Hello Everybody,
I hope you’ve had a good summer flying, and a special thanks to all those who came to our fly-in and barbecue. Eighteen aircraft in on the day – great! I hope to see you at the next one in the summer.
So what’s been happening? We are currently painting John Pearson’s aircraft, which should be flying in February. I think John has built a beautiful aircraft, which incorporates additional fibreglass bodywork from Cloudbase Enterprises as well as some of John’s own ideas on the radiator positioning and cooling. The engine is fully enclosed which must clean up the airflow around the rear of the aircraft. Hopefully we will be able to persuade John to do some tests, with and without, the rear bodywork to see what difference it makes. There is a saying that if it looks good it must be good, and John’s aircraft certainly looks good. The colour scheme is brilliant, John’s design I hasten to add.
Footwells are going well with 10 retrofits completed so far, plus the CFM factory built machines which are using my design. A number of folding wing systems have also been supplied, some of which are on new factory aircraft.
After seeing many members struggling to get their tie downs screwed into the ground I have decided to make available my design to members. Instead of the regular dog ties, my design uses two 12" x 0.3" steel pins together with a 4.5" x 1" tube. The pins are hammered into the ground through holes in the 4.5" tube, this ensures the pins are set at the correct angle to provide maximum grip. Three sets are provided together with a hammer and chord. The set is available to members at £20.00 + VAT.
Accidents – If you are unfortunate enough to bend your aircraft, we are now able to carry out insurance repairs with the blessings of the BMAA and insurance companies etc.
A tip for homebuilders - When doping new fabric sometimes if the dope is too thin or you brush it in too much, a sag will appear under the fabric when you paint or white dope it, which appears as a run. A trick to get rid of it, is to clean the area around with dope thinners making the fabric porous. This in itself will not remove the run as it is under the fabric. Beg, steal or borrow the wife’s vacuum cleaner, switch on and place the hose on the porous area of the fabric and using a ½" brush and acetone, in a small container, wet out the run with the brush. Leave for a few seconds and move the suction hose over the run sucking up the acetone. Keep doing this and the run will get smaller and eventually disappear. Caution – Don’t brush acetone too close to the bond lines of the fabric, as acetone will break down the Bostik adhesive. I have not investigated what the acetone does to the vacuum cleaner, but at least it gets rid of the runs!
I was disappointed not to see Motavia at the recent exhibition at Telford. It seems they had an excellent product in the 4-stroke engine. I would be interested to hear from anyone who is planning to put a Motavia engine on their Shadow to get some feedback.
Finally, can anyone throw any light on the reason my aircraft is being called "The Slug"? I would like you to be straight and level with me! I think this is a slanderous accusation, which has originated from around the M25/M10/M1 area.
A happy and prosperous New Year to you all.
Danny
Set of 3 tie downs comprising of two steel pins, anchor tube, hammer and chord. Never again will you be struggling to screw dog ties in hard ground. Simply place the anchor tube on the ground, insert the steel pins through the holes provided and hammer in the pins. The complete set can be housed in a section of plastic down pipe and stored at the front of the passenger seat. Set as described, but excluding plastic pipe - £20.00 + VAT.
Would you like an extra 16 inches? If you are the back seater in a Shadow or Streak, the answer is a definite yes. We all know that the passengers accommodation, sometimes referred to as the 'dog kennel', lacks legroom resulting in several instructors being unable to teach on the Shadow.
My latest modification vastly improves legroom giving some extra 16 inches allowing the knees of the passenger to go lower and therefore they are less likely to foul the stick. A six-foot person can now easily sit comfortably in the rear seat. As you can see from the picture I have replaced the existing foot well with a longer and deeper one which goes beneath the pilots seat.
The existing rear pedals have been replaced by bars, which allow the passengers feet to go beneath them. Again this adds to the safety in that the pilot is not fighting the passenger with a heavy foot on the pedal. The additional weight over the old foot well will be about 1lb (500 gms) and the frontal area of the aircraft is a little cleaner and initial estimates are that it improves the cruise speed by 3kts.
The PFA and BMAA have approved the proposed modification for Streaks and Shadows. I will supply the modification kit comprising of a made-up footwell complete with pedals and instructions for fitting to the airframe. The price of the kit is a little higher than I originally hoped at £625.00 + VAT. I will of course provide a fitting service at an additional cost for those who don't feel they want to do it themselves.
No longer is the Shadow/Streak unable to carry overnight gear as well as the crew. A tent, two sleeping bags, change of clothes, toothbrush etc., and a 15-litre collapsible fuel tank can be accommodated without any problems and without exceeding the 5kg individual locker weight.
The Wing Locker kit is available with instructions for £400.00 + VAT. Delivery is 2-3 weeks from receipt of order.
The folding wing system is now complete and approved by the BMAA/CAA for fitting to a Shadow.
The kit price for the Folding Wing modification is £625.00 + VAT which includes all the paperwork for the submission to the BMAA/PFA.
Availability of the kit is 2 weeks from receipt of order.
Who say's three into one won't go?
This is a must which considerable improves the pilots visibility in the 4/5 and 7/8 o'clock position. No longer do you have to guess where the end of the runway is. Featured in the March 96 newsletter, the kit comprises of the pre-cut polycarbonate windows, the rubber seal and the rivets together with a cutting template for the shroud. The cost of the kit is £65.00 + VAT. If you want us to supply and fit the windows, the cost is £135.00 + VAT. You can fly the aircraft in to my strip but we do need a day to carry out the work.
The Side Windows have been approved for both the Shadow and the Streak.
I am in the final stages of development of a trailer for use with a Shadow fitted with my folding wing system. The trailer is of an open type similar to that used for weightshift microlights. The aircraft is secured by the wheels and the rear wing support bracket of the folding wing kit. The horizontal stabilisers and the elevator are removed and held in purpose designed brackets.
The aircraft is towed tail first and a 'V' type deflector is mounted at the front of the trailer to protect and ensure the airflow does not place any stress on the airframe.
I have tested my Shadow on the trailer at speeds up to 50mph and the whole rig is very stable. The nose weight of the trailer can be adjusted for the aircraft being transported, Streak or Shadow.
Note. The trailer is only for use with my Folding Wing System. I estimate the cost of the complete package including trailer and folding wing kit to be around £1,200 ex. VAT.
For further information on the above please telephone me on (UK) 01787 375202 or write to me at:
D&J Crosbie Engineering, The Mere, Bures Road, Little Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 0NW, England
This page last modified 31st December 1998
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