danny_galaga

Which statements are they?

This is a great write up from a crash investigator basically pointing out we are only at the moment seeing a preliminary report. There is not much we can yet surmise. Something I've been guilty of in this case. Pointing out for instance the pilots conversation in the report apparently regarding the fuel switches is out of context and paraphrased. https://theconversation.com/was-the-air-india-crash-caused-by-pilot-error-or-technical-fault-none-of-the-theories-holds-up-yet-261102?utm_medium=article_native_share&utm_source=theconversation.com

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/13/serious-incident-at-southend-airport-after-small-plane-crashes

Juan Brown guessed that as well. That the switches weren't replaced under the AD that apparently was issued at some stage and that one of the pilots was 'guarding' the throttles and the plane jolted enough to make his smack down on them. Although that doesn't explain why they were switched roughly 1 second apart.

It's a mechanical lockout, as per this informative video from Juan Brown https://youtu.be/wA_UZeHZwSw?si=ZqlOq3FWp9YnY8Fj

I guess for a short while, it was 🤔

Until they're not. USS NIMITZ, USS JOHN F KENNEDY, BISMARCK etc. Mine is Crazy Taxi, nickname Axel ☺️

You have to remember that it is also air cooled, so I don't mind all the extra vents. Should be good for low speed trundling around. Right now the cruise is 65knts! With new propeller hopefully closer to 80.

First off, my boy is a HE 😄 Yes, its from Sert Efrika so I guess they were allowing for high temperature summers. IN winter, just tape off some radiator. I experimented with both, but found the oil cooling reacts quite differently to the water cooling. So I've left the oil coolers alone and right now the radiator is about 25% taped off. Regards the stall speed. Definitely a disappointment before I even received the kit. While it was still in transit it had an AD issued because of the high stall speed. So I had to build the plane knowing a whole new empennage was coming, which took them 18 months or something to design and manufacture. Extremely unsatisfying. Anyway, the stall is now 39knts with flaps, down from 45 or something ridiculous. Not brilliant for a 'bush' plane. Mind you, in my first test flight with my test flying guy, we got it quite a bit lower than 39knts, but best to assume 39 and be safe than push it to its limits I say.

As Juan says, it seems to get the experienced pilots more. I guess not just over confidence but since they are the ones that operate low the most. If you don't need to be that low, don't be is the message.

I bought a kit, not based on 'oh, this has one too many oil coolers in it', but rather on it looking like it would be a fun plane to build. Any technical questions, you will really have to ask them. It is a Skyreach Bushcat. There are many KISS principles at play in this design, for instance TRIM and FLAPS are totally mechanical, not electric. No auto pilot. I selected a carby engine. And a single piece wooden propeller (although it turned out to be the wrong pitch, so maybe SOME complexity, ie ground adjustable, could have been handy) If one wanted to totally keep to the KISS principle, one would buy a hang glider. Attached, a good frontal picture of someones Bushcat, for your edification. Visible are the radiator, above it the first oil cooler and above the spinner the second oil cooler 😇

Yeah, it's a funky design. Instead of one larger oil cooler, theres two smaller ones. The top one is in and out, which i.guess has the advantage of none of that hot air going over the engine. More likely it's designed that way to make the engine cowl quite a tight fitting affair. Witness for instance where oil coolers end up on WW2 aircraft 😇

My top oil cooler is mounted with these on the top of the engine. The bottom oil cooler and the radiator are just mounted directly to the bottom cowl.

Tough call 🤔

Yes OS is probably still the most popular