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Berkut Drawing Package


Bob Setzer

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Just got off the phone with John Griffiths today.

For thought who do not know of John was responsable for the drawing package that was supplied with the Berkut project.

The drawing package was all hand drawn by John, Some 80 large scale pages that have been made available to the builder and non builder alike.

The reason for the post is to let all interested in this new E- Mail info.

Like most of us he has went to high speed service.

Other that have purchased all or part of the drawing package may want to offer feed back to the group.

 

john.griffiths1@verizon.net

 

Good luck on your projects

Bob Setzer

Vari Eze N82210

Builder A-Solution

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more like 90+ pages.

 

So did you buy a set?

I did buy a set about four years ago in preparation to build the project I'm currently working on. For me it took alot of the guess work out of the way.

John put a lot on time a effort into each drawing.

Did you get a set, and if so were thay of use to you.

 

Bob Setzer

Vari Eze N82210

Builder A-Solution

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 years later...

Other that have purchased all or part of the drawing package may want to offer feed back to the group.

 

Good luck on your projects

Bob Setzer

Vari Eze N82210

Builder A-Solution

 

 

 

 

 

Let me say up front that for me, the information presented in the 100 sheet set of drawings is well worth the price of admission. John has done a remarkable job, considering the drawings involve manual drafting, not CAD. Speaking of CAD, the errors in his drawings become more obvious when translated into CAD.

 

A purchaser of the Griffiths' plan set is not going to be able to nonchalantly lay them on the worktable and instantly clone a Berkut, but there's a lot of information contained within the drawings that quite frankly, is not going to be found anywhere else.

 

Of course, the natural thing to do is to cross-reference the Griffiths' drawings with the Rutan LongEZ drawings, also completed before CAD became mainstream.  However,  even though the LongEZ plans are also manual drafting, the level of accurate is amazingly high. Don't let the pencil lines, cartoons, and hand lettering fool you.  They're good.  One great feature of the Rutan plans is that every drawing is referenced with Fuselage Stations, Butt Lines, and Water Lines, not so, unfortunately, the Berkut drawings. There's much detective work involved with the Griffiths' drawings.

 

So, overall, should you rush out, plunk down a grand, and buy a set of Berkut drawings? That would depend entirely on what your expectations are. 

Could you build a BerkEZ without these drawings? More than likely, but they would surely help.

Could you build a Berkut by relying solely on these drawings? Probably not, but they would certainly help.

Either way, it's best to start with a good ol' set of LongEZ drawings.

Edited by AVI
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I picked up a set years ago. Great investment IMO.

So far, three elements of influence from the Berkut plans have made it into my Open-Ez project:

1. Forward bulkhead profile. 2. Firewall profile. 3. Canopy hinge general profile. 

 

Personally, I like the look and lines of the Berkut's fuselage. Nose to tail, it's more rounded than the long-Ez. But it's not symmetrically circular, closer to the shape of an apple than a baseball looking at them straight down the nose. I carried the shape all the way back to the firewall. I got my cowls from D.R., so the firewall choice works perfectly. I used the general size and shape of the Berkut canopy hinges presented in the plans but I made them from CF and foam left over from the floor. Works great, looks pretty good too.

 

Hat

 

Airspeed is Life -

:cool: - Having lots of it

is Better!

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Did you stretch the fuselage any or just the nose?  How did you fabricate the lofted fuselage?

Any photos, HatSwitch?

Just the nose.

Shape attained and carried aft with a Divinycell/uni veneer 3/4" deep (at the crown) to nothing at top and bottom longerons.

Hat

post-127995-0-16145400-1413766591_thumb.jpg

Airspeed is Life -

:cool: - Having lots of it

is Better!

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Just the nose.

Shape attained and carried aft with a Divinycell/uni veneer 3/4" deep (at the crown) to nothing at top and bottom longerons.

Hat

 

Very nice.  I see you extended the canopy forward as well. So you retained the basic LongEZ fuselage construction of sides/bottom underneath the veneer?

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Yes. No change to the bottom, save a 4th Berkut plans detail incorporation change I forgot to include above in that the air brake and its hinge connection sub assembly is Berkut. The electric actuator is attached to the back of the front seat bulkhead using the CF plate detail James Redmon posted on 13's Blog. Firewall fwd to 5-inches aft of the pitot, the bottom is virtually flat.

If ever I discover the veneer proves to be a WTF call, all that's nessessary is shave it off to original existing structure and refinish. The Strakes will bond per plans glass-to-glass to the original fuse sides. There's a small weight gain, but it will be less than other simular design goals being done out there.

The canopy is aft hinged and the bubble tips in 15 inches forward of plans. Simular to the Cozy, room for gloves, paper map manipulation, future HUD etc. Cockpit is veri-comfy and forward vis over the nose for the elevation of my eyes above the longerons is a good as it can get.

Hat

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Airspeed is Life -

:cool: - Having lots of it

is Better!

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  • 3 years later...

Does anyone have a full set of John Griffiths plans I might be able to buy (or borrow).  If not I'll resort to buying them ?  I had discussed w/John several years ago and all that is said here is accurate.  He only shared samples with me, not the full plans.

 

Jon Matcho :busy:
Builder & Canard Zone Admin
Now:  Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E
Next:  Resume building a Cozy Mark IV

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