A short story, then a long journey

[Deskpilot]

Early Friday morning, I set out from my home south of Adelaide and headed from Lockington, mid Victoria.

 

Behind my car was a REALLY heavy duty trailer that was to carry my gifted Thruster home. As the gods would have it, it pissed with rain the whole way, so much so that I missed a turning and added 45 minutes to my journey time. This was due to a narrow road and no side turnings for miles.

 

Saturday dawned wet with over night rain but the skies were fairly clear. My benefactor Steve, and I set out the Kotta air field, a farmers strip along side his crop.

 

 

The airfield was under water so no flying was possible. A big disappointment for Steve as he wanted to show off his newly built Ninja. Nice job Steve.

 

 

Behind the larger hangar sat a home built enclosed trailer in which the Thruster has been stored for 10 years.

 

 

I'll skip the bit about Steve getting his ute bogged down trying to pull the trailer round to the front of the hangar but eventually we got the Thruster out of one trailer and onto another and all ancillary parts loaded into my car.

 

The wing skins are shot so we removed the ribs before storing them under the fuselage.

 

 

The following day started out with ground clouds(very wet fog) and I set out for home. As it is my way, I got lost again but the detour wasn't quite as large as on my outward journey.

 

I got home safely but dead tired. Unloaded everything and tucked up my prize in her new 'hangar'. Into which she JUST fits.

 

 

Today, I pulled her out for a better inspection, and, although Steve had told me she is a T100, she's on the register as a T84. I understand that a T100 is a modified T84, something to do with the empennage. Anyone care to clear that up?

 

 

Of course, with the plane outside, I had to find out if I'd fit in it. I found the seat is a bit narrow but there's plenty of leg room. Now I wonder it the refurbished bird will actually lift me. 100 kilos but look more.

 

 

This will be a long term project for me although, it's in a much better condition than I expected.

 

 

 

[SSCBD]

Brings back many memory's when there were very little rules and low level was part of flying. Enjoy an honest fun plane to fly.

 

 

[AussieB1rd]

Nice one Doug, great project and all those hours pushing it up and down the street making vroom vroom noises will have you down to 80 real quick, guess Deskpilot is out the window now and change to ThrusterBuster maybe,

 

enjoy your journey mate and have fun.

 

 

[kasper]

Lovely to see a T83 on its way back to goof health - its not a T84 from what I can see as the tail group has not moved forward to the T84 and T85 shape though it does have the Rotax engine in stead of the Robin so maybe an early 84 ... get hold of the TOGS identification book and play spot my Thruster ;-)

 

And FYI anyone with a T83 ot T85 that needs gifting to be rebuilt let me know ... love them

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Kasper, I've tried to contact TOGS but the site seems to be down. Paul ? emailed me that he had sold his Thruster and, reading between the lines, he seems not to be interested any-more.

 

Where can I get copies of hand-books, maintenance manuals etc?

 

Can you draw a sketch of the T83 T84 tail group differences

 

As for the cockpit, it's wide but with a very narrow seat. What shape was the T100? anyone got some 3D views.

 

All help appreciated before I start my long journey to refurbish it.

 

 

[kasper]

Kasper, I've tried to contact TOGS but the site seems to be down. Paul ? emailed me that he had sold his Thruster and, reading between the lines, he seems not to be interested any-more.Where can I get copies of hand-books, maintenance manuals etc?

Can you draw a sketch of the T83 T84 tail group differences

 

As for the cockpit, it's wide but with a very narrow seat. What shape was the T100? anyone got some 3D views.

 

All help appreciated before I start my long journey to refurbish it.

The T100 never really existed - only a couple were built and generally they were chopped about and used by the boys up at evans head when they moved up there.

The main models were the T83 (various wing lengths) T84 and T85 ... all designations were basically aligned to the years 1983-5 when they were made.

 

Easy spots for the T83 is that all the A-frames come up to stainless brackets that are under the fuse tube - the T85 came up to the side of the fuse tube. Similarly the T83 tail lower struts come up from the back of the front/axle cross beam and there are no external to the pod rails between the two beams. Also the two lower tail group support tubes are coming onto the fuse tube ahead of the tail group - the T84 and T85 had the lower supports coming from the rear cross beam onto the front of the tail group

 

Yours has the T83 fibreglass fuel tank - be prepared to really get messy when you take that top off and see how much of the inner plastic may have dissolved and exposed loose fibre

 

And the tail group - the fin and horizontal stabs are all straight alitube with wrap around plates at the ends - the only rounded tubes that are pin bolted into threaded inserts are in the elevators and rudder. The T84 introduced the ali tube tail group with bent tube and threaded inserts on the ends liek the elevators and rudders.

 

Again yours has the shopping trolley tailwheel with shock cord pivot suspension on a cutout in the lower fin - the T84 and T85 had spring tailwheels

 

and you probably have shaped batons only in the upper surface of the wing - flat battons (and very few) in the lower surface - that's T83.

 

Final visual is the pod and seat - the pod sides on the T83 were left really high (very little cutaway) whereas the T84 and T85 had deeper cutaways to allow easier entry. And the seat looks to be the fibreglass skinny arse early version ... T85 had the Namco plastic seat which was wider and had no side support wraparound.

 

Yours also has the single push/pull vertical tube for the aileron controls running up the back of the seat between the tank and seat - just be aware that IF you are a larger chap and sit back in the skinny arse seat you CAN bind the ailerons if the seat back clamps the rod in a fixed position - fun to discover when flying around (not!).

 

On the getting hold of the TOGS documents I understand that they can be obtained from Kay but I have not seen her for a long time ... in fact back when Tony was still alive.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Thanks mate, you say it clearer than the TOGS description (finally got into the site) Whilst she fits most of what you have said, I've just looked at the RA-Aus cancellations register and they say she first registered on the 28th June 1992 as a T84 and came off register on the 18th Feb 2006. On Monday, I found another listing somewhere? that said she was serial number 1016..? but also a T84.

 

Where Steve got the impression she was a T100 I don't know and will have to ask him.

 

How do I contact Kay? any ideas?

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Nice one Doug, great project and all those hours pushing it up and down the street making vroom vroom noises will have you down to 80 real quick, guess Deskpilot is out the window now and change to ThrusterBuster maybe,enjoy your journey mate and have fun.

Haha, but the last thing I want to do is bust it.

 

 

[Bob SVD]

Hey Doug, I am in the same boat (aircraft ) as you. Just brought home a Kestrel, only just fit in it and with 477 Rotax not sure if it will get me off the ground ( 105 Kg ). May have to re engine. Will be a fun project. Fair chance I will be shifting back to Adelaide to live would be good to catch up and share experience..Bob

 

 

[AussieB1rd]

Just brought home a Kestrel, only just fit in it and with 477 Rotax

Bob SVD you maybe right about it not getting off the ground, I think the best thing to do would be drop the 447 off now and I will take it to the dump for you, via my place, move back to SA with less weight to cart and re engine once your there, and if you don't move then you have one less problem to worry about lol

 

I'm taking it that is a Lea Kestrel your talking about.

 

AB

 

 

[The Baron]

Thanks mate, you say it clearer than the TOGS description (finally got into the site) Whilst she fits most of what you have said, I've just looked at the RA-Aus cancellations register and they say she first registered on the 28th June 1992 as a T84 and came off register on the 18th Feb 2006. On Monday, I found another listing somewhere? that said she was serial number 1016..? but also a T84.Where Steve got the impression she was a T100 I don't know and will have to ask him.

How do I contact Kay? any ideas?

I am a 100 kilo's and flew around in my t83 with no problems i also had a t85 it had lower battens where the t83 had none and was much better than the t83. The t83 was powered by a Robin engine t85 had a 503 Rotax. Kay Hayes can be contacted on 0754231963 cheers Steve.

 

 

[planedriver]

Good one Doug!

 

Get your A**se into gear mate, once it's fixed up, you'll have to think up a new avitar.

 

Looks like fun times and hopefully minimal frustrations ahead.

 

Kind Regards

 

Planey

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hi guys, just a little update. Bearing in mind the old adage 'do a little every day', I have now stripped the skins from the wings and am again pleasantly surprised at the condition of this little aircraft that has been stored for 10 years. Everything, is in perfect order. I can't see any problems to deal with.(talking wings here). Today I shall find a way to store the wing assemblies. The easiest would be to lay them over the pergola rafters but SHMBO won't have it. She's already making noises because the plane is standing for me to drool over and show off to my neighbors.

 

Bob, time to start a thread so that we can all enjoy your journey as well. Look forward to see you down here in the south. Ever though of fixing your plane and down? What a trip that would be. Have fun either way.

 

 

[flyerme]

Great score Doug. I need to check it out :). Yeh looks like an 84 , t83 has no lower battens mate,And ran my fav eng the robin ec44..

 

I did a rebuild and put 60 hours in my T83. I REALLY WANT IT BACK !!! new owner never regoed and did 1 lesson and called it quits... It's sitting in a shed somewhere in Vic. Past 4 years... :(

 

My ol girl in 2012

 

Day before sale :(

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hi Tim. Passed your place on my journey and would have popped in but I was up against the clock. I needed to be there and be back before dark. I saw the bright yellow plane in your yard before I realised I was in Sherlock. Maybe, just maybe, I'll fly out to you one day. Should be doable.

 

Definitely not a T83 but it doesn't have lower battens. Serial number 1016 penned inside wing skin fits the registration info I've found

 

Reg: 10-1346

 

Manu: Thruster Aircraft

 

Type: Thruster 84

 

ICAO: ULAC

 

CN: 1016

 

 

[Deskpilot]

OK, a quick update. Although registered as a T84, she has all the properties if a T83. 80mm boom, tail lower struts finish short of tail plane assemblies and has no lower rib in the wings. Not that I'm bothered what she is as long as I can re-register her at a later date.

 

Currently she looks like this:

 

 

Now, another query, one of the 2 tanks I have, and the one I will probably use, appears to have a different spacing to the plane...?:

 

 

In case this offers some info as far as identity is concerned, this is the pod profile:

 

 

What I have found so far is that there is more wrong than I first imagined. Rusty through bolts in the wing attachment assemblies, degraded nylon spacers(very brittle), rusty rivets (thought they were all alloy) all bungies are hard and useless. Tail-wheel bearing absolutely shot/rusted out. Will be replacing this with a larger wheel.

 

Still sticking to my 'do a little every day' routine. There's certainly no rush to overlook things that need to be fixed or modified.

 

CYA

 

 

 

[kasper]

Your molded tank is for the T85 airframe ... it has wider spaced fore/aft tubes and has the raised tank to allow clearance on the tail support tubes coming up from the rear cross tube ... your airframe looks like a T83 with the narrow spaced tubes and of course with the tail boom support tubes coming off the front cross member no need for the raised tank.

 

Its 95.10 regn so you can modify it to your hearts content to fit the molded tank on or just use 20-40L fuel tank on the existing rails with a flop tube through a modified cap ... up to you

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Can anyone supply me with contact details for Kay please?

 

 

[Pilot Pete]

Try.........

 

Only available by Mail order directly from Kay Hayes.Postal Address: Kay Hayes,183 Lower Cressbrook Rd, Toogoolawah, Qld. 4314

 

Telephone: (07) 5423 1963 International: 61 7 5423 1963.

 

Email: [email protected]

[Deskpilot]

Thanks Tim. Couldn't sleep last night and was 'dreaming' of flying my plane to your 'international' airport some day. Just got to get it finished.

 

Sorry Pete, the Nieuport threw me. Tim dresses to the left and you to the right, right? (avatars) Maybe, one day, I'll fly into your back-yard as well.

 

 

[Pilot Pete]

Not Tim.... It's Pete

 

 

[Pilot Pete]

Similar avatars

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Sent an email to Kay and it got returned. She must have changed her web address. Will try phoning later.

 

 

[Pilot Pete]

Good luck on my back yard. It's full of trees

 

 

[Deskpilot]

OK then, let's try 'your neck of the woods'. Presumably there's an air strip there.