Ron Hoey

One thing I learned today When I was putting together my instrument panel I thought it was a good idea to put the radio toggle switch (you know, the one with which you can toggle between radio channels) on the panel alongside the throttle, so I could operate it without taking my hand from the throttle. Great idea in theory. When it came to practice, however, when doing a few touch and goes, I was hitting the toggle switch each time pushed the throttle forward, changing channels. It became clear when Adelaide Radar wanted to know who was the unknown call-sign talking to them. Oops! So it's now moved out of harm's way. So, not all good ideas are great ideas.

My first flight Well it all happened this morning. A very thorough pre-flight and a deep breath as the harness clicked shut. Another deep breath as I finished the run-up and prepared to transmit my enter/backtrack/intention message. Every rivet, nut, bolt, cable and wire had been mentally revisited overnight and now it was time to put them to work. Six hundred metres of runway ahead of me and I'm used to sixteen hundred, gee, that looks short. Power on slowly, one, two, three, firewall and the nose is up and in no time and we are airborne. Overhead the cross-strip at 200 feet and still 400 odd metres of runway in front of us!!! AND I DIDN'T USE FLAPS!!! Overhead the end of the strip and that lovely long nose is pulling me towards the clouds at 1000 fpm and I need to be careful not to exceed circuit height before I turn cross wind. That first turn was so gentle with no need for rudder, at first I thought the ball was stuck! Trimmed up, we turned downwind and did all the checks, a little slowly as I'm still getting used to the location of everything being used to a Jabiru. It was a pretty quick downwind, as I had yet to sort out best speed for circuits, and before I knew it I'm throttling back and setting up the landing. No flaps again, the plan was to do this one clean. Approach was smooth at 45 knots with a trickle of throttle needed to overcome a little sink and it was a piece of cake to keep her lined up with the Savvie's lovely big rudder. Throttle back as the fence was cleared, nose up a little and the landing was so smooth I hardly felt the main gear touch the ground! Taxi back and celebrate my first flight with both a Tiger Moth driver and a Gazelle driver in the parking area. What a plane!!

Test flight Hi all, The test flight went well. It almost never happened as the weather was RS. The test pilot made it to within 4Nm of Callington and had to turn back as the cloud was almost touching the high ground. 2 hours later he got in and had enough time to do the tests and get home before the rain started. All this in a drought and following weeks of clear weather in the high 30s!!!!! He was glowing in his praises for the aircraft and there were no adjustments necessary. 95 kt indicated at 5000 rpm and a climb-out of 1000 fpm with little effort. He reported that the stall is gentle and is more like parachuting down with a nose-high attitude after a gentle shutter and level stall. Would you believe it? No sooner had he left than the weather turned to crap again and the rain followed shortly after. So I never got to fly it! I'll try again today when the change comes. Thanks for all your input, encouragement and assistance. Blue skies, Ron Hoey.

Fuel leak Hi all, Well, if ever there was proof that these forums are gold, this is it. After my first test flight I noticed a fuel leak from my left tank. Having installed the inspection plates as described previously I accessed the problem. It was exactly as Redair's original post. I had connected the sight tube directly to the brass fitting and it was leaking. However, having read Mark's solution I was able to fit a piece of rubber hose over the tube and on to the fitting, with a dry result. Thanks guys. Ron.

Fuel breathers I know many of you are concerned about the fuel tank vents, as I was. My solution (about version 3) is in the attached photo. The idea I copied from the oldest plane I could find, a Gazelle. The fuel tank vents are a piece of aluminium tube the right size to fit over the supplied connector and the top is a plastic foot for a stool or something with a leg. Both from Bunnings. The top of the cap is separated from the top of the tube to allow air through, but, as a precaution, I also drilled a small hole in the leading edge of the tube underneath the cap. Both are riveted together at the back, which pushes the leading edge of the cap forward to catch the airflow. I think it will work OK. Blue skies all, Ron.

Fuel taps Hi Peter, Re the fuel, I bought a pair of manifolds which I installed above the end of the aluminium tube rising from the fuel collector tank. I got mine from Camelot Aviation, but Reg Brost has a good set available at AeroKits (he also provides excellent instructions and is easily accessible for advice). I also changed the fuel breather arrangement. The original runs a breather through the wing skins terminating under the wing. I heard complaints that the fuel often drained out when tanks were full and that when a second tank is installed it is very close to the breather tube so, if there is a little movement in the second tank, it could block off the breather and stop the fuel flow. So I went for the conventional tube sticking straight up from the filler cap. I attempted to attach photos but managed to wipe out the message when I attached them, so I haven't attached this time. If photos would help send me a PM with your personal e-mail and I'll send them that way. Blue skies, Ron.

Hi Peter, I do recall I had a similar query when I was at your stage, but I can't recall the detail. Next time I'm in the hangar I'll take a look and let you know the dimensions if you haven't got them by then. Blue skies

Hi Gordo, There were no regular inspections required, just battle on through. Having said that, it would be nice to have a L4 or someone who has previously built a Savannah look in occasionally, just for reassurance. Overall I'm delighted with the result and look forward to getting it in the air next week. Blue skies, Ron.

Final inspection Hi all, The Weight and Balance went according to the book last Monday and Thursday's pre-flight inspection went well. Now it's just a wait for the paperwork to cycle through RAAus and the provisional rego to return; then we are airborne. A few things that came out of the inspection:- The flaperon control rods need to be tightly fitted but need to pivot through their range of movement. This is achieved by padding them out with AN5 washers (not in the kit). Washers must be AN as non-spec ones tend to be too big and can jam or stiffen the mechanism. Don't put too much grease on lubricated joints. There needs to be a stainless steel plate with the AC rego number stamped or engraved on it affixed somewhere on the airframe. It doesn't have to be visible. The idea is that it will survive a catastrophic fire should the AC crash and burn and will assist the investigators identify the AC. This is additional to the one supplied in the kit, which must also be fitted. There needs to be placarding on the instrument panel to indicate which way switches are 'on' and 'off'. I have fitted long-range fuel tanks so have 4 fuel taps, one from each tank. Each needs to be identified with a placard as well as an 'on/off' indicator (tap in line is not sufficient). The inspection process was more of a learning experience than a 'test'. The inspector was extremely knowledgeable and most helpful with suggestions and not at all threatening. Hoping this is of value to others. Blue skies, Ron.

Inspection Tomorrow Hi all, Final inspection will occur tomorrow, Thursday 4 Feb. Excitedly anticipating the big tick 10 days short of a year since commencement. :big_grin:

Fuel tanks inspection Hi Redair, I went a different way with the fuel tank inspection problem. I bought 6 round inspection plates (I think from Aircraft Spruce) and installed them on the fuel tank access covers (2 each on inner and 1 on outer tanks) immediately below where the potential problems are, namely the inlet/outlets. Hopefully this will give me enough room to fix any problem which may arise. Good thinking un-tacking that first wing if you think it may be a problem- it will save you many sleepless nights. Regards, Ron.

Not quite but almost! Hi guys, Thanks for the interest. On Friday 29th Jan we set the prop pitch (Bolly 3 blade) and proceeded with the start-up routine. All went well and it runs sweet as a nut. Did a few figure 8s in the paddock later to test out the ground controls - no problems. Monday is W&B, then on to the inspection, hopefully during the same week, but that's up to the availability of the inspector. Picture in my gallery. Will keep you posted. Blue skies, Ron.

Congratulations Milton. I bet that was a thrill. I'm so looking forward to seeing mine at the same stage as you. I have been in NT for the past 3 months and haven't done a thing to my plane since October. However I'm at the stage of bolting on the prop and getting it started. Hope to have it airbourne by the end of January. Regards and best wishes, Ron

Hi Gordon, I agree with your concerns. I found the best way was to dab the stuff on. You get a mottled effect but, I think, adequate coverage. Reg Brost suggested a foam applicator with its own paint storage container (Bunnings), but I found that, in the middle of the SA summer, the foam dried out too quickly and set hard. Whatever method you use, avoid excess paint as it is difficult to remove when set. It may be a pest to assemble, note where the joins are, dismantle and do the painting, but, over the life of the project, it will save you time. Hope this helps, Ron

Hi Gordo, Congratulations on your choice, you won't be disappointed. I really don't know the answer to your question as I had exactly the same thoughts but just went ahead and did what brighter heads than mine suggested. Mine are all painted with the black stuff and an electrician did tests and found that I had no voltage drop through the body, so don't be too concerned about that aspect. "Tomorrow" is a good idea. I had numerous situations in which I had no answer to a problem but, after a night's sleep, the answer was right there when I first looked at the problem next day. The instruction manual will be your biggest headache. Just ask, ask and ask again, we all had to do it, so don't be afraid to call and if it doesn't seem right, get a second opinion. Best of luck and have fun. Ron.

Hi Decca, Not that I am aware.

Waiting!!! Hi Mark, I have it pretty well finished apart from the Prop Extension for which I have been waiting the last 2-3 weeks. The original, I was informed, is no good and a new version is being manufactured. So I wait. I'm really pleased with the outcome so far, just a little frustrated at the 11th hour delay. How are things in Vic? Ron.

Wow! Thanks for all the detailed tips. I am at the point of connecting up the cooling system to complete the engine, so all the engine tips are most timely. AeroKits has some thicker fuel cap seals which address the problem with leakage. The doors were an engineering marvel until it came time to fit them. I settled for the rear not fully sealing at this stage and will see how that works when I fly it. I installed the AeroKits 3 point door latches which work a treat. The bearing seal idea is great. Would you mind describing in detail what they are? It's been 6 1/2 months to get this far and now it appears the prop extension supplied is no good, so I am waiting for a replacement which will stop me within sight of the finish line. Thanks again for posting these and the previous tips. I'll try to post some photos when I figure out how to do it. Regards, Ron.

No Steve, But its getting closer by the day. You know what it's like 90% done and 90% to go, but looking good. Just the frustrating little bits that seem to take more time than the big bits. Hope all is well. Regards, Ron.

I've also got some spare if Michael's isn't enough.

Congratulations Reg, it looks like a beauty. I look forward to seeing it at NatFly. Ron.

Hi All, Another idea that I thought I might share. With something like 10 000 rivets to put into a Savannah, there are more than a few that are a little difficult to line up. This little tool has saved me sore fingers and eliminated the risk of piercing my hand with the sharp end of the rivet.[ATTACH]7375.vB[/ATTACH] Just cut the head off a soft-handled toothbrush and drill a hole in the end to take the full length of the rivet shaft. It is soft on the hands and releases the rivet easily.

Hi all, I thought I would share an idea I used in my VG XL build. The thought of cutting half a square metre from the bottom skin of each wing scared the heck out of me. Where to cut? Is it too close or too far from the rivets etc etc. Then I remembered how well these aeroplanes are engineered. All the rivet holes are the same distance apart and the same distance in from the edge. So, to measure the distance in from the edge to the cut line, all I had to do was cleco the inspection hatch on from the outside in and scribe a line along the edge. This is the line along the main spar, with me marking the line for the cut. The altenative is to leave it in place as is and use it as a guide to cut along. [ATTACH]7373.vB[/ATTACH] This is the line being scribed along the rib.[ATTACH]7374.vB[/ATTACH] The bottom cut is just an extension of the original cut line.

Thanks Mark. I have PMed a couple of questions. Love your photo log. Ron.