Jenki

Just for information, Maintenance Manual Rotax 912, just for sure I asked certified service for clarification:

Unleaded fuel (MOGAS) 100 hours

Leaded fuel (more then 30% of operations) 50 hours

Maybe it is not really clear from manual, but they told me as I wrote above

100 hours interval if runing MOGAS fuel (unleaded) - oil and filter change.

200 hours interval  - oil, filter and spark plugs change

5 years interval - rubber parts and hoses change, fuel pump change

You know, Guinness Book of World Records

But this group is flying for years aerobatic formation on gliders L-13 Blanik, all-metal doubles eaters , for now they are four-ship, full aerobatic program. No professionals, just very experienced pilots, some of them are members of formation flying together more then 30-35 years.

Z-37 is real STOL, even at MTOW requires less than 200 meters/600 feet for T/O and landing. Prop clearance is about 20" and visibility from cockpit excellent due to unusual very long main gear.. No runway necessary. We have plenty of them here, many for sale as crop dusting is no more required ...and nearly 800 aircraft built till the end of 1987.

And yes, very similar concept and design, not very common for aerial topdressing aircraft.

Here you are

In this case  aerotow is turboprop version Z-137 T
We have standard piston version rebuild for passengers but doing aerotow as well, just no more then 2-3 gliders ...

Oh no,

this one is LET Z-37 Čmelák (English: "Bumblebee") - an agricultural aircraft which was manufactured in Czechoslovakia 1965 -1987. It is powered by Avia M462RF air-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine (supercharged), 235 kW (315 hp) - CS engine based on Soviet Ivchenko radial engine. About 740 built with piston engine built.

Another 51 turboprop aircraft built (version Z-37 and Z-137T TurboCmelak) with Czechoslovak turboprop Walter M-601Z. We have still many of them flying here, turbo version very often for towing gliders as well. We have some record here, 9 gliders Blanik aero-towed by TurboCmelak Z137T.

btw. you can find our local example of real STOL and "bush" plane ... originally agriculture plane, now more utility/transport plane Z-37 Bumble Bee (Cmelak). Not flying exactly at the meeting, but airworthy

All the same for all of us riding light aircraft. Strong gusting, strong turbulence and icing are phenomena I am very afraid of.

And I am definitely sure.

Hi Leni,

new year - new contribution

just a few bucks to support this site running

We had a small, but traditional local Fly in here at the airfield Dobra Niva, exactly in the center of country of Slovakia, Europe. This meeting is always in the last day of the year, sort of aviation End of Year Party.

Pictures are here:

http://aerowings.sk/new/portfolio-items/tradicne-hromadne-skupinove-truchlenie-za-starym-rokom-dobra-niva/#!

Hi,

nice to see growing number of members. Keeping fingers and looking forward to see progress

Hi friends,

though still without proper shoulder wing plane (Skyper is back with factory) January 4 was the right time to take my Bristell in the air. Bristell was in the hangar for about 3 months due to starter clutch repair (never heard about such failure before) so it was just third time to fly after long pause. I went to closer mountains and found on the radio another "friendly" crew in the air with clever photographer on board. You can see results he sent me here:

Thank you very much. Better to have more answers than not know what is exactly going on.

I need to check it, better say, I will ask manufacturer as I am reaching 200 hours for inspection. I will ask for both, check of caster angle and U-strap settings (resistive damping).

It will be the last mandatory inspection (2 years since manufacture date) so they will do complete check. I didn't fly Bristell since 9^th September till 5^th December now (nearly 3 months) due to starter clutch repair (I am using old ROTAX 912) so I missed good or at least suitable weather here to fly to manufacture. Till the inspection it is still under warranty period and I need to be ready to bring all findings to solve.

Problem with not enough "resistive damping" could be caused by missing "silentblock" or sort of flexible material inside U-strap in my case I think.

Oh, thank you, we call this spring washer, split lock washer ... now I understand

Sorry, can you explain more deeply "resistive damping" ?

I am not native so even "belleville" washers are something I don't know exactly ...

I am trying to find detail ... but nothing better then this

Maybe you can recognize system how tail spring is fixed to fuselage.

Well, thank you very much friends.

This is something pushing this forum forward - sharing ideas and experience.

My tail wheel is pretty COTS but I don't exactly know about tail spring and setup//geometry of this part. There is U-strap as well (No. 6 on my picture) where is free space (real clearance about 10 mm/0.4") in between fuselage and tail spring. It seems not correct for me, I would expect sort seal (sort of rubber? or elastic material ) there as spacer to damp vibrations. One more observation is that there is only one fix point of tail spring - bolt (pin) and U-strap without sort of spacer is leaving free motion up and down for spring.

I will check caster angle definitely anyway.

I think I understand, but ... maybe any hand drawing could be big help.

Thank you friends,

I will try and let you know. For now, bad weather, rainy/snowing a little, freezing, low clouds ... no way to try now.

Dear friends,
I am no more Avid/Fox breed owner as you already know, but my Bristell is tail dragger as well. Tail wheel used is MATCO light weight version of the dual fork eight inch tail wheel WHLT- 8LD installed as full swiveling version, mounted on dual steel spring. (see picture below)

During one year of operations (mostly on paved RWY) I am facing troubles with strong shimmy vibrations in the case of three-pointer landing (not often, rather on mains) or in the case I am putting tail to ground soon after landing.
I would like to know what could be o reason for such vibrations.
Thank you for any opinion

Hi everybody,

a little more news regarding Skyper GT9. I just finished "user test"period. We had unusual long and dry autumn here, nice weather till last Sunday. Rainy, cloudy wet ... damp since then. I've flown on Sunday just till the low clouds and rain reached my airstrip.

Interesting bird this Skyper. All metal and unusual combination of classic tubular construction of cockpit cage and engine compartment covered by composite cover (matter of good aerodynamics), all-metal semi-monocoque structure of wings and tail cone including tail feathering. Sturdy compact construction. Wing has sweep-forward 3 degree. BRS equipped. Operational speed range 60 KIAS to 119 KIAS, V_NE = 145 KIAS, touch down even less 40 knots. Huge windows, closed cockpit, no wind blow. A little lazy on ailerons, very agile on elevator. Sturdy landing gear with good manners, steering on front wheel. STOL definitely, but ... Unfortunately, no taildragger version is available   What else ... clever and speedy traveler (up to 540 NM), excellent for aerial photography, observation, whatever. I would recommend yoke rather then stick for control ... but who knows if manufacturer will listen. Some pictures for you...

once ... it will happen. I will go there, definitely. I hope.

Hi, everybody, do we have more information about this accident?

It could be very interesting to know more for everybody.