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Methusala

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Everything posted by Methusala

  1. Methusala
    Life is unpredictable. QF 32 is not the only "technical problem" faced by Qantas. I recall numerous ones attributed to Jetstar. The reporting of this engine failure was, I think, a little over the top. Commercial flying is the safest form of mass transport. An airliner the other day, lost a fan blade which took out the side of the engine nacelle. Don't kid yourself, you can spend a life time playing it safe and get hit by a car.
  2. Methusala
    Beautiful photos Frank. You wouldn't believe how different the weather is down here, Don (& Rhonda)
  3. Methusala
    Re-building an Eastwood Tyro some years ago I used Araldite 134 on the major joints fixing the long fuselage member to the down tube and the horizontal seat carrier. I thought that it would take a huge force to dislodge the joints. They were plated with 3mm 6061 T6 and rivetted with very large 3/16 pop rivets. This method would certainly prevent the joints from "working".
  4. Methusala
    HITC, I yield to your more intimate knowledge of Sanda's building techniques. My source of information is a friend who owned a Thermite for a while. I have never owned or closely studied a Veenstra a/c. Don
  5. Methusala
    Sanda Veenstra used that combination ("No More Nails" on aluminium) to lasting effect on many of his creations. Never heard of any failing in that way. Don
  6. Methusala
    I don't get it!!!
  7. Methusala
    ASIC card required at CUNAMULLA!!!!
  8. Methusala
    Drifter owned by property owner. Council has arrogantly only granted permission for 3 movements (by owner only) per day.
  9. Methusala

    Vp-2

    Methusala commented on Methusala's gallery image in Recreational (3 axis)

    Vp-2
    Gooday Toothman, My VP2 also safe and stable- also heavy on the ailerons and not strong in the climb. Built in the 70's by Chris Leon, an engineer who flew less than 10 hrs in her. Sold her to a Melbourne member of SAAA who did a lot of work including having a redesigned U/C with rubber donuts replacing the cable stays. I flew for 11 years (550hrs) finally stopping in 2006. Sold the wings to another pilot who wrecked his with engine failure out of Wedderburn (Posa carb). Fly a Kitfox and Thruster now. Had a lot of fun and flew to Narromine, Mangalore, Temora, Moruya and many other places. I also built the turtle deck from plywood, oregan stringers and fabric. Improved the airflow over the tail giving greater rudder authority and eliminating the dutch roll. Cheers don
  10. Methusala
    Hey Phil, Years ago (maybe 15-18...dunno) a neat little very open biplane came to demonstrate its stuff at Canberra. It was a MIG powered by a 582. The pilot was employed by MIG. His demo was Great+++ but we never heard any more. Do you know anything about this aircraft? Don
  11. Methusala
    Could be the needle jets need to go up 1 size. They control mixture up to 3/4 throttle. Altitude is 2500 and I think atmospheric pressure was quite low on the day (we had a small gale the next day).
  12. Methusala
    You won't have any luck with this one, unfortunately
  13. Methusala
    Blanik L13 at Canberra Gliding Club but 1st solo was in a Pteradactyl Ptraveller I built from a kit at Lake George.
  14. Methusala
    I've had the luck to drive my brother's cars starting with a re-engined Mini Cooper(1275S) through '71 XU-1 (not comfortable but Hell fast). Then various 944's, a 964 (911x4 wheel drive Carrera) and, lately, a Cayman in Switzerland. These Porsches feel solid as though built from one block of steel. Billsteins all round feel as though the harder you push them the better they like it. Never driven a 356 though. Don
  15. Methusala
    G'day Frank, Rhonda and I are visiting Cairns June 3 - 10. Wonder if we can visit you sometime to say hello? We will have a hire car and would really like to catch up. Cheers, Don
  16. Methusala
    G'day Frank, Rhonda and I are visiting Cairns June 3 - 10. Wonder if we can visit you sometime to say hello? We will have a hire car and would really like to catch up. Cheers, Don
  17. Methusala
    Thanks for your suggestions. Will check all these adjustments carefully. Don
  18. Methusala
    Yesterday I was test flying my Thruster after engine rebuild. Engine runs very sweetly with egt's in general within 10degs. However, climbing out at 6300rpm, all was well with both at around 610. Upon reducing power to 5800 one cylinder ran to 642degs while the other was around 620. Both carburetors are jetted identically so wondering why the difference? Any suggestions?
  19. Methusala
    Without wishing to pre-empt any factual findings down the track I am moved to point to my thread,"Does your aircraft fit your flying style?". We know that the test pilot of the 1st 707 rolled it. This does not give other pilots carte blanc to do the same. In relation to the event that started this thread, I am pro the RaAAus warning its members. There has been a lot of comment that this pilot at least was thinking about aerobatics when he bought the plane. The simple truth is that if every possible precaution is not followed you can come to grief. What do you want the organisation responsible for rec flying to say? It is often said in these posts that we want safety related outcomes to emerge following catastrophes. This is a well moderated message. Don
  20. Methusala
    I have been flying ultralights for over 35 years. I began flying with a gliding club while building a very early, US hang glider based rag & tube Pteradactyl. I moved through with Thrusters, Jeeps and Javelins while a member of Holbrook Ultralight club. I bought an Evans VP2 in the 90's and flew it for 11 years. During this time I modified it structurally, adding a full turtle deck to improve airflow over the tail. I experimented, with fair success, with EFI to an Aeropower 2070cc VW. I have flown in some exotic types eg. Lancair 320, and had a hankering for perhaps a Sonex or a Corby Starlet. Now I fly a Kitfox or ThrusterT300 around my patch. But it was when I started flying RC models that I found that some aircraft didn't suit my flying style. While my mate could fly a tea tray with an engine bolted on, I quickly got out of my depth with the sports models and found myself very, "behind the aeroplane". Do others feel content with 60kt aircraft and resist the urge to go faster and sportier? Don
  21. Methusala
    Thanks for the link Bex. It seems pretty clear from this brief account that the Ford boys definitely did the wrong thing and then tried to cover it up. Management can be aggressively dangerous to workers and (of course) labor sometimes get out of control. Nothing to see here...move on! Hehehehe. No offense meant Don:wave:
  22. Methusala
    Once again I am moved to give Facthunter a great big pat on the back for he has mentioned the elephant in the room regarding Henry Ford. "Henry put his workers salaries up in the late teens much to the chagrin of the other automakers. His reply to criticism was allegedly along the lines of " If I don't pay my workers a decent salary how would they be able to buy my cars?" However good things don't last and I remember that he later employed armed troop from the National Guard to violently brea k a strike at his plant. Things always can be depended on to go from good to bad to worse I suppose.
  23. Methusala
    I think that Forum members at large will take a serious message from this example of stupidity. They will have seen the extreme consequences of a pilot taking a foolhardy attitude to the very serious activity of manned flight. I have cautioned on a number of occasions, against flight over terrain that will not support a survivable landing. I see this as the "take-home" message here, not that it maybe, " that another jerk is making our hobby look bad". Let's keep it positive and as FH has it,"Never stop learning."
  24. Methusala
    36
  25. Methusala
    Love your inspectors HITC. Ours are equally helpful, Don
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