CANTERBURY RECREATIONAL AIRCRAFT CLUB

June 2011 Newsletter

President's Report

New Planes and Old Habits

Well one down and one back. It seems to be a trend for the club. In the 4 four years we have had two Rans S6 aircraft we have had both of them airworthy for only around 6 months. There are a number of reasons for this and I have spoken about these over a number of years. But words are never wasted when it comes to club member’s safety and serviceability of our aircraft.

The more we fly the better we think we can do it. But this comes with a caveat. Complacency and familiarity. These can cause pilots to become the subject of incidents.

We must be very careful to be vigilant all of the time. I find it useful - and you might too - to take some time to check myself with the 5x 5 rule we use when entering construction sites. Take 5 paces back from the aircraft and take 5 minutes to think about what you are about to do. Things that we should be thinking of are familiar to us all and pass through our minds usually very quickly. But take the time to think about

  • Do I want to go flying, rather than ‘do I have to?
  • Do I feel well to fly?
  • Is my aircraft fit to fly and has it all the relevant authorities?
  • Have I done any work on the aircraft that should be checked by an IA?
  • Is my preflight regime sufficient or have I been skimming on it of late?
  • Is the weather Ok and will my envelope be stretched by flying today?
  • Is there a lot of traffic around today and which circuits are being flown?
  • Have I sufficient fuel for the flight?
  • Have I informed anyone else of your intentions( clubhouse intentions board)

I am sure there are other things that go through our minds before we fly and I am sure you will make your own list.

Once you are airborne another list comes into play and again we all have our own list and ways of checking them. Checking requires a conscious effort to carry out and we all need to make sure we make the effort. As trouble free hours build up it is only human that we relax our concentration. This little article is just a quick reminder to all of us that the ‘fickle finger of fate’ is waiting out there. We kill it by being aware.

BE AWARE.

 

JOL is now back on line and pristine; its first engine run-up was on 28 May (above) and it's now back in Hanger 1, available for "business as usual". We need to keep it that way. If using the 5x5 rule and going over your list keeps JOL and you safe, then use it every flight.

Mike

Committee:

Minutes

Items of interest from Committee Meeting at Kaiapoi Working Mens Club, June 1st 2011

Aircraft

For JOR and JOL their radios and headsets are to be upgraded both for ease of use and for transmission and reception quality. A GPS is to be purchased to permit instructors to provide training in this secondary navigation aid.

JOZ has been in frequent use with a number of new trike pilots under Doug's instruction flying the aircraft.

Membership

The following new members were accepted by the committee..

  • Paul Davis of Port Levy
  • Jeffrey Ellis of Kaiapoi
  • Brendon Marshall of Christchurch
  • Anthony Greenwood of Christchurch
  • Jazz McNicholl of Christchurch

The treasurer reported the following resignations....

  • G Johnson
  • G Dodd
  • M Nelson
  • D Koubantsev
  • B Bradshaw
  • S Paterson
  • A Chernigovsky

Internet

The Booking System is to be reviewed for ease of use and effectiveness.

There have been some reports of people not getting club emails, Grant is to contact a random sample to determine if a widespread problem exists. Secretary suggests that it is probably just getting filed into people's junk mail folders. (If you suspect that is happening to you, your junk setting may need tuning; would it help if we always put [CRAC] into the subject line? Please let us know.)

"Uniform"

Mike Sheffield has had some Wings badges made up, these are now with Dave Mitchell for distribution at a future ceremony date (likely, Xmas 2011).

Vests and caps are now available with the club logo. Here they are modelled by Mike, who you should contact (president@recwings.com) to arrange your fitting and purchase. The prices are $68.00 inc GST for vests in various sizes, and $21.00 inc GST for one-size-fits-all caps.

Airfield

The new clubhouse is to enter planning phase. Members are invited to send in their ideas to “design a new clubrooms” and a suitable site plan will be published shortly to help with this.

Other

- other items of interest are written up in the relevant sections below.

Coming Events:

  • Weekly Socials - every Friday, Clubhouse.
  • Airspace Workshop - and other stuff. 21 July, 19:00, clubhouse. Our ATO Roger Ward will conduct this "not to be missed" workshop on “NZ Airspace - and other stuff”. Topics include:
    • CH INFO
    • SARTIME
    • Services available on Xcountry
    • "If you get lost" -
    • MAYDAY
    • Flight Planning
    • FISCOM
    • and more.
  • CRAC Open Day 9 July 2011 (if too wet, postponed to 10th) A new date for the Open Day has been set for the 9th and 10th of July, pending Waimakariri District Council approvals.
  • CRAC shack and a clay bird shoot mid-June 2012, Oxford Airstrip.
  • RAANZ AGM is to be hosted this year by CRAC, perhaps combining it with a fly-in, probably the third Saturday in November (19th). Preparations to continue.
  • Dannevirke Flying Club Annual Dawn Fly-in. 19 June 2011, Landing competition on arrival, usual sumptuous breakfast supplied. Venue: Dannevirke Aerodrome
  • Taildragger Day, 17 September 2011, Hastings Aerodrome. Alaskan short take off and landing competition and jail bar bombing.
  • Remembrance Day Airshow, 12 November 2011, The Vintage Aviator Ltd, Masterton Aerodrome.
  • GORE AERO CLUB INC 50th Anniversary 4 - 6 August 2011
    P.O.BOX 267 GORE. 9740 NEW ZEALAND. PHONE (03) 208-5400. FAX (03) 208-5400

    The Gore Aero Club formerly the Southern Districts Aero Club is holding its 50th Anniversary this year. You will have seen the mentions in the “Jetstream” Newsletter and heard people talking about the event.

    The 50 years have been made up of really great years from when it was started till now and we would like you to be part of the celebrations – all past and present and affiliated members are welcome.

    As part of the celebrations we need the many stories which are out there floating around and need to come home on runway 01 and if you have any memorabilia we would also like to display it. If you can write up your stories and send them to the Club, this will be appreciated.

    The Celebration is on the weekend of 4th (for early arrivals) to the 6th (for those who heading home) of August with a dinner on the evening of the 5th starting at 7:00pm with drinks at the Colony Restaurant situated at the Gore Race Course on the Gore Mataura highway.

    The cost is $60-00 a head, with all other donations gratefully received for the Presidents Flying Fund. Please return the acceptance form to the Gore Aero Club P.O. Box 264, Gore no latter than Wednesday 20th July 2011.

    I look forward to seeing you there,
    John Ibbotson (President)


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    Phone Number ………………………… Cell Phone ……………………………


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    Membership Years ………………………………………………………………………


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    How Arriving Aircraft / Car


    Payment Enclosed @ $60-00 per person .....………………………………………


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Newsletter:

Thanks for the submissions, those who have provided them. Of course, we humans are curious creatures (having curiosity, as well as being curiosities) so we are all interested in what others are up to. What are you up to? How is your building going (or what is stalling it), and where have you been to recently? How did the trip go? Got any photos? Did you have any problems and how did you deal with them? Think about it! Photos would be nice, too!

If you have an item for "Coming Events" please include contact details, and a registration form or request for RSVP if you require that.

Advertisements will be accepted, subject to the approval of the Committee, for the on-line newsletter free of charge provided they are from CRAC members, or would be beneficial to members, are aviation-related, take no editorial time to set them up, and have no cost to the club. Enquiries to editor@recwings.com

Editor

Club Captain's Notes:

Our club has a policy of sharing our "Coming Events" lists with other flying clubs throughout the land. To make life easier for organisers, please remember to let them know if you are intending to head their way, especially if they are providing catering, or if you will require transport for fuel, or other support. CRAC is always supportive of its guests, and we find it much easier if we know the numbers and requirements beforehand. We owe it to our hosts, here or in away fields, to help them with their planning by advising our intentions

See you at The Landing Spot where your coffee and ginger biscuit await you as your reward for club-enhancing ideas!

Grant Porter

Statistician's Corner:

What does this mean? Read on!

Your unwilling editor has been charged with attempting to find ways to maintain or even increase, our membership, because we need to use our lovely red aircraft in order to afford having them at all. Believe it or not, the database really is useful. It could (if we had less blanks in date of joining and date of birth) tell us how old (on average) most people are when they join, how long we stay in the club, and where they were at the time.

Based on a perhaps unrepresentative analysis of what database data there is, I reckon we're mostly middle-aged men when we join. New joiners are less frequently women, younger people, or real oldies like me. Only six current members were over seventy when they joined.

A thin sprinkling come from Christchurch and a bigger proportion of locals. But because Christchurch is larger, we actually have the majority of members from there.

Half of us have been members no longer than five years. A third of us less than two years, and half of all new members have gone before that five year mark. Why? What did they lack in their experience with us? Is this typical of other clubs?

Member retention, however important it is, doesn't affect our cash flow the way new memberships do, and until we find out if it's even possible to increase the retention rate, we do need to keep the new chums coming. And only existing members can help with that - the others are long gone! Those who have stayed longest, as you can see, were (obviously) relatively young when they joined - many under 30 then, and all of them under 60. By now they are in the 50-80 age group, but we have recent members who are even older - already!

Additional questions we'd like answers to include: "Why did you join?", "What attracted you to CRAC?", "Why do you stay?". It seems likely that we get many members from GA medical downgrades. What about others who like me spring up from retirement after they've finally beaten the garden into submission? What attracted us? (You'll get my story in a later issue).

If the database was complete, the above chart would be a more reliable guide. A reminder on how to help (more detailed steps were in the May 2011 newsletter):

  1. Log into www.recwings.com
  2. Click Members List under Members Tools/Info to get the member list.
  3. Click update your own details online in the blue box.
  4. First time user? Click "Get identity Code", select your own name and wait for your emailed code.
  5. If you already have an "Identity Code" key it into the Identity Code field and click Edit.
  6. Update your data and click Save.

CFI's CORNER with Dave Mitchell

Instructors' meeting

An instructors meeting held on the 31st of May was very well attended, indeed a “full muster”.

Wings Ceremony

The committee has now had a supply of Wings Badges made up, and these will be awarded to those who have earned their wings, probably at our next Xmas Gathering,

Incident

No doubt, the topic of conversation lately has been - “What happened to JOR?”

Well. the caa005 Occurrence Report I submitted read thus - “The instructor was demonstrating a ‘go around’ after the landing ‘flare’ simulating a crosswind gust striking the aircraft by a pitch and roll action. Full power was applied, but the aircraft had slowed too much and sunk to the ground in a stall damaging the prop, noseleg and cowl”.

Essentially, I had missed one vital airspeed check after the flare. The runway in use was 25 and wind, a light NW. Now, in a good SW wind on this vector I am sure most of you would have experienced the cross wind turbulence that the trees by the southern side of the threshold produce. The intent of the demonstration was to try to reproduce that situation and show the recovery action. I have found 60mph is required after the ‘flare’. but. I suspect I was closer to 50.

The roll of a Flight Instructor is one that requires many skills beyond that required for ‘normal’ aviation - and one of them is deciding what amount of risk is acceptable in demonstrating recovery action to a student, bearing in mind that the aircrafts capability will also have to be taken into account.

Take for example take – Engine Failure After Take-off – (E.F.A.T .O ).

This is taught from a safe altitude of approximately 500ft AGL.and allows for a speedy ‘pitch over’ into the glide that our low inertial aircraft require. Quick decision making is then needed as to where a landing is to be made – and how we are going to get there. Now, we all know that in “real life”, an EFATO is more likely to be caused by taking off with the fuel selector on an almost empty tank, or turned off, and you are unlikely to reach 500ft before the engine stops. Probably 200ft is more likely to be the altitude you will reach and you will have a vastly different scenario in front of you as you head ( for example on 07) into those tall poplars at the upwind threshold. This illustrates the dilemma facing an Instructor – his inability – for reasons of safety – to teach the actual recovery from a “real life” EFATO . Although this type of emergency at the lower level is discussed, it is hoped that what was learned at 500ft goes in some way to equip the pilot for the rapid decisions he will have to make..

There are, however, those who CAN practice “real life” EFATO’s because they fly a highly specialized aircraft. I was watching Stuart Bufton the other week practicing - 701 style! From the 07 threshold,he climbed steeply to, perhaps, 150ft, closed the throttle and pitched over into an equally steep descent to recover to a landing with one of his ‘massive’ flares. He then proceded to do 3 of these along the length of the runway. all done quite safely - by a very experienced hand!

One wouldn’t want to try this with a RANS !

And so,we return to the “Flight Instructors Dilemma” - finding the safest way of simulating emergencies and showing how to recover from them. The student is not going to get it right every time - that‘s what learning is about and there is no substitute for experience. We build up our experience by progressively making fewer mistakes and everyone gets something wrong sometimes, even Instructors, unfortunately.

Flying is a challenge, and teaching it even more so !

Safe Flying,

Dave Mitchell

AROUND and ABOUT

Oxford Fly-in

June the 12th was set for the last flyin at Oxford before winter. It had the added attraction of a fire in the CRAC shack and a clay bird shoot. I have decided that this should be an annual event so this was the inaugural shoot.

We had 17 aircraft turn up during the day. After a BBQ lunch, the real fun started. We had 12 shooters, lined up raring to go. After 2 rounds a winner was declared. Paul Woodley is the inaugural clay target champion for 2011.

It was a hard fought contest with 4 people in second place, those being Bruce Norrie, Angus Fraser, Harry Devonish and Stuart Buffton.

Well done to all competitors. See you next year.

Dave McPherson

Riddles: The F22 Raptor and the Jodel D9 UL

Q1: How do they differ?

A: Three ways.

1. The F22 (aka "The Raptor") has a gold tinted canopy worth US$83,000; but the D9 does not.

2. The D9 carries an emergency axe; but the F22 does not.

3. The F22 has a starter motor; but the D9 (ZK-DHZ aka "The Baron") does not.

Q2: How are they similar?

A: Both drop screws into the canopy track to trap the pilot!

News item: 10 April 2006: Stuck F-22 canopy caused by loose screws - (www.f-16.net/news_article1815.html)

Fire and rescue crews were forced to extract the stuck pilot (after five hours) by cutting the canopy with a rotary saw after all other remedies had failed. Initial replacement estimates for the canopy were quoted at $182,000, but it now appears that it will only cost approximately $83,000.

"Funny thing about canopy breaker tools. I'd bet nobody ever used one for its intended purpose and it was just a psychological feel good thing for crews. Sort of like crash axes. Can you imagine being trapped in a cockpit and trying to get enough force and the right angle to use that tool? You'd have more success at cutting your leg off with it." - comment on Apr 25, 2006

News item: Stuck Jodel canopy caused by loose screws - (DHZ at NZRT)

Fire and rescue crews were not called to extract Rex Woods, the stuck pilot of Jodel DHZ, one Sunday morning recently after his early cruise to the river mouth, because he was able to use his mandatory axe to prise the canopy slide past the intruding screw. Mr Woods praises CAA for the regulation that put the axe where he needed it. Because of the early hour there was nobody around to hear his radio calls, and being behind the buildings he was unlikely to be noticed.

Once trapped inside with a stopped motor, he was unable to swing the prop and was stuck out of sight. "I've never before used that axe to escape," a shaken Mr Woods exclaimed, "and I thought I never would! There won't be a next time; from now on I'm going to open - or at least try to open - the top before I kill the engine, so if the slide sticks again I've still got the option of taxiing to find help!"

It seems that axe saved Mr Woods his canopy, so maybe he's $83,000 better off as a result? Or maybe not. But two things are certain - canopy slides are on his check-list - for ever! And he didn't need to cut his leg off.

Ross Marfell & Rex Woods

Seed That Falls on Stony Ground

A small stone can spoil your day - my first (and I hope last) forced landing

 

There we were, minding our own business, flying circuits at Rangiora, in RAF2000 gyro ZK-RCW, which I purchased late last year in Nelson from Philip Jordan. Noel Wilson was instructing me and we were just over the river bed, turning downwind at 500' AGL, when the water temperature went instantly to the "too hot" end of the dial. "You have control" was my immediate response and I made a radio call while Noel took us down in a straight line across the river, low over the hangars and steep banked us down to a short stop, mid-runway, where we killed the engine just as the oil temperature also went to the "hot stop". A few seconds further away and the outcome might not have been so pretty!

On getting out and investigating we found additional small stone scars on the propeller, which had already been booked in for leading edge reconditioning, as Rangiora strip is an old riverbed partially disguised with patchy grass - because the germination rate on the rock-hard ground is often pitiful. And pusher props are vulnerable to stone damage. We also found the cause of the over-heating - a leaking 'ping-point' on the rear face of the radiator. Seems that the prop had played a stone forward and so let the pressurised coolant spray out in flight. The Subaru will take a bit of punishment maybe, but not instant conversion to air cooling.

Repairs are now under way, involving repairing and pressure-testing the radiator, tearing the top-ends off the engine, checking valves and cylinders, replacing a pile of gaskets and the water pump, then putting it all back together again. Many suggestions were kindly offered for different types of low-drag stone guard(s), and used as the starting-point for some essential modifications. The RAF2000 has deep profile spats all round, but the wheels still throw up a lot of muck, and apparently prop suction also draws stones in. Without some extra protection poor RCW obviously can't be relied upon at NZRT - which would be a terrible shame for us, because the strip is only five minutes from home. The problems arising from the combination of pusher prop and shingle runway cast serious doubt on the practicality of our original plan of eventually upgrading from RCW to a new European touring gyro, and continuing to fly out of Rangiora ...

- unless some universal stone guard presents itself, that can be applied to any pusher machine! Or I get faster at building modifications.

Epilogue: The RAF factory in South Africa tells us we have stumbled on a known problem for which the approved solution is a type of fly-screen at the rear of the radiator. So I made one, and a thing of beauty it was to behold, and all. Needless to say it didn't come up to Dave Mitchells' high standards, and I was told how it should have been done, and was set to work to make another. This was my first (second, eventually) foray into aircraft maintenance and construction and I ended up feeling that it had taken me about as long to make and attach the screen, and the upgrade version after it, as the whole machine took to build in the first place.

Next job is a vortex-plate under the radiator, and flaps on the spats. I've also taken the opportunity to import and fit teeter-stops, which swing out of the way and permit the blades to pivot when the rotor is turning, and fall back into place as it slows to prevent ground strikes due to blade flap when centrifugal force no longer holds the rotor ends up and out of the way.

Peter Collins

A Brako Gyro visits NZRT

On 19 May one third of all the NZRT gyro fliers (that's me) were on hand to greet Leigh Mathieson in ZK REY, (a Carpenterie Pagotto Brako Gyro) accompanied by Michel Babou, instructor and director of Frewi (www.frewi.co.nz) the importers of these magnificent machines.

These two intrepid fliers (in my view, that's anyone who prefers to sit outside at cruising speeds) were taking the machine on the last legs of its delivery.

Containered from Italy to Auckland, the assembly was done by Geoff Price at the UFO factory, then a trailer took the craft to Hamilton where it was flight tested. Leigh, the new owner, there joined Michel for the delivery flight to his home at Mt Pisa station near Cromwell. The first leg was over Te Kuiti and Taumaranui to Foxpine. Refuelling there, they then flew to Kaikoura in a respectable 2.5 hours, and after topping up there it was a doddle coming down to us at Rangiora in a mere 1.2 hours.

Being a hospitable lot, we put them up in the clubhouse (with REY tucked up in No. 1) and saw them with some tanks of 95 ready for the dawn refuelling, then we collected Bonita (my wife, for those who haven't met her yet) and we headed off to Monteiths for a convivial evening.

Friday morning saw refuelling, packing up their luggage (which stows in the open rear-end of the shell) and takeoff for Mt Pisa, via a fuel and food stop at Omarama. The take-off was at 0855 on 28 which has few stones, rather than 25 which has many. For, as you can see from the photo, the coolers are vulnerable to damage, either from wheel-flicks, or from projectiles fired from the propeller (see story about RCW in this issue or sometime soon).

For the technically minded gyro owners (all three of us) the donkey is a black-top Rotax with Mitsubishi blower, curb weight 265kg, speed range 30 km/hr to 195 km/hr, cruise 150 km/hr, take-off roll 40m (pilot only). I truly believe the last figure, for the pre-rotator (shafts and gearbox driven by a pair of v-belts) is rated up to 280 rotor-rpm but Michel says even 250 rpm is enough. Plus, I went about 100m. out from the 04 crossing when they were warming up, and they were well in the air before they reached me. So I then paced out the dew-trails on runway 28, and after 75 long strides there were no more marks on the grass! Of course, they then went quite a way in ground effect, (with two big boys, full fuel and a locker full of gear), so I reckon the myth that gyros necessarily are slow to get unstuck is well and truly busted!

In a few weeks we can expect to see Leigh on the list of gyro instructors, and he'll be pleased to sell you one of these hot-rods, I'm sure at a very keen price if you mention my name!

Peter Collins

"Genuine Microlight Sees the Light"

Brian van der Velden stand with his Class 1 Thruster, ZK-FHK, once more in the sun after a lengthy rebuild.

This aircraft is a "Microlight". As far as strict specification is concerned, a 2-seat equivalent of this fine machine is in exactly the same class as a Tecnam P2008 or Sigma-4 or other sophisticated, enclosed, factory-built machine under 544kg MTOW.

Have you heard that CAA is reviewing some aspects of the classifications? How might that affect us fliers and owners of small, light, slow,(hopefully cheap) aircraft? Do let us know your views about this. Here at CRAC we are apparently the largest microlight club in the country. How might such CAA changes affect our membership?

Instrument Flying

Let's start by admitting that I know nothing about it. But Dave Mitchell, our CFI, hearing that I was considering flying the Tasman (what a short-lived dream that was!) suggested that I get some basic IF training. Not that I would ever need it in a microlight, of course - but what if one day I should? Better to have some skill than none, perhaps!

Grant Porter, of The Landing Spot, also our Club Captain, suggested I go flying with Sarah Collins in a GA, as that would give me a wider perspective of recreational flying. So I made a date with Sarah, and a few days ago met her at the ZK-MND hangar. After the RANS S6 the Piper Warrior feels huge, but contrary to my expectations it was extraordinarily light on the controls - delicate, even. One aspect that I particularly appreciated was the rudder trim - that certainly saved having to keep one foot lightly but precisely on one or other pedal, which I have found necessary in several aircraft so far in my brief flying experience.

Sitting behind the seemingly huge instrument panel I was helped by Sarah to guide 'the monster' out to the runway without wiping off either wing, trying to remember about heat and mixture and other aspects that were new to me, and wondering how I was going to cope with yoke instead of stick. I needn't have worried - with the odd (but essential) hint from Sarah I was able get unstuck and away without too much stress. And then the outside disappeared as the masking goggles came down and my world contracted to artificial horizon, turn and bank, bubble, ASI, direction indicator and compass (which I discovered, the hard way, move in opposite directions) altimeter, climb indicator and rev counter - all to be kept showing the right numbers with throttle, yoke and pedals.

Actually, forget about the pedals - with rudder trim and so nicely balanced a machine, I suspect that after a while I probably had air under my feet, and the yoke took less getting used to than I had feared; a well-placed arm rest helped considerably, I have to say. Without that, it might have been a different story.

And how did I manage on instruments alone? For some reason I didn't feel any disorientation. Maybe that shows how correct are those instructors who keep telling me to get my head out of the cockpit because we are supposed to follow VFR! I didn't think I was doing particularly well - my movements were a little quick, somewhat too big, and maybe a bit jerky but still keeping us up in the air, the right way up, and pointing in roughly the right direction.

Then Sarah covered the artificial horizon and direction indicator. Now, I had believed that the artificial horizon was absolutely essential. How else can you tell whether you are rolling over? Not so! If you maintain your heading, then you are not turning. If you are not turning and the bubble is centred, then you are not rolling. If only I had received more compass training earlier on - I kept chasing the compass the wrong way, going further and further off track until firmly reminded which way the compass turned relative to the airframe!

Obviously I have much more to learn, including getting more familiar with the unique character of ZK-MND so I control it with the subtlety that it deserves. But I did take away with me the understanding that in an emergency, if you have had sufficient practice, you may be able to save your life making the best use of only compass, bubble and altimeter to keep you straight and level. Of course the ASI is important too, but once you have set the throttle, when straight and level, isn't the airspeed effectively a given?

But don't take any notice of a beginner's weird theories - your instructor knows best, and I'm looking forward to getting another transfusion of knowledge, in the Warrior, any time soon!

Peter Collins

A Cautionary Tale

Graeme ("Never build your own plane") Main is making such a magnificent job of his Jodel, JVG, that it would be a great shame if he really did swear off construction, "never, ever, again!" as he seemed fit to do, about six months ago. Of course, lying face-up on the 'lawn', sanding fibreglass into your face, off the belly of your cowling, isn't the nicest way to spend your days.

But Graeme - what a lovely bird you have created!

Lovely, despite unforeseen problems at every turn. All overcome, one by one, with patience and dedication.

The latest story is about the constant speed, fully adjustable, prop. Graeme says he bought it, at a very keen price, second-hand, after it had been removed from the Jabaru on which it had spent its younger years. On its first run-up, the prop proved to be fully adjustable, and constant speed. Perfect for a Jabiru, but unfortunately a Rotax 912 runs a different rev range than a Jabiru, and nobody had told the propeller anything different.

Well, that can be adjusted, yes? Er, actually, no! It would seem the prop was specifically built for a Jabiru and despite being the right diameter would not do for JVG even when the pitch was taken right to the fine stops. So the prop was sent away for modification, to Bob Wagner in Nelson. With his experience in modifying Woodcomp props he was able to weld the lever arms so the pitch could be set fine enough for the Rotax rev range. That would fix the problem, right? Wrong!

The prop was sent back to Graeme, set up, run up, and the rev range checked yet again.

All fixed? Oops, no. The setting now seemed to be too fine, based on JVG's own rev-counter, which turned out to be over-reading by some 700 revs.....! The fancy (and extremely expensive) Enigma glass cockpit thingy also read incorrectly! However with the able assistance of Brent Thompson and his optical tachometer the correct stop position was determined; Brent made the final modifications, and hey presto - the prop now runs to the correct 5650 rpm on full fine.

This has all made setting the prop's speed ranges take somewhat longer ("much, much longer" would be Graeme's spin on it, no doubt) than the hour or so first envisaged - but some good has come of this exercise. Graeme and Brent have had many happy hours socialising in the comfortable seats of JVG, tuning it up to the point where, one day very soon, it will be able to tow a 4WD, but probably not get it into the air, as illustrated above.

Stick with it Graeme, we're all waiting (and we bet you are too) for JVG to start doing its 40 so you can head off in it, into the wide blue yonder that we all so enjoy.

Footnote:

Our esteemed President, Mike Sheffield, volunteered to apply his skills to wiring in the replacement rev counter for Graeme. Here he is seen hard at work on the task. Perhaps not the best view of him, but certainly showing his usual full dedication to the task at hand.

- Ed.

Aircraft Corner

Trial Flight - Tecnam P2008

It's no secret that I'm trying to make up my mind what to buy, so it was with great interest that I learnt that it might be possible to try the controls of the Tecnam P2008. My questions were very simple:

1 - What's it like to fly? 2 - Who would it suit? 3 - Would you buy one?

Well then, after the flight, what were the answers:

1 - Very easy! 2 - It's more for the cruising pilot - not acrobatic. 3 - Yes!

On Friday, 3 June, we went for a demonstration flight, courtesy of Tecnam New Zealand, where you can find the photos - in the latest of the great Tecnam line-up, the P2008, in the tender care of Mary Patterson, currently touring the country to let us all know about this strong, attractive plane.

First impression? That was when we heard the joining call. The radio is extraordinarily clear, even through the CRAC ground station. Watching from the ground, the downwind leg looks very fast but with low noise level. The landing looked easy, but I put that down to Mary's skill (then I found it was easy for me, too, and I'm a newbie). The lines are smooth, due in part to the carbon-fibre moulded fuselage. The propeller on ZK-PAX is fixed, broad-blade, course-pitch, all-metal, driven by the unbreakable Rotax 912 S. From the outside the P2008 looks very professional.

Inside, the equipment is, as you would expect, state-of-the-art, the instrument panel mainly taken up with a Dynon SV-D1000 on each side. Being an old grey-hair, I expected to have difficulty seeing numbers-in-boxes on screen instead of picking up hints from needle angles out of the corner of my eyes, but within an hour I had become used to reading them. Anyhow, my instructor (you know who I mean) tells me mainly to look out the window - which on this plane is easy, as the visibility is better than the P92 due to the higher wing position. The throttle is a large quadrant on the centre console, which many (me among them) prefer to the plunger type - it's a more relaxed arm position, and with a finger on the quadrant cover you can easily make very subtle rev changes. The stick has a sponge grip with buttons for the electric trim and the PTT. The flaps are also electrically operated. Both trim and flap have position indicators on the dash.

Pedals are pads with toe brakes and complement the castor nose gear. Initially, I found the ground steering hard to master, especially on the rolling taxiways of NZRT, but the castor mounting brings the advantage that it's almost impossible to sheer the nose suspension off sideways, and when you look under the hood you'll find that the delicate-seeming forward leg is actually the front part of a truly substantial, full-width pivot tube connecting to what looks like a motor-cycle type sprung shock-absorber. I suspect the nose wheel would come undamaged through the severest punishment. This is one of my criticisms of some earlier Tecnam models, gone forever! And given the places I have landed recently, that's important to me.

Seating (with leather trim) is comfortable with more than enough cabin width for a pencil-and-sunnies tray on the centre console, and generous map and bottle pockets in the doors. There is really adequate space behind the seats for junk and luggage, and for most people the 20kg baggage limit would be more than enough, though somehow our family always exceeds that, even when packing only for a weekend! But for the benefits of this plane I hope we'd be prepared to change.

The flying is easy! It's hardly worth writing about. The take-off roll is smooth, with that lovely front suspension taking away all the usual pounding that you expect on our river-bed strip here at Rangiora. The plane drifts into the air with 1/3 flaps and climbs out at 60kt - 70 once the flaps are up. With 2 POB and half fuel, 1000 fpm is easy, even with the coarse prop. At 5000 rpm or above, unless you keep the speed up in three figures, you just keep climbing, almost without noticing. Turbulence over the river has little effect on the ride, probably due to the design and inertia of the metal wings. For me, this is an aircraft to fly-by-trim, especially for touring. Hands-off, feet-off - it just keeps humming along, steady as a rock.

What about emergency landing? Well, with the 912 S, is that ever going to happen? But if it should, put the trim fully aft - don't even think about it, just hold the button down - and you will settle into a best-range glide, even hands-off; so that's the 'aviate' dealt with, while you look after the other issues! The P2008 flies reliably and steadily in that trim, and we came down to a simulation at Ross', from 3500', in a series of completely effortless, reasonably tight Lazy-Esses that were truly the easiest and best I have ever done.

You will find the stall very easy to control, from the very first time. The nose drops slowly and smoothly, either clean or full-flap, with no tendency to wing-drop that I could detect, even when forced very nose-high with the throttle. Ease the stick, and a touch of donkey, and you are cruising again. Of course, nearer the ground you'd push for full power.

I'm sure there is a lot else that I could tell you, but it was a very full hour and I was too busy enjoying the flying to be bothered with taking my usual notes, and therefore some finer points will for sure have slipped my mind.

But, hey - why don't you contact Mary, and find out for yourself, first-hand!

- Ed

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FOR SALE - $165,000 ono. KIS Cruiser, ZK-TUF

ZK-TUF is a 4 seat, fibreglass home built plane, completed in 2000 by the current owner, Laurie Tuff.

Since then it has given 400+ hours of incident free, fun flying - including one trip to Norfolk Island. The Cruiser is a very capable machine, cruising comfortably at a TAS of 140knots on 30 l/hr or with a max rpm TAS of 170knots - at 2,500ft. (VNE is 185knots)

The aircraft is also exceptionally comfortable - highly desirable for long flights! And of course able to carry four adults with luggage and 200 litres of fuel. Total fuel capacity is 400 litres ( over 11 hrs flying time!) but if fully fuelled only the front seats can be used - but still with 50lbs of luggage (assuming front seat weight of 400lbs).



Instrumentation is to a standard layout and includes panel lighting for night flying. Full exterior lights are also fitted.



A Grand Rapids LCD engine display/monitoring and warning instrument looks after the engine instrumentation.

Radio and Transponder are by Terra and the ELT was updated in 2009 to an Artex ME406. All aerials are internal so as to maintain a completely smooth exterior with low drag.



The engine is a second hand HIO360a on its 'second life' but it was bulk stripped prior to installation, has given no trouble and has obviously only done 400+ hours since then.

For further details

Contact Laurie Tuff 021 126 4952

Or Al Murray 027 438 2091