Kent's Long-EZ project

[Kent Ashton]

I really like Paul Freeman's Abandoned airfield site.  http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/index.htm     I recently came across a similar site for airfields in Europe.    http://www.forgottenairfields.com/nouveautes.html     Some of these were cold war targets when I was at Lakenheath.   Here is the old Luftwaffe/DDR fighter field at Zerbst    http://www.forgottenairfields.com/germany/saxony-anhalt/anhalt-bitterfeld/zerbst-s384.html    You can get an even more detailed picture at Google Earth (Zerbst, Germany).  I showed the site to a friend who was an F-4 Weapons System Officer (WSO) with me.  He remembers all his targets, radar offset aimpoints and run-in IPs (initial point).  One of his radar depictions was remembered as "a monkey screwing a football".  The picture below is not an F-4 radar but it's similar to the F-4 ground mapping display.  On the run-in from the IP, the WSO would see a combination of blobs that looked like a monkey screwing a football.  He'd position his offset cursor on some preplanned part of the monkey's anatomy and the bomb system would steer to the target.  :-)   Of course, if the weather was good, we would have visual checkpoints.

 

That's my time-waster for today.  Off to the airport to install a new electric trim idea.

 

 

[Kent Ashton]

Pitch trim - This is my 4th iteration of pitch trim!  I started with the plans lever with the two springs.  When I build the Cozy I made a Davenport-like trim using 1/8" spring wire that was operated by a Cessna-like wheel and cables.  The wheel-and-cables worked OK but were complicated to remove the canard.  Then I made a twist knob on the panel that adjusted the spring wires.  Better but not ideal.  This time I am trying an electric trim made from a screwdriver (same as Alex Strong's used in his trim) to move the spring wires.  It is still a little fiddly to remove the canard but we'll see how it works.   Pics will give you the idea.  My attach point for the screwdriver is not exactly ideal but it had to line with the existing spring wires.  On the EZ, the springs are in a different position and the installation is pretty simple (pics 4, 5).  The spring wire part of the trim is shown in earlier posts.

 

I've yet to fight test it.  The only problem so far is that 14V bus voltage moves the 3.8V screwdriver motor a little too fast.  I regulated the voltage down from 14V down to 5V but that was too low and the trim forces stalled the motor.  I will try again later with about a 9V regulator.  I believe Alex incorporated a pulse-width-modulator to adjust the motor speed but it will require a little change in my wiring.  Fun!

Edited January 12, 2018 by Kent Ashton

[Kent Ashton]

Here is the pitch trim circuit I'm using.  The 3A PWM worked fine on an EZ.  A cozy with heavy front seat might need more amps from the PWM because the elevator downforce requirement is greater but it is too cold today to fly the cozy and test it.  The PWM pulses 13-14V bus voltage into a 3.8 screwdriver motor.  It doesn't seem to hurt the motor.  The relay reverses direction.  The Carling switch is a little bulky but it has a nice action.  At first I tried use a simple LM317 voltage regulator to regulate the voltage down to 5V but this was not enough to reliably spin the motor.  A 9V regulator might work but the PWM+relay are more adjustable.  I put the components in the armrest.

 

BTW, this is about the same thing as Alex Strong used to sell except his design operated a spring cartridge attached to the control rod between the stick and canard (2nd pic).  I had one of these some years ago.  Without the PWM, it ran rather fast and was touchy to adjust; the spring cartridge was also a little creaky.  Later, he added a PWM and I see in the pic that Alex or the builder have added some limit switches.  This is probably a good idea.  As it stands now, if my trim runs away in one direction, it will unscrew itself off the spring nut.  In the other direction ??? . . . maybe blow the fuse.  Fun!

[Barry]

Looks good Kent.

 

Does the PWM board you are using have the frequency output trim on the board?

Edited January 15, 2018 by Barry

[Kent Ashton]

Yep,  do an Ebay search for DC PWM and you'll see many.  Those little boards from China are fascinating.  I have a couple in the plane already to control LED lighting.

[Barry]

Thanks. I have used them on projects in the past, but more expensive devices with the PWM settings external.

 

I'll take a look at those.

[Kent Ashton]

Here's a pic of the Cozy pitch trim PWM and relay in the armrest.  The red button is a horn-silence button.  I wish I had used multiple colors of AWG22 wire in wiring my airplane.  I have pretty good schematic drawings of all my wiring but when most of the wires are white, it's sometimes a head-scratcher figuring out the wires, even if they are labeled.  I generally use red for hot wires and green for grounds but it'd be wise to use different colors for different systems or use a lot of colors and note them on the schematic.

[Kent Ashton]

The pitch trim worked pretty well.  The main thing to check I wanted to check is that with two people in front, I can get enough elevator-down trim.  If you want to use the spring wires, determine where to mount the trim motor before installing the spool on the elevator tube.  Also, the springs need to be installed at about a 30 degree angle pointing down and back from the spool so that when the trim pulls on the springs it pulls them to about a vertical position.

 

Here is a way to make a MAIN BUS & ESSENTIAL BUS on a large Bussmann fuse block.  Sorry, I don't recall the diode size.  The only circuit breakers I have are two for the electronic ignition and one for the electric nose gear but the EIs could also be on fuses.  Fun!

[Kent Ashton]

Here is a repair on Varieze MLG mounts by Marc Zeitlin but the same applies to the Long-ez.  These days, the EZs are typically built and flown heavier with bigger engines, travel pods, electric nose-lift, etc.  IMO, the plans Long-ez gear mounts are just barely strong enough--one of the few marginal areas in the design, actually.   Make a few hard landings and over time the bolts through the wood embedded in the fuselage wall that hold the angles begin to get loose.  Many people have had to go back and fix loose gear mounts over the years.  If you are building a Long-EZ or Cozy III, this is a wise mod.

https://www.burnsideaerospace.com/gallery-of-work/

 

Also, the angles on the inside also have a history of cracks developing where they were drilled-through for a brake line or rudder cable.   Don't add extra holes in high stress areas.  If I were building mounts like that, I think I'd use thicker material for the angles and carefully chamfer all the holes.   I also seem to recall a mod to use bushings through the angles.

[Marc Zeitlin]

Here is a repair on Varieze MLG mounts by Marc Zeitlin...

Thanks for the publicity, but I'd appreciate it if rather than taking a copy of the copyrighted pics (or text), next time please just post a link to the page or specific picture.

 

Thanks.

[Kent Ashton]

Sorry Marc, forgot all your web-life is copyrighted.

[Kent Ashton]

So . . . I sold the EZ about two months ago but the buyer is busy so I will ferry it to California when I get some VFR weather.  Looking forward to the trip.   If you trying to sell an airplane, I think potential buyers appreciate information.  I sent a representative number of pictures to folks who were interested and the documents below which you might find interesting.   I supplied the buyer with avionics manuals, electrical and avionics wiring diagrams--things I did not get when I bought my first experimental.

 

Downdraft Cooling:  After some false starts, the downdraft cooling on this airplane works pretty well--, actually, too well.  The intakes are 5" X 3.5" each side (35 sq inches of cooling on 160 hp).  This was more than I read was necessary and sure enough, the engine runs a little cool in the winter 285-300 deg which I do not think is a problem but smaller intakes for winter flying, say 25 sq inches, would reduce cooling drag and possibly add a few knots.  If I was to keep this airplane I'd make intake inserts that would neck down the intake area for winter flying.  In summer, the cooling is good in cruise at about 325 and adequate during climb.  I found that I had to climb at about 120 KIAS to keep the summer CHTs below 400.  CHTs are almost dead even for the four cylinders and after level-off the temps come down nicely.

 

When I built the airplane my idea was that most of the cooling air would exit around large exhaust pipe openings in the cowl.  I wanted to avoid the big, blunt, open cowl that EZs generally use.  That idea didn't work as shown by higher CHTs and low pressure differential between the top and bottom of the cylinders, so I modified the lower cowl to close down the exhaust openings to normal size and make two exits right below the cylinders.   Those worked very well and I still have a fairly streamlined cowl.

 

Oil cooling has also been very good.  This time of year in N.C., I have to close off the cooling door almost all the way to get 180 and the door is easy to adjust.  So overall, I was happy with the downdraft setup and would do that again.  I might put the oil cooler somewhere else to avoid the long intake tube around the engine or I might take the oil cooler air from the armpit area.

Zipper Info.pdf

notesN16AV.pdf

N16AV EPs.pdf

Edited February 14, 2018 by Kent Ashton

[Kent Ashton]

Wire:  I bought some wire recently without really understanding enough.  Turns out it was Mil-W-16878/4 with PTFE covering which is fine, whereas what we normally use is Mil-W-22759/4 with Tefzel covering.  Tefzel is a tradename for PTFE.  Below is a good chart for comparison.  I learned some stuff from this discussion of aircraft wire

https://www.lectromec.com/an-overview-of-the-big-2-wiring-insulations-ptfe-and-etfe/

 

And found a detailed chart about 16878 wire here.  It would be easy to buy some and get a strange covering.  However, it seems to come in a lot more colors

http://www.standard-wire.com/mil_w_16878_cable_designation.html

 

I bought from a seller called ApexJr on ebay who even called me to make sure what I wanted.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Ft-22-Awg-Stranded-1-2-3-Striped-Mil-Spec-600V-Teflon-Wire-Audio-Tube-Amp-/183067562475

Wire16878-22759.pdf

[Kent Ashton]

Take a look at this aviation modeler's video.  Fantastic work with the imaginary jet and the F-22

[Kent Ashton]

Well, the EZ is gone; delivered to a buyer in California.  It was a fun trip which involved dodging rain showers over the muddy Mississippi River/Yazoo, MS area (pic 1, they've had rain here for the past three weeks), traversing the State of Texas at 500'-1000' to avoid 40 knot headwinds and spending a night on a couch in the Chandler, AZ terminal because even the $200 hotels were booked for a big NHRA drag race.  The buyer was pleased and I had a great time flying with him around the LA basin.  Fortunately, he had a good handle on the airspace and I never tire of saying "keep aiming for the numbers".  Good times.  

 

The buyer called me later with a funny thing:  This airplane is registered "Zipper N16AV" but we just used "Long-ez 6AV" with the tower because everybody knows what a Long-ez is, right?  The tower called him later about a noise complaint (I was probably flying) and said "You can't call this a Long-ez and a Zipper is a little ultralight airplane."   Ha!   I expect his is stuck with "Zipper".  I see no way to change a Make and Model registration.  Personally, I like "Zipper"--like an F-104.  :-)

Edited March 1, 2018 by Kent Ashton

[Marc Zeitlin]

Well, the EZ is gone; delivered to a buyer in California...

You didn't stop by!

[Kent Ashton]

You didn't stop by!

 

Sorry Marc.  I wanted to but Ed had to work.  He might have let me borrow the airplane but I didn't want to impose.  Was getting antsy to get home.  

[Marc Zeitlin]

Sorry Marc.  I wanted to but Ed had to work.  He might have let me borrow the airplane but I didn't want to impose.  Was getting antsy to get home.

Work gets in the way of every damn thing :-).

[Kent Ashton]

Ever think about the side of a Lycoming cylinder where the fins do not accommodate flow-through around the cylinder?  That'd be the forward sides of #1/3 in a pusher, aft side of the #2/4.  I think it's worth making a bypass in the baffling for #2 and #3 where the baffling is usually tight against the cylinder and would restrict airflow up and through the cylinders.  Especially for #3.  I did this on the EZ project and as I recall, it made a small improvement in cooling.  The Vans folks have had lots of discussions about it.  Here is one. 

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=158942

 

 The pic below is from a VAF discussion grabbed in a google images search SITE:VANSAIRFORCE.COM BYPASS.   This would be the forward side of #3 in a pusher.

[Jon Matcho]

Congratulations on your sale Kent. I hope the proceeds are for your Cozy. 

[Kent Ashton]

Congratulations on your sale Kent. I hope the proceeds are for your Cozy. 

 

Thanks Jon.  I hope Ed will be happy with it.  

 

The Cozy is already paid-for and depreciated!  :-)  I have some updating to do and some ideas to post but I'm trying to wait to see if they work:  A good seal around the electric NG mechanism and a louver door for the oil cooler.  Also thinking about ditching one of my two 17AH batteries and use a pad-mounted alternator in addition to the present Honda alternator, get rid of the vacuum system and couple of vacuum-operated instruments.  I still like the old 6-pack gauges though.  

[Jon Matcho]

Also thinking about ditching one of my two 17AH batteries and use a pad-mounted alternator in addition to the present Honda alternator, get rid of the vacuum system and couple of vacuum-operated instruments.

 

Interesting... two alternators; one pad-mounted and the other, I assume, belt-driven.  After spinning this in my (unqualified) head a bit, I like the idea of maintaining less moving parts and not introducing the change.  What would you gain with this approach?

 

I like the six pack too, but am with you on new builds -- no vacuum system.

[Kent Ashton]

Interesting... two alternators; one pad-mounted and the other, I assume, belt-driven.  After spinning this in my (unqualified) head a bit, I like the idea of maintaining less moving parts and not introducing the change.  What would you gain with this approach?

 

It would save the weight of a 2nd battery (20 lbs?), a long heavy vacuum hose and regulator and two electronic instruments might be lighter than vacuum ones.  

 

The two-alternator idea is discussed pretty well in Nuckolls' Aeroelectric book  http://www.aeroelectric.com

And there is some good info in the Matronics Aeroelectric list archives   http://forums.matronics.com/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=a84a4bbe269d0bc44c3be467955191ed

 

B&C sells the pad alternators.  There might be others.  https://www.bandc.aero/lycoming-gear-driven-alternators.aspx

 

Nuckolls has saved us a lot of head-scratching.  He is very free with his advice on the Matronics list.  :-)

[Jon Matcho]

Thanks Kent, I'll take another look at Bob's stuff.

 

I bought a B&C BC433H alternator for my Quickie's Continental O-200 but have since decided to keep the single forward mounted belt alternator to keep the configuration as-is.

[Kent Ashton]

Been trying to think of a name for folks who ask questions--especially in 3 or 4 canard websites--and never respond to the answers.   You see that a lot on HomebuiltAircraft.com.  Folks there will respond with 3 pages of answers without a peep by the OP.

 

Maybe "Drive by poster", "Gone nordo" or "One-post Pat"  (no offense to the Pats out there).   Probably "Gone Nordo".  It seems the least offensive and maybe the nordo will come back up on the freq.

 

Yeah, and why does it rain so much!  :-)

 

Of course, maybe everyone doesn't camp on the internet like me.  You should hear my wife   :-(

Edited March 29, 2018 by Kent Ashton