EZ Speed

Hello Michael, this is Andrew... I have been discussing your Cozy MKIV strake kit with you via email.

 

These are old parts.  They have been stored somewhere for 20 years... we don't know how much UV exposure has occurred (were they left outside?), if somebody backed over one of the parts with a pickup truck (crushed foam under glass is well hidden), or if someone sprayed them with an unknown cleaner.  It doesn't take much of an effort to damage any of these parts.  There is more of a risk buying secondhand parts than there is buying new parts.  Therefore, the secondhand parts have significantly less resale value than new parts.

 

Yeah, I said that whoever buys these parts won't have any support.... that is incorrect.  I should have said they won't have support for these old parts.  Aerocad parts built by the Jeff Russell operated Aerocad are no longer supported.  I have spoken with the current Aerocad with questions about an Aerocad main spar that I own.  The current Aerocad was not able to answer my questions since the parts were built previously by the Jeff Russell Aerocad.  I was offered the opportunity to purchase a set of plans, but not an answer.

 

My question to Aerocad was very simple too.... "Where are the hardpoints for the rear seatbelts on an Aerocad main spar built for a Cozy MKIV?"  They are not in the Cozy MKIV plans location... so where are they?  I found them, but does anyone else know where they are?  

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... All the Aerocad parts I own are VERY NICE.  I own a turtleback, a main spar, a set of wings, foam winglet cores, and a set of armrests.  I have done a lot of work with these parts, and everything has worked out very nicely.  No complaints.  Except for the set of armrests... no micro was used for the glass layups on the foam, and they almost completely delaminated during storage.  I fixed them.

Yes, you're correct Andrew. This is what I was trying to convey in my previous post, but I guess I didn't do a good enough job. These ARE old parts. What I wanted builders to take from this, is that the idea of prefab parts or their plans-built project having aged along the way during years of building does not in any way make it less safe, or airworthy, simply because they took longer (20 years) to complete the airplane. I have a Cozy fuselage tub that I started building 18 years ago (1998). It still looks like it was built yesterday, because it was kept in a climate controlled environment. I have no qualms at all finishing and flying that fuselage tub. If parts, or materials are not stored correctly, then they should be inspected closely to see if any damage has occurred due to exposure. Cold is fine. Direct sun (UV) damage is not, and can severely warp and destroy anything left exposed to it. We are in Arizona. The desert will turn anything exposed to it for any length of time into dust. It doesn't care if it's epoxy, rubber, plastic, upholstery, batteries, or skin. 

Your mention of not supporting the older parts is not completely accurate. Old parts, new parts, it doesn't really matter to me. Provided the parts are in good condition and a builder needed guidance on how they install into the airplane, on a case-by-case situation and time permitting, the support would be there to assist them in getting to the finish line. Heck, we all want to see airplanes completed and flying. That's the ultimate goal. We're all in this together my friend, and fellow aviator.

I'm not sure what happened along the way that would create an atmosphere of no-support issues with parts made my Jeff Russell, and parts made after the business changed hands to Al, but that is something that needs to change, and is being worked on as we speak. I worked alongside of Jeff for awhile, and I learned a great deal from him back at the turn of the century. Those were interesting times. I would fully support any parts made back then, as if they were made yesterday. They would simply need a thorough inspection. The installation methods of the parts hasn't changed.

My courtroom comment was just a knee-jerk. Idiots sue because they spill hot coffee in their lap. Evil coffee companies.    Our society is over-sensitized... and way too PC. Ya just gotta be careful out there. Businesses can suffer or fail overnight because of one comment posted via social network. Sad!

Just to be clear. Jeff Russell designed the AeroCanard to help builders get flying years sooner. It was estimated that Cozy-style canard aircraft builder could save about 1000 hours of build time, if they incorporated all of the pre-molded parts from Aerocad. Those hours add up to years.

Jeff developed four different AeroCanard models.

• AeroCanard SB -  (Small Body) This model is an exact molded version of the Cozy MKIV.
• AeroCanard FG -  (Fixed Gear) This model is a widened version of the Cozy MKIV in the rear seat area. And the molded top and turtleback was both wider and taller, to allow for more headroom.
• AeroCanard RG - (Retract Gear) This is the same as the FG model, but has fully retractable main and nose gear systems.
• AeroCanard SX -  This is the newest model that incorporates all the benefits of the FG model, but has a more modern looking upper fuselage area that mimics the look of a pressurized cabin aircraft.

One of my favorite benefits of building a molded kit airplane is the contouring of the airplane is reduced down to a fraction of the time needed to contour a plans-built/scratch built composite aircraft. There is only minimal contouring/blending at the intersections of the adjoining molded parts after they're assembled. Contouring is not always fun, and I've done more than my share of it over the years. The molded parts pop from the mold primed and ready for assembly. They're virtually ready for paint, after a bit of prep work.

As far as the plans fit into all of this... Jeff designed the AeroCanard plans in different formats.

• AeroCanard Plans-Built (scratch-built) plans.
• AeroCanard Kit-Built (molded parts) plans.
• AeroCanard/Cozy supplementary plans for those wanting to incorporate molded parts into a Cozy MKIV.
• 10 DVD set of AeroCanard construction videos featuring Jeff Russell walking a builder through the process.
• All of the full-size "M Drawings" in CAD format.

Finally, the kit depicted in the picture at the beginning of this topic is not a complete AeroCanard kit. It consists of a molded fuselage tub (not sure what model) that can be identified by measuring at the firewall end of the fuselage. A molded "FG" top. Molded wing spars that have the leading edge cores microed to the spars. All of the hot-wired wing and winglet cores. These I'd inspect closely for exposure. If found to be in questionable shape I'd scrap them for new ones. The ones microed to the wing spars can be easily removed, and the spars re-prepped for new foam cores. Side windows, but no canopy bubble. Fresh air naca scoops. AeroCanard molded instrument panel. This is the panel that has the co-pilot side canted slightly for better viewing by the pilot. Molded electrical conduits to fit the contour of the fuselage interior walls. Molded nose cone. Molded front and back seat bottoms. The I-Beams are for assembly of the trailing edge wing cores to achieve a perfectly aligned trailing edge prior to final skinning of the wings.

Whoever buys that kit will save mucho hours of fabrication time.

No, I don't see a canopy under paper, I see the molded fuselage top from AeroCAD.  And yeah I agree, the new cost today is perhaps $10k for those parts... but these are old parts.  The buyer takes a risk with these items, and won't have any "support" from the current owners of AeroCAD.  

 

The way to market these parts is to show a builder that they can save money vs. purchasing the raw materials and building from plans.  Most of us would rather save the money and build from plans.  If we look at the raw material cost to build the items that are for sale, it won't be much more than $4000.  But yeah, $4000 to $5000 is a fair price for the stuff.... it all depends on if anybody wants to buy it.  It would sure save a lot of effort and time, and the secondhand AeroCAD items that I have collected over the years have all been high quality parts.

 

As far as Van's sucking up the energy, yes I think they are the best option for most new builders.  Most RV kits actually get finished.  I suppose that electronic gadgets have sucked up more energy then all the homebuilts on earth put together.  I know a bunch of people whose favorite hobby is to watch TV and play on their phones.  

Be careful here, when you say these are old parts. There are many builders out there that have been building on their project for more than 20 years. What you said implies that their airplane with older composite layups may be structurally inadequate. This is certainly not the case. I don't think is was Gary Hunter, but I once read that composite aircraft have about a 100 year lifespan. If that's true, then these molded AeroCanard parts are still good to go for about another 80 years or so, depending upon how they've been stored. The exposed foam is the only part of this kit that I'd be at all concerned about.

And, the support comment was completely inaccurate, and without merit. AeroCad kits, components, and parts are being supported. Public comments like this can be damaging, and can easily find a person in a courtroom. Tread lightly. These are litigious times that we live in.