building my Savannah-S in germany

[rmorton]

Hi Thomas greta to see the progress. I am finally getting back to the important things in life and hope to tart the wings. Your bubbles look a bit worrying as oil is clearly getting past the seal. Have you tried lightning the Allen bolt you can see behind the piston? I read you must use a mineral oil bathe are very thin and maybe a more viscous oil may help? Otherwise its a visit to the bank manager and go the derringer route ;)

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

The screw on the top you see there is the fill hole. My units were empty and I had to fill both. Mine have not leaked. You fill them from the brake caliper. I used a large syringe and pushed the oil through and had a small bolt with a hole drilled through it and it was connected by a small tube to a bottle of oil so I could get all the air out. The tube sit in the oil so no air can come back into the lines

 

 

[MajorTom]

Otherwise its a visit to the bank manager and go the derringer route ;)

NO... I will rather go to to the big "AERO" fair and protest in front of their show area, wearing nothing but a banner "Junksaler"

 

You fill them from the brake caliper. I used a large syringe and pushed the oil through

Yes, thats the way I did it. It seems the upper part of the cylinder is kind of a resevoir and it is so full that smales changes bring it to overflow a little. Today I will try to fill the second cylinder an see how this one behaves...By the way.... Final inspection and first flight is planned for middle of May.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Excellent..good luck with the inspection. i am sure you will pass with flying colours :)

 

 

[Yiannis Air]

This is common at ICP brakes. The reservoir is on the top of the cylinder. As you can see the diameter there is bigger.

 

 

[valentin]

Hi, i’m new on site ,congrats to all builders.I hope to start and share with you my project soon

 

 

[Guy s]

I ran into trouble with the ICP brakes. Problem is: when I push some times on the cylinder some oil is starting to come out in bubbles. The oil is coming, when the cylinder is released. I don't know if this is o.k. and will end when the brake fluid level is leveled. The cylinder has no resevoir, don't ist? ( Sorry, can't find the right words, hope the meaning clear)

I had a bit of trouble with my ICP master cylinders holding pressure when braking and honing and new Orings didn't fix the problem. I ended up installing Matco master cylinders and the quality in astounding compared to the ICP cylinders and haven't had a ounce of trouble since.

 

 

[MajorTom]

I hope my cylinders will work. If not it would be good to know what Matco cylinders to buy?

 

 

[MajorTom]

The breaks seem to be o.k. just a little to full.

 

On wednesday my plane had its final inspection and was declared airworthy. In a couple of days, when the paperwork is done, testflights can begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guy s]

Woohoo getting close now Tom and looks great and look forward to seeing it hit the skies and seeing you enjoying the fruition of your passion.

 

 

[Sam the Swiss]

The breaks seem to be o.k. just a little to full.On wednesday my plane had its final inspection and was declared airworthy. In a couple of days, when the paperwork is done, testflights can begin.[ATTACH]55015[/ATTACH][ATTACH]55016[/ATTACH][ATTACH]55017[/ATTACH][ATTACH]55018[/ATTACH]

Congratulations! You were fast and the bird looks beautiful!Sam

 

 

[MajorTom]

Well, thanks.... I'm still looking for some nice noseart. The ICP arrows look nice, but why built a plane all by yourself and then paint it like a factory bird? What do you thing of a siluette from "the jungle book" "Hakuna Matata" or the sabortooth squirrel from ice age chasing a nut....???

 

 

[Sam the Swiss]

Good question… I think it should be something you have a personal relationship with, like for a friend of mine snoopy as a WW I-pilot, so it is difficult to provide advice. But maybe that by now you already know what to put on .

 

 

[IBob]

Well done. You certainly made a fast build!

 

Yes, the painting is a puzzle......I'll be interested to see what you decide......)

 

 

[perrynz]

Hey MT. Do you sleep at night, or just keep building your aircraft? I can't believe how quickly you have got to this stage. Well done. Here's a pic of mine. First engine runs last Friday. I've spent 1540 hours building mine to date, and yet to paint the cowlings, and make some better seat cushions, as the factory supplied ones aren't comfortable. We may be in the air around the same time.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Slow progress as I had to go to the UK to get this:[ATTACH]33983.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33974.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33975.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33976.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33977.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33978.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33979.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33980.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33981.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]33982.IPB[/ATTACH]

The UK?

 

Aren't Rotax engines available from Austria any more?

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hey MT. Do you sleep at night, or just keep building your aircraft? I can't believe how quickly you have got to this stage. Well done. Here's a pic of mine. First engine runs last Friday. I've spent 1540 hours building mine to date, and yet to paint the cowlings, and make some better seat cushions, as the factory supplied ones aren't comfortable. We may be in the air around the same time.[ATTACH]38024.IPB[/ATTACH]

I made a start on my aircraft in February, logging 2 hours only. Since then work, family and community commitments has kept me away from my Savannah :-(  Using your hours as a yardstick, I have 1538 hours to go!

 

Your aircraft looks lovely Perry. When will she be flying? ...and who will be doing the test flight?

 

 

[eightyknots]

The breaks seem to be o.k. just a little to full.On wednesday my plane had its final inspection and was declared airworthy. In a couple of days, when the paperwork is done, testflights can begin.

 

[ATTACH]38021.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]38018.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]38019.IPB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]38020.IPB[/ATTACH]

Your aircraft looks very nice Tom. It has been a pretty quick build. Your blue looks similar to Perry's although you used white as an extra colour.

 

My wife and daughters would like me to paint my Savannah blue as well. But having only spent two hours deburring the fin parts, I am going to be some time before the painting decisions have to be made.

 

 

[rmorton]

The UK?

Aren't Rotax engines available from Austria any more?

Indeed they are but I found this one rebuilt by one of the few people I would trust to fly behind.

 

 

[perrynz]

I made a start on my aircraft in February, logging 2 hours only. Since then work, family and community commitments has kept me away from my Savannah :-(  Using your hours as a yardstick, I have 1538 hours to go!

Your aircraft looks lovely Perry. When will she be flying? ...and who will be doing the test flight?

Eightyknots. I hope you have some Devine intervention, or are ageless. If your current building rate of two hours every 3 months continues, your build will take 192.5 years! LOL. Perry.

 

 

[MajorTom]

Hey MT. Do you sleep at night, or just keep building your aircraft? I can't believe how quickly you have got to this stage. 

It seems, I spend every free minute with my built....  But I also invested (too) much time in side projects like flight sticks, avionics and custom dashbord. Much time can be safed by installing the ICP  privided cables and instruments. A good manual could safe unnumbered hours and much frustration. So maybe the Savannah can be built in 500 hours

 

The first flight took place on May, the 8th and was done by a flight instructor and Savannah owner himself. He was very pleased and would have switched planes instantly, because my Rotax runs amazingly smooth. On the 3. testflight, I was on the plane with him and did some airwork. It was so great to fly my own plane. Never ever would I have even allowed myself to dream such a thing and now its reality. I still feels kind of unreal. He also gave me 3 hours of training in his bird and when the wether is nice and calm, I will do my first soloflight.

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

 

 

 

 

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

 

first-flight-DMDYZ.mp4

[rankamateur]

Eightyknots. I hope you have some Devine intervention, or are ageless. If your current building rate of two hours every 3 months continues, your build will take 192.5 years! LOL. Perry.

Don't listen to his harsh words Hank! I have only got about three hours in on mine in the last couple of years, after my brisk start. But we will get there, it isn't a race.

 

 

[IBob]

Congratulations, Major Tom!

 

And what a great summer you have ahead of you!!!

 

 

[MajorTom]

Congratulations, Major Tom!And what a great summer you have ahead of you!!!

Thanks Bob, I am very excited. Now, there is much learning to do, like it was while building.  There have already been 3 hours of training on a flightschool Savannah, but still I do not feel "at home"  while doing circuit training. Esp. the  need for so much trimming is new to me.

And Bob, you have been a great help for as first time builder and spared me much trouble. Remember your wing tank  tutorial? "No matter what ICP writes, DO NOT DRILL" ....Thanks Bob, come over for a beer or two any time.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Congratulation Tom. Great to see her fly. There will be plenty of nerves for a while but after 10 or 20 hrs in your own aircraft it will soon fit you like a glove. Then you can start to explore the envelope of just how well the Savannah flys