chuckthedog

I was looking at some kit aircraft the other day, and saw that they had plastic gas tanks molded to fit the plane. Then I thought. Hay it shure would be cool if a builder made a dummie foam mold of the inside of his fuel strakes and had a plastic tank manufacturer make tanks to be put in the strakes, and the top of the strake could be flanged for EZ in and out. Just think of all the hassels of chasing leaks that could be eliminated.Then I found there are a lot of companies that make custome tanks. Then I thought of Nat's 5%. Then I woke up.Whew that was close. Now if I just knew of someone who was building a Flying Pickle Fork. It could have fuel senders, a fuel pump where it would do some good.

A little food for thought. Dust, I'm sure you Know how cold it has been lately. Let's see 0 degrees F + No 4's figures for cooling at altitude, and say 5000 AGL feet. That figures out to. Colder than a welldiggers back side in the Klondike. + or - a few degrees. Anyhow from my experiance. You have to have a LOT of hot air volume or cold air on the canopy to keep it clear. If not, it will cause condensation on the inside of the canopy. Not a good thing. I don't use this system for high altitude flying . I use it so I can fly year around. Well enough preechen. As you say. Enjoy the build. MP, Will she put on headphones? Same thing.

Jim, Dust, Go to www.gerbing.com read about their products first. Then comment. It will tell you, watts, current draw, all that stuff. I use the liner and socks. The socks plug into the liner the liner hooks into the controler. It is just one plug. Like your portable gps.

I,ve have read, and been told chrome causes the clyinders to run hotter.

Tell me more about this Missouri Wool. The stuff I tried didn't cut the mustard.

The knobs are small, and I gotta take them off to pick my nose.

I fit your profile. It took me 7 years to build. I figure the money I dident spend in the bar, and the DUI I dident get. The plane cost me nutten. I still went hunten. The deer would wonder in front of the hanger when I was building. They herd the compressor and thought it was safe.

The plans heating system is made for southern Ca. no Ox. If you put your finger in the duct you can feel warmth. It seem the positive pressure in the cockpit cansels out almost all the heat pressure. To keep the canopy clear you need to vent cold air in the cabin. I tried electric defrost heater. Too little heat for canopy, and with humid air make condensation. I tried a snow mobile suit. Too bulky, and you still get cold. heavy felt pack boots don't work. they make your feet so big you hardly can fit your feet through the panel cut outs, and can't tell if your feet are on the rudder peddels. I then tried disposable heat packs. better but a lot of draw backs. A friend who owns a motorcycle shop let me try his electric vest. Better. He showed me the catalog from Gerbings. I bought the wind breaker and socks. They worked. I removed the Rutan heat system. the plane lost 2 1/2 pounds The coat and socks plus the controler weigh in at 2 pounds. Your right hand is free to work the gas, knobs, and stuff, and put between your legs to keep it warm. Your left is always on the stick. the new hot grip cures that cold spot. With the socks I can fly with my deck shoes. I like this cause you can feel the rudder, brakes, and still strech out beside them when up and flying. Discounting weather. If you fly over 8K feet your out of the spam cans and below the heavy iron. Lots of open air. Rutan pointed out. To keep this plane fun keep it light and simple. Looking back I feel he is right. Before the electrical, lights, starter, more insturments. It was work, but fun. Don't get me wrong. The EZ Nose lift, starter, electric trim, and belly board are IMHO must haves. The lights, transponder,encoder, Gyros, etc, etc. are cool, but do take away from the performance. Hope this provides some insight. Now get to work, and fill the sky with fiber glass.

Mark: not to put your shorts in a knot. But Jims Long had a 0-290 Lycoming. 135 HP;)

large prime: I use to fly and live in Northern Michigan where summer is two months of bad sleding. You don't have to fly vary high to get cold on overcast days. most x country flights 5k to 11K depending on weather. Now that I live in tropical Indianapolis, you can fly from April till October and don't need even a coat. Most of my flying down here has been local with the exception of my monthly winter flights to the gulf. (winds and weathe permitting) The hot Longs are faster than mine cause I don't like to turn the engine at 75% or 2600RPM at 8K ASL fuel burn 11 GPR 175 MPH I like 2350RPM 6.2GPH 152MPH. No wait. It will fly 200! Ya thats it. Thats the ticket. It could go faster with wheel pants, but I had a Luscombe ground loop, and almost flip over because of them. A friend of mine with a RV 6A Tricycle gear wore out a brand new Good Year, cause a chunk of runway black top got wedged in one.I also have never had any brake over heating problems. Hope this helps.

I bought my bird a Hot grip for Christmas. This is an after market item for snow machines. I only had to instal my PTT in the top, but had to put a reostat on the power to it. It realy keeps your hand WARM. When flying I like to keep my hand on the stick, and it would get cold. Not so now. PS: cost $30.oo bucks, but you get two.

I just plug in my wind breaker (socks plug into it), and start turning the heat down about the time I reach altitude. I stay quite cozy. HE HE! When I land All I have to do is, unplug, remove head set, and kneepad with the Gps on it. Now what could be simpleier, and safer? PS Cheap and light too! PSS it is fused for 10 amps, it has never poped. I also use the plug for my tickle charger in the hanger,

Most states don't require insurance on your aircraft. They do require registration FEES.$$$$$ I sugest you keep the Gross landing weight low. Here is the big question. Will a lawier sue if there is no money or assets for him to get his blood sucking mitts on?

Some guys from Dayton did it about 100 years ago. PS The canard as it applys to a Pickle fork is not realy an elevator. It is a flapavator. Acording to Rutan.

I don't know nutten about about main gear retracts sept you got less gas in the tanks cause the gear is hid where the gas was. I do know about flyin Pickle Forks. The first thing ya gotta do to land, is slow it down. Step 1. throttle back. 2. Drop the GEAR. If ya don't, it wont slow down. 3. extend the belly board. 4. Land the plane. Don't let it land you. How much gas dose a 200HP engine use to push a Cozy Motorhome to 12,000 feet? How much gas dose it burn to keep it going 200 MPH, knots. whatever? Can you slap the kids in the back seat from the front seat? Can you put a Tee in the radiator hose on a Mazda powerplant for a shower? When on a X country, Where do you put the gas cans, to carry the Auto gas your going to burn? And they said the only stupid question was the one that was the not asked.

just the front ones. It look like something out of a Mad Max movie. It must have a cooling problem.

FYI When General LeMay took over bomb wing in pacfic he found high alt. bombing no good. Cause, Devine wind, or was it the jet stream. Low altitude bombing. Army Airforce oreration. P 51 escorts. A fighter pilot (Major Tapp No.2 Ace 78 Fighter Squadron WWII) who was on the escorts told me the Japanes defence planes were either going straight up or straight down. Easy pickins. no Navy. No need for jet intersept due to low level bombing. Korea differnt story. Corsairs, and migs. One other note a lot of those pilots became crippled after the war due to Oxygen depravation. Cause; High altitude flying to and from Japan from Iwojima airfield.

Your right, but I'll bet the only time his wheels leave the groung is when he changes the oil. Get back to me in 2024 and let me know if he is still burning rubber. I hope I'm still here for the reply.

Ya my math is off a bit the engine started life in 1955. Soo that makes it 49 years old. I don't know how much the first major cost in 1967. Are there any 49 year old rotary anything out there still running? Just a little jab. he he:rolleyes:

Back in 1988 I started looking for an engine for the Long-EZ I was building. I found 4 junk planes in Trade a plane with engines. I setteled on a Tri pacer for $2,000.00 only a few states away. Took off the wings and trailered it home. I then sold plane less engine for $1,800.00. The engine was mid time 670 SMOH still good compression. mid 70's. I flew the plane for 12 years and put another 700+ hours before I zero timed it this summer. The total cost to do this was less than $8,000.00 New jugs and all the trimings. If you devide that by 12 years you come up with $683.33 a year. I dont think you can beat that for any other power plant out there. Lycsours's rule. PS. I piss anted auto gas for 12 years. When you figure the expence of toting gas to the plane when on cross country flights and even local flying the saving after the hastle to find and fill containers, transportation back and forth to gas station for gas with no ethanol. Av gas is cheaper!

I worked in a repair shop for around 30 years, and have seen metric and it aint pirty when you have to stock the taps, dies, bolt, and nuts. There are around 5 to 10 thread pitches for each diameter nut and bolt. The French wont use any pitch the rest of the world uses. The Japs won,t use English. Etc etc. Don't get me wrong metric in theory is good. In the real world it has a long way to go to get everyones fingers on the same page. Get it, fingers, 10. HAPPY NEW YEAR

I put a set from CCI on my Long-EZ stock canard. They work great! No change of trim in rain. Take 10 mph off landing speed. No loss of airspeed in flight. EZ to install. Tom Staggs, a long time Long-EZ air show performer. Is the man who will be submitting his test results on TE fences In Central States news letter.

The vari-EZ has more sweep than the Cozy wings. So the fences are less effective. I had a chance to read the artical that will be in Central States. It was an extencive test involving a Long-EZ. Same sweep as Cozy wings. Central States has been around a long time, and News letters are vary informative. Alot of the Cozy and Long-EZ improvements were first posted there. www.eracer.org

There will be an artical in the next Central States Newsletter. It should answer all your questions.

It is about the only place you can put them and be able to be seen from both sides. If you can get a N nomber with only one number and one letter, you could use the side of the plane. Behind the TE of the canard to infront of the strake, or on the inside of each winglet.