flywise

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Everything posted by flywise



  1. flywise added a post in a topic First flight follies   

    Hey Cowlove,
    your response was exactly what I was after...thank you so much.
    My Catalina has a rotax 912 originally 80 hp but this one is fitted with the Xtra piston kit supposed to produce 95 Hp. Also I have an inflight adjustable propeller. On take-off i have about 5700Rpm giving me best power.
    My empty weight is 776Lbs. The good thing is that I am slightly underfed and weigh in at 130Lbs....
    Cheers and all my wishes
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  2. flywise added a post in a topic Broke tail wheel during road transit   

    On my Catalina, wings folded and 14 Gal of fuel I measured 240 Lbs on the tailwheel.........In the end I made up a fiberglass spring as the steel one was bending. Also lost 1 Lbs doing so,,
    Wondering how much the structure can take before something breaks or bends during trailering? anyone in the engineering department??
     
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  3. flywise added a post in a topic First flight follies   

    To all the amphibian/Catalina flyers out there :
     
    Has no one flown the catalina being at or close to the rear C of G ?????? Could you tell me how much nose down trim you need on your bird to fly level please...
    Thanks
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  4. flywise added a post in a topic First flight follies   

    yes, the stab has all the ribbs.
    I guess the Catalina being longer (2ft) than the avid MK4 means that different flaps settings has less influence on attitude than the MK4....not sure but my 2 cents.
    Cheeeeers from BC
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  5. flywise added a post in a topic First flight follies   

    Hi everyone, tanks for your inputs. Here a few answers to your questions....
    1. Ref throttle settings.....I had a real hard time to keep it from going over Vne (100Mph). The most power I could set with a relatively fine pitch was 5250Rpm. Anything above (more pitch or more Rpm) made me go over red line. At that "cruise" setting I had to set the maximum trim "nose dwn". When reducing power from there I had to give a little more nose down using stick but really not much (maybe 3/4 in movement fwd on stick)...
    2. I did try flaperons...from full reflexed to full down it does have som incidence but not even enough to re-trim the elevator....still had to keep trimmed full nose down.
    I think I will plan two other flights before doing anything with stab incidence (ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT SHOULD BE??) .....one with 100Lbs on the front seat and another one with elevator gap seals installed. Any reply from all very much appreciated.
    P.s I also will check my flaperon rigging again to make sure...
     
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  6. flywise added a topic in Avid Catalina   

    First flight follies
    Hi you knowledgeable folks.....at last I have put my avid into the sky..
    I have a question about horizontal stab rigging....but first I'll explain what happened..
    A couple of big surprises for me!!!
    1. Water take off is crazy quick and short......6 seconds and hardly any time on the step....rate of climb about 1300fpm.....all that caught me by surprise as I wanted to perfect my step taxi before flight.....
    2. after take off I had to input a lot of pitch down to level off. I used all the trim I had and that just positioned my elevator down enough to fly level. Now in that configuration my stick position is way to far forward and I will not get the required 17 degrees down. I did at altitude some slow flight and stall, it's all well, it stalls straight ahead with no bad habit.
    Now the question...obviously this craft has a tendency to have a rear C of G. Now for my flight with with only me on board (I am light) I was within the C of G range but positioned  just before the rear limit (@ 16.8 in) and weighing 1000Lbs.
    Do you guys have to maximum trim the aircraft at rear C of G? How much incidence does forward c of g vs rear c of g have on your trim?
    I guess I will have to adjust the horizontal stabilizer incidence to correct the pitching moment and get my stick back towards the center.... Any input and experiences are greatly appreciated.


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  7. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    I was in the process of laying fibers for my spring when I read a post of someone doing the same with great difficulty (hard to gauge the amount of glass to get yhe right strength & stiffness)....he found a second hand  leaf spring already made from a chevrolet corvette C5 for 70 US. I just bought one for 60 US on ebay. I will have to cut the leaf spring to size. I will make a separate post for this one when I am done:)
     
    Cheers, laurent
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  8. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    I was in the process of laying fibers for my spring when I read a post of someone doing the same with great difficulty (hard to gauge the amount of glass to get yhe right strength & stiffness)....he found a second hand  leaf spring already made from a chevrolet corvette C5 for 70 US. I just bought one for 60 US on ebay. I will have to cut the leaf spring to size. I will make a separate post for this one when I am done:)
     
    Cheers, laurent
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  9. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    Hey cowlove....great info here. I also would love to see how to get down to 600Lbs....sounds crazy low weight. I really would like to know more about your aluminum tailwheel spring as I am in the process of adapting a carbon/fibreglass spring.....
    Did you make the spring? What weight? Is it strong enough (should hold at least 500Lbs )?
     
    Thanks for your reply
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  10. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina elevator push pull tube   

    Thank you for your reply. In the meantime I have straightened it and sent it off to ACURA  to be checked for any cracks. I believe they will use dye penetrant (DPI) and UV light. I also found it really easy to bend....does not need much side load. Probably strong in tensile load ......I hope.
    Anyhow if anyone has parts/spares let me know...I am also looking for a canopy (mainly the structure) as I want to have a partially open one for summer flying:)
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  11. flywise added a topic in Avid Catalina   

    Catalina elevator push pull tube
    Hi everyone....just finished all the flight control rigging when I found my elevator push pull tube (the last one attached to the elevator horns) bent at one end / at the thread holding my eye end....
    Does anyone know where to get the push pull tubes??? Has this happened to you?
    I suspect that the damage comes from trailering the aircraft...any input appreciated.
     
    Cheers & Keep'em flying

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  12. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    Hello everybody......I am wondering if W&B is a secret thing......nobody to chime in???? What is your empty weight, C of G and configuration????
    Also the book says the fwd and aft limit are 11.185 and 16.5 but my Catalina was approved at 11.0 / 17.0.....any thoughts? In my manual a handwritten statement says Dean Wilson states 11.0 / 17.5
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  13. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    The 22,59 inch c of g is measured from the datum (wing leading edge) going backwards towards the tail. It means when the aircraft sits empty on the ground it is quite tail heavy (normal for a pusher). As all the load put into the aircraft (fuel & pax) is forward of the 22,59in it will bring my  Catalina once loaded within the 11-17 inch range. Hope that's clear as mud.....
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  14. flywise added a post in a topic Catalina weight and balance   

    Dynomike, you got that right......the 22,59 in is the empty aircraft C of G
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  15. flywise added a topic in Avid Catalina   

    Catalina weight and balance
    Hi everyone....especially Catalina/amphibian owners. At last my catalina (after some modifications targeting weight) has made it onto the scales and I am shearing my figures.....I also would love to know the other member's aircraft  total empty weight and c of g position (please include setup setup engine/prop).
    My Catalina (rotax 912 with GSC 2 bladed variable pitch prop, xponder, vhf etc) has lost 20Lbs....and now is as stated below:
    Empty weight : 776,2 Lbs
    Aircraft c of g pos ; 22,59 in
    Fore/aft limit used :  most Fwd 11in / most Rear 17 in
     
    Also could you share what fwd/rear limits you use.
     
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  16. flywise added a post in a topic I have bought Avid Catalina N541GL ..youpee   

    Hi EDMO, you're quite right for some  types of lithium polymer batteries but the one I have chosen (lithium iron phosphate LiFePO 4)  is quite safe and even with the terminals short circuited it will/should  not catch fire...
    Here an explanation:
    LiFePO4 (also known as Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries are a huge improvement over lead acid in weight, capacity and shelf life. The LiFePO4 batteries are the safest type of Lithium batteries as they will not overheat, and even if punctured they will not catch on fire. The cathode material in LiFePO4 batteries is not hazardous, and so poses no negative health hazards or environmental hazards. Due to the oxygen being bonded tightly to the molecule, there is no danger of the battery erupting into flames like there is with Lithium-Ion. The chemistry is so stable that LiFePO4 batteries will accept a charge from a lead-acid configured charger. Though less energy-dense than the Lithium-Ion and Lithium Polymer, Iron and Phosphate are abundant and cheaper to extract so costs are much more reasonable. LiFePO4 life expectancy is approximately 5-7 years. - See more at: https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/lithium-battery-overview.html#sthash.lLg3wCeg.dpuf
     
     
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  17. flywise added a topic in Avid Catalina   

    I have bought Avid Catalina N541GL ..youpee
    Hi everyone, I have bought Casey's avid catalina and brought it back to Canada/BC. It has not flown in 4 years and since april I am working on it to get it Canadian and also to get it lighter and implementing a few mods....
     
    Here the setup for you:
    Rotax 912 with high comp pistons (supposed to get 95Hp)
    2 bladed infilght variable pitch prop (CF warp drive blades / GSC gta hub)
    Here the few mods I've done so far :
    Replaced lead acid battery for a very light shorei lithium battery (incredible performance....)
    Replaced analogue altimeter for a LED display digital one (more precise and much lighter)
    Replaced old heavy elt for new ACK e-04 lightweight 406 Mhz
    Replaced analogue RPM/MAP gauge for a digital one with memory and overspeed warnings
    All new aircraft wiring throughout
    Bigger gauge wire on starter
    added fused for all systems
    added anticollision light, LED
    Sorted out about 50 items wrong for the final inspection due very soon
     
    I am very interested in hearing other catalina pilots input for the first flight.....
    Happy to be an active part of the group:), cheers, Laurent




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  18. flywise added a post in a topic Avid "Bandit" model with trailer for sale   

    Any idea about the price?
    Thanks, best regards, Laurent
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