December 2024

In this month’s edition:

  • Down on the farm 71 last month 11/24 – Tony Palmer
  • You crash in an isolated field; then what?
  • Manston Air-show being planned
  • Designing a new panel for my microlight – Richard Griffiths
  • Size isn’t everything….

Down on the farm 71 last month 11/24

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

Nothing to report.

Prentice G-APPL VR189

Jim has been investigating the wiring. We have pulled out all the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s electrical hardware that is now obsolete and stripped out all the wires that fed them. Jim is now tracing the charging circuits as when we got the plane the generator was not installed and it was not the original type. It appears that the standard generator an HX2 was also installed in Hurricanes and many classic planes and is now a bit short on the ground and an alternative unit made by Rotax (not the same company as the one we know now) can be used on these engines and that is what we have. We know it was not working when we got it so we will probably have this one checked out and maybe get a matching regulator instead of the A type we have now. There are some other options as it appears that the Russian M14 engines copied our generators and they are almost identical as is the Chinese copy of the Russian engine. The is also an American B&C modern unit which when supplied with an adaptor plate for the Russian engine could be adapted but again it will have to run with its own regulator. We need to think through the options taking into account cost availability, weight, reliability etc.

Tony Palmer

You crash in an isolated field; then what?

The latest edition of the GASCo Flight Safety magazine (Autumn 2024), reports an accident involving a Cavalon gyroplane back in January (ibid. p33.), where the aircraft struck trees and crashed off airfield. The seriously injured crew managed to get out, but as no Mayday call had been made no one would know of the incident. However one had an ‘accident warning app’ on his mobile, which allowed an exact location to be passed to the emergency services and first-responders arrived in 15 minutes.

Compare with this recently published Air Accident Investigation report into an incident at a (local) isolated strip. In attempting a go-around, the aircraft struck trees causing it to crash in a field beyond the runway. The two occupants of the aircraft were rendered unconscious. Help was only initiated after one and a half hours when the passenger regained consciousness and was able to use the pilot’s mobile phone to call for an ambulance. In this instance, despite serious injuries, the occupants were recovered alive. Had the passenger not regained consciousness the outcome would likely have been fatal. The AAIB report can be read at: aaib-investigation-to-jodel-dr1050-m1-g-baee

The ‘accident warning app’ mentioned in the first report might well have been the SafeSky electronic conspicuity (EC) mobile app (website is at: safesky.app). There is some controversy about using the mobile network as the medium for EC, but it does have a ‘search and rescue’ function that at the very least makes it worth switching on. The ‘Search and Rescue’ information in the user manual is at: S&R Instructions The free version sends an email to three contacts, upgrade to premium at 39,99€/year and it sends them SMS’s. The recommendation is to use fellow pilots rather than relatives as contacts. Something to discuss at the next Strut meeting?

Richard Griffiths

Manston Air-show being planned

Surprising news that the owners of Manston Airport, RiverOake Strategic Partners are planning to hold an air-show there in August. More (but not many) detail here:

Designing a new panel for my microlight

Eighteen months ago, I got myself a microlight, an SD-1 Minisport, that now lives in a trailer at Truleigh Farm. For a number of reasons including weather(!) and needing a microlight sign-off, I’ve only been flying it recently. It’s certainly more exciting than the C172. But part of the motive for ownership was an interest in maintaining an aircraft. It also makes personalizing the aircraft to my preferences possible. I don’t know about you, but I find myself irritated by detail in most of the cockpits I’ve sat in. Just don’t get me started about the Ikarus C42 with it’s floppy throttle lever between your legs! A particular issue with my SD-1 is the current layout of the panel.

The fitted instruments are good, but I’m not keen on where they are located. I recently came across an article in GASCo’s Flight Safety magazine (Autumn 2023 p.6.) on ‘Cockpit Design’ by Dave Unwin that encouraged me to think about a redesign. I’d prefer the multi-function electronic flight information system (AvMap Ultra EFIS) central (well it’s a sort of artificial horizon), the airspeed indicator in its traditional position to the left, and an altimeter to the right. Yes – there appears to be no altimeter! Well, there is, built in to the EFIS, along with an artificial horizon, direction gyro / HSI, side slip indicator, vertical speed indicator, automatic direction finder with GPS, G-meter and magnetic compass. It’s an amazing bit of kit, (though, to be a bit picky I do have issues with the design of the interface) but having worked with digital things – I’d really like an analogue altimeter.

Aside from mere aesthetics and personal preference, there is a more compelling ergonomic reason to change things; when the stick is centralized, you can’t see the radio. :-O It’s a TQ KRT2 transceiver, so has preset frequencies. I haven’t tried inputting a raw frequency in flight yet. I guess I’d have to do it while side-slipping – not great. It needs to be moved to a more convenient location.

And one last niggle: the switch-protectors on the ignition switches don’t protect! They are closed when the ignition is live, and stick out when off. It’s not obvious why they need protecting when live – they are not going to be accidentally knocked in flight. Also, they make killing the ignition in an emergency (brake failure, dog running toward the prop – I am on a farm strip, etc.) more complicated. And – and this is the biggie, when leaning into the cockpit to install the the wing pins, I frequently brush against them, flipping them on. As I’m in the arc of the prop, I’d rather they remained off.

So, with the soggy runway winter lay-off pending, I’m planning on on a major reconfiguration. My daughter is a dab-hand with CAD and laser-cutters, so producing the actual panel is covered. I’m trying to identify the constraints on just where things can go (space behind the panel, length of existing wiring, etc.). If you can spot any gotchas I should be aware of, please let me know.

Richard Griffiths

Size isn’t everything….

This guy makes 3D printed models of aero-engines. Take a look at the close-up photos and you’d believe you were looking at the real thing (all be it a very clean version). Check him out on Facebook, here: facebook.com

Events

Christmas Dinner 4 December 2024 You need to have booked with Tony Palmer – but give him a call, there may have been a cancellation.

For a full list of events go to the website Events page.