First flight in a Savanah S

[flightygirl]

Just for comparison of course..here is a Lightwing grin...............same ugly barstxxx.........snapped by daughter..................................................Maj...

love the lightwing grin Maj! almost as big as the Savvy one!

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Bluearsefly

 

I am 120kg and 188cm tall so no small poppy myself. I dont have too much issue getting in and out of any sav...its just the way you have to get in thats all. Not being able to bend your knee could be a issue I suppose but so far I havent had any issues getting in and out its just the tecnicque to do it,As far as I know the door size hasnt really changed between most of the models. The VG XL and the "S" models have the same door

 

Mark

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Ignition

 

Wheres the video?????????

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well thank you Flightygirl, I wouldn't mind having a look at your Savvy grin !!!!!!............................................................Naughty Maj...

 

 

[Relfy]

I'm just trying to work out where I've seen that grin before Maj....

 

[ATTACH]13340.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Definately a Savvy Pilot.

 

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hi MajMy kit is the new one with the full lexan bubble type doors so it will be great for the view mine wont have the wheel pants though.

I wonder if the wheel pants on the Savannah have the following effects:

 

(a) a higher or more economical cruise speed?

 

(b) landing limitations in bush conditions?

 

It seems that this is becoming more and more a sales feature by ICP, having displayed wheel pants on both the S model advertising and XL advertising.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi 80K

 

Wheel pants will make a slight difference at the top end speed maybe 1 knot or so but I wont have them as I plan to do a lot more of the rough field/remote flying

 

Mark

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I think there is a lot to be said for a square-ish fuselage (in section). It might not look as pretty but I believe it is probably more stable and Steve Wittman swore that they offered lower drag, his designs were all fast, sleek and rounded on the leading edges only. Back when I used to make rockets one of the known performance factors for the simple bottle rocket is to use a square stabilising rod rather than round.

 

 

[eightyknots]

I think there is a lot to be said for a square-ish fuselage (in section). It might not look as pretty but I believe it is probably more stable and Steve Wittman swore that they offered lower drag, his designs were all fast, sleek and rounded on the leading edges only. Back when I used to make rockets one of the known performance factors for the simple bottle rocket is to use a square stabilising rod rather than round.

GG: I read somewhere, I think on Zenith CH-701 site or thread, that the slab-side fuselage is actually more stable than the Cessna-ish rounded planes that are so common even in ultralights. JG, a member of this site (www.stolspeed.com), did some tuft-testing on the square fuselage, and the airflow was much better than people expected it to be. It was a clean airflow, even at the corners. He thought that the rounded shape of the Savannah S wouldn't improve speed at all.

 

He also thought that the weight wouldn't reduce with the rounded fuselage because the internal framing would be more complex and therefore at least as heavy.

 

JG also found that the slab sides improved stability saying that he often flew cross-country for hours at a time without touching the stick.

 

 

[winsor68]

I can certainly confirm that even with the rounded fuselage it is very directionally stable... much more so than the Texan I previously flew. It is something that has been commented on at length already in the small number of hours flown in her since she arrived (the rains are here)... (again).

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

There is alot of Savvy tail behind the wing trailing wing, which is why the tail surfaces don't need to be super big. There would be plenty of inherent stability coming from the rear fuslage side and top surfaces alone.

 

I ran wheel pants (spats) on the Drifter for years, but I was doing mostly cruise flying. If I was doing rough field landings all the time, I would probabily have removed them, as they tend to pick up a bit of mud. On the Savvy they don't make a lot of difference at top end cruise, and with tundra tires you'r probabily better leaving them off IMOP.....................................................................................................................................................Maj...

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I am no expert on flying by any means I have about 80 hrs in fullsize gliders and 40 hrs in a C172 many years ago. When I flew Bills old sav...Ultralights and FlightyGirls now own it I was amazed at how powerfull the rudder was...really the most powerfull on any aircraft I have flown...not much experience remember...then I had a flight in a Technam P92 and the difference was astounding. I had to give the rudder so much right rudder any time I powered the engine up especially out of stalls it was full rudder also on landing you also had to give it heaps. I would image that huge rear section on the sav gives the rudder that extra umpf as the rudder is certainly not big on a sav

 

Mark

 

 

[eightyknots]

the secret to being seen in the air is contrast! as long as the colours contrast well against each other, they will be easy to see, our savvy is easy to spot from a distance mainly by the dark blue colouring on the wing tips and nose contrasts well against the white.

A winning colour scheme UL. I would hazard a guess that this plane would be the most visible from almost any direction (except the top which I cannot see). Perhaps you could post a picture showing the top colour of your Savannah?

 

 

[Ultralights]

from the top its the same as from underneath, all white, except blue on the nose, blue wingtips, and the last ft of the wingspan, and yellow flaperons. and blue horizontal stab tips.

 

 

[flyerme]

I ran wheel spats on my thruster t83 and landed always on rough fields(long grass,rocks,mud,you name it) never had a problem but for performance? IMO they made no difference and were only on their for looks...

 

as for paint schemes I was told my old Supercat was difficult to see in the air

 

 

and im told my lightwing is much easier to spot

 

 

must say i'm envious Don...Im keen to have a go in a savy...I have always liked them and I find them pleasing on the eye..Aint nothing wrong with a flying box (love my lighwing box{as apposed to the normal LW turtle back )...(oh sorry Maj,Doug,etc I do like your turtle but must be faithful to my "LADY LEA" box back)

 

 

[pilotsandy]

thats some jungle action lol

 

 

[Marty_d]

Hi MajMy kit is the new one with the full lexan bubble type doors so it will be great for the view mine wont have the wheel pants though . A mate has a older sav but it has been upgraded with the full lexan normal doors and when he took his wife for the first flight in it he says she freaked out a little bit with "too much view"..actually in the video of my airstrip christening its the all white sav the last one to land and the third to take off it is a VG model not the XL.

Mark

Hey Mark,

 

Were there ever any reported problems with bubble doors on the Sav?

 

I remember seeing several posts on the Zenith.Aero site about people installing the new bubble doors on their 701's, apparently there were several incidences of them opening or even ripping free of the aircraft in flight. General consensus seems to be that the causes were the airfoil effect of the bubble door, combined in some cases with incorrect installation and/or insufficient holding force from the door handle.

 

Much as I'd like the great view from my 701, that actually put me off the bubble doors and I'm going to stick with the old fashioned flat ones.

 

 

[rankamateur]

This would fix it http://www.aerokits.net.au/prod02.htm

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Steve has stolen my thunder. I use Reg Brost's 3 point door locking mechanism it totally locks the doors in my Sav it works great...once you get them lined up correctly and the door remains the same shape. From time to time the door frame needs to be "bent" back to where it was when built only takes 2 seconds and it is easy to do. The Sav kit has a latch mechanism for the front rail of the door to be locked to the cabin frame with the 3 point mech you don't need it at all so mine isnt fitted. I would certainly use this 3 point again and I am sure it could be fitter to almost any door its a good idea and works as it should.

 

Mark

 

 

[rankamateur]

They are in the supplementy kit I have ordered for my build, along with quite a few other essentials like a second tin of black goop.

 

 

[eightyknots]

They are in the supplementy kit I have ordered for my build, along with quite a few other essentials like a second tin of black goop.

When are you planning to start on your Savannah, R/A?

 

 

[rankamateur]

As soon as it arrives(late June), I have a few clues what to do with it, should be fun Hank, do you want to drop by and give me a hand?

 

 

[eightyknots]

As soon as it arrives(late June), I have a few clues what to do with it, should be fun Hank, do you want to drop by and give me a hand?

Going by the title of this thread you must be getting a Savannah S.

 

Are there many reasons why you chose an S rather than an XL?

 

 

[rankamateur]

Always been a fan, ever since I saw that first photo, S for smooth remember! If I ever need to change the bottom skin of the fuselage it will not be any big deal, those rivets along the bottom of an XL go through 4 layers of aluminium that all have to line up and should all be stuck together with black goop, I am not convinced it would even be possible, might be easier to build a new fuselage.