Just Ordered Plans

[787Guy]

Well it's worth it to me just for general information. I am thinking I might quickly outgrow the Long Ez I was planning on making. Although I am imagining the Long Ez would have been faster. Al has told that the plans are in the process of being updated so maybe all the OCR errors that I've read about will finally be addressed. If I do end up making the Four - place I am thinking on using the 200hp UL Power engine.

[Jon Matcho]

Congratulations Randy, you'll have a lot to read there.  

 

The problem with OCR is that there are ALWAYS errors, which necessitates a follow-up process.  I have both Cozy and AeroCanard plans.  In hindsight "just for general information" I would have recommended the Cozy plans and later "upgrading" to the AeroCanard plans for the wider fuselage -- if that's actually something you'd want.  Moving forward, I would not build an AeroCanard from plans without having the Cozy IV plans to compare to, at least in the AeroCanard's plans present state.

 

It's good to hear that Al continues to work on improving those plans.  

[Kent Ashton]

There is not much difference in the building time; maybe a bit more cost to the Cozy due to larger engine.  A number of EZ folks end up using travel pods because the only place to stuff luggage is in the strakes.  You can throw a lot of stuff in the back seat of a C-IV.  I only made one back seat in mine.  I've only carried a third person one time.

 

With my EZ project and downdraft cooling, I am drawing-out a centerline baggage pod about 10" in diameter.  I put some hard points in the belly for it.  I don't think one could do that in an updraft-cooled EZ. 

[787Guy]

I look forward to going thru the plans and may very well get a set of Cozy plans too. I wish they were available in PDF to facilitate easier travel viewing.

[Voidhawk9]

I would not build an AeroCanard from plans without having the Cozy IV plans to compare to, at least in the AeroCanard's plans present state.

 

I would like a little more of your reasons in this regard, if you don't mind. Seeing as this is exactly what I am planning to do, and don't have the Cozy plans. (My AC plans are just a few months old)

[Jon Matcho]

Here is some background information on why I would not build a plans-built AeroCanard from AeroCanard plans alone today.  Keep in mind that this list only applies to "plans-built" AeroCanards and not kit-built versions (which have different instructions altogether).

• The AeroCanard plans-built provides for two models:
  • AeroCanard SB "small body" is intended to be identical to a Cozy Mark IV.  
  • AeroCanard FG "fixed gear" is the same as an AeroCanard SB, but with widened landing gear and firewall bulkheads for additional rear seat area, and resulting turtleback and cowling adjustments (likely canopy as well).  Most, if not all, of the differences can be seen entirely in the M-drawings alone.
• The AeroCanard plans do not include instructions or details for forward hinged canopy, retractable gear, additional fuel capacity, or anything  at all beyond what is the Cozy Mark IV design (with the exception of the widened aft bulkheads on the AeroCanard FG).
   
• The AeroCanard First Edition plans (the only edition) were first published in January 2000 and were copies of the Cozy Mark IV Second Edition plans (circa Q4 1995).
   
• The Cozy Mark IV Second Edition plans have since been updated to the Third Edition plans around Q1 2001, incorporating additional corrections and changes published in the Cozy newsletters #52 to #72.
   
• Since the Cozy Mark IV Third Edition plans, additional Cozy newsletters (#73 to #84) have been published addressing further corrections and changes.

The AeroCanard plans have not been maintained and updated in this regard (with the help of community support), and have not incorporated any of the Cozy changes and corrections from the Cozy newsletters or any others.  One might think to simply apply all changes and corrections from Cozy newsletters #52 to #84 to AeroCanard plans to bring current, which will work ONLY if the address shown on the plans is the Florida address.

 

If your current AeroCanard plans show the Missouri company address, and considering that you recently purchased them, then you likely have "updated" plans (which unfortunately still show "First Edition" when they should have been labeled "Second Edition").  The "updated" AeroCanard plans include replacement of hand-drawn diagrams with CAD drawings and the result of digital conversion of the text (through OCR).  The CAD drawings are clearer to look at, but the problem of all problems here is that the byproduct of OCR is always a percentage of incorrect letters, punctuation, numbers, etc.  Imagine a 3 becoming a 5, or losing a digit altogether.
 
Comparing Cozy plans to the "udpated/OCR" AeroCanard plans, I noticed errors introduced by OCR, and that I was spending time sending this information back to AeroCad.  "Why?", I thought.  Given that my goal was to build a widened-rear Cozy Mark IV (AKA "AeroCanard FG") from plans, I decided to align with the tried and true Cozy Mark IV plans, the Cozy community, builder web sites, etc., so to avoid the pain and suffering that would surely follow if I had been referencing the out-of-date and corrupted AeroCanard plans alone.
 
If you wish to build an AeroCanard SB from plans, save yourself a lot of time, pain, and suffering and purchase Cozy Mark IV plans instead.  If you must build an FG, talk to the few that have done so and you will find that 80+ to 100% of them did so using Cozy Mark IV plans as the basis.
 
Hope that helps.

[Voidhawk9]

Thanks for that, Jon. I'll look into it further.