DGL Fox Posted August 8, 2015 Author Posted August 8, 2015 They breed them tough in Russia...a good belt of vodka and a big coat and cap and boots and they are good to go... David
facthunter Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 To sleep, and wake up Dead. ( frozen stiff.) Nev
DGL Fox Posted August 8, 2015 Author Posted August 8, 2015 Where my wife comes from Russia Nev she was used to live in -30+ every winter, she say's you just get used to it, they dress for that type of temperature, although she tells me now that it would nearly kill her to go back now in winter... David 1
Kiwi303 Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 I'm chatting with a russian woman now from near Abakan in the Siberian wastes... She's mentioned winter lows of -35 as a normal daily low in winter. She wan't me to come teach at the english school in her town. I'm not so sure about living in those temps! Chongqing was nice in winter, only 5 degrees in winter, so above freezing, but 41 degrees near cooked me, and Lyudmila has mentioned +45 in summer. Ouch. Too hot. Gotta be tough to live there! 1
DGL Fox Posted August 8, 2015 Author Posted August 8, 2015 Yes Kiwi303 it certainly is but I love Russia they say Australia is a country if extremes, Russia is that too but it's a wonderful country and people and most of them do it hard...I take my hat off to the people that live in the small villages, I have met some old folks that tear your heart out when they tell you about their life and how they live now...we do have it great here and if you don't think so go and visit some of these people they will change your mind. David 1
facthunter Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 We don't know what COLD is here. We had contact with an exchange student from Winnipeg many years ago.... minus 60? It's probably similar to parts of northern Siberia. Nev
Phil Perry Posted August 11, 2015 Posted August 11, 2015 That AN2 is a really amazing piece of kit David,. . I flew one ( along with the owner i the rh seat I mst add ) at White Waltham some years ago along with five other Club pilots. Great wheel braking system, it's pneumatic, with bicycle style vertical levers just inside each side of the control yoke. The idea is to squeeze a small amount of pressure on these GENTLY when taxying, and the aircraft responds instantly so that you have a sort of "Digital" turn bit by bit. Pulling one in hard just spins the aircraft around 180 deg !. I also loved the starting handle, which is clipped in the rear cabin. This is inserted into a recess on the left side wall next to the cockpit steps, and you have to wind up the accumulator in order to start the engine. Takeoff is fun too, as you don't lift the tail ( according to our host ) he said, "The ground falls away. . ." and it just climbs at the same angle as the ground attitude, and that is exactly the way it seemed. The owner of that particular aircraft, (which he had placed on the Hungarian HA register for cheaper maintenance. . . ) was an ex-Concord pilot. He told us that the original engine was rated at 1,200 HP, but de-rated to 1,000 to extend engine life. He regaled tales of the locals where he bought it, in Siberia, telling him about having to light a fire underneath the engine in the winter, to thaw the oil ! ! I wonder if this was a generic Russian Hangar story ? Great thing to fly though, the automatic slats pop out at around 35 MPH, and the thing settles on the ground on all three wheels beautifully, but what got me was that you really had to watch that you didn't land it in the field BEFORE the runway, . .as you were sitting so high up on the approach ! Landing run with no braking was less than 300 metres on grass, with a full load ! The guy paid £5,000.00 for the beast originally, in around 1993, and this included a complete spare engine and all maintenance service tools and manuals ( NOT translated ! ) He flew the aircraft back to the UK himself,. . .that must have been expensive at approx 42-44 Gallons per hour. ( Reduced slightly by leaning the mixture a little at 8,000 feet ) But you could always take twelve victim,. . .er,. . friends in the back to share the cost of the Avgas! Phil 1
DGL Fox Posted August 11, 2015 Author Posted August 11, 2015 Phil, Thanks for the story mate, they certainly seem like the VW beetle of Russia in aircraft terms, they were and are still everywhere it seems in different versions. When I was in Russia a couple of weeks ago I asked around about flying clubs etc, there are none it seems and I was told that you are not really permitted to fly a private aircraft like we do here and the rest of the world does. What a market for aircraft manufacturers if ever Mr Putin decided to let recreational aviation into Russia...the mind boggles with the possibilities, and I can tell you that there is no shortage of land to build airfields. David 1
facthunter Posted August 11, 2015 Posted August 11, 2015 Phil, you are the first person I've met( er come across, The pleasure of meeting personally is yet to come) who likes pneumatic brakes.. A firepot under the engine is common in places where you get into a fridge to get warmer (Arctic or ant arctic. Canada Siberia). They used to use oil diluters to stop the engine oil congealing. You sprayed avgas into the crankcase before shutting down , and it evaporates out during the flight..Nev 1 1
DGL Fox Posted August 12, 2015 Author Posted August 12, 2015 Well I have had the pleasure of meeting Phil face to face Nev and he is a true gentleman...I only wish I had more time than a few hours chatting...next time hey Phil...that's Phil, the good looking one on the right... David 1
willedoo Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 I can't remember the name of the Russian company that's planning on re-vitalizing the An-3 turbo prop conversion project. But they were hoping to get contracts to do quite a lot - I think with Garrett engines. The problem is that the An-2 is the only viable regional passenger plane in a lot of more remote regions, due to access and strips etc.. They've been looking for a more modern alternative for some time, to deliver more power, lower fuel costs and better range. The An-2/An-3 turboprop conversion seems to be the best way to go. There was another issue with fuel; I think there are ongoing avgas shortages pushing the price up, but plenty of jet fuel. Cheers, Willie.
Kiwi303 Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 There are more modern aircraft which compete with the AN-2 these days, like the PAC 750XSTOL, but in those areas where the AN-2 is known, the PAC and the Pilutus PC-6 STOL are not known well enough. It's a marketing issue there as well.
willedoo Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 Yes, I think the converted An-2's will have a good future in Russia for a variety of reasons. I suppose marketing, parts in stock, loyalty etc. all play a part, but the sanctions have also been a big boost for Russian domestic industry. There's been a big push by government to regain a large degree of self reliance which has been steadily lost since 1991. There will no doubt be big incentives to buy local. Cheers, Willie. 1
Phil Perry Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 Well I have had the pleasure of meeting Phil face to face Nev and he is a true gentleman...I only wish I had more time than a few hours chatting...next time hey Phil...that's Phil, the good looking one on the right...[ATTACH=full]37321[/ATTACH]David Aw Bugger,. . . . .now everyone is going to know why noone takes me flying David. . . .by the way, I've actually HAD the baby, and it was a 29Kg girl. . . .I'm a bit thinner now. . . . . . .( I was a surrogate Mother for a mate's missus. . . ) The bloke standing on the left is Bobbie Powers,. . . an Ex-Cop who owns the Kitfox that I fly regularly,. . .( G-PPPP ) he retired from the Police Force just at the right time,- ie, before they reduced the pensions ( ! ) and has been re-employed as a Civilian fast pusuit car / Motorcycle instructor,. . .. and he is bloody good at what he does ! . . .bit of a weirdo though,. . .he has a huge shed in his back garden with a flight sim in it,. . .half of it is a Boeing 737,. . .the other side has a Stick and pedals, for "Proper" flying . . . He's been a pilot since 1967, and also owns a Jodel 115 ( which I also occupy from time to time. . .) but has a whisky drinking problem, ( so he tells me. . .) Ie, he has two arms,, but only One mouth. . . .shame really,. . .otherwise I could have taken you for a serious fright in his Kitfox. . . . . I am SINCERELY SORRY David,. . .that He was not flying that day,. . .( maint problems with the bloody 2 stroke engine. . . .) and that everyone else went on a flyout to Lundy Island ( Bristol Channel ) on the day you arrived at Otherton. Everyone returned to the field around 20 minutes after you left to get back and see to Mrs. Fox, and not get battered about the ring. . . . bad timing,. . but since you have relations here, I've no doubt you'll be back in the future. . . . . we shall try to organise you a proper flight around Glorious Staffordshire then Sir. . . . . if MY plane is sorted by then,. . .well,. . .we'll see. ( D'you like wearing motorcycle clothes and flying in Trikes ? ? ? ? ) Phil
Phil Perry Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 Phil, you are the first person I've met( er come across, The pleasure of meeting personally is yet to come) who likes pneumatic brakes.. A firepot under the engine is common in places where you get into a fridge to get warmer (Arctic or ant arctic. Canada Siberia). They used to use oil diluters to stop the engine oil congealing. You sprayed avgas into the crankcase before shutting down , and it evaporates out during the flight..Nev Love to meet you one day Nev,. . . .er,. . . .I said that the Pneumatic brakes were great,. . . well,. . .they sort of,. . .were,. . .for that PARTICULAR flight, in THAT particular aeroplane,. . I HAD experienced them once before, whilst bumming around in Chile,. . but I can't for the life of me remember wht the damned aircraft was,. . .Fairchild ? ? ? I can't remember,. . .it was quite old anyway. NO,. . .I much prefer any wheel braking system to be linear, and VERY controlleable, for obvious reasons.. . .I should have qualified this in the original post,. . .but these posts of mine go on. . .and on. . .and. . . sometimes, they start to look like a BLOG. . . . .if you really want to read my life story, please look up Phil-Perry - a life@whatthehellzitallaboutphil/buggerup.co.jupiter/nincompoop.bolox.co.uk Kind whatevers. Phil PS,. . .since my email got hacked . . .I've changed it now, and the new one is at the bottom of the forum thread re: Aussies being ( Unusually ) crap at playing cricket thread. . . . .( I placed that in case someone wanted to swear at me without incurring the wrath of Ian. . . .and being temporarlily banned from this superb forum. . . .)
facthunter Posted August 12, 2015 Posted August 12, 2015 Fairchild built Fokker F-27's under licence in the USA .They have Pneumatic brakes, as do the original's from Holland. Could have been one of them. Maxaret antiskid absolutely essential. Nev 1
SDQDI Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Didn't really know which thread to put this one in so decided to hijack this one. I took this pic going through Gunnedah the other day. Not sure where it was going but seemed to have come from Coonabarabran direction 1
cscotthendry Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Looks a bit like the remains of a DC3 1
SDQDI Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Looks a bit like the remains of a DC3 It certainly was. I'm not sure where it had come from or where it was heading but couldn't let it go past without a pic. After all it's not every day we have a big fuselage go through here on the back of a truck:thumb up:
kasper Posted September 30, 2015 Posted September 30, 2015 It certainly was.I'm not sure where it had come from or where it was heading but couldn't let it go past without a pic. After all it's not every day we have a big fuselage go through here on the back of a truck:thumb up: Load 1 of two - it was on its way from Molong to Walcha. Wings to follow ;-) 2
Guest ozzie Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 hopefully to be rebuilt? Done too many trips on the back of a truck last few years.
kasper Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 hopefully to be rebuilt? Done too many trips on the back of a truck last few years. cosmetic only not to fly
Spooks Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 We have an AN-2 at the airfield where I am training. http://www.an2club.info Video here for those interested [MEDIA=vimeo]10004360[/MEDIA] there's usually a number of Yak-52s too
Yenn Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 The only fairchild I ever flew had NO brakes. Steering was power assisted. A burst of throttle with full rudder deflection.
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