Kyle Communications

Yes correct only on the outside that way the heads of the rivets have a coat of etch under them. The etch primer is super thin not like a full paint job like the pictures

Iso is no where near as good as acetone. Acetone is fine dont be a pussy just like anything use your head how you use it. I use much more carcenogenic liquids in my electronics manufacture. its like anything .... use the right gloves and wear a mask..takes 30 seconds to put both on. Use the best stuff for the job. Anything can kill you

The black goop is a must but it must go on first to the bare alu. No primer at all for the black stuff. Its a water based paint that when dry seals oxygen off totally under where is was painted. dont put primer under it or over it. Make sure you always clean the bare alu with acetone of similar before putting the goop on to remove any oil/grease that maybe on the sheets. Where maybe black stuff may be seen depending on the lay of the parts allways prefit the parts then use masking tape to get a perfect line because once the black stuff sets its can be removed but its elbow grease and acetone and a scotchbrite otherwise you will see it under your paint What engine are you putting in?...It really needs to be a 915IS or similar hp

Christian I would not alodine any of my aircraft again its a massive job..looks really great and if it was living next to the ocean or I had it on floats then maybe the alodine again. The black stuff is all you need to be honest just make sure you apply it on both mating surfaces and let it dry before you do the join. That black stuff is damn good and it prevents any corrosion between joints or mating surfaces. The alu is 6061T6 and it is not supposed to have any sort of major corrion but it still can if it is not prepped properly. The only thing you need to do is the black stuff and where you are going to place rivets its a good idea to run over those lines with etch prime and even dip you rivets into some etch prime before you rivet them. A good etch prime over the whole aircraft external before painting. The alodine is overkill for most aircraft. After building 2 savannahs and helps a lot of other doing their kits this is what I now do. I have a RANS S-21 Outbound kit being done now. I am using the black stuff on every mating surface...like the tops of the ribs and then the corresponding position of that rib on the skin and the same with any other mating joint in the aircraft. There is no alodine in this S21 just the black stuff and etch prime as I said If you go through the Sav S rebuild you will see what I mean about the etch prime over where you will rivet skins as this at least gives you a layer of protection under the rivet heads...this is where most corrosion occurs Mark

I just use the stuff I use for electronics on heatsinks...works fine

Rodger thats also the same for a std MV licence holder let alone any of the other CASA licences

Its not that simple for some of us. I require a drivers licence medical..done by my GP every year as I drive on a HR licence ( its a 30 min appt and cost $200 !!!!) ...and I have "special conditions". So even if I have a std licence I still need a medical as I am a type 2 diabetic...not bad only just now but used to be bad. A std licence would just be a sign off by the GP but because I have the HR licence I then come under the Austroads banner for trucks. CASA cant refuse me a Basic Med licence though and I have had one but the Basic Med I need to go to a DAME where the GP is cheaper. The Class 5 licence is still the same for me BUT I am now looking at possibly shifting my RANS S-21 from what was going to be Group G to possibly VH Experimental because its easy for me to do. I havent decided yet but if I wanted to re engine the S-21 that would make it up to 820kg MTOW which of course takes it out of Group G

I think he said his cost 55k that was std wheels and 4 tanks and exteneded baggage area...no prop

Heard from a new builder who just got a new S kit here a few weeks ago that there are no steam gauges supplied now but some AVmap EFIS and the slip indicator...

Yep they told me that too...so I had to get my usual heavy vehicle drivers licence done last month and send the medical on that to them like before. I just find it stupid that you can use a Class 2 med with RAAA and not the new Class 5...one would think it SHOULD be seamless

Nice one Peter...good things take time

If you build your own for Group G like I am doing then its no different to experimental rules from what it will look like. I dont have to have a LAME..but if you bring into Group G a already existing aircraft and you are not the builder then its a different matter

150k I think I saw about a month ago on FB

No different to house prices..they still keep going up despite the economy... The only way to keep the pricing down a fair bit it to build it yourself . Though kit prices are getting out of control too now but still a lot better than buying a "factory built" if its for your own use/pleasure then building is the only way to be able to afford it. The price difference is crazy. My first Savannah kit back in 2011 ....I paid 27k for I believe now they are 48k !! so by the time you add a engine at 38k and radio and prop you are over 90k then they have to build it. I bought a RANS S-21 kit in 2018 and it was exactly a year until it arrived here so in 2019 it cost me 64k landed here to my door in Oct 2019 all taxes and freight paid. To get the same kit here now is around 120 to 130k and that is no engine or avionics at all or paint and time to build. To but a finished S-21 in the USA now factory built I think is around US$195,000 so thats 320k aussie plus by the time you get it here. I could not afford that now. Thats why old secondhand ones are at the crazy prices now..its all typical of the market. I just went and recosted my kit for the S-21 at todays pricing. Mine cost me US$34k when I bought it. The current price for the same kit is now US$60k. Thats basically AU$92,000 at the exchange rate of 0.65. When I bought mine the exchange rate was 0.72 which is about AU$47,200 so basically double the price now and no engine or avionics or paint yet. Then of course you have the freight, the port charges and import fees and of course slap on the GST on all of that so at least AU$130k maybe more by the time you get the kit home...still thats a lot cheaper than a factory built at AU$300,000 plus all the charges and taxes to get it here

Nev I didnt take your comment like that at all...I know exactly what you said though. Being in business for more than 30 years and designing many products I have been in that position before and its a gamble when ever you do anything like this. I have been lucky though as the 3 things that I have put out there for the aircraft community so far have been very successfull...sometimes I think too successful. The flap bracket I designed for the Savannah I sold more than 50 sets..I still. get calls for them but getting the 63 thou 6061 T6 up here to Brisbane for it is very problematic now....the freight is 2 times the cost of the sheet. The replacement CDI modules for the Rotax I made..which started out as a sort of hobby job for a couple of local friends up here grew legs and turned into a monster with now more than 500 units sent all over the world The Throttle bars are up to around 30 now I think The issue is now getting the time to make all this stuff as I prefer to do it myself to keep the quality as high as possible. being retired now I thought I would have a bit more time to allocate to doing these but it turns out I think I am busier than I was than when I was working and doing all this as well. Just had a order from a guy in NZ this morning who wants 4 CDI...They are the last 4 that I have in stock so have to get to making another batch. No rest for the wicked !

3 of the 6 are gone already Nev, Two were done last night and one ordered this morning. All paid and I have dropped off to the post office this morning. It doesnt matter what aircraft it is it just bolts to the rotax. The only issue is the person has to organise how they connect to my throttle lever that controls the system. No one has had any issue so far.

I have 6 throttle kits if anyone wants one. You can email me at. [email protected]. I expect they will go pretty fast.

What ADSB are you using?

I have never had to replace a blade only for anyone. Not sure on the freight cost but the blade themselves are AU$650 each. I would have to find out the freight. Each part of a Eprop has a embeded chip in it with the parts specs recorded in it when its made. I will require the serial number of the broken part so they can make the replacement to the exact same specs. This is required for balancing of the prop to make sure the blade you require is the same weight.

Eprops are designed from the ground up by very smart people versed in fluid dynamic and using some very trick software. They just dont copy and remix old designs. You have to remember that the Eprop for Rotax engines was specifically designed for the engine that has a gearbox. NOT a direct drive although later this year they will release their new prop for the Jabiru series of engines which is a 2 blade. You can of course get a 2 blade for a rotax but that is a waste because again it was designed for a gearbox engine. It also helps that it is the lightest propellor you can get with the latest materials. Everyone also notices the vast difference when starting and stopping the engine...no more big clunks..The blades are not wide like all other props..this reduces the drag of the propellor. One thing to remember of course is that reduced drag will affect your landing approach. Every single customer who has bought a Eprop from me has been super happy and every single one has had a dramatic increase in cruise speed. Also they all cant believe how smooth they are..they are a huge level above anything even with the best dynamic balance you can do on a normal prop. I have sold over 70 props now and in fact another 2 are on order this week. If you set them up as per the instructions they tell you then you will get the performance. If you listen to the "old guard" you will NOT get the performace. The designers know what they are doing. One of the first few props I sold was for a A22 foxbat..he got 8kts increase in cruise..he used to love is Warp Drive props...he sold all 3 he had after using the Eprop. I dont want this to be taken as a sales pitch. It isnt. Its just information to chew on but the best recommendation is from the people that use them. I dont have to have any sales pitch..they sell themselves.

Rotax wont make them but rebadge them...but it would be interesting to see whose brand they are endorsing

Hi Bob Not a lot since the engine start and run. A few things like the parachute is now installed and those covers etc. I am subdividing the Burpengary property and its a huge job as all the 2 sheds there have to be demolished to suit the new alignment. My dads shed and my electronic shed have been cleaned out but the build shed 15 x 7.5 mtrsmit has to stay until the new shed 18 x 9 mtrs is put up on the new alignment. All the stuff in the 2 sheds has been packed into spare rooms in the house and the remaining big shed temporarily. To do this Mabel has been shifted down to the hangar to give me more room in the big shed. When I shift what I am keeping into the new shed like my CNC mill and lathe and a pletherer of other gear then the big shed will come down. This will allow the new driveway easement to be done. Its been a massive job but then there are trees to remove over the new property lines and fences to be removed..2 shipping containers to be sent to the farm...etc etc...so I am afraid no work on Mabel now for a couple of months. Also the spare time I have has been used making CDI ignitions and trying to get more htrottle kits done in a very temporary workbench setup in the big shed. My missus is up me as well she wants to go flying and we still have no flying aircraft. Mabel needs a few good solid weeks and she will be ready but I just cant manage the time but she has to be done as soon as I can get the time. Everything is down at the hangar wings and tail feathers have been painted..fuse as well. Just need to paint the cowls IMG_3311 (1).mov

We did look at where our block is situated. Just for those reasons...didnt want one along the strips or close to the Biggenden Road..also so that the hangar would face east in the mornings...no westerly sun at the back

I know quite a few of us sparkies after the SEQEB power strikes in the mid 80's they went to Tassie to work in the elec supply industry....their wives made them come back as they couldnt stand the weather or cold :)...works both ways Marty. Once a Qld'er always a Canetoad...one a Taswegian always a taswegian

Yes Nev but they all have caravans...they come up mothers day and the ones that go back do on on fathers day. The ones that stay have made the land and housing prices skyrocket