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I have been asked to delete this thread BUT the thread contains important discussion that could help ALL pilots so IT WILL NOT BE DELETED. Some posts have been removed and others edited so there is no finger pointing, no stating of anything as being factual to the cause of the accident. Factual information as to the cause of the accident will be released in due course after a formal investigation takes place I and I am sure every single other pilot on this site is in grief for the pilot's family and friends but if we can not discuss things openly with consideration to the family and friends then accidents will keep happening and more pilots will die. There are site rules in reference to discussing accidents HERE and as long as we follow them then this site is a learning resource FOR EVERY PILOT!!!

Happy New Year for 2025 to all members and enjoy plenty of nice safe flights.

I disagree Ian. My own take is that the RAAus umbrella of distinction protects us from a level of bureaucracy that is not relevant to the operation of aircraft on a purely recreational basis. What might make me less popular is my opinion that the encroachment of Ra into GA is not appropriate. (Eg controlled airspace) I was fortunate enough to have spent my entire working life as a professional aviator and I would respectfully suggest that those who are of the opinion that the ATSB should be investigating RA registered accidents should be careful of what they wish for.

I've already given the ABC journalist who co-wrote that article, a good serve over the quality of the article. It's been modified/edited several times since it first appeared this morning. First off they wrote that Keith Link was flying a Piper, and I had to remind them that VH-UVS was actually a Cessna. They state that aviation fatalities for 2024 were 27 (with no breakdown) - and took out the part that originally stated the fatalities were down from 34 in 2023. I gave the journo a serve over failing to address the complexity behind the reasons for aircraft crashes, and pointed out that the ATSB doesn't have unlimited numbers of crash investigator staff, and unlimited funding. I'm surprised that Lorraine MacGillivray would make a statement that seems to indicate that young people and total inexperience are the major reason for aircraft crashes, and seems to indicate this is leading to an increase in crashes. I pointed out that it's largely older people flying aircraft, because they're the ones normally with accumulated money that enables them to indulge in aviation. I also pointed out the fact that no-one has yet found a way to stop pilots from having medical events that can easily fly under the doctors radar. And I also detest the way the article conflates recreational flying with commercial flying, mustering and other dangerous air work. All in all, a pretty badly done article, and I expected better from the ABC.

That's why I love flying xairs. I know most people want to fly faster and get somewhere. For me its all about flying around my local area on the weekend. Being up there is more important to me. And everywhere I look around here there is a flat paddocks or farm road to land on and the xair needs very little space to land. Just have to be mindful of powerlines and pivot irrigators.

Thruster, some of them are their own worst enemy. Safety is a CULTURE that affect everything you do.. It's a DISCIPLINE and how many of really have it. She'll be right is alive and well out there. Checking things thoroughly, doing self briefing before all Take offs etc is girly stuff for sissy's. The alpha Male and his EGO rules the roost. I know a hell of a lot of Pilots Some of them I don't have much time for.. . Keeping them Happy would be a good definition of the Impossible. U/L's are actually some of the most challenging planes out there. SOME BIG aluminium drivers would be scared of them and the Public won't ever understand them. Play your part by How you behave and the Image you display. Get the best example to less experienced pilots. Don't deliberately scare the $#!t out of a passenger. Don't do dramatic departures from events. OK I'm Nagging but I've not damaged a Plane or put a scratch on a passenger and IF a pupil of mine ever came to grief as a result of something I should have spoken of or done I'd be devastated. You are the Captain of that ship no matter how simple and small it is. Nev

This subject keeps coming up in threads about accidents. The ATSB say that they are not funded to investigate RAA accidents or even all accidents (fatal or otherwise) and that they will choose which accidents might yield new insights to improve safety. I think this approach misses a vital point. The investigations should not be carried out to better inform ATSB about the causes of accidents. They should be carried out to inform pilots. I accept that the rules are "written in blood" and that conceivably every possible cause has already been investigated and reported. So, all causes are recorded in the bowels of ATSB, in past investigation reports and articles in crash comics. But that doesn't put them in the minds of pilots. We are all interested in recent accidents and keenly await investigation reports. The learnings from them may be old ones but they become new again when they are recent or involve people we know, or people known to our own acquaintances. The old stories need constant refreshment, and this is best done by investigating and reporting as many causes as possible as soon as possible after each incident. These stories will stick in our minds and influence the way we fly. It doesn't matter how many "stall spin" accidents are in the files, students and new pilots will not read them or will consider them to be old, irrelevant stories. It is the one that is in the news, or happened on the next airfield, that will change our behaviour for life.

ok Gents, apologies for the delay in comms. has proven most challenging having an aircraft parked 400kms from where i live. since the original posting I'm now licensed and have my L1 certification, so it has bee quite a busy month. Continuing on with the throttle hesitation issues between 3500-4000rpm i suspect that poor workman ship is to be the most likely culprit. Couple of things i wish to share, given the community has a wealth of knowledge and i fee obliged to return the favor for other aviators with similar issues. - Carb vent lines were inspected and found one line had been cable tied against the engine support frame. (line was squashed) also wouldn't haven been helping the issue. - one throttle control linkage (on the carb) was bent. was removed and straightened, both idle stop positions rigged so they were identical. - one carby choke linkage was sticking, may not have been helping but was freed up with no issues. - the diaphragms were removed and inspected. upon inspection there was physical debris under the diaphragm seats on both carbs. The rubbers were quite soft indicating they had been changed recently (no log book entries to say otherwise, purely a speculation). The pistons were cleaned, as were the seats and both carbs reassembled. This has actually appeared to have rectified the issue. the response is crisp and doesn't hesitate. In a nutshell i think a lot of small things have lead to a big issue. the dirt under the seats could have been possibly been the most likely cause. I was hoping to take some photos and make this a little more visual, but when your focused on the issue at hand, its easy to forget to take the occasional happy snap. again as a first time forum-er id like to thank the community for their assistance.

We are already funding it with our taxes. The real question is are ATSB investigations occurring were they should be regardless of aircraft registration?

I've enjoyed a quick read through the development of the project. It's a great idea that I'd love o see come to fruit but..... I've spent a lifetime in design, engineering, drawing and building. I'm still enjoy building things, rarely following others and usually come out with a successful article in the end. At 71 years of age now I've learned a few things along the way that would have be advantageous had I known about them before starting out but I'm not a person to easily accept advice. Just to add my two bobs worth, some people have a great brain for concept, others design, some people are masters of fabrication and too many get carried away with technical know-it-all. Very few people can take a successful marketable project from concept to completion in a reasonable time. I believe if you have a fabulous concept such as this you would most likely get to the climax a lot easier, cheaper and better to have various good capable people working together. One difficulty is keeping it under control if several minds wander off on their own agender but building something as complex as an aircraft needs specialists in a range of fields and very few people have to ability to achieve it alone. A lot of good ideas die with the passage of time. If you want to get it in the air do it NOW. Pool a bit of money, get some great minds together and use people with good trade skills to build the components. Too many try to go it alone, me included, and we are usually stifled by lack of experience, time and money.

Again, I agree with Nev in respect of the regulatory intransigence over the benefits of low level exposure/training. Pilots continue to plunge into IMC weather - despite all the dire warnings and perhaps 2 hrs of IF training (GA), and in the case of RAAus - (SFA!) - but that's ok?? Smart-arsed pilots will continue to defy the LL warnings, and they'll continue to collide with terrain or powerlines etc despite what they are told. But the relevant training could help them survive too. You don't know, what you don't know - and that's ever so true in aviation. Lets get right to it. The aircraft doesn't appreciate to difference between 150 ft and 500 ft. It's a pilot problem, and it's all about poor planning, poor anticipation of weather, and mis-handling of the aircraft under pressure. There's an obvious need for pilots to be upskilled so they really can configure and fly their aircraft at lower speeds, scan and turn using minimum radius numbers, and keep the whole aircraft under control - (speeds,balance,power). I've probably conducted 150 or more LL courses, (mostly in GA), and the majority of beginning pilots exhibit poor power management, poor balance at low speeds, and poor decision making on 1st exposure to <500agl flight. They tend to suffer immediate 'pucker-up of the anal sphincter ' after which the decision making ability is reduced. And that is the reason we all need both good training, plus regular currency.

I have nothing to do with this video just sharing it as I enjoyed it. A refreshing change from the usual over dramatised videos that seem to proliferate.

He may have held a low-level endorsement but, you can't use that endorsement for just flying around like depicted in the video. The low-level endorsement is for very specific tasks ONLY like checking on your own stock on a cattle property etc. It is not for joy flights scaring the pretty young thing in the backseat. If you look at the photograph you can see they have blurred out the pilots body, and she is standing on top of the aircraft. Imagine her fear knowing that the life of the pilot has been extinguished and every noise or rustle she hears in the swamp could be a crocodile coming to get her. She has, without any choice or actions of her own, had to endure stress's that many people could not handle. My heart goes out to the pilot and his family, but it also goes out to this young lady who is obviously going to be suffering with this trauma for a very considerable time and I hope gets assistance that she needs or requires.

First new GA8 Airvan is off to Noumea today built by GippsAero, and their first export after relaunching their business just over a year ago.

I've done engine off landings scores of times over 20 years. always hit the target. Particularly easy in a Savannah aircraft due to it's excellent glide stability, ability for stable slips for a steep descent, and gentle stall characteristics for a controlled touch-down. Maintain glide at 60 kts rather than best glide at 50, for spare dynamic energy if needed. Come in a bit high and slip down to an exact touch-down point. Easy. Wouldn't attempt it in just any aircraft. I've flown a couple of thousand hours on X-country flights, and always wanted to be able to do a precise spot landing anywhere if emergency. Would have been frightening if I had done all that with no practice and experience. I mostly follow the written rules, but if those rules don't match my need for safety than I'll do it my way.

Build update.

Not sure who will investigate this one. ATSB, RAA or RSPCA

I own and fly aircraft both RAAus and GA Vh registered. My work in aircraft maintenance shows that no GA aircraft will be signed out with any defects at the place i work. Regardless of class THE AIRCRAFT ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. THE AIRCRAFT ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. Read the accident reports. https://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation-investigation-reports or https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/types/V. Recently viewed flightsafety to see how the sting aircraft fared in accident data. While there had a look at the Van's RV6 that I fly, truly appalling, why? Stupid mind numbing easily avoidable accidents, they are not accidents, they are pilots doing the same dumb shit that has been done forever. I wish I was a better writer.

But the players in the big boys planes should have known better than to rubbish their flying cousins. When you think of the average age of a GA aircraft, versus a lot of newer RAAus aircraft I would hazard a guess a heck of a lot of the GA ones would not pass a real thorough inspection. Factory built or the higher end kit aircraft would have better materials and quality than there would have been 60 plus years ago. at the end of the day we (most pilots) all love aviation and the freedom/joy it gives us.

When I did my rudder trim bungee I settled for the KISS manual principle with a sort of jack screw setup. Teleflex cable and a threaded wheel that moves the inner cable in or out with the distance from one turn being the thread pitch. Works a treat for the required movement. Could have fitted a trim servo and switch but settled for the simple and practical manual turn method. The cables come in 1, 2 or 3 inch movement.

We often complain about "Cessna plummeted to the ground" type stories. So where did the verb "plummeted" come from? It did not exist until it was invented by reporters for aviation accidents during the 1930s. A plummet was a lead weight used in a ship to sound the depth. It was also a plumb bob used by builders and surveyors. For a long time, people wrote that something “fell like a plummet”, referring to the way the plummet line spun out in a ship. In January 1930 in describing a mid-air collision in the USA a journalist wrote “There was an explosive flash, and bodies were hurled out of the flaming ships and began to fall like plummets into the sea.” In the same month an accident at Point Cook , Victoria, “A surmise that a structural breakage can alone account for the sudden drop of the seaplane Widgeon 'straight down like a plummet into the water' from an altitude of 400 ft., would seem to be founded on the unlikelihood of 'engine trouble,' the occurrence of which is hardly thought compatible with a dive so swift and sudden.” Then in 1933 “The U.S. Navy airship Akron dived into the ocean, off the American coast, with all hands aboard. Aboard her as she faltered and plummeted into the-storm-swept sea were 76 men, including Admiral William A. Moffett, chief of. the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics. Four men were rescued, but one of these died later.” This is close to the first invention of the word "plummet". As the 1930s progressed, “dropped like a plummet” gradually gave way to the new verb “plummeted”, which had mostly taken over in aviation stories by 1937 and then proliferated during World War 2.

It's dumb having a distinction between GA and RAAus. They're all planes and the skills required are virtually identical. It purely bureaucratic nonsense. Either farm out General Aviation in it's entirety or kill off RAAus. ATSB should investigate all accidents to some degree to identify likely causes. The current state allow innuendo and game playing to run rampant.

Keep doing what you do Gilpi…You’re a recreational aviation legend around the airfield with joie de vivre that most can only aspire to.

Every time when an accident in aviation occurs, we pilots try to analyse and understand the root cause and what we would be doing differently to prevent the accident. The majority of Stall-Spin accidents are fatal, however, this time both Pilot and Passenger miraculously survived. Below is short (~3 min read) article that explains what happened and provides life-saving advice for current and future pilots. Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) remains one of the most significant contributors to fatal accidents worldwide. The video below came up on my YouTube feed and immediately triggered several questions. I don't know much about Xavi (PIC), except that he speaks Spanish and drives some fast sports cars. However, I question whether Xavi's pilot licence is valid, as uncoordinated habits should be picked up by the instructor, then the examiner, unless it's the same person. Personally, as an instructor I wouldn't like to fly uncoordinated, especially Base-To-Final turns. How was this missed? Regardless, I would like to thank Xavi for publicly sharing his videos, which will be good learning examples for future generations of pilots. The accident flight video: A typical Stall-Spin scenario is overshooting Base-To-Final. The pilot's reaction was to slow down by cutting the power and adding more left rudder to make the left turn tighter. The balance ball was nowhere to be seen at any stage of the video! I wasn't sure if that was the right instrument below the throttle, however, trust me it is, as it will be shown in the next video. In turns, especially skidding turns, the nose naturally drops down, which PIC counteracts by pulling the stick back. Applying more left rudder into the turn makes the outside right wing flying faster, which increases the lift on the right wing, which makes the turn steeper. PIC’s counter-reaction was applying the right aileron. A moment later, the left wing stalls and there is a tiny reaction of pushing the stick forward, but neither far enough, nor long enough, as the stick was immediately returned to its stalled position. This is the Startle effect due to the ground rush. Aircraft enters the left Spin, and we all remember the Spin recovery procedure: PARES (Power idle, Aileron Neutral, Rudder Opposite and hold, Elevator Forward to Neutral, When rotation Stops, centralise the rudder and pull out of dive) Unfortunately, PIC does the opposite: applies full power, opposite (right) rudder, whilst keeping the right aileron, and stick back all the way to the ground. Applying the opposite (right) rudder is not sufficient for Spin recovery without other control inputs – and in PARES order. Video from one of the previous flights: As I wasn't sure about the balance ball position in the accident video, I found another video showing the balance ball skidding (and slipping) in approaching to land. All I can say, Xavi and his passenger are very lucky for not Stall-Spinning earlier. Remember: Fly balanced in turns. Keep the ball in the centre. Step on the ball! Keep the same speed in turns. Don't slow down. If Stalled - Stick forward until both wings are unstalled, then roll to the nearest horizon. Use “push, pause, roll, power” approach. If Spinning – use P.A.R.E.S (Power idle, Aileron Neutral, Rudder Opposite and hold, Elevator Forward to Neutral, When rotation Stops, centralise the rudder and pull out of dive) Don't get into the habit of increasing the angle of attack in that turn onto Final - maintain your normal Base speed until you are established on Final then reduce speed - that will get you into the good habit of unloading slightly during that turn. Being in balance is essential! Fly Safe and balanced/coordinated!

Looks like I'll be busy tonight after the sun goes down. There's no post to stand it on so I'll have to do something to elevate it a bit but it's too hot to go up there now.

How many sqft of wing do you have at the moment ? Lancair of course is not in the same race / category at what you are proposing , a different beast. The Lanceair foil, type NLF-0215 is worth studying. it is a new foil from the 1980s. Have a look at NASA technical report 1865 . (June 1981 ).. it is in there.... it isn't all plain sailing though, the super-duper airfoil is quite sensitivie to flow disruption (bumps turbulence etc etc) https://www.n91cz.net/Interesting_Technical_Reports/NASA-81-tp1865.pdf Retract : Cirrus does pretty well with non retract, I'd suggest same. Many small GA planes are retract just so they can be commercial trainers. Hanging around a maintenance facility, I can tell you that retractable gear systems - is probably problem child #1 and in general, never quick to solve due to the sheer numbers of joints, switches, pressure sensors, pumps, motors, relays O.M.G !!!!!

Is the asking price just for the strip or the whole of Tassy ? 😁 Always wanted my own island. Merry Christmas

It was nice of the Czechoslovakians to hold off and deliver my engine mounts for Christmas 😁

I'm not interested in getting into your personal spat nor am I qualified to do so. Some time back I watched a very interested video on two Aussie guys who practice STOL in their bush planes. They land anywhere there is sufficient clearing in the bush, obviously not for the average LSA. They were both of the opinion that all pilots should be trained in low level flight so that if ever the occasion occurred they'd be less likely to panic and it may save lives.

I'm retired so gold prospecting is just a hobby. Mrs M would like me to be a bit more serious about it but there comes a time in life when you realise doing the things you love are much more important than the cost or payment in monetary value. This is Mrs M with our haul from a few months out and about. Right now I'm more interested in getting the plane in the air but with gold at over $4000 an ounce it's tempting to put a bit more energy into it.

As a Territorian I must admit I find peoples fascination with crocodiles bewildering. Don’t you blokes have Brownsnakes and red back spiders? Do you try to eradicate them from the southern states? Crocodiles are the same. I have plenty living here on my property ( not marine crocs, granted) and am always pleased to see them. They are a species that has persisted millions of years virtually unchanged and no more deserve persecution by humans than we would deserve to be eradicated other species who could. Live and let live. Alan

Just some corrections Onetrack, Regarding the crashes, the most recent one in the Lockheed he was a pilot rated passenger, the crash was caused by a defective brake due to a maintenance error. In the cessna 150 with flaps stuck at 40° a forced landing was inevitable, he carried this out successfully with zero injuries and the aircraft did fly again. In the 2009 DC3 incident I don't think he was ever charged with anything, he returned to commercial flying with Delta 6 months later. In the texas defamation case the initial ruling was thrown out and the case is yet to go to court.

Just collected my legs from a local engineering firm. They have done a great job. Axles and torque links next and I will have a pair of undercarriage legs 😁

Yawn, ZZzzzzzzzzzzzz Nev

There's one factor that has come out of this crash that has made a big difference to the outcome - and that was the fact that recreational boaters were nearby, and on the scene within a minute, and helped rescue survivors from the wreckage. I note that Col Blanch, the W.A. Police Commissioner made reference to this and expressed great appreciation towards the boaties involved. These people have possibly made a substantial difference to the final number of fatalities by grabbing the pax that were within reach of the surface. The aircraft sank in 8 metres of water, but not very far away, the water is considerably shallower (3-5M), and there's a curved section of shallow rock called Natural Jetty, that runs from the Island to Phillip Rock. The Natural Jetty rock formation is fully exposed at low tide, except for about a 50M section that stays underwater. The C208 took off at what appears to be high tide. In addition, Phillip Rock used to be much higher and larger, but during WW2, when the Military controlled Rottnest Island (there are large ex-military barracks there), and Rottnest was being used as "first line of Naval Defence" (with the impressive 142 tonnes, 9.2" Naval gun still in place on Oliver Hill), a decision was made by the military that Phillip Rock posed an enemy visibility threat and needed to be lowered! Accordingly, the Rock was blasted with a substantial number of artillery shells, which reduced the Rocks height to only about a third of its original height! All that rock blasted from Phillip Rock, now litters the area around the rock. Photos - 1. Original Rock size (prior to WW2) 2. & 3. Views of the Rock today from (2) the West and from (3), the NE.

Maybe the airfix glue holding the wheel on was not correctly applied perhaps? 😕

What the hell is a Hobby Aircraft?

Doesn't indicate that to me. May be because she knew some of the young people killed recently. Maybe because I have read statements she has made in total rather than edited by a journalist. And I am familiar with the business she is promoting. RAA is developing their training program further as are some GA flight schools. The CASA Part 61 MOS is quite sensible but it is not a syllabus. I was recently disappointed to hear of one flight school where most of their instructors admitted to ignoring most of the Part 61 MOS elements about stall training - teaching to pass a test rather than teach to demonstrate competency per the MOS. Seems to me a direct correlation between the typical flight training syllabus and the single biggest cause of fatal GA accidents.

Also remember that the switches are ON and one hand is on the START key. Rotax always starts IMMEDIATELY from such a shutdown. So it's not really a committed dead engine landing. Go up with a good instructor and try it several times over a quiet airstrip, and get used to the silence, and the stick pressure required for safe glide, and control response feeling, and glide ratio, until all is familiar. Rather than wait until it does happen unexpectedly and the sudden shock of silence causes a feeling of panic and too much to figure out at once. When it is familiar it's a glorious feeling of control, with just the sound of wind whistling by. Could become addictive....

Good on you, it depends on who gave them that information and what the agenda was. All RA owners should be on red alert; when the pilots, students, instructors, and flying facilities and service industry can produce a result like this they deserve to be congratulated.

Measuring big end play in a roller bearing Two stoke is NOT effective in predicting failure. The failure is by cage failure OR fatigue of the hardened surface. Both give little warning They DON'T wear out in the "Normal Sense". . Carbon under the ring grooves will make rings break up. Run it cooler and use a better oil.. IF you want to kill a 2 stroke, run it lean. Address me by my normal title if you don't mind. I hope ALL people feel free to post here whatever their opinion and we can kick opinions around without risking character assassination... Nev

I did it again a couple of days ago as part of my New Year flight. Climbed to 4000 ft to greet the sunrise then switched off and silent glide down to spot-on landing exactly where I intended. Of course I flipped the switches back to ON as soon as the engine stopped. Great experience! Good feeling to know that I can do it if ever needed for real.

How many pilots have done lots of spins these days? The variation between types can be large. Skidding and sloppy speeds are careless flying. AVOID is the Thought music since about 1965. rather than spin recovery.. Recognise a bad situation approaching and correct it. IF you wish to turn tighter add POWER or Descend or even do both if you have to. OR give up the idea of turning tighter where you are.. Watch when on base legs where the wind is behind you and don't overshoot the runway centreline. Nev

Do you really want to skimp on lights ? As a miniumum you probably want to run all the cabling for future lights and test. Some of the options you are looking at are high end - Rotax 916 and Garmin G3X suite. Personally I would go full LED from brand names.

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Now I've got to get back up there and run the GPS wire that I forgot about 😒

Nearly as efficient as the Americans with Iranian flight 655, they had to use two missiles to down the Airbus with 290 souls on board.

AND BUREAUCRACY . Red tape should only wrap Christmas presents. spacesailor

Not that it's going to change anything ; The way I see it, our (Au) system of compensation favours the legal industry and deep pockets. It inherently expensive, on various levels and potentially unjust. Unlike some enlightened societies, our system of "justice" is adversarial. Compensation payment are awarded by the court, even where the "at fault party" is not contesting the claim, by the injured party. The main beneficiaries in all of this are the ambulance chasers/lawyers. More enlightened systems remove the need for an injured party to make a claim against the at fault. Instead they make a claim to an impartial committee who rule on the matter. The committee will also rule on the culpability of the at fault, where appropriate referring the criminally negligent for prosecution/court. One of the "flow on" effects of our system is the fear generated in the public, of being sued. This plays into the hands of another unproductive group, the insurance industry. Why we allow ourselves to be "milked" without complaint, by two non productive parasitic industries, is beyond me.😈

The Bisnovat SK-1 (Skorostnoye Krylo – high speed wing), was a research aircraft designed and built in the USSR from 1938. After working as an engineer under Tairov at the OKO in Kiev, Bisnovat was permitted to form his own OKB with the task of designing and building a high speed research aircraft, which emerged as the SK-1. This aircraft was designed to have the smallest airframe capable of flying powered by a large V-12 engine, with the smallest wings possible for safe landings on Soviet grass airfields. Construction of the SK-1 was of light-alloy stressed skin, with single plate web spar wings skinned with light-alloy sheet, smoothed to mirror finish accurate profiles using marquisette fabric, cork dust, open weave and adhesive as filler. Initially the wing was of NACA 23014.5 profile with slotted Vlasov style flaps, and fabric covered ailerons. The tail-unit also had fabric covered control surfaces, and trim tabs, with all controls 100% mass balanced. The M-105 engine was fitted in a low drag installation with a pressurised coolant system which required a radiator of only 0.17m^2 frontal area, (approx ½ that of a similar unpressurised coolant system). In the flush cockpit, the pilot sat on a hydraulically actuated seat which raised the hinged roof of the canopy to form a wind-shield for landing, allowing the fuselage to have a total frontal area of only 0.85 m^2. Hydraulically retractable main and tail undercarriages with fully closing doors reduced drag even further. Test flights began in January 1939 with the aircraft on skis, with surprisingly good handling and manoeuvrability as well as excellent performance.