Norm M

Just posted the info: http://www.gourmetdamage.com/Osh.htm This is a page I put up for information about Waterloo (ALO) as an intermediate stop on the way to Oshkosh. Nice quick flight up to MSN for the glass overcast gathering. The basics: Three long, wide runways, minimal traffic. Livingstons is offering a 50 cent discount on 100ll. $32 for a room at the Days Inn, includes continental breakfast. They have a shuttle bus to the airport. If people need autofuel, I will try to be available to shuttle fuel as required. I will be around Sunday afternoon to play host. Last year a bunch of us went to Applebees for supper. I will have my Cozy IV available for rides, weather permitting. Regards- Norm

That looks very similar to what I have, except that yours has a box on the side of it with the outlet. One thing that you want to be careful with is that if you turn the knob the wrong way, you can put high voltage across the hotwire. It will turn orange and burn out (for some reason I know this)! A person could put a temporary stop on the dial to keep it from getting too hot, or just pay close attention. Good Luck! -Norm

A number of things to look for, most of which I am not an expert on! Isolation: Is the output voltage isolated from the input? If not, then you could be working with one end of your wire at 120 volts and the other at 100 voltage. Could be shocking, to say the least. If you have a transformer, there is a good chance that it is isolated. Connecting the output to the hot wire rig: Here is a picture that shows some detail: http://www.gourmetdamage.com/images_01/PIC00179.jpg I attached a length of wire to each of the output leads. You may have to make a plug up for your transformer. For what you describe, I would get a cheap two wire extension cord, 8 feet long, and cut the female end off. Strip the wires and fasten these to each end of your hot wire. These were about 8 feet long or so. You need enough so that you are not dragging the transformer around when you do your cutting. I put an aligator clip on each end that I could use to clip the wire to the tension tube (as seen in the upper rh corner). You can also clip it directly to the hotwire near the tension tubes. Now that I think about it, you could roll the stripped end under the hot wire as you tighten up each end. No misc connectors needed. The resistor comment won't work. You are either going to make a lot of heat or burn out the resistors. The foam we hot wire is the blue styrofoam. Thick stuff. Urethane foam is soft and crumbly, similar to the florist foam that they stick fake flowers into. You can hotwire styrofoam insulation from the lumberyard for practice. The 'bead board' is quite different, but most yards will have either blue or pink extruded styrofoam. I insulated the torque tubes on my hot wire rig with vinyl electrical tape. I also had my helpers wear nitrile gloves (like what we wear to protect against epoxy). If I remember correctly, we were around 20 volts for cutting. If your secondary is isolated, 20 volts is pretty safe. Hope this helps! -Norm

You may find some interesting discussion and links on this page. http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/barracuda/barracudafairingdesign.htm There is a link to some aerodynamic applets that let you play with shapes and watch the impact on drag and such. He also has some interesting information about blowing plastic bubbles (canopies) which could be applicable. Cut your template, blow the left side, flip it over, blow the right side. Use these for molds for your glass layup. -Norm

Prop length on the Cozy is limited by the geometry associated with the rear gear and position of the prop. According to the theory behind props, the larger the number of blades, the poorer the efficiency. Most people are flying three bladed props because they are smoother. Plus they look nice. I seem to remember a discussion about the flexibility of the blades that would be required for a scimitar prop to flex, and that this actually worked against you. But I could be worng about that. -Norm

Actually, anyone can work on the airplane. If you do not hold a Repairman's Certificate for that airplane, you can not sign off the annual inspection. This will need to be done by an A&P (& perhaps other officially initialed individuals). In some areas it can be a problem to get the sign-off. -Norm

Have you seen what an aluminum plane looks like after it has been hit by a hail storm? The aluminum will dent, and not much can be done short of reskinning it, or flying it with dents. Ask Georger Graham how composite planes hold up to Buffalo, NY winters. I don't know which is rougher, sitting in the ice & snow, or sitting in the heat. Either way, if you are leaving your plane outside in hail storms and ice storms, you can expect that it will weather a bit over the years. Some people use covers, but remember that covers can scuff the canopy also. -Norm going from sharing a hanger to having it to myself in a week!

Everything we build is metric, and has been 100% for 15 years, and for the previous 10 years was only english where there were existing carryover designs (the mixed years). Now, the only time I see anything english is with things like pipe threads (apparently there is no metric equivalent, and we don't use a lot of pipe threads anyways). As far as the plans go, you have to consider that they are 30 years old. I'm sure that the aircraft plan sets developed in Australia, Germany, and Japan are all designed in metric.

So, direct drive, 150hp at 2600 rpm, 330 pounds. Do we still need a radiator with this engine, or is it air cooled?

The propellor for a 60 hp engine at 2400 rpm is very different than the propellor for a 200 hp engine at 2400 rpm. Here are a couple of basics to consider, for a given airplane. It takes a certain amount of horsepower to make the airplane cruise at a given speed. More horsepower, greater speed. But- It takes a lot more horsepower to get a little more speed. Thus, a 180 hp will cruise faster than a 160 hp, but the 200 hp will be just slightly faster than a 180 hp. To the point where it is difficult to compare because a slight improvement in drag reduction will show greater results than the difference in horsepower. The 180 hp in a Cozy seems to be a very good match. For a given horsepower, the fuel required will be roughly equivalent. There will be arguments about different engines being more or less efficient, and this may be true. But when you here outrageous arguments about 200 horsepower on 10 gallons per hour, you are hearing a sales pitch, and not good data. If you run a 160 horsepower engine at max output, and a 200 hp engine at an equivalent power level, they will burn about the same amount of fuel, and cruise at about the same speed. The 200 hp may weigh slightly more, and thus could actually be slower at an exact same power level. The big difference in power can be seen at takeoff performance. Here we are not looking at the big difference in drag as a function of speed, but simply how much static thrust can we get from an engine. The larger horsepower will win this game every time. (With an appropriate prop, of course). The big thing about commercial diesel engines is the weight. Aircraft engines have many compromises because they are built to deliver a high horsepower to weight ratio. The modern automotive engines would be the obvious solution for a powerplant, if it weren't for the fact that they are at a disadvantage with regards to weight by the time you get everything together that is required for an aircraft engine. This means some type of reduction drive so that the prop can spin approximately 2400 to 3000 rpm, while letting the engine run at 4500 to 6000 rpm. Next, with a water cooled engine you need to accomodate some type of radiator, with a turbocharged engine you usually will need some type of intercooler. Packaging these elements becomes a significant challenge. There are many others with better knowledge of the exact equations behind prop power, cruise drag, and all of these other issues. But perhaps this message will help you understand some of the relationships. Regards- Norm

Careful, if you are using styrofoam, that polyester resin will just melt through it. Also, the pot life on polyester resin is very short compared to the types of epoxy that we use for airplanes. I have gone through several 55 gallon drums of polyester resin, but none of it went into plane construction. Some outfits use the polyester resin into molds for engine cowls and such. Again, completely different type of layup. A local builder called me to ask some questions about making a fuel tank. He had bought some vinylester resin, very thin cloth, and no filler material. Made for a long discussion, basically started with 'I wish you would have asked me first before ordering all this stuff...'. Be very careful with the MekP catalyst. It is nasty, nasty stuff. -Norm

There was a manager at work that bought an Archer to learn how to fly in. He loved the plane and loved flying with an instructor. But he could never stomach flying by himself. He just could not overcome the fear of screwing up. Eventually, he ended up selling the plane. If you are confident that flying is going to work for you, start building. But I would at least recommend that you take a couple lessons to see if you even like flying in small planes.

Some people like the threaded discussions, others like the way email maillists work. Some people like archives, others don't. The way I see it, whatever works for you, use it. No need to throw stones at what other people like. Take a look at how the posts are treated. These forums each have a flavor, but predominately they are populated by builders, or potential builders, who have this mutual support society. When the flyers post 'don't worry about it, build it', they get trashed. I think that this is the thread where I really decided to significantly decrease my postings, somewhere around post 20: http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286 I really began to understand that a lot of people just want to talk, and aren't really interested in advice or opinions. They would like people to support their point of view, to help them justify or rationalize thier actions or activities. A number of people want others to view them as experts, or trailblazers, or sages. That they are the true innovators, or the true communicators, or the purveyors of the perfect King's English. Experts in spelling and punctuation, etiquette, netiquette, physics, philosophy, and fishsticks. Or at being half a bubble off with a sick sense of humor. A number of people are jealous of the respect that is shown to Rutan, or Nat, and to some of the other pioneers and experts in the field. Sometimes, when people aren't getting the attention or recognition that they feel the deserve, they go elsewhere. After the thrashing that many have taken, I seriously question myself before every post that I actually respond to. First off, do I have any basis for providing a response to the question. Second, will someone else provide what I believe to be correct advice. Third will anything that I be worth the additional noise that I create. Most of the time I delete the responses before posting. I still respond to some questions, but most of the time it is a private response. There is room in this universe for any number of mail lists, message boards, websites, fly-ins, gatherings, airshows, etc. We are not going to come to consensus on what is the best, what is justified, which ones should be avoided, which organization is the most beneficial, or who is the greatest aviator. But we can try to get along, be polite with each other, be open to other people's ideas and opinions, be accepting of other people's choices, and maybe be willing to accept that each of us could learn something from other builders (or flyers), and that maybe we don't have everything right ourselves. The more I see things being challenged, the less confidence I have in offering up my learnings, experience, or opinions. I should delete this, but what the heck. There were some other elements in this thread that I was going to address, but right now it is more important that I put some primer on my plane where I did the repair work on those stupid hidden rudder horns. -Norm

Fellow Builders & Flyers: We are getting closer to Oshkosh, & the Canardian Confluence at Waterloo, Iowa. ALO is a little over an hour out from OSH, and has three nice long runways, minimal air traffic, and reasonable accommodations. Marc’s Tour Out West will be here on Sunday, July 25th, weather, technology, TFRs, and airplanes permitting. The plan is for several of us to accumulate at ALO on Sunday, and then fly up early Monday morning. Weather permitting, Sunday is an opportunity for builders or potential builders to get up close and personal with a Cozy. There should be rides available. I have researched the hotels that make sense here in Waterloo/ Cedar Falls for those of you who may be flying or driving in. Days Inn 319-266-1222 $25 Single/ $30 Double Free Breakfast Holiday Inn 319-277-2230 $49 To reserve a room(s), you need to call and ask for the “Livingston Special Rate”. Livingston’s is the FBO at ALO, and they will be your host for the Confluence. Livingston’s is also running an Oshkosh special on fuel, with $0.50 off the posted price for 100LL (& Jet-A for those of you with turbines). Current price on 100LL is $3.05, so if prices hold, that would make fuel $2.55 per gallon. The Days Inn & Holiday Inn are right next to each other, and are owned by the same company. Folks staying at the Days Inn can use all of the Holiday Inn facilities, including the pool. The difference as I see it is that the Days Inn is the old part of the Holiday Inn, but it has been renovated and looks to be quite acceptable. Both places will run a shuttle out to the airport (probably the same vehicle). Here is the link to Marc's Tour: http://cozybuilders.org/2004_Western_Trip/2004_Western_Trip_day_14.htm Regards- Norm

I have a couple big storage containers that I slid under the table. (Approx 18x24x36) In these containers I would store the extra flox and micro (bought in 5 gallon quantities). I used one for electronics, sensors, switches, terminals, and wire. And I used a big fishing tackle box (the kind with divided trays that you can pull out) to store the bolts, nut plates, and other hardware. I also stored a couple bags of fiberglass cloth scraps down there. I set a limit of two bags, because otherwise it would just accumulate. When the scraps get too small, just through them away. Early on there isn't much dust, but later you will really appreciate having things under cover! Regards- Norm