Steve Innova

Beautiful workmanship on those hardpoints!

What are the advantages of having an EAA Technical Counselor? I've made some large deviations from the plans.

Don't you think it's a bit much to call John Slade's forum "unscrupulously unethical"?

I'd like to see it if I ever get down to FL. I'm also building a one-off design. Decided not to make molds, but am recording my work for plans if there's sufficient interest.

AutoZone carries Nitrol Gloves. About $10 for a 100-pack. More convenient than ordering online.

MGS has always caused small welts on my skin any time it touches me. I use Nitrol gloves and am careful, never had any serious problems. If I get any on me, I immediately go inside and wash it off with soap, no problem. In some ways, the immediate reaction is preferable, b/c otherwise I'd be tempted to leave it on my skin and not wash it off.

While we're on the subject... did anyone see the "Vesta V8" display at Oshkosh? http://www.vestav8.com Very tight firewall forward conversion packages. Uses Corvette and Honda VTEC engines with his own PSRU. He also produces a line of constant speed props with very competative prices: http://www.vestav8.com/products2.htm

Is there any way of getting my old posts from there (canard aviation) ported over here? I've grown tired of cross-posting.

I couldn't care less about whatever imagined controversy or slights occured. What I do know is that I posted a lot of info on that site, others posted a lot info, and poof -- someone gets their panties in a bunch and all that just dissappears. I want access to those old postings, but I don't think I'll participate there again.

I think the Defiant is an ugly airplane.

It is not. It's made of a glass/foam core composit, just like the Cozy. The reason it's heavier is because it's larger.

I'm interested.

I built the fuselage first, but then didn't like it and redesigned and rebuilt it. In retrospect, I wish I'd spent the 500 hrs it took me to build the first fuselage on the wings...

Don't forget that Wicks / AC sell the cozy material in two ways. They sell a 2-set combo that has ALL the material, and they also sell individual chapter material kits (25 in all). If you get the 2 set combo, you won't need to buy the chapter kits, and vice versa. Make sure you aren't combining the cost of both when pricing it. I know you can save about $1000 if you alternate between AC Spruce and Wicks, buying the cheaper of each chapter kit (same materials, slightly different prices).

Yes... sort of. I redesigned the entire fuselage of the cozy. It has circular-to-oval cross section, similar to the SQ-2000. I'm close to finishing the shell of the fuselage. (bulkheads, lower hull, nose, and turtleback are done, working on canopy frame, interior elements such as armrests etc...) You can see details of my project on the other forum: http://www.canardaviationforum.dmt.net/showthread.php?t=1893

Todd Silver made me a larger, custom canopy. No complaints. It took a long time b/c he had to rebuild his equipment b/c my order was too large for his existing rig. But now he can make even bigger canopies. His canopies are free-blown. If you wanted to drap mold a canopy, you'd need to make an (optically perfect) plug. That would take a long long long long time to do, just right. Airplane Plastics in Ohio makes drape-molded canopies. But if you're going that route, you'd do better to buy a canopy from another kit, like the lancair or perhaps one of the many new LSA designs that have large canopies.

So if I make my winglets big enough, will they make enough "thrust" that I can dispense with the engine altogether?

NO. The longer the wings, the MORE power will be required to reach the same cruise speed (all other factors being equal), because longer wings = greater lift = greater induced drag (drag from lift) = slower speed. Remember, you only need enough lift to lift the weight of the plane. The faster you fly, the more lift the wings produce. That's why fast planes use higher wing loading / smaller wings (higher wing loading, i.e. less wing area/lb weight).

Are you ever going to finish the mods on your plane? Don't you just want to fly it yet?

Last night I had a dream the JD from Infinity called me up to tell me he was flying out to deliver and help me install the gear I ordered from him back in 2004. Then I woke up.

I thought the Aeriks 200 was an exceptionally beautiful airplane and was really disappointed when they went out of business. I'm glad to know that you've got their prototype. Could you please post pictures or any info you have? Even if it's no longer an available kit, it's certainly one of the neatest planes anyone has made in a long time. Congratulations on your find!

Exactly. Burt no longer believes that the canard is a more efficient design.

You have to understand that there are only so many ways of doing things efficiently, and then you're just into form over function. If you consider the limitations of small aircraft (price, engine power, materials, and builder time/energy/skill), then it's clear that there isn't nearly as much room for NEW good ideas any more. The the ideas that best fit the above limitations have been done. If you want to make a big leap forward, you'd need to go to a different airframe concept -- something like the blended wing body (see: www.wingco.com). Proof of this is seen in military aviation, where budget, materials, and engine power are much less of an obstacle, bute even here we see the same basic designs with only minor incremental improvements. The innovations are found in things like avionics/radar and low observabilities technology. BTW -- Burt is still here. It's not for a lack of innovators -- he's moved on to space flight vs. light aviation.

Oh yeah... last but not least. The spar cap tape is SOLD

Yes, my spar caps got quite warm, never any danger of burning though. Use all slow MGS. This is one of the most painful layups. Layer after layer of spar cap material. Each layer has to be wetted out completely, the fibers strait. No shortcuts here! It'll take a twice as long as you think it will. Maybe 8 hrs or more. Get a helper for this. Also -- the layers are tapered, with long layers covered by progressively shorter layers. Instead of putting down the longest layers first, and covering w/shorter layers, reverse it and put down the short layers first. You'll have better transitions between layers, and the first layers will go down easier as you're just getting the hang of things.