FredStork

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  1. FredStork added a post in a topic Big wheels and upgraded gear wanted for Avid 4   

    Please post photo of wife. How much does she cost per month?
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  2. FredStork added a post in a topic Matco break seal reference   

    Yes, correct if we are able to push twice as far, or twice as hard, to get the full benefit of the 2 calipers. But the problem we have is not the efficiency of the calipers but the difficulty creating sufficiant pressure through the break pedals.
    In short, you get the same braking result by pushing twice as far, or twice as hard, with only one caliper. 
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  3. FredStork added a post in a topic Matco break seal reference   

    Brilliant Mark, THANKS!
    And yes, better brakes could have helped, probably would have. And I'm not only refurbishing the breaks, I'm reviewing the entire system.
    One thing that puzzles me in your pics is the dual setup. The break pressure you can produce is determined by the foot breaks (and we know that problem) but if you send that to one or two calipers should not make much difference (other than tor wear and heat). You will apply half of the produced pressure in each of them.
    I will be installing the same kind of break cylinders that you have. The good thing with those, compared to those with the built in reservoir, is that they are designed so that they can be connected in series... so I will have a single master break handle on the stick that when used actions both breaks equally (I had a central hand break like that before this before and it works great), I'll use that for equal breaking (landing, holding etc.) and use the individual foot breaks for maneuvering.
    Fred
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  4. FredStork added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Matco break seal reference
    I'm looking for the correct references for the seals (o-ring) for those (I imagine rather standard) Matco breaks. Do you know Matco / Aircraft Spruce reference?

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  5. FredStork added a post in a topic Need some compassion...   

    I will post picks but keep in mind that there is not much you can do about a properly dug ditch... and I'm not sure the damage is really characteristics (unless for ditch ditching...) for how the gear normally folds...
    Let's keep the better landing gear discussion going! I need to get in contact with someone that understand the deep secrets about landing gear geometry.
     
     
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  6. FredStork added a post in a topic Need some compassion...   

    Thank you for your support!
    The Avid Flyer comunity is amazing - half way home I was able to pick up a second hand left side landing gear (and for a bargin)! I will order new blades from Ukraine and have my bird flying in no time.
    Fred - much happier now!
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  7. FredStork added a topic in Technical tasks   

    Detailed landing gear drawings
    As you have seen in my previous post I'm in need of a new landing gear... We have had many and long discussion in this forum in regards to landing gear - maybe this is a good time to change to another model? ... but in despite of long discussions I'm not sure we have reach any conclusion on the ideal setup, or have I missed a post or two?
    Does anyone have
    detailed drawings of the standared landing gear that I could use to have a set manufactured on demand?a landing gear too many, eventually only the left, that I could buy? Not all of our members live on the other side of the pond...an enlightened advice on what would be then best gear setup if I go for an alternative solution?Fred
     
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  8. FredStork added a post in a topic Need some compassion...   

    Thanks guys! Good to have you out there!
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  9. FredStork added a topic in Close Call's and dumb stunts   

    Need some compassion...
    So this did't turn out as planned... I was supposed to announce the start of this summers flying adventure, "The Pyrenees Coast to Coast", but it ended abruptly the first evening by the foothills of the Pyrenees. The strip was short, the wind not too bad but with rather strong gusts as a thunderstorm was building up at some distance. After touch down I was lifted by a strong gust and when touching down there was not enough strip left to stop. At the end of the strip there is a ditch and then the road. With verly littel residual speed I went down in the ditch and the left landing gear folded with a perfect 3 blade pro strike as a result and I slided out on the road...
    Except from my pride I'm not hurt, there was no chock and after inspection the damages are limited (left landing gear, left tire, all 3 blades on my brand new prop... and some minor cosmetics on the wingtip).

    • 23 replies
    • 2,193 views


  10. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    Here is some information that might be of general, or even specific, interest...
    Happy about my new prop I was bragging about it (i.e. showing my film) in the STOL Europe Facebook group - where someone asked if it was a Meglin prop... When replying it was a NR prop someone else explained that Meglin and NR prop cooperates and that it is actually Meglin making the saber shaped blades and NR the classic blades. So far this could sound like an internal Ukrainian matter but when reviewing the Meglin website (http://propeller.simplesite.com/) I found this:  
    The price is said to be very competitive but I have not dared to ask... 
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  11. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    Could not resist making a very short film: Changing prop...
     
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  12. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    Second impression... 
    I’m re-naming it to the “Wow prop”... Going from a too small warp drive I have gained 700-1000 RPM on my regular cruise speed and 20+ km/h on maximum speed... As I’m not looking to fly much faster it will be interesting to compare the fuel consumption - but I need more than the 1,5 hours I got today...
    To be followed 
     
    Fred
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  13. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    Bye-bye Warp Drive...!
    I just had the time for a very short test flight after mounting the prop and doing some initial adjustements - I still need to increase the pitch slightly. So no performance feedback, just a very first impression. Runs very smooth (and as the warp drive is already a smooth prop..) and it is noticeably quiet. I guess that is the swiped tips compared to warp drives straight cut tips... I hopefully have more to share after the weekend.
    It is a mean looking prop...

    Fred
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  14. FredStork added a post in a topic Fixing the cowl   

    I honestly don't recall how I did it... but take a piece of wood, drill 2 perpendicular holes with the diameter of the pins at the required distance and use it as a jigg is what I would do today... once the pins are in place put the tubes on them and use that half of the cowling as jigg... don't forget to put 2  sheets of thin plastic between or they will be glued forever...
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  15. FredStork added a post in a topic Fixing the cowl   

    I think I used Plastic Padding (I am Swedish after all... even if it is nowadays owned by loctite) but anything that works with the glass fiber cowling and get stiff enough would do the trick. 
     
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  16. FredStork added a post in a topic Fixing the cowl   

    I never liked the original system here you have to bend the cowling when closing it. My solution was to cement a metal pin and a corresponding metal tube on the 2 halves of the cowling, one set on each side obviously...

     
    It works great and provide a very good positioning when closing the cowling. As long as I stay subsonic ther is no tendency for the cowl to "gap"
     
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  17. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    I can confirm this is correct, the final diameter depend on the number of blades, i.e. in the hub
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  18. FredStork added a post in a topic Luga / Kool / "NR" Propellers   

    My Scimitar SL107 3-blades arrived today. It looks great, can't wait to try it! Very sexy prop!
    It took longer than expected... there is a monetary embargo for Europe on Ukraine so my bank rejected my initial transfer. And as my bank appears to be incompetent they didn't know why the transfer, done on the web, was rejected and pretended I had used an incorrect account number... With Roman we found a solution - and my bank messed up again (did I say there were incompetent?). Well, we got that straighten out and now the prop is here.
    I'll keep you updated on my prop experience but it might take a few days.
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  19. FredStork added a post in a topic Great Friends!   

    All I can say is, if Bryce and Liz are coming your way - Invite them!
    They are lovely and we had a great time!

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  20. FredStork added a post in a topic Solo bungee wrapping   

    Or two friends so you can have a beer while they take the pain of changing the bungees...
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  21. FredStork added a post in a topic Solo bungee wrapping   

    Hi Turbo,
    I'm not familiar with "type-1 bungees from AS&S", the one normally recommended to use (i.e. the one used in the original design) can be found at Aircraft Spruce with reference 06-12400 (3/8" shock cord) 

    I made an attempt with a "not so stiff "bungee with the same diameter from a marine store... flexed well by me just sitting down in the plane... A less stiff cord would need additional wraps and there isn't much place for that...  I assume you could use a different quality bungee but the length and/or number of wraps would need to be adjusted accordingly.  
    We need to find a better solution...
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  22. FredStork added a post in a topic L.G. bungee blues   

    Turbo,
    this is one of the areas where I admit poor design of the Avid Flyer... 
    The good solution is to install the kind of gear Trent Palmer has but as any ideal solution it is expensive...
    My recommendation is to  REMOVE the merciless safety cable to avoid having it cut the seat struss in 2 and replace it by a tight bungee between right and left leg. I know, incomprehensible as explanation so here is a picture. You can use any heavy duty bungee cord, the stiffer the better actually. In the beginning of the deflection (ie normal landing) there  will be little tention on the horisontal bungee. Only at bad landings, great deflection, will the bungee enter in action (and save both prop and seat struss). 
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  23. FredStork added a post in a topic 1st flt Avid - impressions   

    So how do they say this... If it ain't broke, don't fix it...?
    Not all planes are alike. The Avid Flyer takes a lot of footwork and some getting used to but it has a very sane behaviour. While no one will say it is the easiest plane to fly with clean turns there are no real traps to fall into. 
    But it takes a little time to fully appreciate (well, that was actually very fast) and master (takes a little longer).
    Get some airtime before deciding what to change, if not you might not improve your plane but degrade it. By degrading I could mean just that (depending of what you used to fly before...) or change characteristics of the plane that you with more experience would have appreciated (or no longer noticed).
    I changed to the the F7A bell cranks, they have a positive impact but do not transform the plane (it still need an active pilot - luckily as that is one thing I like about it...). With just the F7A mod you do not have to disconnect anything when folding the wings.
    Regards
    Fred  
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  24. FredStork added a post in a topic Control Column Chaos   

    Hi Randy! 
    I don't say this is the problem but I noticed a difference between your and my setup. Compare your second last photo with this one:
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  25. FredStork added a post in a topic kitfox bungee close to failure at factory crimp   

    Try this post...
    http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/3792-landing-gear-bungee-replacement/&do=findComment&comment=35787
    The result look like on the photo - very easy to both make and install...
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