Professional Documents
Culture Documents
KITPLANES OCTOBER 2015 Carbon Cub EX-2 Flight Time Glass Panel Upgrade Engine Layouts Other Peoples Planes Error ChainDecisions Recapped Tires Electrical Contactors
CubCrafters
Carbon CubEX-2
A Better Cub
BELVOIR PUBLICATIONS
Borrowed Wings
Flying Other Peoples Planes
Engine Basics
In the Shop:
Shaped for Flight
Retreads
Joining Small Wires
Error Chain
Beefing it Up
Decision Making
Taming the Lancair IV
OCTOBER 2015
www.kitplanes.com
Flight Review
4 Carbon Cub EX-2: A good backcountry airplane gets even
better. By Dave Prizio.
Builder Spotlight
10 Navigate the Glass Transition: Learning to use an
EFIS. By Katie Bosman Krotje.
30
36 Whos Got the Time? Are you logging pilot flight time and
aircraft time in service correctly? By Owen C. Baker.
Shop Talk
52 Aircraft Wiring: Electrical system contactors for
Experimental aircraft. By Marc Ausman.
54
Maintenance Matters: Recapped tiressave money
without sacrificing quality. By Dave Prizio.
61
Home Shop Machinist: Boring on the vertical.
By Bob Hadley.
64
The New Guy: Getting the spark back. By David Boeshaar.
78
Aero Lectrics: Beachball bingo. By Jim Weir.
Shop Tip
29
Joining Two Small Wires: By David Boeshaar.
Designers Notebook
76
Wind Tunnel: Beefing it up. By Barnaby Wainfan.
Exploring
3
Kit Bits
2 Letters
69 List of Advertisers
70 Builders Marketplace
80 Kit StufF: Drawing on experience. By cartoonist Robrucha.
14
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On the cover: CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX-2 ready to leap skyward. Photographed by
Richard VanderMeulen near Lakeland, Florida.
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Paul Dye
editorial@kitplanes.com
Managing Editor Mark Schrimmer
Art Direction Dan Maher
Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli
Contributing Editors Larry Anglisano, Marc Ausman,
Roy Beisswenger, Chuck Berthe,
David Boeshaar, LeRoy Cook,
Robert Hadley, Dan Horton,
Louise Hose, Amy Laboda, Dave
Martin, Sid Mayeux, David Paule,
Dave Prizio, Dean Sigler, Dick
Starks, Eric Stewart, Vic Syracuse,
Barnaby Wainfan, Jim Weir,
Tom Wilson.
Web Editor Omar Filipovic
Cartoonist Robrucha
ADVERTISING
Sr. Advertising Manager Chuck Preston
805/382-3363
chuck@kitplanes.com
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Heli-Coil Alternative
I recently read the article on the HeliCoil [Home Shop Machinist, July
2015] as a thread reinforcer or replacer.
I have had good results with Time-Serts
(www.timesert.com). I use them exclusively in my Porsche for areas that strip
out. I have found them to be, in my
applications, far superior to Heli-Coils
for repairs of threads. Just wanted to
pass along another alternative.
Jeff Spahn
We hoped readers would enjoy the juxtaposition of the old and the newthe entire
spectrum of Experimental aviation!Ed.
More Beachballs
Kitplanes (ISSN 0891-1851) is published monthly by Aviation Publishing Group, LLC, an affiliate of Belvoir Publications, 535 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854-1713, Robert Englander, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H.Cole, Exec. Vice Pres./
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Kitplanes is a registered trademark of Aviation Publishing Group,LLC.
Editors log
Paul Dye
Photo: Bigstock
generation to generation.
Hangar flying sessions
are full of statements
about how something is
donebut not why it is
done that way.
Sowhy no Teflon tape?
Its not because it doesnt
work as a sealantin fact, it
works quite well. The reason we
advise against it is that if you apply
it incorrectly (over the end of the
fitting), you can cut off a sliver that
can plug a small port in a carburetor or fuel servo on a gas line. In an oil
system, it can clog a tiny passage and
starve a single piston for lubrication. So
instead of teaching people how to apply
it correctly and carefully, we simply tell
people, Dont use it! and dont give
them the whole picture so that they
can understand the risks and make their
own decisions. If you apply it properly, it
is perfectly acceptablebut you have to
know how to do it right.
People need to be taught how to
make good decisions in Experimental aviation. The books arent all writtenthere are many things that need
to be figured out. People want to make
changes to a designbut do they know
why the design was built the way it was?
If not, they might not understand the
ramifications of their change. Experimental aviation is a thinking persons
game, and here at KITPLANES, we will
always strive to tell you the why. If we
dont, please write us a note. J
Paul Dye retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASAs Human Space Flight program, with 40 years
of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the space shuttle. An avid homebuilder,
he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen, and has experience with a wide range of
construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 that he built in 2005, and an RV-3 that
he built with his pilot wife. Currently, they are building a Xenos motorglider. A commercially
licensed pilot, he has logged over 4800 hours in many different types of aircraft. He consults
and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.
Carbon Cub
EX-2
For the last several years, the Carbon Cub EX has maintained a foothold at the top of the list of Super Cub-like backcountry airplane kits,
but everyone knows that you dont stay on top by resting on your laurels.
Determined to keep delivering its customers the best building and flying
experiences it can, CubCrafters introduced the new Carbon Cub EX-2
at this years Sun n Fun. At a casual glance the differences between old
and new are easy to miss, but once the throttle moves forward and the
EX-2 takes flight, it becomes obvious very quickly that this is a new and
improved airplane.
For this article we were treated to a head-to-head comparison of the
EX and the EX-2 flown back-to-back from a pretty grass strip called
South Lakeland (X49). As the Cub flies it is only four miles southeast of
Lakeland Linder Airport (Sun n Fun), but in another way it is a world
apartno tower, no pavement, no crowds. This was the perfect spot to
fly two planes that were born to land off pavement.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Carbon Cub EX and its
brother, the SLSA-certified Carbon Cub SS, they have set the standard
for performance and quality in their category for the past several years.
As a kit airplane the Carbon Cub EX has earned high praise for its completeness and ease of construction from many satisfied builders. The kit
does not include two required batteries or an ELT, but otherwise, this is
a plane that can be built from beginning to end without ever once cracking open the Aircraft Spruce catalog and ordering so much as a bolt that
isnt included in the original kit.
CubCrafters introduced the first kit for the predecessor of the Carbon
Cub EX in May 2008, but their trademark CC340 engine was not available until the following year. In January 2010 the name Carbon Cub EX
became official with the SLSA version becoming the Carbon Cub SS.
These planes, or rather a kit and a plane, were aimed at builders and pilots
who wanted to comply with the Light Sport rules and still have a plane
that could deliver superior backcountry performance. The fact that both
versions have sold well is proof that customers have found good performance and good value in the Carbon Cub name.
Experimental builders, our readers, can assemble a Carbon Cub EX
with various options including big tires and various pre-wired instrument
panels (and soon amphibious floats). Empty weights start at about 930
pounds, which still allows for a 390-pound useful load for those builders
limited to the Light Sport gross weight of 1320 pounds. For those not
so constrained, a higher gross weight of 1865 pounds gives them a more
Super Cub-like useful load of 900+ pounds. Either way, takeoff and landing performance is truly impressive, as proved by consistent high placings
at various STOL competitions including Valdez.
Photos: Richard VanderMeulen and Dave Prizio
The Fly-Off
Paul Dye, KITPLANES editor-inchief, and I began the day with flights
in the Carbon Cub EX to regain some
familiarity with the feel of that plane.
CubCrafters president Randy Lervold
would ride with each of us to make sure
we didnt have so much fun flying that
we forgot to come back with his plane.
It had been some time since either of
us had flown a Cub, so I for one didnt
mind the company. With one notch of
flaps and full power, it only took a few
seconds to be airborne. The 180-hp
engine and Catto prop pulled us skyward at about 2000 fpm, but the morning clouds limited us to less than 1000
feet agl. That was plenty of room for
some Cub flying, so Randy and I pointed
the nose southward and put the EX
through its paces. No surprises here, the
EX has good manners for a Cub-type
AIRFRAME
CubCrafters changed the flap cove skins as part of their effort to reshape the flap-to-wing
slot. This is one of those subtle, but effective, tweaks that makes the EX-2 fly even better
than the original EX.
No bending down to find a flap handle with the EX-2. Its overhead
flap handle (also found in the EX) works well and allows the pilot
to keep his or her head up when deploying the flaps.
Wingspan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 ft 3 in
Wing loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 lb/sq ft at 1320 lb,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.4 lb/sq ft @ 1865 lb
Fuel capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 gal (44 gal optional)
Maximum gross weight . . . . . . . . . 1,320 LSA (1865 E/A-B)
Typical empty weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 936 lb
Typical useful load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 lb LSA (929 E/A-B)
Full-fuel payload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 lb LSA
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (689 E/A-B with 44 gal fuel)
Seating capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Cabin width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 in
Baggage capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 lb
PERFORMANCE
CubCrafters changed the tail feathers on the EX-2 to increase the size
and effectiveness of these controls. Gap seals for the elevator seem to
make quite a difference. These seals are a $200 option on the EX-2.
The Carbon Cub EX-2 kit. Everything you need to build your airplane is in one big
box. (Photo: Courtesy of CubCrafters)
8
The Cost
Price
Fuselage Kit
$25,000
Wing Kit
$25,000
Finishing Kit
$25,000
CC340 Engine
$29,500
$8,990
Catto 80 x 50 Prop
$2,950
$18,990
$135,430
Selected Options
$9,000 add
$2,000 add
$3,500 add
Navigate the
Glass Transition
Learning to use an EFIS.
Flying buddies are more than just hangar-flying tale spinners. They can be your
best ally in the mission of designing your
new panel. Of course, everyone wants to
think the EFIS they bought is the stuff.
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Feeling overwhelmed? Take a breath. In under two minutes, the G3X Touch display can be boiled down from feature-rich brain chaos
(left) to the pure essentials for safe local flight (right). Now, isnt that relaxing?
Get an iPad
down for simple VFR local flying: airspeed, altitude, heading, slip/skid ball,
distance from the airport, and critical
engine gauges. Know how to acknowledge any warnings and how to get back
to your home screen if you do press any
buttons. Once youre comfortable flying the airplane with the basics, you can
start turning on extra features one or
two at a time.
Chair Flying
Placing a full-size photo of your EFIS over your computer screen can be a really effective
training tooland a surefire way to annoy your boss.
11
Even with an EFIS, its nice to have backup. In addition to round gauges, the hula girl
in this RV-6A serves as a slip/skid indicator, vibration gauge, and turbulence monitor.
When her skirt hides her ukulele, the plane is pulling some serious negative Gs!
first few hours, and your engine monitor is the first and best source of potentially life-saving information. Its critical
that all electronic functions work on
the ground before first flight, especially
engine and flight instruments. If its lit
up with false warnings all the time, you
wont be able to tell when you have a real
warning. Connect all the probes to the
engine monitor, program them if necessary, and test them out on the first taxi
runs. Fuel quantity senders should be
calibrated before flight to avoid unnecessary warning messages. GPS is usually important for attitude data and
other EFIS calculations, so even though
youre going to stay local, make sure the
antenna is properly installed.
The round dial screen might make you feel more at home, but give the tapes a chance. After a
few hours, youll probably like them better.
that allows your brain to quickly interpret trends of motion. Round dials are
more compartmentalized and actually
require more work to scan.
13
Taming the
Lancair IV
tufted the wing and observed a powerful inward flow, from wingtip to fuselage, along the trailing edge, just prior
to the stall. This span-wise flow would
become turbulent near the wingroot,
then abruptly spread across the entire
wing like a big tablecloth, all the yarn
tufts swirling and twisting like fur on a
cat rubbed the wrong way.
The presence of the yarn tufts added
visual drama to the very complex airflow
over the wing near the stall. In level flight,
the yarn pointed steadfastly aft, barely
wiggling at all, uniformly painting the
picture weve all seen from the beginningairflow passing over an airfoil,
the airplane feeling solid and fast. As the
stall approached, however, individual
tufts of yarn began to twist and point
in surprising directionsmost inward,
some straight up or even forward! The
majority of turbulence began at the
wingroot and burbled away to strike the
tail, felt as a mild buffet. Shortly after,
and a few knots slower, the right wing
would fall away as though it were sliced
off. With a quick response and a typical stall recovery technique, the wing
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slowing down by a slew of stall computers, stick shakers, and control pushers.
These work collectively to bring a speed
issue to the pilots attentionsort of a
big red light and blaring horn to affirm
the old adage, Thou shalt maintain
thine airspeed, lest the earth rise up and
smite thee.
Vortecx Industries, LLC has developed a better solution. John Neel and
These winglets, offered by the Lancair factory, enhance fuel tank ventilation, but slow
the plane four knots.
15
Flight Testing
My Turn
After hearing all the hype, I looked forward to the opportunity to fly a set of
these winglets myself. No stranger to
the Lancair IV-P, I felt confident evaluating its performance and handling,
particularly in relation to stall behavior
as affected by the new winglets. York
felt confident, too. He brought his son
Parker along for the demonstration. They
arrived at South Valley Regional Airport
A few examples of the Cal Poly test strips. The screws withstand up to 1100 lbs!
17
(near Salt Lake City) looking and sounding very much like any other Lancair. As
the plane slowed on approach, however,
the distinctive winglets seem to grow bigger and taller. They are not small. I wondered if they disturbed the view from the
cockpit. I also wondered if they affected
handling much at high-yaw conditions
in flight. York assured me that they could
handle any side load in flight without
failure, and that I could play with the
rudder all I wanted.
Roland Manarins airplane is beautiful. Very well finished with excellent
paint and a lovely interior, it is typical
of the high-dollar efforts most builders
put into their Lancairs. The winglets
blend perfectly into the wings, tastefully
painted to match a fairly elaborate paint
scheme. A delightfully complicated pattern of LED lights crown the tips for nav
and strobe functions, and the leading
edge sports landing lights on both sides.
The winglets are beautifully made, with
excellent fit and finish to match the best
of composite construction. The instrument panel carries a mix of old and new,
with a Dynon EFIS replacing the altimeter in an otherwise standard flight director/HSI instrument package. All the
instrumentation, finish, and finery adds
up in weightabout 438 pounds more
than the plane we tested 20 years ago.
Winglets might be especially advantageous in this circumstance, as they help
the wing fly more efficiently. From the
cockpit, I observed the winglets do not
Appearing large from the outside, the winglets are not intrusive viewed from the cockpit.
These LEDs are molded in place, draw very little power, and have an indefinite service life.
There It Goes!
Stalls
Conclusion
Lewis Bjork
21
Flying Other
Peoples Planes
22
A good ground cockpit checkout is essential when preparing to fly a single-seat airplane for the first time. Pay particular attention to
secondary controls.
Insurance
When we fly a new airplane for a magazine review, the best situation is when
it is a two (or more) seat aircraft, and
we can take along a factory pilot or the
owner. In fact, in that case, it is more
correct to say that they are taking us
along. There is little worry about flight
safety, so long as we brief beforehand
on who is pilot in command, and who
will do what in the case of an emergency.
KITPLANES October 2015
23
Single-Seat Aircraft
When flying a new airplane that is still in a test programlike this Panther prototypewe frequently wear full protective equipment, including a parachute, often at
the suggestion of the owner. Everyone is concerned about safety.
The author finds that his first landing in a type (in this case, the original RV-1 after its
restoration) is often his best.
24
25
you need to be on your toes and be honest with yourself: How much experience
do you really have in oddly configured
aircraft? Practicing flying out of trim (in
an airplane you are familiar with) is a
good way to prepare for the unexpected
in a test airplane.
26
27
Where Am I ?
Unfamiliar Avionics
28
Should I Do This?
SHOP
TIPS
Sometimes it takes a little help to get going. Its always nice to have the owner there to help
start things up.
By David Boeshaar
29
System Choices
31
Dismembered panel viewed through windshield and from the frontnot for the faint-hearted!
Example mark-up of connector diagram for termination guidance and installation verification.
Wiring Techniques
Pseudo-physical unit
layout and wire routing
diagram, top view of plane.
33
Aux power connector under panelenables learning the complexities of new avionics
without running the engine or running down the battery.
Flying It
Reinhard Metz
35
Whos Got
the Time?
By Owen C. Baker
time, federal regulations require it. Certain flight-time records must be kept in
order to qualify for higher ratings, to fly
certain types of aircraft, or to fly in certain flight conditions such as at night or
under instrument flight rules.
It is also necessary to keep track
of airframe and engine time in serwww.kitplanes.com & www.facebook.com/kitplanes
Hobbs Meters
Hobbs meters are quite common in rental aircraft, but the time they record is not
exactly in synch with pilot flight time as defined by the FARs.
Tachometers
37
ENGINE THEORY
Engine Basics
& Layouts
Why our engines are shaped the way they are.
By Tom Wilson
Change being inevitable, the editor in chief has declared I should write
a series on engine anatomy for those
moderns deprived of shop class and
robbed of self-realization by all the plastic shrouding under modern car hoods.
Youve been warned.
This being a multi-article enterprise, lets
define the objective as introducing piston
engine fundamentals to you, the aviation
experimentalist. This will be more lecture
hall than lab work, with hope that a better understanding of the why of piston
engines will aid you in the how of their
selection, installation, and upkeep.
40
Pumping Air
We find much of the bellyaching in hangar flying bull sessions regarding ancient
engine technology a little over-blown, but we must say there is room for improvement
in combustion chamber design. At least the two spark plugs are widely spaced (at 1 and
7 oclock in this photo); that and superior gasoline have helped these large, sort of lazy
airflow chambers get by for decades.
The Cylinder
41
Inverted inlines fit aircraft well. Their narrow frontal area is inherently aerodynamic,
and putting the crankshaft at the top of the fuselage gives the propeller maximum
possible clearance. Originally fitted with a four-cylinder inverted Menasco inline, this
Ryan now wears a six-cylinder inverted Ranger.
cost, and weight of a prop speed reduction unit are deemed unavoidable, low
engine rpm is advantageous. Friction
from the bearings, piston rings, and so
on are all reduced in low-rpm engines
as well. Most practically thats a boon to
fuel economy, but it also means less heat
rejection is necessary.
Duty cycle is another fundamental
driving aircraft engine design. The term
is engineer-speak for what percentage of
time the engine spends producing maximum power. For example, auto engines
are sprinters, rarely asked to put out
max power and spending well over 95%
of their life loafing around 30% of their
maximum capability. Aviation engines
are more akin to marine engines, where
relatively short periods of maximum
effort are followed by endless hours at
a high percentage of maximum power.
The familiar 75% power setting comes
to mind. So, while checking weight
growth always hangs over the engine
designer, robustness of what he does
put in the engine is a necessity.
L, V, W and Xs
Unlimited P-51 racer Strega shows off its Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 during pre-race repairs.
At about 140 cubic inches each, Merlin cylinders are just 16 cubic inches smaller than
the contemporary R-2800 radials jugs. Better balanced and inherently less stressed
around the crankshaft, the Merlin can safely turn 15% higher rpm. Advantage V-12 in
sprint applications, but the extra rpm isnt much help in long-haul cruising.
Oberursel and Siemens rotaries hang on the Deutsches Museum wall. Imagine all this
mass rotating with the propeller and a tiny rudder out back. Light and powerful, such
rotaries had their day in WW-I but were eclipsed by V-8s by wars end.
43
FLY IT
Proud sponsor of Tiger Airshows and airplane thief extraordinaire, Hotwire Harry!
45
Horizontally-opposed engines may be near perfect technically for light aircraft but, ugh,
the looks. The late, great Mira Slovaks Bucker Jngmann went from inverted inline Hirth to
horizontally-opposed Lycoming for many practical reasons, but it turned the Jngmanns
original narrow nose into an ugly nostrilled box.
Engine Decoding
Time-honored labeling protocol for aircraft engines uses a letter prefix to denote
the engine layout followed by numerals
giving the engine displacement in cubic
inches. Thus, Lycomings O-320 decodes
as O = opposed layout (flat) of 320 cubic
inches; Allisons WW-II V-12 is a V-1710 (vee
layout, 1710 cubic inches). Continentals
familiar 220-hp radial is an R-670.
Below are common engine designator
prefixes:
O = Opposed
R =Radial
L = Inline
I = Injected
S = Supercharged
TS = Turbo-Supercharged
G = Geared
AE = Aerobatic
L = Left-hand rotation
H = Helicopter
Multiple prefixes are often used,
making a TSIO-540 a Turbo-Supercharged,
Injected, Opposed, 540-cubic-inch engine.
Alphanumeric suffixes identify detail
change to the core engine. Theyre beyond
the scope of this article, but useful when
detailing an engines exact configuration
with accessories.
T.W.
46
O-145, and rival Franklin released a flatfour of their own. At the time radials and
inlines prevailed, but its no coincidence
these manufacturers simultaneously pioneered the flat layout as the design offers
compelling advantages.
If you think of the flat engine as an
inline with the cylinders veed so far
theyre 180-degrees apart, its easy to
see the flat engine is a little shorter
than an inline because the cylinders
can be overlapped. Again, a stiffer
crankshaft results. Once cowled and
baffled, the flat layout, even when overall a bit long in 6- or even 8-cylinder
form, nevertheless air-cools well. Frontal area is rather small, and if bulged
cowl cheeks, and especially a prop
extension, are utilized, a relatively fine
entry is easily achieved. From a balance perspective the flat layout is identical or better than an inline-4 or -6,
and no heavy or expensive crankshaft
counterweights are required at lower
engine speeds. The form even lends
itself to water cooling if desiredsee
Continentals Voyager series.
Definitely not least of its virtues, the
flat engine can be quite lightweight.
The compact cylinder arrangement,
and thus shorter overall length, is the
primary reason, but also a good amount
of the cylinder and crankcase hardware
can do double duty. Besides not needing crankshaft counterweights, the
balanced forces and shorter crankshaft
naturally support large-displacement
cylinders on a light crankcase.
In short, the horizontally-opposed
engine landed in a happy spot just
prior to WW-II and has been the de
facto general aviation engine since.
That has lead to economies of scale for
several generations of pilots, the result
being the light-plane world understands the layout to the point that trying anything else today smacks of wild
enthusiasm for the untried. Thats fine
for what it may have done for us in
cost containment, but its stifling too
as the ubiquity of flat engines has led
to a sameness in airframe shape thats
frankly a little boring.
Next time well detail engine breathing on the intake side. J
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Aeronautical
Decision Making
When a non-pilot asks me about flying, they are often surprised when I tell
them its as much a mental exercise as a
physical skill. Pilots know that flying is
a constant game of assigning probability
to what if scenarios and the search for
potential outs if things go wrong. Nearing 1000 hours as a private pilot, I felt
pretty adept at navigating this process.
A recent flight has reset that assessment,
however, and I want to share with you
how, using logic and reason, I talked
myself into a situation that nearly took
two lives. This story involves equipment
failure, but I hope that the slippery slope
of poor decision making is what shines
through as the true cause.
47
The Plan
VFR flight from Destin, Florida, to Key West. Estimated time en route was 2.8 hours.
48
The panel included useful VFR instrumentationbut no real backups for IMC flight.
The Decision
Fly under 90 miles of rain and marginal VFR.
Trapped
49
Simply flying through air doesnt usually remove paint. The horizontal tail shows evidence of high-speed precipitation impact.
No Good Options
Icing in IMC
The Result
Calling It Quits
Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson is a
second-generation pilot,
A&P, and was a U.S. Air
Force aircraft technician
for 10 years. He holds a
private pilot certificate and
currently flies his Harmon
Rocket II and a friends
RV-8, which he also maintains. Both aircraft are used
for cross-countries, aerobatics, and a developing
interest in formation work.
And yes, an instrument rating is high on the agenda.
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Digital
Either Format
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51
Aircraft Wiring
Electrical System Contactors
for Experimental Aircraft
By Marc Ausman
Duty Cycle
Controlled By
Starter
contactor
Intermittent Duty
+12/24 volts
Battery
contactor
Continuous Duty
Ground
Power (+) IN
Coil
Threaded post: switch to ground to activate
Generic Contactor
Figure 1: A generic contactor. The coil draws a little bit of current, but it allows you to
switch very high current loads like the starter.
52
Battery
Contactor
STARTER
Battery
Main Bus
Starter
Contactor
One Post
Two Post
2
Battery Contactors
Power OUT
3
1
From
battery
Ground this
post to
engage
3
4
Ground this
post to
engage
From
battery
Connect
posts 3 and
4 with short
18 ga wire.
It is then
electrically
same as
single-post
contactor
Figure 3: Single-post and double-post master contactors. Internal wiring is shown at bottom.
Starter Contactors
Youll see in Figure 4 that the contactor coil is grounded via the bracket on
the back of the contactor. The starter
coil is energized when +12/24 volts is
applied to the S post (which controls
the coil).
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S Terminal
Positive power from the
starter switch activates coil
(closes contactor).
I Terminal
Bus voltage is on this
post when the contactor
is closed.
Battery
to master switch
Battery
One Post
Two Post
To starter
S terminal
Starter Annunciator
Rear-mounted Batteries
Master
Switch
Starter
Contactor
Battery +
Battery
Contactor
Main Bus
ALT
Cabin area
Figure 9: Layout of rear-mounted battery and contactors. Fuse and shunt not shown
on alternator b-lead.
53
maintenance matters
Recapped tires: Save money
without sacrificing quality.
Major tire users, from over-the-road
truckers, to the airlines, to general aviation flight schools, know that retread
tires can save big money over time and
do not hesitate to use them. Some individual airplane owners are in on their
secret, but many others arent. There is
no reason why you cant reap some of
the savings others have been collecting
for themselves, especially when Desser
Tire & Rubber Company, the number one
aviation tire retreader, makes it so easy.
Cost Savings
Most people look to retread tires first
to save money, and that is a very good
reason to do so. They are definitely less
expensive and not by just a few dollars.
Desser retreads can be purchased outright without a core tire in exchange, or
Desser retreads tires of all sizes from 4-inch Cub tires to massive
airliner tires weighing hundreds of pounds.
Dave Prizio
54
Quality
There was a time when people thought
of retread tires as substandard, and the
Dave Prizio is a Southern California native who has been plying the skies of the L.A. basin and
beyond since 1973. Born into a family of builders, it was only natural that he would make his
living as a contractor and spend his leisure time building airplanes. He has so far completed
threea GlaStar, a Glasair Sportsman, and a Texas Sport Cuband he is helping a friend
build a fourth, an RV-8. When he isnt building something, he likes to share his love of aviation
with others by flying Young Eagles or volunteering as an EAA Technical Counselor. He is also
a licensed A&P mechanic and a member of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council.
www.kitplanes.com & www.facebook.com/kitplanes
Michelin Air
$129.85
$99.75
5.00 x 5, 6-ply
$52.75
$42.00
Michelin Air
$184.95
$119.00
$68.75
6.00 x 6, 6-ply
$47.00
Michelin Air
$189.75
$189.75
$109.00
$85.00
8.00 x 6, 6-ply
Retread tires just out of the mold get trimmed and prepared for
shipping.
Photos: Dave Prizio
Brand
Size
These tires have been ground down to eliminate their old tread in
preparation for retreading.
55
Tires with new rubber in place await their turn in the heated tire
molds. The heat bonds the rubber to the tire casing and forms a
new tread pattern into the tire.
Newly retreaded tires bristle with sprues left from the molding
process. These will be trimmed off in the next step of the manufacturing process.
56
Got Wings?
Risky Business
Mission planning
stick to the plan.
The author preparing to launch his RV-7A on its maiden flight. Moments later, immediately
after takeoff, he discovered he had zero indicated airspeed and a high CHT reading. Are
these problems incorporated into your plan?
Sidney Mayeux
58
Sid Scroll Mayeux has over 25 years of experience in aviation training, safety, and
risk management in the military, civilian, airline, and general aviation sectors. He
currently trains Boeing 777 pilots, and he is building a Vans RV-7A.
Plans Change
Noun, verb, period. Plans change.
Well, yes, sometimes they do. However,
I always wince whenever I hear a pilot
utter that phrase because I cant help
but feel a little suspicious. It often means
Photos: Sid Mayeux
Visit www.SonexAircraft.com
or call: 920.231.8297
KITPLANES October 2015
59
Aftermath of an IFR RV-10 pilots decision to approach and land visually in IMC conditions.
Everyone survived. (Photo: Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
Recovery crews lift a crashed RV-10 from the woods after the IFR pilot attempted a visual
approach in IMC. (Photo: Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
Pre-drilling a clearance hole, then plunging with an end mill is a fast and easy way to
precision bore a holeas long as the size matches something in your end mill collection.
Bob Hadley
Photos and illustration: Bob Hadley
Bob Hadley is the R&D manager for a California-based consumer products company. He holds
a Sport Pilot certificate and a Light-Sport Repairman certificate with inspection authorization
for his Jabiru J250-SP.
61
62
Thread-on shanks allow boring heads to be adapted to fit any type spindle.
Using the boring head to make small, medium, or large bores. Note when using the
horizontal position, you need to use a left-hand boring bar.
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Opening the -inch pilot hole with a 0.030-inch initial cut (left). Tightening the jib clamping screws after adjusting the offset (right).
Final Thoughts
Boring can be a slow and tedious process (no pun intended). To get good
results, you have to be patient and
meticulous. Making a series of light
passes will give you better results than
pushing large, heavy cuts.
Note also that to maintain a good finish, you must feed the cutter back out of
the hole at the same rate that you feed it
in. There is always some deflection in the
boring bar, so the feed-out pass is what
actually determines the size of the bore.
You should measure the bore after
each pass to confirm that your adjustments correspond with the expected or
target dimension.
Every time you move the slide to set a
new depth of cut, you must retighten the
jib clamping screws that secure the slide.
The offset adjustment is finite: about
one-third of the head diameter is as far
as you can go and safely clamp the head.
The hole on the left was bored using an end mill and the one on the right using the boring
head. Both are good examples of a cleanly machined surface made by boring.
63
Getting
the Spark
Back
By David Boeshaar
a bathroom, planting a new lawn, building a tree house, or even developing the
next great million-dollar app, we all hit
this wall. The secret to success is getting
past the block and moving on.
Here are my 10 tips for getting your
project back on track:
1. Open and review all documentation you have for your project. This
includes any project plan you have,
calendars, plans, instruction books
and your builders log. Review all the
64
David Boeshaar
65
CHECKPOINTS
I really dont remember when I first
heard about them or perhaps first saw
one. It could have been on one of my
early cross-country flights that I happened to notice airplanes parked in
backyards. I do know that once discovered, it became a dreamthat of living
in an aviation community. And it came
true. Twice now. And it is all I ever hoped
it could be. Those of you who happen to
be living in an aviation community can
understand what I am referring to, but
for those aviators who arent, perhaps I
can help you to dream as well.
For the past 12 years we have been living at Mallards Landing in Locust Grove,
Georgia, just south of Atlanta. For five
years prior to that, we resided at another
community called Stoney Point Field, on
the north side of Atlanta. Heres my reply
to those who ask about living with our
airplane: When we die, if we get to go to
Heaven, it will be a lateral move. Let me
tell you why.
Vic Syracuse
66
Heres the RV-4 loaded on a trailer for the move to the airport, just as an unforecast snow
storm moved in.
Vic is a Commercial Pilot and CFII with ASMEL/ASES ratings, an A&P, DAR, and EAA Technical
Advisor and Flight Counselor. Passionately involved in aviation for over 36 years, he has built
10 award-winning aircraft and has logged over 7800 hours in 69 different kinds of aircraft. Vic
had a career in technology as a senior-level executive and volunteers as a Young Eagle pilot and
Angel Flight pilot. He also has his own sport aviation business called Base Leg Aviation.
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we share ideas, everybody comes out
ahead by learning how to do a better
job of constructing, maintaining,
and flying homebuilt aircraft.
67
A Family-Oriented Community
Theres a much larger aspect of living
in an aviation community that I want
to share with you, especially from what
I have seen in ours that has over 120
families residing here. There is a wealth
of information across many segments of
aviation, from military, corporate, airline,
and general aviation, along with lots
The Kitfoxs folding wings sure helped to save on hangar costs, as well as increasing the
TLC factor on the airplane. Maintenance at home was much easier.
68
BACK ISSUES
O NEW eBOOK O
eBook download is exactly the
same magazine as on the newsstand.
The difference is:
Visit:
List of Advertisers
Beringer 27 708-667-7890
Cozy 27 877-4SPRUCE
CubCrafters 21 509-248-9491
Glen-L 72 888-700-5007
Grove Aircraft 72 619-562-1268
July 2015 Searey LSX, The First Grand Champion, Wicks
Aircraft Supply, APP in the Real World
June 2015 Turbine-Powered RV-10, Bearhawk Factory,
Crewing at Reno, Legalities of Fly-Ins
May 2015 Groppo Trail Kit, KR Fly-In, Formula 1, Vinyl
Graphics, Easier Panel Wiring, Camera Mounts
Sky Ox 72 800-253-0800
April 2015 Arion Lightning XS, STOL Mods, Fred to Florida,
Bootstrap Testing, PS Engineering PDA360EX
March 2015 Wag-A-Bond, Meredith Effect, Buying a Used
Experimental, Communications, The New Guy
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to order
January 2015 Mojave Gang MoVenture, Single-Seat Hot-Air
Balloon, One Week Wonder, Vetterman Exhaust
December 2014 2015 Homebuilt Aircraft Directory, Inside Rotax,
Buying a Used Homebuilt, Souls on Board: 2
69
builders marketplace
2/3 Mustang
F12 Cruiser
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Email: sales@falconaravia.com
FALCONAR AVIA INC. Ph: 780-465-2024
70
H T T P : / / W W W. T O S T E N M F G . C O M
71
builders marketplace
LANDING GEAR
Your Complete Source
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& Landing Gear
continued
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72
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or Sell a
Plane with
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OSPREY AIRCRAFT
73
builders marketplace
YOUR HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT AUTHORITY
The Builders Marketplace offers several advertising opportunities designed to
enhance response for your precious advertising dollars. This section offers 1-,
2- or 3-inch ads designed by us or provided by you. Here are samples of the
three different sizes, acceptable formats and the rates to submit your own
Builders Marketplace ad or have us create one using your photo/logo and text.
As you know, advertising isnt just reaching people...its reaching those who are
most likely to buy your product and producing results. The kit manufacturers and
our regular advertisers who sell via mail order and track their response tell us
that KITPLANES regularly outperforms other media on a cost-per-sale basis.
This no-waste circulation delivers greater efficiency for your valuable ad dollars.
In advertising, consistency pays off. Your ability to sustain a long-term advertising
program shows customers that youre a successful, reliable brand.
effective 10/9/2013
Size
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specifications below.
Required File Formats:
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and fonts are embedded and subsetted 100% as well as other characteristics.
This format is acceptable for spread, full or partial pages. Trapping is the
responsibility of the file provider. Total density should not exceed 300%.
Unacceptable file formats:
Other file types, such as Postscript, TIFF, TIFF/IT, EPS or native applications
such as Quark, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.
Ink Specifications:
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Please visit www.kitplanes.com/advertising to peruse our 2015 Editorial Planner
with deadlines to formulate your advertising schedule now, or call Chuck Preston
at (805) 382-3363.
74
Working With
a tight Budget?
By Mel AsbeRry
75
Weight
Weight is the enemy of performance. A
good airplane structure must be light
Barnaby Wainfan
76
Beefing it up.
as well as strong. Adding weight to the
structure will hurt the performance of
the airplane.
Adding weight to an airplane can trigger a rapidly diverging nightmare. Any
modification that adds weight to one
part makes it necessary to modify other
components to carry the newly added
weight. These modifications will also
add weight. The final weight growth is
far greater than the weight added by the
initial modification.
For example, if a builder beefs up the
fuselage structure, the wing must now
carry more weight. In order to keep
the limit load factor (Gs) the same, the
wingspars must get stronger, making
the wing structure heavier. Since the
airplane is now heavier, the landing
gear must also get stronger to handle
the increased landing loads, and the
structure the landing gear attaches to
must be strengthened, adding still more
weight. This process cascades through
the entire airplane.
The increased weight will hurt performance. If the builder wants to retain
the same range, payload, and speed in
his modified, heavier airplane, he must
increase its fuel capacity and horsepower. Of course, both the extra fuel and
the bigger engine add still more weight,
and so it goes. Each added bit of weight
imposes extra loads on other parts of the
airplane, and they must each be reinforced in turn.
Runaway weight growth has hurt
many airplanes, and the rate of weight
growth once the process has started is
surprisingly high. The art to designing
Attempting to strengthen a spar by adding doublers can actually make it weaker if the
doublers end abruptly. The notch between the doubler and the mainspar causes a stress
concentration at the end of the doubler.
Feeling Lucky?
Modifying the structure of an airplane is a
major step. It can have many effects, not
all of which are obvious. Some of these
effects can be very dangerous, since they
may significantly weaken the structure.
If the structure of the airplane you are
building is adequate to take the expected
flight loads, it is a good idea to leave it
alone, and build it as designed. If you
feel you must modify the structure, make
sure that the effects of the modifications
are carefully analyzed by a properly qualified person before you make them. Proofloading of a modified structure before
flight is a safety must. Modifying an airplane structure by eyeball estimation and
guesswork is a form of aeronautical Russian roulette, and you never know when
there is a round in the chamber. J
KITPLANES October 2015
77
Jim Weir
78
Beachball bingo.
there are some international conventions
that allow overseas chatter on 123.40 and
123.45. Colloquially, airliners adopted
the term finger and fingers for these
two frequencies. For the most part, the
airlines stayed silent on finger(s) while
inside this country. Although the airlines
follow FCC regulations, private (and a lot
of homebuilt aircraft) have decided that
these so-called Beachball frequencies
are great chatter frequencies, whether or
not they are legal to use.
Rant On
Inside this country, Beachball frequencies 123.4 and 123.45 (called from here
on four/five) are only authorized to
flight test stations for aircraft and aircraft component manufacturers. At one
time four/five were the only two VHF
frequencies available, and those of us
who applied for and received test station licenses had these two to pick from.
Generally, we used .4 for voice coordination and .45 as a beacon frequency
or to telemeter real time data down to
is the chief avioniker at RST Engineering. He answers avionics questions in the Internet newsgroup www.pilotsofamerica.comMaintenance. His technical advisor, Cyndi Weir, got her
Masters degree in English and Journalism and keeps Jim on the straight and narrow. Check
out their web site at www.rst-engr.com/kitplanes for previous articles and supplements.
Forbidden Frequencies
Because they are easy to remember, 123.400 and 123.450 are the frequencies most abused. But they arent the only frequencies you should
avoid. There are others, shown below, that are also reserved for testing.
(a) These frequencies are available for assignment to flight test land
and aircraft stations:
kHz
3281.0
MHz
MHz
MHz
123.175
123.225
123.400
123.200
123.375
123.450
MHz
MHz
MHz
123.150
123.325
123.475
123.575
123.250
123.350
123.525
123.275
123.425
123.550
Rant Off
Now that we know that Beachball four/
five are not legal to use, lets look at what
we might be able to legitimately use for
air-to-air chatter.
a. As stated above, 122.75 for fixed
wing and 123.025 for fling-wings
anywhere in the USA.
b. 121.95, 122.85, and 127.05 for aircraft
flying around the Grand Canyon.
c. Several frequencies in Arizona,
off the coast of California, and
off the coast in Hawaii (dont ask,
I have no idea why). See Section
87.187 for a list of these frequencies and locations.
d. 122.925 for forestry and fish &
game operations.
e. 121.95, 122.775, 122.85, 123.30, and
123.50 for pilot training operations.
f. 122.9 for practice search and rescue
and 123.1 for actual S&R.
Enough of all this chatter about chatter and back to the good stuff next
month. I should have some ideas about
power supplies, dimmers, and a lot more
interesting things coming up. Until then,
stay tuned. J
79
By Robrucha
80