Earthstar Forums

I will post pictures as I make progress if you guys like.
Here's the plan!
I will be taking the wing off and bringing the JT2 into my composite shop for the winter. I have 4 big projects planned.

1.Re-design the dash in carbon for the Garmin796.
2.A cockpit actuated kick stand (so the tail does not sit on the ground) Don't worry, no holes to be drilled through the boom. It will be mounted just below the propellor arc on the boom.
3.A carbon fiber honeycomb cargo pod. (sort of like the ones you see on the Titans only streamlined and not so butt ugly) It will also be way lighter in weight.
4.A BRS/ducted case infront of the engine.It will also be carbon fiber. The VLS BRS case has to much drag (as Mark has said) and ugly.I have a soft pack I will be using. The streamlined enclosure will look very much like the ICON engine cover. Only the air intake will split aroung the parachute enclosure.The air can then be ducted to each side of the engine and coolers. I really like the ICON spinner and the way it blends into the engine.(Do I hear HKS Turbo)So I will borrow a few artistic cues from them.

Well, in Canada there's no flying in the winter for me so at least I can sit in it and pretend while I am working on the improvements.

Fred

Fred, your visions are great, and it looks like you are planning for the HKS Turbo, as you mentioned coolers, like in oil and inter. The FI and computer makes the fuel flow a dream also. It's chilly here, with temps at 23F this morning, but no snow. We are supposed to have another La Nina weather pattern according to the meteorologists, which means a big snow dump soon, but will probably be balmy in January. Last year we had some great flying weather in January. Too bad Microsoft doesn't have a Thundergull option on the flght sim, with the option of using our own landscape and video footage. Would that be fun or what?
By the way, in your composit shop are you going to make some rudder tips for a strobe and tail-light?? If you do, can you make me a set too? Your stabilator tips look great on my plane in blue.

kb

Hi Kess
I sure am no fan of winter or snow. Snow should be some place you have to book a trip to see. As it is, good climate for most things around here are from june 1st to dec 1st. The rest of the year things are on hold. But if you like snow sports its great!
I will be making some rudder tips. I was kind of thinking of a camera mount in it.Perhaps a small strobe and tail light could be planned in also. The pictures of the elevator tips on your plane are kind of hidden. Could you upload a better picture. Thanks
Fred

Fred, if you cruise the other site's photo's, you can see a camera mount molded into the stabilator tip. I've seen you-tube footage of rudder mounts, and most of the views are too wide and distorted. Maybe a much narrower field of view lens would be better.
And yes, I will take a close-up of the stabilator tips and post it, as I noticed that it was missing.

In a message dated 11/20/2011 6:42:31 AM Pacific Standard Time,
gayford@golden.net writes:

I will post pictures as I make progress if you guys like.
Here's the plan!
I will be taking the wing off and bringing the JT2 into my composite shop
for the winter. I have 4 big projects planned.

1.Re-design the dash in carbon for the Garmin796.
2.A cockpit actuated kick stand (so the tail does not sit on the ground)
Don't worry, no holes to be drilled through the boom. It will be mounted
just below the propellor arc on the boom.
3.A carbon fiber honeycomb cargo pod. (sort of like the ones you see on
the Titans only streamlined and not so butt ugly) It will also be way lighter
in weight.
4.A BRS/ducted case infront of the engine.It will also be carbon fiber.
The VLS BRS case has to much drag (as Mark has said) and ugly.I have a soft
pack I will be using. The streamlined enclosure will look very much like the
ICON engine cover. Only the air intake will split aroung the parachute
enclosure.The air can then be ducted to each side of the engine and coolers. I
really like the ICON spinner and the way it blends into the engine.(Do I
hear HKS Turbo)So I will borrow a few artistic cues from them.

Well, in Canada there's no flying in the winter for me so at least I can
sit in it and pretend while I am working on the improvements.

Fred




Hi Fred
The underside of the wing has + pressure and the upper side is - or lower
pressure. If you have an intake that is to close to the wing the air will
come in to the cowl from the underside on the back were the exit is and exit
through the hole that is above the wing. I would be careful copying the
Icon, so you don't end up with a reverse flow, aseptically at high angles of
attack were you need the most cooling during climb.
Happy Flying
Mark

Thanks for the advice Mark I am eager to learn and want to take every thing into consideration. Do you think the icon is in a reverse flow situation as they have it? I was thinking of having the air intake off set upwards to be above the boundary layer on the top of the wing. Do you know how thick this layer is. Or am I not making sense.
Would filling the wing gaps like Kess did eliminate the path for negitive flow?
I am wanting to do my homework on airflow.
Thanks for any advice.
Fred

Today I took a look at all the pusher airplanes I could find on google.The most interesting one other than the Icon was the Sky Arrow. They have inclosed their engine and the air intake is above the wing. My thinking is that because the rotax 503 has a fan driven cooling I think it will be ok with that engine. Kiss seems to be alright with his, but when I get the HKS turbo it may be different. Probably the best thing to do when the turbo is mounted would be to take the cowl off and get the engine all dialed in with temperatures and such and then when I mount the cowl see if cooling varies, in climbout and cruise. If I mounted one of those go pro cameras in front of the cowl I should be able to see what the tuffs are doing going into the cowl entrance.
We have a former Air Canada Captain at our field who suggested I put a pitot tube in the exit of the cowl channels and really see what the flow is like.
Anyway its a very interesting project to me and should be a lot of fun.Hope I am not boring anyone thinking out loud like this.
Fred

No problem, it's fun to hear other people ramble too. It's how ideas get kicked around. And yes, I made note of my engine temps before and after the engine cowling. Because the fan has the same diameter opening and is close, I saw no changes in temps in climb and cruise. I think that you would enjoy an engine cowl because as well as drag reduction, it's keeps the sun and wind off your engine, and that has to be a good thing. Oh Fred, you will like this one. One of my winter upgrades is to install my other projector lens superlight to complete my landing light project. I found a motorcycle headlight bulb upgrade from a 55 watt (low beam) halogen, to a 35 watt HID bulb and ballast for $19.95, and I had to have it.

And the Sky Arrow, it's a tank compared to our planes, and it's speeds show it. Kind of sexy looking, and lot's of dollars, but you just can't beat our Gulls for the best bang for the buck. Our less than $20K birds that stay up with the $125K ones, and even some with two strokes and grinning all the time!

kb

Thanks for the info on your cowl and temperatures. I will keep the group posted on my projects. I am done flying for the winter. It is just too cold for me, so I am about to take the wing off and start with doing the dash and kickstand project first. Then the belly cargo pod and elevator rudder tips. Oh by the way, I posted a picture that I found on the net of another clever rock and mud deflector.
Fred

I like your thoroughness.
Happy Flying
Mark


In a message dated 12/7/2011 2:39:59 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
gayford@golden.net writes:




Today I took a look at all the pusher airplanes I could find on google.The
most interesting one other than the Icon was the Sky Arrow. They have
inclosed their engine and the air intake is above the wing. My thinking is that
because the rotax 503 has a fan driven cooling I think it will be ok with
that engine. Kiss seems to be alright with his, but when I get the HKS turbo
it may be different. Probably the best thing to do when the turbo is
mounted would be to take the cowl off and get the engine all dialed in with
temperatures and such and then when I mount the cowl see if cooling varies, in
climbout and cruise. If I mounted one of those go pro cameras in front of
the cowl I should be able to see what the tuffs are doing going into the
cowl entrance.
We have a former Air Canada Captain at our field who suggested I put a
pitot tube in the exit of the cowl channels and really see what the flow is
like.
Anyway its a very interesting project to me and should be a lot of
fun.Hope I am not boring anyone thinking out loud like this.
Fred

--- In _Earthstar_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com_
(mailto:Earthstar_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com) , "Fred" <gayford@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the advice Mark I am eager to learn and want to take every
thing into consideration. Do you think the icon is in a reverse flow
situation as they have it? I was thinking of having the air intake off set upwards
to be above the boundary layer on the top of the wing. Do you know how
thick this layer is. Or am I not making sense.
> Would filling the wing gaps like Kess did eliminate the path for
negitive flow?
> I am wanting to do my homework on airflow.
> Thanks for any advice.
> Fred
>
>
> --- In _Earthstar_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com_
(mailto:Earthstar_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com) , thundergul@ wrote:
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 11/20/2011 6:42:31 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> > gayford@ writes:
> >
> > I will post pictures as I make progress if you guys like.
> > Here's the plan!
> > I will be taking the wing off and bringing the JT2 into my composite
shop
> > for the winter. I have 4 big projects planned.
> >
> > 1.Re-design the dash in carbon for the Garmin796.
> > 2.A cockpit actuated kick stand (so the tail does not sit on the
ground)
> > Don't worry, no holes to be drilled through the boom. It will be
mounted
> > just below the propellor arc on the boom.
> > 3.A carbon fiber honeycomb cargo pod. (sort of like the ones you see
on
> > the Titans only streamlined and not so butt ugly) It will also be way
lighter
> > in weight.
> > 4.A BRS/ducted case infront of the engine.It will also be carbon
fiber.
> > The VLS BRS case has to much drag (as Mark has said) and ugly.I have a
soft
> > pack I will be using. The streamlined enclosure will look very much
like the
> > ICON engine cover. Only the air intake will split aroung the parachute
> > enclosure.The air can then be ducted to each side of the engine and
coolers. I
> > really like the ICON spinner and the way it blends into the engine.(Do
I
> > hear HKS Turbo)So I will borrow a few artistic cues from them.
> >
> > Well, in Canada there's no flying in the winter for me so at least I
can
> > sit in it and pretend while I am working on the improvements.
> >
> > Fred
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi Fred
> > The underside of the wing has + pressure and the upper side is - or
lower
> > pressure. If you have an intake that is to close to the wing the air
will
> > come in to the cowl from the underside on the back were the exit is
and exit
> > through the hole that is above the wing. I would be careful copying
the
> > Icon, so you don't end up with a reverse flow, aseptically at high
angles of
> > attack were you need the most cooling during climb.
> > Happy Flying
> > Mark
> >
>