Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 Has anyone ever flown a single seater Chinook? There is one for sale with a 277 rotax near me. I know all about the engine but the research I have done on the aircraft is disturbing. It has two significant problems. The tail boom has snapped off killing a few pilots. In flight, the frame, especially the tail section, can distort causing no control over pitch. The a/c pitches nose first into the ground. There is a video of that happening. There are a few cases of near misses and fatalities to that. The boom has a modification to strengthen it and the tail section can be brased with wires. This plane is not to be confused with the two seater which is made by a different manufacturer. Norm
turboplanner Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 Has anyone ever flown a single seater Chinook? There is one for sale with a 277 rotax near me. I know all about the engine but the research I have done on the aircraft is disturbing. It has two significant problems. The tail boom has snapped off killing a few pilots. In flight, the frame, especially the tail section, can distort causing no control over pitch. The a/c pitches nose first into the ground. There is a video of that happening. There are a few cases of near misses and fatalities to that. The boom has a modification to strengthen it and the tail section can be brased with wires. This plane is not to be confused with the two seater which is made by a different manufacturer.Norm With cause and effect so obvious and long term why wouldn't you give this one a miss? 1
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 With cause and effect so obvious and long term why wouldn't you give this one a miss? It may come off my my wish list. However, there must be someone out there game to still fly it. Perhaps those and other recommended modifications solved the problems. The space shuttle went about the same way. It's called tombstone technology. Every means of transport developed works on that principle
Guest ozzie Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 They were very popular in Canada back then. Maybe jump onto the EAA forums and ask about them.
Teckair Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 The Chinook is a proven design. I bought one 25 years ago and learnt to fly in it. Mine was 2nd hand and had been around a lot before I got it. Back 30 years ago they were thought to be ahead of their time and there was a few of them around. I still have mine but have not flown it for some years. Richard. 1
Teckair Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 This got the wing warp for banking? No they do not have wing warping, you can't have wing warping with a double surface wing skin and 2 lift struts one on the forward spar and one on the the rear spar. The Wheeler Scout had wing warping which was totally different.
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 This got the wing warp for banking? The wing warping was given away quickly in its development. This one has flaperons. Stalls at 20 some knots and cruises at 50 kts. and vne is arount 60 to 100kts depending on your source. Burns abut 6 litres per hour which is good for endurance but not getting from A to B. Good low performance motor glider.
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 The Chinook is a proven design. I bought one 25 years ago and learnt to fly in it. Mine was 2nd hand and had been around a lot before I got it. Back 30 years ago they were thought to be ahead of their time and there was a few of them around. I still have mine but have not flown it for some years.Richard. Does yours have all the modifications that have come up?
winsor68 Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 There is a single seater sitting with the wings off in a hanger at Marian... I am guessing the wing warping comments come from the fact that the skins are in one piece but do in fact have separate ailerons... very ingenious design IMO. 1
Teckair Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 Does yours have all the modifications that have come up? Mine has what people who don't know think is wing warping it is the very early model. I know of several mods on mine. A doubler on the fuse tube and reinforced wings at the aileron area. Chinooks never had wing warping.
Teckair Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 There is a single seater sitting with the wings off in a hanger at Marian... I am guessing the wing warping comments come from the fact that the skins are in one piece but do in fact have separate ailerons... very ingenious design IMO. Correct!!
Teckair Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 The wing warping was given away quickly in its development. This one has flaperons. Stalls at 20 some knots and cruises at 50 kts. and vne is arount 60 to 100kts depending on your source. Burns abut 6 litres per hour which is good for endurance but not getting from A to B. Good low performance motor glider. Mate that is likely to be a good aircraft. But not likely to be a good motor glider.
winsor68 Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 Mate that is likely to be a good aircraft. But not likely to be a good motor glider. He did specify "low performance" Motor Glider... didn't say exactly how low... probably on par with a Parachutist wing suit... lol
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 Correct!! Yes, true wing warping would be where one wing changes angle of attack.
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 He did specify "low performance" Motor Glider... didn't say exactly how low... probably on par with a Parachutist wing suit... lol Gets 10 to 1 glide ratio on paper. Try to get fast from one thermal to another and you'll sink like a rock. Flew a ka6 for a while and could out thermal high performance gliders. Push the nose down to 60 kts and your variometer is screaming sink to you/
Peter G Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 I own one that Dad and I have fixed up but not yet flown but I have lots of video and info from other chinook flyers :) we upgraded a few things like changing all the control cable pulley's from the old warn out bushed ones to nice stainless bearinged ones, re wired all the gauges as they were not right when we got it, made a longer pullstart cord and added a pulley above the seat so it can be started while sitting in the seat, felt to dangerous starting it while being behind the wing struts and not being close to the throttle, upgraded the elevator bearings for the main pivot which I found were worn out ( got them from the Canada Chinook factory ), mine has the boom mods done and also the alum pipe between the wing struts has been replaced for steel as these have failed.... They have great cabin room for a single seater too. plus I like the look of them too :) there is a video here of a US bloke enjoying his chinook to give you a idea of how well they fly... http://www.lightsportaircraft.ca/volume1-issue9/webcast-3/ here is a good look at one on youtube too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqlzw-aQMjk from what I found they are only a slow flying plane and only had flight issues when people tried to fly them fast which caused the pitch issues mentioned Specs are : Cruise Speed: 45 .mph Stall Speed: 20 .mph VNE: 65 .mph cheers Pete
Sapphire Posted June 6, 2012 Author Posted June 6, 2012 I own one that Dad and I have fixed up but not yet flown but I have lots of video and info from other chinook flyers :)we upgraded a few things like changing all the control cable pulley's from the old warn out bushed ones to nice stainless bearinged ones, re wired all the gauges as they were not right when we got it, made a longer pullstart cord and added a pulley above the seat so it can be started while sitting in the seat, felt to dangerous starting it while being behind the wing struts and not being close to the throttle, upgraded the elevator bearings for the main pivot which I found were worn out ( got them from the Canada Chinook factory ), mine has the boom mods done and also the alum pipe between the wing struts has been replaced for steel as these have failed.... They have great cabin room for a single seater too. plus I like the look of them too :) there is a video here of a US bloke enjoying his chinook to give you a idea of how well they fly... http://www.lightsportaircraft.ca/volume1-issue9/webcast-3/ here is a good look at one on youtube too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqlzw-aQMjkThey look easy to get into. The Sapphire I used to have was a bit of climb, and the Varieze would turn you into a ballerina. That 60 kt [65mph] sound more realistic vne. Ideal for thermalling as long as it has good aileron contol. They have thermalled these engine off for long periods. The Chinook I was looking at on Gumtree is not there anymore so he may have sold it. Now looking at another Sapphire or even a Rutan designed Quickie.
Peter G Posted June 6, 2012 Posted June 6, 2012 They look easy to get into. The Sapphire I used to have was a bit of climb, and the Varieze would turn you into a ballerina. That 60 kt [65mph] sound more realistic vne. Ideal for thermalling as long as it has good aileron contol. They have thermalled these engine off for long periods. The Chinook I was looking at on Gumtree is not there anymore so he may have sold it. Now looking at another Sapphire or even a Rutan designed Quickie. If your interested there is a chinook for sale in the Sport Pilot mag (Add 2937) all yellow with the new version full span aileron wings and upgraded tail... only has the 277 engine but includes a trailer too.... I would get it my self if it wasn't so far away...... located in WA :)
Teckair Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 They look easy to get into. The Sapphire I used to have was a bit of climb, and the Varieze would turn you into a ballerina. That 60 kt [65mph] sound more realistic vne. Ideal for thermalling as long as it has good aileron contol. They have thermalled these engine off for long periods. The Chinook I was looking at on Gumtree is not there anymore so he may have sold it. Now looking at another Sapphire or even a Rutan designed Quickie. The Sapphire would be more like a motorised glider there is a WA Chinook like you described in the latest RAAus magazine.
Sapphire Posted June 7, 2012 Author Posted June 7, 2012 If your interested there is a chinook for sale in the Sport Pilot mag (Add 2937) all yellow with the new version full span aileron wings and upgraded tail... only has the 277 engine but includes a trailer too.... I would get it my self if it wasn't so far away...... located in WA :) Thanks, but that is the same Chinook I was looking at in Gumtree and it has been taken out. Must be sold. It's about hour drive from me. There are some Sapphires for sale and coming up for sale. A while back I put an ad out for a Quickie in the local paper; they are a hard aircraft to find. Eventially a lady phoned me up and said I could come anytime to her place for a "Quickie" 1
Guernsey Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 Thanks, but that is the same Chinook I was looking at in Gumtree and it has been taken out. Must be sold. It's about hour drive from me. There are some Sapphires for sale and coming up for sale. A while back I put an ad out for a Quickie in the local paper; they are a hard aircraft to find. Eventially a lady phoned me up and said I could come anytime to her place for a "Quickie" Did you take her up on the offer??? Alan.
Sapphire Posted June 7, 2012 Author Posted June 7, 2012 Did you take her up on the offer??? Alan. These days I only get turned on by an interesting aircraft.
Teckair Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdman_Chinook Wow outside loop that is impressive!!
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