Ron Springer

I think you mean 2003

I used long bicycle cables but the barrel didn't quite slip into the Brock throttle quadrant. After some careful filing, I reduced the diameter so it fit.

I would be a lot more worried about takeoff than the landing distance, especially if you want to carry a passenger.

Eric, The Canard Pusher newsletters call for additional layups on the main gear. Technically, you are supposed to grind off the tabs, add the glass from end to end, and then rebuild the tabs. On my VariEze from the same manufacturer, Bob added the glass as 3 separate layups: 2 outside the tabs and one in the middle. I noticed on mine that the layups outside the tabs were delaminating at the trailing edge near the tabs. I stripped all those layups. I added them back on and then a little extra for Grandma. I also applied them differently. Each layer wraps around the gear leg and back onto itself at the trailing edge. I did not form a sharp trailing edge. My fairings will do that.

That sucks! My can is running low and I was going to order more EZ-87 soon.

A couple years ago I replaced my Brock throttle and mixture cables, due to some broken strands on my throttle cable near the carb. I used bike cable and it required a mod to the barrel. I ran new cable housing from the hell hole to the engine.

I just bought a new prop for my VariEze from Gary Hertzler and he made it and shipped it in two weeks. I was expecting that it would take months. For a stock O-200, he will probably recommend a 62 x 68. I ordered a 63 x 69 but I have Lightspeed pistons.

I don't think I would use clear hose there. I remember that it did just appear to be some automotive water or fuel line type hose. So. maybe you could substitute that? I bought a new mount kit from Fresno Air Parts and it was dirt cheap and included everything. It may be a knockoff brand but it seems to work fine.

In addition to Dave's offer, which is a good one, I am also in Rockville and have a VariEze at KFME. I share a hangar with a Cozy III too. You can send me an email at ron228rj@gmail.com

Another thing to check for is looseness in the main gear. Jack the wheels off the ground and grab the gear legs and yank them fore and aft and check for any play. You can check for corrosion on the outside of the wing fittings, but ideally, you would want to pull the wings off and look at the exposed parts that are inside and hidden from view. I would also look over the condition of the fuel lines and other critical parts if you are going to be flying it soon.

You can register a plane and get a tail number at any time. There is no requirement for the plane to be finished or even started. The plane only has to be finished for the airworthiness certificate. I am not sure if that helps, but worth pointing out.

The best electric heat is electric clothing rather than trying to heat all of the air electrically. I have an Aero-stitch electric motorcycle vest that plugs into a jack on the instrument panel. I wear that under a sweater and a fleece. A big winter coat is just too bulky in a VariEze for me. But, the cabin heat off my carb heat muff works so well that even though I have worn it this winter, I haven't felt the need to turn it on. It was 25 F when I took off on Monday and I had the vest on just in case but didn't use it. But, I didn't climb any higher than 3000 ft on that flight. Maybe a different story if I climbed to 10000 ft!

Flying works out well with my 34 kg dog. However, I wouldn't want to take him a plane where he had to sit side by side with me up front. He prefers it in back anyway where he can check my six!

That sure is a convenient feature of the VariEze for drilling that hole ... no spar in the way. It is probably the way to go if I do the upgrade. I mentioned that I have pre-existing wires in the wing, but there are only two wires. I believe they are just under the skin so they are probably microed in and it won't be possible to pull new wires through the same location. There are ways to trace them where you put a tone on the wire and then use a probe to detect it. One unit is as cheap as $25 on Amazon. But, you really want four wires. I could still do it with two but the position lights and strobes would have to be turned on together and the strobes wouldn't be synchronized.

Adding lights is on my list of future upgrades for my VariEze. I have two options: 1) Some wiring was run back in the late 70s when it was built. But, I don't know if the wiring is good or how easily I can determine where it is located at the wing tip. 2) I can do what Marc did above. I assume he used a copper pipe with teeth as a drill??? I also assume I will need to drill a hole through the outside winglet attach layup? Can't go around it, right? Any recommendations on hole size or just keep it as small as possible?