REFLECTIONS
Ed CheneveyIt's election time again. The existing officers have agreed to remain. If you don't like that, volunteer and come to the meeting; otherwise the existing slate will be unanimously elected.
In the December Popular Mechanics there is an article on aerobatic air racing. Apparently they had the first one in the USA at the Reno Air Races. Of course you can do this, but why?
I found the perfect wheel for an ultralite on the Schwinn StingRay bicycle. The 20 inch rear wheel is 4.5 inches wide with a low profile tire which looks like a motorcycle tire with a vee tread in the center. This would give more than twice the footprint of a regular bicycle tire. For strengthening you could go to, a) bigger spokes, b) aluminum covers riveted to the rim and hub, or c) a builtup aluminum wheel with internal bulkheads and covers. Strengthening the wheel is easy; the tire and tube here are what makes it great. There is also a 16 inch version.
CYGNET CHATTER
Alvin SagerThe boat is finally gone! It should arrive in Florida tomorrow hopefully in good shape. It was a long ordeal, mainly because I was not my passion. Couple that to the fact that I took over a project that someone else started, which necessitated working with the hardware that was already made. That was probably harder than starting from scratch. GOODBYE! It may still mean a trip south to help run the testing of it.
The garage is now an airplane factory. I have resisted getting to work on the plane until I organize the space. I did tinker with the ribs, make short spars to stack them on so I can run a straightedge sander over
them to make sure they are all the same. I also chiseled away some filler strips that brought the rear spar up to the fabric level in error. The plans leave a lot to your experience or in the original builders case, imagination. If anything, he did more than less. I am waiting somewhat impatiently for a set of plans to a refined Hatz that has some tweaks to make it look more like a vintage bipe and give it more range and comfort. I will evaluate which I will incorporate into my project. I want to stay as light as practical since I have a heavy engine compared to the O-200 that the design usually followed.
Dave sent me this link to a CBS online set of articles on aviation and space..
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/16/tech/main655920.shtml check it out.
From Matt, Grand prize, a Kitfox. 1800 -4000 tickets will be sold at $25. Contact Steve Rossiter President EAA Chapter 517, Inc. P.O. Box 16446 Missoula, MT 59808-6446 (H) 406 542-5177 (W) 406 329-4720 (C) 406 544-0753 (E-Mail) eaachapter517@aol.com (Chapter Web Site) www.eaa517.org
See our website for a letter from headquarters relative to member benefits. www.angelfire.com/nj4/238Tech counselor news. John Sheridan's experimental Ragwing Special is getting less and less experimental! The shakedown hours are being flown off by his test pilot. It looks good in the air! Watching Jim do slow flight and stalls into the wind it seems to stand still. Good work John!
Happy Flying
