Cri Cris in Australia

[Marty_d]

It'd be expensive, but surely some of those big R/C engines (thinking 5 cylinder radial) would cause less vibration than big singles.

 

 

[facthunter]

Electric would be a solution. I have seen two actual aircraft and they have a bit of a problem with fatigue of the engine pylons. They won't make the 45 knots stall limit. It's still a multi unless in on the lower weight early formula's. Interesting but I don't know if it has a future under our rules. Nev

 

 

[Marty_d]

The concept is good though - minimal fuselage, large "lifting body" canopy, perhaps more glider-style wings, and the twin electrics. Mind you if you're going to do that, why not mount the engines in the wings...

 

 

[facthunter]

Keeping the engines as close as possible is in your favour, control wise and you keep the wing structure simple Nev

 

 

[Mick]

It'd be expensive, but surely some of those big R/C engines (thinking 5 cylinder radial) would cause less vibration than big singles.

The radials are $$$$ and don't make huge power for their weight. There are some really nice horizonal twins available that would be much smoother than a big single. Having experience with some big electric models I would think an electric version would have issues with the weight of the batteries and endurance. Give it time though, batteries are only getting better.

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes ..The original motors are single cylinder go cart type motors. Powerful but not the most vibrationless. Nev

 

 

[440032]

95.10 has no stall limit Nev. Also allows for multi engine by not specifying single engine like the other CAO's do. Orig JPX engines were an aero engine. Composites International in Papakura New Zealand were attempting to make CriCri canopies in 2009 when I was there. They almost had it a goer, the sample was 90% good. Bugger of a thing to make.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes, but we do in the other categories. The weight will get you on 95.10. I think the ones I saw were VH registered. I'm not big on these categories.

 

It's a really small plane in the flesh. All aluminium sheet fabricated. ( if I recall correctly) You would need the proper expansion chamber to get the full power. I think the cracks in the engine pylons would be an ongoing problem. Nev

 

 

[Methusala]

Isaw a 4 engined Lazair at Narromine years ago. Little beauty!

 

 

[facthunter]

If you tried to synchronise the engines you wouldn't have time to fly it I reckon. Out of synch engines drive you crazy. I reckon a little beauty 4 engined thing is a DC-4. Nev

 

 

[Guest john]

There was a 2nd world war pilot on spitfires named Bobby Gibbs who resided in Sydney, & I think he died of old age a couple of years ago, however he had built a Cri Cri which still must exist somewhere in NSW. He was certainly an interesting pilot to communicate with about the Cri Cri & his spitfire flying in Egypt during the 2nd world war. All of these bold pilots are now disappearing unfortunately.

 

 

[facthunter]

If you are too bold, you don't get old. Nev

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

They made great instructors.

 

 

[facthunter]

Some of them. Most had very few hours up even the bomber fellows. Perhaps 350 or so. I got to fly with a lot of WW2 blokes. Nearly all of them were great when you eventually got accepted.by them. Nev

 

 

[planedriver]

Bobby Gibbs flew his Cri Cri at the Bi-Centennial airshow at Richmond, I think he was 82 at the time, I have the airshow video.

 

He built the aircraft in the lounge room at a unit in Manly

 

When interviewed (Tomo take note) he said "it still flew quite well on one engine".

 

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm not surprised by that. Nev