Jump to content

Chitty Chitty, bang, bang.


Recommended Posts

I remember a few years ago, some guy, upset because one of the posts had some adult references in it. So to be PC. Dont read this if ypu are that guy.

 

I am all AMPED up.

 

This post should be entitled; SHITTY, SHITTY, bang bang...another builder dead. There I said it. Shitty. That's how I feel, and dismayed as well. I would put it in BOLDand ITALICS and underlined, but then it would just draw attention further.

I have not been an expletive type man all my life, but life changes, and a person changes, and it is just incredible how troubled everything gets. Fill in YOUR blank, with regards to what "troubled" means to YOU. But troubled is the minimal description, that gets increasingly capitalized, italized, and 128 point fonted, as time goes on it seems!

 

Three times now in a month, I have had a similar conversation/emails as per my email below to different "far-along" Cozy builders/friends. They are seriously considering throwing in the towel, due to difficulties. Damn it how difficult life has become!

This was my reply last night to my latest friends Hari-Kari contemplations.

------"Bro ______,

Thanks for the email. LIFE...whoa, what a mess. I am totally with you on that. Whats your ph #? Lets talk.

I cant really motivate on anything. I just know that, the limiting factor is usually for me, money. Back during RR 05, I had just closed my business, and lost close to 400 grand. I lost my house to foreclosure and during this last year have progressed closer to divorce after 30 years of marriage. I think the only thing that provides any "Dream" for me, is that someday I stubbornly want to fly this thing. I may sound all basically "rosey", but I try sinceerly to not whine about life farting on me. The one thing that I hold on to is that at WHATEVER stage my airplane is at, in my garage...no matter if I dont do anything for a couple months...I HAVE IT IN MY POSSESSION, and I can COME BACK to it. Please dont sell your project. You really have come a long way. I went to your website and you do BEAUTIFUL work. Dont be one of the quitters. You will catch your stride if you are patient, and get back into it. What happens when you are 55 and wish you hadnt sold it?

Just be patient and try to feel that your seasons will change. Try to picture it as YOUR PLANE, NOT just a project.

There, I am stopped raving. =)

I wish you the best. Call me, if you want, just about life or whatever. 831-392-5300"--------

 

These builders are BRIGHT guys, talented, respected in their professional fields. Life is just, LIFE...we have to somehow just hold on to our compass and feel that, SOMEDAY if we dont OPT OUT, we will finish these birds, and fly them.

I am SO DAMN SAD that my friends, and others, lives are sufficiently difficult that the thought of giving up and selling is a serious option mentally. THIS WAS THEIR DREAM. I dont want this to sound like a Cozy-Religion, but it is a hope of all of us similarily like minded, that takes a lot of commitment, and promises a reward. I hope that somehow the guys/gals who are building can feel support from "above", perhaps from flyers relating their great flying experiences, or SOMETHING.

It appears we true believers/builders who are getting along in the building process, are a dying breed. ...and it SUCKS!!!!!

Shake you fist in the air and proclaim your future independence from terra- firma!!! You're building some of the greatest airplanes on earth!!! WE CAN DO THIS! Hang on BROTHERS and SISTERS!!

 

End of rave/rant, or whatever. All I know is...

I hope I can keep the faith, as well...and fly this thing someday.

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burt Rutan has been married five times. When he was faced with the choice between "Me or that airplane!" you know which way he fell.:cool2:

Hang in there troops. I've met too many 'older' folks at shows who said that they always wanted to build an airplane... 'someday'

 

If not now, when?

 

Where's my three cents change for my nickel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burt Rutan has been married five times.

Yeah ..... as I understand it, a prospective bride had to be able to fit in the back of a Long-EZ. Very clever those Rutans.

T Mann - Loooong-EZ/20B Infinity R/G Chpts 18

Velocity/RG N951TM

Mann's Airplane Factory

We add rocket's to everything!

4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 9, 10, 14, 19, 20 Done

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to be factually correct, my chit hit the fan about RR '07, not 05. I was talking about '05 to someone about something else, and that got posted in my post.

 

Thats besides the point....Theres a LOT of shiz hitting the fan for a lot of folks during the last 18 months to a year...jobwise, relationship-wise, etc, and I say to all. Hang in there, Bro's and Sisters...dont sell out, as long as you have it, you have the option. Sell it or give it away, and one day you get to be the old guy at the airshow, with the wistful look in his eyes about what might have been. And when you see that codger, offer him a ride in YOURS, and make his friggin day. =)

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread sounds like it could use some incentive to keep at it. Hope this helps! Just a 45 minute flight to Hollister, CA from Lincoln, CA.....about a 2:50drive by car. :irked:

 

Just some pics from the EFIS. You will see upper right of the PFD is indicating 187 kts in my newly finished Cozy IV. Lower right on the PFD shows a 16kts cross wind from the left at 280 with a headwind component of 10kts. The 496 backs this up with 176 kts ground speed. Unfortunetly, I didn't get the altitude tape on the PFD. I was at 8500' and running about 40 degrees LOP and burning 8.6 gph on the engine page.

 

My whole point to this is there is nothing like tooling along at 215 mph in your own creation as the Earth (and all the headaches on the ground) slip under your wings.

 

Keep at it! Remember, age doesn't make you old, regrets make you old!

 

Good Luck!

 

Jon Dembs

Cozy MKIV

post-147-141090170516_thumb.jpg

post-147-141090170519_thumb.jpg

post-147-14109017052_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi John.

 

Thats a very good speed you are showing there, you must have a very nice example. Certainly great planes these, especially considering we can carry four.

 

As for the wind readouts on the GRT, these are dependent upon two figures, the TAS and the GND SPD. The ground speed should be right as it comes from the GPS. The GRT will will always give you what looks like the correct wind direction and speed. The wind speed/direction is only as good as the TAS and GPS ground speed. In my case I know at the GRT is giving a TAS that is fast by 5 kts at high speed so the wind read out on my screen is inaccurate as it has computed the wind from a TAS that I know is out. In your case suppose the the GRT TAS was reading slow by 15 kts (an exageration) it would show you that you had a tail wind on that flight.

 

Only way to know the wind read out is good is ensure that the TAS is correct, you can calibrate the GRT TAS, I havnt got around to doing mine.

I have confirmed that I am reading fast using the triangle ground speed method but havnt bothered to correct it on the screen as yet.

 

Oh, just to confirm the error is in the static system of my aircraft and not the EFIS. If I calibrate the EFIS it will compensate for the static error.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

As for the wind readouts on the GRT, these are dependent upon two figures, the TAS and the GND SPD. The ground speed should be right as it comes from the GPS. The GRT will will always give you what looks like the correct wind direction and speed. The wind speed/direction is only as good as the TAS and GPS ground speed.

Hi Chris,

 

I calibrated my airspeed using the link that Marc Z. posted to the Cozy group.

 

http://www.reacomp.com/true_airspeed/index.html

 

Mine was about 2kts. fast and I made the adjustment in the GRT. Like everyone else, I found a little more error at slower speeds and higher angle of attack.

 

You are correct though, these planes are amazing!

 

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always held that the first sign of age is when you're not willing to try something new.

Think about it...... how many folks consider the label 'beginner' is enough to keep them out?

 

I'd rather be 'learning' than 'yearning'.

T Mann - Loooong-EZ/20B Infinity R/G Chpts 18

Velocity/RG N951TM

Mann's Airplane Factory

We add rocket's to everything!

4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 9, 10, 14, 19, 20 Done

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sold on Ebay...

20 years of scuba equipment

old computers and accessories

old clothes

son's old clothes

old hockey skates

old Lionel train set

hunting gear

extra tools

car parts

3 cars

anything shippable in the attic

 

Partially built Cozy MKIV, glass, epoxy, hardware? Not until my cold dead hands are pried from the epoxy pump.:D

 

As always, a gread read Dennis. A regular Paul Harvey you are. Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Greg. Your post kinda reminded me of the Mastercard commercials;

 

Bunchs of fiberglass and foam, resin and shipping...........................9,000.

Matco wheels and 3 pucks, Gear bow............................................1,750.

Canopy, Turtleback, Elec noselift....................................................3,500.

Your labor at 5.00/hr for 1000 hours.............................................5,000.

 

Begging somebody to buy your half completed Cozy for say,.......10,500. OTD

..................................................and settling for............................2,500.

 

 

Hanging on tough and finishing, and FLYing your Cozy..................PRICELESS!

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flying a CANARD , Priceless.

 

Jack

Roger that Brother.:)

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Greg. Your post kinda reminded me of the Mastercard commercials;

 

Bunchs of fiberglass and foam, resin and shipping...........................9,000.

Matco wheels and 3 pucks, Gear bow............................................1,750.

Canopy, Turtleback, Elec noselift....................................................3,500.

Your labor at 5.00/hr for 1000 hours.............................................5,000.

 

Begging somebody to buy your half completed Cozy for say,.......10,500. OTD

..................................................and settling for............................2,500.

 

 

Hanging on tough and finishing, and FLYing your Cozy..................PRICELESS!

You have a typo, that should be 10,000 hours at 50 cents an hour

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information