JG3

Keep in mind this process is equivalent to soldering. It is not suitable for load bearing structural construction, but is very handy for fabricating components that don't need to carry critical loads. No special equipment needed. It's not all that difficult if you do the proper procedure: - Clean components and filler rod very well. - Apply heat only to the components rather than the rod, don't get the rod in the flame at all. - Rub the rod on the components and use the heat from the components to melt the rod. - Very much like soldering.

Aluminium brazing/soldering test

Long ago I converted a Beaver ultralight to a twin-engine, 2 x 447's push-pull. I had fabricated an extra strong pilot cage, well integrated into the rest of the airframe and landing gear. Mostly MIG welded aluminium, welded steel engine support overhead forward. Some gusseted riveted connections in the tube and fabric airframe. The original Beaver construction was mostly bolted tubing. Later, when extending a landing approach to avoid turbulence behind trees, caught the landing gear on a SWR line and tripped and hit the ground vertical nose down, REALLY HARD! That pilot cage and really good belts protected me really well so only got a broken ankle. Later examination showed that almost every bolted joint broke out of the tubing..... Some gusseted and riveted joints ripped loose but many survived even when distorted...... But not one of the many welded joints failed. NOT ONE, despite some being grossly mangled and distorted..... Welding aluminium anneals the adjoining metal, so that metal becomes even more ductile, and bends and twists without fracturing, absorbing a lot of the energy. That was vividly demonstrated in this case, and saved my butt..... So I have a lot of faith in welded aluminium, and have since built another ultralight with the airframe all MIG welded and an extremely strong pilot cage. Of course the wing with it's necessary flexing isn't welded, just standard ultralight ladder frame construction.

Mount Beauty Airstrip next to town in spectacularly beautiful scenery. A very pleasant walk through a park into town.

Cootamundra has a grassy shaded area, and right beside the town, easy walk. Leeton has fine shaded camping area but long way from any town......

Can you reveal the make of the aircraft??

I've been through that lane and would consider it one of the best and easiest to navigate anywhere. Just keep the railroad on your left, both ways, and you have good separation. No need to be hunting for other landmarks to navigate or watching an iPad, just watch straight ahead for any oncoming traffic not following the 'keep to the right' rule when in a lane.... As I remember it, enough open paddocks most of the way. I've also been through that VFR coastal lane, and that's not at all suitable for recreational aircraft pilots even with transponders. That lane runs right across the final approach to the Williamstown runway, where heavy and fast aircraft are coming and going frequently. They and their controllers know their procedures really well and are very quick and precise and abrupt in their communications. Not a good place for amateurs, even with some training.....

This conversation has really drifted.... The lane issue should to be moved to it's own heading elsewhere in the forum, and kept alive because it is important.

Witness quoted by Channel 9 - "This bloke is in trouble and the wings folded up and he just spiraled to the ground." Big open clean paddock below..... There's more to this story than the lane issue.....

Yeh, I have one as well. Never been really used. Works great in a demo, but useless on an aircraft due to room to swing it. Must be thousands of them unused in workshops, after getting hooked on a demo at an airshow or country fair. Just carry a couple of spare Triton hose clamps, excellent quality.

Very lucky fella. no fire.....

I have a Savannah with an airbox. I did lots of comparison testing of power with outside air vs inside cowl air. Temp difference usually 3-4 degrees. Couldn't tell any difference at all.... So long ago removed the scat hose from outside and just run on inside cowl air. I reckon that the slightly warmer air will avoid any carb icing - if Bing carbs are actually prone to icing..... 1600 hrs now never a problem. The airbox now just makes a good support to tie the carbs together and prevent any vibration, and gets in the way when I need access to the back of the engine......

There was blue fuel line that stayed flexible and lasted nearly forever. Then a look-alike came on the market that crumbles in no time..... Can't tell the difference when new. Go for Gates or similar quality automotive black rubber.

Exactly correct. Increasing AofA means increasing lift coefficient. It's the ability of the Savannah wing to attain this high AofA without suddenly letting go that makes it such a dependable STOL aircraft.

For those who haven't seen these yet, here are detailed and very thorough flight testing of different wing configurations on a Savannah: https://www.stolspeed.com/flight-testing-slats-vs-vgs

All correct, EXTREME down slope wind conditions. And he had full flaps deployed, bad practice for take off in those conditions.....

It's a modified NACA 65018. Bottom surface flat instead of slightly under cambered.

Load your trailer up at maybe bulk price and become a dealer up this way. Someone needs to do it.....

I hear that the winner of the recent STOL competition at Lismore was a Savannah! Against all those tail draggers with huge special wheels. Irony is that the prize was a fancy tailwheel, after he'd just demonstrated that he didn't need one!

How are dedicated CTAFs allocated?? The reason I ask is that in our SE Qld area for example, a very busy airfield like Gympie is sharing 126.7 while a very quiet airfield like Watts Bridge has it's own dedicated frequency. With all the training action at Gympie, sometimes the transmissions are almost constant, taking up much of the 126.7 air time. Do the managers of Gympie need to apply for a dedicated frequency and be assessed, or how is it done???

I wanted to follow the gas pipelines that carry gas to the export port at Gladstone. Finally got perfect weather for the flight. https://followingthegas.blogspot.com/2019/07/following-gas-to-export-httpswww.html

There's lots of discussion about new power plants lately. There are several power plants of different types near here, so I went for a look. https://flighttoviewpowerstations.blogspot.com/2019/07/blog-post.html

Surely the news and discussion of this disaster will be all the training any of us needs to not do the same..... Don't start out too late for somewhere too distant...... Flight Planning 101.

I just stepped outside to see how dark it is at about 6:30pm. Completely dark, no horizon, very slim moon giving no light.....

And must keep in mind when flight planning to allow a 'Reserve of Daylight flight time', same as a Reserve of Fuel flight time, not just plan on arriving at last light or even at sunset.....