lukemn

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Everything posted by lukemn



  1. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    I found this picture full lotus sponson on a beautiful Catalina. Is the mounting hardware a "standard" way of mounting the full lotus sponson?

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  2. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    The serviceability of the strut mounted outboard sponsons is definitely an attractive idea along with being able to remove them for cold weather flying and narrowing up the clearance needed to make use of a boat ramp. So taking that into account  I'd like to get full lotus sponsons ordered this week do you know if there is any additional pieces I should include from lotus (brackets, hardware etc.). If you have a chance to snap a few pictures of the sponson rigging that would be very helpful and what wingtips should I look into I'm thinking removable ones maby built-in lights? or......????
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  3. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    The spars are approximately 179" long the first 144" is .083 and then a 35" extension of .065 to the tip.  Not sure how it compares to the Magnum Spar.  The twist changed to 1/2" looks like the prevailing way to build the wings what are the advantages and drawbacks to going to 1/2" twist? 
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  4. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    The evaluation of the desgine and meterals avable - affordable to work with would be my guess.  On first sight of the wings condtion after removing the cover I was pretty bummed out compleatly reworking them wasn't part of the plan. Then I started reading up on wing builds on the site and started to get excited about being able to incorporate the improvements of 20 plus years of evaluation and practical engineering.  I'll research kitfox's adhisives to see what there doing and why if I find any good info I'll share it here. Thanks Ed
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  5. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Hi Ed:
    Not butting in at all. I'm not sure what I'm going to use I have been researching what's the best of currently avable adhesive's. The prep doesn't look too bad on the wings so I'm thinking the orginal adhisives used were not mixed right or simply failed after years of not being stored or handled properly. If you look close in the picture you can see where the prep was done its shinny with a slight cross hach look.

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  6. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Wing decisions:
    Things I'm sure about.
    1 - The wings need to come allmost all the way apart
    2 - There are several of the wood pieces that I'll need to reproduce 
    3 - The condition of the wings are poor but... It makes for an excellent time to incorporate some of the many "updates" and improvements that have been worked out over the last 20-30 years since there orginal design. 
    4 - I've seen some great build thread's on this site and incredible talented builders so I'm in the right place to find the information I need
     
    Things I need to work out:
    1 - Ribs / what plywood to make them out of / best rib profile undercamber / speed / or......
    2 - Flaparon ribtail desgine / what's the best update for this troubled area?
    3 - Drag tubes I have 1 steel by root and 2 aloy in the wings is this the best way to go?
    4 -Washout???? There seems to be a less is better vib on this
    5 - Spar stiffeners the best type if I'm changing them out
    6 - Most up to date adhisives to use / gorilla glue wood to wood / how about wood to aloy?
    7 - Sponsons - wingtip or full lotus strut mounted
    8 - Other things you would do if building your wings today 
    Any help on this is much appreciated as I'm not all that good at doing wood work and have very limited experience building wings
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  7. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Been thinking about full lotus sponsons.  I like the idea of being able to unbolt them for cold weather flying.  Not sure how the weight works out looking at the lotus site the sponsors are listed at 7lbs each plus some rigging and hardware add in a wing tip and  the total installed weight might be pretty close to the tip sponson weight.  What's your thought's on the aerodynamics one way or the other?
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  8. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Wings or at least what I have left of them to work with. Going to need some advise on this how it's  best to rebuild / update? them.  I've been reading up on other threads on the site lot's of good information but I'm still lost.  I built the sawhorses as per the build manual and removed the covering from one wing it wasn't pretty parts started falling out and I found more rodent nests. There seems to be lots of ribs delaminating from the spars. Any advise is helpful I'm thinking total rebuild with some updates metal trailing edge some addtional gussets on cross bracing ect.








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  9. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    I have ski flying on the brain today check out the CHE-24 amphibian doing it's thing on the snow!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdCXxqVEm8U
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  10. lukemn added a post in a topic Avid Catalina   

    Well it doesn't get much easier than that for figuring out hardware!! Thanks for posting it!!
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  11. lukemn added a post in a topic Avid Catalina   

    AF-41 = PFX-4 @ http://rodendsupply.com looks like it'd take it's place.  I need a bunch of rod ends and other small parts for my project so I'v been working on taking avid part - build numbers and trying to convert them to standard part numbers.
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  12. lukemn added a post in a topic Avid Catalina   

    It's a 1/4 - 1/4 female hime joint.  There's  a fine thread 1/4 bolt welded to the end of the support tube.  I'll see if I can dig up a part number for the hime on spruce.
     
    Luke
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  13. lukemn added a post in a topic Avid Catalina   

    Here yah go...






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  14. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Starting to work up some ideas for the upper raditor mount.

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  15. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Grommets and raditor test fit in lower mount.




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  16. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Working on the lower raditor mount points.




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  17. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    akflyer;
    So now that your working on an amphibian live in snow country and probably are spending as much time as I am thinking about fun things to do with your amphib when it's done.  What’s your thoughts about putting skis on one? (wheel skis in particular) (gear locked down) I've been looking it over and think it can be done the skis will need to be custom built as not to interfere with the inboard sponsons and some creativity in locating the limit cable anchor points.  As long as the limited ground clearance is taken into account I think the amphib could make for some fun ski plane flying with well thought out skis. I could be completely wrong as my ski flying experience is limited to a few hours in a cub as a passenger.  I have some experience in a HU-16 triphibian Land / Water / Snow  / it's a much larger aircraft in snow operations it can land on it's haul not an option for the Avid as the hull is to light for landing but should stop the aircraft from sinking in if in deeper powder.  The little bit of ski flying I've done could be accomplished with wheels frozen lakes or ploughed runways so skis may be over kill.
    Luke
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  18. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Hi akflyer:
    Congrats on the "new" aircraft!!!  the 800cc monster mounted on there should make for some good times flying!!  Sorry and or congratulations? to hear about your AIDS (Aviation Induced Devoice Syndrome) seems to be all to common around my airport but that what happens when guys are sneaking out of the house late at night to spend hours rubbing on there Cessna's .... I did mention that I polished my C150 right?.........lol
     
    The tubing on the stock mount is 1/2" .035 4130 - I used 1/2" .049 4130 sourced from aircraft spruce (best pricing I could find) and .090 flat stock 4130 for the tabs and other little parts.  I have a few gussets to add to the mount for beefing it up I'll post pictures of them ASAP.  The ISO mounts are from a Sea Ray aircraft or Buccaneer aircraft.  I got the mount off Ebay and the seller only knew it fit a 912 but not what aircraft it was from my best guess is an early sea-ray.  For locating things (prop location)  I made a mock-up 582 bolted it all up located the prop flange with the mock-up and went from there not all too much measuring involved in that part of the fabrication.  (review the first part of this thread for more on that)  Things I did measure were the prop location relative to the flaperons for blade flex clearance in my case I need 5" of prop clearance it's important to note the engine dose not mount square to the canter line of the airframe the thrust line is slightly to the co-pilot side of the tail it's not far off but noticeable at the tips of the prop blades.  I'd be glad to box up the mock-up 582 I built and send it your way if that would help things along with your build PM me an address and it will be on the way this week.
    Luke
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  19. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    I started building the 912 engine mount with the bed pice that bolts to the isslation mount and then started fitting in the tubing between the isolation mount base and the frame that bolts to the airframe.
     
    Luke





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  20. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    little over a ton & moving it around is best accomplish with the fork lift.  
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  21. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    I put in some more quality sawsall time trimming the upper area of the engine mount to make room for a center mounted radiator & one more round of tape tube mock up.  What's the general vibe (pun intended) on radiator mounting rigid or rubber isolation mounted?  I've seen both in practice on other rotax powred aircraft.




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  22. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Cut down bed mount back on engine & oil cooler location starting to be thought about.


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  23. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Working on shorting up the bed mount.



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  24. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Looking at the angle of the lower tube (tape) going to the rear of the engine bed mount I think I'm going to shorten up the bed mount a little.  Just bolting on the bed mount and using it is all too easy.......

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  25. lukemn added a post in a topic Amphibian project resurrection & modifications   

    Thank you again and PM sent
    Luke
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