Voidhawk9

1. Long-Ez plans from the TERF CD, referencing the layup schedule and tape thickness. 2. Open-EZ drawings (Rev5 I believe), measured DIGITALLY. 3. Cozy digital M-drawings from here: http://www.cozybuilders.org/cad_files/Cozy_MKIV_M-Sup_1.2_Draft.pdf Again, measured DIGITALLY, so no printer distortion. But don't take my word for it! Check for yourselves and I'll be happy if you can show me where I'm wrong.

Open-Ez and Long-Ez are supposed to be the exact same design. I'm not building one (I have an Aerocanard project).

I measured the spar-cap troughs in the templates. This doesn't take into account the shear webs, but that is the same case for the Cozy anyway. For the Long, the spar caps are defined in the plans as the number of plies, for the 'old' .038" thick tape. I will attach my data & some visualization graphs here. I'd be happy for anyone to review my numbers and see if I've gone wrong somewhere! spar_cap_comparison.pdf

I've been studying spar caps in various canards (for my own education), and I expected to find that the Open-Ez wing spar caps would be the same as in the Long-Ez plans - but they are not, they are substantially thicker. Almost the same as a Cozy wing, in fact (Nat claimed in the Cozy newsletters that the spar caps and shear webs were made 25% thicker than <something not specified - Long? Cozy III? [isn't that the same as a Long?]> but that does not seem to be entirely accurate either.) I'm looking at the Long plans from the TERF CD - did the spar caps get 'upgraded' in the CPs, or is the Open-Ez designed for higher G-loads?

That big space-heater in the sky has been warming the workshop regularly, so I've been able to sneak out there and get a little done each day. Did more yesterday (plane day!), got the outside of the shoulder support glassed at last (and the seat belt reinforcements on top), as well as some tapes elsewhere. Used a tarp over the tub (and heat) to help the cure, rather than setting up the whole tent. Worked fine. Part of my delivery yesterday was some double-bias cloth. It's stitched at +/-45, and weighs just a little more than double what BID does. I'm going to run some of the roll through the band-saw to create some 2" wide rolls. Easy '2-BID' tape! Much faster to prep, the plies can't shift, and I can get long lengths as it is not restricted by the width of the BID roll. I had obtained a sample of the stuff a while back and tested its suitability, and it conforms to corners for taping just fine. (In fact, my supplier offers the same cloth in 2" tape, but it costs 2x as much and it is exactly the same stuff, but cut at their facility rather than mine!)

I'm using a little for some small parts, 2mm I think is the thickness I have. Makes for a nice stiff part, where just glass isn't quite enough without a bunch of plies, which would be heavier.

Nice idea, easy and light, too. Maybe with a coremat core it would be stiffer, that might be easier and lighter than a sheet of foam (once you take into account the slurry in the surface and so on), depending on the details. And more accepting of being screwed through without crushing perhaps.

Losing a wing is tough - not much you can do with that. Also, very unusual for a canard type to lose a wing, I hope there is enough remaining to definitively determine why. Lance et al were keen to emphasize that the aircraft was very different from a Long, so perhaps there is something there... hopefully lessons will be learned that will make us all better off somehow.

https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Jet-Eze-Builder-Killed-In-Crash-231472-1.html

I suspect most canard folks were at some point (or still are!)! They tend to be hard to come by, though.

The title says it all! Just had a delivery, 30m of glass and 5kg of epoxy. I have everything but the foam to build the canard and center spar, now. Also received some vacuum bagging tape... Naturally, after unpacking and storing it, I had to spend a bit of time on the project itself. Deliveries are great motivation! Tomorrow, I plan to trim the parts for the aft heat duct (currently glassed on one side and rough-sized) and flox 'em together. The day after, add seatbelt tube and shape the outside corners. Build on!

I also prefer -where possible- to fly a power-off approach from downwind. It offers an almost sure glide to the runway, is faster, more fun, and uses less fuel to boot! And most of my flying is in spam cans, it still works fine, it just doesn't take as long! Actually, some types I have flown glide more like a Space Shuttle than a Cozy, and any opposing wind on base will put you short unless you fly a very tight circuit (which was typically not possible at the busy controlled airport I was operating from at the time). Of course, doing this you quickly good get at correctly spacing your downwind, timing, and energy management. It seems common, especially in low-time pilots, to fly A380 sized circuits. No way you are going to make the runway from almost any point on that pattern!! Similar deal flying cross-country. I always have a landing strategy. It can be quite difficult over here in NZ, as most of the country is considered mountainous, and there are few runways! There are a lot of ag-plane strips on hillsides if you know how to spot them - not an ideal location obviously, but the steep uphill grade will slow you down fast if you don't misjudge the approach. Otherwise, there are usually flat-ish streams and riverbeds in valleys... I prefer to fly high for more options, which will work well for low-drag types like canards. I have only flown a handful of times in the last 8-9 years (change of career) but fly my desktop simulator every day (working with desktop sims is my new 'career'). Each time I have flown since (VFR and IFR) has gone really well, even greasing the landings despite the years between real flights. A good sim, while never as good as the real thing, can be very useful for maintaining skills and practicing procedures (normal and emergency) if used appropriately. It might be interesting to obtain a damaged or retired canard and set it up as a ground-based sim. Does anyone think there could be value in that?

Nice! I'd like a lightweight taildragger like that someday... But for now, I've got the Need for Speed. ?

Hi Jon, What are you building?

Hi Johan, If you could include some photos of what you have, some of the experienced guys here can probably make some suggestions for you. Genuine Long plans are fairly popular!

Sounds like an interesting build, Mike. My 'Not Quite So Cozy' is wider and longer than stock as well - just finishing up the fuselage tub now. It is true what they say, make one change and the change affects so many other things! I don't mind, that's half the fun to me.

Interesting. Does it respond well to varying pressure?

Thanks for that. I'll keep it small and light then, or reconsider simply ducting the warm air from behind the rad. I won't be carving it up, just an outlet on each side, perhaps 1" diameter. I intend to have a small duct off the inlet diffuser to provide the pressure. The inlet will be a ram-air type suitable for feeding the radiator, not a NACA duct.

Two things for context, first: I'm part-way through building the rear heat-duct, so if I want to have heat from here to the back seat area, now would seem to be the time to install provision for this. I'm installing a liquid-cooled engine, so will be able to install an automotive style heat exchanger for cockpit heat. I'll also be using this duct for cool air, and varying the temperature by varying the coolant flow through the heat exchanger, much as it is commonly done in a car. I considered simply ducting air from behind the radiator, P-51 style, but I can't be sure there would be enough heat for warming the cockpit of a 4-place. But I'm not there yet, just working on the heat duct! Has anyone made any provision to supply heat to the back-seat area from the heat duct? I have not come across anything in my research, yet. I was thinking about installing vents in the side of the heat duct near where it meets the seatback support (for the front seat), aimed forward under the front seatback area. With the aforementioned heat exchanger, there will be plenty of heat available, so no concerns about a lack of heat for the front seat area. I plan to have the cockpit air outlet aft, so the warm air should then flow back over the back seat passengers. Any suggestions, recommendations, or prior experience, please?

You'd need a neck injury for that Long not to turn your head!

The dams on the cowl appear to be an idea with good potential. Do you generally get good cooling without much trouble (when the baffles are resting correctly!)?

I have no insulation in my current workshop at all! Just steel exterior over a wood frame. It's kinda small, too, but it's what I have for now, we will move at some point, probably in a year. Thus my heat-tent is very handy.

Sounds like your workshop temperatures are similar to mine.

While I agree with building airplanes, and not infrastructure, a well planned and efficient 'infrastructure' sure makes building faster and easier! But it doesn't need to be the next wonder of the world, either. Tidy and effective is enough, looks like that is what you are going for, Jon!

Congrats! Do keep us up to date on your progress.