e-Go Aeroplanes – visit

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Scott

Today I went to the e-Go Centre in Cambridgeshire, UK – home of an ultra-modern single seat aircraft – the e-Go Aeroplane. Click here for information in a previous post: e-Go Aeroplanes.

I met CEO, Adrian Hillcoat and Sales & Marketing Manager, David Boughey, seen L-R in the photo here, with the currently dis-assembled e-Go prototype.

We spent 2-3 hours looking around their facility and discussing the technical aspects of their aircraft, testing schedules and production plans, as well as potential interest in Australia.

For testing purposes, the prototype has been fitted with a wonderful array of strain gauges and computerised data logging equipment. There’s nothing that’s not recorded – flight speeds, engine parameters, flight envelope, heights, airframe stresses under different flight conditions, even a complete GPS track of each and every flight. Every time an aspect of the design is changed, it’s checked and tested to ensure the desired improvement is delivered.

e-Go prototype

Although technically the aircraft fits into the UK ‘deregulated’ class – i.e. single seat with maximum weight, wing loading and stall speed limitations – the aircraft is being finalised to be capable of LSA compliance and maybe even full certification at a later date.

e-Go is aiming for production to be started during the first quarter of 2015 – much of the first year’s production has already been sold.

The aircraft will appeal primarily to the buyer looking to put some extra fun into their flying. Owners will include GA and LSA pilots who already own a more staid bigger aircraft; or perhaps owners of a fast car, motorcycle or boat, who want to add a third dimension to their fun; and even maybe glider pilots, who will find they can ‘thermal’ the aircraft and who will feel instantly at home in the glider-like cockpit.

Although the aircraft is not primarily intended for long cross-country flights, there will be space for an overnight bag behind the seat, as well as other stowage for water, maps and other items in the cockpit. Duration of the aircraft is projected to be around 3½ hours plus reserve, at 90-100 knots, so you could go places if you really want to. However, the primary purpose of the aircraft is to give the weekend flyer a big grin – the test pilot’s partner says his smile after each flight is enough to light up a sizeable town!

Towards the end of the meeting, Adrian, David and I considered for some time a variety of different purchasing options, to make ownership or part ownership a relatively easy and affordable process. There are some interesting possibilities to think about.

Personally, I believe this is one of the more exciting developments in very light aviation in a long while – the e-Go company is well funded, has a wealth of design and technological excellence, and the aircraft itself looks very good – and by all accounts, flies even better.

I think they will have no problem selling every one they can make…….watch this space!

Click here for the e-Go Aeroplane website

Oshkosh 2014 – Andy Corsetti’s Aeroprakt A20

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Scott

Here’s a short video interview with Andy Corsetti – who flew his Aeroprakt A20 all the way from Florida to Airventure. Click here for the video: Andy Corsetti’s A20

The Aeroprakt A20 was the precursor to the A22 Foxbat. It uses much the same wing but with a tandem 2-seat taildragger pusher prop configuration. Aeroprakt CEO Yuriy Yakovlyev (and his son) won a number of awards over the years in various European Ultralight Championships, flying an A20.

Personally, I really like the A20. I think it would make a great farmer’s aircraft in Australia with its pusher prop up high away from the gravel and stones and a cabin quickly convertible from open to closed through the addition of different canopies/screens.

EASA Certification For Evektor SportStar

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Scott

Congratulations to my old friends at Evektor-Aerotechnik – makers of the SportStar and Harmony aircraft. They have achieved yet another first – EASA certification of a SportStar fitted with a Dynon SkyView System. This is the first ever aircraft to be certified by EASA with the SkyView.

Evektor will be pleased to add it to their list of other ‘firsts’, including the very first ever LSA approved in USA; the first ever LSA approved in Australia; and the volume number one manufacturer of aircraft in the Czech Republic.

In addition to the Dynon SkyView System – one 10″ EFIS and the other 7″ EMS – as you can see from the picture, the aircraft is also equipped with a COMM/NAV/VOR/LOC Garmin GNC 255 receiver and an Apple iPad mini, bringing extended convenience and functionality to the cockpit. To round off the package, the aircraft has a ballistic recovery system.

Lucky French owners are the Aero Club Les Alcyons – one of the biggest clubs in the Paris area.

Evektor are also nearing certification of the new generation twin engine turboprop EV-55 Outback, for transportation of 9-14 passengers and/or cargo.

Well done everyone at Evektor!

New Rotax Service Letter

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Scott

Rotax has issued a new Service Letter – SL-912-014 R4 – concerning the use of non-Rotax parts on their engines.

They are concerned that after-market manufacturer claims of more power and/or lower fuel consumption through the addition of these parts may compromise the reliability and safety of their engines.

In particular, Rotax quotes that unauthorised replacement piston kits, after-market turbo-chargers and fuel injection systems have all caused engine failures. They also list cheap oil filters, replacement crankshafts and electric starters as causing problems.

Bearing in mind the price of Rotax spare parts, I suppose people can hardly be blamed for considering cheaper alternatives – however, as a friend repeated to me only the other day (about something completely different) – “cheapest is not always the lowest cost”. When it comes to my life, I think I’d rather stick with the genuine item, which has already been exhaustively tested. At my age, I’m not really up for being a guinea pig.

At least Rotax puts a huge amount into the development and safety of their engines – which is more than can be said of some manufacturers. With well over 50,000 912 series engines out there, they have plenty of experience. Not for nothing have they become the engine of choice for many manufacturers and home builders.

A22LS Foxbat – advanced short take-off

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Scott

Mike Rudd has made a new video showing how to take-off in your Foxbat in half the normal distance.

Click here for the full 2-minute story: Foxbat – advanced short take-off technique

In summary:

– line up on the runway/take-off area
– do not apply flap, keep the elevator neutral
– apply the brakes and increase throttle to full power
– when full power is reached and stabilised, release the brakes
– be ready to correct the nose swing more than normal due to the full power
– as the airspeed goes through about 25 knots, smoothly pull on full flap and nudge the controls back a little to ‘unstick’ the aircraft
– fly level until the airspeed builds above 50 knots, then climb away as usual

This technique is useful on short strips or take-off areas which are soft.

CAUTION: be careful if the take-off area is covered with gravel or stones, as it is very likely the prop will be damaged if you apply full power when static on the ground. There is a slightly different technique for short field take-offs in these circumstances.

Here’s another link to a YouTube video of a Foxbat doing a short take-off using this technique.

High flying in the Himalayas

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Scott

Here’s a great article contributed by Captain Alexander Maximov from Avia Club Nepal. For photos of his experiences, please click here for the Foxbat Pilot Flickr Gallery.

For the last 17 years I have been flying in the Himalayas. I believe it is one place every adventure and high flyer dreams to be. I fly both Foxbat A-22 three axis aircraft and weight shift microlights.

I love flying high and I do fly high. I usually do commercial flights in Pokhara and its periphery. A 26,250 ft peak is just 30 km from the airport where we take off. The highest we can go up to is usually about 12,000 ft above sea level but in some cases I am flying at 16,000 ft altitude. Nothing can beat the experience of soaring with the birds of prey up high in the sky. I do it every single day and get a different experience every time I do.

Its not that I don’t do low flights. But considering the terrain and the conditions we have in this region, high flying is the best. We fly one of the best aircraft for the job – the Aeroprakt A-22, so gliding if the engine stops is not a problem.

I have been with world champion glider pilots who fly even higher. There was recently a Polish gliding expedition team with their sailplanes. The height they fly is amazing – up to 22,000 ft. Flying with the mountains and even sometimes the mighty mountains below you is simply unexplainable.

I have flown many aircraft types and in every terrain worldwide but the love of flying in Nepal with its beauty has kept me here.

An open invitation to all you adventure flyers…come to Nepal and you will know the difference of FLYING HIGH by FOXBAT!

Many thanks, Alexander!

Ido Segev flies the Foxbat

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Scott

Ido Segev is a world champion aerobatics pilot – of large, freestyle RC model aircraft. In his spare time, he’s also a flying instructor for full scale aircraft, based at Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne, and a multi-copter pilot for a video and photographic organisation.

As you can see from his video channel on YouTube – Ido Segev YouTube Videos – he’s a very accomplished pilot!

In our latest video, he talks about flying the Foxbat: Ido Segev Flies the Foxbat

Thanks to Mike Rudd for the video production. Mike Rudd YouTube Channel

What does your plane smell like?

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Scott

I was just taking off the other day when I caught an unmistakable whiff of fuel. In the event, the smell disappeared quickly and turned out to be the dregs in my fuel tester cup, which I hadn’t properly emptied. I keep the tester in the wing root storage pocket of my Foxbat just above and to the left of my nose.

This brief experience set me to thinking about aircraft smells generally, and how sometimes it’s all too easy to dismiss an unusual odour – however faint – as nothing worth worrying about. But here are a couple of true stories about how you should listen to your nose – if you know what I mean.

First – coolant. A few years ago, I was flying an aircraft home just after maintenance. Like the Foxbat and many other Light Sport Aircraft, this one was/is powered by the Rotax 912 liquid cooled engine.

Burned coolant hose

About 15 minutes into my planned 20 minute flight, I thought I could smell coolant – that peculiar metallic hot water and anti-freeze smell. The cylinder head and coolant temperatures were steady, as was the oil temperature. But the smell wasn’t going away, even if it wasn’t getting any worse. Luckily my destination was soon within gliding distance, so I throttled back, made a radio call and landed without completing the usual circuit.

It turned out the engineer had moved one of the coolant radiator hoses during maintenance. When the cowlings were replaced, the hose had made a slight contact with the nearby exhaust, enough to burn a tiny hole, through which coolant was dripping onto the exhaust. I should have picked up this proximity during my pre-flight but didn’t. In fact with the top cowling off, the hose was a millimetre or two clear of the exhaust underneath it. But replacing the cowling, to which the coolant radiator was fixed, was enough to move the hose slightly and enable contact with the exhaust. The manufacturer subsequently issued a service bulletin requiring a specific clearance between coolant hose and exhaust. They have now re-designed the installation to avoid the problem.

Next – exhaust. Many years ago, I was flying another Rotax-powered aircraft, fitted with flexible exhaust tubes connecting the manifolds to the muffler. In flight, I thought I could smell exhaust fumes. Being an unfamiliar aircraft, I wasn’t sure if this was a trait of the aircraft or a real problem

Burned oil filter

However, I opened the air vents in the doors and decided to make an unplanned landing a few minutes later at the nearest airstrip. Sure enough, one of the exhaust tubes had slightly fractured. Most worrying – the hole pointed the escaping exhaust gases directly at the oil filter canister and it was only a matter of time before it would have burned through. If oil had escaped onto the exhaust in these circumstances, I really don’t want to think about the possible outcomes.

So get to know your aircraft’s typical smells and whether it’s the unusual smell of exhaust, fuel, coolant, oil or brake linings – listen to your nose and take immediate action!

Anyone else had a similar experience?

Pacific Flyer Magazine – RIP

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Scott

Pacific Flyer – last cover

Over the years, I have spent many thousands of dollars advertising the Foxbat (and a while back now, the SportStar) in Pacific Flyer magazine – including my usual half-page in the latest and – as it turns out – the last issue.

They offer a few reasons for folding (forgive the pun). I suppose top of the list must be their declining advertising revenue, but what’s caused this?

Pacific Flyer quotes the continuing effects of CASA (over) regulation of the industry, leading to buyer deterrence and disinterest. The squabbles in RA-Aus over the last couple of years cannot have been helpful either. Maybe the overall state of the Australian economy is to blame – although Australia is among the top five most successful economies in the world, even ahead of Germany, France, UK, Japan, USA etc etc, we seem to have got cold feet about debt, whether national or personal. People are not buying so many small light aircraft at the moment and, as a result, fewer advertisers are willing to reach into their pockets. So it goes.

Something Pacific Flyer would not want to mention is unfortunately what feels like a rather basic approach to design and layout in the magazine. Sometimes the quality of the photos is not good – whether this is down to the originals or the printing process I don’t know but either way, it leans towards a more amateur look. If you compare Pacific Flyer with other professionally produced aviation magazines, it does begin to appear more like a well-produced flying club newsletter. Attractive though some may find this style, in this very competitive market place, it cannot help sales. Overtly or subliminally, this design look probably puts off more readers than it attracts – however interesting the actual content.

As I said, I have been a great supporter of the magazine over the years, both financially and socially, mentioning it to customers and others alike. They have carried a great variety of articles covering the whole range of aviation, from small single seat aircraft (one’s featured in the last issue) through to warbirds and heavier metal.

So it is a great pity that another light aviation publication goes to the wall. To all at Pacific Flyer: thank you for your magazine and good luck in your next ventures.

Now where am I going to place my next series of adverts?

The Ercoupe – a unique aeroplane

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Scott

The Ercoupe was first manufactured in the late 1930’s by a company called Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO). In one form or another, it continued in production until 1970 by which time over five and a half thousand had been built.

The Ercoupe is unique in at least three main ways:

– it is truly spin proof
– it was the fist mass manufactured aircraft to have a nose wheel (as opposed to a tail wheel)
– it has no rudder pedals; steering on the ground and in the air is achieved solely through movement of the steering wheel-like control yokes

Even today, the Ercoupe remains a popular aircraft and many have been restored and maintained to near-new standards. Some of the models qualify for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) status under current regulations and are an excellent, safe and relatively inexpensive way to enjoy flying.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video about the aircraft, owned by Jack Vevers, a member of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (AAAA), and a leading member of the Peninsula Aero Club (PAC) at Tyabb airport:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcZZnXlpc0A&feature=youtu.be

PS – You might just catch a glimpse of a Foxbat wing and strut during one of the air-to-air sequences. The Foxbat makes a great photo-ship. Watch this space!

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