A Savannah for Southern NSW

[bobcharl]

 

Hi All,

 

Another update. Windscreen went on fine. Suppose it should when it is an exact replica of the first one Time has arrived to transfer my project to an aerodrome for final assembly and test flying (after the registration process that is)'Temora is the new (temporary)home. The shift went very well with a tandem trailer for the fuselage and a flat bed truck for the wings. All transported well and unloaded without a scratch. Wings and flaperons all installed and is starting to look like an aeroplane, all this as per the pics. Don,t know why this program loads the pics out of sequence sometimes. Now have the fairings from the wing to the windscreen to fit and a few smaller jobs to do and I will be getting close to that final inspection.

 

Cheers

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

[eightyknots]

A big step forward, Bob!!

 

 

[bobcharl]

Well, Savannah completed and final inspection done. All passed except for a loose bolt and an altimeter needing recalibration. Both rectified, registration application posted, and I wait, not so patiently, I'm afraid.

 

It will be on display at Natfly this weekend. Will now try to upload a pic of the beast.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

looks great Bob...Clarke rubber sent me a sms the other day saying that the rubber seal I tried to get is no longer available

 

 

[eightyknots]

Well, Savannah completed and final inspection done. All passed except for a loose bolt and an altimeter needing recalibration. Both rectified, registration application posted, and I wait, not so patiently, I'm afraid.It will be on display at Natfly this weekend. Will now try to upload a pic of the beast.

Cheers,

 

Fantastic Bob! Well done. When is the first flight?

 

 

[Keenaviator]

Fantastic Bob! Well done. When is the first flight?

Yep, well done Bob. I reckon I have some idea of how you are feeling at the moment too as I'm waiting for my registration to come from RAAus.....

Cheers, Laurie

 

P.S. I've just started some leave so real keen now to get the little rectangular bit of plastic (reg card) and get on with it. 25 hours within a 40nm radius of YLTV.

 

 

[rankamateur]

With all the planes buzzing around this weekend surely you could go for a quick spin and no one would mind.

 

 

[bobcharl]

Replies in sequence:

 

Mark, thanks for trying for the rubber. I ended up salvageing the old one and it worked out OK.

 

80K . Soon as that rego arrives.

 

Keenaviator: Thanks Laurie; Your Jab looks very smart by the way.

 

RA: Yeah, tempting, but as I am a law abiding citizen.........

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

 

[rankamateur]

Replies in sequence:Mark, thanks for trying for the rubber. I ended up salvageing the old one and it worked out OK.

80K . Soon as that rego arrives.

 

Keenaviator: Thanks Laurie; Your Jab looks very smart by the way.

 

RA: Yeah, tempting, but as I am a law abiding citizen.........

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

Aren't we all !!!

 

 

[Cosmick]

Congratulations Bob

 

 

 

[Hadyn Bell]

Well done Bob, its been enjoyable watching your progress and trying to keep up with you!

 

 

[bobcharl]

Getting rather frustrated waiting for this registration to be processed.

 

Mailed the original application on April14. Had a query to which I responded on May 9.

 

I sent an email (not too abrupt I didn't think) last week enquiring of progress and received an email (not too abrupt) advising they "hadn't got to it yet".

 

Is this about par for the course? How have others got on?

 

Bob

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Don't feel special Bob...I got my renewal at the end of April...sent my forms and payment in first week in May..the 18th she run out of rego so rang them about the 23 of May was told another week or two as they had new procedures to go though with ALL aircraft. Mine didn't have any issues at all but it was takin time. I got my rego by email yesterday

 

 

[Keenaviator]

My new rego took 4 weeks to process after it arrived at the RaAUS office. No issues. I think they are just going through them one at a time, crossing all the t's etc. 5 more hours flying and I should be off the 40 mile restriction. Laurie

 

 

[dazza 38]

Why the fark does the RAA office have to go through every single rego renewal AGAIN, we went through all the crap last year. It is BS

 

 

[Hadyn Bell]

Any progress on your paper work yet Bob?

 

 

[bobcharl]

Hadyn,

 

Thanks for getting me into gear.

 

My registration arrived a week before I was scheduled to spend 6 weeks in WA. Phoned my test pilot only to find him flying OS the next day.

 

Have just arrived home from WA and planned on this Thursday for a test flight, but the forecast is for strong gusty winds turning to rain on Friday so it is all canned until next week. Sometimes it seems like I wasn't meant to get it airborne!

 

Will be doing a post when it happens.

 

Bob

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hadyn,Thanks for getting me into gear.

My registration arrived a week before I was scheduled to spend 6 weeks in WA. Phoned my test pilot only to find him flying OS the next day.

 

Have just arrived home from WA and planned on this Thursday for a test flight, but the forecast is for strong gusty winds turning to rain on Friday so it is all canned until next week. Sometimes it seems like I wasn't meant to get it airborne!

 

Will be doing a post when it happens.

 

Bob

Let's hope your opportunity to get airborne comes soon! We look forward to hearing about it.

 

 

[bobcharl]

 

IT FLIES!! IT FLIES!!

 

Yes it really does. Put the test pilot on board and turned him loose yesterday morning and he spent almost an hour putting it through it's paces.

 

In the arvo it was my turn and that was just a wonderful experience. Worth all the waiting. Most striking feature is the short ground run on takeoff.

 

Of course we found a few things which need some adjustment.

 

1) Oil temp only rose to 70 deg. so I have blanked off a portion of the oil cooler and tried it today but still only 90 deg. so still more to be done there.

 

2) Elevator trim tab needed the linkage adjusting to provide a bit more nose up trim. It really requires the full range of the servo to give the necessary nose-up and nose-down trim.

 

3) In hands off mode it has a tendency to drop the left wing. Its very slight but its always that wing. While flying you are hardly conscious of applying any right stick. Don't know if it is worth doing anything with at this stage.

 

Any feedback on these issues welcome.

 

Despite the above, which is no more than expected , I am getting an absolute buzz out of flying it. I just can't wait to get the 25 hours done and then to go somewhere.

 

Regards,

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

[SDQDI]

Good work Bob it sounds like you are almost happy and nearly excited:wink:. I have my inlaws at Grong Grong so I might see you in my travels one day:hide:I try and fly down once every couple of months so if you hear a hornet down there give a yell:thumb up: (or head for shelter )

 

All the best for flying your hours off and I have heard that the wheel bearings in planes are susceptible to seizing and the best way to stop it happening is to fly at least once a week as a minimum:whistling:.

 

Have fun and fly safe

 

Sam

 

 

[Ultralights]

Actually 90 deg c is about where you want the oil temp according to rotax.

 

 

[rankamateur]

Has anyone tried a different guage before artificially reducing the cooling system, it worries me a bit that in a hot country relative to the country of origin that some need to restrict cooling when measured on a cheap instrument protecting an expensive engine. We may just be lucky they aren't as temperature sensitive as some here!

 

 

[rankamateur]

I have heard that the wheel bearings in planes are susceptible to seizing and the best way to stop it happening is to fly at least once a week as a minimum.

That is a new to tell my wife, thanks Sam!

 

 

[Ultralights]

i think the cooling system is well designed, as in my savannah, the oil sits around 90 in cruise, and the coolant temps are around the 100 mark in cruise, i like to get the oil temp over 100 in a long climb to boil off any condensation in the oil occasionally. if the oil and coolant temps are pretty close, then is it safe to assume both temps are reading correctly?

 

I have the oil cooler partially covered about 9 months of the year, only during the peak of summer do i need it totally uncovered to maintain 90 deg C, only on the hottest days, over 40deg C outside do i see a rise i oil temp in climb with the cooler totally uncovered. the hottest i have seen it in cruise was about 105 deg, when OAT was about 40 deg.

 

 

[SDQDI]

Mine sits well below 90 in cruise with the radiator half blocked off it takes a long hard climb to get the temp over 100, in the summer I can open the radiator up but not a good idea in winter. I have seen a few setups now with an adjustable radiator slide so that you can close it off at startup and gradually uncover the radiator in flight seems to me to be a good idea but I'm too lazy to change mine and I don't really need any extra weight.

 

You have to watch a descent from altitude very closely or the temps get dangerously low, makes it hard on a bumpy day as you can't do a highish power cruise descent you have to slow below rough air speed but still use power to keep temps up. But in light of other threads that seems to be a good problem to have.