Another NEW Savannah XL on its way

[eightyknots]

The farming folk here talk of one year when it blew for 3 hundred and something days. But I'm happy to say we mostly get plenty of calm days too. Though, yes, we do need to keep one eye firmly on the weather. I'm fortunate that fallowdeer here will be some 200hrs ahead of me in his VG by the time I'm airborn, so I hope to learn from his experience too. Thanks for the flaps comment: as a late arrival to all this, I intend to be long on discretion, short on valor, and certainly not aiming to set any STOL records.

You can second that. We frequently get gusty north westerlies here (the prevailing wind) and, from time to time, a good southerly will blow through the place as well. Both winds tend to blow outdoor furniture around. When I built my house over here, we had to have our frames designed by a structural engineer because we are in an exposed situation and the windows had be VH (= Very High ...one step below cyclonic) rated. And then, there is the earthquake factor (we had a 5.8 on the Richter scale here in the last 48 hours).

 

Thankfully, earthquakes have no bearing on flying conditions in the Wairarapa .

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Ok went to the hangar today with the van loaded up with cut off saws and grinders and tig welder...got my mate who is a good welder..on his birthday even :)...nothing like having to work for your mate on your birthday :)....anyway all pipes are cut and tacked and tomorrow they will be final welded here at home. I had to shift the radiator slightly in the adjustment holes 15mm to the left and I will need to maybe make a new set of hanger brackets at the front for the radiator but thats no drama at all. Once all welded the pipes will be ceramic coasted which stops most of the heat from them as they are a little close to some of the internals but all should be fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IBob]

I'm looking forward greatly to seeing what results you get here.

 

You mentioned there is a noticeable difference in spark plug condition, front vs back. Do you have any pics of that?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

The black ones are the rear cylinders

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I wont get to run the engine until next sunday. The pipes will be finished tomorrow and I will fit them during the week. I am off down to Narrabri/Gunnedah on this Friday to have a look at the Rans S-20 Raven which is the next aircraft I am thinking about building then will be back here saturday night. So it will be the next day I get a chance to run it up but I also need to run it with the original system

 

 

[IBob]

That's astonishing.

 

I'll ask the stupid question (I'm an automation eng of sorts, so it comes with the territory): the Spirit you referred to earlier as performing so much better with same engine and prop: what do his plugs look like?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Spoke to Roger today about that actually. He is due to check the plugs in a couple of hours so should be able to answer that question for you and me both. The rear ones are so black that it cant be the difference between the front and rear on the inlet manifold distance from the carbs.

 

 

[SDQDI]

I seem to remember rotaxes being known for having a big difference in plugs especially when running cool?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I wont be too far from Quirindi next week....It will be interesting to see when Tony gets his S20 flying you may well see him around a lot more instead of a drifter

 

 

[SDQDI]

I wont be too far from Quirindi next week....It will be interesting to see when Tony gets his S20 flying you may well see him around a lot more instead of a drifter

I was wondering when you were talking about an s20 at gunnedah, Tony was telling us all about it when we flew out to his strip a few months ago .

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

The S-20 has arrived and from the picture I saw looks really great. He got the quick build version so its all covered and painted...looks really nice

 

 

[SDQDI]

Hmm I might be flying up to a property west of Moree a bit over the next few weeks (helping the old boy with some contract harvesting), I might have to drop in and have a squiz:wink:

 

They are a nice looking plane aren't they:thumb up:

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

He didnt get the undercarriage as they didnt have any when they sent his kit. Tony has to make a frame to hold it while he gets its all done. Hopefully it will be ready for me to crawl all over and take lots of pics. It is the only one here in Australia at this stage.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

They are a nice looking aircraft, this is a picture from the factory floor a couple of days ago. I also see they have now for the S7 Courier a set of retractable slats. The S-20 has the same wing as the Courier so should be able to be fitted

 

 

 

 

[rankamateur]

I am off down to Narrabri/Gunnedah on this Friday to have a look at the Rans S-20 Raven

Yes, and your track takes you where?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

The bits are home on the bench ready for tomorrows finishing off. I may do some new ones a little better if this works well. I will probably change a few things with the radiator mounts and I will use a better pipe bender. The current one crushes the pie a little bit but wont make difference for this trial its only for asthetics the function side of it will be the same

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Not flying down Steve we are driving down. The Mrs wants to come along and also the grand daughter. So can take a detour over your way on the way back if you are going to be around next saturday. I have been looking at which roads to take. The shortest distance looks also to be the longest drive...must be a crap road

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

If I was flying then your only about 10 or 15 mins off the track

 

 

[rankamateur]

Not flying down Steve we are driving down. The Mrs wants to come along and also the grand daughter. So can take a detour over your way on the way back if you are going to be around next saturday. I have been looking at which roads to take. The shortest distance looks also to be the longest drive...must be a crap road

Middle daughters graduation is over at Armidale Saturday morning, should be back mid afternoon. Take the road to Toowoomba to Goondiwindi through Millmerran is probably the best road then get on the Newell Highway. It is a bit out of your to come round by my place by road. Like going to Reg's place from here 4 1/2 mins flying, 25-30 mins drive. Only one way to go.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Yes its a fair way out of the way by road. I have a 5.30am start on friday to get there by about 1.30 or 2pm. Depends on how I feel on the way back as I want to get a early one on the way back as well so looks like I will have to do a flyin to you. The new engine pipes are on hold as I have run out of gas but mostly done this arvo. Hope to get some tomorrow or wednesday I want them finished before I head off on friday so I can try both muffler systems on next Sunday

 

 

[eightyknots]

They are a nice looking aircraft, this is a picture from the factory floor a couple of days ago. I also see they have now for the S7 Courier a set of retractable slats. The S-20 has the same wing as the Courier so should be able to be fitted[ATTACH=full]38765[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]38766[/ATTACH]

Are you thinking tail dragger or nose dragger, Mark?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I would end up flying it as a taildragger I think. But for the first flying probably as a nose dragger. The beauty of the S=20 is you can do it either way as all the mounts required are welded to the aircraft frame when they weld it. You just need to add the nose wheel assembly. I am sure I read somewhere it takes only about an hour to do the changeover. The orange one in the photo I posted of the factory floor is a nose dragger the others are tail draggers. The $US needs to come up a bit before I will order one unless I come into some money as I want to keep the Sav and fly while I build the S-20. Well I will make my decision on the aircraft in the first stage by what I see ob this friday when I go and have a look at Tony's and then after he gets its all built and has flown it for a bit I will put the bite on him to take me for a fly in it :) then that will then be the final decision.

 

I maybe going to the USA next year for work so if that happens I will be at the Rans factory for a look and hopefully a fly as well. I would also like to go to the World Aircraft factory and fly the Vision as well but with the research I have done so far the S-20 is the lead runner

 

Mark

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Actually Hank there is a S-20 in NZ maybe you might want to have a chat to them and organise a fly MFD is the rego

 

 

They are in the south island

 

http://www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2014/11/future-flyers-at-custom-aviation-ltd.html

 

http://www.customaviation.co.nz/

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Sitting back in the hotel room after a nice feed at the Narrabri bowls club. Long but enjoyable drive today to come down and have a look at Tony's Rans S-20 Raven.

 

Well I am impressed with the quality of build and welding. The manuals and information looks extremely good. The parts are very well identified and packed. It really is a very professional kit. The covering job and the painting is extremely good. I took some pics as he really has only just got it out of the box and he has a quick build kit but there is a still a few things to get done but certainly a huge time difference if you were to build the "normal" kit.

 

The room inside the cabin area is HUGE and with the bowed out section of the doors it would be like sitting in a Calais or Fairlane. The whole airframe looks very strong. Tony still had the wings packed in the box but the initial look and feel was very nice as well.

 

I am impressed with the whole aircraft...probably will hit the cot tonight with a woody

 

Drive back home tomorrow and my mate is supposed to have finished the welding on my engine pipes this afternoon so sunday morning will get down to the hangar and if everything still fits properly I hope to get the engine started and see how it sounds and maybe an initial look at RPM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Went down to the hangar on sunday to fit up the new engine pipes for the Rotax muffler. Everything fitted except 1 set the front left. The bell at the muffler end has pulled during the welding. I pulled the muffler off and the offending pipe and my mate will be around this arvo to cut and reweld it. You can see where I have marked it. Hopefully it will work fine when I fit it again then I can get ready to start the engine. I do have to shift the water radiator a little and that will be easy . All I need to do is to add a plate on each of the existing radiator mounts to drop the top of the radiator by about 15mm that will give me the clearance I need for the RHS front engine pipe the LHS is fine now but will be dropped when I do this. The water pipe to the radiator at the RHS will need to be cut about 15mm longer than it is now also then thats it. I trial fitted to bottom cowl and it will need a little bit of work but it should be relatively easy if it turns out to be successful and I get more power.