Another NEW Savannah XL on its way

[sfGnome]

Mark, I've drunk in every word and every picture from this thread, and it's been great reading the whole way. Long may she fly!

 

 

[eightyknots]

Mark, I've drunk in every word and every picture from this thread, and it's been great reading the whole way. Long may she fly!

Very well expressed and this echoes how I have felt about this thread.

 

I am sure there are many others who feel about it this way Mark. As of today, this thread has been viewed 28,000 times!

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I still can't get the grin off my face I really can't wait to start getting the 25 hrs done but the weather is going to be crap for the next week. Its quite windy and more rain coming for the rest of the week and weekend. I still have to make some final adjustments to the trim and stick position. I wanted to do a lot of flying this weekend but not so I think. I will work on getting my shed back in some sort of order after the build it feels strange walking in there now it seems so empty.

 

I would like to say I appreciate all the comments made and advice given. This has been a fantastic learning experience for me and really it is only just the tip of the iceberg I have sooooo much more to learn I am looking forward to it. I think in the not too far distant future I would like to build another one maybe the S version this time and of course put the injected 912 in it but I think that won't be until we retire up to the farm.

 

Any thing I find with the aircraft or any mods I make to this one I am flying now I will post back in this thread also my progress in hours etc. Once again I thank everyone for reading and putting up with me over this time it has been a blast

 

Mark

 

 

[eightyknots]

Any thing I find with the aircraft or any mods I make to this one I am flying now I will post back in this thread also my progress in hours etc. Once again I thank everyone for reading and putting up with me over this time it has been a blast

Mark

I am looking forward to it!

 

 

[rankamateur]

I think in the not too far distant future I would like to build another one maybe the S version this time and of course put the injected 912 in it but I think that won't be until we retire up to the farm.Mark

You will be able to have a 914i by then most likely, then she would really sparkle!

 

 

[eightyknots]

You will be able to have a 914i by then most likely, then she would really sparkle!

In my feeling the Rotax 912i is a conservative "first move" by Rotax. Once it proves itself over the next 18-24 months, don't be surprised if Rotax won't bring out a Naturally Aspirated (non-turbo) 110 hp variant of the injected engine. On the other hand, Rotax has a great reputation to uphold; if an over-zealous move to higher output without tens of thousands of hours of in-field testing led to a serious problem, Rotax's 'bullet-proof' reputation would be in danger. Other engine manufacturs who have made engines cheaper, lighter and with a higher power/weight ratio have had serious and often unexplained engine failures. These events have done much harm to those manufacturers' reputations.

 

Market pressure alone would dicatate that to compete with the likes of UL Power (engines up to 130 hp weighing only a handful of kilograms more than the Rotax) and even an aero-conversion product like Viking (110 hp) it will soon be forced to come up with some more power in the fuel injected Rotax.

 

Perhaps all it needs is a bit of re-chipping of the electronics?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I am baaaaack

 

Well first issue reared its head today. I parked the Sav late sunday afternoon and have not been there since then. Got to the hangar at around 1.30pm today to do the further repositioning of the joystick for pitch and to redo the trim ready for the next flight as the weather has been windy here and a few showers and looks a lot like further crap until early next week when I can hit the sky again. I opened up the doors and nearly got knocked over by fuel smell. I have sealed the wing holes so it wouldn't be coming from there so looked at all my fuel pipes and my fuel switch and all looked fine, I looked at the floor for some reason and saw a brown stain coming down the floor at the corner edge followed it and its right at the firewall so had to be coming from the engine bay. I took the top cowl off and was looking for where it would come from initially I though the filter must be leaking but then I saw a small drop on the concrete directly under the cowl so got underneath and could see a dribble line coming from the underside of the black engine mount so I dropped off the bottom cowl and followed it the leak was coming from the 4way fuel splitter block so thought a hose must have been loose but it wasn't it was actually leaking out of where one carby line comes off right at the joint between the alu fitting and the alu block. It hadn't been sealed properly at the factory. This is when I noticed the larger pool on the floor where it had been running down the underside of the fuselage. Have cleaned the inside of the cabin and outside as well but will need to do some paint tough up as the fuel have softened some paint. Lucky I didn't have carpet on the floor otherwise it would have been very had to find this issue .

 

This has come about because I have kept all the fuel off while it had been in the aircraft while finishing it. I have left my wing selector with both inner tanks on as most normally do and the pressure from the tanks in the wings keep the fuel up at the carbys so for the last 3 days there has been a pressure there and this has exposed the leak This could have caused a fire in flight too so very lucky to have found it so quickly. I have fixed it tonight by bringing the block home and taking out the stub fitting and cleaning it all reversing the copper washer then putting thread sealer into the thread and doing it up properly. It must have not been home fully originally. I checked the other 4 fittings and found another one a little loose as well...not loose but half a turn with a spanner loose. Some pics attached showing the block with the small gap and also a after shot when I had finished I am confident it won't leak now but will put it back in tomorrow and check again on the weekend with the tanks on again.

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[av8vfr]

Hi Mark, not sure about the Sav fuel block, but if it is Aluminium with copper washers the electrolysis factor is way high...remember copper clamps on Alu overheads... Just looks that way.. Matt

 

 

[rankamateur]

http://www.recreationalflying.com/attachments/img_1649_1-jpg.17679/

 

The outlet above your thumb looks crooked, are you sure it isn't cross threaded, that might make it leak.

 

 

[gareth lacey]

good one mark. great to see you fly your own plane a great achievement plane looks very professional built top marks!! will drop by to pick up the clecos next week. cheers gareth

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Yes when I removed the block today the one that was leaking did look a little crooked.....its now straight and tight. I am not sure how I missed it when I installed it but it is fixed now and yes I did think about the copper and alu issue but all Savs are the same and don't seem to have any issue with the electrolysis. I should be around gareth just ring first. Got my Zulu headset today so setup the bluetooth so I can go flying and still answer the phone...I used the Zulu's in Bills plane while training they are very impressive then again for a thousand bucks they would want to be

 

Mark

 

 

[eightyknots]

Just being very curious Mark: what was the overall finished weight of your XL?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Heavier than I wanted it to be. I put it down to the undercoat I used I think it added quite a few extra kg to the finished weight. I also have the big wheels also the metalwork and 4 long straps for the ballistic chute fitted and a ERPS with 6 emitters which probably weighs around 2 kg at least including the associated wiring. I also have quite a large main power cable 4 gauge from memory also a battery isolator switch and run a separate earth (the original main power cable supplied in the kit ) from the battery to the engine and as well the larger propellor. Finished weight was 317kg that also included the sump fuel as well which is around 5kg. I weighed it with it full as well seeing that is part of the empty weight so to speak as it always has to be there also have a few more metres of fuel hose and brass fittings to join them and the 4 way fuel switch manifold and wiring for strobes in the wings and anti collision on the fin it all adds up when you think about it. So I know exactly how much weight in fuel I am adding as whatever goes into the main tanks and passenger weight it will all be correct at MTOW....no fudging the figures so to speak

 

I refitted the repaired fuel block today and turned the tanks on will go back tomorrow and check there are no more leaks

 

Mark

 

 

[eightyknots]

Heavier than I wanted it to be. I put it down to the undercoat I used I think it added quite a few extra kg to the finished weight. I also have the big wheels also the metalwork and 4 long straps for the ballistic chute fitted and a ERPS with 6 emitters which probably weighs around 2 kg at least including the associated wiring. I also have quite a large main power cable 4 gauge from memory also a battery isolator switch and run a separate earth (the original main power cable supplied in the kit ) from the battery to the engine and as well the larger propellor. Finished weight was 317kg that also included the sump fuel as well which is around 5kg. I weighed it with it full as well seeing that is part of the empty weight so to speak as it always has to be there also have a few more metres of fuel hose and brass fittings to join them and the 4 way fuel switch manifold and wiring for strobes in the wings and anti collision on the fin it all adds up when you think about it. So I know exactly how much weight in fuel I am adding as whatever goes into the main tanks and passenger weight it will all be correct at MTOW....no fudging the figures so to speakI refitted the repaired fuel block today and turned the tanks on will go back tomorrow and check there are no more leaks

 

Mark

From what I know about your plane, I can see a few extra weight-adding items:

 

And the two additional fuel tanks (they must weigh a few kaygees each)

 

And the enlarged baggage area (although, does this option actually add much weight?)

 

And the anti-corrosion system (but then, would you be without it?)

 

And the Jab static port (including a longer stat-port line)

 

You probably saved weight by:

 

Not using carpet (probably quite a few kg saved)

 

Not using the ICP instruments (I'm sure the Brauniger instruments weigh less in comparison)

 

Not using a fuel injected Rotax (saved 7 kg)

 

I hope your fuel leak problems are over.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Hank

 

Don't forget I have 3 of the larger 600:6 wheels as well that adds around 4 to 5 kg at least with the larger tyres and larger tubes

 

Its a little heavier than I would like but I am very very happy with it anyway...it will make me lose more weight to carry more fuel when I have a passenger and want to go distance. I can still fill with all 4 tanks full 140 litres and with my massive bulk still be 30kg under MTOW so can still go long distances anyway. Speaking of the fuel issue I managed to find the issue very quickly because I did NOT have carpet in there on the floor otherwise it would have been much more difficult to find. It went back together yesterday and fuel is on so will check later today to make sure no more leaks. I have to fit the door lock handle back today anyway as when I went to lock the doors yesterday for the first time one door lock worked the other wouldn't so I have been playing locksmith this morning and had the barrel out and fixed the lock on the other door it had a wafer issue so modified it and it works perfect now. still looks like later next week until I can go fly again the weather is still crap today and will get much worse over the weekend and early next week

 

Mark

 

 

[eightyknots]

I think your set-up is absolutely ideal and you probably would not want to change it at all. Just a question, do you know if the extended luggage compartment adds any weight to the plane?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Not much extra weight realy it is just the rear bottom sheet and about 50 rivets maybe a extra 400 gramms

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hi to everyone who has put up with my ramblings on this thread. SHE FLYS

 

Spotted written below the avatar of a very big contributor to this thread:

 

Savannah VG XL building nearly finished :)

 

 

 

[Towering Cu]

G'day Mark,

 

Just wanted to add my congratulations to you for your great achievement. Well done on building your own aircraft and thank you for the great log and posts you've shared with us all for the past 2 years. The Savvy I know isn't everyones cup of tea, but it certainly has me won over. Look forward to visiting her in her new home sometime in the coming months when I can finally take a breather!

 

Well done Mate,

 

Mike.

 

 

[eightyknots]

It must have been a proud moment when you ditched the All Black avatar for the Savannah avatar!

 

 

[Graham Pukallus]

Mark, have day off tomorrow Friday 15 th, going for a general fly, possibly to Kilcoy etc and finish with some circuits at Cab. Sometime in morning departure. Let me know if you want to come along. 0437004225. Graham - Hangar99 , Savannah

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Sorry for the late reply Mike

 

Yes please call in for a chat and a coffee...no plane here now of course :)

 

 

[Clayton]

Hi Mark, Ive read through your build log and just want to say congrats it looks like you've done an amazing job building your Savannah. Id like to build an S model one day and i'm sure the information in this thread will come in handy. Nice work!

 

Clayton

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Clayton

 

Thankyou for your comments. I think my next one will be an S version but that will be some time away yet and I will keep flying this one until the other is completed. My mrs likes the S one for looks she tells me :) . I have done a small video with some of the video I have taken over this first 7.4 hours done so far. Only being able to go 25nm is limiting but gives me plenty of time to practice stalls and forced landings and circuits but the weather has not been kind either. I don't go if its too windy although last Sunday I took off and it was only about 8 knots but at 2500 it was 40knt !!!! so didn't fly for too long it was too bouncy so that was only a 50 min flight and even at 2000 it was 30 knots and really rough landing on 30 at YCAB... anyway here is a link for the video its a little choppy but sort of shows the area I can fly Kilcoy is just inside my radius. The last part was taken with my iPhone as I forgot the cheap Aldi camera last monday...what a beautiful day its was too....I will get a Nflightcam Plus soon so videos should be much better

 

 

 

Mark

 

 

[JimG]

Well done Mark, brilliant scenery , one of the best places to go flying I say.

 

Has Bill shown you Tim and Marg's strip a couple of NM east of Kilcoy, really friendly folk and a fun place to land.

 

JimG