787Guy Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I am currently in the recon phase collecting as much information as possible concerning building a Long Ez. Combing thru a few builders blogs I see myriad of modifications that have been added to the original design. This of course is to be expected for a design of this age but few if any were ever blessed by brother Burt. No doubt on the advice and consent of the RAF legal counsel ! Yet at the same time one can't argue with success. Meaning that even though baggage pods and longer noses have been and are being added we are not seeing these aircraft plummeting out of the sky either. So my question is what is the general consensus amongst experienced Canard builders as to what is a "safe" modification ? The ones that I find interesting are : Longer nose, baggage pods, some kind of a landing light and the lighter more modern UL Power engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rviglierchio Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 David Orr (canardfinder.com) keeps an up to date list of the mods and background. He was an original builder along with a large group of builders and keeps tabs on most canard information and data including a huge library. I too was very interested in the UL engine and followed the development of the higher HP versions but when I needed to overhaul mine this Spring found that would be half the price of the UL so stayed with Lycosaurus. All your other ideas are well proven and there are several more you'll come to be interested in with more research. Good luck. PS: you'll get better advice on doing the mods from past builders with one, or more, finished, flying airplane. A lot of first timers (unfinished) are eager to provide advice..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Matcho Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 So my question is what is the general consensus amongst experienced Canard builders as to what is a "safe" modification ? There is no consensus, but this is a worthwhile question that should have an answer. If *I* were building a Long-EZ today, I would incorporate: The Cozy IV gear mounting design Electric speed brake ...several others, better answered by the EZ crowd Search for "modifications" here and you'll get all sorts of links and options to consider. Even this attempt to answer your same question for the Cozy IV is worth reading: http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/17447-comprehensive-mods-list Quote Jon Matcho Builder & Canard Zone Admin Now: Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E Next: Resume building a Cozy Mark IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
787Guy Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 The electric landing brake is an interesting one. In reviewing the drawings I personally would rather have the original manual one due to the weight savings and ingenious simplicity. But I have yet to find a source for all the little metal parts that are needed to operate it. My High School was quite small and could not afford a metal shop just had a wood shop so I can't see myself doing a great deal of metal fabricating. So by default it looks as if I will have to incorporate this mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
787Guy Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 David Orr (canardfinder.com) keeps an up to date list of the mods and background. He was an original builder along with a large group of builders and keeps tabs on most canard information and data including a huge library. I too was very interested in the UL engine and followed the development of the higher HP versions but when I needed to overhaul mine this Spring found that would be half the price of the UL so stayed with Lycosaurus. All your other ideas are well proven and there are several more you'll come to be interested in with more research. Good luck. PS: you'll get better advice on doing the mods from past builders with one, or more, finished, flying airplane. A lot of first timers (unfinished) are eager to provide advice..... Thanks I'll check that out. I think I did run across one website that labeled the "Canard Finder" service as quite a huckster though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Matcho Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thanks I'll check that out. I think I did run across one website that labeled the "Canard Finder" service as quite a huckster though. Yah, I've read that site too. Definitely an upset customer, but you're not looking for the Canard Finder service (which, if people accepted as a Real Estate Agent-type service in the first place they might not have as much an issue). I know David personally and can say that he is extremely knowledgeable of canards, particularly Long-EZs and Berkuts (he has one). He has given me quite a bit of help in the past without hesitation. I would not cross him off your list without making a determination firsthand. Introduce yourself and your quest, and see what happens. Perhaps you'll end up buying a Long-EZ through him 1 Quote Jon Matcho Builder & Canard Zone Admin Now: Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E Next: Resume building a Cozy Mark IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Most EZ builders these days are going with an O-320 and a longer nose to balance the CG. Beyond that there is no consensus but various builders have done retracts, rotaries, blended winglets, different canopies, rollover structures, larger strakes, wider fuselages, downdraft cooling. Some mods don't get you much except a heavier airplane that takes longer to build. They are very adaptable though. It is EZ to add a long nose or re-engine an EZ. Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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