New Member - Long Time Builder/Flyer

[cozy1bh]

Canardians:

 

I just joined this forum and already am impressed with the site. Some of you might recognize me from the Yahoo message group.

 

I purchased my Cozy III plans at Oshkosh in 1985 and began building January 1, 1986. Eleven years and two college degrees later, N171BH took to the air. She now has 350 hours and performance is typical of an O-320 Cozy. Cruise at 65% power is an honest 170 knots true at 7500 ft. while burning about 7 1/2 gallons of 100 LL per hour, maybe less.

 

The Cozy is powered by a low compression O-320 with an Ellison throttle body injector, Lightspeed ignition on the top plugs, mag on the bottom plugs, light weight starter and alternator, and a Bruce Tifft prop. A Klaus Savier spinner completes the engine installation.

 

I certified my Cozy for VFR Day/Night only. I am not the least interested in gathering ice on the canard and becomming an instant test pilot! Besides, I get enough IFR at work. I fly as a Boeing 767 First Officer for ABX Air, Inc. Never heard of it? Well, we used to be Airborne Express, the number three overnight express carrier after UPS and Fed EX. Now, through a complicated business arrangement, we are part ot DHL Worldwide Express. Never heard of that either? DHL is huge in Europe, the Middle East, and throughout the world but has a small presence in the U.S. DHL is a much larger shipper than Fed EX and UPS in most areas of the world except the U.S. They are reorganizing their U.S. operations and soon will be in a position to gain domestic market share. Bottom line: It's good to work for a company that is growing and expanding operations and--making money! There's hardly a passenger carrier out there you can say that about!

 

Back to the Cozy. I am really happy with the performance. The LSE ignition is a thing of beauty and Klaus' low-drag wheel pants look good and fly fast. The problem is that I do not have good instruments for measuring performance. Therefore, I'm beginning to upgrade my engine instruments. A good engine analyzer will help me set power and mixture and a good fuel flow gauge will help measure the results.

 

Another project is to install VGs on my GU canard.

 

My Cozy is clean, looks good, is relatively light (1030), and flys fast. I have only basic VFR instruments and no GPS. I like to fly pilotage and DR. One of the most common questions, after the series of nose gear questions, is how I navigate. It is amazing how many pilots are confused about the fact I do not fly with a GPS! I like basic, simple flying.

 

Fly safely out there!

 

Brian....

[Jon Matcho]

I just joined this forum and already am impressed with the site. Some of you might recognize me from the Yahoo message group.

Thank you, and welcome! It's great to have new flyers to inspire and motivate the builders. I'm a member of the Yahoo! [C-A] list, but but how would I recognize you?

 

Sounds like a great and economical plane, but count me as one of the surprised for a Boeing pilot not setting up with a loaded IFR panel, but I do understand.

 

I certified my Cozy for VFR Day/Night only.

After all, that is how the Long-EZ line was originally conceived, and how Nat Puffer set his panel up himself. It's good to be reminded that IFR is not a requirement to find great enjoyment in the type.