too much like work. Like, I spent many years until my mid-30's in all kinds of accounting roles, I'm good at it, but hate tasks like tracking costing for my own projects. I won't even do my own tax returns though they are simple enough.
We call it 'plumbers tap' 😄
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"The cobblers children have no shoes..."
:lol
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So there's been a difference of opinion on what comes with the second hand engine I bought. There are some parts s missing off the carbies. Would cost over $300 landed for a few bits of metal that aren't even made for aircraft. Well one piece is but it's just a flat bit of steel. So I got some scrap metal for that piece, and AliExpress and a Go kart spare parts shop for the other bits. More like $50 and the satisfaction of not paying the Ro-tax 😄
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Love how dodgy it seems at first glance: used motors with missing parts, bit n pieces from Aliexpress and go-karts. Yet I am optimistically confident you are doing it right (interpret as: I have no idea :dunno ).
Work a little WD40 or similar into that throttle cable sheath and check it occasionally for corrosion - I got my 1975 Holden HZ ute airborne thanks to a stuck throttle, somehow survived, hate to think what it'd be like for someone airborne already.
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Love how dodgy it seems at first glance: used motors with missing parts, bit n pieces from Aliexpress and go-karts. Yet I am optimistically confident you are doing it right (interpret as: I have no idea :dunno ).
Work a little WD40 or similar into that throttle cable sheath and check it occasionally for corrosion - I got my 1975 Holden HZ ute airborne thanks to a stuck throttle, somehow survived, hate to think what it'd be like for someone airborne already.
😄
First car I ever drove was a HQ. Tanks 😊
Interestingly, the Rotax carbies are full throttle as a default.springs hold them wide open. The idea being if a cable breaks you can still where you are going. If it broke and went to idle, you're gonna have to land. Only thing is that the engine is only rated to full power for a number of minutes. I think if it happened to me, I would switch off one of the ignition switches. You lose maybe 150 rpm. Would still be NEARLY full power but not totally wringing it's neck. Then alternate the switches every 5 minutes or so the plugs don't foul.
This weekend, I think I have everything I need to put in some oil and coolant and start him up. Of course nothing is ever easy. Imma guess you know how to change the oil on a car. Well forget all that on the Rotax! It's a dry sump engine. Basically to fill it up, you take off the return line on the oil tank. Point that into a container. Plug up the hole in the tank. Pressurise the tank to 10psi via the vent line. Take out the top spark plugs. Now spin the propeller around by hand maybe 100 turns 😜
Even most other aircraft enginesis roughly the same procedure as a car. Grrrr. Lucky there's a compressor in the hangar...
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so what is the difference between a rotax and a rotary engine or are they basically the same thing?
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Rotax is a brand, not a type. They make engines for motorcycles, jet skis, go karts aircraft.
A rotary engine is similar to a radial. So the cylinders are in a star formation. But CRANKSHAFT is bolted to the firewall and the propeller is bolted to the crankcase. The whole engine spins. Good cooling, HUGE torque (a 110hp rotary had more torque than a GT40!). but you can imagine a large unwanted gyroscopic effect. They were pretty much history after WWI.
The Rotax engine I'm running is a 4 cylinder 'boxer', like Subaru or Porsche etc.
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Milestone for the millstone
https://youtu.be/cPObCLKcieQ?si=Wp_gPVCQ2n4YtV4l
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is that how it's supposed to sound?
or does it need tuning?
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I’ve told this story here before but it bears repeating.
So, I drove a home built car once. It weighed 1400lbs and had 168 horse power. It was the fastest vehicle I have ever driven. But the guy that originally built it never drove it more than around the block. He was some kind of engineer that worked on satellites and had the guys in the shop assemble it after hours. It was modeled after a BMW concept roadster that never went into production.
My dad bought it and let my wife and I take it down the highway. And I’m not joking, you farted on the gas pedal and you were over 100mph.
Everything was great until it was time to go back home and we had to sit while a gate opened.
The genius had used an oil temperature gauge with rubber hosing. While you were moving; there was enough air flow to keep things cool. Have I mentioned the engine was open air and mounted directly behind the driver and passenger? Gas tank was right beside it.
Anyway, long story short, the hose melted and sprayed oil all over the engine block. I used to have hair halfway my back. It caught fire. I am thankful every day that a young girl came running out from the neighborhood pool with a fire extinguisher and saved me and kept the car from exploding. I had second degree burns on my neck and back and got a clipper cut. The haircut lady was apologizing the entire time.
Quadruple check everything, Danny. No weird ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- shortcuts.
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Nitrogen widget, yeah notice it was fine to start and then went really rough? First I thought the carbs might simply be unbalanced, but I'm pretty sure now there's a blocked jet or cracked O ring etc in one or both carbies. I was able to easily get the bowls off to have a look. First glance looked good but then noticed the petrol 'varnish' that can build up. Cleaned all that out and checked the pilot jets but nothing out of the ordinary . So this weekend I'm taking them off completely and giving them a more thorough inspection at home. Mat need overhaul kits, which are over 200 USD each carbie. Ouch!
PBL, oil and fuel pressure lines in the cab give me the Willie's, for exactly your unfortunate experience. Electrical for me.
And yes, I'll be double quadruple checking everything. The aircraft mechanic at the field will also get his boys to go over it too. He will do the first hour flying. I'd love to be the first but it's not recommended. This guy has tested probably hundreds of aircraft in his time.
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Carbie. Notice the choke is quite a complicated beastie. Carbie also compensates for altitude so that it leans out the higher it goes. Not perfect, but acceptable
Edit: LEANS, not MEANS. stupid auto correct
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Yikes, that does not look like fun.
I think I've already related how I once pulled apart the carbie from my Datsun 120Y, cleaned it, reassembled it, and everything worked 100%... but there were 4 parts left over!
Something like that clock we've probably all pulled apart as a kid.
Then there is the challenge of balancing twin carbs :P
Good luck! Give yourself a good clean space to work in. Take lots of photos (so you know how everything goes back together).
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Also, I'll completely do one carbie at a time, so I can also reference the other one
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is throttle body out of the question?
for an old car those things are great.
so easy to tune.
not sure if planes can even use them since more stuff can go wrong with them.
what about fuel injection?
or same reliability issues?
my dad has an old triumph that needs a full restore.
it was a straight 4 with dual carbs and if one had an issue he wasn't going anywhere enjoyably because two cylinders were getting more gas than the other 2.
Imagine it's like that?
yes i have not much of an idea so curious.
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There is a fuel injected version of this engine. Fuel injection is fairly popular in aircraft now, but not ubiquitous like in the auto world. Too expensive and too much mucking around for me to convert.
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Apparently the weight of the carby floats can increase over time. Something to do with it retaining too much fuel or summink. It's a big enough deal that I was going to just replace them regardless. But surprise, surprise- they ain't cheap! Luckily I found my little set of weights I made over 30 years ago when I had access to a really accurate set of digital scales. Smallest weight is 0.05 grams (50 milligrams ). So I knocked up a simple beam balance scale ⚖️ and weighed the floats. They come in pairs and can't weigh over 7 grams. Both sets came out at 3.2 and 3.15 😎
Yes, I could buy a set of accurate digital scales quite cheaply, but where's the fun in that? Building the scales was probably the most fun I've had with this airplane for months 😄
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sounds like the floats are not water or fuel tight right?
what about new floats?
IDK my small engine experience is my old log splitter with a pull start you have to wind manually and a magneto stopped providing spark and after futzing with magneto and about an hr of yanking on it with no luck total, my solution was to go look for a newer engine. which i found. it was so old it has a belt drive electric start, but it does have a coil. so newer!
i just have to wire it up properly now because it was on an old dead mower someone apparently stole the wiring from?. :)
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sounds like the floats are not water or fuel tight right?
what about new floats?
You need two pairs of these.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/tempest_ms80-430.php?clickkey=409219
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Wow, you could probably buy a new log splitter for the cost of those floats!
I'm somewhat fascinated with why the floats get heavier over time, and if so, why the heck Rotax (or Marvel/Schebler) make them out of whatever material allows this to happen.
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Wow, you could probably buy a new log splitter for the cost of those floats!
I'm somewhat fascinated with why the floats get heavier over time, and if so, why the heck Rotax (or Marvel/Schebler) make them out of whatever material allows this to happen.
So they can sell you new ones 😁
The link I pointed to is an aftermarket one. They guarantee they won't soak up fuel.
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Perhaps the aftermarket are worth it, but still seems like they are gouging.
I'm wondering, can you dry the old ones out? Like, wash them then leave then in the sun for an afternoon?
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Perhaps the aftermarket are worth it, but still seems like they are gouging.
I'm wondering, can you dry the old ones out? Like, wash them then leave then in the sun for an afternoon?
It's all academic. You might have missed the bit where I weighed them and they were well within spec.
I don't think 'drying' them out will achieve anything. In normal operation, the floats are in the fuel 24/7
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Didn't miss anything, and agree. Just curious about the processes involved (chemical I assume) to make them heavier.
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Yeah, I'd never heard of such a problem before. Any other fuel float I'd seen was either stamped soldered brass or plastic. Apparently the older type of floats can spring a leak though so it's not simply a matter of 'they made 'em better in the old days'
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Well, it turned out I had the fuel IN line mixed up with the fuel RETURN line. It meant the carbies were only getting a small flow of fuel 😄
Well at least I know more about Bing carbies now I guess...
https://youtube.com/shorts/TQjM3ppLkf4?si=uFY5rDSDK6ggkx_7
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Progress. Brakes still suck though.
https://youtube.com/shorts/HykMX5Zuwoc?si=oqlwhcOXLNMEqSZ
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Is 19-2010 when you started building this?
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He's doing well, considering this was his first prototype
Power is 100% renewable, no carbies, no lithium battery to burn down your house, and you can recharge in seconds.
https://youtube.com/shorts/SyB1-iq5EBE?si=Xf8NBXdRZTjCmGel
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Is 19-2010 when you started building this?
😎
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,159241.msg1674921.html#msg1674921
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Well, I finally fixed the brakes. I can now turn left AND right when taxiing now 😀
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:laugh2: Whenever anybody talks about brakes on an aeroplane, I *always* think about Bugs Bunny saving the day with "air brakes" in the classic HB cartoon "Hare Lift".
Here's a link for your benefit - it is a shortened version of the cartoon, only 3 minutes with beginning and end, the air brakes bit is right near then end. Love it, classic nonsense!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlhi44WoMlg
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Well, I finally fixed the brakes. I can now turn left AND right when taxiing now 😀
Meh, waste of time. You could have just made a circular runway and traveled it counter-clockwise ;D
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Zebidee- love it!
RandyT. Even with a circular runway, a tail dragger is hard to keep under control on the ground with just one brake working 😄
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Posting here so that I receive notifications. All I ever see on FB are postings about food. :D
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Posting here so that I receive notifications. All I ever see on FB are postings about food. :D
That was just a phase...
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Decided I should put a battery isolator in.
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You should also add some switches/buttons for the stinger missiles, bunker-bombs, self-guiding torpedoes and .50 cal machine guns.
It's the only way to be sure.
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You should also add some switches/buttons for the stinger missiles, bunker-bombs, self-guiding torpedoes and .50 cal machine guns.
It's the only way to be sure.
Have I mentioned the right hand toggle switch?
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Have I mentioned the right hand toggle switch?
I do have a vague memory about chem trails, or was it a dream? Am too old to know the difference.
One would assume the "chem" tanks are loaded with something socially responsible like mustard gas.
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Of course! What could be more natural than mustard 😀
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I'm making a little duct for the cowl.I wanted to attach some pics but they failed a 'security check'.
Rest assured they were the most amazing pictures ever taken :afro:
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Don't be this guy - maiden flight of his home-made light plane:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-05/bunbury-airport-plane-crash-pilot-dies-in-hospital/103545882
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Yes..very sad. For some reason he was trying to fly it in some pretty ordinary conditions. First flights- dead calm or nothing. There was a bit of a kerfuffle on a flying forum I'm on. This crash was being discussed and somehow someone had latched onto a name and pretty soon it was assumed he was the deceased. The guy, joined up just to say the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
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Great, I've taken so long to build it, the factory has gone bust.
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There’s your sign.
Also, watch the Simon Riggs crash footage. The little rescue parachute deploying after his plane has exploded will give you great insight to the indifference of the universe.
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There’s your sign.
Also, watch the Simon Riggs crash footage. The little rescue parachute deploying after his plane has exploded will give you great insight to the indifference of the universe.
I dont know what I'm looking at on youtube. Link?
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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kSRcmjLllHY
(https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kSRcmjLllHY)
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Great, I've taken so long to build it, the factory has gone bust.
I'm no expert but when an airplane factory goes out of business there's probably a reason. Probably best to throw it away and consider it a learning experience.
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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kSRcmjLllHY
(https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kSRcmjLllHY)
That would be comical if it weren't for the fact we probably just watched someone die. Looks like a spin. Pilot error. Cirrus is a very safe, but very expensive light aircraft. Those chutes have arguably saved a number of lives. I think just searching Cirrus parachute on YouTube should net some results
Howard, people can have great products and still go broke. I've had my issues with them but the aircraft itself isa sound design.
It happens in the aircraft world from time to time. Unfortunately, me and Mr Murphy Law are close friends 😄
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To put things into better perspective, in Queensland during 2022:
- 72 Motorcycle riders died due to transport accidents
- 12 Aircraft occupants died due to powered aircraft accidents
Maybe flying is the safer option.
[Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3303.0 Causes of Death, Queensland, 2022 (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2022#data-downloads), V20-29, V95]
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To put things into better perspective, in Queensland during 2022:
- 72 Motorcycle riders died due to transport accidents
- 12 Aircraft occupants died due to powered aircraft accidents
Maybe flying is the safer option.
[Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3303.0 Causes of Death, Queensland, 2022 (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2022#data-downloads), V20-29, V95]
Yes, they used to say its safer than driving a car. But I dont think thats the case anymore. But, I was thinking the other day that its much safer than riding a motorbike, since you don't have drunk drivers and geriatrics gunning for you when you're in a plane :D
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I've been diligently double checking everything by starting from page 1 in the build manual, methodically checking every bolt and cable etc. I found a loose bolt 😲. Dismaying there was one, but good to know the methodical check picked it up. I'm just over half way through the manual now. I bought a cheap borescope to get to the hard to see places. Definitely worth buying even if it just gets used once a year.
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To put things into better perspective, in Queensland during 2022:
- 72 Motorcycle riders died due to transport accidents
- 12 Aircraft occupants died due to powered aircraft accidents
Maybe flying is the safer option.
[Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3303.0 Causes of Death, Queensland, 2022 (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2022#data-downloads), V20-29, V95]
Yes, they used to say its safer than driving a car. But I dont think thats the case anymore. But, I was thinking the other day that its much safer than riding a motorbike, since you don't have drunk drivers and geriatrics gunning for you when you're in a plane :D
I've had a couple of close calls on a cycle with drivers pulling right in front of me. One time with a passenger and I had to take the bike sideways and still stopped only inches from the vehicle. Caused me to keep my eyes glued on vehicles stopped at on-roads from then on.
But statistics will be statistics. It's not the total number of fatalities which are important, but the overall percentage of fatalities for the number of active operators. I would suspect that there are a LOT more cycles on the roads than hobbyists buzzing around the skies.
This discussion reminds me of a saying about the old days on the autobahn where there was no speed-limit. As a whole, you were very unlikely to get in an accident on the Autobahn. But if you did, it would almost certainly mean that someone was going to die in the most gruesome of ways. This is how I view personal aircraft, except maybe with an increased chance of something bad happening.
Everyone has to go at some point. It might as well be while doing what you love.
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But statistics will be statistics. It's not the total number of fatalities which are important, but the overall percentage of fatalities for the number of active operators. I would suspect that there are a LOT more cycles on the roads than hobbyists buzzing around the skies.
You are correct to point this out. However, those statistics compare JUST motorcycle rider fatalities with ALL power aircraft occupant fatalities - which means it includes everything from large commercial aircraft to things like helicopters and light planes and ultralights (but not gliders). There is no further breakdown, and that category covers a lot of people doing a lot of stuff, not just ultralight hobbyists. Queensland is BIG, people fly there a lot and for many reasons.
No doubt, motorcycles can be quite dangerous even if you are careful. A lot of what makes them dangerous is other drivers with poor awareness.
For the curious, there were a total of 324 transport accident related deaths in Queensland for 2022 (V01-V99).
Interestingly 11 people died due to "Sleep disorders (G47)" :o Even sleeping is dangerous. A further 4 people died from falling off chairs (W07), so sitting can be dangerous too.
Life is short, don't worry too much, do what makes you happy, just please try to be as safe as reasonably possible.
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2.6 times the size of Texas
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That is pretty large. Land mass really isn't that much if an indicator though. People don't travel on long trips like they used to before Skype, Covid, etc. But people do still commute, go to the store and visit friends locally.
If you really want to know how safe an activity is, you have to do what insurance companies attempt to do, which is determine the number of hours on the road/ in the sky and compare that to the fatality record. Good luck coming up with accurate numbers though. Flight logs probably make this easy for aircraft, but there are no accurate records of that nature for cycles.
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Actuaries have their methods. And it's reflected in the premiums- a light plane costs a lot more to insure than a motorbike, so I guess really riding a bike is safer. But PERSONALLY I feel safer in the air than on a motorbike.
Incidentally, what type of plane it is effects your premium too. Mines not quite ready to insure but I know that because my plane is a tail dragger, the premium is roughly $1000 a year ON TOP of premium. If I had built the tricycle version of my kit, I'd save $1000 a year on insurance. Why?They fly exactly the same. But tail draggers are more likely to have accidents on the ground when taking off or landing. Usually a ground loop. Not normally resulting in any injury, but can cause damage to the plane.
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Trying not to sound too grim here, but caskets are a lot cheaper than extended medical stays. And aircraft are much more costly than cycles. Two things which probably get factored into the premiums in a substantial way. So insurance costs probably aren't really great indicators of safety either, regardless of how good their estimations of use happen to be. :)
IOW, insurance companies are MUCH more concerned with the fiscal aspects than human life and limb. You'd probably need to get ahold of some of those closely guarded internal numbers to get a real feel for what they believe with regard to actual safety of the activity.
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Trying not to sound too grim here, but caskets are a lot cheaper than extended medical stays. And aircraft are much more costly than cycles. Two things which probably get factored into the premiums in a substantial way. So insurance costs probably aren't really great indicators of safety either, regardless of how good their estimations of use happen to be. :)
IOW, insurance companies are MUCH more concerned with the fiscal aspects than human life and limb. You'd probably need to get ahold of some of those closely guarded internal numbers to get a real feel for what they believe with regard to actual safety of the activity.
Agreed. Insurance companies use very complicated math to come to their conclusions. In fact, if you are an actuary, high level physics is no big deal. Certainly is interesting that my insurance will cost about $1000 more than the exact same plane that has a wheel at the front, instead of the back. Makes sense of course, had I thought harder about it when buying the kit, I might have gone tricycle. But tail draggers just LOOK cooler 😀 . And of course have a little less drag. And keep your rudder skills sharp.
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You're right about death being cheaper in general. Say you accidentally hit someone with your car. Often you'd be better off killing the person than causing a major injury like spinal damage, for which you could be liable for a lot more (medical & recuperation, pain & suffering, etc).
Insurance companies know this.
But yeah, Queensland is bigger than it looks on a map and has a lot of remote areas that are (realistically) only accessible by plane or helicopter. Especially in the far north and west, but coastal regions too (there are many islands). It takes about 3 days driving to get from Brisbane to Cairns, 2 days only if you really push it. In addition to going from A to B, people use helicopters to herd cattle and track crocodiles, visit islands and perform rescues, and hundreds of other things.
There was a famous crocodile wrangler that died in a helicopter accident in 2022, has a court case attached, but unfortunately and inconveniently for us, that happened in the Northern Territory (next door).
Most of the data actuaries use is in public domain if you care to look for it (in one of my hats I am a data analyst, but have better things to do unless someone wants to pay me). But going on my gut feeling, as I also grew up in Queensland and know motorbikes, is that ultralights seem a lot safer. Even tail-draggers.
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But going on my gut feeling, as I also grew up in Queensland and know motorbikes, is that ultralights seem a lot safer. Even tail-draggers.
😁
As an aside, I grew up in the Northern Territory. Even in the NT, we looked on at QLD like you were all rednecks 😂. Once Joh was gone, a lot of us realised 'Hey, its a nice place, and not EVERYONE from QLD is a fascist ' 😀
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Unfortunately I know exactly what you mean lol. Yeah it is true. Lots of "rednecks", at least in Central Qld. Far from everyone obviously, many great folks too and I have some good friends from those days, but yeah.
I lived in Qld from roughly ages 9 to 17 - before that I was riding motorbikes n other stuff around a farm in NSW. We only went there because my old man got a great job at Rocky Grammar (Central Qld). Even though I'd come from a rural area already, Queenslanders were a shock to my innocent nine year-old southern self. Bullying at the schools was rife, so I survived by joining a nerd gang (played D&D). Luckily I eventually escaped by getting into Uni in Canberra. Was like breathing fresh air again.
Nowadays, I'd maybe like it there again but maybe a bit closer to Brisvegas. Rocky is too hot & humid, so somewhere south from there.
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Just so happens the latest issue of Sport Pilot Magazine has safety stats for dec23-mar24. So these stats are only for aircraft in my category, which is ultralight/LSA
3 fatal accidents
4 aircraft destroyed
14 aircraft damaged
7 injuries
17 flight training occurrences
30 private operation occurrences
Not actually sure what they mean by 'occurences', unless it's the same as 'incidents'.
Sadly one of those fatal accidents was at my airfield, in January. Two deaths, my flying instructor and a new owner of an aircraft that my instructor was giving conversion training to.
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Are those stats for Australia or just for Queensland?
Sorry to hear about the fatalities. Deaths are never good :'(
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That's the whole of Australia. RA-AUS, which is a licensing organisation for ultralights, LSA etc. I have a regular licence, but it was a hassle to keep it current. The RA-AUS license is easier to maintain, but has some limitations. Weight limit is the big one. My GA (general aviation ) licence allows up to 5400kg mtow. A DC3 is roughly twice that, so some pretty big planes. My rpc (recreational pilot certificate) has a maximum of 600kg mtow. Also only one passenger,no aerobatics, no night flying. It's a good compromise if you just want to fly for fun 🙂