KR> Glue question
How would you remove the clamp from the longeron without damaging either (but if one needs to be damaged, preferrably the clamp." ++ My favourite goof last year, did it twice. Heat up the clamp close to the offending bond (propane torch or similar) and keep moving the clamp - it will come free well before any damage is done to the wood. Obvious caution about burning your hand. The heat may effect the joint you were making in the first place, so keep an eye on it - maybe clamp it before heating if this is possible. Steve J
KR> Spruce vs Douglas Fir
I am seriously considering Douglas fir as an alternative to spruce. Hey Darren, you have a better alternate right there - hoop pine lumber and ply - same selection criteria. I have made a careful study of the known alternatives and hoop pine is no compromise at all - good stuff. If it were not for an equally good substitute in South Africa, I would have imported hoop pine for my current project. Take care Steve J
KR> VW conversion
ML wrote " . then turn on the ignition and slowly rotate the distributor until the points fire (this is with the cap off, you can both see and hear them spark ..." +++ A transistor radio placed near the distributor gives a useful crackle when the points fire, actually catch it sort of mid-break after a few attempts. Remember to rotate the distributor backwards to take up the gear lash. Steve J
KR> Tail Wheels
Why not just repair your old wheel by putting in new bearings and cast a Polly Urathane tyre. If I could post a photo I can show you mine. Regards Willie Willie, Please send me a pic and say something about casting the tyre. Steve J Port Elizabeth st...@johnmartin.co.za
KR> Fuselage weight question
> Reducing the taper to resemble a bubble will cost you in performance in > the > form of drag on the back of the canopy. That's probably why the KR2 went > to > the straight turtledeck. And plexiglas is probably heavier than your > average turtledeck material per square foot. +++ Not sure that's right Mark - refer the 240 mph (2,000lb) GP4, T18 and Mustang II plus any number of modern designs that have concave curves in all planes. (Apogee??)
KR> Fuselage weight question
> Try this > > http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/ebarros/ ++ Even better - go to his site direct (http://www.kr2-egb.com.ar/) - and translate the pages, it is almost as good as Langford's site and better than most construction manuals. His complete fuse excluding spars and legs weighs 27.2 kg (59.8lbs)
KR> Gorilla Glue/Urethane Glue results
> I took a damp cloth and wiped both sides of the capstrip to dampen the > wood, as this glue needs moisture to activate it. I put a bead of glue on > the > surface of one side (not both sides like epoxy) of the strip and used a 1" > brush to spread it evenly across the 3/4" surface. ++ I learned something in the early hours of this nice day (about polyurethane adhesives) that really bothers me. It has been on my mind (since the recent discussion) that experienced and knowledgeable netters had also done some testing of their own - and were not impressed - why? I was attaching a doubler to a fuselage longeron. The joint offered plenty glue area (my psi logic) so I used the polyU. I have been following the Forest Products recommended procedure of applying glue both sides, rubbing together and leaving things open for a few minutes. This was a mistake on the day, I guess the RH was just to high. Everything looked good until I started clamping up. By chance I noted a gap (maybe 1/32") and came back increasing the clamping pressure on all of the clamps. I say by chance because as we know, once this glue comes fizzing out of the joint, it hides the gap unless you wipe and look. No amount of clamping closed the gap, I assumed that I had something trapped in there (could not imagine what?) so the messy task of de-clamping and opening. There was nothing other than glue? Presumably a core of the expanding "film" of glue actually was resisting my efforts to close the gap. >From my tests I know, ANY gap just leads to a weak joint, so I checked the other side (glued the day before) - same story. I shut down the shop and came to work - another messy task tonight!! For those that use PolyU, be aware of this tendency /possibility - probably when there is plenty moisture in the air. Steve J South Africa
KR> Gorilla Glue (urethane glue)
My concern is that if I use T-88, the clamping pressure from making the radius in the jig will force all the glue out and starve the joint, making T-88 not reusable. Any suggestions>? ++ I use it all the time on wood-to-wood since Veeduber expressed his views. It is great stuff, particularly for your intended purpose, as it requires substantial clamping pressure. The down side is that the surfaces must be a good fit with no gap. Any gap becomes filled with foam that has little or no strength. Bonus is that the squeeze-out is a breeze to clean with a sharp knife (or old hack-saw blade)and no trying to guess how much to mix, just apply and bond. >From my research, the best results were obtained by applying to both surfaces, rubbing together and leaving the joint open for a few minutes - just until it starts to foam. Use half of what you expect to use, like a thin smear on each surface. Clamping (curing) time is shortened by available moisture in the air - some instructions go so far as to suggest wetting one surface. I have not tried that. Steve J Port Elizabeth South Africa
KR> Urethane glue
I stated in my original post that this application will probably squeeze most of the glue out from between the plys. ++ Scott I honestly believe that this glue has a place in building airplanes, so I will risk getting flamed here. A similar discussion on another interest group site some months ago provoked me to do a fair amount of research and tests with Urethane glue - the up-side to this adhesive was very compelling. If I can find the links, I will pass on some of the stuff, in particular a well written report from Forest Products, they tested several brands. The short story is that Urethane adhesives are more than adequate and have some nice plusses provided you understand HOW and WHEN to use them. My initial tests had me believing pretty much what Mark L believes, but the potential benefits gave me the incentive to look deeper. I am glad I did. All my ply scarf joints are now done with this adhesive - the break test results are more consistent than any other adhesive - zero failure - in fact, I have not been able to separate a joint yet (birch ply). On the other hand, I will not use Urethane unless I am sure that I can get to and clamp every square inch to a flush fit - NO GAPS. I mostly use it where the glue area is large (relative). Typically, not on a block gusset, but Ok for a ply plate gusset. When I get to doing what you are doing, laminating the wing tip, HS and VS bows, I will not consider anything else. This adhesive will tolerate an extended open time - may be a plus for laminating long bits. I have not tested this, but FP says that opening and closing the joint several times before final clamping had no ill effects on the joint We sometimes tend to consider the strength of the glue (psi) in isolation, but how well the adhesive bonds to any given material is also a factor. I have seen epoxy joints fail many times during my RC flying years, with the bulk of the epoxy remaining (in tact) on one side of the failed joint and what resembles a finger print of the joint on the other side. The fact that I could probably drill and tap a hole in the epoxy did not help matters, the joint (not the glue) had failed. Agreed, this was 5 minute epoxy, not T-88 but I mention this to make the point - even an incredibly strong glue must actually sticks to the host material - urethane does this better than anything else (except cyno). I will not use Urethane in a cluster joint - I believe that actual strength of the glue now becomes more significant due to a reduced adhesive contact area - and the intrinsic strength of epoxy (psi) comes into play. For what it is worth, in some of my tests, even a 10mm staple (thru 4mm ply) on a 30mm (1.3"?) spacing was not enough to keep the surfaces tight when the glue started fizzing. I guess this pressure may force glue into the fibres if the joint is well clamped. Steve J Port Elizabeth South Africa
KR> polyester resin = Hennie
Hennie Stuur aub jou kontak nommers, ek sal graag bietjie met jou gesels st...@johnmartin.co.za Beste Steve J
KR> Lowrance Marine
Bought the Marine unit for 80 bucks and re-programmed the sucker for air usage + My first attempt at getting a GPS was also a buck saving mission - I opted for an old non-aviation Garmin (no map). It would not work in the plane - everything went to zero. I tried it out in the car and it worked a treat, so back to the plane, no joy so I emailed Garmin help desk. It turned out that the terrestrial units had a max speed limit (something like 50 mph). Question is if your Airmap is the same and /or if a re-program to aviation software will remedy this. Steve J South Africa
KR> Stalls @ gross weights
you have to correleate your airspeed to ground speed, ... + Why? Anything other than TAS is irrelevant. TAS (IAS or CAS) is all the pilot has to inform him of the onset of a stall. I agree that it would be dufficult to establish and quanyify TAS at stall (or any other flight situation) due to position error, instrument error, calibration and even static source - thus important to establish the stall speed in terms of IAS for each airplane. Have a great weekend Steve
KR> Airmap 1000 / 100
On the Garmin each airport is displayed with an icon that clearly shows it's runway orientation, an imitation of the way airports are displayed on a sectional. On the Airmap, all the runways look like they run north and south + My Airmap (older 100) displays runways in the correct orientation. With the extended centre line(s) turned on and the map set to auto-zoom, approaching new (strange) airfields is a treat. The map zoom (in) updates continuously until you can actually "see" the threshold. It took me months to learn all the features - only problem so far is no back lighting on the key pad. Take care Steve J
KR> ANC-18
Can anyone tell me where on the FAA web site I can get ANC-18, or alternative sites, and can anyone reccommend any good books on wooden aircraft construction. + Don Reid may still have some - get ANC 18; 19 and 5 while you are at it - best buy I made in a while. [donreid"at"peoplepc.com] Steve Zambia
KR> Re: Test
Test received Steve -Original Message- From: krnet-boun...@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-boun...@mylist.net] On Behalf Of paulw...@webtv.net Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 2:52 PM To: KRnet Subject: KR> Re: Test Just checking. ___ Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
KR> BRS
Of those all those who died in small experimental planes that crashed, how many would have been saved if they had the option of a BRS? 90%? 50%? 20%? 10%? +++ According to the BRS web site, more than 60 lives have been saved by that particular brand alone - they list each incident and more than half were equipment failure of some description. Anyone who believes that they are infallible, try walking across the swimming pool. If you make it to the other side. Skip the BRS. All other mere mortals already know, sht happens. Steve Zambia
KR> BRS
Before: I used to be a professional hunter (for 22 years in Africa) After: After going through all of this, I will do ANYTHING at ANY COST to turn the odds in my favour. ++ I was honestly surprised to see another side of ML, I read the posting twice looking for a hint of "tongue-in-cheek". Many of us enjoy the rush of running on the edge - for some it may be hunting big game, for others it may be hurtling down the side of a mountain on a bicycle. What I find interesting is how the boldness within us is very quickly quenched once things go wrong (we loose control) and slip cross the edge. Most don't get a 2nd chance, those that do always come away with a whole new outlook on life. Thanks Jaco, you helped me put things into perspective. I will learn from your tale and hopefully save the school fees.
KR> battery had bulged
might look into a regulator that's a little smarter than the one I have now + Like most things, battery design has its compromises - electrolyte (gel) volume, plate area, distance between plates etc. These parameters obviously effect size and weight for a given AH capacity and the often ignored cold cranking capacity (where relevant). Some batteries are designed to efficiently "store" energy that is received and delivered at modest (charge / discharge) rates - units designed for Solar and UPS applications generally fall in this category and are very effective provided they are not subjected to high charge / discharge rates. The acceptable charge rate (in this case) is more of a trickle charge, but certainly not much over C/10 and the acceptable discharge rate is adequate to deliver the full (stored) capacity over a period of time. Whereas we can control the charge rate and solve most of the battery damage type problems, cranking an engine is very demanding in terms of current draw, if the battery is not designed for this, its life will be short. Subjecting the battery to a higher (than spec) charge (or discharge?) rate is more likely to cause damage from overheating, than high temps in the general environment. Steve Zambia
KR> dragonfly canopies
"Acrylform" in Cape Town run by a chap by the name of Jan Diener (sp). I will be ordering one shortly and have been advised by Dart ind that I can expect to pay around ZAR1,950.00. +++ Jan Dienaar produces superb quality, refitted my PA32 as well as a Baron with his tinted windows. I think he made Jaco's KR2S canopy and fitted it to the frame, so a good solution for home builders in SA or the general region, but not much help for anyone that needs to pay international airfreight. ZAR 1,950 equates to the same price as a Todd's Canopy, $300 to $350. Steve Zambia PS, he also makes a brilliant range of wheel pants at very good prices.
KR> Windshield
They sold out to Dart Industries a couple of years ago. Here is the ling to the Dragonfly web site: ++ Dart Industries is now located on the East coast of South Africa. When I last inquired, they were still importing canopies from the US so pointless going there if you are in the US. They were moving towards local manufacture, but even then I cannot see it being cost effective to import. I am sure most netters already know that Todd's Canopies (http://www.toddscanopies.com/) provides a good product, especially when you want to tweak it a bit longer, taller or wider. Hard to beat at $300/350 for a KR2/2S canopy (or a Dragonfly canopy) Steve Zambia
KR> BRS
My opinion is that a BRS is a crutch and masks poor piloting skills or decisions. + A most welcome crutch when excellent piloting skills and the very best decisions will not stop nature from passing the death sentence, particularly when: = The motor quits over the mountains. (It happened to me) = An aileron comes adrift - refer at least one Cirrus incident (he survived) = A bird takes comes through the windscreen / canopy (variety of examples with mostly sad consequences) = Medical problem incapacitates the driver who hopefully briefed the wife, kid or whoever is along for the ride (about the big RED lever called BRS). Several happy stories here and many, many sad stories. Refer http://brsparachutes.com/index.mgi and read about more than 20 people (so far) who are pleased to have had that 2nd chance. = Caught out on top of 8/8?, Serious QBI? / Icing? / instrument failure? - refer the illustrious father of all KR's, Kenny Rand (sadly he did not survive) I agree with Jaco, just do it. Barry K from down under has one in a stock KR2 (almost Stock) and still has space for his good lady. Shucks man, even some hang gliders have them - surely any KR can accept A BRS. Steve Zambia
KR> steel tube fuselages
If one decided to mate a KR wing set to a truss type steel tube fuselage how would one go about doing it? Gary Morgan down under in Oz is doing some interesting things along these lines. (www.homepages.ihug.com.au/~gkmorgan ) After building two very successful KR2S style airplanes using typical KR type construction, he is now doing some work with ally (tubing, plate, angles and sheet metal). The single seat version is flying and a KR2ish look-alike is in the works. He gets these things out in surprisingly little time, so the construction method may be well worth considering as a means of getting to the Yee-Ha a whole lot sooner. I don't how pop-riveted ally joint will stack up against welded 4130 in terms of strength-to-weight and longevity, but bolted (riveted) structures are sure becoming popular since the sport pilot category took off. If nothing else, is certainly a great deal easier for the home-builder to consistently get good quality joints without too much expense in equipment and training. It would be equally easy (inexpensive?) to correct a mistake or repair the results of a ground-loop With regard to your question above - note the central steel crutch that Gary uses to tie up the main spar, legs, fuselage, etc. Some good pictures on his site. Steve Jacobs Zambia
KR> intake heat
Which aircraft have a alternate air on the panel for air to the throttle body and how would your throttle body ice up do to carb ice ? There is no fuel going thru it. ++ My Cherokee Six had exactly that - spring loaded auto open and was cable controlled from the cockpit. This has nothing to do with the throttle body or anything else that is downstream from this point where another air source would offer no relief anyway. This alternate air facility provides a separate source of intake air from within the cowl if the inlet ducting (that is upstream) ices over. Steve Jacobs Zambia
KR> Jeff Scott's Modifications
I pushed 6 photos to <http://www.vla.com/jscott/kr/index.htm>. Fair warning that they aren't very good photos and are large files that you won't want to load via modem. + I pulled them all down in under 10,minutes on a 51k dial-up and it was sure worth the time. Anyone that is undecided about a KR should have a look at this handsome airplane. Very slick indeed, a really good looking KR Jeff. Can you discuss the changes from the standard KR2 or 2S. Did you consider using just one flap all the way across? Never crossed my mind until I saw your flaps in the front view, but these pictures sure got me thinking. Were any of the changes based on KR flying experience (larger rudder?) I am looking fwd to reading the flight reports. Good luck Steve Jacobs Zambia
KR> Nose Gear question
On landing and take off, I keep the nose wheel of the runway as well as I can +++ For what it is worth - I experienced some serious shimmy just before rotation on a C 206 that I fly regularly - I complained to the A&P, but he could not find anything wrong. Then I had the same problem on a totally different airplane (C 210) - really bad, also just before rotation. I had a chat to the regular pilot and he never had any problems - clearly I was goofing something, so I took a check ride with a buddy. Short story is that this Piper driver was responding to the normal (nose-high) stance of the Cessna's by subconsciously holding down stick and placing increasing pressure on the nose wheel. Did a few with the trim set right and neutral stick - no more shimmy. Like I said, for what it is worth. (Best solution: Dump the training gear) Steve Jacobs Zambia
KR> YeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaa!
Bottom line is that this 2700cc engine and prop combination is better than my old 3100cc! +++ Can this be from the increase in comp ratio alone? Will you be going back to the 3100 later? Was it the same prop both ways? Great effort - good luck. Have a great gathering, you surely deserve it - I really look fwd to the pictures. Steve J
KR> 56ML Incidence
I'm going to move the horizontal stab to move the CG closer to the mid point and see how that does. ++ Please say a bit more on this Mark - are you alluding to changing the HS incidence to achieve a better CP shift / range? I figured that you had the decaulage (decalage?) about perfect but then again, you did provide for a small tweak in the stab incidence. Good luck this weekend Steve J
KR> Procedure to cover glass cloth on foam.
Please correct me if you have experienced different +++ Stand corrected - very effective peel ply (synthetic material) is available from the drapery store at a fraction the cost and I doubt that any release agent is involved. I wish I could be more specific, but my wife found it and she is not sure what the technical name is. She did mention dress lining and other similar things. I got two 80m rolls while the going was good so it has been a while. It resembles a 3 ounce regular weave cloth, but acts like a synthetic (nylon?) when exposed to a flame. (Black smoke an makes a little black ball) I have even has success with an "ester" resin. Steve J
KR> 56ML Incidence
I'm going to move the CG aft some (by moving the backup battery toward the tail, and maybe adding a few pounds of lead to the tail spring mount) and THEN I might adjust the horizontal stab. +++ Thanks, makes complete sense now. You really are fine-tuning this bird. = Having the CG float around (and within) the fwd part of the range is better, but you already know that. = If you must have a battery (or other heavy object) behind the seats, please secure it really well - these things become missiles in an accident. Consider finding a reason to make another engine mount or shortening the present mount by a few mm. (Won't be the first time you did something three times to get it perfect). When you get around to moving the prop and hub back a tad, that will also contribute without adding any weight, as will any weight you may save on the new cowl. Good luck Steve J
KR> 56ML Incidence - If you really must
I have pondered the idea of having a couple pound weight on some type of pulley in the tail cone that could be moved forward or aft while in flight. ++ There is probably a great deal to learn from this, but rather consider using water pumped around between two tanks. Five liters would be 11 lbs (10L would be 22 lbs) that could be moved from the header tank position (or under the seats) to somewhere far aft - maybe mounted to the tail wheel hard points. A crude dump valve on the rear tank may be a good idea - just in case. If the fwd facing wall of the aft tank is designed accordingly, the tank would contain say 4G's of flight load, but rupture (in the unlikely event of a prang) and allow any water content to escape, leaving the tank to stay put and the water alone coming for you. Tell the FAA inspector that you have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed. Some airliners use fuel in this manner, but probably not a good idea in this case Steve Jacobs
KR> Garmin GPS196 for dummies
However... nowhere in the manual can I find how to go about downloading the update and installing it to the GPS. +++ I always get first class help from his guy at Garmin: Berrange, Trevor [mailto:trevor.berra...@garmin.com] Take care Steve J
