Jump to content

Ghost

Members
  • Posts

    26
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Ghost

  1. I just got a nice Flight Jacket that I would like to put some patches on. I am looking for some canard patches, and a source for custom embroiled name tag. If anyone has a vendor they could recommend, I would appreciate it. Thank you, and happy New Year to all. Tony Miami, Fl. VariEZe / N297TV
  2. Ghost

    0200 Engine Mount

    Robert, I have a spare 0-200 mount I am not going to use. Give me the e-mail address you would like me to sent a photo to. Tony Miami, Fl. VariEze N297TV
  3. Frank, I will be out there on Saturday morning. When flying into TMB request 9-Right and taxi to Spot 14 after you land. I have a hanger there we can meet at. What time do you anticipate arriving at ? Tony VariEZe / N297TV Miami, Fla.
  4. Ghost

    Varieze History

    Robert, Congrats on your new project; the uglier the better I say. Sure it’s a lot of work and I agree (as I am sure you do) that safety should not be compromised, so it will take quite a bit of effort to get your project in the air; but it will be that much more satisfying when you finish. You’re in luck if you need technical advice and or assistance in Central Florida, Bob Setzer is located in Lakeland. He has a beautiful VariEZe with a custom boat-tail cowling, powered by a Continental 0-200. Bob is currently building what he calls the “A-Solution,” an amazing plane that incorporates many of the positive aspects of the Long-EZ and Berkut aircraft. Bob is a master craftsman, with several composite aircraft builds under his belt. I personally have taken him a couple of parts from my aircraft (VariEZe) to get some advice and direction and he has always been extremely helpful. You can find him on this site. Good Luck Tony Miami, Fl. VariEZe ( Re-build )
  5. I have a Marvel-Schebler #10-48941 carburetor on my Continental 0-200. When staring the engine, if I move the throttle full-forward, gas pours out of the Carb. I am also having some problems with my mixture, so I have opted to rebuild the Carb before I start any taxi testing. I have surfed the web looking for a place to re-build the Carb, but all I have found are places willing to replace it for $950.00 Ouch ! I agree will everyone that says, it’s one of the key components you don’t want to skimp on, and if push comes to shove I will pay the bounty for the replacement Carb; however I can’t help but wonder if there is a place out there that will rebuild my existing Carb for a more modest price. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Tony Utset Miami, Fla. VariEZe N297TV
  6. Bob, Is your intention to build an aircraft using the same method used by Velocity in which 2 halves are put together ? The reason I ask is Velocity has a top and bottom mold, the photos you posted makes it look like yours is comprised of 3 or 4 pieces to build the fuselage. Looks very Berkutish, is the A-Solution going to have a split canopy and be full RG ? Tony VariEZe N297TV Miami, Fl.
  7. Rebel, I installed the same antenna in my VariEZe. I am still in the Re-building phase, so I haven’t flown with it yet. I did however connect it to my hand held ICOM, and it worked fine. The antenna looks like is should work very well in our applications, however it was designed for Ultralights. The instructions are very clear on the fact that you need to avoid all metal and electrical wires. I did my best at minimizing this concern during my installation put I could not avoid the antenna from going behind the battery. I hope that’s not the cause of your problem, because if it is, I am going to have the same problem. Please post something when you figure out the problem. Ghost
  8. After extensive research, and a lot of input from the members of this forum. I modified the Gear Warning on my VariEZe after a GA pilot friend on mine sat in my aircraft. It started with a simple question, “Is this a full RG?” I explained that it was a partial RG in that the nose wheel retracted. He then asked wear the GREEN light was indicating the gear was down. Obviously ( following Rutan Plans ) we don’t have one; I explained that we do have a gear warning system, and I pointed out the sight glass used for visual confirmation of the gear both up and down. He agreed the sight glass was very good; but he noted that the gear warning system was limited in that it only provided feedback to the pilot if you did something wrong, and or forgot something ( like lowering your nose gear ). I was a little lost, because I though that’s what a gear warning as supposed to do, WARN you if something was in fact wrong. My friend ( very experienced pilot 5K flight hours in he can’t remember how many different aircraft ) said it is supposed to warn you of a problem, but it should also reinforce, and provide feedback when something is correct. He went on to explain the multiple checks used to verify the gear is down. 1) Check List ( Don’t just say it, do it ) 2) Sound ( Listen for the knock when it locks in place ) 3) Visual ( Mirrors, Sight Glass if available ) 4) Electrical Indicator ( Little Green Light ) I appreciated the lesson, and we talked about the time tested GUMP check commonly used in the aviation community before landing. We looked at the current gear warning set up ( Rutan ) an identified a way to incorporate a Green light that would turn on when the gear was locked down. It sounds like the aircraft you were flying doesn’t have any type of warning system, if that’s the case, I hope you consider installing one with both a Red and Green indicator, not to mention an annoying buzzer. Good Luck, Ghost
  9. Roger, Are you flying out of TMB, or X-51 ? Ghost
  10. Luis, Welcome to the pain factory. I am almost in the same boat you are, I purchased a "Re-build" VariEZe less engine and Instruments, and I had ( Still Have ) some damage that needs to be repaired. The process is slow and sometimes painful, but every once and a while you complete something that make it all worth while. Stick with it and remember every screw you install is one less, and one step closer to getting into the air. Best of luck, Ghost VariEZe N297TV Miami, Fla.
  11. The time has come to build my new ailerons. I had one destroyed in a hanger accident, and it’s my understanding I would be better off building a matched pair. I’ve done a bit of homework on this topic, and my research has yielded the following findings: 1) The VariEZe ailerons are somewhat tricky to balance, trailing edge often below waterline. 2) They are often times built heavy, do to extra weight added to leading edge to balance them. 3) I haven’t been able to identify a “Max Weight.” Which is interesting because how would someone come to the conclusion that they were heavy? 4) Travel should be 20° UP, and 22° DOWN. Taking these notes into considerations, I have opted to build the ailerons out of Carbon Fiber. While the cost is unquestionably higher, the light weight should make balancing a snap. Note: That was a joke of course; nothing in aviation is a snap. The really good news is that I have a friend here in Fla. with a CNC foam cutter that is going to cut the cores for me. I was going to go with Eureka, be I know he is very busy. With a little luck, I will shoot a short video of the process. Any input, and or tips would be greatly appreciated. Ghost VariEZe N297TV Miami, Fla.
  12. Sean, I am looking for a set of ailerons; are the ones on the wills available ? Thank you, Tony ( Ghost ) Utset N297TV Miami, Fl.
  13. Joe, Thank you for the reply, your advice and direction is very much appreciated. I don’t know how much of a design difference there is between the original plates, the Roncz plates, and the Long EZ elevator plates, but I plan on comparing them to ensure they are compatible prior to replacing the corroded ones. If I can’t find a set of original replacement plates. I can have a set Water-Jet cut near my home airport, for a modest price. Obviously the Cozy Girl ones would be optimal if they fit. I will add some photos as the repair progresses, thanks again for the input. Ghost
  14. I have been working on my VariEZe ( rebuild ) project On-and-Off for the past 3 years. Everything is stored on the side of my house, under a covered roof. This weekend, an inspection of the canard reveled significant corrosion on the Elevator Hinge Plates. The plates were painted (prior to my purchase) and the corrosion took it’s toll on the plates under the paint. I could clean it up, put I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who could give me an accurate number as to how much is too much ? as it pertained to the depth of the corrosion. I checked the plans, and a repair looks very do-able by cutting out the old plates ( I am thinking with a small cutting wheel ) and floxing in a new set of plates. The problem is, where do I get the new plates ? The Long EZ plates don’t appear to be the same. Additionally, any feedback from anyone that may have made a similar repair would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, I will include pictures on my next post. Ghost VariEZe N297TV Miami, Fl.
  15. The purpose of getting an oil breather/separator as I understand it is two fold. 1) The obvious is to efficiently vent the crank case. Efficiently, because this process does displace oil, and can be very messy, the properly installed breather vents with minimal mess. An added benefit are reduced oil leaks; I have read a few articles on the web in which a properly installed oil breather can reduce oil leaks by significantly reducing the pressure in the case. 2) The second purpose is to recover the oil that is lost during the venting process. I will agree that there are combustion by-produces (Drew) in the oil, and obviously some moisture that no one is interested in introducing into their respective engines, but the separator/breather process doesn’t add any of these, they are already circulating in the engine. A well tuned engine will burn a small amount of oil per flight hour. We can choose to let it blow-out (LongEZDave) and replace it as needed, or we can attempt to recover it, and add oil less frequently. If your not using an oil breather / separator, how do you know how much oil your engine is really burning ? A percentage is undoubtedly being kicked out during the venting process. Coyote, thanks for the description of your install, and the great photos; just an observation, is it possible that your install may be experiencing a pressure lock ? If the engine vent line and the oil return line are connected to the same place, wouldn’t the pressure venting from the crank case keep the recovered / separated oil from returning to the engine? The feedback to my inquiry has been exceptional, thank you all, and I look forward to posting photos of my installation once completed. Ghost
  16. Drew, Thank you for the feedback. I am installing the (according to Spruce) Rutan designed experimental Oil Breather Separator. Homebuilders Oil Breather/Separator (PN 10570) These 4 inch diameter reservoirs have beaded outlets for 5/8" I.D. hoses and a mounting flange for easy firewall attachment. These units are of a new, improved design and the reservoir body is now a spun aluminum bowl for optimum performance. The oil separators minimize oil loss and allow free breathing of the engine. They are recommended for experimental aircraft use only and are not STCd for any certificated aircraft. I am not too concerned with the venting/outlet line, the original builder of my VariEZe very cleanly glassed in a vent tube into the cowling to the back near the prop. As mentioned before I am more interested in identifying what the best place to connect the Oil Return line. Being that I currently have my oil kidney off (due to an unrelated modification) I was thinking of banging a small flat spot on the oil filler tube, drilling a hole, and screwing in a 90 or 45 degree fitting. The flat spot will facilitate the opportunity for me to screw a nut on the back of the fitting creating a tight leak (with a gasket or O-Ring) resistant seal. The fact that I have the oil kidney off, will allow me to recover the nut that I inevitably will drop several times during the process. I saw a similar (simple) method with a thick ring-clamp with a hole in it, holding the fitting in place, very similar to the method used to hold an exhaust gas temperature probe in place. Any feedback before I drill would be greatly appreciated. Ghost
  17. I have a Continental 0-200 on my VariEZe project. I recently purchased an Oil Breather Separator from Spruce. I am researching the different options for installing the oil return line. I saw one install the drills a hole in one of the valve covers, and you tap in a fitting. Another technique drills a hole in the oil fill tube. I am interested in what techniques used by this forum have yielded the best results. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Ghost
  18. Joe, Check "YOUTUBE.COM" they have some excellent on-line videos that show you how to make various molds. They also show you how to vacuum bag afterwards to obtain quality results. A couple of the videos are long, but they go through the step-by-step process init's entirety. Ghost
  19. I saw a neat trick once; I was up north (New Jersey) attending a Formation Flying Seminar. A Long EZ driver, after his aircraft was outside on a very cold night, took what looked like a cheap hair dryer, stuck it in the cowling and turned it on for 30 min. He told me it won’t get hot enough to damage anything, and the engine will kick right up once everything is toasty warm. If I recall correctly, he stuffed his cover in the rear of the cowling to increase the heating effect of the blow dryer. Obviously this requires an extension cord and the availability of an outlet, but it seamed like a novel idea, and it did work, after he warmed things up, the engine kicked over in 3 turns using the starter. Ghost
  20. Bill, I am sure if you had the manual you would have already looked. That being said, I have attached the Operating Limits page from the 0-200 manual. There are a lot of guys on this blog that can help you diagnosis your problem, if you have one. You haven't posted what your current temperatures are? They may very well be within limits. Assuming that they are out of limit, (high or low) for an attempt at a proper diagnosis, you are going to need to post additional information on your configuration, the maintenance history, fuel, Oil grade, P-51 or NACA. Operating conditions, Altitude, Air Temperature, air density, operating weights, type prop, static RPM, cruise RPM. Post that information, and I am confident the Guru's on this blog will collectively be able t point you in the right direction to get you back within limits. Rule of Thumb: If you were initially within limits, back-track to the last thing that changed mechanically, or operational wise. If you're like me working on a new install, it's obviously a little more difficult. Good luck with your project, I hope the attachment was helpful. Ghost
  21. SPG, Point well taken on the cooling issue; it was a primary consideration during the installation. Although I have to admit I was more concerned with the regulator over heating due to its proximity to the engine, I didn’t give any consideration to the regulator its self heating up and possibly damaging the spar. You can’t really tell from the photo, but there is an almost ¼ inch gap between the voltage regulator and the spar. The method I used will allow me to add a couple of washers behind the regulator increasing the gap and the cooling, not to mention protecting the spar from the hot regulator. Thanks to your input, I may consider adhering a strip of adhesive backed heat barrier material between the regulator and the spar, for that added layer of protection, if I can find a thin one. If the H/B material is too thick it will defeat the purpose of having the gap behind the regulator. What can I say, Experimentation….. Ghost
  22. SPG, Thanks to your help, I figure out how to load photos again. As mentioned earlier, I used your technique to mount my Voltage regulator and capacitor. I fluxed in the studs, then covered them with 2 layers of glass. I thought you might be interested in seeing how it turned out. Ghost
  23. SPG, I used your technique for mounting my regulator and capacitor, thank you for the idea. B&C said id should be mounted on the opposite side of the firewall, however like you, I am confident this will work. It appears you’re also using a B&C Specialty 200G alternator. I have a have a question for you on how it works for you on your panel. I followed the instructions, and they indicate that the light turns on when the system isn’t charging. My light turns off when I flip the switch with the engine off, thus not generating power, I think the light should remain on. Ghost
  24. SPG, Your Warning Lights diagram is exactly what I was looking for. I just installed a B&C Starter and Alternator on my VariEZe project. I also re-configured my panel. I am interested in comparing notes, can you e-mail me a copy of your wiring diagrams? I am interested in seeing how you mounted your Buses. Ghost
  25. I agree with your philosophy that the systems should be independent. The VariEZe wiring diagram is very rudimentary ( early 1970's ) design, and it has worked well for a lot o EZ drivers out there; but I think all will agree it's an old design with room for improvement. I am incorporating the Long EZ wiring diagram that includes a "Defeat" momentary button; after all during an emergency I am sure you can do without the extra distraction of an audible alarm ringing in the cockpit. I haven’t had the opportunity to look at the Cozy Canopy/Gear alarm system; but I will add it to me research be for completing the wiring.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information