Roll call: Open-EZ builders?

[Jon Matcho]

"Use this serial number when registering your aircraft with the FAA."

That's an instruction coming from RAF, when they wanted to have a nice orderly set of registrations within the FAA database. That fell apart quickly with people registering Long-EZ LongEze Long EZ, etc. Regardless, the USA FAA does NOT and has never cared about what RAF serial number you use. They want a serial number from the manufacturer -- you, where 001 is a popular submission.

 

I think maybe you should send pm to Jon, Waiter they have a lot off knowledge about this.

You've covered it fairly well in the posts above.

 

btw I heard that RAF doesnt support builders any more.

Right. Check the news people, RAF has stopped selling plans about 2 decades ago. Support was only ever offered to original purchases, and was not transferrable. Having original plans versus copies is insignificant today (unless valuing as a collectable item).

 

Don't get totally upset. Printing all Long-EZ pages from the TERF and drawings will cost you a good chunk of change anyway.

[RWrightEZ]

Jon,

 

I don't really care about the Section I and Section II plans being copies.

If these are copies they are very well done.

The serial number thing is what led me to believe these were original plans.

Also, I did get quite a bit of other "stuff" in this package.

I could care less about any collector value in all this and I know RAF is done and I am on my own for the most part in this build.

I was more concerned with getting accurate templates.

If the templates are good to go, then I have want I want.

 

My # 1 question is - If these are copies, then how do I verify that I can build from them?

If I can verify this somehow, them I am ready to get started with my first materials order.

 

The other thing I learned from this experience is the importance of the Open-EZ project.

 

Ron

[Jon Matcho]

Ron, if your plans are copies, there's no good way to verify your A-sheet drawings other than to print the Open-EZ drawings and compare (at which point you'll have 2 sets of drawings, hopefully the same size). The Open-EZ drawings have a verifiable ruler included -- something that should have been on the original plans IMO (but who would have thought to do that?).

[RWrightEZ]

I had A1 and A2 printed at Kinko's today.

I needed to get home quickly so I will do the rest later.

I compared these to mine and they don't line up exactly.

I think this is what others have seen also.

However, the canard and elevator drawings on A2 line up perfectly.

[TMann]

However, the canard and elevator drawings on A2 line up perfectly.

Probably won't use those. Use the new RONCZ canard.

[RWrightEZ]

TMann -your are correct.

I will be building with the Roncz canard.

 

I was just checking the validity of a set of plans I bought on ebay against the Open-EZ templates.

The plans I bought appear to be copies and I just wasn't sure about them.

I thought if the A1-A14 template were a good match that I could trust the Roncz canard (April 1985) templates would be good.

 

When the Open-EZ templates for the canard are available I will compare them.

 

Jon M. has been very helpful in my trying to get started on this project.

[xanman31]

Any idea when the new canard plans will be on the board for downloading ?? I'll be finished with the wiring harness for my Sub by the end of the week and need to get the next project lined up...I'm picking up my bare fuse on the first week of Oct. Wicks glassing practice kit already on the way with some vacuum bagging stuff I want to try. Can anyone tell me what the distance from the firewall to propellor flange is .... so I can get my engine mount started as well..

 

Curry

[RWrightEZ]

Apparently the LEZ landing light installation is not in the Section I plans.

 

I read somewhere here that there is a 1 page Addendum for landing light installation.

 

Does anyone have a copy or can point me to a site with the addendum?

 

Ron

[Aus GA pilot]

Hi, This is my first post on this site. I have always admired Burt Rutans work and the other day I was finally able to see a vari eze in real life. What can I say it was amazing I flew right over the top of it as it was on finals to the inactive asphalt cross strip while I was downwing on the grass cross strip. When I landed I taxied past staring at this masterpiece of design. Seeing it for the first time though right underneath me was a speechless moment. What can I say but.... I just want one!! I have been watching this forum for a long time and have always had the open eze templates. Now i would like to take a serious step towards looking at building a long eze or open eze. Has anyone started building an open eze yet ?

[mfryer]

I have. You can see my progress at:

 

http://flyingbackward.blogspot.com/

[Lynn Erickson]

TMann -your are correct.

I will be building with the Roncz canard.

 

When the Open-EZ templates for the canard are available I will compare them.

 

 

The Roncz canard plans are avalible from Rutan Aircraft factory.com for $42

[Aus GA pilot]

Thanks very much for your site I will follow your build closely. This weekend i will get the templates printed up and probably at the end of the year Christmas I will get the terf cd and a whole heap of the rutan and other composite bible books and dvds.

[Cozy1200]

Aus GA Pilot,

 

Welcome to the forum. Are you in OZ? What part? There are a couple of canards around and I have supplies on order to start a cozy.

[Aus GA pilot]

Im up in Brisbane.

[RWrightEZ]

The Roncz canard plans are avalible from Rutan Aircraft factory.com for $42

RAF is really closed and nothing is for sale anymore.

I sent them an email on 9/25/07 asking about plans and a POH and this is the reply I got on 10/16/07 -

 

 

"RAF has closed. None of the items are available.

Thanks for your interest,

Tonya, RAF"

[Big Steve]

I tried to order the internal rudders from raf several months ago and recieved a letter signed by Tonya Rutan saying they no longer would be selling any plans. So I think getting plans from raf is over for good. STeve

 

[Juhl-EZ]

FYI: Both the hidden bellhorns and the Roncz canard plans are contained on the TERF CD - albeit without any (valid) template information...

[JTest]

G'day all

 

Gee-ez, I should have responded to this about a month ago. I am building the Open-EZ. I have completed the building tables and built a warm room in the hanger. This weekend is build the canard layup table and next Friday is a trip to buy foam billets from the distributer in Pennsylvania. I am awaiting about $2000 in landing gear, canopy latches, throttles.... Just like Christmas at my hanger. I still get the flying bug taken care of in my 1956 Cessna 172. The EZ will be have the tub finished by the end of Jan....

 

My biggest concern are the template errors. This foam stuff is kind of $$ and I don't want to be several inches off.... Doh!

 

Jeff

[Cozy Girrrl]

I tried to order the internal rudders from raf several months ago and recieved a letter signed by Tonya Rutan saying they no longer would be selling any plans. So I think getting plans from raf is over for good. STeve

 

No problem, we have the parts in stock Actually we have most of the hardware you need for the Ez and Open-ez

www.CozyGirrrl.com/aircraftparts.htm

 

Regards, Chrissi

[Pete_A]

G'day all

 

My biggest concern are the template errors. This foam stuff is kind of $$ and I don't want to be several inches off.... Doh!

 

Jeff

Don't worry about the templates, apart from the couple of dyslexic moments adding an extra 1 to the baseline markers the templates look good. I recently plotted them off onto trace and measured them up against cozy IV originals and the profiles are spot on. There are a few subtle differences with sparcap layups due to increased gross but otherwise they are remarkably similar

 

Wasn't there a guy on the list who was CnC'ing cores ? I have no idea what the price differences are, or if the CnC cores are still available. But if you are concerned about accuracy that may be the way to go.

[Jon Matcho]

My biggest concern are the template errors. This foam stuff is kind of $$ and I don't want to be several inches off.... Doh!

What errors are you concerned with? The drawings are entirely accurate, and if you print and verify THEN you'll be comfortable and will understand what this "1 inch" business is all about (a whole bunch of nothing, although will still be fixed).

[lagdamper]

Hello fellow Open Builders. After watching this discussion thread since the begining, I am happy to announce that I now have a Long EZ project that will be completed as an "Open" .

 

I am looking forward to the Open EZ Rev 6 templates as I need to build a new Roncz canard for my ship. Please drop by my Builder's Blog to learn more about my project.

 

http://lagdamper.wordpress.com/

 

Thanks,

Curt Cowley

Hillsboro, OR

[JTest]

G'day Jon & Curt

 

Jon - I have faith in the templates... Or I wouldn't be building with them. I saw the 1" is due to measure from the 1" as the origin to improve accuracy due to end of tape/ruler error, but I have seen on several earlier postings that (human) error of forgetting to subtract the 1" in the marking has occured (although the few I have checked to date have all been correct or my eye is off the same amount)... The templates are fine. I didn't intend to poke a finger in your eye... I will take extra effort to look for the posted issue. I want to thank everybody for their efforts. I would not have templates without your efforts. Thank you, I hope to see everybody next summer (or the one after that) when it is complete and flying.....

 

Curt - If you have the TERF cd you can find the canard information you are looking for. If you don't have the TERF cd go to ebay. TERF has them available. You can save a few $$.

 

Let the Flyer Beware...

 

Jeff

[lagdamper]

Jtest,

 

I have the terf cd's, but they do not print full size. On the roncz canard plans for example the pages only print to about 90% size and with no scale on the templates I have no way of knowing how much to enlarge it.

I mind don't waiting a little while to make sure I get accuate templates.

 

Curt

 

P.S. Jon, how are those templates coming?

[JTest]

G'day all

 

I just discovered an interesting problem with my copies from FedEx/Kinkos. I had several sets printed so I would have a copy to work from and a secont to use as a reference.... Today, I took my second set and was going to use them to cut a second set of templates. Two sets are needed to cut the foam. I glued the second set onto the sanded plywood and then put the first set onto the board to verify I had all the templates and discovered that the second set were as much as a 1/4" longer than the first set that I had already cut... I attribute the problem to printing errors, because I had both sets printed from the same downloaded .pdf files.

 

I have several questions:

 

1. What is the error +/- what distance for error on the templates?

 

2. How can I verify the templates if they are cut and the mearurements are not available?

 

3. Has anybody else discovered this printing problem?

 

4. If so how was it corrected?

 

The Open-EZ drawings I am using I downloaded last February (2007). I welcome any ideas.

 

I have not started cutting foam. The foam is being delivered on Friday, Dec. 29.

 

Thank you in advance;

 

Jeff