sain

Looks like a good start MicheL. Whats the brightness like from side on, or are you planning on more high brightness LEDs on each side?

There was an article in Pacific flyer back in 2008 (I think) about that aircraft and its twin. Home designed and built for about $12,000 per plane all up I think. I believe the first one the guy built won an award at Natfly a few years back. Hope the pilot survives!

WARNING: GRUMPY MOOD RANT below For me I've been annoyed about a lot of stupid/wasteful decision making thats been going on (what on earth is the aircraft rego sticker thing going to help??). Human factors is a prime example to me - wern't we being taught and tested on this anyway? A lot of my dissatisfaction with the organisation has come from the drivel that has become our magazine. Most of it is either Ads self important banging on from the executive (who really cares that we have around 20 new aircraft registered every year? Especially if you don't give the other figure of how many are not-renewed) More Ads Reminders from the executive to fly safe Ads More Ads. Ads Ads Some other Ads. Total content that I was vaguely interested in came to 9 pages in the last issue - 7 of aircraft ads in the members section and 2 pages on the wallaby kit built @ natfly. And I was dissappointed in the 2 pages. And half of one of those 2 pages was an Ad. While I understand the ads contribute to the lower costs for the organisation, perhaps some more content would make the magazine a worthwhile read. Way off topic - how about a slightly cheaper option for electronic only delivery of the mag (pdf?). And how about we print it on softer, not so shiny paper - so that it can at least be used for toilet paper? All that said I'm still going to be renewing when it comes due in a couple of months Anyway, enough of my :csm:

Going a little further along the path of David's suggestion this thread: Voltage regulator options may be of interest. The original poster is asking about voltage regulators, but hes powering a commercial "security" strobe light that costs about $16. Its a xenon flash tube, not LEDs though. Clear Security Strobe Light SL-126 Clear - Smarthome is the actual strobe.

Hi MicheL, It might be worth checking out Kitplanes Magazine - They had a series of articles in 2009 (i think - i'll check) on LED Nav lights - they will probably be adaptable to a LED strobe. *edit* bah - stupid dodgy memory. Turns out you want Aug+Sept+Oct 2008. Its a pretty reasonable explanation of how to do it. You can get an electronic subscription to kitplanes, which gives you access to the archives online.

Any photos Oz?

I believe thats the Canberra Gliding Club strip at Bunyan Airfield (about 10 mins north of Cooma).

Actually they have to be "in the course of their duties" - if they arn't there for work they need the ASIC (or maratime equiv). Same with all the military/police stuff. Wasn't there something in the ASIC crap that the person inspecting the cards had to have an Inspectors card? And fines could be imposed if they wernt?

A TIF is a good opportunity to test your compatibility with the instructor as well. It really sucks when you get an instructor you don't click with.

I call it everytime. One bbq day at Goulburn I had a flight just after the lunch time festivities. There were a number of non-regulars around, wandering about and looking at planes etc. I had a good look round but didn't see anybody. I stuck my head out the door of the Gazelle and yelled "CLEAR PROP" really loud and was startled to see 2 people running away from the tail area directly behind me, closely followed by one in a wheelchair (rolling as fast as he could). They had been approaching for a chat and a talk about the plane, and hadn't realised I was about to start up. Worked a treat, even if they didn't know much flying type stuff. After I waved them over we had a nice chat for a while. They stood well clear to watch the eventual startup.

Sue if you post a list of the items stolen we'll know what to look out for. Engine make and models, tool brands etc etc.

my take on it is there are still plenty of routes to take if you want the grass routes options. A lot of the american FAR103 (or FAT103s) fit that category to my mind, as well as things like HI-MAXs and hummelbirds. Not sure if the hummelbirds count or not.

Skybaum the issue isn't that it has a unique identifier, indeed thats a good start. However what they should have done is take that a step further... Non-repudiation is about being able to say "that adsb transponder made the signal, and no other could have.". Without non-repudiation its pitifully easy to generate or duplicate a 24 bit identifier. Hell, the computer i'm typing on now can generate the complete number range of that 24bit identifier in a second or so. Its only 0 to 16 777 215 (about 16 and 3/4 millionish) after all. In order to be non-repudiated the signal could be digitally signed - see Bas's link above. Its a really straight forward process thats been around for donkeys ages. Its cheap too. The idea is that having a non-repuditated signal would limit the damage any signal transmitter can do to the trust thats placed in the system. Think of it like this. A commercial airliner is flying along, minding its own business when its ADSB-in receiver starts saying "turn right for collision avoidance" "descend for collision avoidance" turn right for collision avoidance" "descend for collision avoidance" ad nausem. It wont take the pilots long to either a) decend far enough that they an interface with terrain, or b) (far more likely) turn the damn thing off. What happens if you do that to an airliner in the queue to land at any major airport? What happens if you do it to two airliners landing on parellel runways, with one turning left for avoidance of fictional traffic and one right. Its going to get exciting awfully fast. Anyway, i recognise that i'm presenting worst case scenarios, and the current system isn't much better. The thing to keep in mind though, is that the current system doesn't provide the position data - so the damage is limited by the limited functionality.

Personally I think the whole ADSB thing is pretty badly thought out, and ignores some important security concepts, such as authentication and non-repudiation. At the moment there is very little stopping somebody broadcasting an ADSB signal of say a 767 on a direct course with some important looking building. Or multiple 767s on courses for multiple buildings. Or a Cesna 152 doing beat ups down mascot's runways... or any number of similair things. It wont be long before the ADSB system becomes untrustworthy. With some cryptographic smarts built in to the system each transponder could sign its outbound signal - essentially defeating that sort of attack. Yes there would be some infrastructure costs (certificate servers), and some pain maintaining the certificates, but it would give you some degree of assurance that the signal you are seeing is actually a valid one. anyway, time to get off of my soapbox. apologies for the rant.

yup, but the stats on the prototype list a stall speed thats just a bit above the maximum. I dare say by the time the plans came out the stall was lower, but if it was me I'd check what it says in the pilot's operating handbook. The "it doesn't stall" thing is a bit facetious to my mind. It does stall, its just the stall is a benign dropping of the nose, which raises the speed above stall point again. It'd be interesting to see how it reacts to a stall in some more "unusual" attitudes, but I wouldn't be game to try it personally. Even a stall in a climbing turn would be interesting to see how it reacts. I might load one up in X-plane and give it a crack - just for curiosity sake. Also to find out how well X-plane can model the stall. *edit* Just realised this probably comes off really anti-canard/anti-buy-that-plane. If money was no consideration I'd be trying to buy it.... I just don't have the dosh.

It'd be interesting to see if some vortex generators on the canard got around the rain issue... Probably kill the effeciency a bit though. If your interested in buying it I'd check the stall speed is at or below the max for that ra-aus rego.

There is some interesting information in the financial officer's report... Why are RA-Aus paying so much for phone calls in this day and age? VOIP guys - many of the VOIP carriers are capable of providing a small to medium business grade phone system, with many additional benifits apart from being a crapload cheaper than telstra.

What i'd be more interested in knowing (personally) is how long has it been since the wages of employees were reviewed and a pay increase awarded? If its been more than 3 years or so, then that increase is still below the increase in the cost of living over the same period, and probably well overdue.

Is that blood on the prop? Maybe he nailed a bird which caused the rest of the damage... big bird.

After my first solo I got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from my female instructor. Very nice, but to be honest I was so happy I wouldn't have cared if I got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from this guy......

The entire video is pretty good fun if you can find it.

Can't say I know the Brumby much, but the Morgan Aeroworks Cheetah has remarkably similair specifications, but seems to have a slightly higher cruise (110kts on 85hp, compared to the brumby's 110kts on 100hp). Slartibartfast may be able to give you more details if you are interested. Just to spread your options out a little more. :-p Good luck with whatever you end up with. *Edit* I seem to have slagged off the Brumby a bit... the 110kts cruise was on a Rotax 912 (80hp). My bad

well, what length do you need to land in for the plane your going to be flying out of there? take that figure and at least double or triple it.

the RA-Aus registered RV4 and 7 owners might want to rethink that. If the RA-Aus team ever get around to doing a check on their database their going to be screwed. Neither stalls below the limit, and the RV4 is only under the weight limit if the pilot+fuel+baggage weigh less than 40kg (well.. 130kg if its in the 544kg class). The RV7 gives you 30kg for pilot+fuel+baggage in the 544kg class.

Vaguely related: CloudDancer has an entertaining read in his book (CloudDancer's Alaskan Chronicals) about being asleep in a plane when a polar bear decides to get in to try and eat him. A "teaser" of the story is here: SuperCub.org :: View topic - Some days YOU get the Bear....'n SOME days..... on the supercub forums... His site is here: CloudDancer's Alaskan Chronicles books for sale, read the outrageous stories of the young Alaskan bush pilot.