marksires

Yes, they land more often, and with more force, but the wheels and hubs are both steel, not aluminum.  I'd stick with the six personally.

Mark

Nope, that won't work.  No way that would be dressed like that in Alaska, and by the time you get it unwrapped, you're too tired to do anything else! The only thing that is worse than getting old, is not! 

Yep, a bikini on a warm sandy beach is way better than layers of long underwear in muddy slush (we get enough snow in Illinois I know that postcard stuff is a bunch of crap.  About an hour after it quits snowing, it's just a muddy, slushy mess)!

However, you have to keep the eye bleach handy, remember that most of the folks here in the winter are NOT college coeds!

The house in Florida came with a couple of runways and a hangar too.  Now all my toys can live at home!

Mark

I solved my winter heating problem. Bought a house in Florida )

Mark

I had this problem with some other PDF's on the site.  It was decided that an upgrade or problem in the past had damaged them.  The original poster was able to reupload them, and the worked after that.

Mark

The other plane I'm building is a Cozy MkIV, all fiberglass, including the tanks.  The general consensus of those who are building and those that have built is that EZPoxy 87 is the most fuel resistant epoxy for those planes.  I'm replacing the fabric on my Avid over the winter, and if the tank looks sketchy I'll be building a new one using that.  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/ezpoxy.php?clickkey=5889

Mark

I'm not a great mechanic, and had zero Rotax or Aircraft engine experience at the time.  I took my engine off (582 grey head) to send it for overhaul in a few hours, and it took me a little less than a day to get it put back on by myself.  Since all the 'stuff' is already run, it isn't that bad.  Most of the time I spent was running new fuel lines and oil injector lines.  Installing an engine in a new airplane would take longer since all the wires, throttle cables, hoses, radiator mounts, etc. have to be set up and then adjusted a bazillion times.

Mark

Good work Joey.  That rating made me a much better pilot.  Then the float rating helped me figure out what those pedals by my feet were for....

You'll always remember you first real approach in IMC to near minimums.  I still do, and it has been, well, a lot of years...

Mark

Unless I'm thinking wrong, you'd want to wire the flap handle down.  Pulling the handle up moves the flaperons down to act like flaps, and is when the control reversal might happen.  Down is the 'no flaps' position.

Mark

Ed,

Mine is a bone stock Avid 'C/D' STOL wing taildragger.  When I'm back in the same state as the airplane, I'll be happy to measure that.  Do you want that measurement when the plane is level (flying mode, like doing weight and balance), or sitting on the gear?

Mark

Ed,

Thanks for the tip.  Doesn't look too far to me, but then I'm making regular trips between Illinois and our new Florida house with the truck and trailer.

Getting it over there won't be a problem, it fits into the trailer fine when the wings and horizontal stabilizer are off.  The stab is a royal pain, and was a surprise.  I knew a wing had to come off when I bought it, but the stab was a surprise.  Fun grinding down a wrench to get the nut off 1500 miles from home!

If Travis is interested, I'd still like to get up there with a leg (maybe both) so we can compare.  If they are different, then we can discuss a swap, or just make drawings of both kinds (and share them here), and then we can both make our own alternate gear.

Even though it might not be in my best interest, I'd recommend to Travis to consider some kind of wider gear if he converts to taildragger.  The stock gear is a handful on the ground, at least on asphalt.

Mark

Ed,

My build manual talks about nose gear, I have both main gear attach points, but don't have the nose gear weldment in the frame right now. I have a nose gear weldment to put in. Have to practice a lot more with the TIG or find a good welder though!

Mark

Travis,

It is hard to tell from the pictures. Level my plane up like yours, swap the legs, and then move the fairing to the other tube, and the difference might just be an optical illusion.

Mark

Travis,

I'm just south of you in central Illinois (KIJX). I have what is either a late C or early D (later mk IV, the build manual says 'D', the tail was still square originally though) taildragger I'm thinking of converting to a nose gear. I'm stripping the fabric off to recover this fall, and would be willing to throw one of the taildragger main gear legs in the Cherokee and head that way so we can both see if there are any differences.

Mark

You can have the snow, I'll take the 106!

Mark

If I go, I'll send you a PM.  I'll be a not tall, not handsome, not quite as old man with a piper yellow Jack Brown Seaplane base hat on.  And likely a tropical shirt - I like to pretend I'm in Florida even when I'm not.

Mark

I'm thinking about it, but won't know for sure until a day or so before I go.  Probably just fly the Cherokee over.

Mark

Ed,

Use PVC foam (pink stuff at Home Depot/Lowes), and a little gas (or alcohol, or other things)will dissolve a lot of foam. Use that method when making small parts with fiberglass & a foam mold. Make the mold, layup the part, and if the foam won't come off easily, or the shape doesn't allow the foam to come out, dissolve the foam.

Mark

Luke,

I would imagine, I remember a few years ago at Sploshkosh, watching the same entertainment on Thursday morning.  All the guys with the giant, fancy motorhomes decided it was time to leave after the torrential rains Wednesday night. EAA had a John Deere 8 series 4wd tractor pulling them out.  One guy won the prize though, buried it front and back to the axles.  They had to call the towing service, and they had to use airbags to get it lifted out of the hole.  My thought through the whole thing was 'Really?  You can afford those motorcoaches, but can't afford to stay one more day and let it dry out?'

Mark

Wow, all mine have needed replacing for leaking long before 25 years!

Mark

Ok, google to the rescue.  Been trying to figure out what an 800 AC motor was....  Arctic Cat 800!  See, here in the midwest, 'cat means something else entirely, it's usually very big, very heavy, and doesn't have anything that would work in a helicopter!  Forgot that all you Alaska guys think about is snow machines!

Mark

I can't seem to find the helicopter in that picture....

Sorry I missed it. I had planned to stay all week, but business needs forced me to leave Wednesday evening.  That may have been good - getting my camper out of the campgrounds after the rain might have been more fun than I could stand!

Mark

Thanks for the explan Mark - How much for that dog? 

I was thinking about tossing a tennis ball straight up, and doing the same with a bowling ball - but I like yours better.

EDmo

How much for that dog?  Depends on the day.... 

I guess I was thinking you hang more weight on the exact same wing you would get more wing flex in a heavier airplane than a light one in rough air.

That would be true if the force increased in proportion to the weight increase, but with turbulence, the force is the same, so heavier wing loading results in less response to the force, so less damage.  If in my analogy the rat was shaken by a chihuhua, and the groundhog was shaken by a great dane, both would probably have the same damage.

Mark