flyvulcan

Actually, one of the Bugs that Lanny built is now on a pole in front of the Claire Chennault museum in nearby Monroe. This one only flew a few times. Lanny did the first couple of flights then the owner took it up and it scared him so much (with pilot induced oscIllations) that he parked it and eventually donated it to the museum. Lanny has said that this Bug is actually the best flying of the 3 that he built. The 2nd Bug that he built was Nick Jones 2nd prototype I think it was, N200NJ that Nick dropped into the swamp after the elevator pushrod became disconnected from its rod end fitting. The 3rd Bug he built I believe had an accident and was written off but I have not been able to find an NTSB report on this one. It's likely that the two Bugs that you saw would have been two of the above. Lanny did a nosegear repair on our Bug quite a while back but I doubt there would have been two Bugs in his hangar at that time. Our Bug just finished its second post-restoration test flight and it went perfectly this time. The oil cooling issue was resolved and all Ts and Ps were perfect. The high speed end was explored on this flight and we have run out of prop at 170 knots. We will need more pitch so we are now looking at the IFA options more closely so that we can also improve takeoff and climb. We are getting a climb rate of around 1200fpm at 120 knots. An IFA prop should see this improve a bit. We noted that with the small cowl flap closed that it gained 8 knots of speed. That shows how clean this aircraft is that a small cowl flap would make such a difference. All in all, we are pleased how it's going. We have some work to do to get the top end we would like (so finding the right prop and initiating some drag reduction refinements) and also, we would like to desensitise the controls. They are currently very effective, the roll rate in particular is very high even at low speed and also also quite sensitive. We want to reduce control effectiveness and also add some stick force. We hope that this will tame it for the low experience pilots that may buy kits for it. However, we are contemplating incorporating adjustable controls so the low time builder can set the low effectiveness setting and then when he gets experience on the aircraft can reset the effectiveness to high. This should be quite easy to incorporate into the design.

Could I have a whole carton please?

It definitely ain't green! Hot stuff yes, but also very cool. If it means a 200+ knot cruise for the Bug, then it will be a winner in my books. Time will tell... There's still a lot of work to do...

The plastic bag is insulation/heat shielding...

Ok Phil, You saw it here first! The following photo shows the entire engine (no kidding!) I told you there wasn't much frontal area! That prop plate at the front there is 6" diameter. Unfortunately, that's all the skin I am prepared to show... Is it enough to make you want one?

Hi Phil, The ICP sounds good but I shall wait for it to be more mature. At 147lbs dry, it will likely be 160+ lbs installed which is getting too heavy. My engine which is on the test stand is 85 lbs complete with everything at the moment and its frontal area is 15" wide by 12" high. This will fit in the Bug nicely with no cowl cheeks and with lots of room to spare. That's about all I can say about it at the moment (aren't I a tease!).

I am trying to corner the market! There are only 2 others that I am aware of in existence that I or Lanny don't own. They are N63974 and C-GANT. I've been trying to buy N63974 for the last 5 years but can't get the owner to sell. It's sitting forlorn in a hangar and probably won't fly while the current owner has it. C-GANT was too expensive for me... Lanny has Nick Jones original prototype #3, N200NJ and its restoration will start soon. We also have a few kits between us that came with the molds or with Nicks aircraft from Nick. That said, we plan to make a fully new build Bug next which will come out of the molds. This will be our pre-production trial kit that we will use to square away the manufacturing process and also use to develop a construction manual and video from. The engine is one of my own development. New from scratch. It's on the test stand now in POC form and is showing great promise. In its final form, it should give over 120hp but that will be confirmed by testing.

Thanks Doug. Yes, the Jet Bug (aka Komet) isn't too far away now. I suspect that I will probably rebrand the Komet as the Jet Bug, given that that is probably what it will be commercialised as, if it gets to commercialisation that is. I'll be back in Adelaide in October and may try to have a workshop visit then. I shall have to see how progress is and if there's visible progress, I'll try to stage a visit. If I do, I shall hope to catch up with you then.

Thanks, first flight was out of Lanny's home airport at Winnsboro, LA. It looks like I've picked up another original Bug. I'm in the process of buying one at the moment that Lanny will go and collect for me some time after Oshkosh. Again, we shall replace the AMW engine with another. This one won't be a Rotax though. I have another engine in the pipeline that if it proves viable, will go into the Bug that I am buying now. More news on that later...

On Friday evening, original build Lightning Bug N44XM made its maiden flight after its extensive modification to install a Rotax 912ULS engine. The only point of concern before the flight was the coolant temperature which was approaching the limit in extended ground running. We anticipated that temps would decrease once airborne with the additional airflow, but it could not be guaranteed. Fortunately, we were correct and the coolant temp reached a maximum of 204degf during the flight with the limit being 248degf. The flight lasted approximately 40 minutes and was conducted directly over the airfield at all times and at altitudes up to 4500'agl. The first 20 minutes was essentially to monitor and note all engine parameters to ensure that the engine installation was working. The next 20 minutes was to determine the slow speed and general handling characteristics in preparation for the landing. With stall speeds determined for all flap configurations, a return for a safe landing was conducted. The only issue from the flight was an elevated oil temperature at high power settings and this will be addressed before the next flight. It was not outside limits at all during the flight but high power was not sustainable without needing to throttle back to 5200rpm maximum to keep the oil temp within limits. After addressing the oil temp issue which will then allow unlimited operation of the engine, the Bug will be flown to expand the envelope and see exactly what performance the Bug can give us in its current configuration (old and heavy airframe, a worn out 1940 hour engine so only 60 hours left before overhaul, fixed pitch prop etc.). We will likely install an IFA prop before Oshkosh. The plan is then to build a brand new (lightweight) one with a newer engine and IFA prop and pay careful attention to finish. I have started a Facebook group for the Bug to allow you to follow it. It is a public group so the public can read the posts but only members can post. If you want to post, then become a member (I approve members). There are more videos and photos on the Facebook page, including in-cockpit videos of the first flight takeoff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightningbug/ Cheers, Dave

Bex, I can't believe that someone else remembers Mario Milano! As a kid, I used to watch that show with my Dad and my mother would give us both grief! Spiros Arion, Haystacks Calhoun, the mighty midgets... Ah, the memories...

Hi Peter, The airspace around Goolwa suits my test flying. I was considering heading out to the shores of the lake where CTA is 8500' which will allow me to get plenty high to explore the slow speed regime and with plenty of good paddocks around for forced landings between the lake and airfield. Also, if I need to jump out for any reason, the aircraft shouldn't land on anyone or anything. I'm looking forward to seeing your Onex fly! Cheers, Dave

At this point, I do not know the runway requirements or crosswind capabilities of the aircraft. Since it is derived from a Lightning Bug and will be a similar weight flown one up, it will likely have similar runway requirements. My Bug in the U.S. has recently been doing high speed taxi trials and has been getting to around 75 knots then stopping comfortably, all on a 3000' strip. I feel that I would prefer to fly out of a minimum 4000' strip initially, given that a prop probably gives better acceleration on the runway than a jet. I certainly plan for my first flight of the Komet to be undertaken with less than 5 knots of crosswind. Other considerations are the availability of suitable paddocks off the ends of the runway for a loss of power scenario. There's a lot to consider, certainly for the initial test flying.

I'm tossing up between Goolwa and Gawler. I would prefer a sealed runway and Goolwas is (allegedly) better than Gawlers. I have been offered a share hangar at both airfields and at the end of the day, where I base it permanently will boil down to where I feel the most comfortable. Accessibility will also be a consideration, as will be the airspace and countryside that I will be flying around. As for pie floaters, I was a regular in the '70s and '80's at both the Victoria Square and the Parade vans. Those were the days.... Party until 2am when all the girls had to go home, then the drunken lads would head off to the Pie Cart for a floater. Bliss...

I totally agree! It's always a pleasure to speak with him too.

Lanny did not build N44XM which is the subject of this restoration, although he did do a repair on it early in its life after the pilot forgot to lower the nosegear for landing. I shall certainly say hello to him for you when next we chat which is likely to be this weekend after the Bug has flown. I spoke with him a few hours ago and he was getting the last of the paperwork sorted so hopefully, the Bug will be a goer for flight this weekend.

Ain't that the truth! It's been almost a year since any work was done on the jet... That's what happens when one lives in the Middle East and one's project is in Oz. Still, with Henry on to it full time now, it will happen way more quickly. I shall be back in Adelaide in September/October and am looking forward to pitching in and making a big dent in things then.

Work is now starting in earnest on the Komet with my build partner Henry working on it full time while I am away. We have started on the flight control system design, fabrication and installation. The front seat rudder pedals went in last week and the rear seat ones are going in at the moment. Here's a couple of pics of the front seat pedals with floorboards.

We'll be using the fixed pitch 62x92 Prince prop for initial test flying then probably try the Varia IFA option. It's a budget setup, simple and light.

And here we are a few months later. Lanny has been busy sorting out the engine installation and a multitude of small issues that have needed to be resolved. Additional CHT probes have been installed, exhaust pipes have been fully wrapped in insulation, spray nozzles for the radiator have been installed, washers and bolts have been replaced, wiring has been redone, the engine indication system (EIS) has been set up and calibrated, brake components have been replaced, flight control runs have been checked, wheel pants have been fabricated and installed, fuel system and filters were checked, oil filters were checked, a full annual inspection has been completed... The list goes on but we are now very close to that first post-restoration/modification test flight. A few days ago, the aircraft weighing was conducted in anticipation of the flight. The aircraft was then taken out for additional low and high speed taxi runs down the runway and all appears to be in order. Weather permitting, we are hoping for the first test flight this coming weekend. After such a long preparation, we are hanging out to see what sort of performance we get from it with the Rotax in it. I shall report here once I have some numbers. I have to admit to thinking that this is a very good looking aircraft. When we get this one repainted after all the work that's been done on it, I'm sure it will receive admiring looks wherever it turns up (hopefully Oshkosh this year, that's now the target after missing Sun'n'fun). We hope to have a second and third original Bug flying a bit later this year and a fully new build, lighter weight full EFIS Bug towards the end of the year.

Yes, it's a Bombardier Global Express. 6200nm range (allegedly, I've never flown it that far), ceiling 51,000' (but I've only taken it to 47,000'), top speed Mach0.89 which allows us to TAS out at about 520 ktas if we wind it up. I get to a very broad selection of destinations around the world which is interesting. I am someone who is fortunate enough to be very happy with my day job, but in my after hours, I am even happier with my little aircraft.

I'm not allowed to post my own photo of it but it can be seen on a public forum at http://m.airliners.net/photo/detail/id/2638877.

Unfortunately, there was no practise display on my day of departure from LBG. However, I took a shot of the B787 aircraft anyway. That's the nose of my aircraft in the left foreground. [ATTACH]23683[/ATTACH]

I parked my day job aircraft next to this aircraft last night at Le Bourget. Tomorrow I am taking off immediately after the air show. If I see the B787 flying display, I'll report here on my impressions.

And the horizontal stab is now completed. Today, we bent up the gussets for the second half, drilled and clecoed it all together, pulled it apart, deburred, cleaned, primed, reassembled and riveted. After getting the second half done, all we had to do was the attach the cross brace between the left and right halves of the stab. This involved cutting and shaping the gussets, trimming the cross tube to length, rounding each end of the cross tube to fit nicely against the tubing at each end, then drilling the gussets, clecoing etc. etc.. The stab was finally completed. Yay! The assembly is surprisingly rigid. We were concerned about flexibility with this sort of construction technique, but this piece certainly appears to be quite rigid. Next it will be the elevators. Finishing that piece will complete the tailfeathers.