Drifter Pics

[boleropilot]

hey Tex (and others)

 

not sure what i am going to do with my lil WB, needs a lot of work inc. new motor, skins and wires - airframe is now 3,500 hours so i am seriously thinking about selling and even more seriously thinking about Tex's beautiful SB

 

trouble is, i would need to sell my WB beforehand, otherwise i would be paying double hangarage (i'm rich, but i aint that rich)

 

on another note, i have given up trying to organise a Drifter Fly-in at Boonah - weather rotten 3 years in a row !!!!!!

 

so to fool Huey, i thought i would quietly mention that i am hoping to fly to an airfield on the Darling Downs on the 5th anniversary of my solo - 18th November 2012

 

twood be absolutely wonderful if any other Drifter pilots out there would consider meeting me there - we should be able to arrange a bbq lunch, but no plans yet, just ideas

 

any takers?

 

BP

 

 

[JimG]

I felt your pain each of those 3 years as I'd planned to fly over, in company with a couple of Drifter friends , in the school Drifter.

 

we'll see whats happening around the 18th of Nov, keep us posted BP

 

cheers

 

JimG

 

 

[XP503]

Tonksy, I saw you departing Boonah Today, about half hour later 2 Drifters and a Trike landed and are camped at Boonah overnight, Don't know who they are or where theyre from, might drop over and say gday in the morning before work..... NIce looking Drifters too.

 

 

[Tex]

Sorry Tonksy! SB 55-762 has just found a new home. David...The two Drifters (582WB and 912 WBFisher) and 912 Outback trike were flying me home. I delivered the Drifter to the happy new owner out past Inglewood near Yelarbon yesterday. Yoda (582WB), Selwyn (912WB) and Wormie (Trike) flew down from Tara to pick me up and we all headed back to Boonah. Bob Keen also come across from Dalby in his Pioneer Hawk 300 and we parked them up at the Flying Tigers, had a couple of ales then went and checked into the Motel and a few more ales and feed at the Dugandan pub. Great flight great night....

 

 

[XP503]

Ah cool, sounds like you had a good trip, sad to see the red rocket go though :-(

 

Gee that Fisher 912 is schmicko!!!!! My dream drifter for sure.

 

My 503 is still without a gearbox so I have resorted to RC models to fill the aviation void, talk about FUN!!!! only had one bad crash into the house roof so far

 

 

[boleropilot]

g'day guys

 

hey Tex, sorry to miss out on the red rocket, maybe i should concentrate on giving my lil WB the reconditioning she deserves...

 

Yoda in a WB582 hey? another hangie converting to Drifters???

 

re. the 18th November, it is definately ON at Bange's Airfield, Clifton

 

the Lone Eagle Flying Club is putting on a BBQ on the day and i am hoping for a big turnout of Drifters and Fishers (and anyone else who'd like to drop in)

 

i will need to let Trev know about numbers attending, so please let me know if you're planning on coming along

 

hey Dave, you should see the two new RC acft i'm building - a huge Zlin (low wing) and a 1.9m wingspan Piper Cub - noice!!!

 

and m8, does the 582 use the same gearbox as a 503? if so give me a yell, i've got a complete blue top 582 (out of hours) with gearbox in a box here

 

cheers for now, hoping to see ya's all at Clifton on 18th November

 

CD

 

 

[Tex]

Yodes has got the lot... Hang Glider Trike WB582 (for sale) and Rans S7.

 

 

[Justin Hawkins]

My bird has been down for to long (engine swap).....

 

 

 

 

And finally, here's a pic taken after my 3rd (and hopefully last) in flight power loss.....

 

 

 

[bacon]

Hey guys & girls

 

I've just flown my drifter back from down lismore where wayne fisher did a awesome job on it, Had all new skins fitted, new 69L fuel tank, new tail post fitted, found out the old one was bent after I bought it, a new higher wind screen fitted ( which still is too low for me think I need to fit a lower seat)

 

and new sleeved landing gear. I even found a hangar out at home (dalby) for it too live in so was definetly a good xmas. Also does anyone know how to clean oil off dacron some dripped off the oiled air filters on the way home and landed on the new tailplane.

 

Some Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[skyfox1]

Looks Great Bacon as far as the oil you will have to live with it l have tried all sorts of cleaning products to get the oil of mine but the stain wont go .

 

cheers Geoff.

 

 

[bacon]

Looks Great Bacon as far as the oil you will have to live with it l have tried all sorts of cleaning products to get the oil of mine but the stain wont go .cheers Geoff.

bugger I read up a bit about it and tried some light soap and water didn't work neither did metho. must soak in and just stay there hey.

 

 

[skyfox1]

Yes l have even try petrol it got rid of some but the stain still is there .

 

Mine was worse when l ran my 503 in after l rebuilt it excess oil came out the exhaust and went all over my new sinks same color as yours the yellow is the hardest to clean anyway hope you have a lot of fun in your machine they are a great aircraft to fly.

 

 

[Justin Hawkins]

Really like the color scheme Bacon. I'd be curious to know how much she weighs with the 503.....

 

 

[bacon]

Really like the color scheme Bacon. I'd be curious to know how much she weighs with the 503.....

Hey Justin

 

I have not weighed it yet but it is a lot lighter than the ausflight drifters, I have flown both and mine leaps off the ground compared to the austflights I trained in, I've been told its around the 175kg to 200kg mark might weigh it when I get home and let you know

 

cheers

 

Jamie

 

 

[skyfox1]

Hi Bacon

 

Mine is a Maxair with 503 l have wheel spats don't have the bush kit in my land gear yet mine weighs 174 kgs .

 

cheers Geoff.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Also does anyone know how to clean oil off dacron some dripped off the oiled air filters on the way home and landed on the new tailplane.

Mine used to get really filthy with oil and CT18 truckwash cleaned it up fine. You can get it in 1ltr containers from Super Cheap Auto. But it does eat your hands so it might not be the kindest thing on the fabric...

 

This is a great thread and very nostalgic for me, the Drifter really is the Super Cub of the ultralight world.

 

I bought the first certified WB503 that Austflight sold, the sister ship of Pink Panther which was the one which did the flight testing for the certification. It cost me $13,200 and was called the Lollipop (as in The Good Ship Lollipop). I ran a school with it for the next few years and then ended up working with it at Peter Reed's Kooralbyn school for a while where one of my students was Dazza38 in 1988 IIRC.

 

In 1989 I did the last long flight with Lollipop, from SEQ to the Kimberley in WA, Arnhemland in NT and back again, covering about 8000Nm and the trip lasted from May to September visiting and working on many remote stations. The Drifter was perfect for the job.

 

Interestingly I see Drifter reg no. 208 and a couple of others, Drifter 45's bird and one shown in a DavidMason post #247 all have the slimline long range tank. I built the mold for that in preparation for that long trip I mentioned and I think Wayne Fisher ended up with it, so I guess they're Fisher tanks?

 

Cheers Driftermen, you're a special breed!

 

Alan

 

 

[Guernsey]

Try ' Spray and Wipe ' it works on most materials.

 

Alan.

 

 

[seb7701]

I'd be asking Wayne Fisher, as the wet/drying of the fabric does enough to it without adding solvents!

 

 

[skyfox1]

Hi Bacon

 

Also put some UV protection on your new skins will help with the stains plus make them last longer its called Aero space protectant 303

 

l put it on about twice a year over summer .

 

cheers Geoff.

 

 

[bacon]

thanks Skyfox just looking at it now do you just spray it on and let it soak it

 

 

[skyfox1]

Hi Bacon

 

Yes spray it on then rub it in with a soft cloth l use about 1/2 liter to do the wings and tail plane l don't do the underside .

 

 

[ausadvance]

well bacon its good to see you got home over the range ok, wayne and I where wondering how you where going. plane looks great but your right that seat is huge! (looked comfy though) your probably right a lower seat might be in order

 

 

[bacon]

well bacon its good to see you got home over the range ok, wayne and I where wondering how you where going. plane looks great but your right that seat is huge! (looked comfy though) your probably right a lower seat might be in order

Hey Ausadvance

 

I'm guessing I meet you the other morning lol. Yeah made it over the range, the cloud base got a bit higher as the day went on and that track that wayne suggested was the go!! Made for a pretty long day with the 2hr turn around then another 3hrs to make it home all a good expeirence tho, there is some beutiful country through that border loop then onto boonah.

 

cheers

 

bacon

 

 

[ausadvance]

ceratainly did mate, mines the blue and white certified drifter that took off with you after that plane came in with he undercarriage failure. It certainly is beautiful country to fly around, its hard to get sick of

 

 

[bacon]

Oh yeah,

 

Now I remember, yes it would be very hard to get sick of.