jpolenek

So if I build my rudders to plans, there will be some loss in effectiveness with these bellhorns??? Joe Polenek

The numbers shown were not correct. I brought this to the attention to the vendor. He called the lab to confirm that they did in fact use the correct ratio for the tests, so this was a typo. He walked me over to the display version of the chart that was posted in the store, and it had the correct numbers. Joe Polenek

I've read that there is less rudder deflection with these things compared with the plans design. Is this true, and if so, has anybody found it to be a problem? Joe Polenek

I was planning to use Formica. What issues did you have??? Joe Polenek

What about the person(s) that changed it??? Joe Polenek

What factors determine which MGS epoxy to use, 285 or 335? Joe

The Dragonfly newsletters contain everything. (Used to be the "Dragonflyer" in the early years, then it became the "Dragonfly Builders and Flyers Newsletter" a.k.a. DBFN). Reading those from the beginning 'till now will give you a history of all updates & mods. If you're not already a member, join the Yahoo Group "Dragonflylist". I know for a fact that there's at least one guy in the Seattle area who's building one, and I believe he's on that mailing list. If you can't find anybody out there, let me know and I'll hook you up with the guy I know of. Joe

Here's some info I just received from Composites Canada, comparing MGS and Aeropoxy. I can't speak to any of the details of the testing, but the vendor supplying the info is fairly reputable. Apparently, both systems are equally good without post-cure, while MGS is better if post-curing. Joe Test_Data_MGS_vs_Aeropoxy.doc

You were probably thinking of the '07 Wicks catalog which does have "Long EZE" (sp?) parts on page 328. Joe

I've read that fiberglass deteriorates with time and may eventually have reduced adhesion to epoxy. Is there any data to support this? I have a bunch of RA7715 UNI that's about 5 years old which I want to use on my new Cozy MK IV project. It has been stored in a garage so it was protected from direct exposure to the elements but in terms of temperature and humidity, it has gone through several summers and winters. Should I use it or would I be better off scrapping it just to be safe? Joe

So what's the advantage of the turbine? (...besides the fact that it is very, very cool.) None of the stats in EZJet's FAQ section point to any great performance advantages over a reciprocating engine, however the price tag is relatively high and the maintenance & operating costs must be up there too. Joe

Not only can the fuel seepage melt the blue foam, but it will also pool in the cavity. However, in this case, it sounds like the fuel resistant foam will act as a barrier, and the blue foam will simply be a cosmetic addition over top of the plans' structure. Right TMann? Joe

Looks really nice! Joe

Thanks Waiter. That's exactly the information I was looking for. That electric noselift seems pretty expensive. I'm sure there are may people out there who have one and would say it's worth every penny compared to the manual crank, however the price sure seems steep relative to the total cost of the airframe. I wonder if anyone out there has taken the true "homebuilt" approach and made one using a car's power window motor? Joe

When extending/retracting the nose gear on a Varieze/LongEZ/Cozy on the ground, is that done while sitting in the plane, or would this damage the gear mechanism? Joe

Great. That's somewhat less than I thought it would be. Thanks for the feedback, guys! Joe

I was just perusing the photos on your site while you were posting this. Looking at your attachment lay-up, it appears different than I expected, based on the [old] AeroCanard plans I'm previewing. I though there would be a thick band of UNI at about mid-chord. Is this area different on an EZ or basically the same? Joe

What's the approximate thickness (ballpark) of that lay-up at its thickest point? Joe

What about the fact that the airfoil shape is compromised? I would imagine that builders take great care to make accurate templates and cut the foam as close as possible to the prescribed shape. Not only does the lump of the attachment lay-up distort the airfoil in area where it is applied (by up to 9 layers of glass!), but the filling and sanding process extends that deviation over an even bigger portion of the wing/winglet, to blend it smooth. If this does not make a noticable difference to the way the plane flies, doesn't it suggest that there's no point in splitting hairs when it comes to cutting the cores since relatively large deviations, like this attachment layup, will mean that wing/winglet won't have the theoretical airfoil shape anyway? Joe

Don't all those layers of glass, which hold the winglet to the wing, create a noticable hump on the surface and distort the template-based airfoil shape in those areas? If so, can the foam be sanded down prior to any glassing, in order to compensate for the added thickness, so the end result is a flush surface? Joe

EZ AHAB; At what speed does your machine move the wire through the foam? Joe

One issue I had a few times with Aeropoxy is that it would kick off way early if I stopped mixing and just let the stuff sit without using it immediately. In the worst case, it would turn dark red, exotherm to the point of smoking, and immediately start to solidify. To avoid this, as soon as the mixing was complete, I had to split up the epoxy into smaller cups to keep the temperature down, or immediately dump some of it on whatever I was working on. Is this a unique characteristic of Aeropoxy or do all epoxies do this if you let them sit? If they all do this, how can the components be pre-heated, as some builders do, without the risk of inducing this runaway reaction. Joe

Thanks for the helpful feedback! Joe

So it doesn't sound like there are any specific roadblocks that should prevent me from building the wings first, except proficiency. On the previous project I worked on, the Dragonfly, the plans have you start with the fuselage sides and bottom, but you can't assemble them until you build the wing because it is needed to perform a critical alignment for the fuselage assembly. It seems like the Cozy4 is similar in that the wings can be completed without needing to have anything else done first. As far as proficiency goes, I did complete the Dragonfly bulkheads, sides, bottom, turtledecks, and a wing. Given the apparent similarity of construction, I'm thinking I should be ok jumping into the wing build on the Cozy4. My only concern at this point is if I go with MGS epoxy, since it might behave differently (viscosity, wet-out, pot life, etc.) than the Aeropoxy that I have gotten so used to. Joe

That's exactly what I'm hoping to avoid.