Kent Ashton

Just talking to a friend about nose strut installation.  Get your strut installation perfectly vertical.  If the strut has a bit of angle to one side, it will cause the castoring nosewheel to castor over to one side like trying to push a shopping-cart on its side.  When I flew F-4s, there was an accident in the New Orleans ANG where an F-4 blew a tire and ran off the runway.  The Dash 1 cautioned to use the hydraulic nosegear steering with a blown tire.  We had always assumed it was because the drag of the blown tire could pull the airplane to one side.  

A smart young engineer-pilot on the accident board determined that the drag of a blown tire was minimal but lowering the wing on that side was enough to make the castoring nosewheel turn the airplane off the runway.  I could be counteracted if the pilot engaged the hydraulic nosewheel steering but the pilot of the accident airplane had released the nosegear steering a couple of times to lower the hook and drop the drag chute.  Each time he released the nosegear steering and the castoring nosewheel made the aircraft jump toward the grass, as proven by tire marks on the runway.  These airplanes had been flying 40 years but no one had appreciated the dynamics.  !
 

The Mikalor clamps for the oil return hoses that I ordered from the UK seemed rather expensive (4 clamps for $17) so I thought these Hillman versions might do the job (12 for $10).  Sure enough, they are thinner metal.  😞   Order the Mikalors.

Barnstormers:  Decent price considering the engine and other stuff included, however only one pic that shows anything and it doesn't show very much.  (pic)  Here is another seller who can't summon-up the energy to take a few good pics to show what he is selling.  Jeesh.  What is heat-damaged is left to your imagination.  

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LONG EZ FOR SALE • $10,000 • AVAILABLE • Long EZ project for sale, was near completion. Had a fire in shop. Flames didn't get to EZ he by but smoke and heat caused damage to fuselage. No damage to wings and canard. Glass on fuselage mostly good, needs finish and paint. LYC 0320-E2A-150 HP, with lightweight starter and alternator. SS exhaust and motor mount. Light speed ignition. Wilkinson nose lift. Dynon with auto pilot SD32, King 76A, Stratomaster engine gages, microair N760, Lowrance color GPS, pair strobes LED Navy lights. I will take $10,000.00 cash, a lot of parts and pick up only. Call me for more information. • Contact Joe Bennight - HOME BUILDER , Owner - located Payette, ID 83661 United States • Telephone: 208 258 9965 • Posted September 21, 2022

1 hour ago, TravisH said:

The previous owner placed the antenna in the cavity behind the passenger seat. It was horizontal and right by the engine and this is the only comm antenna. All I would receive or transmit was static with the occasional static covered transmission

I suggest to put an antenna (copper foil) on a wooden pole and run a length of coax it to the radio.  Comm antennae should be vertical.  If it works some feet from the aircraft it will probably work in the winglet.  RG-400 is the preferred coax but cheaper stuff will work almost as well.

Saw this idea from Mike Busch for inspecting Lycoming cam and lifters with a borescope through the oil drain hole (pic 1).  Seems like that might work.  I remembered someone saying to go in through the oil filler hole but that does not seem practical. given where the oil filler enters the case  https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/march/pilot/savvy-aviator-powerplant-resurrection

This has likely been discussed before, in fact, I think it came up somewhere a couple weeks ago, but my old brain cannot recall where.  Finding old answers is sometimes a challenge.  There is THIS site, which has a search feature although not the greatest.

Then I would start with a google "verbatim" search.  Google verbatim searches for only the exact words you specify.    https://www.google.com/webhp?tbs=li:1       Sometimes searching Google Images will lead me to a solution

Canard Owners and Builders (COBA) contains all the old Central States Newsletters and a wealth of canard info (membership req'd).  There is a search function there.   https://canardowners.com/

Marc has the old Canard Pusher newsletters at his site and there is a text-search function there    http://www.cozybuilders.org/Canard_Pusher/

If the question might have related to Cozys it might have been discussed in the Cozybuilders Google group.  Marc has zipped archives here   http://www.cozybuilders.org/mail_list/    but I usually go to the Google group archive for the mail list and search that (Google sign-in required).    https://groups.google.com/g/cozy_builders

The Canard Aviators mail list is archived here  https://canardzone.groups.io/g/canard-aviators   This is an old group, still active.  It would be a good place to ask your question.

You might find an answer in the old EZ.org site.  Not updated much though.  https://ez.canardaircraft.com/www.ez.org/index.html

I hate to point to the great misinformation source but someone on Facebook might have a quick answer.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/25741482604/   Seems like about half the answers are by newbies, though.  😞

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But to attempt to answer your question, I would look at the plans in the Open-Vari topic here and determine where you could run wires.  You might cut a hole down the wing foam with a length of EMT conduit with sawtooth teeth filed into the end.  The Long-EZs and Cozys all have the wing holes in the plans.  Wingtip wires usually go down the wing, into a hole in the center-spar and out into the cockpit.   Add-on antennas have used the same hole and the copper tape is installed in the recess of the winglet.  I am sure I've seen articles about this in the Central States newsletters (at COBA).

I am sure Marc will come up with a good answer.  3, 2, 1, GO

Today, no pics:

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VARIEZE PROJECT • $3,750 • FOR SALE BY OWNER • Varieze project for sale. with construction manuals, • Contact Dana Groothuis , Owner - located Hillsboro, MO 63050 United States • Telephone: 402-304-8666 • Posted September 19, 2022

Getting my cylinders reinstalled turned out to be harder than I remembered.  The problem was in reinserting the valve-rocker shaft.  Eventually I removed the hydraulic lifters and emptied the oil out of them but I don't recall needing to do that last time.  The oil forms an air-tight seal that makes the push rods hard to compress.  It is pretty trivial to remove the lifters with a hooked wire and empty them beforehand.

I will replace my oil return hoses with Gates 361970 Power Steering hose (2' for $14.71) and Mikalor 4 x 19mm W1 spring clamps (pack of 4, $16) (pic).  My 700-hour hoses were hard and the screw clamps ate into them and probably allowed leaks.  H/T to hGerhardt  at VansAirforce.

Maybe you know this but cylinders can be removed with the pistons still installed by carefully working the cylinder out to expose the piston pin which is usually an easy slide-out fit, however if you pull the cylinder 1/8" too far out, the oil ring will pop out of its groove.   Also, it is easier to install the piston and rings on the bench and leave the piston-pin hole exposed.  It's pretty much a one-man job to reinstall the cylinder after that.

For removing valves, say, to ream the valve guide, the Valve Wizard tool worked quite well.   https://valvewizard.com/     The disavantage is there are separate styles for the parallel-valve and angle-valve engines.   A lever-type tool might work as well.  It is a little cheaper and works on both engine versions (I suppose) but I have not tried one   https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/compressor.php

Rutan parts 'r us  (from Barnstormers):

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VARIEZE NEW NOSE GEAR/AXLES • ACCEPTING OFFERS • New, early nose gear, red spring assembly and main gear axles. Never installed. Been in a box. • Contact Michael Rhodes , Friend of Owner - located Fresno, CA 93722-9721 United States • Telephone: 15592779779 • Posted September 19, 2022

12 hours ago, jridge said:

Got any better photos of your exhaust valve in that cylinder?

I have cleaned the exhaust valve so a pic wouldn't mean much.  I saw no signs of a discolored crescent that indicates a loose valve guide and poor heat transfer to the valve seat but the valve does seem a little loose in the guide.  I'm gonna check that further per SB388C (valve wobble check).  I read that Lycoming began to use harder valve guides in about 1999 but that is about when my engine was built-up.  Not much I can do about a loose guide except borescope the valve head periodically.

My pistons were pretty carboned-up.  Should have taken a picture.

I was told by a good A&I shop-owner that his shop does work on cylinders and most engine rebuilders do not try to recondition them anymore--cheaper just to buy new cylinders.  We got 8 cylinders out of the rebuilder's dumpster.  A couple of them looked good enough to recondition but I did not mic them.

57 minutes ago, Barry said:

It's not just aircraft sellers. A lot of ignorant people trying to sell something with little description and no pictures. It always amazes me.

Yup.  I'm sure that for many people "serious only" says "Don't bother me for details, don't try to negotiate on the price, and have your financing already arranged."  It is just one of my pet peeves, of which there are many.  🙂  Hi, Barry.

Been for sale for a couple years and posted May 6 at $40K.   No pics in the ad.  Seller only wants to speak to "serious buyers".  Maybe that's why he isn't selling.  Can you imagine a used car lot with a sign "serious buyers only"?   Jeesh.

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RUTAN LONG EZ AIRCRAFT • $36,000 • AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SALE • Fly now, fly out condition, always hangered, serious buyers can request more information • Contact Don Black , Friend of Owner - located Carlsbad, CA 92008 United States • Telephone: Email Only • Posted September 13, 2022

Engine work:  My engine was a 0-time rebuild by Aerosport Power--a reputable rebuilder but the oil consumption was never good.  Has 770 hours now.  Some years ago I removed, honed and re-ringed #1 and #3 which seemed to work well.   https://www.canardzone.com/forums/topic/18661-kents-long-ez-project/?do=findComment&comment=78383    Now the engine is using a quart in two hours which is the Lycoming limit.  #1 and #3 exhausts have a nice tan color but #2 and #4 exhausts are very sooty and I can see oil puddling in the bottom of #4 after shutdown.  I removed #2 and #4.  The hone pattern is still visible but the cylinder looks pretty slick inside.  (pic 3) There are dark rings corresponding to ring position where light rust apparently formed during one of my heart attacks and the airplane was not flying much.   (pic 3)  😞   Similar to pics in the earlier thread. 

The small square carbide tool (pic 1) below worked pretty well for removing carbon at the top of the barrel.   The rig I made to hold the cylinder for honing is shown in the link above.  This time I cut some cardboard so the hone doesn't sling hone-oil all over me (not shown).     I cut off a bit of the hone-end this time to let it go deeper into the cylinder (pic2).  The metal plate is to protect the valves.

I honed the cylinders using the specified 120 grit Flex ball hone chucked in my 18V Dewalt drill.  I inserted the ball hone in the cylinder and liberally doused it with hone-oil.  First attempt, the drill was running too fast and the pattern was too flat--about 30 deg (pic 4)  Run the drill on low speed and keep the hone moving up and down.  You are looking for 45 deg cross-hatch.  It only took 6-8 strokes to reestablish the hone cross-hatch. (pics 4.5).  .  I measured the cylinder before honing and will report how much metal was removed.  Not much, I think.

After honing, the cross hatched surface is much rougher than before.  Maybe this engine did not get the proper hone from the reman and that is why it has always used more oil than I would expect.  After wiping out the cylinder, I used a rough Scotch-brite pad and a stream of mineral spirits to clean the bore.  The S.B. pad is needed to remove shards of metal left from the honing.  I will wash them in hot soapy water to get all the grit out and coat the inside with break-in oil.  Tip:  use no assembly lube on cylinders, it over-lubricates.   More later.

14 hours ago, Marc Zeitlin said:

I'm very skeptical of that #. That's over 150 hrs/year AVERAGE for >40 years

Duh!  You are right.  He must have misplaced a decimal

Here ya go,  Varieze today.  I suppose the asking price is fair.  The 6353 total time does not bother me but it must be some sort of world record.  The 1045 hour engine is mature.  Previous owners flew the heck out of it!

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VARIEZE • $27,500 • FOR SALE • Varieze 6453.1 Total Airframe. 1045.0 TSMOH. 203.6 STOH. 0-200-A. Catto 2 blade propeller. Aircraft is in great shape, took as trade and haven't flown much. Always hangered. Runs great. Need the hanger space. 321-615-1781 • Contact Hampton Lide - AV8 AIRCRAFT SERVICES , Friend of Owner - located Zeeland, MI 49464 United States • Telephone: 13216151781 • Posted September 12, 2022

The cheap Cozy III from Aug 25   with damage history reported sold.  https://www.canardzone.com/forums/topic/21972-sales-ive-seen/?do=findComment&comment=87765

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This EZ project in TN (3 pics).  No price yet.   Seller misunderstands the "major portion" rule.  😞

I see that serial-refurbisher David Hanson is looking for the EZ with the hole in the spar (FB post below).  I wonder how he's going to fix it?

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Next, Terry Schubert's EZ is for sale.  N9TS with 4580 hours!   Said to be asking around $45K for it.  Terry was the long-time editor of the Central States Newsletter that became a reference doc. for canard owners and now archived at Canard Owners and Builders Assn. (COBA)  This has got to be sad moment for Terry.  Long-EZs have been his life's work.   Specs at the end of the video.

Interesting today:  The quoted speed is not much different from a Mk IV but you get twice the hassle with two engines.  However the price seems reasonable with two low-time Rotaxes and CS prop.  Nicely done.

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MINI DEFIANT • $120,000 • ACCEPTING OFFERS • One off Rutan mini defiant, build 2013, 150h TTSN, engines 2x rotax 912 150TTSN, CS prop, 1000lbs empty and 1000lbs load. Basically a roomy cozy mk4 with 2 engines. 6-7ga Mogas/h at 155kts planed. Awesome craft flys like a long ez. Moving overseas. • Contact Wolfgang Huhn , Owner - located Blue Ash, OH 45241 United States • Telephone: 513-703-9567 • Posted September 9, 2022

I am removing a couple cylinders to re-ring them.  The biggest hassle is just getting the baffles off.  Baffling is fiddly in a pusher with updraft cooling.  Here is the hardest baffle to remove and install: the forward side of #4.  I trimmed off a piece that interfered with removal and added some nutplates; formerly used screws and lock nuts but nutplates are easier.  Now I think I will be able to unbolt the cylinder leaving the baffle in place.  We'll see. 

RIP Queen Elizabeth.  What a lady.  I have a Silver Jubilee (25 years) mug from my tour in England. 

Edit:  I realized today that the nutplate on the left side of the first picture, is installed on the wrong side

Just reading a plaintive post by an RV owner who had an engine fire, no insurance,  and doesn't know how to fix his airplane.   https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=209597

I guess he has two choices:  (1) start learning about engines and how his airplane is constructed or (2) hand it off to a shop and pay the bill.  RVs have the advantage of being fairly ordinary metal airplanes so an ordinary aircraft repair shop could probably work on it.  I think it would be harder for composite owners to find a shop, still, there are folks like Mr. Z or the Jet Guys in Covington, TN  who do repair them.  My overseas buddy who had no knowledge of composite building rebuilt the nose of his Cozy ripped off in a taxi accident and did almost all of the work himself.  I think I would rather repair a composite airplane than a riveted airplane.

I trimmed some posts in this thread to stick to sales and the damaged EZs.  The EZ just posted by Ammon was posted July 13 asking $24K.  Now $18K

I do not know the status of this project with a big hole(s) cut in the centerspar.  The seller's pics do not show the holes.   I asked an experienced builder who said he thought they might be patched.   Yeah, maybe.  The cut-outs could certainly be replaced and glassed-over.  The EZ design is very strong and even more robust with strakes attached but the bending stress of the wing goes into the three wing bolts and then carried through that centerspar box (and the UNI cap strips) right.  A patch might work but it is not a trivial fix like patching a ding in a wing.

Do you suppose you would get some warning if the area of the patch began to overstress?  I would want to have that area exposed for inspection.

I speculate that the project's second owner did that.  I can't imagine an original builder thinking this was OK

A simple aircraft flipper.  Easier than the bigger one I made.  I have also flipped the airplane by bolting a long 2 X 6 to one end of the centerspar and rolling it over with the nose on a pad.  Sorry didn't note the credit for the flipper

And an idea for making rudder springs.  To me, these sorts of things are the real joy in building your own airplane.

Next, Alex Leidl's heated pitot install.  Good but maybe it tempts you (get it?) to fly in ice, freezing rain, and T-storms.  IMO a Cozy is not the airplane for that.  Alex has printed various parts, a heater cuff (pic 4) and nose door hinges.  I have 8 camlocs on the door which weigh about as much as his metal latch.  All nice features, certainly well-done,  but increase the build time.

I like how he aligned his strakes (pic 3).  Very precise if you can borrow the laser level

I am seeing some really nice work here and there, nicer than my early effort.  I will post a few ideas.  First, nice seat bulkheads by Joe Polenek.  His jig is a work of art (pic).  It appears he added lower back support in the final version.  I don't urge anyone to copy the effort because (1) Cozy seats are very comfortable as is, and (2) it just turns a 4-year project into a 6-year project.  Still, it could probably be done without the jig.