Kent Ashton

Two different Long-EZ plans on ebay. Items 283028928090 and 132680745293. First one also includes epoxy pump but does not mention the drawings. No rush, 6 days to bid.

What!? You haven't memorized all my threads? :-) http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/31359-de-watering-an-engine/?p=59231 It's hard to judge just how anal to get about it but I am pretty anal after replacing a cam and a handful of lifters and having cylinders lose their hone in 300-400 hours. When I had an engine sitting during construction, I hooked up a pop-bottle of dessicant to the breather and tried to keep the dessicant sparkplugs fresh. No moisture, no rust. It is hard to keep cylinders dry with open valves but if you are storing an engine, it's a good idea to unload the valve springs on the pair with open valves; the dessicant plugs will stay pretty fresh. The silica can be dried fairly quickly but it's a PIA to refill those plugs.

Airport officials have to be willing to work with a group or you're just wasting your time and making them mad. I've made my arrangements here: battery powered tools and air pump, solar powered engine dehydrator. One day an aviation study group will conclude that the inability to build, lease or own a hangar at reasonable cost is a significant factor in the decline of general aviation and a contributing reason for the current pilot shortage. Jon, I would get some copies of those waiting lists and present them to municipal officials. Say "If you can't build hangars, let us build our own."

The Long-ez earlier seen here reduced from $35K to $32K today in B-stormers. N72HM http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/21972-sales-ive-seen/?p=61566

I discovered a curious thing about FB. Apparently if you delete your account, you suffer the Vengence of Zuckerberg--any post you have made anywhere else also disappears. Another reason to reject that worthless format.

This new ad today for Cozy N42CZ, serial number 26--an early one! No price I could find but it looks nice. Very clean. See another pic or two on seller's website https://siegels.us/Cozy.html http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=42CZ And this Cozy III seller hoping for a "SERIOUS" buyer is beginning to get serious about his asking price--$9.5K down from $15K. Still not a "Picasso on the curb" though. :-) http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/21972-sales-ive-seen/?p=60860 It is interesting to me that a buyer could have bought Craig's complete Mk-IV (less engine, wiring) for $12.5 or a half built C-III project for $9.5K . That tells me the C-III seller might reasonably expect $4K-5K in this market and even that seems like a stretch. Don't start projects unless you can eat the whole schnitzel. "Ask me about my BD-5". :-(

I’m on a fixed income! :-)

I dunno but you can probably find some good background information using the search function of this site and two other forums, CanardCommunity.com and CanardAviators.com as well as the Cozybuilders (Google group) archive. There has been lots of discussion of Aerocanard over the years. I see it is now Aerocad http://aerocad.com Jeff Russell(?) and his dad originally licensed the right to make molded Mk-IV parts from Nat Puffer. There was much talk in the Cozy Newsletters before Nat and Jeff had a falling out. I remember that they used Triax cloth for some parts because it was faster to lay up. I don't recall it be touted as a stronger or more advanced airplane, just easier to build.

You aren’t missing much, Marc. I’m ashamed to admit I post on one of those sites now and then but yep, it’s largely a waste of time. I wouldn’t like to see your golden copyrighted words sink to the bottom and eventually disappear underneath pics of duck’s asses and one-liners.

A bayonet CHT sensor should last almost forever--just limited by breaking one of the outside wires. I have never tried to make EGT probes which are protected from the corrosive gases in a stainless tube. However, with EGT, it's the relative reading that's important so maybe the wires (K-curve) could be clamped to the outside of the pipes and work just as well. For the CHT, the fitting has a 3/8-24 thread. Try these https://www.grainger.com/category/flared-tube-fittings/tube-fittings/pipe-tubing-and-fittings/plumbing/ecatalog/N-qw3Z1yzy5qe The springs are some stiff little springs I had on hand. No spec but check McMaster. The wire is J-curve glass covered wire. Omega GG-J-20 should work https://www.omega.com/pptst/XC_J_TC_WIRE.html To extend the wires forward, you can get away with ordinary aircraft wire but thermocouple extension wire is said to be more accurate. Your choice here https://www.omega.com/pptst/EXGG_JX_WIRE.html Omega makes nice connectors but I have only used ring-terminals and screws. https://www.omega.com/pptst/SMPW_SMP_HMP_HMPW.html Time or money, take your pick. :-)

You are doing some interesting mods. Never heard of a turbo EZ myself but Contact Magazine showed 19 hits for "turbo" http://www.contactmagazine.com/backissu.html

Maybe I posted this before. Dunno, getting old and can't remember what happened yesterday. Anyway . . . This is how I make CHT sensors for Lycomings. Take some CHT wire from Omega, slip on a hardware store brass fitting (sorry, don't recall the thread. See, gettin old!) and a spring. Ball the wire up and silver-solder the ball. I am not sure it even needs to be silver-soldered. The spring holds the ball up against the hot metal. But if you'd rather pay $87 each, be my guest. :-) http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/in/probesandsenders_cht/gem3.php

Yep, I could mostly get by on battery power. I was thinking I needed my compressor for airing up tires but you reminded me that I carry a little battery-operated compressor on my bike. I ordered this little DC pump to run my dehydrator off a solar cell. Die Duke Energy!

Today on the Cozybuilders's list: Essentially a fuselage with engine, prop and materials to finish. Decent price. He probably has at least $35k in it at this point. It cost me about $40K to build my Cozy and that was at turn-of-the-century prices. Factor in 3% inflation over 18 years--$40K becomes $68,000 in today's money! It's a sad state of affairs: money inflating, airplanes and projects deflating.

"Needs left wind" Well, yeah, with only a right wing I suppose it would. :-)

What a shame. See that white fiberglass showing in your second picture? When a bare glassed structure gets long-term sun exposure, the UV gradually erodes the resin out of the structure leaving the glass. That airplane has sat outdoors for years. You might also find the wing attach plates are corroded under the fiberglass--very hard to inspect-for. You'd be much better off starting with something like this http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/21972-sales-ive-seen/?p=61816 Check that thread for other projects out west.

Here is how to rewire a Denso alternator for an external regulator that will permit over-voltage protection. There are other ways found on the net but this works and explains a bit more. A few things to know: (1) The output of the alternator is controlled by the field voltage which is normally set by the internal voltage regulator. We want to bypass the internal regulator and have the field controlled by an external regulator in order to have over-voltage protection. (2) Most Densos are “N” type alternators that regulate the field voltage downstream from the field windings. (3) It helps to know that before modification, ringtab C on the brushholder (SEE PICS) is connected to the inner brush, the diode array and the IG input. -------------------- Remove three nuts and the plastic insulator on the large output stud and remove the cover. Remove two screws [C, D] that secure the brushes. Caution: when reassembling: don't over-tighten screw C which goes into plastic is easy to strip. Remove small screw [E] and two long screws [F]. Lift out the voltage regulator and brushes. With a Dremel wheel and pocket knife, remove plastic on the arm [G] that connects to the plug's IG or B+ tab to the brushes. Cut off the ring terminal on arm [G}. Solder a 22AWG wire to the arm bend it up and shrinkwrap the joint. This disconnects the IG/B+ connector from ringtab C/inner brush, however, the inner brush will still be connected to the diode array if reinstalled so we also need to disconnect ringtab [C] from the inner brush. Here's how to do that: -----Unsolder the lower brush at the back of the brushholder (i.e., the inner ringtab C brush). Remove the brush and spring. Solder an AWG 22 wire to the brush wire and cover the solder joint with a piece of shrinkwrap. -----Drill out the hole in the brushholder big enough to accept the soldered brushwire/AWG 22 wire/ shrink wrap. -----Bring the AWG22 wire through the brush hole and secure the brushwire/AWG22wire/shrinkwrap in the former solder hole with RTV. Allow to cure. The shrinkwrap will now isolate the inner brush from ringtab C. -----Connect the two new AWG 22 wires with a 1A diode to make a pigtail that will hang out of the alternator when the cover is replaced. The diode should “point” to the brushes. It prevents feedback spikes to the external regulator when the field current collapses at turnoff. Note: When the brushes are reinstalled, ringtab D makes contact with the case (ground) via internal wires in the voltage regulator. Some sites say to dig out the regulator and fill with the hole with inert stuff. If you do that you will have to install a jumper from ringtab D tab in the regulator to the ground tab in the former regulator. That jumper is shown if you go that route. The tabs inside the former regulator are not as you might think. Comfirm the intenral regulator tab for ringtab D and the tab for ground with a DVM. When you're finished the current path is from the IG post, through arm G to the diode, to be back of the brushholder to the inner brush, through the field windings, back to the upper brush, to ringtab D and through internal wiring in the regulator to the case/ground.

That looks nice. A good start on an airframe. You offering plans with that? A lot of folks want the plans, too. -------- Saw this Vari on a FB page. Richly priced, I would think. That Russian Mig-green cockpit color has never been my cup of tea either, otherwise looks good.

Craig sez his Picaso-on-the-curb* in post #203 has sold--or at least, sale pending. Way to go! * "Picaso on the curb" - (slang, American) a valuable or rare item casually or inadvertently given away, i.e., as placed on a street curb or beside a Dumpster for passersby to take. Such items often featured on Antiques Roadshow. First attributed to K.J. Ashton 2018. :-)

I see that the SQ2000 in post #198 is marked "sale pending" today. --------------------- This Long-ez today built by the famous Debbie Iwatate. N455EZ with an impressive 2270 airframe hours! I first heard of Debbie's little book of mods (pic) years ago before there was even dial-up internet. People still ask for it but I could not find a source. Good to see these airplanes outliving not only their owners, but their follow-on owners. It'd be interesting to know the EZ which has changed hands the most. I bet some of them have been through five or more owners. Here is the transformation of the Cozy III I used to own that is now with it's third owner. http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/18661-kents-long-ez-project/?p=61054 http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=455EZ

Nice plugs. Hereis a chap who has made molds. http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/19036-a-solution/page-1 http://forum.canardaviation.com/showthread.php?t=4928 I talked to him this year at Sun n Fun. He was hopeful but he’s been at it this project around 10 years and flying is still a long way off. He’s in Lakeland. If you build to plans you can build one of these in 2-4 years.

This O-320 EZ today. Mystery seller. No EZs registered in Mendocino County, CA, AFAICT so I could not pin down an N-number. I remember 10 years ago when you could put a phone number into Google and all would be revealed. Now you gotta pay. It's not much but I would have to get advertising in my thread before digging that deep. :-) Seems like a reasonable price. Nice 3 blade prop, old 4-into-two exhausts, going to need ADSB and a transponder soon, I expect. A lot depends on what the seller means by "SMOH".

Marc has some charts and specs of epoxies compiled by guru Gary Hunter on his Cozybuilder's website.

A couple of thoughts about baffles, the subtilties of which i have only lately come to appreciate. Duh: Pic 1 from Berkut13.com. Leaves (plural of leaf) of baffle material have a large outside radius while standing up but they fold to a smaller radius when the cowl goes on. If there is no break in the material, it ripples as the radius gets smaller and leaks air. Using individual leaves lets them slide and overlap each other, decreasing the radius without rippling. However, every break in the leaves is a potential air leak so the material must overlap neatly and the fewer leaves used, the better, as long as they lie down without rippling. Riveting the leaves to the aluminum with some overlap seems to help, too. Pic 2. Sometimes you need a baffle to curve a little or a lot. Riveting a straight side of the material on a curve will force the outer radius to curve. Using a bit of #2 along with #1 will give an initial curve to a flexible baffle so that when the cowl is installed it wants to go in the right direction. In pic 1, the side baffles appear to stick straight up and the cowl will tend to force them to flop inward--the wrong direction. It's a good place to rivet them with a little outside curvature. On the Cozy, I "fixed" the problem by using short baffles and making a dam in the upper cowl for the baffle material to seal against. Doing it again, I would probably try riveting them with some outward curvature. Boy, my next airplane is going to be perfect! :-)

I see that anodized aluminum can be dyed Seems a little easier to clean with Metal Prep, prime with an epoxy primer, then paint. That holds up very well for me.