Thruster Parts (Australia)

[Methusala]

Another one...Tyro at Holbrook. Around '95.

[DeanT]

Great photos Don, they bring back some memories. Do you have any of the Jeep or Javelin?

[Methusala]

3 hours ago, DeanT said:

Do you have any of the Jeep or Javelin?

No Dean, though I flew both back in the days at Holbrook. Here is the last of them, my son Alistair and Wayne Adams in the club Gemini at Holbrook in 1991. Cheers and Happy Christmas to all. Don

[Thruster88]

This from the early 90's. We flew 4 thrusters up to Lightning Ridge for a little airshow, some Drifters came down from Qld. As I get older I am thankful that I flew from a young age and did lots of low flying in those years. I am the skinny guy in blue.

[BrendAn]

All these old photos are great . Back when ultralight meant ultralight not 200k LSA aircraft. 

There is one major stumbling block to getting all the old thrusters back in the air and that is finding a CFI that is checked out on 2 stroke and taildragger. They just aren't out there. I have found one but he is so time poor I can't even talk to him let alone get lessons.  Once you could go and stay in Holbrook for a couple of weeks and go home with your ticket. Kicking myself that I didn't do that years ago.  If anyone knows a thruster endorsed CFI I would love to get his number. Any where on the east coast would be ok.

Edited December 29, 2021 by BrendAn

[Blueadventures]

7 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

All these old photos are great . Back when ultralight meant ultralight not 200k LSA aircraft. 

There is one major stumbling block to getting all the old thrusters back in the air and that is finding a CFI that is checked out on 2 stroke and taildragger. They just aren't out there. I have found one but he is so time poor I can't even talk to him let alone get lessons.  Once you could go and stay in Holbrook for a couple of weeks and go home with your ticket. Kicking myself that I didn't do that years ago.  If anyone knows a thruster endorsed CFI I would love to get his number. Any where on the east coast would be ok.

LoneEagle west of Brisbane would be worth a phone call.

[pmccarthy]

And it all seemed normal at the time, we didn’t know that it was a special time and wouldn’t last.

[Thruster88]

Not sure about it not lasting, a 21 year old and three others in their 30's have bought Thrusters in this area recently.  

[BrendAn]

14 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

Not sure about it not lasting, a 21 year old and three others in their 30's have bought Thrusters in this area recently.  

There are lots of people interested  but instructors are getting rarer. Thankfully there a still  a few around that you told me about today. But what about in another 5 years.

[Thruster88]

These guys are all pilots already, some will just need tail wheel or RAAus "endorsement " 

 

I would probably advise anyone wanting to fly a thruster learn in a tricycle aircraft and then get the tail wheel endorsement. There will always be instructors doing tail wheel endorsements. Every one should get a tail wheel endorsement, it will make you a better pilot.

[BrendAn]

27 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

These guys are all pilots already, some will just need tail wheel or RAAus "endorsement " 

 

I would probably advise anyone wanting to fly a thruster learn in a tricycle aircraft and then get the tail wheel endorsement. There will always be instructors doing tail wheel endorsements. Every one should get a tail wheel endorsement, it will make you a better pilot.

But the thruster also needs a 2 stroke endorsement.  So it needs to be a thruster or drifter.  That's why I want to do my certificate in the thruster.  That covers everything.

[facthunter]

I would consider the Drifter  more easy to manage but the U/C is more easily bent if you drop it in. You have to be careful nothing falls out of your pockets with a Pusher.  Nev

[BrendAn]

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

I would consider the Drifter  more easy to manage but the U/C is more easily bent if you drop it in. You have to be careful nothing falls out of your pockets with a Pusher.  Nev

Fair enough. I haven't been in either but the topic is about ultralight instructors getting rarer. 

[facthunter]

It's actually about" Thruster parts"  IF you want to be specific. I've instructed in both  and thought my comments might have been helpful. I don't mind. I'm not short of things to do. Nev

[BrendAn]

3 minutes ago, facthunter said:

It's actually about" Thruster parts"  IF you want to be specific. I've instructed in both  and thought my comments might have been helpful. I don't mind. I'm not short of things to do. Nev

I apologise. I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I was referring to my post which we were discussing.  I have foot in mouth disease sometimes.

[facthunter]

A thread has a life of it's own. Thanks for your response. I do write from experience not from some BS on Farcebook and I hope I can pass some on. Nev

[BrendAn]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

A thread has a life of it's own. Thanks for your response. I do write from experience not from some BS on Farcebook and I hope I can pass some on. Nev

I write from inexperience but I am learning.

[Thruster88]

On 30/12/2021 at 7:00 PM, BrendAn said:

But the thruster also needs a 2 stroke endorsement.  So it needs to be a thruster or drifter.  That's why I want to do my certificate in the thruster.  That covers everything.

The RAAus 2 stroke endorsement is a bit silly IMHO. Rotax 912 carb, 912is and jabiru are different  enough to operate correctly that they (RAAus)  could have an endorsement for each engine type. In the real world pilots read the POH or seek information if they are operating an engine with which they are not familiar.

 

RAAus have dropped  the low performance and high performance endorsements and they should do the same with 2 stroke. 

 

In VH land it is up to the pilot to know the differences between carburetor and fuel injected engines from different manufacturers.  

[BrendAn]

10 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

The RAAus 2 stroke endorsement is a bit silly IMHO. Rotax 912 carb, 912is and jabiru are different  enough to operate correctly that they (RAAus)  could have an endorsement for each engine type. In the real world pilots read the POH or seek information if they are operating an engine with which they are not familiar.

 

RAAus have dropped  the low performance and high performance endorsements and they should do the same with 2 stroke. 

 

In VH land it is up to the pilot to know the differences between carburetor and fuel injected engines from different manufacturers.  

I agree. A 2 stroke doesn't have mixture adjustment or carby heat. If you know how to put some oil in a container of petrol and shake it then you are right to go.

[Blueadventures]

1 minute ago, BrendAn said:

I agree. A 2 stroke doesn't have mixture adjustment or carby heat. If you know how to put some oil in a container of petrol and shake it then you are right to go.

Just as important is the warm up so you do not have a cold seizure on takeoff climb.

[BrendAn]

1 minute ago, Blueadventures said:

Just as important is the warm up so you do not have a cold seizure on takeoff climb.

Yes but that goes for 4 strokes too doesn't it

[Blueadventures]

10 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

Yes but that goes for 4 strokes too doesn't it

No.  Two strokes very fussy on engine heat management pre take off.  Your two stroke instructor will give attention to this topic.

[spacesailor]

And !

Half V W motor,s have no mixture, or  heating control either.

At 140 mph V N E  isn,t slow,  so shouldn,t need that ' low performance ' rating either.

I think some aircraft do need a ' poor performance ' rating, to keep them out of newspaper headlines.

spacesailor

[facthunter]

Oil left in a carburettor after the petrol evaporates can lean the mixture out with a pre mix 2 stroke. The fuel also goes off more quickly once it's mixed.. Fresh mixed fuel all the time. Plugs can also whisker. Statistically 2 strokes are much less reliable and need a bit of extra notice to be taken of signs of impending issues. A crankcase seal leak will ruin a motor as it will affect the mixture.  IF you have a single carb for 2 cyls you can get a mixture variation from one to the other which is less likely with the 2 carb set up.  That seems anti intuitive but is the case.  Nev

[jackc]

Funny you should mention that Nev, I asked my CFI about premix for my 582  a few weeks ago and he said that to store it premixed.  Now, I remember Yamaha was very specific about stale fuel causing holed pistons in outboards, but these were not premix fuel motors.  I have ordered a new crate premix 582 engine to put in my Thruster, not because the old one is cactus but to simply have reliable as possible.