FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0015.PDF
FLIGHT International, 3 January 1981 13 The high-wing fabric-covered taildragger concept still appeals to homebuilders. The K-Meyer Aero Model A is now being marketed in kit form with a 100 h.p. Continental. K-Meyer Aero is at 45105, 244th Avenue South, Enumdaw, Washington 98022, USA Private Official organ of the Royal Aero Club Keeping the Airtourers flying A NEWLY formed co-operative, con sisting mainly of Airtourer owners in Australia and New Zealand, had just bought the complete stock of Air- tourer parts, jigs and tooling from New Zealand Aerospace Industries. They are being shipped back to Australia, the Airtourer's country of origin and negotiations are under way between the Airtourer Co-operative and an unnamed aircraft manufacturer for the production and supply of parts to maintain some 130 aircraft still flying around the world. Ninety-four of these are in Australia and 23 in the UK. New Zealand Aerospace retains its interest in the Airtourer's military counterpart, the CT-4 Airtrainer. The first newly produced parts should be available early in 1981, and any Airtourer owners with an impend ing spares problem should contact the Honorary Secretary, Airtourer Asso ciation, PO Box 1814, Darwin 5794, Australia. There are no plans at present to put the aircraft back into production. Speed Canard airborne THE Gyroflug Speed Canard, a development of the Rutan VariEze homebuilt and designed as a produc tion aircraft, is now flying in Germany. VariEze designer Burt Rutan is not involved in the project, which uses a new wing designed by Prof Eppler, an electrically retractable nosewheel, bigger canopy and fuel tanks, and constant-speed propeller. The prototype has been built by sail plane manufacturer Glaser-Dirks, and Gyroflug plans to build production air craft for about £20,000. The Speed Canard is aerobatic, and performance claims include a cruise of over 200 m.p.h., climb rate approaching 1,400ft/ min and 1,500 miles range. Seen in public at the 1980 Hanover Show, the aircraft was pictured in our June 21 issue. Gyroflug is at Ereihofstrasse 37, 7000 Stuttgart 40, West Germany. Is that strip long enough? Safety SENSE A RECENT CAA General Aviation Safety Information leaflet details an accident to a Cessna 150 taking-off from a private strip that highlights several points about aircraft perform ance, field length and short take-off technique. The strip was 330m long and a few feet above sea level with short grass on firm ground. After an uneventful landing the aircraft was taxied to one end and 10° of flap selected in readi ness for take-off. Despite rotation at normal speed the wheels struck the stone boundary wall and the aircraft Herefordshire-based Shobdon Aviation has carried from a kit and drawings designed by Ralph Bo/en In Springfield, Ohio). Materials and drawings cost $2. do the job for o total of about £2,165 out this UK tailwheel conversion of a Cessna ISO c (Springfield Municipal Airport, 1251 Rlee Road, ,565 and Shobdon Aviation (Kingsland 723/4) con iSmmhrsmmm^m^^^^^MiM -j«r ir» '*• —'li** ! • •-••• -' nosed over on to its back in the next field. The wind was light and variable, the temperature 15°C and weight some 381b below maximum. Both pilots were well-experienced on type. According to the Flight Manual, the ground roll for these conditions in zero wind is 258m, assuming level ground and use of the correct short field technique. Even with a 4kt tail- wind the distance is 312m, so there should still be room to clear a 4ft high stone wall. These performance figures are based on a short field or normal tech nique with flaps up. But the manual does state that use of 10° flap will shorten the ground run by about ten per cent, but this advantage is lost in the climb to 50ft. "Therefore, the use of 10° flap is reserved for minimum ground runs or for take-off from soft or rough fields with no obstacles ahead. If 10° flaps are used in ground runs, it is preferable to leave them extended rather than retract them in the climb to the obstacle." The CAA points out these figures were almost certainly obtained with a low-time aircraft and engine, flown by a professional test pilot. This aircraft had flown nearly 2,000hr. For UK Public Transport operations these gross figures would have to be fac tored by 1 • 33, which takes into ac count a used engine, dirty wings, nicked propeller and variations from the best techniques. Best advice is to apply the 1 - 33 factor to all flight manual perform ance data of this kind for light air craft. The exact take-off technique depends on the aircraft type, but generally speaking the use of flap is only beneficial in shortening the ground roll for a soft field take-off.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
