A Bruce Hughes

To find a canard owner/builder/wanta-be: (1) Join the Canard Owners & Builders Association; they send a directory each Jan. to members; it costs $39 per year; see https://canardowners.com (2) contact Ed Lovrien at 406-549--5559 He lives in Montana (3) contact David Orr. I will have to post the address for him after I send this. He runs a mailing newsletter that covers the U.S. and a few other countries. It comes monthly. A. Bruce Hughes

There were so many things you did not say in your original post......Is cost a factor? Safety? I have 2 aircraft, a Longeze and an Ercoupe. I'm a VERY low time pilot. The Ercoupe, in an emergency, can be landed almost anywhere without killing yourself. You can see more than some aircraft. Yes it is slow. I fly where an emergency will end in trees or downtown Olympia or the freeway or Puget Sound or ? The Longeze gives a good view for the pilot but almost NO view for the passenger. Do you ever carry anyone? They probably could not land it if YOU had a problem. And they will not do well if there is nothing but trees or a city below. My Longeze was bought so I could fly from Maui to Kauai to see my family; it would float if there was a problem.

That diagram is from the RAF design but it was not a kit. I bought the plan from RAF about 1995, made all of the parts, installed it, then wondered why the hell I did all of that work as i don't plan to fly at night. It took a looooooooooooooooong time to do all of that work. When LEDs became available, I upgraded just in case I want to sell it to somebody more daring. It does work and the parts in your picture look like the plans. If you go ahead with the project, you need to do it while you can still turn the fuselage over. I built a framework that would hold the fuselage right side up or upside down and could be moved around anywhere in my 2 car garage. Good luck.

Zach: Thank you VERY much for your reply. in early April I am sorry that this will be long. Currently I am on Maui because it is safer (long story) and I own this house anyway. My wife is tired of bein here. I get my 2nd vaccination for the virus in mid-march so I probably will be at my hangar in early April. I have a shaping problem that I must do between the top cowl and the rear of the fuselage/wing. I have a plugin for an electric seat but I have not tried it yet. My test pilot did. I have been planning to use the system that Hollister uses; you must know him. It should not take long to make the change. Anyway I have a large battery due to weight/balance (I am not a very big guy). The problem with Hollister's system is finding any way to get the pipes through the firewall which is already full of fuel system, wires (about 15 by rough guess), and control cables and tube. I still have to get legal again so the Ercoupe will be flying when I can. Two buddies fly with me sometime. So I will let you know when I get back if you send a phone number. I guess I can get that on this website. Bruce

I learned of a lot of "good" changes to "improve" the Longeze. Did some of them. Took so long to do them that I never had the time to fly my Ercoupe. So when my test pilots finished testing the Longeze, I (1) had to do the medical thing that the FAA instituted; took 2 entire days (2) had to fly the Ercoupe with my buddy who is a CFI; got a few flights done (3) had one more good change to improve the Longeze; it is too cold for the epozy (4) Had to avoid the cold weather one more winter and got trapped on Maui for over a year (I own this house) by the virus epidemic. So now I am too old to fly, need to finish the BFR, and have the Longeze at OLM while I sit on Maui. You Know, it is better to fly the thing when you are young enough to fly and avoid some of those "Good" changes to the Longeze

There are 2 or 3 lessons in this. Some years ago my Longeze was ready to fly after I fixed all of the things that Marc found to be wrong with it. Two friends of mine were VERY experienced and did all of the flying for me. I would say that I was in the back seat but that would have been illegal by FAA rules. One liked the Longeze so much that HE BOUGHT HIS OWN. He invited me to go "help" pick it up. I had no idea how I could help. It was in Tennesssee a couple of thousand miles away. It was a beautiful, well done airplane with absolutely no provision to comfortably seat a passenger of any size. He flew it once and paid. I told them I could not fly in the CRAPPY back seat so they cut a sheet of plywood for some back support for me. On a scale of 1 to 10 it became a 3 after being a 1 or less. He check at the local, large airport and they had NO sectionals from there to Washington. The Longeze had an autopilot so he set up the autopilot. Next morning we started, landed to get gas and find sectionals. SORRY, they had none. On the second landing, my buddy landed, parked, got out and cranked the nose gear MOST of the way down; then went to buy sectionals. I started to climb out but the nose suddenly dropped to the pavement. O! I knew we had a problem; I had done the same stupid thing before anyone had told me. BUT I HAD TOLD HIM; don't put the nose most of the way down; it HAS TO BE either up or down. So the RAF metal gear was stripped. We borrowed some tools and I went to work. After some time we had the nose gear down and bolted in place. We had 1300 miles to go with the nose gear down. If you are a new guy building your own Longeze, take the damn RAF gear out and either (1) get a sturdy one from Cozy Girrrls or (2) Contact Wilhelmson for an electric gear. Either way you will spend some money but you will not have to fly 1300 miles with the nose gear down. Next problem: he landed in Idaho at a good but short runway for gas. He was used to landing on OLM's 5200' runway. Running out of runway, he turned on the cross runway. Broke a runway light and the wheel pants. Got some gas and I carried the remains of the wheel pants back to OLM in my lap. The rating for the back seat had gone from a 3 out of 10 to a 2 out of 10 but we survived. IF you are a new guy: (1) get an electric nose gear or contact the Cozy girrrls (2) fix the crappy backseat so an average human can sit in it (3) take a few tools just in case.

Welcome to the group. I suggest that you join the "Canard Owners and Builders". It is a group of about 1000, many of which are just wanting to build or just starting to build. We have a32 page newsletter (now in color) for $39 in the U.S. ! don't know about outside. The newsletter comes 4 times per year. I assume we get the directory in Jan. which was the usual practice in the past. There is more info on https://canardowners.com The directory will list several members who are ourside the U.S.: British, French, Australian. Also see https://facebook.con/Central States Association. The guys really running the editing and printing get a lot os news and suggestions but the change to color is very recent. My particular copy is quite damaged by the USPS but I can read most of it. The first 26 pages are VERY good compared to the black and white ones done for many years. Back issues of several quarters are still available from Terry Schubert.

I put internal bellhorns in a Longeze. The aluminum tube worked but was not exactly straight. I wonder how long the hole would be in the Varieze? Maybe I can suggest a different aluminum source for the drill.

Please do not consider Imron; it is for PROFESSIONAL auto painters who have professional equipment with inflowing air. It is very toxic. Companies that sell any chemical, including paints are REQUIRED by federal law to furnish any customer a MSDS document. It will tell you all of the hazards such as inhalation, skin exposure, etc.

You did not give your age or where you live. What you would have to do will take years. You should go to Marc Z's list of available Cozy aircraft. See if you can afford one of those that is flying or near flying. Also join the CSA; you get a directory and can see who lives nearby and how to contact them. Check with David Orr; he keeps track of many aircraft and often has looked at them. I weigh 166 and would like a little more room. I also put a nose gear retraction system in. At your weight, it would be important. Are you 5'0" or 6'6" ? Can you almost play NFL football or are you a couch potato ? Can you work on it in warm weather much of the year or do you have 1 month of good weather? Mine is in a hangar at OLM Olympia washington state and I can get the hangar about 4 degrees warmer than the outside; you have to build a box around the aircraft to get epoxy to set properly.

Andrew and others: "there is a 1 inch diameter hole" is NOT true on my Longeze. I had difficulty in passing wiring to the wings. The entire structure on my project was built by a guy in southern California so he may have deviated from the plans or ................ I think I am not mistaken,at least on MY aircraft. I very carefully searched for any opening through which I could pass wires. Yes, there is a hole BUT there ALSO is a baffle inside the main spar. Is my airplane unique? I don't think so. The only exits that I know of would be where the wires for the rudder control go through the firewall, tiny spaces for many 12 vdc wires, many sensor lines, the fuel line, the primer line, the "hell hole" access door underneath, and the gear spaces. Altogether that is a LOT.

See if you can find someone with Debbie's booklet. I am away from home so cannot give you the way to order one. It may not be available now as it was written years ago. I think her name was Iwatate. The booklet has several neat things to do.

Does not work for me either.

Congratulations ! It looks great.

Here we have an excellent example of all of the things someone can do to get a really crappy picture..... (1) lighting (2) background (3) clutter

I bought packages of FIBERGLASS CLOTH at Walmart. I did not see mat there. Maybe I missed it but I don't have to start immediately; I can check. I probably will just return the packages of fiberglass cloth. Monday I will go to Fiberglass Hawaii and get fiberglass TAPE and the milled fiber. Bruce

Hi Kent Thanks for the email. The mesh that I got from McMaster-Carr is polyester with individual threads that are 0.016" with a fairly fine mesh (11 x 11) which looked OK on their website. I just hope it is strong enough. I think I will have no choice except to use the matt. HOWEVER I see that the matt label suggests that I use Bondo resin. That means another trip downtown because I have epoxy on hand. I may not be able to bond to the polyester; I ran into that problem once already. Anyway I have three of them and the net is 6' wide and 10' long so that is a lot of edge to get the matt on. I thought that was a cheap way to get the avocados controlled. But the shipping to Maui was as much as the cost of the 3 rolls of net. Paradise has some problems. I don't have much choice; in 3 or 4 weeks the avocados will start to fall. About food for sloths; google up Megatherium (I hope that is spelled right). That giant was in "South America, possibly farther north". Yes there are bones of that thing along the Rio Grande. I once had a girlfriend who once lived on the river and used a jaw bone for a doorstop. The animal was very large. Bruce

Jason, that is a wonderful idea. I think the project will go faster that way.

Thank you VERY much Jason and Marc. OK, the weight will not matter so I can fix the nets. Fiberglass Hawaii can ship by surface; I will check with ASSC on shipping cost which can be considerable to Maui. Now the problem is getting it all done; it is hot here in anytime after the sun comes up. Bruce

Hi Guys Due to the virus, I am stuck on Maui until a vaccine is available. I am much too old to "chance it" . We have had 1 or 2 virus cases in the last week or two. YES, Maui because, I was a Hawaii state employee for years and own this home. Usually we live in my wife's house from April 1st to late November. I guess I will get back to KOLM in the Spring (I hope). The Longeze is sitting there. The problem: I must make some flox. I can buy most of what I need from Fiberglass Hawaii Maui but they just carry "milled fibers". I am pretty sure those are glass, as I have the same thing in my hangar at OLM. I also have cotton fibers at OLM but I cannot find the order number to get some from ASSC. My brain is much older than yours so I cannot remember how I ordered the cotton fiber I used to make flox. I always just turned to the right page in the catalog. My references are all in the hangar and I am over 2500 miles away. IF you are curious: I have a large lot with trees. One is an Avocado tree that is close to 50' high. Around mid November the avocados will start falling. At my age I am not going to climb a 50' tree to harvest several dozen avocados. So i have a plan: a net to catch them. They fall with enough force that twice an avocado has broken a windshield; I have told my renter to not park under the tree. I have 3 nets that I will arrange under the tree. I got those from MacMaster-Carr and got nets that are resistant to UV. HOWEVER I found that the fine material (Polypropylene?) has NO edging. So I must make a strong edge of fiberglass and/or a strip of lumber. I have epoxy and hardener but no cotton fiber. I guess I could use the "milled fiber" that Fiberglass Hawaii has in stock. Don't really know how that would work. I have a few tall vertical metal pipes already in cement to hold the edges. And limbs and ropes will hold some edges. These are LARGE avocados. In good years I get close to 100 of them and every one is smashed when they hit the ground, the concrete driveway, or my renter's car. They fall from 10' to 50'. Potentially I can sell them (if they are not damaged) to a Mexican restaurant in Makawao. I am just afraid that a dozen will fall in one day and destroy my net. And the fall from Thanksgiving to late January. BTW I am at 1200'. The poor guys at sea level are getting temperatures of 90 to 94 every day. Yes, even in late October. They had 4 or 5 record days in the last 30 days. Thanks for reading this far.

Hi John I am about 5'7" and 166 lb. I finished a project a few years ago. I worried about that question all of the time I was working. Finally I got 2 guys that were good pilots to get the hours flown off and get some feel and numbers done. FINALLY I went, as a passenger, with one guy to an airport with a restaurant. No trouble getting in because I had a plastic ladder at OLM and he put it in the hangar. Good lunch. Now how to get in without the plastic ladder? It was near impossible and your wife is shorter!. Finally, when I was hanging on the headrest, he pushed my butt. I guess you can push her butt but she is shorter. OK, I ordered a Wilhelmson retraction/extention unit. I installed it. That almost killed the project; it ain't easy and I nearly gave up. The large bolt which the nose gear swings on, was frozen in. Using an electric saw, I cut it; then had two pieces still frozen in place. So I cut the bolt on the opposite side. The only way that I finished was to find a superior blade for the saw; ordinary blades just are not strong/sharp enough to do the job. So then I got it installed but had a lot of trouble with the wiring. Finally Mr. Wilhelmson saved my butt with the wiring problems. So , when it was finished, I set the Longeze with the nose about 8 or 10 inches off the ground, climb in the front, climb over to the back, and sit down. My buddy raised the nose a little more and climbed in, then raised the nose completely, straped in, checked ATIS, started, etc, It works very well. BTW my buddy liked the Longeze so well that he bought his own! It had flown some hours, already. I went with him by commercial. On the way back he knew how I had set the nose 8 inches off the ground so he did the same while I was in the back seat. He was outside; when I shifted my weight, the RAF nose gear stripped several teeth. UGGH. I had the necessary experience as I had done the same stripping years before on my Longeze. So we got the nose off the ground, borrowed tools, and bolted it in place; he had to fly 800 miles with the nose gear extended. So get a Wilhelmson unit and install it; get an experienced builder to help or you will have months of work. If you are lucky, the large bolt will slide right out. If you don't make stupid mistakes like I did, it is a simple job. OR get a STRONG nose gear part from the Cozy girrrls and fix the damn RAF nose mechanism the way it should have been done in the 1st place. Bruce

I bought a project that was pretty far along; all of the structure was complete. The guy was selling because his wife was pregnant so he needed more time at home. I think the kid was born 6 mo. after I got it home and the kid is in graduate school now. Well the Longeze is about finished

Sounds like a way to CHEAT the customer. I got similar treatment on a car (that shop is now longer in business so I think they were desperate for money when I drove in).

I applied for a hangar space at OGG (Kahului Maui). Waited many years Finally got the space BUT I was told that the airplane MUST be airworthy. I was working on it so I had to pass. That airport is run by the state of Hawaii. All that they care about is (1) incoming airliners (2) Helicopters (5 or 6 companies) (3) private jets belonging to the Microsoft crowd

On the CSA: The DIRECTORY that you get in January is worth more than the annual cost of the newsletter. What if you happen to land in Wink, Texas, Searchlight, CA, or Madras, OR; if you keep the newest directory in the canard, you can look through the directory to see if someone lives around there and might help. We all have some epoxy, etc. I remember when some canard owner TOOK A PART off of his airplane to get a guy home (the guy sent the part back by UPS or Fedex or some way. Terry S. also started the "canard taxi" system which lists some guys that an get you home in the directory. In each newsletter there is a listing around page 20 of the state representatives. So, if you are down in some far away state, you probably can just call the state rep. He will know of canard guys that may not even be in the directory.