chuckthedog

Luscomb's and DGA's If you could close the door.

The 64 dollar question is. How is Max Gross figured?

Dust, bolts are mesured by bolt Dia. not the socket size.HE HE. I used 3/8 instead of the AN number cause I don't know the AN #. Off hand I would guess a 3/4 bolt would have a 1 1/8 Hex? right? Are the axil bolts 1/4, 7/16 Hex I think my spar has around 74 plies bottem and 54 on top? It has been awhile.

I hope you don't think I'm splitting hairs. Looking at the pics on gear instals for the CozyIII and it looks like 3/8 bolts are used to attach gear to plane. same as the Long. The axils are floxed and bolted by 4, 1/4 inch bolts to the gear leg. same,same. The gear looks heavier,but I would think the bolts are the weak points. Also when Long-ez builders put in larger engines some will also increase the max gross. I know that paper will stand still for anything, and that figures don't lie, but liers figure. Bottem line. I did a new W&B on 24DJ she has gained 90 and change pounds in the last 12 years. EZ-nose lift,Strong Pitch trim, electric landing brake,Alt. Starter,Transponder, encoder, electric Gyro, Catto prop, and stuff, kept the 140 HP Lycoming and pilot heat. I used big Batts for balast up front. figured if I needed weight it might just as well do something. I have carried a lot more than the 1325 Rutan calls for infact I have been over 1600 Lbs. CG at 101.7. It uses more runway and is about 7 to 10 Kts faster on approach at that weight. If I increase the max gross on paper. I got to give the state more money 1/2 cent a pound. How do you figure Max Gross Landing weight? I'm A builder, not a speller. Dewey fonetik sistem.

I taxi with the board down.

Her is a little suggestion I used on my Long-EZ after a few years trying to land like the Navy at night. I installed the landing light in the landing brake it took only a couple of adjustments to get the angle right. It is just a fog light from Wal Mart, but works great. Low cost almost flush with landing brake skin. It also looks neet at night when on, and the brake is up setting on the ramp.

Nat says 2000 and change. Burt says 1325 landing,1425 gross Do you think Nat gets a kick back from States that tax AC on gross?

I don't know? I thought it might have something to do with the langing gear. I know Dick Rutan flew N79RA at over 2,000 pounds on a long cross country record flight. Alaska to Grand Turk island. His first try he had to turn back because of fuel problem on take off, and landed at over 2,000 pounds.

If a Long-ez and a Cozy have the same wings and canard, and say both have the same powerplant. Why dose the Cozy have a higher gross weight than the Long-EZ?

Do you guys always strain knats and swallow camels? Weight,complexity,safety,weight! Every pound saved is one more pound of the wife's stuff you can haul.

Pre heat Gas. Hmmmmm:eek:

I have been a pilot for 36 years. Are you guys realy that gung ho to fly IFR, not to mention land IFR? Speaking from personal experiance, I would much rather turn back, stay home, or at the airport, than punch through weather Ducks won't fly in. Some times you get stuck and have to. You say to yourself, If I live through this I will never do it again, mabey go to church give God a lot of money, what ever you think might work at the time. I do know you will be buying hair dye before your time. ( to keep that youthful devil may care pilot look). What I'm getting at is. When the blanket is thrown over the windows, all the confident tower talk, best equiptment, and pact with the allmighty. Won't keep your butt from grabbing your custome cushins. IFR on top, OK. IFR landing, FU

All I was doing was giving you was a SAFE, inexpensive way to stay warm. After 12 years of EXPERIMENTATION on trying to solve the problem. I thought this forum was to exchange information to save others from duplicating errors. I will continue to read you stuff. Good luck on your projects. Hope to see your birds flyin soon. PS: Two things in flying don't count. 1. Runway behind you. 2. altatude above you.

The jacket liner at full power draws 77 watts. 6 amps and change. The socks draw 22 watts full power. Not even 2 amps. When you get warm you will dial down the amps. In the summer months you won't need the socks. I take the wind breaker just in case. It looks just like a regular wind breaker. It runs off the battery with a 10 amp fuse before the reostat. I tried the plans method. it may work in Mojave, but mot Michigan. I also tried the space heater. It won't even keep your toes warm. Makes radio noise. Tried to ware Snow mobile suite and felt pacs on feet. Hard to get in and out of plane. When you fly south around Mason Dixon line land take off stuff, store for return trip. Takes up lots of space. As for plugging in. You put on head phones, and buckle up seat belts. Whats one more little plug?

One mor thing. 25 pounds! Are you NUTS? These are planes not cargo ships! Rutan says " If you think you need it in the plane. Pick it up and drop it, if it falls. It weighs too much" Trust MOM. Take your coat with you before you go out.

The socks and wind breaker work the same way, and are set up for 12volts DC. Its not your ass that gets cold. It's the feet and neck, and arms. The wind breaker, socks, wireing, and thermostat cost 1/3 the floor stuff. It won't short out when you wet yourself from flying nonstop 7 hours at 25,000 feet with the Turbocharged wonder motor from Japan. Don't tell me. When you land you have to find a place to get rid of all the fuel it maks on high altitude flights.

PT Barnom said. There is a sucker born every second, and two to take him. When you get yours done and get tired of it . Just try to get what you think is a fare price. I have built two Long-EZs. sold one to pay for mine, HA HA! That was the logic anyway. After you spend a LOT of time with tire kickers, wannabees, and just plain BSers. You get the price of the parts, and if your lucky .50 to .75 cents per hour for your time. Funny a trash boy at Taco Boy gets more money per hour than a Airplane builder. I get people asking me if my Long is for sale, and I tell them everything of mine is for sale for a price. I tell them the price, and go about my business. I feel my skill is worth at least $1.00 per hour + parts. I have desided to fly the wings off old 24DJ before I give it away too.

Hay Mike, Your building a Canard 4 place right? I built and test flew my Long out of Lake Isabella Airpark (D15) It has 2580 ft. X50 runway with displaced thresholds each way runway 11, 1763 ft. 29, 1865 ft. It's not lots of room at gross but it keep you on your toes (Brakes) I found it helpful to get some Stearman, and Luscombe time before my first flight. I also helps to have an instructor from the old school. to give you some tips on how to scrubb off speed and not weare out your brakes. Get that baby done and flying.

Yes I did. Then I tried the 12 volt electric heater. Then tried the clothes for one winter. Then took out the Rutan system and the 12 volt system. when it is real cold up north you get the best flying weather. Calm winds, blue skys, and thick air. I also take those chemical heat pads used for ice fishing. I tape one around the stick to keep my right hand warm. They work for up to 4 hours them you throw them away.

Jake, It must be a good design. Otherwise they would have quit builbing them. I guess the Japanese keep the good stuff for themselves. Do you know why John Deere quit building them? Why did they quit putting them in motor cycles? Where did the engine rebuilders get all the engines to rebuild so cheep?

Jake, Don't get me wrong. Back a few years I use to race along with RX7's. They do an outstanding job. We, meaning drivers of none rotary engine racers called them Masqito Foggers cause after a while it got hard to see behind them cause of the smoke. Others smoked too. Nothing like the smell of Kestrol in the morning.

John, what P-51 Had armpit scoops? Did you know that Mazda is going to try a new Wamkel in 2004? the RX8, it is an P2 engine 1.3 liters no turbo 250bhp. They say it won't smoke like the old ones. It should only cost around $30,000.00 for the car. If it is as hot as they say you may find one in the junk yard soon after they come out.

You are right on the money about experimentation. The same reason I chose the electric wind breaker, and socks. It was a case of trial and error. I'm shure Rutans heating system worked great in Mojave. I spent the first 10 years of flying my Experimental using the old flyin rule of thumb. Wear the clothes you will need to stay alive if you have a forced landing in the wild. Before my Long I flew old Tail draggers mostly. For close to 20 years. They also have little or no heat in the creacher cage. Wish they had electrical system in them, and knew then what I know now. I now live in the tropics of Central Indiana. You don't even have to wear a coat all the time as early as the middle of May. through September. I still stuff my Gerbings wind breaker in the strake. Just incase. If you are still readig this John,I have one more piece of trial and error experimentation to pass on. The fan noise in the radio. When I instaled my electric belly board. I found I can hear it extend through my head set. I can hear the strong trim motor in the head set. It dose not run much. no problem. For some reason the EZ Nose Lift dose not do it. I don't know why. It is with this knowledge I assume the heater fan will buzz through the radio. Build hard. Fly hard. Stay hard.

What about the fan motor yumm in the radio? What about the weight of the system? what about the time to design,install,and the CO$T? is there a replacement guarantee? What ya gonna wear when you get some place and have to fuel up? A wind breaker and a pair of socks? Can you buy antifreeze at the FBO? Is there another set of valves buy the engine, to keep all that hot pipe from messen up the PVC foam under the Hi temp epoxy?

I have a NACA scoop just in front of the canopy with a butterfly valve. it gose from off to blowing a stream of air along the inside of the canopy. work good. like wear a Took A. PS Gerbings makes one of them too.