LA magazine November 2010 - For light flight in the UK

THE OFFICIAL LAA MAGAZINE FOR LIGHT FLIGHT IN THE UK

www.laa.uk.com November 2010 £3.60

STING

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PPL & NPPL MEDICALS LA TEST NEWS

IN THE TALE

Terrific Czech two-seater kitplane made from carbon fibre gains LAA approval – and flies beautifully

PLUS:

REALITY BITES!

ESCAPADE IS THE NEW AUSTER

ACCIDENT ANALYSIS

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR SOME LAA PILOTS

HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS BID Flying to all the islands on the CAA’s UK charts – in a day!

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> EDITOR’S DESK

ECONOMICAL TO BUILD AND OPERATE New light weight aircraft show a way forward

and that has to be a good thing not just for WITH the cost of avgas on the the planet, but for owners with possibly less rise again and uncertainty over disposable income. the long term use of mogas due This month’s flight test is of an aircraft to ethanol, it is interesting to that although now a decade old, represents see two minimalist aircraft about to fly in current thinking in that it is a two-place the UK for the first time (see News). side-by-side, carbon composite, 912 powered Colomban’s Luciole is a masterstroke design. In a world where so many of these of ingenuity, using traditional wood aircraft appear to have come out of the same construction with carbon and foam to mold, the Sting is refreshingly different, produce an incredibly lightweight airframe, managing to combine a voluminous cockpit and a converted V-twin industrial engine of canopy and somewhat short cowling with a just 24hp to power it to a very credible cruise large fin and rudder and yet look rakish and performance of around 100mph for just 6lph. sexy. I’m sure the owners who bought before And the all-metal Hummelbird, perhaps approval was achieved, and have had a long not so technically advanced in design terms, wait, not because of any delays from LAA I but again using a lightweight structure, this might add, will be delighted with their new time in aluminium, and just two of the four machines. Francis certainly enjoyed flying it. cylinders of the VW Beetle engine to power Ken’s annual accident review make it. Both offer an economical build and frugal sobering reading, with six fatal accidents operating costs. resulting in the death of seven people in For many of our members, these designs 2009. Though this is an improvement in represent keeping the dream of personal percentage terms, and recent GASCo figures aviation alive, as operating costs and poor show that single engined aircraft result in one exchange rates push more traditional fatality in 85.000 hours of flight, designs beyond their reach. It each accident is devastating for is a sobering fact that you could the families and friends of those probably build either the Luciole involved. It is incumbent upon us or the Hummelbird for less than all to take the utmost care when the cost of a Rotax 912 engine. It we work on or fly our aircraft. should also be considered that The LAA Pilot Coaching Scheme these designs, particularly the remains an under-utilised asset Luciole, must surely point to the and one cannot help but wonder future of two-seat kits in the years how many of these accidents ahead. Lighter structures and could have been avoided with better aerodynamics mean you BRIAN HOPE some coaching and timely advice. can match today’s performance EDITOR Take care. Brian on less power and less fuel burn, bfjjodel@talktalk.net

From the top: Shuttleworth’s latest restoration, the Polikarpov biplane (p8), Light Sport Aircraft such as the Flight Design are under EASA review (p49), and vintage types from the LAA Rally are reviewed (p30).

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 3

> SECTION HEAD

CONTENTS Volume 3 Issue 11 November 2010

34

FLIGHT TEST The Czech TL 2000 Sting has been approved by the LAA. First test

6 NEWS

16 PROJECT NEWS

49 ELA UPDATE

Tony Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cape record attempt, Polikarpov almost ready, Magni autogyro approved

Reality Escapade beckons

EASA moves towards LSAs

24 EUROPA TOUR

50 SAFETY SPOT

Dawn to Dusk Challenger

By Malcolm McBride

11 AIRSPACE NEWS

30 THE RALLY

55 MEDICALS

Vintage and classic aircraft

SEP/SSEA requirements

44 ACCIDENT SUMMARY

65 PRODUCTS

CAA consults on airspace

13 OVER THE HEDGE Tale of a very shiny Piper Cub

24

Analysis of accidents to LAA aircraft

49 16

13

00 LIGHT AVIATION MONTH 2008

DVDs and glass displays

65 30

CHAIRMAN’S CHAT

EASA PILOT LICENSING, PERMIT AIRCRAFT AND CONFUSION FOR LAA PILOTS IN AUGUST I wrote about the issues surrounding aviation medicals. In short the EASA Light Aircraft Pilots Licence was, we had hoped, a European replacement for the UK NPPL and would be based on a similar medical declaration.

Rightly so since the records show – and the CAA has confirmed – that “during a five year period (03 to 08) there were no fatal accidents to the approx 4,500 NPPL holders.” Certainly, therefore, none attributable to medical causes.

The fight to retain NPPL type medicals on the LAPL is an ongoing issue that all sports and recreational associations are working together to promote.

EASA has now issued the Comment Response Document on its consultation NPA 2008-17 about pilot licensing as well as the draft Opinion and Draft Regulation covering the other aspects of Licensing. It is of concern for us as this is both complex and vital to our interests. The CAA has kindly issued a note “European Legislation – The Expected effects on the licensing of pilots in the UK” which is available by following the link on the LAA website. We have discussed the detail of our concerns about licensing with the CAA and this note represents the current situation. It is an excellent summary and you should read it.

There are some key principles in the proposals. All JAR licences will, by law, become EASA licences. To fly an EASA certified aircraft, one must have an EASA licence with the correct ratings (LAPL, EU PPL(A) etc). So no problem on an EASA certified aircraft, but what about an (Annex II) National Permit to Fly aircraft? Let’s call that a PtF(N) – that is virtually all of the LAA fleet of 2,500 aircraft. It will be similar across all EU states – there are many thousands of Annex II aircraft in common, daily usage throughout Europe.

If one wants to fly only a PtF(N) aircraft one could simply stay on a National licence (NPPL or lifetime CAA PPL), but to fly a PtF(N) on an EASA licence will require the appropriate

National Authority to allow that. In UK, the CAA has indicated it will change the Air Navigation Order to allow this. Thus, one can change over to an EASA licence and fly both a PtF(N) and an EASA aircraft. So far so good... but perhaps not!

Here’s the problem. EASA does not recognise Annex II aircraft because it is not responsible for their airworthiness. So will the hours flown on a PtF(N) be credited towards the EASA licence? At the moment the answer seems to be ‘No’. This despite the fact that it is logical that all SEP time should count, regardless of whether the aircraft is Annex II or EASA. So a problem to resolve there – most PtF(N) pilots will at some time wish to fly an EASA aircraft, but certainly do not want to pay to do that simply to retain their licence! EASA has advised there is some immediate potential progress: a rulemaking task (FCL 002) will look at crediting time on Annex II aircraft to fulfil recency on the EASA LAPL and PPL. So we need to influence that.

Then there is the issue of flying a PtF(N) around the EU. Excluding the Airworthiness issues (ECAC agreement etc – a problem in itself that we are addressing separately), from a pilot licence perspective this is complicated, since each nation will have to do what the CAA is doing – authorise flight of their PtF(N) aircraft with an EASA licence, and we then need each nation to recognise each other’s position as well if cross border flight is to be legal.

Technically since EASA PPL licences will be ICAO compliant, or in the case of LAPL a sub-ICAO agreed EU standard, this should be achievable. UK lifetime PPLs are National Licences and also ICAO compliant and most other countries would accept this, but are at liberty to say they do not.

Operating cross borders on a sub ICAO national licence (like the NPPL) is an entirely different challenge and as now will need state by state arrangements as UK has just arranged with the French (and also exists with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

So there is some clarification and likely some lobbying work to be done! As I have so often said, protecting our right to fly is a major issue for us today. Of course, this is also a problem for other states, which is where our European Federation (EFLEVA) comes in. We will be pushing hard on this.

And there is an interesting sting in the tail.

To train, a pilot will likely need to be able to fly an EASA aircraft and one cannot do that on a national licence – that will be illegal under EU legislation. Not an issue for microlights and gyroplanes because they are outside EASA. If it becomes clear that a pilot cannot train for a national licence on an EASA aircraft, then we will need to pursue the possibility of training on Annex II aircraft, which generally have Permits to Fly rather than CofA – mostly LAA aircraft. Then we would need to see if national licences achieved that way could, if people wanted to progress, be recognised by EASA and converted to a LAPL (assuming the medical issue is resolved) and we have a low cost route to an EASA licence... am I dreaming?

Frankly, this is probably a list of unintended consequences which need sorting, and perhaps even an opportunity of training on PtF(N) aircraft. The simple requirement is that we want the option to convert to EASA licences and carry on flying as we do now, both types of aircraft (EASA & Annex II) and across Europe – but such things require a lot of work to achieve and your team at the LAA is on the case, together with colleagues in the UK and Europe.

Finally, it is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of a personal friend and Association stalwart David Corbett (see Obituary page 10). David served with distinction on the EC until very recently and it was heartening to see so many LAA members present at his service of thanksgiving. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure and privilege of knowing him.

Roger Hopkinson

THE TEAM PATRON: HRH Prince Michael of Kent, KCVO, FRAeS PRESIDENT: Sir John Allison VICE PRESIDENTS: Laurie Shaw, DAE, CEng, MRAeS, Stewart Jackson LAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN: Roger Hopkinson VICE CHAIRMEN: John Brady, James Tannock DIRECTORS: Mike Barnard, John Broad, Harry Hopkins, Brian Hope, Peter Harvey, Stewart Jackson, Barry Plumb, Lord Rotherwick

TREASURER: Bob Littledale HEAD OFFICE Turweston Aerodrome Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD TEL: 01280 846786 FAX: 01280 846780 WEBSITE: www.laa.uk.com The Turweston office is open from 0900 to 1700 hrs every weekday except public holidays. Members and those interested in finding out more about the LAA are welcome to visit any time during opening hours

LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE EDITOR: Brian Hope, 60 Queenborough Road, Sheerness, Kent ME12 3BZ TEL: 01795 662508 (evenings only) EMAIL: bfjjodel@talktalk.net Members’ articles, letters and news items are welcome. Please send to the editorial address above.

ORIGINATION AND PRODUCTION LOOP Publishing (UK) Ltd, 9-11 The Mill Courtyard, Copley Hill Business Park, Cambridge, CB22 3GN TEL: 01223 497060

WEB: www.loop.aero DESIGN: Bill Spurdens, Dan Payne ADVERTISING SALES TEL: 01223 497067 EMAIL: ChrisW@loop.aero Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the LAA.

LAANEWS

ALL THE NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF LIGHT AVIATION

RAIN STOPS PLAY ON CAPE RUN

Tony Smith’s attempt on London - Cape Town - London record ends after thunderstorm soaks cockpit

T

ONY ‘Taff’ Smith’s assault on the Cape record in his Glasair 11RG, G-OPNH, was looking very promising until the loss of his instruments and comms during heavy storms forced a diversion to Windhoek in Namibia, 700 miles short of Cape Town.

It is also thought he had a fuel problem but at time of writing details are sketchy.

The aircraft had quite a few modifications and had undergone a development programme

involving injectors, electronic ignition, advanced propeller design and aerodynamic tweaks to the airframe. Every superflouous item of kit, including spare seats, was removed to save weight (“and make room for a crate of Red Bull!”).

Taff was flying an ambitious plan of just two 2600nm legs with a twohour break between, then an eighthour stop-over in Cape Town. The return was to be identical, giving him a potential total record-setting elapsed time Southend – Cape Town

Fast and a huge payload – that’s the Glasair IIS RG.

Tony ‘Taff’ Smith also operates Breighton Aerodrome.

LEG UP FOR SPORTCRUISER THE SportCruiser kitplane has undoubtedly been a great commercial success in the UK, with more than 60 kits sold and several new examples of these lightweight all-metal two-seaters being finished by builders and flown each month.

The SportCruiser kit was supplied formerly by Czech Aircraft Works at Kunovice in the Czech Republic before that company was taken over and the type confined to factory-built production as an LSA under the PiperSport banner.

LAA Engineering feels proud of the fact that an aircraft being marketed by giant US manufacturer Piper incorporates modifications and improvements implemented at LAA’s behest during the investigation of the original kitplane version.

As the kitplane SportCruisers have been clocking up the hours,

a recurring complaint has been that the nose-legs are easily bent through heavy landings.

Some argue this is indicative of improper landing techniques, and that a slightly bent nose-leg is a better indicator of trouble than a bent firewall.

Nevertheless, PiperSport has now decided to respond to calls for a stronger nose-leg with a more robust unit which is interchangeable with the original leg, and have generously offered replacement legs FOC to any SportCruiser owners with bent nose-legs of the earlier design.

Following a series of tests, LAA Engineering has now accepted this alternative nose-leg and listed it on the TADS as a factory option, so owners can fit the new leg without further recourse to LAA Engineering, under their inspector’s supervision of course. www.piper.com

6 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

– Southend of 72 hours.

Taff departed Southend at 1012 UTC on 19 October and covered the 2600 miles to Abuja in Nigeria in 14hr 59min. He left Abuja for the Cape after a longer rest than planned at 0511 UTC, and hit trouble when the cockpit was deluged while penetrating thunderstorms down the West African coast.

No news yet on the possibility of another attempt. www.thecaperun.co.uk

LUCIOLE TO FLY SOON RICHARD Teverson’s beautifully built Colomban MC-30 Luciole is due to make its first flight soon. Richard’s Luciole, first to be built in the UK, is powered by a Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine and attracted much attention at the LAA Rally at Sywell.

With a maximum gross weight of just 200kg, the Luciole is one of the lightest aircraft ever to be dealt with

Richard’s Luciole at the Rally – nearly ready!

by LAA Engineering. Despite its very light weight, the Luciole doesn’t qualify as an SSDR because the wing area is well beneath the SSDR minimum figure – the aircraft has been designed to operate at speeds higher than the SSDR category rules would allow. Projected cruise speed is 90 knots on just 25 horsepower. www.luciole.co.uk

PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR INCLUSION IN LA NEWS TO: Brian Hope, 60 Queenborough Road, Sheerness, Kent ME12 3BZ. EMAIL: BFJJodel@talktalk.net TEL: 07949 650847 PHOTOS www.aircraftimages.com

FREE LANDINGS AT TURWESTON TO generate a little more traffic on fairly quiet Sundays, as well as aiming to keep the cafe busy during the cold winter months, Turweston is offering free landings on two Sundays in November: Sunday 14 November will be a ‘Fixed-gear & All-comers fly-in’ Sunday 28 November will be a ‘Retractable & All-comers Fly-in’ – all welcome but please PPR. The airfield will be open from 10am to 4pm. Please check the website for noise abatement. www.turwestonflight.com

WINTER CLOSURE EAGLESCOTT airfield will closed to all visiting aircraft from Sunday 7 November 2010 until Friday 4 March 2011. Anybody wishing to use the airfield may try phoning between 0800-0900 but if there is no reply or no PPR is given, then assume the airfield is closed.

The airfield will be open to visiting aircraft on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with effect from 4 March for the 2011 season. www.eaglescott-airfield.com

Taff Smith flying his Glasair IIS RG before setting off on the Cape Run.

STURGATE EVENTS AND FREE LANDING LINCOLN Aero Club (weekends) and Eastern Air Executive (in week) will continue to offer free landings at Sturgate in 2011 for LAA members on production of a valid LAA membership card.

There are three events planned during LAC’s 55th year (2011): Sunday 6 February The breakfast patrol. Arrive in the overhead without being detected by the patrolling club aircraft and receive a free breakfast. 09:30 to 12:00.

Saturday and Sunday, 4-5 June is the summer fly-in and 55th birthday party. There is a Ceilidh band (Ploughmans Punch) and a hog roast supper.

Please watch the club website.

Sunday 4 September Late summer fly-in and competition. www.lincolnaeroclub.co.uk

HUMMELBIRD READY ANOTHER midget aeroplane being prepared for its first flight is the modified Hummel Bird which has been built by Allen Haseldine.

Of all metal construction, the 244kg Hummel Bird is a low wing tricycle undercarriage machine of American design, powered by a halfVW engine of about 30bhp.

Allen’s modifications include a

lengthened fuselage, re-designed flying control system and better rollover protection.

G-CETN, the first Hummel Bird to be built in the UK, is due to fly shortly from Shobdon. The Hummel Bird is a plans-built aircraft – airframe and half-VW plans are available from Hummel Aviation. www.flyhummel.com

All-ally Hummel Bird also nearing completion.

TRANSAIR OPENS NEW SHOWROOM PILOT supply company Transair has opened a new ‘Aviation Showroom’ at Shoreham Airport.

The newly re-vamped facility has been enlarged, allowing display of the complete and ever-expanding range of products Transair has on offer for pilots and enthusiasts.

Major changes include free refreshments in the aviation DVD zone and a brand new Mustang P-51 simulator.

By logging onto the Transair website you can download a discount voucher. www.transair.co.uk

TRAINING COURSES THE following places are available on November/December ET Training Courses. Please contact the office for further details and to make a booking, 01280 846786.

• Working in Aluminum Sun 21 Nov - 4 places • Rotax 912 Sat 13 Nov - 3 places • Jabiru Engine Sat 27 Nov 9 places • Propellers Sat 4 Dec - 5 places • Weight & Balance Sat 4 Dec 5 places • Electrics Sat 11 Dec - 4 places • Wooden Aircraft Structures Wed 15 Dec - 4 places.

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 7

> NEWS

SHUTTLEWORTH NEWS Polikarpov PO2 to fly soon after lengthy restoration

T

historic of Moths was sadly written off in an accident.

While operated by Shuttleworth, G-EBLV along with the sole

surviving Blackburn B2, remain in the ownership of BAe Systems.

LAA is proud to welcome BAe Systems among our aircraft-owning

membership of the Association.

Surely a case of the mountain coming to Mohammed! www.shuttleworth.org PHOTO Simon Thomas

HE Polikarpov PO2 biplane which Shuttleworth has been rebuilding for several years is due to make its first post-restoration flight from Old Warden shortly.

The Polikarpov came to the UK from New Zealand, supposedly as a flyable aircraft but an inspection

by LAA Engineers showed up a host of defects which eventually lead to the aircraft having to be completely stripped.

Four new wings were built from scratch by LAAer Roger Burrows and major surgery to the fuselage included fitting new rear longerons.

The radial engine installation was reconfigured to put it back to the original standard.

Other news from Old Warden is that Cirrus Moth G-EBLV, only the eighth Moth built, is the latest of the Shuttleworth machines to be transferred to LAA Engineering supervision.

G-EBLV, rebuilt by de Havilland apprentices in the 1950s, is said to include parts from the prototype Moth G-EBKT as a result of an earlier rebuild in the 1930s after that most

Polikarpov completely stripped and restored by the engineers at Old Warden.

M24 RECEIVES CAA APPROVAL

More power transforms Speedtwin.

SPEEDTWIN RE-ENGINED MALCOLM Ducker, owner-builder of the Speedtwin Mk II prototype G-STDL, is back in the air again following the mishap when one of the LOM engines threw a propeller blade last year.

Readers of Safety Spot may recall how by extreme bad fortune the released propeller blade went through the fuselage, narrowly missing the pilot’s feet, and hit and damaged the propeller blade on the other engine. Fortunately a successful forced landing was made, without further damage.

Malcolm has now removed the 150bhp inverted inline LOM engines, both of which were badly damaged due to the extreme vibration which they suffered,

and replaced them with a pair of Lycoming clone flat-four engines rated at 205bhp each.

In the interest of simplicity and robustness fixed props are used.

With an extra 110hp on tap, the new combination is showing markedly improved performance, including a positive single engine rate of climb. Malcolm is now engaged in aerodynamic tweaks with a view to reducing the drag of the aircraft and improving the cruise performance, helped

by Roger Targett of Nympsfield whose glider-repairing business has recently grown to include performance enhancements to specialist powered aircraft. www.sailplaneservices.co.uk

8 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

MAGNI Gyro has announced that on 4 October the Magni M24 fully enclosed gyroplane received its Type Approval from the CAA and is now fully approved for flight in the UK. “This is a truly momentous occasion, not just for Magni Gyro but for gyroplanes in the UK,” said Steve Boxall on behalf of the Magni Gyro team. “The Magni M24 is now the first enclosed two-seat factory built gyroplane to be approved to BCAR Section T, the UK CAA’s approval standard for gyroplanes.” Deliveries of the M24 will start immediately.

Magni gyroplanes are available to fly at The Gyrocopter Experience’s

bases at Old Sarum, near Salisbury.

Contact Steve at steve.boxall@ GyrocopterExperience.com, or at Rufforth, York where you should contact phil.harwood@ GyrocopterExperience.com www.magnigyro.co.uk

Magni M24 now has UK ok.

A CANARD ENSEMBLE JAMIE Foreman, owner of Cozy G-BXDO, sent the picture of an impromptu canard gathering at Lydd recently to “remind anyone, in the face of rising costs and officialdom, why we do this as a hobby.”

In attendance were: Shaun Coburn (Long EZ, Southend) and Russ Machin (Cozy, Isle of Mann), Mike Tooze (Vari-Eze, Biggin), Doug Field (Long-EZ, Biggin), Steve Brown (Vari-Eze, Biggin), Tony Oliver (Long-EZ, North Weald) and Robin Smith (Long-EZ, Biggin).

The Lydd ground crew were kind enough to reposition the aircraft to give the EZ Squadron exclusive

parking on the apron front row, an impressive sight rarely seen in the U.K. A good lunch, plus plenty of coffee and chat ensued before crews began departing for home after a pleasant but inexpensive day. www.lydd-airport.co.uk

A gaggle of Canards at Lydd.

This flight bag is already packed.

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> NEWS

DAVID CORBETT 1936-2010 Shobdon owner, Europa builder and LAA member

I

T is with regret that we have to report the passing of longterm LAA member and former Executive Committee member David Corbett. David died peacefully at his home near Shobdon on Wednesday 6 October after a short illness.

As a young man David served in the army in Germany but retired early to run the family farm in Herefordshire, though he continued to serve with distinction in the Territorial Army.

The family farm owned Shobdon airfield and David was actively engaged with the management of the airfield from 1964 until 1993 when Herefordshire Aero Club, of which David was to become President, leased the airfield.

David learned to fly at Shobdon in Austers in 1963/64, and remained an active pilot for the rest of his life.

His aviation experience ranged from microlights (he was part owner of the company which built Spectrum microlights), through light twins, to the Europa he built between 1996 and 2001 and subsequently flew for over 550 hours.

David was treasurer of the Europa Club from 1997 until his death. He was also a founder member of the Shobdon Strut.

In 2004 David was elected onto the Executive Committee, a position he

retired from late last year when the EC became a Board of reduced size.

Though very active within the LAA, David was also very well known and highly respected throughout General Aviation. In 1974 he was a founder member of the Flying Farmers Association and served on its Committee for 32 years.

He represented FFA on the General Aviation Safety Council for the past 24 years, and was GASCo Treasurer for over eight years. He also represented the FFA on the CAA’s General Aviation Consultative Committee.

On top of all this he was a keen and adventurous offshore skipper.

His voyages, more expeditions than sailing trips, included one to Iceland.

David was an exceptional man who lived life to the full. He was a true English gentleman and will be greatly missed by his many, many friends for his generous nature, exuberant enthusiasm, ready smile and considerate thoughtfulness.

Over 600 people were present at the service of thanksgiving for his life, held at Shobdon on 15 October and his aircraft was one of three Europas which flew over in tribute after the service.

We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Rotax 912 squeezed in Pietenpol.

Active LAA member for many years, David Corbett.

First Piel Saphir is being flight tested.

ROTAX POWERED AIRCAMPER

PIEL SAPHIR TWEAKED

LAAer Glen Everett has been flying his metal-fuselage Aircamper G-BYFT for some years powered by a converted Subaru EA81 engine, but has become increasingly dissatisfied by the poor climb performance when flying two-up and by the incredibly noisy open-exhaust.

Last winter he bit the bullet and changed the engine for a Rotax 912 which was both lighter and more powerful. Designing his own engine mount, and using an offthe-shelf Rotax silencer, the new

THE first example of a Piel Saphir to be completed in the UK, G-CFIH owned by Ian Aikman, is now undergoing flight tests in the hands of Dan Griffith at Brimpton.

A sporty Lycoming O-320 powered all-wood two-seat taildragger, the Saphir is a latterday relative of the well-known Emeraude from the drawing board of Frenchman Claude Piel.

The aircraft was initially found to be lacking in rudder authority on take-off and to exhibit some extreme wing drops at the stall.

engine installation has turned out very well and performance of the aircraft has been transformed.

Flight tested recently by Robb Metcalfe, the Aircamper achieves rates of climb around 1000ft/min, more than twice what it did with the Subaru, and is whisper quiet.

While the cost of a Rotax 912 engine is high compared to a high-hours C90 Continental (usual choice for an Aircamper), the 912 is a desirable alternative as more and more of these engines are turning up part-used.

10 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

The stall has now been tamed by the addition of stall strips to the wing leading edges, after the aircraft was brought to Turweston for our stall strip expert Andy Draper to evaluate.

Improved rudder authority is being investigated with vortex generators and increased travel.

Next on Dan’s agenda is to investigate pressure errors in the pitot-static system so ASI figures can be calibrated, and to test a better seat design. www.avions-piel.com

> NEWS

FUTURE AIRSPACE STRATEGY CAA is holding a briefing on tomorrow’s airspace

By John Brady

T

HE CAA Department of Airspace Policy is developing a new strategy for the structure of UK airspace to make it more appropriate to the way aircraft operate today. After all, most of our procedures have their roots in the 1950s and a lot has changed since then.

This is likely to see changes in the structure of controlled airspace so it will be important for the LAA to be involved, and we will be. The CAA is holding a launch briefing on 1 November so we will be in a position to let you know more about it in the next issue.

Meanwhile you can read about why this is being done by reading the CAA’s publication ‘Airspace for Tomorrow’ which you can find at

http://tinyurl.com/fortomorrow or by following the link on the LAA website (under the section Consultation & Regulation).

DECOMMISSIONING OF VORS Following a proposal by NATS that most of our en-route VORs could be taken out of service to reduce costs, the CAA consulted and has found that many still serve a useful purpose for navigation and safety. As these beacons reach the end of their useful life the CAA will now consider them individually, so there should be no wholesale removal of navaids.

RAF LYNEHAM CLOSING The CAA has announced that when RAF Lyneham ceases operations on 30 September 2011, the CTR and

CTA will be removed but the ATZ will remain until the end of 2012.

your pre take-off check list. Go on do it now.

EUROCONTROL EMPHASISES THE VALUE OF USING MODE A/C OR S Eurocontrol has sent a reminder about the positive safety benefits for GA of operating altitude reporting transponders.

Although you may not want or need to talk to ATC, your transponder can let them know where you are so that other aircraft, commercial and private, who are talking to them can avoid you. Plus, of course, if you inadvertently stray into controlled or restricted airspace, ATC will be able to give avoiding action to other aircraft. If it is not there already, why not add ‘Transponder to ALT’ to

EFFECT OF EASA REGULATION ON UK PILOT LICENCES The CAA has published a document setting out the issues that it sees arising as a result of EASA taking control of pilot licensing. You can read this at http://tinyurl.com/ effectonfcl or by following the link from the LAA website.

Bear in mind the situation is still changing and all that is proposed may not come to pass. There are parts of this that are of concern to us and we are already working with the CAA to get the best outcome we can.

This will just give you the flavour of the issues that Roger mentions in his Chairman’s Chat.

LIGHT AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION LIMITED ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 13 NOVEMBER 2010 AT TURWESTON AERODROME, NORTHANTS DRAFT AGENDA* 10.30AM Update on transitional arrangements – how this AGM fits in – Peter Harvey 10.35AM: AGM Approval of the minutes of the General Meeting of the Association held on 13 February 2010 – John Broad 1) Chairman’s report – Roger Hopkinson

2) Treasurer’s report – Bob Littledale Statutory items: 3) Approval of the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the company held on 11 December 2009.

4) Resolutions: 1. Adoption of the statutory accounts of the company for the year ended 31 December 2009.

2. Re-election of Michael Barnard, John Brady and Brian Hope as directors of the company.

3. Re-election of Collett Hulance LLP as auditors of the company.

5) Any other business.

END OF AGM After the positive feedback following the question and answer session at February’s

General Meeting, once again LAA directors and key staff will be on hand to discuss questions on LAA operations.

12.00 CLOSE * This agenda is draft, subject to receiving any further valid proposals by the 23 October 2010 deadline.

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 11

THE TL STING 2000

It’s a magical thing, hype. An elixir of words and emotion that inflates mere expectation into true anticipation. Yet so often, the truth is lost.

But sometimes, an aircraft

comes along that deserves the reputation that precedes it. An aircraft that when flown... you just know what all the fuss was about. Some aircraft are worth waiting for.

The TL Sting is one. Not just for its 135kt cruise, its 5-hour endurance at 120kt, its 600nm range, 1100ft/min climb performance, or miserly 15l per hour fuel burn.

» 135kt max cruise » 1100ft climb at 70kt » Variable Pitch propeller » 5 Hours duration at 120kt » 600nm range g

The Sting combines heavensent performance with the very latest in aircraft design and safety, and angelic good looks.

A Sting pilot is in a very special place, surveying p p y g the world with true 360-degree visibility through its large canopy, and enjoying the immense safety and ruggedness that carbon-fibre construction brings to aviation.

It is an aircraft that re-writes the rule books and deserves the accolades that have come its way.

Try the TL Sting and you’ll be wondering why all of aviation isn’t this simple and this beautiful.

C O N TA C T D E TA I L S E: info@midlandaviation.co.uk W : w w w. m i d l a n d i v i a t i o n . c o . u k M: +44(0)7866 567289 T: +44(0)1889 577282

THE TL STING. CARBON, BUT NO COPIES.

12 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

GRASS ROOTS FLYING WITH LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE’S JOHN BEESWAX

A big cup of happiness A surprise in store for LAA stalwart and Rally volunteer Jackie Morecraft WHEN Piper Cub G-BDEY arrived at Sywell early on Thursday afternoon, its traditional yellow wings reflected the bright sunshine that was to prevail during most of our annual LAA Rally this year. Its pilot and owner, Jackie Morecraft, displayed her own sunny personality as she taxied in to join the other dozen early arrivals parked adjacent to the fenced off hive of frantic activity that was to be the LAA’ s trade enclosure.

Jackie had, quite correctly, anticipated the fog that would delay arrivals on the Friday morning and therefore elected to arrive a day early. She was accompanied by her teddy bear mascot, ‘Ted Cub’. He had been knitted for Jackie by her daughter Samantha who is a now a graduate engineer working for Airbus.

Jackie and her husband Bill are no strangers to Sywell. They had flown their Cub in to most of the PFA Rallies held there during the 1970s and were early members of the Vintage Piper Aircraft Club. Both had spent a lifetime as professional Air Traffic Controllers at major airports and Control Centres, and both are now retired. Bill has returned to his first love - the sport of gliding and has just purchased an ‘LS.8 Turbo’ powered sailplane. Meanwhile, Jackie has taken over ownership of the veteran Cub and keeps it at Little Rissington. Her devotion to her Cub is

The glossy finish on the wings and fuselage of Jackie Morecraft’s Cub can be judged by the mirror-like condition of the wing fabric. She was helped to manoeuvre her Cub tail-in to its parking slot by Captain Peter Gilmore who had flown in from Liverpool. Photo: Alan Chalkley

absolute and typifies the love which owners of this simple aircraft seem to acquire. She has recently invested in a complete overhaul of the aircraft, hence its immaculate condition.

While other LAA members helped her push G-BDEY into its parking slot, Jackie revealed she always flies her L-4 /J3 Cub from the front and uses ballast in the rear seat to satisfy the aircraft’s C of G requirements. During her early gliding Jackie’ss diminutive stature had always days, Jackie

Trophy Cup at Jackie Morecraft’s Teddy Bear is seated comfortably in the prestigious Empson of the space. rest the up took nt equipme camping the rear of the Cub’ s cockpit. The tent and Chalkley Alan Photo: squeeze. tight a was It

needed ballast when she flew solo in sailplanes and she still uses that same bag of ballast in her Cub. It has been her talisman throughout her abundant recreational flying life – that and her Teddy Bear which sits at the back of the Cub. The Cub itself is unique. It was built at Lock Haven in 1943 and was delivered to Europe for active use by the US Army in WW2. It is therefore a genuine warbird. At some later stage, probably during the 1960s, it was converted to J3 status d by fitting civilian Cub window frames. It does, b however, retain the military steel rear seat h as a solid reminder that this little aircraft was a enlisted by its country of origin on active service. e Thanks to the large space at the rear, Jackie is able to pack her tent and all of the associated a ccamping gear, which she assembled after the vital tie-down jobs had been completed. v Following the complete overhaul and rrecovering of her Cub during the past year, Jackie had been keen to enter it in the LAA’s annual h rrally Concours judging competition that was sscheduled for Saturday, 4 September. In this rrespect she had one major reservation - the aircraft’s Continental A65 engine. It was solid and a rreliable but its paint was chipped and it looked a ttrifle ‘faded’ compared with the rest of the Cub’s pristine condition. p But there was a very good reason for its dowdy appearance. Just a few months earlier, d tthe original Continental A65 engine in G-BDEY, which was ‘cosmetically’ in excellent visual w ccondition, shed its number three (front rright) cylinder during the initial climbout ffrom Leicester airfield. Thanks to her gliding background, Jackie was able to carry out a b

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 13

brilliantly executed forced landing back onto the airfield without a scratch on her beloved Cub, but it did leave her short of an engine, her original having suffered much internal damage during its break up.

The replacement engine had been sourced and fitted to G-BDEY just prior to the LAA Sywell Rally and although in first class airworthy condition, it lacked that gleaming paintwork normally associated with Concours entries.

It was therefore with low expectations that Jackie finally decided to go ahead and enter her Cub for judging. Later, and together with other Cub people, she attended the crowded award ceremony in Sywell’s ‘Hangar One’ on the Saturday evening to join in the fun and applaud the winners. She was totally amazed and elated to learn her Cub had won the prestigious ‘Jim Ernpson’ Trophy for best Piper Cub. Our Chairman Roger Hopkinson presented the beautiful silver bowl trophy to her on stage as the flash bulbs clicked and the hangar resounded to immense applause. It was a momentous occasion.

The next morning, packing the large silver bowl and its plinth base into the rear of the Cub was the first task of the day before the flight home. With so much room needed for the tent and other essentials, it was all much of a squeeze. Jackie compromised by seating ‘Ted Cub’ inside the silver bowl for his flight back to Little Rissington. As she taxied out to the active runway for departure, onlookers were sure that the teddy bear had a broad smile on his face as he reclined in the Cub’s well deserved trophy.

SLEEK VERSUS ANTIQUE With all the zillions of dollars that swish through the world’s banking systems in less than a millisecond, it is no wonder we lose touch with the grossly diminished value of present day currency. In the year 1938 when the first Piper J3 Cubs were advertised for sale in the USA, the cost of a driving test and subsequent issue of a driver’s licence in Great Britain was 7/6d (37 1/2p).

Today, that same test costs £93. No, it hasn’t gone up in price – rather the pound in our pockets has shrunk to 1/250 of its original 1938 value. Yes, the

Sleek and smooth lines of new PiperSport admired by Dewi and Arwel Griffiths at the Rally.

They had flown in from NW Wales in their Jodel D150 Mascaret. Photo: Alan Chal kley

14 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Jackie Morecraft arrives at Sywell in her immaculate Piper Cub and prepares to tie it down. Her Teddy Bear mascot sits in the driver’s seat to keep watch.

Photo: Alan Chalkley

dear old copper penny would buy more than the poop-metal pound coin of today.

That same year, the iconic Piper J3 Cub became available at a cost of $1,325, which, at four dollars to the pound sterling, was equivalent to £82,800 in today’s devalued currency.

This year, Piper has introduced its new PiperSport (aka CSA SportCruiser) and used the iconic background images of their old fabric Piper J3 Cub in the new advertising layouts. We put this price comparison to Ben FitzgeraldO’Connor who was on duty at the Piper sales stand at LAA Sywell in September. He was amazed that the current day prices were so equivalent.

Can there be any comparison of this modern, all-metal, sleek and economical Sport and the dear old wood spar puddle jumper of 1938? Yes, surprisingly, the price – the new PiperSport is probably cheaper to buy than its fabric covered ancestor was!

STARTING WITH A PENCIL Ever spent a frustrating hour trying to start your aircraft’s engine? As that precious spell

of fine weather beckons you into the sky, your wretched power-plant refuses to co-operate.

Compressions, fuel, carburettor and ignition are all OK, but swinging the propeller has no effect.

Turbulent owner Colin Bancroft may have the answer.

This could also be entitled, ‘The believe it or not department’. While admiring the many beautiful aircraft lined up on Sywell’s revered turf it was good to meet Colin Bancroft. Colin keeps his Jabiru powered Druine Turbulent at Milsom airstrip located near Clee Hill, Shropshire. The Jabiru engine is an early 1600 model and sometimes gives him problems when starting.

Colin, by profession a rocket engineer, confided an old time method of getting a perfectly serviceable but reluctant engine to start. If, after all attempts have failed and there is no fault in the fuel or ignition systems, he advises the removal of two bottom spark plugs.

These should be cleaned and dried thoroughly.

Then, the plug ‘points’ should be rubbed with a soft HB or 2B pencil.

“Just ensure that both electrodes have a small coating of graphite from the pencil before replacing the spark plugs in the engine,” instructed Colin. He stressed, “It must be a soft leaded pencil.” Thus prepared, the engine should now start easily. “It will work on most occasions,” confided Colin, as he continued his stroll among the growing lines of arriving Permit aircraft taking advantage of the excellent weather at Sywell.

Later, in conversation with a veteran and very experienced LAA Inspector, the practice of applying a small coating of graphite to a spark plug’s electrode was discussed. The Inspector could not recall hearing of any previous use of this technique but commented, “I suppose that the small particles of graphite from the pencil would provide multiple ‘mini electrodes’ to enhance the magneto’s HT output and create a hotter spark. But,” he reflected, “It’s more likely that the thorough cleaning of the spark plug in the first place also contributed to the successful engine start-up.”

Many thanks for this practical start-up tip, Colin. Its simplicity is admirable – and it isn’t rocket science.

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 15

COMPILED BY Adrian Bleese

Project News p tCruiser ity SSpor uallity qua op q uild a ttop build ob es tto esirres desi nd d and ons a lectiions ecolllect ood rreco hoo hildh Child C THE one thing that remains constant in aviation is change - with airworthiness and licensing legislation seeming to be in an almost constant state of flux. I started training for a CAA PPL(A) in 1986. Next time I looked it was a JAR PPL(SEP) and after a break of a few years, I returned to flying via an NPPL (SSEA). The regulations over maintenance have shifted often over that time and there are few months without a consultation on this or that.

One thing is very clear, though, the future for many of us lies with Permit to Fly aircraft and we are lucky enough to still have plenty of members who take up the challenge of building their own aircraft or restoring PtF vintage and classic factory builts.

This month we see pretty much the whole spectrum featured - from the factory built Auster and plans built Jodel and Pietenpol aeroplanes to modern kit-built Vans RV-10s and even a brand new Groppo Trail from

Joe Iszard’s Reality Escapade G-DIZI

58 YEARS OF SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT AIRCRAFT THE year was 1951 when comments were passed around our junior school that an aeroplane had landed in a field at Ulting, in Essex, and tipped onto its nose.

We lived about three miles away

so, as soon as I had borrowed my parents’ Box Brownie I set off on my bicycle to find the aeroplane.

I had been aero-modelling for a couple of years at this stage so as soon as I found the aeroplane

Sprite Aviation, which was a crowd puller at the Rally.

So, whether you’re working through the test flying on one of the aeroplanes in the Cleared To Fly section, halfway through a plans built wood and fabric wonder or waiting for the arrival of your new kit, then email me: ableese@btinternet.com or write to 9 Tunstall Green, Tunstall, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 2JJ and share your piece of the future with us.

it was obvious to me what type it was. was G-ANIE G ANIE was, and d indeed i d d still ll is, an Auster 5.

With no-one around I had chance for a good look around, peering in through the windows and taking a couple of pictures. That, for me, was just how an aeroplane should be, however, at that age there was

no way I imagined ever being able to fly an aeroplane myself.

Fast forward to 2008 and, having held a PPL since 1987, I had finally (possibly, maybe...) decided exactly what type of flying machine would suit me best so I wrote a shortlist of must-haves and started the search.

CLEARED TO FLY WE have another healthy looking list this month with the usual mix of Van’s aircraft and our now standard brace of Europas being joined by a Pazmany PL-4, a type that we haven’t seen for some time. G-LNNE featured in last month’s Project News and is now in the hands of Nigel

16 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Reddish for its test flights (G-LNNE was Nigel’s 30th RV first flight) and owner Mark Browning says “everything is perfect”. > G-KLAW CHRISTEN EAGLE II 003-1 2 September 2010 R S Goodwin, Old Mill, Leigh, Worcester, WR6 5LB B Lovering, 29 Packhorse Road, Stratford-UponAvon, CV37 9AQ

> G-CCVS VAN’S RV-6A 181A-13413 9 September 2010 J Edgeworth, 15 Tees Grange Avenue, Darlington, DL3 8DD > G-MCRO MCR-01 301-14802 10 September 2010 M K Faro, Avrillian, Woodland Walk, Ferndown, BH22 9LP

PHOTO Peter Fitzmaurice

Joe’s dream aircraft, Auster 5 G-ANIE spotted in the 1950s

‘The year was 1951 and G-ANIE was an Auster 5. That for me, was just how an aeroplane should be’ My existing aeroplane, a SportCruiser, was up and running at just the wrong time.

Although it was the type of aeroplane I had worked towards for many years, I was about to lose my airfield, my wife had had a brain tumor removed and now with poor balance, just getting in and out of the SportCruiser was difficult for her.

And airfields in Suffolk – ones that I could afford anyway – are none existent so the SportCruiser was a step too far and had to go.

This is where Reality Escapade G-DIZI comes in. My new ‘strip’ is a farmer’s track between two fields. It’s sometimes muddy, so chubby main wheels are a must, as is good short take-off and landing performance.

I’m not into long distance flying but do like taking photographs, so it seems that my experience with the Auster 5 all those years ago

really has influenced my ideas of an ideal aeroplane.

My Escapade was built as a microlight via the BMAA system but I wanted to change it to a VLA, so it would have to be transferred to the LAA. With a total of five hours in its logbook I thought the change would be a nod and rubber stamp job, but no! A call, then a letter, to LAA Engineering brought forth a list of requirements that needed to be attended to.

As a VLA the Escapade is only approved as a taildragger, so a beefier undercarriage and balloon tyres had to be fitted, and the tailplane support wires had to be changed from 3/32in to 1/8in diameter cables.

What did surprise me was that, in the BMAA world, plastic fuel pipes are allowed within the cockpit area, so that all had to come out – all 27 feet of it – to be replaced with good quality ‘Gates’ rubber

hose, that in the engine bay being protected by fireproof sleeving.

Another of Francis’ requirements after having fiddled with the entire fuel piping system, was a gravity fuel flow test, and am I glad I did it.

The fuel trickled out at 25 litres per hour and when the tap was tested it would not turn off, although the lever moved in the normal sense.

Close inspection showed a blockage within the tap, which turned out to be an ‘O’ ring that had become dislodged from within the inner workings of the tap and had partially blocked the feed union – and this on an aeroplane that had five hours total time. Mr Donaldson’s requests for various checks were beginning to make a great deal of sense.

G-DIZI had arrived at my airstrip just before Christmas 2009. I worked more or less continually on the LAA required modifications, although there was a lot puffing

into cupped hands as it was a long cold winter. The test flying began on 24 April and the aeroplane was fully cleared by early June – ‘fast stuff’, thanks LAA. After having flown the SportCruiser, the Escapade was a bit of a culture shock. Gone was the reclined, leather seated carriage, replaced by a Land Rover with muddy wheels which carries a good load and, although not the fastest on the road, not much will stop it.

So, after 20 plus hours I am really enjoying DIZI, it does everything I imagined the Auster would do, slow flight, good visibility, and land almost anywhere, but at a muchreduced cost.

I’m sure that you can see the similarities between the early post-war Auster (pictured left) and the Escapade of 2010. I’ve still not managed to get a flight in an Auster, though.

‘Another requirement was a gravity fuel flow test... and I’m glad I did it.

The fuel trickled out’ Joe Iszard’s Reality Escapade, pictured on the new strip.

> G-GIDY EUROPA XS 247-13467 20 September 2010 GIDY Group, 36 Chestnut Way, Repton, Derby, DE65 6FQ > G-CGJP VAN’S RV-10 339-14600 20 September 2010 F G Morris, 28 Thornleigh, Armagh, Northern Ireland BT60 1HT

PHOTO Derek Heley

G-KLAW > G-AJAS AUSTER J1N 2319 10 September 2010 C J Baker, Carr Farm, Clifton Lane, Thorney, Newark, NG23 7DQ > G-LNNE VAN’S RV-7 323-14170 15 September 2010 G-LNNE Group, 3 Worthing Crescent, Conisbrough, Doncaster, DN12 2DL

➽

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 17

> PROJECT NEWS Martin Payne’s Sportcruiser (338-14948) G-CGMP

POSSIBLY ONE OF THE LAST OF THE SPORTSCRUISER KITS ANOTHER Sportcruiser is born – G-CGMP finally flew on 9 September 2010, without too many glitches. I had ordered my kit from Graham Smith of Sprite Aviation at the time when there were troubled times at the manufacturer, Czech Air Works (CZAW). Another company, Czech Sport Aircraft (CSA), had taken control and were in discussion with Piper to devote production to the factory-built PiperSport Light Sport Aircraft.

There was a big question mark over whether any kits would be available so I was somewhat pleasantly surprised to receive a call from Graham informing me, “Your kit is waiting here at Maypole for you to collect”.

I was in Limoges at the time, at

‘Nearly Heaven’, finishing off my licence with the only UK instructor in France.

Thinking, “Oh my God, it’s actually happened”, I rushed back home and the next day was at Maypole, a strip near Herne Bay in Kent, with Graham to do an inventory check to find out which bits I had and didn’t have.

After arranging transport back to my garage – I am lucky to have a big double garage to build the kit in – I had to buy half the stock of Machine Mart, or that’s what it felt like, along with a few aircraft specific tools.

It was November 2009 and I was soon underway, the first job being to take the temporary riveted skins off the back of the fuselage and the underside of the wings, do

‘Being on the large side, I decided the standard Rotax was going to have its work cut out, so went for the Jabiru’

SportCruiser fitted with MGL Odyssey EFIS and Garmin 695 moving map. a few odd jobs and route the cable duct for wiring. I then vacuumed out all the bits of swarf and let Graham check the insides before buttoning it all up. That took about three days for two people, getting through an inordinate amount of pulled rivets.

I had already made some serious decisions as far as propulsion and instruments were concerned.

Being rather on the large side I decided the standard fit Rotax

912ULS was going to have its work cut out hauling me into the air along with full tanks and possibly a passenger (weight allowing).

I decided to go for the Jabiru option of a six-pot 3300, as this is both lighter and produces 20% more power. The downside is that firewall forward, although a ‘kit’ is supplied by Farry Sayah, it is much more DIY than the factory supplied Rotax installation.

But I suppose that’s the beauty of

Spectacular paint on ’MP as she waits for her first flight.

> G-TONE PAZMANY PL-4 017-10695 24 September 2010 A D Worrall, 68 Liverpool Old Road, Much Hoole, Preston, PR4 4QA > G-RRVX VAN’S RV-10 339-14601 24 September 2010 R E Garforth, 263 Rectory Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4LA

18 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

> G-CFMP EUROPA XS 247-13505 29 September 2010 M P Gamble, Lochranza, Yeomans Way, Camberley, GU15 2HG > G-CDRV VAN’S RV-9A 320-14186 20 September 2010 Name & address held by LAA Engineering

NEW PROJECTS A tremendous mix of old and new this month from the Air Camper – plans for which were first seen in 1932 – to the Groppo Trail, a new Italian design which made its UK debut at this year’s Rally. Good luck to all the builders, please keep us updated how your build is going. Sometimes

Jabiru 6-cyl 3300 replaces standard fit Rotax 912ULS

building your own kit. I knew from the start that I wanted a high spec aircraft to be proud of, and having built my own house five years ago I understand that the ‘devil is in the detail’. And the detail has proved to have taken as long as the main airframe build.

I had been recommended a car upholsterer near to where I worked, so went down to see them and looked at some stuff they were doing in their shop .

I thought “that’s what I want”. I made my choice of colours and the type of leather I wanted, made my templates and seat bases and left them to it.

Next was to get the fuselage and wings off to be painted. I didn’t want the traditional SportCruiser lines, so I designed something unique and the painter has done a good job replicating it in 3D. All the other bits were quickly taking shape, like brakes, pedals, fuel lines, centre console, electrics.

Most of the fibreglass components (wing fairings etc) come ready finished, except my non standard cowlings, of course,

which come with the FWF kit.

These needed a bit of jiggerypokery and the vents and oil filler door glassing into place.

A good friend who has built a couple of canard aircraft offered to show me how to go about glass fibre work, which I was more than happy to accept. I learnt early on that you always accept people’s advice if you know no better!

The instrument panel was next on the radar, so to speak. Again, I always knew I wanted a glass panel (being an instrumentation engineer) with the obligatory mechanicals.

For the main EFIS, I went with the MGL Odyssey 10.5in screen, for its outright configurability, and a Garmin 695 GPS to compliment the EFIS. All the instruments, radio, transponder and GPS are interconnected for optimum usability and situational awareness.

I was by then at the stage where I needed to get everything to the airfield for final assembly, Headcorn was my choice as hangarage was available.

people ask why their aeroplane hasn’t appeared in Project News when someone else’s has. Here’s a clue: ableese@btinternet.com -– and another: 9 Tunstall Green, Tunstall, Woodbridge, IP12 2JJ. > JODEL D150 MASCARET 235-15016 1 October 2010 I Bartlam, 3 Weald View, Barcombe, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5AZ

‘I managed to blow my original budget by about £15k but I have a beautiful aeroplane’ It was now the end of May and another month of work saw the completion of the aircraft ready for testing. It then took another month for all the paperwork to be completed and sent off to Engineering, and then some further dialogue with the Engineering team to secure my ‘Permit to Test’ following a weight and balance query.

By now it was the middle of August and Graham, my inspector, was tied up with finalising the import of a new aircraft from Italy.

He was desperately trying to get things organised for the LAA Rally at Sywell, which fortunately he did, and he then had some time to sort me out.

Arrangements were made and a date set for the first flight; 9 September dawned fair, the engine had already been run and

> PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER 047-15015 22 September 2010 J Theron, 2 Shawley Crescent, Epsom Downs, Surrey, KT18 5PH > GROPPO TRAIL 372-15014 16 September 2010 Sprite Aviation, Inglenook Farm, Maydensole, Sutton, Kent, CT15 5HP

a few last minute adjustments and teething problems overcome.

Farry was in the seat, then off he went for a couple of circuits and then down to earth with the gentlest of landings. I felt like an expectant father waiting outside the delivery room.

The verdict was ‘fantastic’. I had couple of items of snagging to complete. These are now done, so I am just waiting for the rest of the testing to be carried out. Then I can get checked out and it will be onwards and upwards.

In total, I have spent about 550 hours on the build, including the time spent researching and planning (which is just as important). I managed to blow my original budget by about £15K, but I have a beautiful aeroplane that is probably better than a PiperSport for a fraction of the price.

> VANS RV-8/8A 303-15013 13 September 2010 M Newall, The Old Poor House, Lund House Green, Harrogate, HG3 1QE > ZENAIR CH 601 162-15011 8 September 2010 A Janaway, Mellifera, Church Rd, Whimple, EX5 2TF > JABIRU J160 346-15009 6 September 2010 M Flint, Broadmeadows, Chalk Road, Walpole-St-Peter, Cambs, PE14 7PN ➽

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 19

> PROJECT NEWS Nick Smith Aeroprakt A22-L Foxbat (317A-14982) G-NSKB

KITTY BELLE IS AWAY FOR SPRAYING WEEDS blow through the open hangar doors and across the concrete floor where the fast and furious work of the last few months has taken place. Little Olga, Nick’s red star Streak Shadow, sits alone in one corner next to the empty trestles, empty glue pots, tie wraps and other discarded home build essentials.

Kitty Belle is away for spraying.

Murray Flint and his wife and business companion Caroline came and swiftly packed her on their trailer. In the time it takes to drink two mugs of tea – my contribution to the event – she was all loaded securely for her journey to Kings Lynn. I have to admit that I did get a tad emotional as I watched her disappearing down the road, off on her adventure.

Daft I know, but aeroplanes seem to have a way of getting under your skin.

Murray has kindly supplied us

Will it all fit? Instruments being placed on a mock-up panel.

with some photographs detailing the transformation of Nick’s Foxbat. Now sprayed light grey inside and the perfect shade of duck egg blue on the exterior, she really is starting to take shape and we are expecting the return of the completed fuselage within the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime Nick has been working on the layout of the instrument panel hoping all of the shiny things he has bought will fit alongside the engine and primary flight instruments supplied with the kit – and so am I after finding out how much it all cost. The hardboard mock up is looking promising, a tight fit, but I think he has managed to squeeze everything in.

During the tail end of WW2, the 486th Bombardment Group was based in Sudbury, Suffolk. The old airfield adjoins what is now Nick’s farmland. One evening, whilst we were perusing some old aerial photographs, we realised the north–south runway of the airbase dissects Nick’s new eastwest grass runway. I could see the idea forming in his mind, and I wasn’t overly surprised when he announced that he was going to be doing a spot of mowing. He plans to cut the field next year to fly Kitty Belle out along the

Nick with Murray and Caroline Flint loading Kitty Belle on a trailer. original runway. He thinks he will have about 200 metres to get off on his land, which he assures me will be plenty for the Foxbat to get airborne. So I am expecting a new mower to arrive any day now.

The 486th flew B17s and B24s from Sudbury. The B17s had a ‘square W’ on the tail and the B24s had a ‘square O’ to mark them as aircraft from the group. So, Nick applied to the 486th Bomb Group Association to ask permission to use the ‘square W’ on the tail of Kitty Belle, in memory of all the

personnel that flew to war from Sudbury.

Robin Smith from the Association quickly got back and granted the permission, in exchange for a photograph of the finished Kitty Belle, to be placed on the official group website. Nick and I are really overjoyed. Murray is sorting this detail out for us on Kitty Belle at present. So, one day in the not too distant future, the ‘square W’ will fly home across Sudbury once again. An honour indeed.

‘Nick applied to the Bomb Group Association to ask permission to use the square W on the tail’

The Gidy group’s Europa XS Monowheel (247-13467) G-GIDY

TESTING COMPLETE IN JUST TEN DAYS G-GIDY appears in this month’s Cleared to Fly list, built by four friends – Paul Stewart, Richard Tuckwell, Hugh Carmichael and Ian Robson – known collectively as The Gidy Group.

The aeroplane is powered by a Rotax 914 with an Airmaster AP 332 constant speed prop. It received its Permit to Test on 20 September 2010 and the first flight took place on 4 October at Derby Airfield in the hands of Paul Jones.

The entire test programme was completed in just ten days, which speaks volumes for the aircraft and the standard of the builders’ work as well as the help given

by Paul Jones and by inspectors Graham Singleton and Neil France.

> COLOMBAN MC-30 LUCIOLE 371-15012 13 September 2010 Name & address held by LAA Engineering > PITTS MODEL 12 349-15010 7 September 2010 Name & address held by LAA Engineering

20 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Europa G-GIDY after her first flight at Derby.

CATCHING UP Ken Hood’s and John Frohnsdorff’s Jabiru 430 G-CGLN. Two ex-BA pilots back in the air. > G-CGLN Featured in Cleared to Fly last month and made its first flight on 31 August. Seen here during test flying for the issue of its Permit to Fly.

G-CGLN

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 21

> DAWN TO DUSK

The half-million Flying around all the islands on the CAA VFR charts in a day – that was David Joyce’s idea for the Dawn to Dusk Challenge 2010 The Stats...

■ Distance travelled 1703nm* ■ Time in air 13hr 05min ■ Mean groundspeed 130.17kt ■ Fuel used 304.8 litres ■ Fuel consumption 23.3 litres per hour/5.59nm per litre ■ Mean recorded TAS 137.2kt *not including circuits & diversions

THIS was the year that my son Patrick and I promised ourselvess we would have a serious crack at the Tiger Club’s Dawn to Dusk k (D2D) Challenge. For the D2D Challenge you u can dream up any theme you like so long as it involves lots of flying between official dawn and dusk.

You may recall reading about last year’s winner in Light Aviation, Colin Hales who attempted to fly all round the shoreline of mainland England, Wales and Scotland in his KR2. The weather defeated him and he completed just 1618 of the 2000nm total in the day. I said ‘just’ but of course 1618nm represents nts over 13 hours in the air, and that was enough to o see off the 10 or so other entries.

After much head scratching, Patrick and I came up with the notion of photographing all the UK islands named on the three half-million scale CAA VFR charts – hence our catchy title! We had attended the previous year’s prizegiving dinner, where we were able to examine all that year’s entries, and it seemed that our idea was in the right league of ambition and challenge. The total distance to fly was more than 1700nm, not including circuits or necessary diversions, and all but about 170nm of this was over sea, and much of that fairly remote. To put that in perspective it amounts to a longer overall distance, and only 100nm or so less over the sea, than the Atlantic crossing from St John’s Newfoundland to Belmullet, Ireland (1661nm)!

Our definition of an island was one marked on the chart in black Roman capitals, which the CAA assured us is its standard for ‘seabound’ islands, distinguishing them from non ‘sea-bound’ islands like Mersea on the Essex Coast which is named in lower case. Islands named in purple were also ignored as this style is reserved for navigational items such as VRPs and bird hazards.

It turned out that there are 119 of our ‘qualifying’ islands and all are on the south, west or north coasts with the exception of the Farne Islands and the nearby Holy Island on the Northumbrian coast, and Ratlin Island off north-east Ireland. I had hoped that my other son, who is a maths professor, would calculate the shortest route between these 119 points for

24 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Above: route for David Joyce’s Dawn to Dusk flight taking in all of the islands on the CAA half-mil VFR charts. Route plotted on Jeppesen’s FliteStar software. Right: David refuelling at Caernarfon with son Patrick in the passenger seat. Note lifejackets.

us, but he told us that finding the shortest route round 30 points had defeated mathematicians for centuries, let alone 119! So we had to resort to the Mk1 eyeball and after much experimentation we settled on a clockwise route around the mainland with a diversion across the Pennines and back to take in the Northumbrian islands.

An extra dimension was added by the fact that Patrick is in fairly advanced stages of Motor Neurone Disease, having had it for over three years (mean survival is only 34 months). He has always loved a challenge and since the onset of MND he has thrown himself into working for the MND Association, being central to their Awareness Campaign and raising large sums of money for them, quite apart from bringing up three young children. We added a lot of extra support for him including a headrest – he is only able to walk a short distance with support, and lacks the strength in his arms and hands to swim or indeed to undo his seatbelt.

I have spent a fair bit of my life sailing high performance dinghies and windsurfers at sea, with more capsizes than we found islands, and have also done a fair bit of scuba diving so I was confident of being able to cope in the event of a ditching. Patrick has a fair amount of flying experience, including gliding to solo standard, but no licence. He was able to take a full share of look out, to hand fly the plane for short spells and to take some of the photos or generally mind the ship while I took photos.

THE AIRCRAFT Our aeroplane is a monowheel Europa XS, built by me and fitted with a Rotax 914 and a Woodcomp SR3000-W high twist, high speed CS prop. It is equipped with a Garmin 496, a Blue Mountain EFIS, a Trio EZ single axis autopilot and a Garmin SL30 radio with twin com and nav channels. We wore lifejackets and a PLB at all times and carried a two man dinghy.

The lowest predicted water temperature was

islands

Lismore near Oban, Scotland, one of our refuelling stops where we also had the opportunity to update our weather information before heading out to St Kilda.

14º C and as survival at that temperature is around five hours we did not take survival suits.

We had a Europa factory long range tank giving us an extra 35 litres to add to the standard 65 litres, but even with the extra fuel we would still need three refuelling stops.

PLANNING Reasonably clement weather would be critical, and of course, the usual state of affairs in the UK is that you don’t have nice weather in both England and Scotland – it is virtually always raining (to phrase it politely) somewhere!

I had originally supposed we would need a large high pressure system, but it soon became apparent such systems are generally accompanied by sea fog somewhere round the coast, as well as northerly winds. Instead we ended up looking for a nice gap between two low pressure systems.

Apart from the standard weather sources, two that proved invaluable for us were the

‘To put it into perspective, it’s a longer flight, mostly over sea, than the Atlantic crossing’ 7 day forecast from Magic Seaweed (http:// magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-MSW-SurfCharts/1/pressure/in/) and Leeds Met (http:// rasp.inn.leedsmet.ac.uk/RASPtable.html) which gives beautiful cloud base forecasts for several days ahead.

We had originally hoped to start from Bournemouth, but after initially making encouraging noises they decided it would cost nearly £2000 to open the airport as early as we needed! This led us to Lee on Solent and I have

to say the folk there were fantastic. The same applied to all our other stops, at Caernarfon, Oban, Stornoway and Lerwick, with all waiving landing fees, and letting us land or take off outside opening hours. Lee on Solent and Caernarfon even let us have Mogas brought in.

We planned to cruise at 130kt, giving us 13hr 10min in the air. I estimated that turnaround time at the stops would be unlikely to be less than 45min, and added 20min for warm up and taxy time at the start and finish of the day, so we were looking at a minimum of 15hr 45min.

Sunrise at Lee on Solent was 5.37 and sunset at Lerwick 21.19, a difference of only 15hr 42min.

We are of course allowed to fly 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, but we saw this as sensible reserve time for coping with problems, diversions or delays. It is also surprisingly dark at a half-hour before sunrise.

This is not so much a problem in taking off, as in getting the plane sorted out beforehand.

We settled on aiming for an average

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 25

> DAWN TO DUSK ground speed of 130kt over the whole course, knowing that it would be necessary to cruise a few knots faster than this to make up for circuit, climbing and diversion time. The plane will fly quite a bit faster than 130kt but only at the expense of significantly higher fuel consumption, with the need for extra fuel stops negating any speed advantage. There is another important aspect to speed – the Europa Vno is 131kt and previous experience suggested we might experience severe turbulence around islands and headlands, so flying into such areas at 140kt or more would not be too clever!

The D2D Challenge has to be completed between 15 April and 11 August, and it was not until 8 August that we eventually had a forecast offering suitable weather with other factors allowing us to go for it. Forecasts for the day showed reasonable weather most of the way round the UK with moderate W to SW winds, and a cloud base over the Pennines that should be just high enough, but with a low pressure system over the western Isles with rain, low cloud and 25-30kt winds. In the past I have found myself reasonably comfortable doing long Channel crossings at 600ft so did not see this as insuperable, so we took the decision to go. We were also lucky that the weather gods smiled on us on a Sunday, as all bar one danger or restricted zone were inactive.

EARLY TAKE-OFF So it was that at 4.50am on Sunday 8 August we found ourselves at Lee on Solent groping around in near darkness getting the plane ready, and Patrick comfortably installed.

The security guy had kindly allowed the taxi through the security gate to take us right up to the plane. The wings were absolutely covered in heavy dew, and this took an unanticipated long time to clear off sufficiently to allow the laminar flow wings to work. We lifted off at 5.21, only slightly later than our target time of 5.10.

Looking back at Gosport, the street lights still appeared very bright! Then past the IoW avoiding the NOTAM-ed captive balloon there for Cowes Week, followed by a magical stretch along the south coast in absolutely still air, with the sun slowly rising and G-XSDJ proving to be London Info’s only customer.

Straight through D009, D007 and D007A. No response from Culdrose, Penzance, Land’s End or St Mary’s. The Scilly Isles are named as a group on the chart so only got one collective picture, but just NE are the Seven Stones named as an Island with an adjacent lightship.

The lightship was there but with absolutely no sign of even one Stone! With high tide being three hours earlier maybe they had yet to emerge or maybe nobody from the CAA had been down to check recently.

We then turned NE to Lundy, a surprising 87nm away. Then to Caldy and the islands around St David’s, with Grassholm having minimal grass but myriad birds and their droppings. The Smalls turned out to be a few rocks with the BBC2 lighthouse on the biggest one. Then a 100nm stint across Cardigan Bay to Bardsey, a magical island that was the end point of a medieval pilgrimage route, with three trips to Bardsey said to be worth as much as one to Rome. There are also claimed to be 40,000 saints at the bottom of Bardsey Sound – that is to say pilgrims who didn’t quite make it through the horrendous tidal race.

After the Scillies we had had a headwind of about 8kt but with the air still very smooth we

26 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

had managed to push hard enough to maintain our 130kt groundspeed.

From Bardsey it was a pleasant run up the Lleyn Peninsula to Caernarfon, our first refuelling stop, touching down at 8.43. Here we had a support team who were waiting with 80 litres of Mogas in jerricans. That helped us to turnaround in just 39min, and we headed up between a silent Mona and Valley to Holy Island (the first of three) and on to the Isle of Man. From there it was a 142nm section over the Pennines to Farne Islands and Holy Island two. From this point we were talking to Scottish Info. Although entirely helpful they appeared to only want to speak when spoken to, unlike London who were asking us for estimates of every single island we passed.

Cloud was very low on the western slopes of the Pennines and almost exactly the same height as the peaks so we needed to divert to a valley system to the north of track. Fortunately this also helped with the necessary diversion around D512, the only one of all of the danger areas found to be active that day. The Farne Islands looked disappointingly like a collection of rocks, but Holy Island (or Lindisfarne), once the centre of English Christianity, was more attractive.

There was then a simple straight run to Kilmarnock, easing between Glasgow and Prestwick TMAs to the Isle of Bute, and the beginning of the navigationally much more demanding section through the Hebrides.

For every turning point (45 in all) we were recording wind direction & speed, altitude, ETA & ETD, distance (leg & cumulative) estimated and actual elapsed time, true air speed & ground speed and time of photographing every island in that segment – quite a workload.

Then of course there were the small matters of flying the course and turns accurately, look out, recognising the next island and checking the quality of the photographs.

Through the Hebrides this was manageable, but in the Orkneys it was not and a few of the observations went by the board, but not of course the ‘aviate’ bits.

MAGNIFICENT ISLANDS Ailsa Craig, a very distinctive island was followed by a brief excursion the short distance to Northern Ireland, then a zig-zag course past the magnificent islands of Gigha, Islay, and Jura and several smaller ones into Oban. There we got an update on the weather via my iPad, showing St Kilda no better but crucially no worse either. They kindly found a wheelchair to take Patrick off for a comfort stop – his only time out of the plane the whole day.

After fuelling and a turnaround of 48min we were away again on what promised to be the most challenging leg, heading out towards St Kilda, which I have always imagined as being g well on the way to Iceland. In fact it is only about 35nm west of North Uist. The route was complex, initially going over Mull to run up the southern part of the Outer Hebrides chain, then n turning back east to do a big turn around Skye and its associated small islands. From here it was out to Harris and south past 10 more Outer Hebridean Islands before turning out into the Atlantic to look for St Kilda.

It had started raining some seven islands earlier, and cloud base was down to 800ft, getting lower as we departed into the gloom to the west. However GPS is a marvellous invention and sure enough St Kilda appeared

out of the gloom just where it was meant to be.

It was great to find it and its close neighbour Boreray, but it was disappointing not to be able to see the top halves of the islands with what is said to be the biggest gannet colony in the UK. I had been relying on those gannets to make the picture to go on the front of the log book.

The wind was also, as advertised, blowing quite well here and we recorded a worst headwind of 27kt and a best tailwind of 20kt, with a peak ground speed of 163kt. It was still raining when we crossed Lewis to land at Stornoway. No doubt not helped by the rain and overcast conditions, Stornoway looked the most desolate airfield I have ever landed at.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with

Main pic: Flotta with Scapa Flow in the background. Above left: Ailsa Craig in the Hebrides. Above right: outlying rocks at St Kilda with 600ft cloudbase.

> DAWN TO DUSK the service however. Despite being closed there was a man in the tower to taxi me directly y to where the fuel man was waiting. He put in 73.3 litres and said, “We’ll call it 65, and I wish I could do more.” He took payment on the spot and we were away for an amazing turnaround time of just 31min.

You may be wondering where bodily sustenance comes in. Having checked thatt the restaurant at Caernarfon wouldn’t be open at 8.15 and there being no on-airfield restaurant at Oban, we took the precaution of taking plenty y of food with us so we could feed on the hoof, or perhaps I should say, on the wing.

From Stornoway we headed back east towards the Scottish mainland, and soon escaped from the overcast conditions, with sun lighting up the stunning scenery. With this being the last leg, we began to feel a lot more relaxed, and with the air fairly calm and this the shortest leg we turned up the wick a bit to a true air speed of 140+.

This feeling of relaxation went into reverse somewhat when we left Handa Island (an attractive island with spectacular cliffs and an isolated stack), and passing Cape Wrath (the top left bit of the mainland), headed towards Sula Sgeir. I checked the distance (about 50nm) and realised this was comfortably the most remote part of the whole day’s trip. We did not incidentally, see a single boat until we approached the Orkneys, some 145nm later, and saw no other plane the whole day before landing at Lerwick.

Sula Sgeir was another bird island with thousands of birds and a mountain of guano.

Neighbouring Rona was more the sort of island that the odd medieval monk might have survived on. From here we travelled east parallel to the mainland to Sule Stack and Sule Skerry before slanting down to Stroma in the Pentland Firth. This took us round three sides of Hoy, a magnificent island with high red cliffs and of course, the Old Man of Hoy seen from a

28 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Papa Westray in the Orkneys. All that’s left to fly is a 40nm leg over water to the Shetland Islands which at 60º North are nearer the North Pole than Helsinki in Finland. Final stop was Lerwick/ Tingwall for a well-deserved beer! distance. Then a complex zig-zag through the Orkneys to find all 20 of them in the space of 35 minutes. With the exception of Hoy they are all fairly low islands and with the sun getting low in the sky approaching 7pm, we began to get atmospheric pictures of those to the west of track. Many of the islands surround Scapa Flow, which from the air seemed smaller than I had imagined from accounts of the entire German Battle Fleet being moored there. In the pleasant evening sun it was much less gloomy.

THE LAST LAP We passed two islands in the 40nm+ gap between the main groups of the Orkneys and Shetlands, Fair Isle and Foula. The latter has a distinctive shape, a bit like a sleeping Labrador, and with the sun behind it, produced the best photographs of the day. The Shetland mainland was largely overcast, so light levels dropped and it began to feel like the last lap!

We went up the Western side to the northern most island Unst, which at 61 degrees N is nearer the North Pole than Helsinki. From there we came down the east side for the remaining five islands before turning in to land at Lerwick/Tingwall. Having given us PPR to land out of hours, the manager had gone home but as it happened a local pilot was just having a late night fly around in his Cessna. He not only provided the necessary certificate of landing time, but gave me a hand in getting Patrick over the fence (the manager having forgotten that he had said he would leave the gate open!), and also very kindly gave us a lift to the nearby hotel. I am pretty certain neither of us have ever drunk anything that tasted better than the two large beers produced for us there, nor yet slept better since the age of six months!

Patrick was physically exhausted but elated. I would have said his physical reserves were just not enough to have survived the day, but he made up for it with sheer determination. I also have to take my hat off to him for the courage it needed to fly that far over sea, knowing that in the event of a ditching he would have to rely absolutely on me to release his seatbelt, to inflate his life jacket, to fish him out of the plane and to haul him into the dinghy. Overall, this trip will form some of our most cherished memories for both of us.

We passed some absolutely amazing scenery, and visited places that are the stuff of legends, and the sense of achievement at having done it all in one day was fully worth the preparation and effort. I just cannot imagine that I would ever have got to see St Kilda, Sula Sgeir, Scapa Flow, Foula or Unst without the stimulus of the Dawn to Dusk Challenge, and I am very grateful to David Hamilton and his team and to Pooleys for making it happen.

At the time of writing we have raised about £7000 in sponsorship for this flight. If you would like to help please go to: www.justgiving.com/ halfmillionislands The weather for getting home the next day proved significantly more challenging – what should have been a relatively easy six hour flight was anything but! We had a cloud base at around 600ft down through the Shetlands and Orkneys and it was not much better at the Scottish mainland, so we were obliged to contemplate going along the coastline all the way south. Fortunately things looked a bit better by the time we got to Berwick on Tweed and we were just able to sneak over to the west coast via Hawick. From there it was again a matter of going down the coast. Coming inland south of Blackpool we hoped to go through the Manchester low level corridor but had to dive into Manchester Barton when overtaken by a massive storm. We sat there for an hour and then went south avoiding further storm cells, to find Gloucester in sunshine.

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NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 29

> LAA RALLY

THE RALLY’S GREAT AND THE GOOD Who won what at the 2010 LAA Rally at Sywell?

Winners and awards by Brian Hope

AS YOU read this magazine, memories of the 2010 Rally will already be two months old, and with winter drawing in our thoughts turn to the 2011 season. Before consigning the event to history though, I have gathered a number of photographs of

some of the many vintage and classic types that flew in to Sywell on those balmy warm days of early September.

We should also pay credit to the worthy winners of the many trophies and awards presented – well-deserved recognition of months or years spent working on an aircraft,

or for an act of skill and derring-do.

We have already held the first post-Rally meeting to discuss where we can make improvements. Despite the event being by and large praised by all who attended, it is surprising how many ‘must try harder’ items get flagged up and added to the list.

Beautifully restored DH Dragon Rapide G-AGJG was first registered to Scottish Airways in 1943, hence the livery. Mark and Davi d Miller took 27 years restoring ’JG before it took to the air again in June 2004. This beau tiful restoration was awarded the Personal Plane Services Trophy for Best Moth at the show.

G-BTDT is a Spanish built CASA Jungmann belonging to LAA inspector Trevor Reed.

30 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

0 – around Porterfield Collegiate CP5 ed between 400 examples were produc tion ceased. duc pro en wh 1 194 and 1936 UK. the in le mp exa Only one other

‘We have held the first post-Rally meeting... it’s surprising how many items get flagged’

Whilst additional rubbish bins and whether a band is absolutely necessary on Friday and Saturday will get sorted, perhaps the largest item on the list is the re-introduction of the Homebuilder’s Tent.

This was a favourite of Rallies past, a place where part complete projects, demonstrations

of building skills and an opportunity to get advice on aircraft build and maintenance techniques were presented, and subject to a Strut or group taking on the challenge of organising it, it will return next year. In some ways, it’s the centrepiece of the Rally – apart from all the aircraft which fly in, of course. ➽

Piper L4 Cub G-BFZB came to the UK in 1975 having previously resided in Germany.

Hornet Moth G-ADND was flown in from Hullavington.

Built in 1936 it started its life with Fairey Aviation.

Silvare This beautiful Luscombe o has wh h, Bus er Pet by is owned or tired rebuilt several damaged dition. examples to concours con

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 31

> LAA RALLY

Note that help is most definitely needed because the Rally Team is very small – just four people. Four people whose primary task is to keep a very tight reign on Rally finances lest over-enthusiasm once again leads the event down a road of overspend and unacceptable losses. osses os e .

Good news is that there is a surplus of around £7K from this year’s Rally, so we know it can be done.

But before worrying too much about LAA Sywell 2011, let’s look back one more time to this year’s event and blow away those gathering gat e g winter te blues. b ues.

‘Note help is definitely needed because the Rally team is small – just p four p people’ Morane-Saulnier MS733 Alcyon was formally owned by the French Navy but now belongs to the Alcyon Flying Group. Power is courtesy of a 240hp inverted in-line Potez.

p David Gray took ownershi es Mil 7 194 ul utif bea of his Gemini a few days before the Rally. He keeps it at his Manchester Barton with . immaculate Jodel Mascaret

Very nice Aeronca 7AC owned by Adrian Lines from Leicester and finished in classic Champ scheme.

32 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

THE 2010 LAA SYWELL RALLY AWARDS EACH year the LAA recognises the high quality aircraft builds and restorations with a number of awards and commendations and this year the standard was as high as it has ever been. Sadly there just isn’t

enough room to include a picture of every winning aircraft so I have decided to only include pictures of those that have not been seen on the pages of the magazine recently.

AWARD

NAME

REG

AIRCRAFT TYPE

AWARD TYPE

BEST PLANS BUILT AIRCRAFT PLANS BUILT AIRCRAFT PLANS BUILT AIRCRAFT PLANS BUILT AIRCRAFT BEST KIT BUILT AIRCRAFT KIT BUILT AIRCRAFT

Alan Shipp Mike Clark Louis & John Rex Alistair Sutherland Dave Stephens Farmarz Sayyah & Anthony Palmer David Steade Roger Hopkinson Peter Holloway Tom & Linda Carter Chris Edmondson Marc Lhermette Paul & Sarah Ford Alan Shipp David & Mark Miller Jackie Moorecraft Roger Hopkinson Richard Teverson Steve Noujaim Paul Robichaud Alistair Sutherland

G-CVST G-LOAD G-JRME G-ORAS G-MUZY G-WOOO

Jodel D140 E Rhin One Jodel D140E FRED Titan T51 Mustang CZAW Sport Cruiser

Air Squadron Trophy Design Commendation Commendation Commendation RAA Canada Trophy Commendation

G-CDXY G-RVIO G-STCH G-AJKB G-AVZW G-ONON G-FOKK G-CVST G-AGJG G-BDEY G-RVIO G-LUCL G-IIXF G-IRAF G-ORAS

Denney Kitfox Mk7 Vans RV10 Fieseler Storch Luscombe 8E EAA Biplane RAF 2000 GTX-SE Fokker Dr1 Triplane Jodel D140 E DH Dragon Rapide Piper J3 Cub Vans RV10 Colomban MC30 Vans RV-7 RAF 2000 FRED

Commendation Commendation John Randall Trophy Roy Mills Trophy Sywell Trophy Ken Wallis Trophy The Pooley Sword The Wilkinson Sword Personal Plane Services Trophy Jim Epson Trophy Andy Nowicki Trophy Luciole Albert Codling Trophy Bill Woodhams Trophy Hugh Bancroft Wilson Trophy Malcolm Allan Trophy

KIT BUILT AIRCRAFT KIT BUILT AIRCRAFT BEST VINTAGE AIRCRAFT BEST CLASSIC AIRCRAFT BEST CLASSIC HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT BEST HOMEBUILT GYROPLANE BEST REPLICA AIRCRAFT BEST JODEL BEST MOTH BEST FABRIC PIPER BEST RV BEST PART BUILT FOR A FEAT OF NAVIGATION MERITORIOUS ARRIVAL BY GYROPLANE MOST MERITORIOUS ARRIVAL BY AIR

Chris Edmondson’s pretty little EAA Biplane won the Sywell Trophy for Best Classic Homebuilt (over 25 years old).

Paul Ford proudly displays the Pooley Sword for Best Replica Aircraft that was awarded to him and wife Sarah for their lovely Fokker Dr1 Triplane.

Lou and John Rex received a Commendation in the Plans Built category for their magnificent Jodel D140.

A Commendation in the Plans Built category went to Mike Clark for his One Design, which he flies out of Southwater in Sussex.

Kent based gyro instructor Mark Lhermette picked up the Ken Wallis Best Homebuilt Gyroplane Trophy for his RAF 2000.

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 33

> FLIGHT TEST

WORDS Francis Donaldson PHOTOS Rory Game

TL2000 STING READY AT LAST Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a long-time since the Czech Sting was first shown in the UK but now, finally, it has LAA approval and is a fine aircraft

34 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 35

> FLIGHT TEST

ONE of the most frequently asked questions we get at LAA Engineering is, “How long does it take to get a new type of aircraft approved?” The answer is anything from six months upwards. But not all of the initial starters make it to a full Permit because many homebuilts and kits are not designed or documented to the level we need to meet the Permit requirements.

The latest design to achieve a full Permit via the LAA is the TL 2000 Sting from TL Ultralights in the Czech Republic. The Sting is a two-seater of predominantly carbon fibre construction, powered by the ever-popular 100 horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine. It features a fixed tricycle undercarriage and quickly de-riggable wings and tail, for ease of transport and winter storage – though you’d not want to rig the Sting every time you went to fly.

The first time I came across a Sting was at the PFA Rally in 2002, when a Czech-registered demonstrator appeared on static display and I had the chance of a short demo flight, the manufacturers hoping to kickstart the approval process of the aircraft as a kitplane.

36 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

‘Our counterparts seemingly turn a blind eye to operating outside of limits’ It was then, and is now, a beautiful example of what you can do with composite construction.

With its signature feature being a huge canopy, it could easily have looked awkward but so carefully are the wings, canopy and swept fin blended into the fuselage that the Sting looks very good from almost every angle.

Whereas the first generation of composite kit aircraft such as the original Glasair, KIS and Pulsar looked super externally, they were quite basic inside. The Sting cleverly uses mouldings to produce not only a slick outside shape but also a sophisticated interior, including a beautifully sculpted instrument panel, coaming, high-back seats and baggage area.

That early Sting was generally very pleasant

to fly but had a couple of basic handling faults in that it was statically unstable both in pitch and yaw. Prod either the elevator or the rudder in level, trimmed flight and the Sting would react instantly, but didn’t return to straight and level when the control was released.

Selling into Europe as a 450kg microlight, it soon became clear the empty weight of the Sting was far too high to qualify as a microlight in the UK. Our counterparts across the water seemingly turn a blind eye to the fact that they are operating them outside of the certification limits, if they put two people of average weight in the cockpit. To have a sensible payload as a two-seater, carrying normal sized adults and a sensible fuel load it would need a max gross weight of 560kg, not 450kg. As all the certification tests and reports had been written for a 450kg gross weight that first attempt to get the Sting accepted by PFA was stillborn.

ROUND TWO Come 2006, and PFA’er Paul Sanders took up the challenge, forming a new company, Midland Aviation, specifically to bring the

Sting has a very distinctive shape, possible because of the carbon composite moulded construction.

Huge canopy of the TL Sting gives terrific visibility and space inside the cockpit.

Slightly odd instrument fit in test aircraft.

Sting to the UK market. Paul teamed up with Keith Towell, another LAA member, with a background in aero engineering to tackle the technical challenges that faced the project.

Keith set out to re-analyse the Czech design, modify and re-test it for the higher weight category, and produce the approval reports LAA needed. By that time the Sting was selling in quantity not only in the European market but to other parts of the world including the USA, where it was deemed to qualify for the new Light Sport Category at up to 600kg gross weight, and to Australia and New Zealand which operate on different sets of rules.

LAA Design Engineer Andy Draper visited the TL works in the Czech Republic in 2006 reporting favourably on the production facility, quality control procedures and work in progress at the time, and giving LAA confidence that this would be an aircraft that would justify LAA’s investment in the program.

As the Sting was until then only supplied as a factory-built aircraft, one of the first tasks was to agree a format for the proposed kit version which would satisfy the 51% rule as

an amateur-built. As with many moulded composite designs, TL was reluctant to let the amateur builder loose on major composite work, the design of the main airframe components not lending themselves to being built anywhere but at the factory. To include enough builder input to qualify as 51% compliant, Paul and Keith had to use every other task possible to swell the list of ‘homebuilder operations’ including making the seats and wheel spats yourself. Early builders have been saved these tasks because of the amount of other unplanned work involved in their builds – including some 32 modifications that have had to be made to the aircraft to gain UK approval.

MODIFICATIONS Most significant of these modifications has been an entirely new nose-leg design, from Keith Towell’s drawing board. The original nose-leg was found to be under-strength when analysed by Keith, and a number had failed in the USA. Keith’s redesigned leg is interchangeable with the original and used a

‘Quote to go ’Num ver sit wis dolofgderosto eu feuis nibostrud dio od tds hthore’ Francis Donaldson prepares to fly the Sting. similar telescopic format but is not only much stronger than the original, it gives an improved ride quality.

As no build manual existed for the kit version at that time, Paul Sanders built the original UK version of the TL Sting at the Czech factory to gain type experience from the factory assembly team. Hundreds of photographs were taken which would form part of the build manual which Paul was drafting. Once this UK prototype, G-CEPS, was brought to the UK, an inspection by LAA’s engineers highlighted the need for further modifications, including improvements to the fireproofing and crashworthiness, and detail changes to raise the integrity level of the flying control system.

Test flown by LAA stalwart Barry Tempest in May 2008, this first example was found to display the same stability problems as the earlier 2002 demonstrator. It transpired that the directional stability issue was not due to a lack of fin area, but merely a failure of the rudder to self-centre due to the friction in the rudder system caused by the coupled nose-wheel steering. This was solved by

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Handling now sorted thanks to LAA input.

fitting more friction-free nose-wheel steering bearings. With the help of beefed-up rudder centring springs, the Sting prototype G-CEPS achieved positive directional stability.

The longitudinal stability issue was rather more involved. Early on it was found that the Sting incorporated a spring in the elevator control system which supported the not inconsiderable weight of the elevator on the ground, ie it effectively applied a back pressure to the stick. Aeroplane designers sometimes use springs in elevator systems pulling the elevator down (unsurprisingly called elevator down springs) because this tends to augment the aircraft’s pitch stability. I pointed out to Paul that the Sting’s spring, acting in the opposite direction, would have the adverse effect of reducing the stability. The spring was removed.

Result – G-CEPS became positively pitch stable.

Unfortunately it didn’t stop there because with the spring removed, the Sting lacked nose-up trim authority when the split flaps were fully down, even with the elevator tab fully deflected. A new elevator with a bigger tab helped, but didn’t solve the problem. In effect, without the benefit of the ‘up spring’ to hold

38 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

‘Flight testing was brought to a sudden halt by the theft of its engine in September 2009’ the nose up, the Sting’s tailplane needed more negative incidence to restore fore and aft trim.

Later models have been fixed by changing the fuselage mouldings slightly to give more negative incidence on the tail. For the earlier kits, thick wedges have been added to the undersurface of the elevator trailing edges, to act as fixed trim tabs. These wedges cured the trim problem, although a weak ‘up’ bias spring also had to be added which acts only when the flaps are lowered.

TWO TEST AIRCRAFT Flight testing on G-CEPS was brought to a sudden halt by the theft of its engine in September 2009, which would have delayed the program were it not for the fact that another

machine, G-CFDS, had by this time been completed by LAA’er Peter Ronfell. He was working in close conjunction with Paul and had already incorporated the modifications developed on ‘Papa Sierra’. G-CFDS was issued a test permit in October of 2009 so that it could take over the testing mantle from G-CEPS while the police went in search of Paul’s Rotax.

In the end a new engine was sourced, but meanwhile Peter’s aeroplane had fortuitously given us a confirmatory check on the effectiveness and consistency of the handling tweaks on two airframes. G-CFDS achieved positive pitch stability and an acceptable trim range in April 2010, and similar results were achieved by the re-engined and similarly modified G-CEPS in July 2010.

Meanwhile, Keith’s work on the structure had shown the need for further reinforcements to the composite rear fuselage and wing root ribs.

These areas have to satisfy the extra strength factors (composite superfactors) called for in a carbon structure to compensate for possible strength drop-offs in service. Fortunately these mods were fairly simply carried out on existing airframes, because by this time a dozen or so

TL STING THE KIT The TL 2000 Sting Carbon comes as a very complete kit including engine, paint, upholstery, in-flight adjustable propeller and basic instruments.

The kit price is £65,000 with VAT and delivery to be added on.

Midland Aviation, the UK agent, says the main additional cost items are the avionics fit of your choice and whether to

LAA’ers had succumbed to temptation and bought Sting kits even though it was still some way from gaining LAA type acceptance.

APPROVAL AT LAST Structural checks on the aircraft were hampered by the fact that the Czechs had tested the aircraft with loads that did not include the composite superfactors called for

by LAA. Despite Keith using every trick in the book, pulling in alleviating factors to try to align the numbers, not all the tests had been taken to a high enough load level and the Czechs no longer had a test airframe available to re-test to Keith’s instructions.

In the end, the program was saved from a numerical black hole by the fact that while all this had been going on, so many Stings had been flying successfully in other countries at weights of 560kg and above, and building up thousands of hours use without structural problems, that it was possible to clear these outstanding areas on a ‘proof by usage’ basis.

As time went on, several of the UK builders reached the stage where they had their kits complete and ready to fly, but test permits

choose to fit the Ballistic Rescue System (a popular option in mainland Europe although it has yet to be approved in the UK by the LAA).

A standard cabin includes: * Upholstered seats and backs * Carpet cockpit flooring * Two map pockets * Two separate aft storage areas * One piece canopy

couldn’t be issued because LAA were still awaiting the final parts of the design package from the agents. Frustration ran high, and tempers occasionally flared, for it’s a bad business to have an aeroplane sitting in the hangar but be unable to fly it for the sake of the requisite piece of paper. It was with a great sense of relief to all concerned that type acceptance has finally been able to be granted in October of 2010, which allowed four of these follow-on Stings to be issued their test permits within a single week, with several more close in their wake.

STILL A BEAUTY So how does the Sting perform, now that it’s a fully LAA-accepted design? Eight years after I first laid eyes on it, the Sting is still a thoroughly modern looking aircraft. It stands quite tall on its tricycle undercarriage, all three of the unusually narrow wheels partially enclosed by spats, and you get an impression of an aircraft larger than most of the others in its class. The styling is shark-like, and still looks fresh and different from anything else out there. From its sheared wing tips to the raked-back fin and

* Rotating canopy vents * Full dual control * Keyed cabin lock * Dual four point seat belts * Canopy gas struts The standard engine is a Rotax 912ULS 100hp engine (pictured below) fitted with a Woodcomp SR 3000 propeller. It comes with fire sleeves on all fuel and oil lines, two-piece carbon fibre

rudder, from spinner tip to tail bumper the Sting appears neat, beautifully proportioned and cleverly detailed.

You board the Sting from behind the wing, helped by a step, and then on to the walkway, avoiding treading on the rearmost part of the wing which is the non-structural fairing over the split flap. With the yawning canopy well above, it’s then an easy step onto the seat, down and in. Reaching for the front-hinged canopy, you pull it down against the action of the gas struts and press it home, taking care to enter the two side latches in their slots. Press down the side latches, twist the central catch, and you’re sealed off from the outside world.

COMFY COCKPIT While the three separately-operated canopy latches seem a bit fussy, they certainly feel effective – reassuring with such a large canopy.

The Sting’s cockpit feels great – bags of space and with the fairly upright seating position and huge expanse of Perspex, there’s an outstanding 360 degree view all round.

The high-back seats are excellent – supportive and comfortable, and with

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‘Sitting under the big Perspex bubble, it’ll soon get hot in sunlight but there are twin fresh air vents either side’

Not the fastest in its class, but not the slowest. Sting offers very respectable performance.

apertures at the top of the seat back for the shoulder straps to pass through, guiding them over your shoulders, strapping in is made much easier. The harnesses are of four point type, clipped together using an automotive type push-in, press-to-release catch.

Sitting under the big Perspex bubble, it’ll soon get hot inside in strong sunlight but to counteract this there are twin fresh air vents either side of the canopy and a rather charming controllable air vent at the very front of the screen, of a rotary type, which should help with de-misting too. As the front of the screen is well out of reach, the central vent is operated remotely by a push-pull cable.

The twin curved sticks are well positioned, and there’s plenty of space on the moulded three-part panel to take an extensive instrument fit, for those so inclined. The throttle is operated by a single lever on the centre console, alongside which is the manual elevator trim lever. Key start, mag switches, a push-pull choke knob on the panel and one of those superior Andair fuel valves complete the suite of engine controls.

The propeller is an electrically-controlled variable-pitch three-blade Woodcomp SR3000 with pitch controlled by a rocker switch. Yellow and blue running lights flash when the blade pitch is moving finer or coarser, and stay on when either pitch stop is reached. With the variable pitch prop installed there’s a manifold pressure gauge to keep track on engine power setting, in addition to the tachometer.

Fuel is contained in a single 87 litre tank located under your knees, serviced from a filler in the wing root, giving a four hour endurance.

Fuel level is monitored with an electrical fuel quantity gauge. The mechanically operated two position split flaps are worked using a

‘A fuel-miserly 4000rpm gives a comfortable 90kt, apparently burning just 12 litres an hour’ central lever with push-button détent, like the handbrake of a car, which rests comfortably enough under your elbow.

The Sting has a conventional open baggage space behind the seats, accessible in flight, for lighter items. There are also a pair of cubby holes in the bulkhead behind the seat backs, fully enclosed once the seats are occupied and ideal for placing heavier items such as overnight bags which you don’t want sculling about loose in the cockpit in flight.

RESPECTABLE PERFORMER In action, the Sting is very straightforward to operate – everything comes naturally. Toe brake actuated hydraulic disc brakes and direct coupled nosewheel steering make it very easy to taxy, and of course your view for negotiating obstacles could hardly be better. As with all Rotax powered VLAs there’s a noticeable left turning tendency when you open the throttle at the start of the take-off run, which needs a fair dose of right rudder to counteract until the airspeed builds up and the fin becomes effective. Crosswinds from the left therefore need to be treated with particular respect.

With first stage of flap selected and the propeller in fully fine pitch giving 5500rpm, she’s off the ground in about a 150 yards, nil wind, at 50 knots, then held down before climbing out at 70. Both climb and cruise

performance are about what one would expect, with about 800ft/min at max gross weight and a max level cruise speed of 120 knots IAS at 5500rpm and 27 inches of manifold pressure (max continuous setting). Setting 5200rpm and 27in MAP yields 110kt IAS, whilst a fuelmiserly 4000rpm/27in gives a comfortable 90kt, apparently burning just 12 litres an hour.

These performance figures seem slightly down on the sales figures from TL, but par for the course when put alongside other Rotax 912 ULS powered aeroplanes in the same category.

– Europa, Pioneer 300, Eurostar and Tecnam Sierra – especially bearing in mind the fixed undercarriage and substantial frontal area and wing area of the Sting compared to some of the competing designs. The Sting may not be the fastest in its class, but its not the slowest either and the very respectable cruise performance has not been at the expense of comfort or field performance. With its large split flaps lowered to second stage, the Sting can approach a small field quite comfortably at 55kt and be down and stopped in a very short distance.

Handling-wise, the Sting in its latest form is hard to fault. As with most of this generation of VLAs, the Sting has light control forces and positive but not very strong stabilities about all three axes so it will seem quite ‘different’ if you’ve not flown anything in this class before.

On the other hand this set-up makes it great fun to fly, except perhaps in very rough conditions when its light wing loading will make it strongly affected by gusts and turbulence.

There’s very little give in the carbon airframe so the ride quality in turbulence is harsher than in a wood or glass-winged machine. The long-span split flaps means that the span of the ailerons is unusually short, scarcely more than a couple of feet long but despite their

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Controls of the TL Sting are light in all axes which make it fun to fly but may take a little getting used to.

unusual proportions the ailerons are very effective. Only downside of the big split flaps is that the operating forces are high, and this means it takes quite a force on the flap lever to get second stage down, especially as its location makes it hard to get leverage on the central lever; not a problem, just a comment.

With clean aeroplanes like the Sting it’s a good idea to land with full flap if you can, not so much to minimise the landing speed and distance (both are very moderate whatever the flap position) but more to make the approach path steeper and more easily judged, so that the touchdown point can be just where you want it. Approach to land a few knots too fast with the flaps up and you’ll float halfway down the runway – the Sting has a 16:1 glide ratio according to TL, so it’s not a bad glider.

In an age when electric trims are almost standard, the manual elevator trim on the Sting is very pleasant, you simply put the trim lever wherever it needs to be to take away the pressure on the stick – there’s no jabbing at rocker switches trying to hit the sweet spot. And of course, the position of the lever in its slot tells you instantly what the trim position is, unlike with a wheel-type manual trimmer which needs a separate indicator.

WELL MANNERED STALLS Stalls in the Sting are exceptionally wellmannered, with a gentle nose drop coming at around 30-35 knots depending on power setting and flap position. There’s not a lot of pre-stall buffet warning so an artificial stall warner is one of the UK mods. Power-on stalls involve very high nose angles and a lot of right rudder to keep the ball in the middle, but still the break is generally wings-level. Stalling off turns, in a simulated turn-to-final with flap and a bit of yaw on, results in either wing dropping quite gently but aileron control effectiveness returns as soon as back pressure is released.

The excellent forward view, responsive controls and, ultimately, forgiving tricycle gear

42 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

COMPARISON OF THE STING WITH RIVALS Wingspan Length Wing Area Cabin width Engine Power Max gross weight Empty weight* Payload* Fuel capacity Baggage capacity 75% cruise speed * Undercarriage Construction

STING 8.44m 5.93m 9.85sq m 1.12m Rotax 912-ULS 100bhp 560kg 330kg 230kg 87 litres 27kg 115kt Fixed composite

EUROPA XS 8.28m 5.84m 9.5sq m Rotax 912-UL/ULS/914 80-115bhp 623kg 354kg 269kg 68 litres 36kg 135kt Fixed or retractable composite

PIONEER 300 7.45m 6.25m 10.0sq m 1.05m Rotax 912-ULS 100bhp 506kg 305kg 201kg 80 litres 35kg 135kt retractable wood

JABIRU J160 8.12m 5.77m 8.04sq m 1.14m Jabiru 2200A 85bhp 540kg 300kg 240kg 135 Litres 36kg 100kt fixed composite

EUROSTAR 8.1m 5.98m 9.84sq m 1.04m Rotax 912-UL 80bhp 480kg 263kg 217kg 70 litres 15kg 90kt Fixed Metal

* Manufacturer’s figures make the Sting an easy aeroplane to land, the tapering cowling and high seating position mean that your view forward is maintained right into the flare. Just watch out for a slight lightening-off in the elevator forces as you round out, especially with full flap, which would make it easy to over-rotate and balloon if you were heavy handed with the stick. As with all these very light aircraft, gently does it – there’s no need to stir the pudding.

FACTORY OPTIONS What’s to come? A factory-optional wing leveller installation has already been approved

by LAA. In case a four-hour fuel endurance is not enough, TL can supply optional additional wing tanks, of 20 litre capacity each, which increase the range to something over 700nm.

The company also provides a ballistic chute option and the price list even includes an alternative retractable undercarriage! None of these options have been applied for yet but some of the kit builders in the UK have already opted for the aux tanks and chute, so no doubt we will be looking at these shortly. You don’t get

owt for nowt, of course, and the penalty here is that every option raises the empty weight, eating into the payload and eroding the flight performance. Midland Aviation would like to see the aircraft cleared eventually with a 600kg max gross weight but whether that extra 40kg is achieved will depend on TL’s willingness to repeat some of the structural tests.

All round, the Sting is a welcome addition to the LAA’s range of Very Light /Light Sport class aircraft. It seems a thoroughly enjoyable, comfortable, practical and well-sorted machine as one would expect from an aircraft type which has been built in substantial numbers and been in service for almost a decade. The performance is well up with its fixed-gear equivalents from other manufacturers and with its all-carbon structure, the Sting should be easy to maintain – although not an aircraft to keep outdoors, I suggest, because of the corrosion risks for the aluminium components.

The approval process for the Sting has been long in the making, too long for some. I have a feeling though that for Sting owners who have kept faith, it will have been worth waiting for.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Light Aviation is the free official publication for members of the Light Aircraft Association, for aircraft kit-builders, restorers, and light sport aviators. It is sent free every month to LAA members, and is crammed with advice, flight tests, engineering guidance, news and features.

Benefits include: • Monthly magazine only available to LAA members • Annual membership starts at £48 • Priceless advice and access to LAA experts • Delivered direct to your door • Free landing vouchers FOR AN ANNUAL MEMERSHIP GO TO THE LAA WEBSITE WWW.LIGHTAIRCRAFTASSOCIATION.CO.UK OR EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS@LOOP.AERO

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 43

> accident summary 2008

t f A r C r i A A A l t N E D i ACC 9 0 0 2 y r A M M SU s reported w ie v re r, to c e sp ief In Ken Craigie, Ch ft during 2009 ra c ir a A LA to ts acciden AC

SSIFICATIO CIDENT CLA

ABBREVIAT LOCL LOCTO F CI T GI O NK

ION

N KEY

ch or landing MEANING l during approa Loss of contro during take-off or go around l Loss of contro ement ag an m is Fuel m nent failure ing Carburettor ic gn, maintenance or compo si Technical, de nt Ground incide Other Unknown

AMOUNT IN 36 9 1 6 11 2 10 3

2009

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Today we have 2,506 aircraft with a valid Permit to Fly, an all-time high. Sadly, 2009 saw a new ‘high’ in overall accident numbers to LAA aircraft and as our summary shows, there were 78 occurrences making it onto our list (reported-reportable accidents). The previous highest number was 74 in 2003.

However, we had 464 more active Permits in 2009 than in 2003 (and 77 more than in 2008), so without wishing to appear too deep and meaningful, as a percentage of our fleet accident-wise things are still looking pretty good. More sadly, there were six fatal accidents to our aircraft in 2009 (with the loss of 7 souls) and this too is an all-time high.

A common factor with three of those fatal accidents was that just prior to the event the pilots were probably dealing with some sort of technical difficulty affecting the operation of their aircraft, leading to a forced landing which then went disastrously wrong, for varying reasons. Of the other three accidents, carbon monoxide contamination may have been a factor in one and perhaps a medical difficulty in another. The one fatal gyroplane accident seems to have resulted from a loss of control, but just why the student pilot lost control could not be determined.

Historically there have been very few fatal accidents to the PFA/LAA vintage aircraft fleet.

Actually, over the last twenty years there were just three, and none due to technical failure, so it is with unease that we record two fatal accidents to LAA vintage aircraft last year, Nord NC854S G-BGEW and CASA 131 Jungmann G-JUNG, both with possible airworthiness condition issues in the background. With the continuing drift of some C of A types

onto LAA Permits to Fly and the consequent ever increasing size of our vintage fleet, it is important that all involved with the operation of these aircraft aim for the highest practical standard of upkeep. Owners of such aircraft are really just caretakers, with a responsibility to care for and preserve these icons of olden day engineering in good working order, before eventually passing stewardship on to others.

On occasions this will inevitably involve significant cost, especially as engines, propellers and components advance in age and the spectre of nothing less than a proper overhaul by a professional concern looms large. Better to sell up and move on than struggle to barely maintain even a modicum of excellence, however well intentioned. To use a well worn phrase – if you think maintenance is expensive, try having an accident.

Our summary below continues with our regular format. Most of the information consists of abridged extracts from reports published by the AAIB (and foreign equivalents) further supplemented by information garnered from our own sources. In many examples our text is extremely abbreviated, compared to the original report. This is essentially an ‘engineering’ article, and accidents with a degree of technical failure are generally described in greater detail. Having said that, in most cases the technical issues arising have already been covered in Light Aviation’s regular Safety Spot, to which a cross reference is provided in our summary. All past Safety Spots are available on our website - just follow the ‘Engineering’ button.

Our summary is arranged by type, allowing owners to quickly look up accidents on types which might be of particular interest to them.

The information shown under each heading is

self explanatory, except that whereas injuries are as reported by the AAIB, the damage assessment is entirely our own, and is based on sometimes quite sketchy and incomplete information. Bear in mind that our ‘percentage guesstimate’ is relative to the physicality of the aircraft, not its value. In our experience, anything damaged over about 30% is probably written off, in financial terms.

Our final column, Accident Classification, is completely non-scientific and is loosely based either on a known cause or otherwise the cause most strongly suspected, but in the simplest of ways. Many of our ‘one-line’ entries just state; “..….aircraft landed and lost control”, which of course is usually a huge over-simplification.

Just remember that accidents seldom happen without some sort of contributing or mitigating circumstance. In the case of a typical LOCL, reference to the full report will likely reveal that some outside influence was at play to one degree or another, be it crosswind, sloping runway, low sun, wet grass, cockpit fumes, obstacles on approach, unpredictable livestock, to name but a few. Come to think of it, displaced goggles must be another (summary list item number 23). Hindsight would be a wonderful thing if only we could have it sooner.

To read more on most of the reports below, visit the AAIB website www.aaib.gov.uk, and use their search facility to explore by registration. The website address for the Air Accident Investigation Unit in Ireland is www. iauu.ie. See also Technical Leaflet TL 2.16 on the LAA website regarding actions to follow after an accident in an LAA aircraft, and don’t forget to look up the referenced Safety Spot where relevant. As usual, we thank those owners who have supplied photographs of their exploits for our summary. Keep safe.!

tHE ACCiDENt rEPort filES 1 ACroSPort 2 NEGG Date: June Inj: 1 x Serious Dam: 50% Cl: T Following a normal takeoff from Bidford Airfield in Warwickshire, the Lycoming O-360 engine began to lose power. A forced landing was made into a barley field and the aircraft was seriously damaged, with the pilot suffering a head injury.

No cause for the loss of power was determined.

2 AEroPrAkt A22 foXBAt NJtC Date: December Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCTO The aircraft veered to the left shortly after becoming airborne from Glassonby Airfield in Cumbria. Due to approaching obstacles the takeoff was aborted and the aircraft touched down to the side of the runway, collapsing the nose undercarriage.

3 AErotECHNik EV-97 SDfM Date: July Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 5% Cl: O During level cruising flight near Mansfield, the canopy suddenly shattered. The pilot suffered lacerations to the head and cockpit contents

were lost. The aircraft was successfully forced landed into a field. The AAIB concluded that a bird strike was the most likely reason for the canopy shattering. See Safety Spot, February 2010.

4 AUStEr J5f AMZU Date: September Inj: 1 x Minor/1 x Serious Dam: 100% Cl: LOCTO During takeoff from Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire, the aircraft was seen to be slow to accelerate and slow to climb. The aircraft then appeared to stall and it descended into trees. A number of environmental and operational factors may have degraded the performance of the aircraft.

5 AViD SPEEDwiNG BtMS Date: August Inj: None Dam: 100% Cl: F The aircraft was on a flight from Haverfordwest Airfield to Taghmon in Co Wexford, Ireland. After about 55 minutes flying and when about 5nm from Tuskar Rock the Rotax 582 engine failed. The pilot was able to execute a successful ditching into the Irish Sea, and after initially being attended to by the crew of the British Orchard (whose crew of two were attempting to set a round-the-UK rowing record), the pilot was winched to safety by the crew of an Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter. The pilot had been wearing his four-point harness, as well as a survival suit which he had put on prior to the flight. He donned his floatation jacket on entering the water. The aircraft was recovered but, though largely intact, was written off through water damage. Investigation by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) concluded

the most likely cause of engine stoppage was fuel starvation, brought about by fuel supply problems.

Supplying the engine from a single tank via the fuel selector valve, with the header tank vent closed, may have contributed to low fuel pressure and a vapour-lock condition.

6 BA SwAllow 2 AfCl Date: August Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: T Whilst landing on a grass strip in Northamptonshire the aircraft veered to the right and struck a fence. The pilot reported that the cross-strut on the right main landing gear had failed, probably during the landing. He was unable to explain the cause of the failure but did not consider it was a result of the landing. The aircraft is currently stored, awaiting repair.

7 Bolkow 208C AVlo Date: February Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL After approaching ‘a bit fast’ to a grass strip near Oswestry, Shropshire, the aircraft touched down collapsing the nose undercarriage.

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> accident summary 2009 8 Bolkow 208A2 CLEM Date: September Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: T As the aircraft accelerated for takeoff from Leeon-Solent Airfield in Hampshire, the pilot heard a ‘crack’ and the canopy departed the aircraft, causing further damage to the fin. The takeoff was aborted. Subsequent inspection by the owner led him to conclude that the canopy main latch had been ineffective due to the design of the latch and subsequent wear.

The left rear spar attachment was damaged during a heavy landing at Haverfordwest Airfield.

9 CASA 1-131E Series 1000 JUNG Date: May Inj: 1 x Fatal/1 x Serious Dam: 50% Cl: O Following failure of the ENMA Tigre G-IV-A2 engine during a flight from Henstridge Airfield in Dorset, the pilot attempted a forced landing into a field.

Unfortunately, late in the approach the aircraft struck telegraph wires and the aircraft was pitched nose down, striking the ground nose first and pitching the aircraft inverted. The pilot was fatally injured and the front seat passenger suffered serious injuries. The AAIB investigation could not indentify any single cause for the engine stopping, but did report on the lack of fuel pressure provided by the engine driven fuel pump, which was found to be in a worn condition, and on the poor compressions available from the engine cylinders.

LAA Engineering has supplied a full copy of the report to all owners of the aircraft type to highlight these shortcomings and has described the defects at length in Safety Spot, October 2010.

16 Europa XS BYFG Date: May Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 60% Cl: O The aircraft was badly damaged during a forced landing into a field near Derby following engine stoppage. Despite extensive examination and testing by the AAIB, the cause of the power loss could not be positively determined. An unapproved modification to the fuel system may have been a contributory factor, but other possibilities could not be discounted. This occurrence has a number of facets that provide an opportunity for all of us to learn from the misfortunes of others. It is likely that this accident will be covered in greater detail in a future Safety Spot item.

10 Cri-Cri MC-15 CDNJ Date: August Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: CI One of the two JPX PUL-212 two-stroke engines failed during circuit flying at Coonagh Airfield in Co Limerick, Ireland, and the aircraft was force landed into a field, sustaining substantial damage.

Investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit determined the most likely cause of engine failure was carburettor icing. The previous owner had imported the aircraft from France, via the UK. No Permit to Fly had been issued.

15 Europa XS CCUL Date: May Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: O The monowheel undercarriage partially retracted on landing at a grass strip in Essex. The pilot concluded that he had selected the gear down, but had not ensured that the latch had engaged to lock the gear in place.

17 Europa XS FELL Date: June Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: T Following the loss of engine power the aircraft forced landed into a field near Manchester, striking a barbed wire fence. The pilot believes the loss of power was due to a partially blocked main fuel filter, though now realises that selection of the reserve tank might have cleared the problem. See Safety Spot March and May 2010 for advice on Europa fuel filters.

11 Dart Kitten II AEXT Date: August Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The right main undercarriage was damaged during a heavy landing at a grass strip in Buckinghamshire.

19 Europa XS CEMI Date: September Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: LOCL During a bounce and heavy landing the trigear aircraft was damaged on landing at Gloucestershire Airport.

12 Denny Kitfox MK5 LESZ Date: July Inj: None Dam: 40% Cl: LOCL After touchdown on a grass strip in Sussex the pilot could not prevent the aircraft from veering left and colliding with a hedge. There was subsequent suspicion that the tailwheel had been held biased to the left due to a displacement of the tailwheel steering disconnect link.

20 Falco F8L REEC Date: August Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: O The pilot omitted to lower the undercarriage on landing at Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset.

14 Druine D62B Condor AWST Date: August Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL

23 Isaacs Fury II BBVO Date: August Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 50% Cl: LOCTO As the aircraft took off from a strip in Leicestershire, the pilot’s goggles became dislodged, obscuring his vision. The aircraft veered to the right into standing crop and inverted.

24 Isaacs Fury II BZAS Date: August Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 30% Cl: LOCL The pilot lost control of the aircraft whilst landing at Little Rissington Airfield, in gusty wind conditions, departing the runway and coming to rest inverted. See opening photo on p44.

25 Jabiru UL-450 CEKM Date: March Inj: None Dam: 30% Cl: CI The aircraft suffered a power failure during a long final approach to Headon Airfield in Nottinghamshire, due to suspected carburettor icing in the Jabiru 2200A engine. The proximity of an operational power station and a broken electrical lead for the electric carburettor heat were considered significant factors.

26 Jabiru UL-450 BYYT Date: June Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL The pilot was unable to maintain the centre line whilst landing at a private strip in Herefordshire, eventually colliding with tree saplings.

18 Europa XS PHXS Date: July Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The tri-gear aircraft spun around during landing at a strip in Northamptonshire having struck standing crop.

13 Denny Kitfox MK2 BXBP Date: July Inj: None Dam: 40% Cl: LOCTO Directional control was lost while taking off from a private strip in Sussex, and the aircraft stalled back onto the runway.

pilot carried out a precautionary landing into a field, collapsing the nose undercarriage, after he became aware that the starboard door had opened.

21 Glasair RG BKHW Date: April Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCTO The aircraft developed a PIO during takeoff from Humberside Airport, eventually striking the runway and edge lighting with the main undercarriage. On subsequently landing at Cranwell only the left main gear remained extended. See Safety Spot, December 2009.

22 Ikarus C42 FB UK DUGE Date: November Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: O Having just taken of from Plaistows Airfield, the

27 Jabiru UL-450 BZSZ Date: September Inj: None Dam: 25% Cl: LOCL After touchdown the left wing contacted trees, spinning the aircraft around, whilst landing at Clipgate Airfield in Kent.

28 Jodel D120 BKCW Date: March Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The aircraft ground looped on landing at Perth and the main undercarriage and left wing were damaged.

29 Jodel D117 ATIZ Date: April Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: O The aircraft had no parking brake and was not chocked. Prior to starting the engine, the pilot exited the cockpit to turn the propeller over, but had inadvertently already set the magneto switches to ON. The engine started and the pilot was unable to prevent the aircraft from rolling forward into a hedge.

30 Jodel DR1051-M1 BHTC Date: June Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL On landing at Turweston Airfield the aircraft ground looped, collapsing the undercarriage.

31 Jodel D112 INNI Date: May Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL On landing at Galway Airport in Ireland the aircraft ground looped, collapsing the undercarriage.

46 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

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32 Jodel D117A AYHX Date: May Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL On landing at Henstridge Airfield the aircraft ground looped, collapsing the undercarriage.

33 Jodel D117 BGTX Date: June Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: CI Carburettor icing is suspected as the most likely cause for loss of power from the Continental C90 engine shortly after takeoff from Shobdon Airfield.

The aircraft made it back to the airfield, but struck a fence on landing.

Rans S6 came to grief landing on sand. See report number 56 overleaf.

34 Jodel D112 BEZZ Date: July Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: T The aircraft was in the circuit for Barton Airfield when smoke began to enter the cockpit, coupled with a strong smell of burning wood. The crew noticed that a small hole had appeared in the floor, the edges of which were glowing and from which sparks were entering the cockpit. A safe landing was made. Subsequent inspection showed that a hole in the (modified) exhaust system had allowed hot gasses to impinge on the lower fuselage, eventually burning through the floor.

35 Jodel D117 BBPS Date: August Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL On landing at a private strip in Sussex the aircraft ground looped, colliding with a fence.

36 Jodel D18 JRKD Date: December Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCTO During a ‘go around’ at Old Sarum Airfield, the right wing dropped and contacted the ground, and the left main undercarriage collapsed.

37 Luscombe 8A BRSW Date: August Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The left main undercarriage was damaged during a heavy landing at Cromer Airfield in Norfolk.

38 Luton LA4A Minor ASEB Date: September Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: CI Shortly after takeoff from Seige Cross Farm near Newbury, the Lycoming 0-145-A2 engine stopped and a successful but heavy landing into a field ensued. Examination revealed no faults and the pilot believes carburettor icing is the most likely cause of engine failure.

39 MCR-01 VLA Sportster TOMX Date: August Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL On landing on wet grass at Sittles Farm airstrip in Staffordshire, the aircraft overran the runway, striking a hedge.

40 Mickleburgh L107 BZVC Date: February Inj: 1 x Fatal Dam: 100% Cl: O Shortly after takeoff from Fenland Airfield in Lincolnshire, the aircraft was seen to enter a steep left turn. The pilot transmitted a MAYDAY and reported that he intended to land back on the airfield. After starting to line up with runway 36 the aircraft was seen to enter a spin to the left and strike the ground. The AAIB determined that a fault existed within the carburettor air heat mechanism which, under the prevailing conditions, may have led to a loss of engine power due to serious carburettor icing. In particular, the operating arm that connected the cold/hot air operating cable to the air intake butterfly-flap valve was loose on the flap pivot rod, and may therefore have rendered the mechanism inoperable.

41 Murphy Rebel CCPK Date: August Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: NK The Lycoming 0-235-C2C engine stopped shortly

after takeoff from a private strip near Kidderminster, Worcestershire. A field was selected for the forced landing but this turned out to be downward sloping, and the pilot was forced to turn to avoid collision with a railway embankment and the aircraft was damaged as the wing contacted the ground. No positive reason for engine failure could be established by the pilot, although he considered that vapour locking or carburettor icing were possible factors.

46 Piper L4J AKTH Date: March Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: GI The aircraft struck a cable supporting a power supply pole at a grass strip in Hampshire.

42 MW7 BREE Date: February Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 40% Cl: T Partial loss of power in the Rotax 503 engine led to a forced landing in a field near Swindon, Wiltshire, during which the undercarriage broke off and the aircraft inverted. Subsequent examination revealed one spark plug was no longer screwed into the cylinder and was found still hanging from its HT lead, with no evidence of damage to the threads. The ring from a CHT probe had been positioned under this plug, and the pilot believes that binding of the thread on the ring may have given rise to a misleading torque reading when the plug was installed.

48 Piper J3C-65 NCUB Date: October Inj: None Dam: 50% Cl: CI The aircraft forced landed into a field near Ledbury, Herefordshire, after the Continental C85-12F engine failed in flight. AAIB commented that conditions at the time led to a serious risk of carburettor icing.

43 MW6-S MZDL Date: July Inj: None Dam: 30% Cl: LOCL The aircraft ended up inverted in standing crop after control was lost landing at a strip in Essex.

44 Nord NC854S BGEW Date: September Inj: 2 x Fatal Dam: 100% Cl: O Soon after takeoff from Bourne Park in Hampshire, the aircraft was seen to climb over rising ground with a nose-high attitude. Approximately 90 seconds later it departed from controlled flight and struck the ground in a steep nose-down attitude whilst rotating to the left. A post-impact fire ensued and the aircraft’s structure was largely consumed. The AAIB report said that the aircraft exhaust system was found to be in poor condition and the post-mortem examination revealed that the pilot’s blood contained an elevated level of carbon monoxide. See Safety Spot May 2010.

45 Pelican Club GS BWWA Date: September Inj: None Dam: 15% Cl: LOCL The aircraft ground looped on landing at a grass strip in Gloucestershire.

47 Piper L18C BPJH Date: June Inj: None Dam: 50% Cl: LOCL The aircraft struck a hedge near the runway threshold on landing at a strip in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

49 Pitts S-1 BXAU Date: March Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCL The left main undercarriage collapsed whilst landing in a crosswind at Little Rissington Airfield.

50 Pitts S-12 PXII Date: May Inj: 1 x Serious Dam: 80% Cl: O Whilst carrying out aerobatic practice in the overhead at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire, the aircraft failed to complete a ‘cobra’ aerobatic manoeuvre, possibly as a result of slow engine acceleration in the climb, and subsequently impacted the ground. The aircraft initially bounced, leaving behind parts of the undercarriage, propeller and engine cowlings, before coming to rest upright near the runway threshold.

51 Quad City Challenger II CAMR Date: April Inj: 1 x Serious, 1 x Minor Dam: 40% Cl: LOCL On flaring to land at Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire, the experienced flexwing microlight pilot applied the incorrect control input, which resulted in a nose first and heavy landing.

52 Quad City Challenger II IBFC Date: June Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL After hitting a bump the left main undercarriage collapsed on landing at Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire.

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> accident summary 2009 53 Quad City Challenger II MGAA Date: August Inj: None Dam: 25% Cl: LOCL The left wing struck a hedge whilst landing at a private grass strip on the Isle of Wight.

54 Rand KR2 DGWW Date: August Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 80% Cl: CI Whilst flying from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and after carrying out slow handling practice, the HAPI Magnum 75 engine stopped, probably due to carburettor icing. As the aircraft approached the selected field for a forced landing it clipped the top of trees causing the aircraft to pitch over and crash, coming to rest inverted. The pilot attributed his minimal injuries to the effectiveness of his harness and some local strengthening of the structure during build.

the right hand propeller on the twin engine aircraft shed a blade from its GT variable pitch propeller, passing through the cockpit and damaging the port propeller. Read about it in Safety Spot October 2009 (and the rebuild in News this issue).

60 Spitfire MK 26 CEPL Date: July Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 40% Cl: T During the first flight of the newly constructed aircraft, the Jabiru 5100A eight cylinder engine overheated and failed, and the right landing gear failed to deploy as the aircraft forced landed into a field adjacent to Thurrock Airfield in Essex. See Safety Spot November 2009.

61 SportCruiser OCRZ Date: February Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: LOCTO Takeoff was abandoned but the aircraft continued to collide with a post at a strip near Newbury, Berkshire.

62 SportCruiser CZSC Date: August Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCL During the landing roll at Priory Farm, Norfolk, the aircraft collided with a hedge and ditch.

55 Rans S6-ES BZYL Date: February Inj: 1 x Serious Dam: 80% Cl: LOCTO Following a ‘touch-and-go’ at Brimpton Airfield in Berkshire, the aircraft appeared to stall. The left wing dropped and the aircraft entered a steep descent. It rotated left through approximately 310 degrees and the pilot was unable to regain control before the aircraft hit the ground.

56 Rans S6-ES CCLH Date: June Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCL The aircraft was a participant in the round-Britain FLY-UK event. Intending to land on Sandwood Beach near Cape Wrath in Scotland, the pilot first tested the surface by performing a low pass during which he allowed the wheels to touch the surface.

Unfortunately, the aircraft hit a drift of sand which caused the nosewheel to collapse and the aircraft to nose-dive into the sand.

57 Rans S6-ESD XL MZBD Date: August Inj: None Dam: 30% Cl: LOCL The aircraft collided with a boundary hedge on landing at Felixkirk Airfield in Yorkshire.

58 Rans S6-ES CYOT Date: October Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: T The Jabiru 2200 engine lost power on takeoff and the aircraft forced landed into a ploughed field adjacent to the runway at Southery, Norfolk.

It was subsequently noticed the rubber tube which mounted the carburettor to the engine had sheared in two. The pilot believes a pre-existing split in the tube, resulting in an over-lean mixture would be consistent with the engine malfunction that he experienced. The pilot suggests that overtightening of a jubilee clip might have damaged the rubber. It was also noted that the carburettor was equipped with a heating system which utilises hot engine oil to warm the body and prevent icing.

The system increases weight of the carburettor and, when used on a different model of aircraft, an additional stay is used to compensate for the extra weight. G-CYOT was not equipped with this additional support.

59 Speed Twin ST2 STDL Date: April Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: T Whilst in cruising flight near Woodbridge, Suffolk,

63 Taylor Monoplane BDNO Date: January Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 30% Cl: GI With no intention to fly, the new owner was carrying out high-speed taxi runs along the runway at Bodmin Airfield in Cornwall. The aircraft became inadvertently airborne, stalled, and struck the ground left wing low, detaching the engine.

64 Taylor Monoplane CEKB Date: June Inj: 1 x Fatal Dam: 100% Cl: NK Whilst attempting to return to the airfield shortly after takeoff from Great Oakley in Essex, the pilot seems to have lost control, stalled, and departed from controlled flight. AAIB investigation concluded the pilot had suffered running problems with the VW 1834 engine, but the exact nature of the problem could not be positively determined.

65 Taylor Titch MISS Date: November Inj: 1 x Fatal Dam: 100% Cl: O The aircraft was being flown by a friend of the owner, for his first time, from a strip in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses later report seeing the aircraft enter a steep spiral dive, complete several revolutions, then crash into a bank at the edge of the River Nene. The aircraft was unusual in having a Walter Minor 4-3 engine, though AAIB investigation did not identify any pre-existing defect with the aircraft. Given his medical history it was considered possible that the pilot had suffered from an incapacitating cardiac event just prior to the accident.

66 Team Minimax 91A BXCD Date: December Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 30% Cl: LOCTO Control was lost whilst taking off from a strip in Cumbria, and the aircraft stalled into an adjacent field.

67 Tecnam P92-EM Echo DWPF Date: June Inj: 1 x Serious Dam: 40% Cl: LOCL The aircraft was badly damaged on collision with a stone wall, probably after stalling on approach to Kilkeel Airfield in County Down, NI.

The aircraft bounced on landing at Shoreham Airfield, Sussex, collapsing the nose gear.

70 Vans RV-8 XSEA Date: November Inj: 1 x Minor Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The aircraft left the runway on landing at High Easter Airfield in Essex, damaging the undercarriage.

71 Vans RV-7A MROD Date: November Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: LOCL The aircraft entered crop, damaging the undercarriage, on landing at Sittles Farm in Staffordshire.

72 X’Air Hawk CEEC Date: May Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL The aircraft landed fast and long at a strip near Dartmouth, Devon, and struck a hedge.

73 Zenair CH 601UL CDAK Date: September Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: LOCL The aircraft veered to the left on landing at Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire, and came to rest in a ditch.

74 Zenair CH 701UL CDGR Date: March Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCL The aircraft departed the runway to the left and entered a corn field causing the aircraft to tip onto the wing.

75 Zenair CH 701UL BRDB Date: October Inj: None Dam: 20% Cl: LOCL The aircraft overran the end of the runway at Bennington Airstrip, Hertfordshire, coming to rest in a ditch.

Gyroplanes

76 VPM M16 Tandem Trainer IJMC Date: July Inj: 2 x Minor Dam: 30% Cl: T The gyroplane rolled over when carrying out a forced landing into a field near Goring, Oxfordshire, after the Subaru EA81 engine suffered a loss of power. The pilot’s subsequent inspection found a failed cylinder head gasket and a section of missing cylinder wall. This resulted in loss of coolant, overheat and loss of power.

77 Montgomerie-Bensen B8 BIPY Date: October Inj: 1 x Fatal Dam: 100% Cl: NK A student pilot was carrying out his first circuits from Little Rissington Airfield when there was a loss of control and the aircraft fell to the ground.

No evidence was found of any pre-existing aircraft defects and the reason for the loss of control was not determined. The aircraft was reported as pitching steeply nose-down and “tumbling”, which is a characteristic seen as a result of PPO (Power Push Over).

78 Montgomerie-Bensen B8 CBSV Date: November Inj: None Dam: 30% Cl: LOCL The gyroplane arrived at Damyns Hall Airfield with insufficient height to complete the final turn and it touched down with right side slip, causing it to overturn.

68 Vans RV-6 GDRV Date: April Inj: None Dam: 5% Cl: LOCL Minor damage occurred to the undercarriage on landing at Enstone Airfield, Oxfordshire.

69 Vans RV-9A HUMH Date: May Inj: None Dam: 10% Cl: LOCL

48 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

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> CONSULTATIONS

UPDATE ON LSA AND ELA How is Europe getting on with the proposed changes to light aircraft categories? Jon Viner brings us the latest situation

BACK in 2008, when the US Light Sport Aircraft system was really starting to gather pace, various industry observers were heard to comment that perhaps not all of the manufacturers involved were playing the game by the rules.

In summary, the rules for factory-built LSA – known in the US as Special LSA (SLSA) as opposed the amateur-built Experimental LSA (ELSA) – can be summed up as: the build, production and continuing airworthiness rules are created in a process in which industry participates (‘consensus’ standards); the FAA ratifies the rules; the manufacturers design and build aircraft according to the rules and, crucially, they self-declare that the rules have been followed.

To test the health of the system, the FAA embarked on an audit programme; a process which involved auditing 30 of the 52 companies in the US which supply SLSAs. They published their report in May this year and came to a number of conclusions: There was significant evidence that industry was not compliant with the FAA’s regulations and the ASTM (consensus) standards. They concluded that industry needed to take immediate steps to ensure full compliance.

The FAA should reconsider relying solely on a manufacturer’s statement of compliance for the issuance of airworthiness certificates.

The consensus standards need revision to require documented controls and processes for aircraft assembly and other functions that the distribution organisations perform (ie where the aircraft is manufactured in one country and reassembled for sale in another).

The consensus standards for the design aspects lack clarity and basic requirements.

•

• •

•

SEA-CHANGE BY FAA According to the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA), it appears the FAA is considering a sea-change in the way the system will operate. The current proposal is that all SLSA manufacturers will have to submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the consensus standards for review by the FAA. In addition, the manufacturer (wherever they are in the world) must pass a compliance audit by an FAA inspector to demonstrate their quality control system and an inspection of the first production aircraft for every LSA type they produce.

In effect, this brings the system very much more in line with the European system that is currently in consultation: the long-awaited Comment Response Document to EASA NPA 2008-07 (‘European Light Aircraft’) was issued in July. This document outlines the thrust of the comments received and proposes some changes to the initial concepts that were put forward a couple of years ago.

The main features of the ‘ELA’ system are retained. Here is a reminder of the rules, including some of the key changes as a result of the consultation:

US Light Sport Aircraft category likely to be introduced to Europe fairly soon.

•

Lighter-touch design and manufacturing approval processes within the existing approvals system are proposed for light aircraft with two threshold levels: ELA1 and ELA2. Advisory material will be provided to help small organisations comply with the rules for design and production organisations.

Aircraft produced by these processes will be ICAO compliant and will be given Certificates of Airworthiness (or Restricted Certificates of Airworthiness in some cases).

For fixed-wing aircraft, ELA1 has an upper threshold originally set at 1000kg MAUW, but is now proposed to be 1200kg (to correspond better with the aim to include 2+2 seater aircraft). ELA2 upper limit remains at 2000kg.

The creation of a new certification specification for ELA1 aircraft up to 600kg will go ahead. This CS-LSA will cross-reference to particular issues of the ASTM design standards for LSA aircraft, with the option for adding particular requirements deemed necessary by EASA to meet minimum safety standards.

CS-VLA will have its scope increased from 750kg MAUW and two seats to 890kg and three seats.

A new CS-23-Light will be created for aeroplanes up to 1200kg MAUW, largely based on FAR-23 amendment 7.

CS-22 (the sailplane design code) will have its

• •

•

• • •

‘In reality, the European LSA rule is likely to be issued fairly quickly but the others are going to take some time to develop, possibly years’

applicability expanded to 900kg MAUW. Certain parts for ELA aircraft need not have an EASA form 1 (release certificate).

A new certification specification will be produced that details standard repairs and changes. If repairs and changes are made in accordance with these then a repair or modification application to EASA won’t be required.

The timescales for the above changes aren’t entirely clear yet. The consultation period concluded at the end of September 2010, and now EASA are at liberty to issue the new or modified certification specifications.

In reality, CS-LSA is likely to be issued fairly quickly (perhaps by the end of the year) but the others are going to take some time, possibly years, to develop. The amendments to Part-21 to enable the other changes to take effect need to be ratified by the European politicians, and so will not come into being until sometime in 2011.

In summary, then, companies producing ELA aircraft will still need to have some sort of company approval to do so, and have designs assessed by EASA as being compliant with the appropriate design standard. The slightly ‘lighter touch’ should mean that it’s a little easier and cheaper for new companies and designs to get approved.

An interesting result of the consultation process has been to highlight the community’s desire to see a light aircraft approval system that more closely resembles the US SLSA system, and EASA has committed to starting a task by the end of the year to look into this.

Given the FAA’s current plans for changes in their system, outlined above, it would seem the two systems are likely to be quite close.

The FAA’s report ‘Light Sport Aircraft Manufacturer’s Assessment Final Report’, 17 May 2010, can be found by searching the internet for ‘FAA LSAMA’.

• •

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 49

SAFETYSPOT

ANOTHER JABIRU JAM A couple of incidents to concentrate on this month fellow aviators recently. If you are like me and on opening a magazine you first check out the pictures, you will already know one of the incidents featured concerns a non LAA type, a Percival P.56 Provost. This definitely would have come from the harrowing section but, operating on a Permit administered by the CAA, it shouldn’t really be in my crash and bash pile at all.

Nonetheless, there are so many pertinent lessons to be learnt from the recently published AAIB report I know you wouldn’t thank me for missing it out.

The other incident concerns another control surface jam on a Jabiru aircraft. Again, the control affected was the rudder but this time, sadly, the aircraft ended up crashing and was badly damaged.

As both occupants escaped with only minor cuts and bruises I wouldn’t class this event as belonging in the ‘harrowing’ section of my pile but, as regular readers will remember, this accident was predicted and I am a bit dis-chuffed that it has happened at all.

Before I get into the meat and grist of these two items may I take a few moments with one or two items of housekeeping?

PERMIT FEES Those of you in the very good position of owning and operating an LAA administered aircraft will have, I expect, had cause to chat with the lovely Fiona, the Engineering administrator mostly responsible for Permit Renewals.

She’s my right hand man, if that’s not, even in today’s accepting times, mixing genders rather excessively. She’s a pretty busy person generally but her ‘busyness’ has been increased massively since April because so many of you are underpaying your renewal fees and this is holding up the whole process. “Why so?” I hear you ask.

Well, in April, engineering fees went up a little (actually in line with inflation) but, for all sorts of reasons, the Permit Applicants, that’s you, didn’t know this.

Normally, the up-to-date fees can usually be found in the magazine (I know, they were missed out last month because I had a lot to say in my Spot) but failing this, you can find the current charges on our website (in the Engineering section). Or, please feel free to call to check the relevant charge. You can pay by credit card, if you wish, at the same time but we won’t ‘take’ the money until we receive the blue form (FWR/1).

THAT ODD RULER! Thank you for all your calls about the possible uses for the rule, used to give scale to the Shadow fuel tank debris featured in the September edition of Safety Spot.

You were all wrong, as you can see from the picture. I would never have guessed this object’s correct usage but I am happy it isn’t from the medical device suggested by one member (you know who you are and we get quite enough exercise thank you!).

PHOTOS Gary Chater

OCTOBER is a smashing month... well, if you’re an upbeat sort of person like me and think most months are pretty smashing, I hope you’ll agree October in the UK stands head and shoulders above the crowd in the smashing stakes.

I know, I’m a product of the 1970s, “Child of the Universe’ and all that but, man, just check out the colours and feel the wind”.

Actually, on a rather less poetic tack, I know October is upon us because the pile of blue Permit renewals waiting for my attention is, like the length of the day, getting smaller. That gives me a bit more time to see what’s going on in the other pile... the crash and bash pile!

I have to say this other pile is quite large, depressingly so.... winter work.

Fortunately, in most cases anyway, many of the issues are fairly minor in nature and the resulting repairs are not too burdensome. A smaller proportion though, as I am sure you can imagine, contain the rather more harrowing stories.

In this month’s Safety Spot I will be sharing a couple of incidents from the pile that have befallen

I couldn’t work out what the ruler was – neither could any of you!

Who would have thought it? A set square. Thanks to Dave Wood.

Broken Exhaust ONE quickie first: take a look at the picture of this broken exhaust and note the captions. I know I’ve bashed on about this subject a fair bit just lately but I feel no shame in reminding

owners and pilots of the dangers of cracked or leaking exhausts. This is especially true when one considers the time of year when, those of you that are lucky enough to have heaters in

your aircraft will probably be running them ‘full blast’. We’ve had two, possibly three, horrible incidents in the UK this year where smoke/fume inhalation has ended in tragedy.

PHOTOS Phil Burton

Phil Burton noticed an exhaust smell after stalls in his Pioneer 300 so he decided to remove the bottom cowl to have a good look...

50 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

... which proved a wise thing to do as he found a broken manifold.

Remember, during an inspection problems are not always that obvious.

With Malcolm McBride Airworthiness Engineer

Jabiru J160 - Rudder Jam During Landing

dangerous. As far as the aircraft type itself is concerned, this was definitely third time unlucky.

Before I get into the issues surrounding this accident let me briefly review the problems we’ve had with Jabiru controls over the last couple of years. You can, if you wish, review these incidents in past Safety Spots. This report necessarily focuses on the Jabiru as a type, but regular readers will remember we’ve had other aircraft that have had ‘after landing’ control issues. Remember the Avid with the steering arm that over-centred and the Europa with the stuck outrigger? And I know of one near-miss involving a Pietenpol aileron.

Checking for clearance between rudder and fin.

Starting at the bottom, a 3mm gauge can easily be inserted...

...but by the middle of the fin, it’s getting a bit tighter for the gauge. This process continues over the page....

PHOTOS Don Sargant

I CAN imagine, as you have just read the heading, the sense of dèjá vu you just felt. Don’t worry - I had the same tingling sensation. Surely, there must be some kind of administrative lag, or am I having a funny turn?

I almost couldn’t believe it when we received an Initial Accident Notification from the AAIB just a couple of weeks ago concerning an accident that had occurred in Norfolk involving a Jabiru J160. After a few telephone calls it became apparent I was on a psychological ‘even keel’ and another Jabiru had suffered an in-flight control seizure.

In this incident, as soon as the nosewheel touched the runway, the aircraft veered to the left. Naturally the pilot, LAAer Donald Sargant, applied right rudder, but this appeared to be jammed. The aircraft left the runway onto the soft ground and the nosewheel buried itself in the mud. I spoke to Donald and he said that everything had been completely normal up to the point where right rudder was required to keep the aircraft straight. After that, everything is a ‘little blurred’.

The inertia was enough to flip the aircraft onto its back and it is a testament to the design of this aircraft that the fuselage structure, postaccident, is almost undamaged. The doors still opened normally, and the two occupants, Don and his passenger, both evacuated the aircraft with just a few bumps and scratches.

As a slight aside, regular readers may remember a few years ago when we were plagued with RVs going over on their nosewheel. I recently spoke with one of the ‘victims’ of one of these RV turnovers, Bill Knott, who, after over a year, is still suffering the after-effects of being bounced around a cockpit when his aircraft turned over. Bill is quite a short chap and, in consequence, had to position himself in the aircraft in a fairly supine position.

He used purpose made bolster cushions and extensions on the rudder pedals which, under normal circumstances worked well but, when the aircraft turned upside down, the aircraft’s harness wasn’t as effective as it should have been. We are looking into this incident to see whether a crotch strap would have prevented Bill’s injuries.

This highlights that Don and his passenger were very lucky indeed to get away without being injured. Control jams are very, very,

This is a picture no owner wants to take... do not fly your aircraft if you have any suspicion controls are incorrectly rigged. Structures flex and there must be room between moving parts for this.

‘Control jams are very, very dangerous... this was definitely third time unlucky’

PHOTOS Malcolm McBride

The first incident of a jamming Jabiru control surface concerned an aileron jam during an air test on a J400. The pilot kept his head and managed to free the control before the aircraft inverted in flight. This was a close call and, if you haven’t read about this yet, you still can (Safety Spot, March 08). In addition to the Safety Spot article we issued an LAA Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) MOD/346/001 issue 1 requiring checks. In principle, these checks were against the (then) agent’s Service Bulletin STSL-004.

The next incident was reported to us at the end of July this year and concerned another J400. This time a rudder had jammed during a demonstration flight (demonstration of side-slipping to a prospective purchaser) and I wrote about this incident in the August 2010 Spot. This pilot knew there was a problem and held the nosewheel off for as long as possible after landing which helped in avoiding disaster but the main reason the aircraft didn’t flip was that the aircraft was landed on wet grass which allowed the nosewheel to skid. We felt this was one close call too many and we issued another Airworthiness Information Leaflet – this time calling for clearance checks against a Jabiru Factory document, JSB019-1.

To get back to the recent Norfolk crash; the first thing I checked of course was whether the aircraft had been inspected against the AIL, was it ok or did it need modifying? It had been checked and no mods had been required. The LAA inspector involved was sure there was enough clearance and signed the aircraft off. I then spoke to the pilot and he was absolutely certain the rudder had jammed, and the evidence was still there, he sent me photos of a rudder that had indeed jammed. What could ➽ NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 51

SAFETYSPOT be going on here, what could possibly jam a rudder during a completely normal landing?

I spoke to the engineer, delegated by the insurance company to repair the aircraft. He pointed out the rudder was definitely jammed against the fin, but, and no pun intended, here’s the rub. There was a possibility this had happened as the fin hit the ground after the flip.

Francis Donaldson, our Chief Engineer, decided that we should travel to Norfolk to see what was going on for ourselves.

During our visit it became apparent the most probable cause for this jam - and, after measuring things up carefully, a jam it most certainly was - was that there was insufficient clearance between the leading edge of the rudder and the trailing edge of the fin. We were very careful during this inspection to take account of possible distortion caused by the accident itself and we actually had the top rudder hinge replaced as the fitted one was both rather worn and slightly damaged.

At full left deflection there was plenty of clearance, at full right deflection there was (just about) enough clearance. But, and this is the issue, at the point that the leading edge of the rudder passed the trailing edge of the fin the clearance was far less than the minimum recommended by JSB019-1, 3 mm. It is this point of overlap where sufficient clearance is essential, even after pressure is being applied (simulating aerodynamic or inertia loads) to

‘When inspecting an aircraft always think about a control system as a whole’ close the gap.

The Jabiru, as a marque, started out as a small two-seater aeroplane in the early 1990s.

Since then the aircraft have evolved into the big four-seater J400 and J430 series machines.

Along the way there have been many design changes to fuselages, wings and empennages and it can be quite difficult, when looking at an individual machine, to actually work out what you’re actually looking at - some of the design changes are very subtle. Jabiru control surfaces come in several basic forms, all being hinged by short lengths of piano hinge mounted offcentre. On the side opposite the hinge, various aerodynamic shrouds have been used As far as the jamming issue is concerned there are two basic configurations. One, where the shrouds of the moving control surface are designed to overlap throughout the control surface travel. Two, where after a small amount of deflection, there is no overlap – in effect, the control surface comes out of the slot provided at the planes trailing edge.

Take a look at the photographs taken of the affected rudder which clearly shows this rudder didn’t meet the requirements of our Airworthiness Information Leaflet.

We’ve had a look at the Airworthiness Information Leaflet and Jabiru’s own instructions over this and are happy that they are perfectly reasonable instruments. However, because it looks like one field engineer didn’t fully understand the requirements there’s a chance that others might be confused.

We are about to write to owners emphasising the problems associated with tight control surface gaps.

In this particular case the problem was at the overlap, in other cases that have been picked up by the agent during checks and modified, the problems were elsewhere. There are a number of different control surface designs out there in the field, some with rounded edges, others with straight, some with overlap and some without.

Some hinge attachments are very rigid, others allow some movement. In some ways this is just normal LAA diversity.

When inspecting an aircraft always think about a control system as a whole, get somebody else to operate the controls in the cockpit and check the operation of the whole system and remember, no two homebuilt aircraft are going to be exactly the same, which, after thinking about it a bit, is exactly as it should be.

PHOTOS Malcolm McBride

... and by the top of the fin, there’s no way the 3mm gauge will fit. The clearance is too tight to allow for any flex.

This demonstration was by Gary Cotterell of Jabiru UK agent, Skycraft. Note the test requires a force of about 15lb to be applied at the top of the rudder.

Here’s a close-up of the problem: as force is applied to the hinge area with rudder applied, the leading edge of the rudder comes out of the socket offered by the fin at the trailing edge. This is the ‘overlap’ and it varies widely from machine to machine, and because of differences in the build, from one end of the control surface to the other.

After the aircraft was recovered to the workshop, the Jabiru’s rudder circuit was checked carefully to ensure the reported jam couldn’t have happened elsewhere. I was surpised to note how close the nosewheel steering mechanism came to the exhaust. Something to watch out for.

52 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

With Malcolm McBride Airworthiness Engineer

P56 Provost T1- Engine Failure

This internal corrosion would be very difficult to see even during a strip inspection when you consider the whole area would be covered in oil.

Corrosion not only reduces the load bearing size in a component, it can (normally does) generate corrosion pits which can act as a focus for stress and lead to a fatigue crack.

PHOTOS Coutesy of AAIB

IN last month’s Safety Spot I discussed what we mean by ‘On Condition’. This came up because of the crash involving the ENMA Tigre powered Jungmann where, although there were multiple causes for the accident, a suspect fuel pump and low cylinder compressions were implicated, at least as possible contributing factors. Don’t forget, if you haven’t read about this yet, all the old Safety Spots are online (in the Engineering section of our website).

Thanks to all of you who have contacted me and freely offered advice and feedback about the various aspects thrown up by this accident.

The issues, almost inevitably, have turned out to be extremely complex. We’ve taken to heart much of what you’ve suggested and agree it is probably about time to look carefully at the maintenance, overhaul and other operational aspects of engines fitted to LAA Aircraft.

Sometimes, the apparent need for decisive action is carried along by a wave of events. The Jungman accident occurred in May 2009 and shortly after, in July, another nasty accident occurred which also claimed the life of the aircraft’s pilot.

The aircraft involved was a Piston Provost and the reason for the crash, and I am mindful I talked about the difficulty of defining specific reasons when we discussed the Jungmann, was that the engine catastrophically failed.

The P56 Provost was brought into service in the Royal Air Force as a basic training aircraft in 1953 and served our nation well through to its retirement in 1969. I always thought the Jet Provost was derived from the piston version but, chatting to ‘those in the know’, this was not strictly true. Development of the two types was essentially parallel. Where the jet machine was powered by the wonderful Viper Turbojet, the piston version used the Alvis Leonides 503/6A nine cylinder radial rated at 550hp.

The aircraft in question was one of only a very few flying examples. I had a quick count and came up with six aircraft still registered with the CAA with only two, possibly three, actually flying. As an aside, I believe the P56 undergoing restoration at Shoreham recently flew on test but, because of propeller snags, ended up being badly damaged on landing.

The particular machine being discussed had accumulated about 4000 hours, most of these

In this Scanning Electron Microscope picture, the structural problems of this material are clearly visible. The gudgeon pin is one of the most highly loaded components in an engine. The material has to be tough enough to withstand high impacts and yet hard enough to resist wear. This picture shows the failure area under slight magnification (about x6). Look how the material has progressively yielded and failed, reducing the cross-sectional area until it is no longer strong enough. ‘in service’. The aircraft entered private use in 1969 and since then, about 40 years, a little less than 400 hours have been flown. That’s a simple average of less than ten hours a year, quite a low utilisation rate.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) thoroughly investigated this accident and, if you are up to it, you can read the full report by downloading it from the AAIB’s website.

Working backwards through the evidence, which is the general direction in accident investigation, the pilot appears to have been flying normally at about 2500ft when the engine failed. It looks like he tried to get a MAYDAY off but this was overspoken and not noted by air traffic services. He managed to get the fuel valve turned off but that was it, I’m afraid.

There was a serious fire and dangerous fumes, probably hydrogen cyanide, a breakdown product of PVC electrical insulation, probably entered the cockpit via a damaged ventilation duct and there’s no evidence that the pilot tried to conduct an emergency landing.

The engine failure was caused by a broken gudgeon pin that connected the ‘master rod’ to the piston in cylinder number six; this is one of the two bottom cylinders in a nine cylinder radial. For those not familiar with radial engines I should explain that to allow for power strokes through a single plane there is one ‘master’ connecting rod to which are connected the other connecting rods. These other rods are known as ‘articulating’ rods.

There was clear evidence that the failure of the gudgeon pin in the number six cylinder led to it becoming dislodged from the crankcase which, in turn, displaced the induction pipe starting, or perhaps more accurately fuelling, the resulting fire.

Close examination by scientists has shown the gudgeon pin’s history to failure, and thanks to our colleagues at the AAIB for letting us show you these pictures. The metallurgical evidence is very interesting and it is worth explaining a couple of things.

The first is that each beach mark probably represents an engine start up. This, as it was described to me, is because for a beach mark to form there needs to be a period of no load. I hadn’t thought about this before, but it makes sense. In the case of our pin, and accepting this rule, there are about 35 start/ stop cycles which dates the initiating overload to somewhere about June 2008, roughly a year. This is important evidence regarding questions about the initiating overload as the aircraft had suffered a propeller strike in 2005 which lead to the gearbox being inspected and subsequently replaced. In addition to this a borescope inspection of the engine was carried out with no fault found.

Another thing that became apparent because of the metallurgical evidence is that the gudgeon pin must not have been free to rotate. I was always taught that it is important for gudgeon pins to be free to rotate and often designers will provide some slight bias which drives shafts slowly around in normal operation; this spreads the load in this highly loaded component, increasing their fatigue life.

After chatting to a couple of LAA engine aficionados though it would appear that this seized, if that’s the correct term, gudgeon pin is not an unusual feature on engines that they inspect. Either way, the fact that this pin was not free to rotate was a contributing factor towards its failure.

One feature of the radial engine, which can be rather annoying, is oil accumulation in the lower cylinders. A significant amount of oil can build up in a very short period of time, and it doesn’t take much imagination to guess on the damage that would be caused if an engine was started with a cylinder half full of incompressible liquid. Normally, before starting, a radial will be ‘pulled through’ enough times to ensure all the cylinders only contain gas. This can be a bit time consuming, especially if the engine is fitted with a reducing gearbox, but it is essential to prevent hydraulic lock. If there is any ➽ NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 53

SAFETYSPOT sparking plugs must be removed and the fluid drained off before an attempt at starting is made. Some engines, though not the Leonides, provide removable plugs to allow for drainage.

As well as being time consuming, this procedure can be a bit messy and another procedure is sometimes employed by aircrew and line technicians. This ‘alternative’ procedure involves working the fluid out of the cylinder a little at a time by backwards and forwards movement around tdc. Interviews, conducted by the AAIB with personnel involved with the Provost, suggest this was the method they normally employed to clear an hydraulic lock.

US Air Force powerplant manuals written in the 1950s warn strongly against this ‘alternate’ approach to clearing a lock as it is possible for the supposedly removed oil to be caught in the induction tubes only to be sucked back into the combustion chamber during start-up, potentially, causing a damaging materials overload condition within the engines structure, particularly gudgeon pin, connecting rod, big end and cylinder securing nuts.

I spoke to LAAer, Mike Vaisey from Vintech (a vintage engine specialist company), about this and he said they have had examples of bent connecting rods which they believe to have been caused by a partial hydraulic lock during start-up. The engine concerned appeared to run normally for some time after the event. I know that recently the radial engine in a local aircraft

Here is the corrosion pit that acted as a start point for the crack which led to the failure of the gudgeon pin from the Alvin Leonides engine featured. 400 micrometers, by the way, is 0.4mm so this pit is about 0.2mm wide.

With Malcolm McBride Airworthiness Engineer

One aspect considered was the possibility of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC). This was ruled out as the failure mode in SCC is along the grains, ie inter-granular. This failure was trans-granular. has had to be changed for the same reason.

Whenever there is an aircraft accident I believe that it is very important to get to the bottom of the essential causes. In this particular case the report is interesting and incisive but, as with so many aircraft accidents there are multiple reasons why this pilot lost his life. It is therefore not sensible to rush into specific fixes for unspecific problems.

Because the gudgeon failed as a result of fatigue, which can be seen to have originated from a corrosion pit inside the bore, does this mean that we should check every engine for internal corrosion and, if so, at what interval?

Can we ever be sure this pin wouldn’t have failed if it was corrosion-free because of overload during an hydraulic lock being encountered during an incorrect starting procedure? Would it make any difference where the aircraft was stored? What about usage, should that be taken into account? What about the known problems associated with PVC insulated electrical wire, should all the original wire be replaced on all old aircraft?

Would this pilot have escaped with his life had he been wearing a parachute, mandatory on this type whilst in service?

One of our goals as an organisation is to ‘continuously improve our safety record’ and our primary vision is to promote ‘safe and economical operation of sports and recreational aircraft, with the minimum of

regulation’. These are fine aspirations and, if you were to attempt to build an equation from these words, safety (mentioned twice incidentally) would be counterweighted against economics. The fact that very few people would want to involve themselves in an unsafe sport sets further global parameters and more brackets will be required if we remind ourselves that the LAA doesn’t operate in a vacuum - we’re a government approved organisation.

Every year we, and our engines, get older so temporal aspects apply. We may be approaching a point in time where our ‘hands off until necessary approach’ may need reviewing or, at least, better defining.

Reference our imaginary formula above and you will note it is not just the ‘doing’ - it’s the ‘seen to be doing’ that will balance up the numbers.

For this reason the LAA will be hosting a seminar in the near future, probably after Christmas, where we can discuss the complex issues surrounding the maintenance and overhaul of engines in LAA aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what form this event will take but if you think that you could bring something to the party then let me know. Watch this space for further details, one sure fact is that I will be asking Barry Plumb, our management board’s engineering representative and fuels guru, to give one of the talks. Fair Winds.

LAA ENGINEERING SCALE OF CHARGES LAA Project Registration Kit Built Aircraft Plans Built Aircraft

Repeat modification £300 £50

Issue of a Permit to Test Fly Non-LAA approved design only

£40

Initial Permit issue Up to 390kg 391 - 499kg 500kg and above Three seats and above

£320 £425 £565 £630

Permit renewal Up to 390kg 391 - 499kg 500kg and above Three seats and above

£105 £140 £190 £210

Modification application Prototype modification

54 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

£45

£22.50

Transfer (from CofA to Permit or CAA Permit to LAA Permit) Up to 499kg 500 kg and above Three seats and above

£135 £250 £350

Four-seat aircraft Manufacturer’s/agent’s type acceptance fee Project registration royalty

£2,000 £50

Category change Group A to microlight Microlight to Group A

£135 £135

Change of G-Registration fee Issue of Permit Documents following G-Reg change

£45

Replacement Documents Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document Latest SPARS - Issue 15, April 2009

£20

> NEWS FEATURE

ARE YOU FLYING ON A PPL USING A MEDICAL DECLARATION?

The Sequel. By John Brady

Y

OU may recall that last month we wrote about the revision of the CAA exemption that allows a PPL holder with an NPPL medical declaration to fly an SSEA (Simple Single Engine Aircraft). That generated some considerable debate and it was unclear what the impact of this change would actually be.

We removed the section about this from the LAA website until we had a

definitive view from the CAA – this we now have. The CAA notes that this new exemption clarifies the regulation but does not introduce any changes.

However you may find that this clarification results in a situation which is different to what you previously understood.

The CAA tells us that: The exemption allows any person who holds a UK PPL(A) or UK-issued JAR-FCL PPL(A) with a valid SEP rating

and an NPPL Medical Declaration to exercise the privileges of an NPPL and SSEA rating, without the need to obtain an NPPL and incur the associated costs.

SLMG (Self-Launching Motor Glider) and Microlight privileges may also be exercised if these ratings are included in the licence and/or differences training has been completed as applicable.

The effect of the exemption is to enable the licence holder to convert

a PPL with SEP into an NPPL with the relevant NPPL ratings.

However, a PPL(A) is invalidated if there is no Class 1 or Class 2 medical certificate. So the SEP rating and/or a JAR-FCL licence cannot be renewed or revalidated without a Class 1 or Class 2 medical certificate.

The exemption allows a PPL(A) to be used as an NPPL(A), which is valid with a medical declaration but only until the current SEP rating (or licence) expires.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, DO IT IN GOOD TIME THE above clarification from the CAA means that without a Class 1 or 2 medical certificate, the PPL licence holder cannot revalidate their SEP rating so before it expires they face a decision.

If they have a medical declaration by choice rather than necessity they could always obtain a medical certificate again and continue flying with full privileges on their PPL. Otherwise, if they don’t already have an SSEA, SLMG and/or Microlight Rating as appropriate on their PPL to replace the expired SEP rating, they could apply to the CAA to have one added at a cost of £84. With an SSEA (or SLMG or Microlight) rating on their PPL they could then continue flying but to NPPL limits.

Alternatively they could apply for

an NPPL at a cost of £137.

Whatever they do they should do it before their current rating expires or they will have to take one or more skills tests.

If you have a UK PPL(A) which is valid for life, you could add an SSEA (or other) rating to it and as long as you revalidate it every two years and maintain your medical declaration it should be good for as long as you are. In this case an SSEA rating appears to be your best buy.

If you have a JAR-FCL PPL which will be valid for only five years, you will not be able to renew it unless you have a medical certificate, so paying to put an SSEA rating on it will only be an interim solution.

As your licence expiry approaches your only option short of regaining

55 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

a medical certificate will be to apply for an NPPL. Only you know your personal and medical circumstances and the dates of expiry of your ratings and licence so only you can make that choice. A couple of things to bear in mind though: Whatever you decide, do it in good time before your current rating/licence expires or you will have to take a skills test with an examiner for each rating required incurring even more cost.

If you need to add a rating to your licence allow lots of time as the application has to go to the CAA and be completed before your previous rating/licence expires.

If you decide to put an SSEA rating on your PPL and you have already completed differences

training for SLMG or microlights, apply for all those ratings at the same time as the SSEA to take advantage of the deal from the CAA of a single charge of £84. If you apply separately you will be charged £84 for each rating!

The CAA has published AIC W 080/2010 which explains the exemption. That and the exemption itself, together with application forms, are available through the links on the LAA website.

This is a complex subject and if you have questions it is unlikely that the staff at the LAA office will be able to give you substantive advice. Your best bet is to ask the CAA Flight Crew Licensing department at fclweb@caa.co.uk or on 01293 573700 who can give you a definitive answer.

SEPTEMBER 2009 LIGHT AVIATION 9

> LAA MAIL ORDER

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56 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

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Mind-stretching, enlightening and endlessly amusing, Professor Stewart’s new book stimulates, delights, and enthralls. 339pp, hardback.

PRICE £13.00

BALLOONS, BLÉRIOTS & BARNSTORMERS: 200 YEARS OF FLYING FOR FUN This is the definitive history of recreational flying in the East Midlands. Since time immemorial ordinary people have flocked to gaze upon daring feats in the hope of witnessing some death-defying or even death-inducing act. Aeronautics was turned into a public spectacle and exploited financially from its very beginning and thus it has remained ever since. The book sets out to elaborate upon those concepts, and demonstrates that the region is truly representative of the progress of general aviation in this country as a whole over two centuries.

The history covers balloons for shows and sports, the pre-First World War period, women aviators, Sir Alan Cobham, through to private and small air taxi flying operations, Amy Johnson, and continuing up to the present day.

282pp, softback, b&w photos throughout.

PRICE £18.00

CRASHES & PRANGS: AIRCRAFT THAT HAVE SUFFERED MISHAP THROUGH FAIR MEANS OR FOUL In these days of sleek super-metals and indestructible polymers the realisation that the earliest fliers left the ground in fragile constructs often made of wood and fabric seems unbelievable. A sudden gust or down draft could spell disaster and birds were hazards to be avoided at all costs. None of this however seemed to have dampened the enthusiasm of these aviation pioneers and this wonderful collection is a tribute to their determination against all odds. Written by Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume, the book has over 130 photographs from the last 100 years or so.

The comprehensive and informative text looks at causes, and the occasional improvements that the incidents resulted in.

Softback, b&w photos.

PRICE £15.00

MILES AIRCRAFT: THE EARLY YEARS.THE STORY OF F. G. MILES AND HIS AEROPLANES 1925-1939 One of the most radical British designers and manufacturers up to World War Two. The distinctive Miles Hawk series of monoplanes was popular amongst private fliers both in the UK and overseas, while the derivative Magister p trainer was a key part of the RAF expansion programme. This is the history of Miles from his barnstorming days at Shoreham to the aircraft producing at Woodley. 448 pages, hardback, b&w photographs throughout, plus 10pp of colour stills.

PRICE £58.00

TEL: 01280 846783 / 846786 FAX: 01280 846780 WWW.LAA.UK.COM NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 57

> LAA MAIL ORDER

BOOKS

There isn’t enough space here to list information about all our books’ contents. Comprehensive details about every book can be found in our online shop - www.laa.uk.com - where orders may also be placed.

ALL BOOK PRICES INCLUDE THE DELIVERY CHARGE UNLESS STATED, PLEASE SEE ORDER FORM FOR MORE DETAILS

BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/HUMOUR De Haviland Tiger Moth - Haynes Manual Supermarine Spitfire - Haynes Manual

£17.00

The Art of Flying Crooked, by Robin Liston

COMPOSITES

FLIGHTGUIDES & DIRECTORIES £5.00

£19.00

World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2010/2011 edition NEW

£12.00 £12.00

World Directory of Free-Flight, Paragliders etc 2010/2011 edition NEW

£5.00

The First Homebuilt Aeroplanes Miles Aircraft - The Early years

£58.00

You Want to Build and Fly a What? Or… How I learned to fly, build a WW1 replica and stay married!

£15.00

AFE VFR UK Flight Guide 2010, spiral Pooley’s UK Flight Guide 2010, spiral Pooley’s UK Flight Guide 2010, loose-leaf Pooley’s UK Flight Guide 2010 binder Pooley’s UK Flight Guide 2010, loose-leaf INC BINDER Lockyears Farm Strips and Private Airfields Flight Guide. 5th Edition

£20.00 £20.00 £30.00 £8.00 £35.00

Flying From My Mind - Innovative and Record- £22.00 breaking Microlight and Aircraft Designs

MORE INFO

£20.00

Advanced Composites, C Foreman

£30.00

How to Build Composite Aircraft

£40.00

Composite Aircraft Design

£40.00

Composite Constructions for Homebuilt Aircraft

£20.00

Understanding Aircraft Composite Construction £22.00 Moldless Composite Homebuilt Sandwich Aircraft Construction, 3rd edition

£20.00

Composite Facts

£20.00

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING THEORY Choosing Your Homebuilt, 3rd edition

£21.00

Tips and Tricks for Aircraft Homebuilders,

by Sonja Englert

£22.00

Kitplane Construction 3rd edition

£26.00

Aircraft Design Course by Bill Whitney (inc 4 x dvds)

£80.00

Understanding Aircraft Structures, 4th edition, by Cutler and Liber

£37.00

CLICK THE ‘ON-LINE SHOP’ TAB WHERE ALL ORDERS CAN BE PLACED

The Sportplane Builder - Aircraft Construction Methods, TonyBingelis, Vol 1

£25.00

Sportplane Construction Techniques - A Builder’s Handbook, Tony Bingelis, Vol 2

£25.00

DON’T FORGET - ALL THE BOOK PRICES INCLUDE P&P!! SEE ORDER FORM FOR MORE DETAILS

Simplified Aircraft Design for Homebuilders

£34.00 £33.00

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONTENT OF ALL OUR BOOKS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT...

WWW.LAA.UK.COM Stick and Rudder

£17.00

Conventional Gear - Flying a Taildragger

£20.00

Living In The Future: The Education and Adventures of an Advanced Aircraft Designer, by Dan Rayner

Beyond the PPL

£18.00

Taming the Taildragger - John Ball

£13.00

Design of Light Aircraft, Richard D Hiscocks

£39.00

£22.00

The Compleat Taildragger Pilot

£27.00

The Design of the Aeroplane, Darryl Stinton

£73.00

Evans Lightplane Designer’s Handbook, WS Evans

£28.00

Volks Plane Plans and Pilot Handbook VP1

£28.00

Light Airplane Construction, L Pazmany

£33.00

Light Airplane Design, L Pazmany

£35.00

Landing Gear Design for Light Aircraft, Vol 1, L Pazmany

£40.00

New Science of Strong Materials, J Gordon

£11.00

Structures, by J Gordon

£11.00

Lessons Learned in Aircraft Design

£60.00

Modern Aircraft Design, by M Hollmann

£42.00

Engineer to Win, by C Smith

£22.00

A/C Design : A Conceptual Approach

£70.00

A/C Performance & Design

£48.00

Intro to A/C Design (Fielding)

£30.00

What Engineers Know & How They Know It

£14.00

Not Much of an Engineer (Hooker)

£15.00

Flying Buttresses etc: The World of an Engineer (Adams)

£16.00

Why Things Break (Eberhart)

£11.00

Invention by Design (Petroski)

£15.00

To Engineer is Human (Petroski)

£10.00

£22.00

Pushing the Limits (Petroski)

£10.00

£19.00

Success Through Failure (Petroski)

£15.00

£22.00

Penguin Dictionary of Science

£12.00

£20.00

You Are a Mathematician

£10.00

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering

£14.00

PILOT THEORY

Microlight Pilot’s Handbook, 7th edition Owning and Operating Your Own Aircraft

by Rod Simpson

TAILDRAGGERS

£21.00

GYROPLANES, MICROLIGHTS & ULTRALIGHTS

ENGINE INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE ETC. Firewall Forward - Engine Installation Methods, Tony Bingelis

£25.00

The A to Z of Microlighting - Chris Stow

£17.00

Tony Bingelis - on Engines

£25.00

Autogyros, Gyroplanes and Gyrocopters

by Dave Organ NEW

£21.00

Airplane Maintenance and Repair

£27.00 £28.00

Microlighting: Affordable Aviation

£17.00

AC43 - Acceptable Methods, Techniques & Practices: Aircraft Inspection and Repair

Microlight Pilot’s Handbook - 7th edition

£22.00 £21.00 £22.00

The Gyroplane Owners and Inspection Manual

Gyroplane Flying for Beginners - CD ROM Gyroplane Miscellavia - Vols 1-7 £22.00 each

Alternative Engines Aviation Mechanic Handbook

£40.00 £17.00

Standard Aircraft Handbook

£21.00

Efficient Powerplant Installation

£20.00

WELDING, METAL & WOOD BUILDING, BODYWORK, PAINTING

AERODYNAMICS & FLIGHT TESTING Flight Testing Homebuilt Aircraft, Vaughan Askue

£19.00

Low Power Laminar A/C Design

£40.00

Low Power Laminar Aircraft Structures

£40.00

Wood Aircraft Inspections and Fabrication ANC 19

Low Power Laminar Aircraft Technologies

£40.00

Strength of Aircraft Elements - ANC 5

Airfoil Selection

£17.00

How to Paint your own Aircraft

A History of Aerodynamics

£39.00

Homebuilt Aerodynamics and Flight Testing

£20.00

Aircraft Weight and Balance

£19.00

Wood Aircraft Building Techniques

£21.00

Design of Wood Aircraft Structures - ANC 18 £22.00

58 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

Aircraft Sheet Metal EAA Aircraft Welding Welders Handbook Building Metal Airplanes: Materials, Tools, Techniques

£22.00 £18.00 £20.00

TEL: 01280 846783 / 846786 FAX: 01280 846780 WWW.LAA.UK.COM

CHARTS

BOOKS We have books on choosing, planning, designing, building, fitting, finishing, repairing and flying your homebuilt! Full details of all our books can be found on our website www.laa.uk.com, where everything in the LAA shop can be found.

CAA UK VFR FR 1:250,000 CHART 1 North Scotland - West NEW 2010 EDITION NOW IN STOCK 2 North Scotland - East NEW 2010 EDITION NOW IN STOCK 3 Northern Ireland 4 The Borders 5 Central England & Wales 6 England - East 7 West England & South Wales 8 England - South

LOG BOOKS LAA Aircraft Log Book

£10.50

LAA Engine Log Book

£10.50

CAA Propeller Logg Book p

£14.95 £9.00

Log Book Binder

BADGED RING BINDERS FOR LA MAGAZINE. HOLDS 12 ISSUES £9.99 EACH OR £16.99 FOR TWO

CAA UK VFR 1:500,000 CHART 1 Southern England & Wales 2 Northern England & Northern Ireland 3 Scotland, Orkney & Shetland NEW EDITION 27 DUE MID DECEMBER - ADVANCE ORDERS BEING TAKEN Only the most recent editions will be supplied. If a new edition is due within six weeks, the order will be held until then.

YOU CAN NOW ORDER THE NEW LAA AIRCREW ID CARD ONLINE. It costs £20, lasts two years, and is available ONLY through the LAA Online Shop.

LAA EMBROIDERED WINGS WIN G

WINDOW STICKERS INT. 100mm x 70mm £1 inc p&p.

EXT. 100mm x 70mm £1 inc p&p.

LAA EMBROIDERED PATCH 100mm x 60mm £2.50 inc p&p.

PRICE: £15.99 each POST FREE

100mm x 40mm £2.50 inc p&p.

ORDER FORM - SEND TO: Mail order, LAA, Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD Name:

Book & Chart prices include delivery. Postage rates for clothing are as follows…

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PHONE ORDERS: (01280) 846783 Please photocopy this form to avoid cutting the magazine.

TEL: 01280 846783 / 846786 FAX: 01280 846780 WWW.LAA.UK.COM NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 59

Classifieds For all display or commercial advertising enquiries please call our Advertising Manager Dave Impey on +44 (0) 1223 497067 or email daveimpey@loop.aero You can email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA at the following address:

sheila.hadden@laa.uk.com Next issue: DECEMBER 2010 Deadline for booking and copy: 18th NOVEMBER 2010 Classified advertising rates £15 per single column cm (one-off) £13 per single column cm (Series of six) £10 per single column cm (Series of 12) Display advertising rates Full page cover position £1500 Full page £1200 Half page £600 Quarter page £350 Eighth page £200 Insert prices on request If you would like to place an aircraft for sale advert please see details below:

MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £6; 31-50 words: £12 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £45

NON-MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £22; 31-50 words: £44 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £60 To ensure that your advertisement is included, copy must reach the LAA by the following date:

Issue: DECEMBER 2010 Deadline: 18th NOVEMBER 2010 For aircraft sales classified advertising please send using the form printed on the reverse of the Mailing Sheet, together with cheques and photographs if applicable, to:

LAA Classifieds, Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD Tel: 01280 846786 • Fax: 01280 846780 LAA Engineering advice to buyers: AIRCRAFT APPROVED? Members and readers should note that the inclusion of all advertisements in the commercial or classified sections of this magazine does not necessarily mean that the product or service is approved by the LAA. In particular, aircraft types, or examples of types advertised, may not, for a variety of reasons, be of a type or standard that is eligible for the issue of a LAA Permit to Fly. You should not assume that an aircraft type not currently on the LAA accepted type list will eventually be accepted.

AIRCRAFT FOR SALE ZENAIR ZODIAC 601 HD. In good condition. Excellent, easy to handle traildragger.

Photos on www.afors.com. Reduced to £16,950. Please call 01244 671417.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING SELLING YOUR AIRCRAFT?

I have just sold mine and am looking for a replacement.

I will pay top price for a good example of the following: EMERAUDE, JODEL, BOLKOW 208 or similar Telephone Len Johnson 01473 301 245

ROLLASON BETA. G-AWHX. Sole Surviving Rollason built example. Complete airframe & propeller in good condition. No engine, £I0K plus VAT o.n.o. Contact Steve Jones – Steve@southernsailplanes.com 01488 71774

AMATEUR BUILDING All LAA aircraft builders and potential builders are reminded that in order to qualify for a LAA Permit to Fly, homebuilt aircraft must be genuinely amateur built. For these purposes the CAA provide a definition of amateur built in their publication CAP 659, available from LAA. An extract from CAP 659 reads “The building and operation of the aircraft will be solely for the education and recreation of the amateur builder. This means that he would not be permitted to commission someone else to build his aircraft”. An aircraft built outside the CAA’s definition could result in an expensive garden ornament.

www.laa.uk.com

AIRCRAFT FOR SALE (MULTI SEAT)

VAN’S RV9. Built 2009 45 hours on airframe and 150HP Lycoming O-320. Fixed pitch Sensenich prop. Icom A2I0 radio, transponder.

Permit until June 2011 £47,000 Contact John 07710 753982.

EUROSTAR EV97A. Join two others flying a professionally maintained group ‘A’ Eurostar with 3 blade prop, spats & Garmin GPS. Based on a superb strip near Rutland Water (Stamford). Excellent availability, with sensible monthly fixed costs and then just cost of your own fuel. 24% share available for £8,640. Phill: 07941308177 (m) SCINTEX 1310C3 SUPER EMERAUDE. Currently dry stored. Good condition but needs total recover. Original panel and instruments.

Full history. Email: singers.1@btinternet.com KITFOX MK5. Rotax 912S. GSC prop. Radio.

Transponder. Garmin GPS. Strobes. 110lt fuel.

Empty weight 792lb. MAUW 1400lb £32000.

Tel: 01455 290 258.

N-3 PUP G-BVEA. Delightful single-seat Cub look-alike. Mosler MMCB four-stroke engine.

60kts cruise. 10Lts/hr. 315hrs AF/Eng. Permit until 31Aug11. Sedate performance but get into any field. £6450. Call Dave 01522 720 567

Slingsby T61F Venture motor glider in a very good condition Standard panel with 720 radio. Fun and economic to fly 2 gallons / hour at 60 knots. A/F 5186hrs engine 1009hrs.

New Annual. £12,000 Contact JG on 078 999 87537

AIRCRAFT WANTED WANTED 8 DAY AIRCRAFT CLOCK. good used and working condition for Bucker cockpit refurb. Period clock preferred. Please email photo and guide price Peter.gaskell5@ btinternet.com, telephone 07974 777 783 JODEL D92 WITH 1835CC ENGINE OR JODEL D112 IN GOOD CONDITION. Phone Ray 02085241566. Jodel D11 New plans 26 sheets in English and book of instructions £100 Phone Ray 02085 241566 I WOULD LIKE TO BUY A WORN OR BROKEN JODEL just speak to me - Ernie Horsfall - Preston 01772 718 559

AIRCRAFT PARTS WANTED GARMIN 95 GPS. in serviceable condition, perhaps you are updating your equipment? Phone 01962 773017 Evenings.

IMPORTED AIRCRAFT? Due to unfavourable experiences, the purchase and import of completed homebuilt aircraft from abroad is especially discouraged.

TIME TO BUILD? When evaluating kits/designs, it should borne in mind that technical details, performance figures and handling characteristics are often quoted for a factory-produced aircraft flying under ideal conditions. It is wise, therefore, to seek the opinion of existing builders and owners of the type. You should also take your own skill and circumstances into consideration when calculating build times. The manufacturer’s build time should be taken as a guide only.

DE HAVILLAND DH60 Moth Major G-ACNS S/N 5068. 1934.

Impressive history. Rare. £70,000 phone 02076229115. Croydon Parry.

TURBULENT D31A 1700cc.VW. EVRA prop. Climb 650ft/ min cruise 85 mph. @ 9 litres per hour.

Canopy removed in two minutes. Permit until 01/09/11. £6,250. 01453 860690.

WINGSET REMOVED FROM L4 (J3) CUB due replacement metal spars. Right wing serviceable left missing several ribs. Spruce main spars, 1944 type ribs. Stored White Waltham. Complete with lift struts. Contact Peter 07949 950022

STREAK SHADOW. Farm strip closure. TTAF 670 TTE 145. David Cook undercarriage, always hangared, radio, headsets, cheap group A flying. Reluctant sale £6000. Call Peter on 07885 398 896 or (home) 0151 342 3861 or (work) 0151 342 8628. Permit December 2010.

QUICK SALE.

ENGINE: FRANKLIN 6A-350-C1 complete with mags, harness, starter alternator, carb. 220HP @2800rpm. Requires shockload inspection as prop got bent although will have no shock-load damage as engine was stopped before impact. Lying Cornwall. £2,300. ono. Tel: 01872 554 410 or email blasltd@btconnect.com

AIRCRAFT PARTS

AIRCRAFT SERVICES

A.C.I. STALL WARNER, never used, less than half new price £60. Tel. 01425 653353 or contact Email – freefolk@hotmail.co.uk

AIRCRAFT SERVICES IAN SEARSON AVIATION SERVICES LTD, Fabricwork, paintwork and restorations Air squadron Trophy winner Tailwheel conversions, proficiency checks and renewals on PIPER Cub. Midlands based 07790 949 349 www.ihs-avservices.co.uk

JODEL COWLINGS. Polyester replacements in stock. Complete set or half. Oversize for trimming prior to painting. Fitting instructions included. D11 £180/ D1050 £225 Devon. Alec 01404 823019.

DESIGN AERODYNAMICS, Stress, and Drawings Services. Modifications, complete light aircraft projects, through: BCAR(S), EASA(CS23), EASA(CS-VLA).

Reasonable rates, some initial consultation time. Ksl Projects, email: eric@kingeng.co.uk John 07769 695 856

FOR SPRUCE, PLYWOOD, DOUGLAS FIR AND BALSA go to w w w. a i r c r a f t p l y w o o d a n d t i m b e r. c o . u k .

Mail: Dudleypattison@btinternet.com or telephone: 01793 791 517

AIRCRAFT SERVICES

COVERS

FREE AIRCRAFT FERRYING. To expand my experience I am looking to ferry/re-locate light aircraft around southern half of the UK for FREE. I’m happy to travel and pay expenses.

100 hours + P1 on several types nose and tailwheel. Fast learning practical pilot/owner.

References. Tel – Jonathan 07889 338 620 or e-mail: Jonathan@fly76.orangehome.co.uk

For all advertising enquiries please call Chris Wilson on +44 (0)1223 497 067 AIRCRAFT TOOLS TUNGSTEN BUCKING BAR, “The Ultimate Bucking Bar”. Bought for an unstarted RV project. New and unused, cheack it out online on google- “The Ultimate Bucking Bar” £40.00 +p&p Tel- Mike 07526254408

AVIONICS

ENGINE AND ENGINE SPARES LYCOMING O-320, professionally overhauled zero time with new log book ideal for your RV project quick sale required £8000 ono. For full details Email ken.fern@btinternet.com Tel – 07790943137.

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 61

ENGINE AND ENGINE SPARES

KIT PLANES

PROPELLERS

PROPERTY

ENGINE OVERHAULS

Engine Overhauls / Shock loads /Repairs Lycoming & Continental specialist’s with over 25 yrs experience Magneto and Carburettor Inspections/ repairs and Overhaul’s EASA or LAA release.

Dukeries Aviation Ltd 01909 481802 07545066199 / 07753252291 evenings

ENGINEERING

MICROLIGHTS BFC CHALLENGER CUSTOM G-MYSC COMPLETE UNFLOWN. Full instrumentation.

Spares inventory. Airtech paint. Hirth 2706, Eco-prop. Offers 01253 735766 Evenings, 01772 251957 Day.

MISCELLANEOUS DRAFTING MACHINE, Mutoh model RGX1RGOS see Afors adid = 17078. Digital head/ protractor, moves smoothly, complete with base. AO size. Weighs 100lb + . Offers circa £300, buyer collects (Essex), contact John 07767623600, john@wighton.net

French village house and nearby hanger NE of La Rochelle.

2 beds, shaded terrace, huge workshop, large winestore and enormous empty 1st floor with potential. House is clean, modern, quiet, in centre of delightful village with shops and resturant. Hanger with power on nearby aerodrome, hard runway, club, engineer, fuel etc. £185k, just about perfect! Tel: 01453 834 032

PLANS GROUP FLYING C172 NORTH NORFOLK Non-equity group. IMC Equipped. Recently refurbished. £70/hr wet. £50 month. Low hour pilots welcome. No airspace restrictions. www.mcaullyflyinggroup.org Contact Peter Hayward 01692 402 810 AA5 GROUP GAMSTON, 1/4 shares so great availability in 4 seater tourer, A/F 1900 hrs, zero time engine Lycoming O-320 150hp.

Details@http://www.gbcpn.co.uk 07976 802 107 Gamston_aaa5@btinternet.com

KIT PLANES

JODEL D92 WITH 1835CC ENGINE OR JODEL D112 IN GOOD CONDITION. Phone Ray 02085241566. Jodel D11 New plans 26 sheets in English and book of instructions £100 Phone Ray 02085 241566

PROJECTS AVID SPEEDWING PROJECT G-BTGL, Rotax 582 needs overhaul. Airframe in good overall condition, requires minor re-assembly.

Road trailer. New propeller radiator. Spare gearbox. Near White Waltham.. £2500. Phone 07860 222299.

VP2 COMPLETE LESS FWF, some VW engine parts, mags etc. RWG Prop. Fair price to enthusiast. See LAA mag Sept 2010. Tel 01252 835285. Registration G-BFYL.

PROPELLERS

62 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

For all advertising enquiries please call Chris Wilson on +44 (0)1223 497 067 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

PILOT SUPPLIES

RADIOS

TUITION

BENDIX KING. GPS Skymap 111C unused £500. Preston – 01772 718559

TOOLS PNEUMATIC RIVET SQUEEZER. £350. Also does dimpling. As new. New price £621 (LAS part number 0214-30C). £350 plus postage.

Peter 07769 607370 or 01258 857649 Can email picture

TRAINING 2 BOSE HEADSETS with straight leads and jackpoints as new condition with cases. £450 each or £800 the pair. Contact Keith on 01983 868446.

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

Interested in marketing your business in this section?

Call Chris Wilson on +44 (0)1223 497 067

FLATBED TRAILER, twin axle small wheels with winch, ramps, can holder, spare wheel.

Built for Kitfox, suit most A/C or cars £400 phone 07816033858 or 02476 316 396 Midlands.

WE’VE CREATED SOMEWHERE SPECIAL FOR YOU TO LAND...

www.looptv.aero LOOPTV is the best place to land for your aviation i tii fil films, video, id product tests, interviews and show reports.

Upload your own videos online and whilst you’rethere comment or rate on someone else’s!

Register online to receive the latest monthly programs and exclusive news - just go to WWW.LOOPTV.AERO to create your own account!

WHILST YOU’RE THERE LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS... JUST REGISTER, LOGIN AND COMMENT! NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 63

MICROLIGHTS

PILOT LIFE COVER

INSURANCE

KIT PLANES

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE Call for a customised marketing campaign on 01223 497 067 64 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

> PRODUCTS & GEAR

Products New gear for pilots and builders

> THE WORLD AT WAR DVD AND BLU-RAY WITH the nights drawing in, why not pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple and sit down to watch one of the greatest documentary series ever made?

Originally broadcast in 1973 and narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, The World at War was produced by Thames Television over a fouryear period. The 26-part documentary series interviewed major members of the Allied and Axis campaigns, civilian eyewitnesses, enlisted men, officers and politicians and made use of rare colour film to create what is widely agreed to be the definitive history of World War II. The production costs were, at the time, recordbreaking in the UK. The series has now been digitally re-mastered to HD quality, the largest restoration project of its kind for a television production.

Each frame has has been restored individually and the audio reconfigured and upgraded across the entire series.

Price: DVD £79.99 Blu-Ray £99.99 W: www.amazon.co.uk

> SPITFIRE POCKET MANUAL

> SKY DEMON MOBILE SD

> MGL XTREME EFIS

IF YOU want to know everything about the Spitfire then this is the book for you.

This handbook brings together the most useful information from the numerous manuals produced for pilots and ground crew during World War II. It deals with all aspects of the Spitfire from engine specs to cockpit layout, reproduced as when originally issued to officers of the RAF. It is split into key sections including a general history of Supermarine and the Spitfire type, pilot’s notes, flying instructions, emergencies and fighting tactics. Also included are illustrative plans, diagrams and photographs. It gives a real insight into the design and operation of this classic fighter.

SKYDEMON, the VFR flight planning company, has just launched its own hand-held GPS unit. The unit comes with a bright, 4.3in touch screen and includes the company’s own dynamic approach plates, NOTAM briefing and plotting, weather briefing and decoding, adaptive charts and a virtual radar which sends out virtual pings along your route ahead, returning information about the terrain, airspace, obstructions and other features on your trajectory. Despite its compact size the Mobile SD has a claimed battery life of between 90 and 150 minutes – long enough for most sorties, plus it comes with a cigarette lighter socket adaptor.

MINI EFIS systems seem to be all the rage and the latest is the MGL XTreme.

The XTreme is a functional primary flight display (PFD), engine monitor, fuel computer and basic GPS built into one unit that will fit inˇa standard round 3 1/8in hole and boasts a bright 4.3in sunlight readable screen. ˇThe XTreme can be used as a PFD or PFD/engine monitor, depending on the application. It includes a built-in GPS that is used for ground speed, range calculations and as a backup/control to the AHRS. Also, full 2-axis autopilot functionality will be included in a free software update later this year (just add MGL Avionics CAN Servos at $1,000 each).

Price: £7.99 W: www.anovabooks.com

Price: £579 W: www.skydemon.aero

Price: £850 W: www.mglavionics.com

NOVEMBER 2010 LIGHT AVIATION 65

> WHERE TO GO

NEC OR GASCo - OR BOTH! There’s still plenty to do even over the winter including new-look Safety Evenings FLY-INS are thin on the ground this time of year but there’s still plenty to do. You could get down to the hangar to do that essential winter maintenance, or make a beeline for The Flying Show at the NEC (27-28 November). LAA members get in for just £6 and LAA will be exhibiting along with plenty more of interest to pilots and enthusiasts.

New this year is a gyrocopter section with representation from clubs and schools from around the country, and a ‘Schools Village’ where microlight, aeroplane and helicopter instructors from flying schools all over the UK will be available to discuss your flight training requirements.

There’s a programme of seminars throughout both days, plus you could win one of two Flymap F7 GPS systems worth over £1000 each or enter the free draw to win one of five NATS Aware units from Airbox.

The LAA will of course be in attendance so please do pop in to the stand to say hello, ask any questions you have about the Association, or to check out the bargains in the LAA Shop.

And do not forget those GASCo Safety Evenings either. No matter how much of an ace you think you are, I guarantee you’ll pick up something you didn’t know or fully understand.

The Flying Show at the NEC offers a bit of winter cheer.

Note the meetings are now run by GASCo, not the CAA, and I popped into the very first Safety evening of the new format held at Rochester recently. GASCo has appointed two Regional Safety Officers: Andy Sephton for the south and Nils Jamieson for the north. Both men are active LAA members.

Andy is a former Jodel D112 owner who now flies an Auster, and Nils is rebuilding a Taylor Titch. Needless to say, both also have huge

GASCo SAFETY EVENINGS NOVEMBER

OTHER EVENTS NOVEMBER

3

2-4 6

11 15 16 24

Shobdon Aerodrome, Airfield Clubhouse 01568 708369 Bristol International, Bristol & Wessex Flying Club 01275 472514 Sandbach, Cheshire, TBD 01889 508406 Manchester City Airport Barton, nick.duriez@cityairportltd.com Bournemouth, Bournemouth Flying Club 01202 578558

DECEMBER 1

Shoreham, LAA Southern Strut Date TBC

JANUARY 2011 12 25 26 27 17 23 24

Elstree Aero Club, Mike Grant 02089 533432 Leeds/Bradford Airport, Multiflight 01132 387130 Sandtoft, Airfield Terminal 01427 873676 North Coates Flying Club 01652 618808 Plymouth Airport, Lyn Facy 01752 773335 Coventry Aero Club, 02476 301428 Penkridge, Staffs, Haling Dene Centre 01889 882871

MARCH 2011 22 24 26

Kinross (Portmoak), Scottish Gliding Centre TBC Inverness, Highland Aero Club 01463 713086 Prestwick Airport, TBC

6 6-7 7 8-11 13 16-21 17-18 19 20-21 21 27-28 28

Dubai (A6) Heli Show Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow Professional Flight Training Exhibition 01225 481440 Old Warden Shuttleworth Annual Aviation Lecture 01767 627927 Frankfurt Turnhalle (D) Aviation Memorabilia Convention 0049-69-618740 Goodwood Car Race Circuit Meeting Tripoli-Mitiga (5A) Libyan Defence Exhibition Turweston LAA AGM 01280-846786 Zhuhai (B) China Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition Olympia, London Heli-Power Conference & Trade Exhibition Littlebury Hotel, Bicester VAC AGM & Social Temora, NSW (VH) Museum Flying Days Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum Open Cockpit Day The Flying Show, NEC. See preview above.

Middle Wallop Museum Enthusiasts Fair & Model Show 01264 334779

DECEMBER 5 7-9 12 27

66 LIGHT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2010

experience in many aspects of private and commercial aviation.

Guest speaker was Jonathan Smith from NATS, another LAA man who owns a vintage Piper Cub. The atmosphere was somewhat less formal than at the old CAA Safety Evenings with more audience participation and discussion. A wide range of subjects was discussed, with preparation, planning and contingency being the major themes throughout. Please do

Goodwood Car Race Circuit Meeting Dubai (A6) MEBA - Middle East Business Aviation Show Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum Christmas Fun Day Wickenby Christmas Fly-in 01673-885000

go along to a meeting near you, and persuade some of your flying mates to go too, especially the ones you know could do with listening to a bit of commonsense safety advice.

The first confirmed events are listed below. Organisations wishing to host such an evening during the coming winter should contact GASCo on 01380 830584 or by e-mail to ce@gasco.org.uk www.gasco.org.uk www.theflyingshow.co.uk

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2011 1 Jan 1 Jan 21-22 Jan 22 Jan 3-6 Feb 8-11 Feb 26-27 Feb 1-6 Mar 12-15 Apr 13-16 Apr 22-24 Apr 17-19 May 3-6 Jun 13 Jun 20-26 Jun 16-17 Jul 16-17 Jul 16-17 Jul 25-31 Jul 30 Jul 2-4 Sep 11-16 Oct 15-22 Oct

Leicester New Year Fly-in Popham, New Year Fly-in (prov) Masterton (ZK) Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow Cambridge, VAC Snowball Rally Ashburton (ZK) SAA-NZ Great Plains National Fly-in Yelahanka (VT) Aero India Exhibition Omaka (ZK) Tiger Moth Club Fly-in Avalon, Vic (VH) Australian Int. Air Show Rio de Janeiro (PP) LAAD Friedrichshafen (D) AERO GA Exhibition Blenheim-Omaka (ZK) Classic Fighters Airshow Geneva (HB) European Business Aviation Conf.

Sherburn ILAS Anglo-Irish Fly-in Oostwold (PH) Air Show Le Bourget (F) Paris Air Show Old Warden LAA Shuttleworth Party in the Park Fairford RIAT Military Display 01285-713300 Sywell Aero Expo Oshkosh, Wi (N) EAA AirVenture Texel (PH) Air Show Kirchheim Hahnweide (D) Old-timer Fly-in Belgrade,Serbia (4O) FAI General Conference Beer Sheva (4X) FAI World Microlight Ch’ships

LIGHT AVIATION’s Where to Go pages are produced in association with the Royal Aero Club.

Full events listings can be found at www.royalaeroclub.org and updates can be sent to David Wise at dave.wise@btinternet.com

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