Spornradler

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About Spornradler

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Profile Information

  • Gender Male
  • Location Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Contact Methods

  • Skype orange-magic-bear

Spornradler's Activity

  1. Spornradler added a post in a topic T3 suspension   

    Hi Ron,
    I was emailing back and forth with them and they recommended an additional bracket. I was wondering, if there's someone out there, who mounted it without welding or impacting the fabric too much. Will look for Barry Cole (I think I read his name already). Anyway - I still have to assemble the plane after shipping. A T3 must wait a little.
    Thanks for the hint, though!
    Thomas
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  2. Spornradler added a post in a topic Neat airplane video (Not Avid or Kitfox)   

    Never expected such a vivid flying scene in Nepal. Cool...
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  3. Spornradler added a post in a topic T3 suspension   

    Ron,
    we were in contact a while ago, when I was still in VA Beach. I was redoing my avionics which took (o course) way longer than expected. I am back in Germany now and could not check the box on my bucket list that said "flight across the nation". But My bird turned out great. Container with household good ist still to come, so I have to have some leisure before I can take and post pictures.
    Hey - reason I'm writing: How did you attach the T3 to your fuselage? Before I realized how much time it takes to finish my avionics I was seriously thinking of adding one. But I lacked ideas, how to reasonably mount it to the tail. I think from the weight point of view, it didn't make a difference over a leaf spring?
     
    Thomas
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  4. Spornradler added a post in a topic The Magnum flies!!   

    Chris,
    first of all: congrats to your success! I made a major update on my avionics (took me 10 months) and the first flight was almost a maiden flight for me. Not that the flight characteristics changed, but except for the airspeed indicator there was no known sight on the panel. Through how much excitement must you have gone...
    Your W&B post made me attentive. Due to the many changes I made, I went through W&B, too (it gained weight - what a surprise). Now with your latest findings: Is your elevator now perfect in line with then horizontal stabilizer when at cruise speed? Same question for the trim tab. This may be a quick indicator just to look outside at the empennage (or use a camera) when flying. If I'm way out would I see that? What do you think?
     
    Thanks,
    Thomas
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  5. Spornradler added a post in a topic Matco Fat Tailwheel trashed   

    I am back in Germany again after 4 years in Virginia Beach, VA. I made a major change on my avionics and the last thing that happened before I started the change was - guess what: TW shimmy. It ruined the whole tire pretty quick. I went back to MATCO asking for advice. They offer a - let's call that friction kit to overcome that very topic. I only flew for a mere 2 hours, before I had to disassemble my bird for the container. But the last landing I had that shimmy again. Note: on asphalt. So there seems to be more than only friction. The MATCO kit consists not only of cup springs, but also softer springs for the connection between rudder and wheel. The springs are supposed to be kept under a slight tension - no slack.
    Anyway - I will put my airplane back together again and keep on varying parameters. I just have to find an asphalt runway first. Maybe a GoPRo mounted on the handle of the fuselage will give some insight.
    Let's see when that will happen. I'll pick up that post again.
     
    Thomas

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  6. Spornradler added a post in a topic Matco Fat Tailwheel trashed   

    Whow - that was a quick turnover with your supplies. Thank you! I had a phone conversation with the spring mender shop this afternoon and they started reproducing the affected spring. Hopefully I'll get it back by tomorrow. The new spring is slightly thicker and wider, but that shouldn't be a major issue. We'll see...
    I'll keep you posted!
    Thomas
     
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  7. Spornradler added a post in a topic Matco Fat Tailwheel trashed   

    Hi Ron,
     
    long time no words from me... 
    I did quite a few things on my Magnum. Will grab some pictures later on. One thing I did was to replace the 6.00 - 6 with 8.50 - 6 tires on the main and I got myself a Matco, too to lift the tail and get a softer ride on it. But only the 8" version. Overall look is better, the mains are only a little more spongy but still good to handle. The Maule tail wheel was pretty loud on the asphalt as it was not pneumatic and somewhat worn out.
    Just recently I went through my annual (I could do a lot of things myself under the supervision of my workshop on site). Looking at the tailwheel, we figured out the spring could be bent a little more downwards to get more castor angle heading backwards on the pivot axis of the wheel. I thought no big deal, but when I saw the lower leaf spring today it appeared to me, it has seen some heating. So the elasticity is gone, the steel is soft, bending doesn't make much sense (at least that's what I recall from these old days at school).  I guess the expert at the spring mending shop won't tell me any different tomorrow. That explains, why the angle wasn't correct - the spring probably sagged due to the lack of material tension.
    So that means, I'm hunting for a new set of leaf springs. Or at least the lower one, that had been heated. Do you have an idea, where to get a tailwheel spring? Do you remember, where you have sourced yours from? Assuming our attachment points on the fuselage are identical your source may save me a lot of research...
    Thomas
     


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  8. Spornradler added a post in a topic Lycoming   

    I know this post is pretty old. I was looking for someone who has installed an electronic ignition / fuel injection system on his Lycoming. However - I do have a O 320 D1A in my Avid Magnum. That means high compression and 160 HP. Captmikem in case you're still in this forum, let me know...
     
    Spornradler
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  9. Spornradler added a post in a topic Flying 40 hours off in a 50nm radius   

    Ron,
    first of all: congrats for your Magnum finally flying! I was following your threads for some weeks now, and it seems, it's not long ago, since you started flying it. The area you are living in is gorgeous. Super aerial pictures!
    Here's my question to you: Just recently I bought a Magnum. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to spend the time for building it myself, so someone else did that years ago before it was sitting another couple of years. It seems "my" builder hadn't paid attention into every little detail. Now I find myself confronted with the question about the deflection of the ailerons. If I recall another thread correctly, you have your ailerons deflecting another 20 degrees in addition to the 15 degrees of the flaps (I know, we're talking about flaperons, but for better distinction, I distinguish between aileron and flaps, meaning the deflection). Do I remember that right? Or did you make adjustments?
    Are you comfortable with your settings? How sensitive is your bird on the ailerons?
    Have a good night,
    Thomas
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  10. Spornradler added a post in a topic New in town   

    I need to read that out loud to myself - but then: Ich verstehe das gut! I was born and raised in Hamburg, but had been living in Stuttgart area for the last almost 20 years. 
    I have seen some videos of Fred - assuming you mean Fred Stork. He does super nice aerial videos and pictures and I find it very entertaining. It's a pity I don't understand French. I will have to contact him one day.
     
    Read you again, soon,
    Thomas
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  11. Spornradler added a post in a topic New in town   

    All,
    thanks for your warm welcome! Just returned from a business trip, so I had to answer a little late. @ C5Engineer - are you from Germany as well? Seems you have experience to flying over there? As of today, we are going back to Germany. But that's a few years out, so enough time to enjoy flying in the US.
    I'm located in Virginia Beach. I will see in what way I can update my profile, so that you have my location.
    Have a nice weekend!
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  12. Spornradler added a topic in Introduce yourself   

    New in town
    Hi there,
    I'm relatively new in town, was finally able to get my private pilot certificate in February, got my tailwheel endorsement last Friday and I fell in love with the Avid Magnum. Is there anybody in the vicinity of Virginia Beach, VA with an Avid Magnum or Avid Flyer? Kitfox maybe? 
    New in town means, I came over from Germany 1.5 years ago. I had a FK9 Mk2 ultralight airplane there and finally had the resources to become airborne again here in the US. So I am not completely new to tube and fabric taildragger.
    Pictures will follow, of course...
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