Drifter Pics

[Guernsey]

Another picture, a few years ago at Boonah. Would you call it a ''Swarm'' of Drifters?[ATTACH=full]15704[/ATTACH]

How about a 'Draggle of Drifters' ?

 

Alan.

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Went for a run out west yesterday to catch up with a mate and do some general tweaks on the Drifter. Heading out I was in a bit of a hurry so never mounted the camera, would have made for some nice shots with lowish cloud forcing me through 'the Gap' proper...Here a few screen captures from the Go pro Video on the way back.

 

 

 

Where abouts were you in the top two pics??

 

 

[Tex]

Crossing the Great Dividing Range at Cunningham's Gap (looking nth).

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes David, it does certainly bring back many not too distant memories. yes I did realize that some of the movement was camera related. I am not yet done Drifter flying yet though. Farri still has his, my old one is still in the Townsville area, and the Lightwings' new hangar mate is a Drifter. Ian Wells down at heathrow who is now enjoying his new Savannah, has his old Drifter hoisted above the savvy in the hangar. Never sell you'r toys he says !...

 

He recently had it out flying rides at his 50th birthday fly-in, which unfortunatly I couldn't make ...damn.

 

Anyone who has spent many happy, comfortable, adventurous hours in that front seat would never forget the joy that a Drifter offers. I've certainly done my share.

 

Great footage Tex...keep it coming please....what did the gopro cost you ?.....................................................Maj...

 

 

[Tomo]

Fired up my other computer and found some more photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tomo]

I'm trying to find the one of me at the Oakey army base with about 6 army guys standing around the Drifter!

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Tomo that's a girl mate ....not six army blokes !#@????.............huh ?...............................................Maj...

 

 

[Tomo]

Tomo that's a girl mate ....not six army blokes !#@????.............huh ?...............................................Maj...

Haha, yeah sorry, I can't find the army blokes one!

 

 

[drifter45]

That photo looks perfectly acceptable.

 

 

[drifter45]

 

Found another one of the local playground.

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Is that a safe playground for a 2-stroke? I don't think i'd be game enough to fly my 503 over that...

 

 

[skeptic36]

Is that a safe playground for a 2-stroke? I don't think i'd be game enough to fly my 503 over that...

Hi Nunans, unless you have the full perspective it is not possible to make that judgement, ie. you only see what the camera saw in that instant rather than what is out the other side or what is behind. Also I don't make a distinction between four stroke and two stroke with regard to Tiger country, sure the stats show the chance of engine out is reduced with a four stroke but it doesn't disappear so if I can't glide to a landing site I don't go there (not that I am seen in a four stroke very often).

Just my opinion

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[drifter45]

As Bill said its not all it seems. There's some exellent paddocks directly underneath and there's 4000ft of air under as well. Most of the caldera is pretty good as long as you keep lots of air under you. The western rim can be great for ridge soaring (throttle back to 3500/4000rpm ) and just enjoying the lift. Saves on fuel too.

 

cheers John

 

 

[pudestcon]

There are some great photos here, thanks for starting the thread Tex. I've taken a 'leaf out of your book' and started a similar thread for Thruster over in the Thruster section. Drop in and have a look sometime.

 

I did my ab initio training in a Drifter at Narrogin back in the 90's and they are great fun. I took this shot at Bindoon in April this year.

 

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

A few years back I was doing about 5 hours a week in the Drifter, commuting between Townsville and Ingham where I was working at the time. Often I'd get in a bit of time in before work in the still cool morning air, and then another hour or so around the district after work.

 

I had a real serious problem with the ignition switches back then, which had a bad habit of switching themselves off in flight !!?.....

 

This would generally occur around 3000 ft or higher, and occasionally abeam the numbers just prior to turning base at around 1000ft.

 

The problem persisted for some years. The Drifter didn't seem to mind of course, and actually seemed to fly a little better without all that dirty air over the the tail. You could hear the wind in the wires, and it performed just as well if not better than with the engine running. Establishing a steady minimun descent glide was no drama and it was always a challange to stay up as long as possible, whilst staying within shooting distance of the airfield or selected landing area.

 

When the switches failed at 1000ft abeam the numbers, I'd set myself the challange of landing on the numbers or as close as I could beyond. This took good height and positioning management, and often required a slip at the end to get rid of the excess height I needed to make sure I made it over the fence, and not drop short.

 

I found the Drifter to be an excellent aircraft for this type of stuff, and even if you arrived at the runway with excess speed (70 kts) it bled off easily in the flare, and ended in the classic Drifter touchdown. The trick of course was not to arrive with less airspeed than needed to enter into a good flare. Less than the required airspeed prior to the flare ment guaranteed sink, and a possible hard arrival.

 

I also found during those pesky switch failures, that deadstick stalls at altitude, was one of lifes pleasures.

 

My 'switch failures ' got so bad at one time that they would occur every second flight !, and I ended up doing a lot of deadstick landings there at one point. Mostly as soon as the engine stopped and the prop stopped windmilling, I would immediatly set everything up for a restart (throttle cracked, choke on, engine primed and both switches to ON..hoping of course that they would work again !). This was a proceedure learned when flying the twin engined Lazair in the states, which was really a powered sailplane so it was normal (and legal) to switch both off and just soar.

 

Sometimes those damn Drifter switches would become servicable again, and in-flight restarts were always smooth and quick using this 'set up for start proceedure'.

 

The up side of it all of course is it prepared me as nothing else could, for an unplanned deadstick landing, which I must say never actually occurred in 11 years of Drifter flying. Two strokes are just so unreliable aren't they ?!...

 

Please keep those Ignition switches in good condition to avoid all the stress and drama that I had to go through during all that quiet gliding flight, and those risky deadstick landings, !....

 

Having to learn quickly how your aircraft flys deadstick after a real engine failure, is just not the ideal time to do it.....

 

...........................................................................Maj...

 

 

[Tex]

I've started a similar thread for Thruster over in the Thruster section. Drop in and have a look sometime.Pud

Should have just bought a Drifter and used this thread Pud

 

 

[pudestcon]

Should have just bought a Drifter and used this thread Pud

Yeah you are probably right Tex. I must say I do like the Drifter, but the tandem setup puts me off - I like to see the person I'm flying with.

Pud

 

 

[Tex]

Yeh I like a side by side generally as well... but it is all about ME in a Drifter:victory:

 

 

[Tomo]

Yeah Maj, I've had some dodgy ignition switches in a couple of the drifters I fly.... Bit of a worry aren't they!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Bloody hard to find good switches anymore Tomo............................................Maj... :pokerface:

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

I think i have uploaded a recent photo of my little lady !

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

No you haven't !................................................Maj...

 

 

[Guernsey]

Yeah you are probably right Tex. I must say I do like the Drifter, but the tandem setup puts me off - I like to see the person I'm flying with.Pud

I see where you're coming from Pud but have you stopped to think about how many would be passengers wouldn't fly with you because they didn't want to see who they were flying with.

Alan.

 

 

[pudestcon]

I see where you're coming from Pud but have you stopped to think about how many would be passengers wouldn't fly with you because they didn't want to see who they were flying with. Alan.

Yeah, but I like to see them so I can givem a smack in the mouth when they start to panic:crazy:

Pud

 

 

[Tex]

Another short video...

 

[media=vimeo]32703639[/media]