Airborne Strutted Wing

[Tracktop]

Hi

 

Just a pic of Airbornes new strutted wing.

 

The one on the left ;)

 

 

 

[skeptic36]

Hi Ray,

 

Have they published any specs on it yet:contract:, I just had a quick look at the airborne site but didn't see anything about it there.

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Hey Tracktop, did you brush up your Avatar to make your top wires disappear?

 

I visited the Airborne factory this morning and they had 3 or 4 "SST" wings fully rigged on the factory floor - If only I had bigger pockets I might have been able to sneak one out and they wouldn't notice:naughty: Yeah right . There was mention that CASA was coming to inspect them today, so commercial availability can't be too far away. Forgot to ask about whether a new mast was needed for the SST wing as I got busy showing things that needed doing to a Wizard-II wing I was dropping off ($$ :baldy: $$).

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

These are 'topless' wings? Similar to the Moyes wing.?

 

 

[Tracktop]

Hi

 

I believe they are plated the same as the streak 3 but feedback so far is it actually has a stall speed a couple of knots slower, trims faster and has lighter bar pressure but weighs a few kg heavier. Those that have flown it are already now saving their $s ;), they loved it ( no I haven't tried it yet.) I am lead to believe the waiting list is long at present with orders from the US.

 

Nah top wires are still there then again it would probably collapse without them :big_grin:

 

Yes Ozzie its a flat top, not sure how similar to the Moyes though. I know, as you would expect, there have been a few prototypes to get to this design.

 

 

[Mc Guyver]

Hey Tracktop, did you brush up your Avatar to make your top wires disappear?I visited the Airborne factory this morning and they had 3 or 4 "SST" wings fully rigged on the factory floor - If only I had bigger pockets I might have been able to sneak one out and they wouldn't notice:naughty: Yeah right . There was mention that CASA was coming to inspect them today, so commercial availability can't be too far away. Forgot to ask about whether a new mast was needed for the SST wing as I got busy showing things that needed doing to a Wizard-II wing I was dropping off ($$ :baldy: $$).

Hi Glen,

You would need a new mast to allow for the extra weight.

 

Delivery scheduled for the 22nd September:clap:

 

Trimmed @65Kts and took very little to get her to 95Kts.

 

Found it a little heavy in the roll:sad:

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Trimmed @65Kts and took very little to get her to 95Kts.

Hi Len,

 

At Somersby, with that kind of performance you can forget about the disk brake and pull your GRS, or run out of runway. Or start asking Airborne for Retro-rockets.

 

No doubt you'll be showing it off next time we fly together:na na:.

 

 

[alf jessup]

Geez Glenn,

 

What hope do I have then if I get a strutted wing, I only have 1530 meters and a drum brake, I might put a bumper bar on the nose for if I run into the fence trying to pull her up.:confused:

 

Cheers

 

Alf:kboom:

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

.......Trimmed @65Kts and took very little to get her to 95Kts.

Hmm I wonder what VNE is ??? 95.1kts:pope:

 

I do know that traveling at 95kts in winter time in the southern states is a surefire way to need to buy an electrically heated vest and quite possibly a plastic surgeon for the odd nosejob due to frostbite :big_grin:

 

With the drag that is inherant in a trike I'd be interested to see what the fuel consumption figures where at that speed also.

 

Seriously though 95kts..... damn thats fast:beg:...almost too fast for an open cockpit machine. Is it like the early streaks where if you pull back to your chest you can hoof it along but the pressure required means its only ever going to be short duration stuff unless steroids are a regular part of your food intake:strong:. At the bottom end, trimmed for 65 would be the same as the latest streak wouldnt it?

 

The real benefit I see in these types of wings are for those that want hangars. Hangars that are built for the current trikes cost lotsa $ more than hangars for say a 3 axis machine due to the extra height required so hopefully the topless bit will allow use of normal height hangars and give those folk more opporunity to use existing hangar spaces rather than almost always having to building there own.

 

Andy

 

 

[alf jessup]

Andy,

 

I'm with you mate as I am from the southern state currently being blown away.

 

60 kts is damn cold enough in winter here even with a tall screen.

 

I am guessing this strutted wing would be easier than the current streak 3 wing to hold in as my previous streak 1 wing required much more strength to hold in than the st 3, also the ST 1 used to get the sways up with the bar in at about 70 kts, I can get the ST 3 to the 85kt vne quite easy without and tendency to sway in straight and level.

 

so i guess with the advancement in technology the strutted would be even better again, I gather for over 12 grand and a new mast it would want to be.

 

I might wait until a few are flying and proven before I decide whether to upate.

 

Funnily enough I own the first XT 912 built with the first ST 3 wing and it hasn't let me down.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[Mc Guyver]

Hmm I wonder what VNE is ??? 95.1kts:pope:I do know that traveling at 95kts in winter time in the southern states is a surefire way to need to buy an electrically heated vest and quite possibly a plastic surgeon for the odd nosejob due to frostbite :big_grin:

 

With the drag that is inherant in a trike I'd be interested to see what the fuel consumption figures where at that speed also.

 

Seriously though 95kts..... damn thats fast:beg:...almost too fast for an open cockpit machine. Is it like the early streaks where if you pull back to your chest you can hoof it along but the pressure required means its only ever going to be short duration stuff unless steroids are a regular part of your food intake:strong:. At the bottom end, trimmed for 65 would be the same as the latest streak wouldnt it?

 

The real benefit I see in these types of wings are for those that want hangars. Hangars that are built for the current trikes cost lotsa $ more than hangars for say a 3 axis machine due to the extra height required so hopefully the topless bit will allow use of normal height hangars and give those folk more opporunity to use existing hangar spaces rather than almost always having to building there own.

 

Andy

Hi Andy,

They are leaving the VNE the same as the Streak III.

 

The trike had an add on windshield so the wind factor is reduced considerably.(magic on a long trip)

 

At high speed the nose wheel is a serious rudder!

 

It would not be physically possible to keep up that speed for long but was done for a very short burst to see where it would go.

 

 

[eastmeg2]

With the drag that is inherant in a trike I'd be interested to see what the fuel consumption figures where at that speed also. trimmed for 65 would be the same as the latest streak wouldnt it?

Hi Andy,

 

I'll be interested to see if the new topless wing makes any difference in fuel consumption too, but not relying on the fuel flow meters. I'll be watching how much fuel McGuyver uses next time. Might have to put a lock on his fuel cap so he can't sneak any in.:mulie:

 

I've been able to trim Streak-3 wings between 43-60kts hands-off, 65kts with just weight of hands on the bar and 70kts is manageable long distance but need to start redoing fuel burn calc's once above 65kts.

 

From the amount going into the tank versus hours flown, have had the following fuel burn rates in a couple of XT-912's I've flown x-country:

 

1-Up at 43kts = 8 L/hr

 

2-Up at 55kts = 11 to 12L/hr

 

2-Up at 65kts = 14 to 15 L/hr

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[alf jessup]

Glen,

 

Mine runs at 4250rpm at an indicated 62 kts with the tall screen burning around 9 to 10 lph 1 up, I don't rely on the flow meter I do my calcs on fill to fill, mind you this 9 to 10 lph includes start up, taxi, climb and decends over a usual 2 to 3 hr sortie.

 

My prop is pitched to 5500 max rpm.

 

With the tall screen I have a discrepency on the asi of 2 to 3 kts higher than with it off.

 

Maybe old 001 has a lean burn kit in it lol

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Hi Alf,

 

My airstrip's at nearly 2500ft AMSL and I'm guessing your airport is fairly close to sea level.

 

I should add that in the instance when I was flying at 43kts in the company of 582's with Wizards & Streak-1's I was operating close to sea level too. Soooo much warmer than Goulburn that I didn't bother with bar-mitts or touring screen or gloves. It was summer..

 

 

[alf jessup]

Glen,

 

Yep i guess 93 amsl is close to sea level as you could get here at Sale, i'm usually around 2500 travelling west and 1500 travelling east but at times go to 4500 aswell as 500 depending on the conditions, my flying is usually constant as most of the boys down here have ST 3's on there XT's.

 

I fly fairly conservative usually doing my decents at 3500 rpm to keep some heat in the engine i only ever go to idle during my approches when practicing engine failures around the airport.

 

I like to look after the old girl as i think it will look after me if i do, i always get the temp up to 100 deg every flight which takes some time sometimes as during winter it is damn cold down here.

 

I have found it to be very economical to fly as I use tailwinds as much as I can when going places, the only use for my gps is to give me the best ground speeds which intern decides on what altitute i will fly at.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[Tracktop]

Hi

 

I believe the SST has to be registered Light Sport

 

The required new mast is stronger to take the extra force of the trim speed adjustment but I didn't really look that closely at the configuration. I only stood under it for 3 days :baldy:

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Drum Roll . . . :drums:

 

It appears to be official on Airborne's website that the strutted topless wing has now been released and Spec's published.

 

AirBorne Australia

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[Kev]

Ray,

 

No, it doesn't have to be registered as an LSA in Australia. It is certified under LSA for export purposes. You are free to register it in Australia under LSA or Primary Category (CAO 95.32).

 

Safe flying

 

Kev

 

 

[alf jessup]

Well it's time, enough of them are out there flying so I just put my order in today for a SST wing for old 001, I am not going to re-register 001 wing as I will fold her up and put her in storage to keep it all original after the newbie arrives early April.

 

Going with the same color on the newbie but spewing I cannot use the original rego on the new wing, HGFA says I can if I destroy the wing (Yeah like that's ever going to happen with a perfectly good wing at 700hrs).

 

Any ideas out there on how to keep the old wing (folded and in the bag) in the shed without causing damage to it over the long term??.

 

Would it be better to hang it from the shed rafters or put it on the mezzanine floor with a heap of rat sack around it not that I have any rats that I know of in the shed.

 

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Hi Alf,

 

Congrats on ordering your new wing. I've not flown an SST yet and maybe I shouldn't since my S3 has only 180hrs on it and for the time being I'm happy to "chug" along at 60-65kts or fly my Wizard-3 Tundra Outback Buzzard 503 at 35kts.

 

I've just upgraded my XT to a Mark-2 on the weekend by fitting a disk brake upgrade kit from Airborne. You might want to do the same. It does cost a few $k's but includes all the new rear undercarriage struts to replace the Mark-1 items and other up to date goodies.

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[Tracktop]

Hi Alf

 

I read somewhere, I think it may have been in the HGFA newsletter???? an idea for transporting / storing your wing was to wrap it in a sheet or 2 of square profile acrylic sheet ( laser light or similar) to distribute the load more evenly and protect it - I guess if you could seal the ends it may help with vermin protection too. I wouldn't put rat bait in or too close to the wing though, as you don't want to attract them to the wing.

 

 

[alf jessup]

Glen,

 

I haven't flown one yet either but have ordered it anyway, hope i like it or there might be a cheap SST for sale.

 

Hmm disk brake rear end, never thought of stopping her, will wait awhile for that as dont wanna have the MOWAF (minister of war and finance) frowning upon me, mind you i only got home yesterday and just happened to mention to her my thoughts on getting one, she said why dont you so I did before she realised what she said. BNPYL (better not push your luck)

 

Ray,

 

Good idea on not spreading the rat sack around as I dont want to attract them if they are not there.

 

Will look at different options for storing it mainy dont want vermin or mould ect.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Not a bad idea to hang the old wing up but I'd be inclined to support it lengthways underneath - an extended ladder is ideal to spread the load.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[alf jessup]

John,

 

Thats probably what i will do, i would rather hang it than have it sit on the mezzanine floor in my shed,

 

I'll just buy a 16 ft ladder and get some foam for covering the rungs as it will probably sit there for a very long time until i decide what i want to do with it.

 

I would like to keep the wing as it matches the base with the 001 serial number, more for sentimental reasons than anything else.

 

Alf

 

 

[Kev]

Alf

 

I kept my original HGFA Rego when I sold my Streak 1 and bought a Streak 11B for the Edge-X (a couple of years ago). All I did was complete a change of registration details notification form (after phoning the office to confirm I could keep my rego).

 

I removed the numbers off the old wing though, as I was selling it - might be worth checking again as all you are doing is 'de-registering' your old wing?

 

Safe flying

 

Kev