HatSwitch

Good luck Larry! There's only been one person I can remember in here that put a TERF CD up for sale, and that's only because he had two. . . If you're not in a hurry, you can always join the fight for one over at eBay. If I had to do it again, I'd just call Matt at TERF (800) 975-1445 and offer something like a $190 bucks plus postage, see if he's in a good mood. My guess is he would be. You'll find him to be a great guy and the conversation worth the cost of the CD in itself. In the right hands, the TERF CD is priceless. Hat http://www.terf.com/RAFCDROM.htm

Steve - Thank You Very Much! Simple question for anyone in possession of a copy of the original Flush Rudder Bellhorn Plans: Were these plans printed on 18x24 paper? Thanks in advance. . . Hat

In addition: RAF is also out of owner's manuals and is declared "finally closed". Long Live RAF!

A very good place to start is right where it all started : http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1633

________________________________________________ From the TERF CD:LE Plans SECT I; Basic Airframe Kit Pg 2-2: Epoxy: 1 qt. 5 Min Kit 15 gallons (10 kits of Safe-T-Poxy) Fiberglass: UND tape .035” x 3” Roll 120 yards UND cloth .009” x 38” (7715) 150 yards BID cloth .013” x 38” (7725) 90 yards _________________________________________________ I've got a standing order for MGS 285 with F & S hardeners locked in for ACS West’s next shipment due in on or about 2/26/07. My guess is +- 5 Gals should be close for the fuselage. Does anyone remember approximately how much Epoxy actually went into the fuselage of their LE: Firewall to nose, including bulkheads and all misc. FG components? Thanks Hat

I think this would be a fair place to start if one was inclined to develop their own ELG sys. Reliability of the motor could be checked over the course of a build. http://www.generatordepot.us/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=36&HS=1

One Ton or Two?

I've also been waiting to see how they bounce back over there. Looks like we can still snoop around a little in the Image Index: http://www.ez.org/images

Come now guys, this isn’t going to get ugly, is it? This issue is not a mudsling, it’s clearly a simple debate with at least two opposing angles of attack vying for rudder authority. So before anyone lets their feelings get hurt, lets have some fun with it. After all, “it’s just the Internet and you can’t change it”, unless of course you’re an administrator on Wikipoopoo. (s?) A little bed time story to help you feel better. The storm spooled-up suddenly, cold, black and vicious, like some transparent beast born from the depths of a dark primordial swamp of meddling slime and blistering ooze. Hail and freezing rain assaulted the field in horizontal sheets that seemed to drive inward from every direction at once. Light unloved common brand aircraft, unfortunate enough to be tied down on the ramp, abandoned to the elements by their owners, were mercilessly ripped from their cold beds of concrete and tossed into the lightning clawed air like broken kites. Within a few moments of the onslaught, all that remained of the aircraft outside were mangled piles sheet metal and props packed against the side of the huge hurricane proof hanger that served to provide an interior bastion of warmth and protection for the brand new prized local fleet of Open-EZs and their drivers. Inside, several men suddenly set their hot drinks down and pushed themselves away from a card table sitting between several parked aircraft. Almost in unison they all ran over and pressed themselves up against a row of thick safety glass windows that lined the wall facing the main ramp and runway. All had to wipe heavy condensation away with their sleeves in order to see what was going on outside. “Did you hear that?” One asked with level concern. “I did,” answered another as he squinted his eyes against blinding flashes of lightning, “sounded like someone screaming!” “Yeah!” the first man confirmed, “That’s what I thought, too!” “Open the door,” a third man shouted, “Quick! I see someone, there’s a guy out there crawling toward the hanger, we have to help him! Hurry!” In an instant, the side door to the big hangar swung open and two of the men jumped outside into the wicked wet darkness and grabbed the poor guy up by his arms and dragged him inside to safety. They had hardly gotten the soaked and nearly frozen man to his feet when out of nowhere a chair flew past the open door and caught the redeemed man’s weary eye. With a sudden and freighting burst of energy, he sprang like a tiger and vaulted back outside and disappeared. The men inside the hanger looked at each other dumbfounded. “What the hell was that?” One asked just as the sound loud screaming once again competed with the decibel level generated by the howling wind and rain. “Where the heck did he go?” “Sounds weird, but I think he ran after that chair that flew by!” Another shouted as he leaned outside again and peered into the darkness. “Let’s get him back in here before he hurts himself! Someone get some hot coffee over here, Quick!” This time, it took three men to drag the poor guy back inside by one arm as he tenaciously grasped a bent lawn chair in the other hand. Once inside, they quickly closed the door and bolted it. “Why did you do that?” One of the rescuers asked clearly irritated. “Are you nuts?” “Do what?” The rescued man replied impishly as he set the chair down with such care one would think he were handling a small and delicate child. “Do what?” the man now parroted him with the sarcastic brutality of an angry drill sergeant, “Run back out into the storm after that stupid chair? That’s What!” The rescued man just smiled as he sat down in the wobbly lawn chair and gratefully accepted a hot mug of coffee offered him. "I'm Chairboy!" He answered with a wry grin, "That's what I do!"

Sorry if you were personally offended by my question. It wasn’t intended to be snide or vehement, just to the point and remains unanswered. I certainly do not consider you to be an enemy by any measure, and quite to the contrary, I enjoy and appreciate the majority of your contributions to the community. But, I do question your motives promoting such an effort considering you clearly stated you do not intend to build on the Open-EZ project. So why bother? I’ve read every post on this issue so far and have also read the letter-to and all of its edits. Seems to me the letter-to has already run out of development steam, yet its mission remains unfulfilled like an abandoned windsock flapping helplessly between a long-ago plowed-under runway and an active highway. “Ain’t no stinkin airplane gunna pay any attention to me no mo!” The poor lonely abandoned windsock cried out unheard as a wind gust tilted his shredded blow hole toward the highway, “Maybe I can flag down a stinkin lawyer instead?” Ah, if only windsocks could talk.Perception is a two-edged sword. I too sense some vehemence, but its not coming from any Open-EZ folks, it seems to me to be coming from a few (declared not gunna build an Open-EZ) Cosy-folks. So again, why bother? What is the true mission of this letter-to?: - Get a green light on the Open project? - Or chum the waters in hopes of attracking a few sharks? I was told by someone close-to To, that To basically answered the question concerning EZ copies, “Knock yourselves out, just don’t call it a Long-EZ.” So what remains the problem? - To’s not getting a cut? If someone decides to dance the Open-EZ, at minimum they or someone on their behalf is going to pay for the TERFs, a cut of which, as I understand it, goes back to To as a royalty. Textbook information on CD generally doesn’t cost 2-300 bucks. This information is out there at that price level (IMHO) because its fully understood what its intended use will be, and presents a greater value to the aviation world than to just otherwise let it die on the vine like other lesser value text initiatives should. Again IMHO. I suggest that if someone edited out every reference to the Open-EZ project and her “Folks”, including those which show up all over the previous versions logged in the edits, that would eliminate what I sense most of us see as a strategically placed bulls-eye and hense this letter-to’s true mission becomes dead in the water. I may be wrong and certainly hope I am, but the subtext of the letter-to basically says, “Notice me, notice them, get in their way, pa leezzz!” The way I see it: the issue of Clone-EZ’s has long been resolved with the development of the Berkut, Eracer and the Cosy, all being for-profit ventures by folks other than To and Co. All Arms-Length from To and Co., all obvious EZ clones, all mostly great products of their designers and builders. The Open Project will be no different, except for the profit factor beyond the TERF’s. The plans and templates will evolve uniquely as will every bird, if any, created of the effort. It’s understandable how some who committed to build a Cosy, when what they really wanted to build at the time was an unattainable tandem Long, might get annoyed at the Open Project popping up out of nowhere post facto. But their monkey wrenches might better be used building their own Open, or sticking to their Cosy, then trying to build poorly veiled obstacles for others already on the Open path. Me, I plan to do both. Nut shell and last comment from me on this issue: I think the Letter-to is a waste of time and effort, and if its stated goal was sincere, it would be crafted to perfection by competently skilled people and presented for consideration out of the public eye where most serious business is conducted. If I where going to grant some advice, which I’m not, I’d probably just offer a simple word: “Chill.” And of couse I will wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Build!

This letter-to idea dead-on-the-vine yet?

Congratulations Remi, That eBay shoot-out had the timing and precision of a combat ace. Three second margin to win. Nothing short of what I'd expect to see after looking over your project pages. Just seeing the detail you put into your work bench primed my expectation of what to expect to see in your progress pics, and I wasn't disappointed. Looks to me like your Cosy will end up earning the reputaion of being one of the finer built birds flying. I'm glad you won and looking forward to learning much from you along the way. I hope to receive my TERF package tomorrow. Even though you aren't getting yours directly from Matt at TERF, give him a call anyway, let him know you have a copy coming, he may have a reasonable request for you and I know you'll be glad you spoke with him. He's a great source of information and insight on all things Rutan and an all around great guy to talk to. Again, Congrat's! - - Jon, Nice job. As you can tell, I think your Spare has found the right home and I hope I assisted in a small way in making the match happen. Coming from you, that TERF information heading Remi's way has claim to a fine lineage. Way to go! Night Guys.. Hat

Attention Bargain-Minded TERF CD hunters: I currently hold the winning (and as of this post, the only) bid for Jon's extra copy of the TERF CD package listed on eBay. With permission, I'm letting you all know my Max bid is set at $161.01 and I have no intention to defend any challengers since I've since elected to spend an extra $40.00 on another auction that closed sooner. The top of the current winning bid is presented here in the spirit of: - Let's Work Together out in the OPEN - So if you're planning on getting your OPEN docs together, beat this max and keep your fingers crossed, you could use the savings from a known reserve toward the other items you'll need to order from RAF. Good Luck Hat

Well spoken, Jon. Myself, after spending some time on the phone with Matt, any latent doubts I might have had about going forward with the OPEN Project less a Guru-blessing were completely dissipated. Matt has heard the answer to this question direct from the horse’s mouth. The conversation alone (IMHO) was worth the cost of the CD package. I also think Ben's heart is in the right place on this and sincerely wants to add value to the Open project. However, if he's not going to build an OPEN bird, his time might be better invested in his Cosy. When my OPEN is done, it won’t be a Long-EZ, it will be one-of-a-kind with many cousins.

Place a call to TERF. Put your mind at ease.

Okay, Looks like my posts are posting. Hello Everyone, My first few attempts at posting in here seem to have went off in a different direction, Jon fixed the NAV system for me and well, here I am. For me, the OPEN EZ project is under way: Templates printed at Kinkos dead-on vertical, w/in an 1/8” horizontal. They look very good. A second set has been ordered ($69+-) with assurance from the tech he would produce copies to scale precisely to the dimension ticks noted on each page. If that proves an audited success, I’ll post the how-to and what-he-used details for anyone interested in skipping the cost of close-enough and getting right to dead-on template prints. Already got the shop cleaned out, built a 4x12 flat level (adjustable) table, although I’m considering laminating it with Formica so it has cover from Mommasan as an “Event Table”. Tools laid out for inventory and prep. Heck I even broke out a “JUST DO IT” magnet and stuck it on the refrigerator. As soon as I'm done with this post, I’m heading over to Aircraft Spruce and Supply in Corona Ca to tip a toe in the water and get acquainted with the staff. The more I think about it, the more I am inclined to buy the plans package on the Cosy Mark IV and bring both projects up together. The information available on the Cosy must have cross over value for the OPEN and possibly suitable-substitutability on many components. This I will discover one way or the other, and of course will be happen glean anything I can from the fine group of people I’ve discovered in here. I intend to build the Open fuse per plan for the OJT, but would very much like to build a finished bird utilizing the Berkut style RLG and nose. Anyone have any leads on proven mods along these lines? Anyway, I’m off to start the money flow, and begin a long delayed goal in life. Enjoy the day, Hat

Jon, Thanks again for the OPEN EZ project and the friendly note the other day. The more time I spend in the Canard Zone, the more I’m coming to appreciate the high-caliber company we’re all keeping. Test Post

(FEP) First Ever Post: Greetings everyone! And JON, a most appreciative Thank You to you sir! I also down-loaded the OPEN EZ templates. Have them down at KINKOS waiting for me to pick up right now. Need to hurry, even though KINKO’S is a 24/7 op (even on Thanks Giving), I’d prefer to time stamp the pickup before 9pm PST, 2400 EST. Don’t want to buy anything related to a machine I hope to strap-into at some point, on Turkey Day! That first CC swipe later on this evening will bench-mark day 0001 in the process of my first build, something I’ve had on the-list for the better part of 30 years. As far as the start date of construction? Not sure if it will be a Balls-6, or a Balls-7 bird (2007). If I wait to get started, the target date will be on Jan 01, 2007. I know for sure I’ll have that day free of all distractions. Now-till-then, I’ll get things together and knowledge-up for a smooth start. Good Luck Everyone.. And Happy Thanks Giving