VariEze Restoration

[mond-EZ]

Hi guys

My name is Luis, I’ve been interacting in the “Decision troubles” thread for a while until now that I got a Varieze project (only airframe, no engine , no instruments).

This airplane has had a hard landing with no wing or prop strike, they installed a new main gear but a lot of work needs to be done yet.

To name a few I have to do:

Minor repair on nose, replacement of pitot tube.

Repairs on front gear compartment.

Correct the angle of aerodynamic brake.

Put a fuel drain on right strake

Rebuild under fuselage by the hole they left after replacing main gear.

Balance canard.

The wings are fine but outdated, they have some kind of slat that they used to do on the first VEs to reduce landing speed, so I should remove them and put vortilons.

Some how get 3 of the conic cups of the wing fittings.

For all I’ve heard the first step is education, so that’s where I am; and I’d like to know what you all can tell me.

I got the plans (came with airplane), and as everybody have told me I should, I got the 109 Canard Pusher Newsletters (from 1974 to 2002). I got them from http://www.cozybuilders.org/Canard_Pusher/

Are those exactly what I need? (got PDF files)

Do you consider necessary to print all of them on paper considering that it would be like 1500 sheets?

Do you recommend reading all the plans and news letters or only the educational part and then go to the specific areas I’m going to work on?

Thank you all very much in advance.

I’ll appreciate all your inputs so much.

Luis

[Ghost]

Luis,

 

Welcome to the pain factory. I am almost in the same boat you are, I purchased a "Re-build" VariEZe less engine and Instruments, and I had ( Still Have ) some damage that needs to be repaired. The process is slow and sometimes painful, but every once and a while you complete something that make it all worth while.

 

Stick with it and remember every screw you install is one less, and one step closer to getting into the air.

 

Best of luck,

 

Ghost

VariEZe N297TV

Miami, Fla.

[Kent Ashton]

Do you recommend reading all the plans and news letters or only the educational part and then go to the specific areas I’m going to work on?

You'll probably need some direction on how to start repairs. A good place to start would be to put out a call on the canard aviators list and the Cozybuilder's list for advice from some of the 50 or so canard owners in Texas (strangely, only 5 CSAers in Oklahoma. WTF?)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canard-aviators/

http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cozy_builders

If I were you, I'd also join Central States Assn [CSA], get their membership list and make some contacts. Not all CSA members are internet junkies like us but would be interested in advising you. Good luck.

http://www.canardzone.com/csa/

[Lynn Erickson]

Hi guys

 

The wings are fine but outdated, they have some kind of slat that they used to do on the first VEs to reduce landing speed, so I should remove them and put vortilons.

 

Thank you all very much in advance.

I’ll appreciate all your inputs so much.

Luis

I would get some help from an experienced VE builder, read thur the plans and the mandatory changes in the CP's . the Central states is a good source for ideas on mods but remember the stuff is not been approved by anyone and many of it is just a way for someone to reinvent the wheel. as for the wing cuffs they are not out of date and will work just fine. the vortilons was just another way to do it and don't work any better. if they are to plans I would leave them on. they are also stronger and will not get knocked off by people leaning on them at air shows.

[spg_76013]

Luis-

 

If your project is old enough to have wing cuffs, it probably also has the full-span 150" canard. With ailerons, the full 150" span isn't needed. You might want to trim it to 142" per CP 14. (Is that what you meant by "balance the canard"?)

 

SPG1

 

p.s., also, I live down the road in Arlington, Tx, and I'm finishing up my VE paint job now, and should start taxi tests in a few weeks. (yes, I've said that before ...). My project was also started from an accident aircraft (both wings torn off in a taxi test). I think I have an extra set of wing attach hardware, too. I'd be happy to share lessons learned. Give me a call any evening. Sean Gillen, 817-795-1665. I'm hangared over in Grand Prairie.

[Drew Swenson]

Vortilons were first called out for the Varieze in CP 42 pg 5. Interestingly, they were not recommended for the Longez at that particular time.

[mond-EZ]

Ghost

Thank you for the encouragement, I don’t know if I’ll get to a painful part, up to now I’m enjoying any little thing I do related to it, like setting up the shop or sanding off that automotive primer they put on it.

 

Kent

Thank you for the sources you are giving me, I haven’t done any of them yet but I became a member of the EAA, which allowed me to meet with Vance Atkinson (builder of a VE and a Cozy) We had a 3 hours chat in my garage with the aircraft, he gave a lot of tips and I realized that I need to get more involved with the plans and news letters, I was asking questions that are explained in the plans or NL. Next person I’m planning to meet is Bill James, he lives close to my house and seems to know more than the regular canard builder, if you didn’t know about him, chick his plane out

http://www.ez.org/feature/F0502-1/F0502-1.htm

but this after read more and do the fiberglass practice samples

And I agree, I want to meet as much canard people as I can in my area, if there are 50 in TX there maybe 10 or more around Dallas/Fort Worth.

 

Lynn

Thank you for your input. And now I see that there are controversies about wing cuffs vs. vortilons, so if there is data indicating that the effect is the same I should consider not to touch them, I have more than enough in my to do list.

 

Sean

I’m glad to know you live around the area.

Vance told me the same about the canard, but we measured it and is 141¼” and ailerons are on the wings.

I’ll definitely give you a call, I’d love to see you project.

 

Drew

Thank you for the info, that pulls me more to the idea of keeping the wing cuffs.

[mond-EZ]

I need to ask a question that’s been in my mind for a long time, may be it’s obvious but I don’t know.

Why anybody has ever made or talked about flaps (or flaperons) for a canard airplane?

That’s what other kind of airplanes use for slower landings.

Isn’t it aerodynamically feasible for canards?

[Spodman]

Has been discussed once or twice, and need not be repeated here. There is a crappy search button above, with a much more effective advanced search function underneath it. Always worth a look before posting questions. Yeilds results like this:

 

http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2451&highlight=flap

 

http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1898&highlight=flap

[k1234]

My understanding is that the Junqua Ibis uses flaps to get a stall speed of 52 knots. I think the canard elevator acts as a flap too. I haven't seen plans, so I don't know precisely how this works or whether the flaps are large enough to make a substantial difference.

[mond-EZ]

Hi guys

I wanted to let you all know that I’m so thankful for the help you’ve given me and that I’m documenting my progress on www.myspace.com/mond_ez .In this way I’m giving something back to those newer than me on the subject or who ever find interesting any of my ideas. As up today I’m done with the workshop setup and ready to study the plans.

This canard community is great:thumbsup: .

[DRMORTON]

Luis,

 

I am in Fort Worth and I am building a Veri-eze also. I pretty far along, but still will take about 6 to 12 months to complete.

 

Would like to visit with you and take a look at your plane.

 

Pepper Morton, 817-625-5980