Aviation THE MAGAZINE OF THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
LIGHT
April 2023 £4.25
ELECTRIC SKYJEEP
Light Aircraft Association WWW.LAA.UK.COM
The story of Tim Bridge and his simple, yet remarkable, electric aircraft project… UAVIONIX AV30E ON TEST IAN FRASER ASSESSES AND INSTALLS THIS SMALL EFIS
COMPOSITE TIPS AND TRICKS ANDY BEST SHARES SOME BASICS THAT HE’S LEARNED
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Ed’s Desk
The battery and motor powerplant unit in the NUNCATS Zenair
Chairman ERYL SMITH CEO STEPHEN SLATER MBE Chief Technical Officer JON VINER CEng MEng MRAeS Chief Inspector LUCY WOOTTON MEng(Hons) DIS DipHE ARAeS
President ROGER HOPKINSON MBE Vice President BRIAN DAVIES Engineering email engineering@laa.uk.com Email office@laa.uk.com Office Manager Penny Sharpe Head Office Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD Telephone for engineering and commercial 01280 846786
LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE Editor ED HICKS Email ed.hicks@laa.uk.com
Design and Print SEAGER PUBLISHING Production Editor LIZI BROWN Art Editor LISA DAVIES Opinions expressed by the authors and correspondents are not necessarily those of the Editor or the LAA. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission.
Electric dreaming…
W
hile I know the subject of electric power can polarise (sorry, pun not necessarily intended) opinions, it’s something that remains of great interest to me. I think it’s because I’ve always seen it as a really good fit with the sort of flying that I mostly do – short flights, mostly just for fun, 30-45 minutes duration. So, I really enjoyed learning more about the brilliant NUNCATS Zenair project in Mark Hales’ excellent feature that starts on page 18. While the project started out as an LAA build, it switched to the UK Experimental E-Conditions scheme to keep the live development of the power package moving along, while also making easier the sorts of modifications which are often needed when you’re testing. The NUNCATS power unit fits within the same space, with roughly similar packaging requirements, as its internal combustion counterparts, and it’s an idea that I’m hoping we see more of in future. Particularly if it’s something along the lines of a battery/motor combination that has identical form factor to a small Lycoming or Continental. Use the same mount points, ensure the propeller mounts in exactly the same spot… and that’s my idea of an electric retrofit heaven. I confess to napkin doodling the idea of an electric RV-3… a few years ago Siemens provided Pipistrel with a 14kg electric motor for its WATTSuP demonstrator, which was a match to my 115hp (85kW) O-235. The Lyc is roughly 112kg, so there’s 98kg to use for some firewall forward batteries and associated cooling system – plus let’s swap the wing-mounted fuel tanks for wing-
mounted batteries, which even if you aimed for an equivalent weight of two/thirds tanks, that’s around 70kg of batteries. I know, my short stubby wings aren’t going to be as good as a longer, thinner pair, which is why a friend of mine in the States has paired up a re-purposed battery, motor and control system from a ZERO electric motorcycle and a Sonex Xenos motor glider. He is just about to make his first flight, but an earlier example shows that the package really works. (Google for kitplanes-electrified-sonexexenos to read more about that). There’s a quote, often attributed to Albert Einstein or Henry Ford, but regardless of the origin, what matters is the point it makes. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.” Having innovators like Tim Bridge doing something different like this is very definitely worthy of celebration, and is very much in the LAA ethos of ‘build it, fly it’…
ed.hicks@laa.uk.com
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 3
Contents April 2023
FEATURES 12 ARMSTRONG / ISAACS
The five recipients of the 2023 LAA Armstrong/Isaacs bursary awards scheme
14 PROJECT NEWS
Streak Shadow, Van’s RV-12iS, New Projects and Cleared to Fly
18 SPECIAL FEATURE
Mark Hales heads to Old Buckenham to learn more about the remarkably simple NUNCATS electric aircraft project
26 COACHING CORNER
David Cockburn suggests a few things to think about when it comes to over-water flying, now that summer is almost here…
29 ENGINEERING MATTERS
Jerry Parr compiles the latest round of inspection findings and news…
33 COMPOSITE TIPS
In the process of building his homebuilt, Andy Best has learned a few tips and tricks that could help other homebuilders
18
NUNCATS Skyjeep
37 TESTED
In the first part of a two part review Ian Fraser assesses, and installs, the uAvionix AV30E in his RV-6
44 EVENT REPORT
Stewart Luck, head of YES reports on the 15th Education Conference
47 MEET THE MEMBERS
We chat to Roger Breckell, who got involved in aviation aged 11 years old…
14
37 REGULARS 03 EDITORIAL 06 NEWS 08 LETTERS 10 STRAIGHT AND LEVEL 42 STRUTS4U 52 WHERE TO GO 54 LANDING VOUCHERS 58 FROM THE ARCHIVES
33 April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 5
LA News
News
Plenty more news is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com check it out every day!
Red Bull hits the Bulls Eye!
Kitplane and Light Sport Aircraft manufacturer CubCrafters, in collaboration with Red Bull and extreme sports promoter XDubai, achieved an unprecedented milestone in aviation by successfully landing a fixed-wing Carbon Cub aircraft on the heliport of one of the world’s most iconic buildings, the Burj Al Arab hotel, in Dubai, UAE. The Bulls Eye landing event featured Red Bull Air Race pilot and Carbon Cub owner, Luke Czepiela, landing a specially
modified version of CubCrafters bestselling aircraft on a 27-metre wide helipad, suspended 212 metres above sea level, atop the 56-story hotel. Renowned bush pilot, aviation engineer, and YouTuber, Mike Patey, also joined the CubCrafters technical team for the project, and helped cut weight, changed the C.G. to increase the effectiveness of the brakes, and add extra horsepower. Watch the video at: tinyurl.com/RedBullBullseye
FREE RAeS Lecture – Human Powered Aircraft
The Royal Aeronautical Society invites LAA members to join them for a free RAeS lecture on Human Powered Aircraft and the Formula Flight Prize, given by Charles Dhenin on 13 April 2023. The lecture will be about the techniques developed by Southampton University Human Powered Aircraft to build aeroplanes on a tight budget, the design and build of the Lazarus and Super Lazarus aircraft, which won the 2021 and 2022 Formula Flight prizes, and the lessons learned during the past three years with regards to running a team full of inexperienced students, dealing with the university, and making a student built aircraft a success. Charles Dhenin is a final year student of aeronautical engineering at SU and has been the president of SUHPA, the university's human powered aircraft society, since 2019. He is also the designer of the Lazarus and Super Lazarus aircraft. tinyurl.com/RAESLecture13April
600kg Vixxen cleared to build The first kit-built example of the 600kg A32 Vixxen, built by Ray Everitt of UK agent Dragon Aviation, is now flying with a full Permit, which means LAA homebuilders can now register their own microlight versions of the Vixxen for amateur building. Dragon is currently working with the CAA for both company and design approval which, when complete, will allow ready-to-fly versions of the aircraft to be sold. Ray also reminds existing owners of GA Vixxen’s that they can now be re-registered as a microlight as both aircraft are identical. www.foxbataircraft.com
Send birthday cards to help Ernie celebrate his 105th! LAA members don’t come much better known than the legendary Ernie Horsfall, who only recently retired as an LA Inspector two years ago aged 103! Ernie remains an LAA member and turns 105 in April. LAA member Harry Cook is trying to arrange 105 cards for Ernie as he has only one living relative and few friends – they are, as he said, ‘all dead’! So, if you’d like to send Ernie a card, please send it to: Brooklands Care Home, 6 Black Bull Lane, Preston PR2 3PU, ahead of his birthday on 21 April. 6 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
LA News
Dunkeswell 80th This year marks the 80th anniversary of Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon, along with many other wartime airfields in the South West. On 6 August 1943, the first B-24 Liberator movement occurred at Dunkeswell, and to mark this occasion we are holding a two-day fly-in and camping event on 5-6 August. We would like to extend an invite to all LAA members. Landing fees will be free of charge, and PPR slots will shortly be made available. As well as a fly-in for vintage and GA aircraft, there will be a vintage car and wartime vehicle rally.
British Rotorcraft Association record official! After almost 10 months, Guinness has confirmed that the British Rotorcraft Association (BRA) record breaker fly-in at Old Warden in Beds has been officially recognised as a World Record. The record recognised the arrival of 71 autogyros at one airfield in an eight-hour period is the record. BRA reminds all pilots who are, or were, paid up BRA members on that day can apply for a Participants Certificate to share in the record success. Events Coordinator, Steve Paffett would like to thank all of those that helped make this possible – pilots, officials, witnesses, photographers, FISO and the the Old Warden team. Please email membership@britishrotorcraftassociation.co.uk with your name, aircraft reg, and your membership number for further details on arranging a certificate.
New Groppo Trail agent LAA member Umberto Izzo has been named the new distributor of the Groppo Trail in the UK, taking on the agency from Sprite Aviation’s Graham Smith, who is stepping down. Umberto is seeking approval of a 600kg factory-built microlight version of the Trail, and hopes that he will be in a position to be at Popham for the Microlight Trade Fair. umberto.izzo@iseaviation.com // www.iseaviation.com
Struts 4U volunteer sought After nearly 80 columns for Light Aviation’s Struts4U column, regular writer Anne Hughes is looking to step down. “I didn’t expect it to go on that long!”, said Anne, adding, “It has been a privilege to be the first lady columnist for the LAA and also to see the column become part of the Struts and be appreciated by them. However, this summer I will be moving house with all that entails and possibly without internet for a while.” The LA Struts columnist rounds up news and photos for a report each month from Struts and other LA affiliated groups like the Vintage Aircraft Club, Vintage Piper Club, plus compiles an events list from updates sent in by Strut Co-ordinators. If you’d like to volunteer for this role, and pick up the baton from Anne, please contact the editor. ed.hicks@laa.uk.com
Air Race school introduction weekend Ahead of the 2023 season of events, races, and experiences, the Royal Aero Club – Racing, Rally and Records Association of Great Britain are hosting an Air Race Introduction weekend at Popham Airfield on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April. The experience days are free to attend and open to all, just choose which day you wish to attend. Any interested pilot can meet the team and gather information on the British Air Racing series of weekend air races and all our other activities. During the morning, there will be a short ground school that will include air race theory, rules, regulations and techniques, and after lunch, if you have flown in with your own aircraft, there will be an option of taking an experienced air race check pilot as passenger who will explain and mentor the basic flying and navigation skills required around a short demonstration course, There is also the option on the Saturday evening to meet club members at a social event at The Wheatsheaf Pub and Hotel, RG25 2BB. Accommodation can also be booked here. Please register for a place by contacting Jonathan Willis at jdm.willis@gmail.com or Julie Scott at juliescott009@gmail. com and we will look forward to meeting you. For more information, please visit www.BritishAirRacing. org/become-a-racer. April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 7
Letters
Letters We are always pleased to receive your letters, photos of your flying, and your feedback. Please email the editor at ed.hicks@laa.uk.com
European Luscombe returns to Oaksey y-in fl Park for 2023.
if we had to land! On one occasion it had to work on ‘our’ runway, but rather than sending us home, we were allowed to use the western end of the main runway, as long as we stayed within the airfield boundary! Those indeed were the days! Best wishes, Ken Rolph.
M.B.E. announces N.B.A.T.T.
European Luscombe Rally news
The date of the ‘Return of the European Luscombe and friends Rally’ will be held on 21-23 July at Oaksey Park Airfield. The main days are Saturday/Sunday, but early birds are welcome on Friday afternoon, with beer and BBQ available, and the local pub, the Wheatsheaf, will also be open. Curry, (vegetarian, as well) beer, wine and music on Saturday evening with BBQ breakfast/lunch and breakfast. Although a private Luscombe event, ‘friends’ who have owned one, want one or just love them are welcome. Landing fee is £10 but wavered if uplifting 50 litres+ with a charge for overnight parking, say Oaksey. The beer and grub will be at minimum cost though! Bring your own burgers/bacon etc (non-veggies!), and your own veggie grub, extra beer and wine of your own choice. A lot of interest has been expressed by many on the Luscombe Facebook page, and to me. This event is well overdue and it promises to be an important and fun weekend for Luscombe owners and admirers! See you there! Nigel Barratt G-BRUG.
Direct debits
Ed In the LA March edition, in response to comments regarding the removal of the direct debit discount, Steve Slater stated that bank direct debit fees have increased. Has the LAA 8 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
investigated different payment methods, e.g. GoCardless, which is used by GASCo and AOPA, to reduce costs and increase efficiency? There will be other similar solutions in the market. Regards, David Taylor, LAA 6136. Steve Slater replies: Thanks for sending this question. The answer is yes, we do use a number of mechanisms for payments, as well as DDs. We’re always looking at alternatives, including GoCardless and monitoring their transaction fees too. Thanks again for the heads-up.
An earlier microlight at Prestwick Hi Ed, Further to your letter in the latest magazine, can I stick my hand up to claim the first microlight flight out of Prestwick? It would have been 1979, in a Skycraft Scout microlight. These were imported from Australia by my pal Ian McMillan, now a retired BA captain, and Prestwick ATC was good enough to allow us, non radio, to operate off the short runway, using a red light
Dear Steve, Oh, well. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. You shall be a hard act to follow. Your grasp of the light aviation scene combined with your clear thinking has steered the PFA/ LAA to new heights. A far cry from the room full of largely penniless bods who grandly formed themselves into the ULAA all those years back. In those days we had absolutely no idea as to what we were starting. We had no aircraft, homebuilts were prohibited, Permits to Fly were restricted to aircraft that had flown pre-war (if you were lucky) and engines were in the ‘10cc’ bracket – and there was no call for radio, nav aids or anything. You could fly anywhere… if you had an aeroplane and that was the rub: we had none! Mind you, any fool could qualify for an ‘A’ Licence after a dozen hours’ solo and a dubious cross-country. Amateur aviation was a task as easy as attempting to poke half-a-pound of warm butter up a porcupine’s backside with a hot knitting needle. All I can say is ‘Good Show’ and have a happy retirement. Best wishes, Arthur Ord-Hume. NB: N.B.A.T.T. = New Bug*er At The Top
Ken Rolph’s Skycraft Scout
Letters
Low Level Common Frequency
Dear Ed, I have to disagree with Paul Kiddell on the Low Level Common Frequency, it simply adds another layer of confusion. Operating out of Easter Airfield, if Tain range is open, we use 122.750. Seven miles west, if we are going into Newhall Mains, it’s Safetycom, same for Knockbain. Always in that area I’d have a listening watch on Inverness (122.605) as most of the A-A training flights will be getting a basic service from them. The coast guard helicopters have informed us that as soon as they move away from Inverness they have been instructed to use 130.490, not Safetycom! If Tain is closed, there’s seven airfields in close proximity; Dornoch, Easter, Tain microlight strip, a private strip at Tarrell, another at Nigg roundabout, Knockbain (Dingwall), Newhall Mains, all on Safetycom and the coastguard is not listening!! Just how many radios are we supposed to have? Regards, David M Edes.
February Adventure
Ed, I thoroughly enjoyed Duncan’s article in the February edition of Light Aviation. A little information about the flight to Quiberon. The ‘water beds’ pictured, are in fact salt marshes, laid down by the Romans. It is from here that the famous ‘Sel de Guérande’ comes. There is indeed an Aviation Museum on the airfield at La Baule, (LFRE) you can find us on www.mapica.org. Any visitor flying a G- aircraft is always very welcome. During July and August we are open every afternoon from 1400-1730. Entrance is free, with a donation box available. I will be there to give a tour ‘en Anglais’, but if you wish to practise your French… alors pourquoi pas? Great magazine! Terry Froggatt.
Above Local flying for David Edes - see ‘Low Level Common Frequency’. Basically, what I showed him, they can do, but the cost of £240 would be to modify a lens and put it into one of their frames – which is not really what we want. The good news is that any pilot who needs either sunglasses or is purchasing glasses with a prescription lens they intend to use while flying can request the sunglass part to be a ‘graduated tint’ and this will only cost an extra £30 over the price of the normal glasses. The graduated tint can be requested to be as dark as the customer requires and the gradual change to the clear area can also be defined when ordering. For example, if a pilot only requires reading glasses then the top section would be graduated with a sunglass tint with the lower section, where the reading remains clear to allow reading of a chart in the darker areas of the cockpit. The manager was very interested in my query as they have records of glasses for many special requirements for various jobs and this was one he hadn’t known about until
I raised it with him. He suggested that if a pilot required varifocals or maybe trifocals, Specsavers can make them to be fully tinted for the long range bright sky scanning at the top, graduated lighter towards the centre where the centre lens would be manufactured to read the instrument panel and then clear at the lower area with a reading lens for chart reading in the darker areas of the cockpit where the chart is on the pilots lap. Basically, the pilot can specify the level of tint, area of tint, vertical position of the lenses as required and all just for an extra £30 over the price of their normal frames and lenses / glasses when ordered from Specsavers. Obviously, you have the full range of frames available rather than just the one I picked and this provides a good value for money when you choose your new glasses for aviation. Of course, it might also be useful for driving as well, as you look out at bright sunlight and then down to the darker area of the dashboard? Whether other suppliers of glasses can offer a similar deal I don’t know, but I suspect they might do so, if requested. If not, Specsavers do provide it. It is amazing, and I wish I had known this before, as buying proper sunglasses plus reading glasses is expensive, and yet I could have bought one pair with this graduated sunglasses area and the lower part clear with the reading lens for just £30 extra. I hope this helps with maybe a report in the Light Aviation for pilots to be made aware of the opportunity. Regards, John Broad. ■
Sunglasses tip
Yesterday I walked into Bicester and called into Specsavers to get some kind of description on what any pilots might need to ask for to get similar tinting as the pair of glasses pictured. I spoke to one of the managers who gave me some good news.
Above Thought about requesting a graduated tint on your glasses? April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 9
Straight and Level Updates from LAA HQ Passing the baton Eryl Smith Chairman
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his month we welcome Simon Tilling as our new CEO… and say farewell to Steve after seven years at the helm. It is easy to take the CEO role for granted without appreciating the breadth of workload and responsibility that falls on their shoulders. First and foremost the LAA is a members’ association, but the responsibility to administer the oversight of the permit fleet on behalf of the CAA obliges the CEO to balance members’ interests with those wider regulatory responsibilities – not always straightforward nor easy. Over the years the LAA has grown in many ways: our membership, the size and breadth of fleet, our turnover and assets. The environment in which we operate continues to evolve, whether that be the increasing demands on airspace which threaten to constrain our freedoms, or the concerns about environmental sustainability. They all command the attention of a CEO. No one person can be expected to manage such an agenda alone and without the support of the Board, the HQ staff team and the many volunteers we would not be as successful as we are. Steve’s time at the helm has provided stability and seen the
Meet the directors Ian Sweetland LAA Board member
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irstly, a little about me. I qualified as a mining engineer, which might sound unusual. In fact, designing a coal mine has many parallels with airspace. Granted, the rules are different, the speeds are different, but the protected areas, the flow / throughput requirements, the impact on the ground (‘above’ in mining rather than ‘below’ in an ACP) and the design for growth is not that different in concept. I now work as a consulting engineer in road and rail tunnel design and construction, where stakeholder management is a key task. The continuing pressure on airspace from RPAS trials, airports, and the ongoing Airspace Modernisation programme are challenges in which the LAA, together with other GA organisations, plays an essential role in defending against untoward changes, while making a positive contribution towards effective solutions. Elsewhere there is the ongoing debate on the use of electronic conspicuity or the frequent requests in Airspace Change Proposals for a TMZ to be implemented. As a highly technically involved subject, a level of expertise in the subject is required in order to respond effectively. It is vital that our interests and concerns are heard, whether that be to the CAA, other government departments, regional governments, police etc. Our representations can make a positive contribution. As an example, together with other sport and
10 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
association continue to grow, ensuring that we remain respected as the largest member-powered flying association outside the US. His wide knowledge and connections across the community, particularly at the grass roots level, have been immeasurable. He has had some significant challenges to contend with, most notably steering the association through the challenges of covid. In standing down as CEO, Steve leaves the LAA in good heart, able to face future challenges and opportunities. On behalf of the Board, the staff and our members, I am immensely grateful for the commitment Steve has given to the LAA. We wish Steve well and trust that he can now enjoy more time with his wife Jean, and his flying. I am sure that he will continue to be a staunch and passionate champion for the LAA. I am delighted to welcome Simon as our new CEO. He is equally passionate about sport and recreational aviation, and brings renewed energy and enthusiasm to the role of leading the LAA. For anyone commencing a new role there is always a sense of excitement and an element of being daunted by the challenge. I have no doubt that Simon feels the same, but will quickly establish himself in the role and put his mark on shaping the future direction of the LAA, working hard to improve services to members and ensuring that we meet the challenges ahead. You can read more about Simon elsewhere in the magazine. Over the coming months I hope you will take the opportunity to meet Simon and share your views on how he can help take the LAA forward. ■
recreational bodies in Scotland, I represented the LAA at an Information Session for MSPs held earlier this year in the Holyrood Parliament, demonstrating the value of GA to the Scottish economy in terms of jobs, tourism, services and the need for airfields as strategic assets. This is a multi-faceted operation, on members’ behalf, by the LAA and the Airspace and Advocacy Committee, which I chair, with help from other board members, Struts and members and supporting our CEO. The LAA, where possible, seeks to take a constructive approach to such consultations, and I believe that the LAA voice at the table is respected as such. On occasions it’s essential that individual members play an active role too, by sharing their views on subjects such as pilot medical declarations, for example. Participation and assistance from the wide range of skills and interests that we have among our membership is invaluable in supporting Steve – and now Simon – as the CEO to respond to the ever-increasing workload. This is where the Advocacy and Airspace Committee can play its part, and so I will take this opportunity to ask for volunteers, and will be happy to explain what will be involved. Above all is the aspect of ‘service to members’ that we are focused upon. Two immediate ways in which members can contribute are: Firstly, local members interested in joining a network in order to provide local knowledge essential in responding effectively to the airspace change processes. Secondly, those with technical experience in the subject, to assist an Electronic Conspicuity working group on an as required basis. If you can assist in this task please get in touch. Ian.sweetland@laa.uk.com ■ Ian Sweetland joined the Board in October 2021 and is the Chair of the Airspace and Advocacy Committee.
Armstrong-Isaacs Bursaries
And the winners are… We meet the five recipients of the 2023 LAA Armstrong-Isaacs bursary awards scheme
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hanks to legacies from former Association luminaries David Armstrong and John Isaacs, LAA has been able to award five young aviators £1,500 towards their flight training, as winners of the 2023 LAA Armstrong-Isaacs Bursaries.
Applications for next year’s bursaries will open at the end of the summer, with applications made via the LAA website.
Annabel Jackson
My aviation journey began while working as a waitress after university. I overheard a conversation about our local flying school from my customers who were flight instructors, and they explained the career opportunities available to me within aviation. I had some general interest in aviation as my dad is a pilot, but didn’t think there were many career opportunities that didn’t involve large upfront school costs or going through the military. So, I asked my parents for a trial lesson for Christmas. My first flight at Skyward Flight Training was beyond my expectations, and I was inspired by the aviation community and the support I found at the club. Over the past eight months, I’ve spent most of my spare time at the airfield. I’ve been lucky enough to have gained many experiences, including flying to France with the flight school and visiting different airfields. I am grateful for being chosen for this bursary as it allows me to complete my next stage of training to gain my Private Pilot Licence. I’d like to pursue a career in aviation by completing my Commercial Pilot Licence and Flight Instructor rating. This will allow me to share my passion and inspire those who may also feel that the opportunity to become a pilot is not accessible.
Elyssia Dale
I began my flying journey back in June 2022, making my first solo flight in December 2022. I haven’t stopped since! That’s 265 days of thriving on the adventure, freedom and reaching new heights (excuse the pun), which flying has given me. Although leaving my comfort zone doesn’t come naturally, my motto in life has become: ‘Go big or go home’. Hence, I decided to take myself to Elstree and begin learning with Flight Training London. I am currently Level 3 qualified in British Sign Language (BSL), and at work I manage transport that assists people with varying disabilities. Being a certified PATs trainer, I train others how to safely transport a person in their wheelchair in accessible vehicles. In the years I have been in this industry, and in my role particularly, I have learned many things about the importance of breaking through barriers, especially those that we unknowingly put on ourselves or others. Having been fortunate enough to be awarded one of the 2022 Armstrong-Isaacs Bursaries, I intend to share the value of this award with as many as possible, by encouraging my family and friends to join me in flight and explore the possibilities of flying for themselves. In the future, I want to continue to share flying with those who may not realise flying IS a possibility for them. I thank the LAA for this opportunity, which will enable me to continue learning and loving to fly! 12 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Armstrong-Isaacs Bursaries
Stephan van der Burg
I’ve been inspired by aviation for as long as I can remember. I grew up dreaming of becoming a commercial pilot. However, finishing school around the tail end of the 2008 financial crisis, prospects for professional pilots were at an all-time low, while the expense was prohibitively high. So instead, I went to university in the Netherlands (where I grew up) to study aeronautical engineering. Fast forward 10 years, now settled in the UK, I enjoy the rapid aerodynamic development I am involved with in motorsport, and feel lucky to be able to enjoy aviation as a hobby, not least because the lift vector is pointing the correct way! Flying provides a sense of freedom I have not experienced anywhere else. The mental concentration and focus required provides a rewarding distraction from my daily role as an engineer. And, I’ve finally found a practical outlet for my long-term interest in aviation and aeronautical studies. Flying is an expensive hobby and one that is dropped when having to look after money. I am very grateful for the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary helping me on the second part of my PPL(A) training journey, which I hope to finish this summer. A big thank you to the LAA!
Amina Waheed
During my school years, I was captivated by the magic of flight. Despite the setback of crashing the first radio-controlled aeroplane I purchased, I persevered and taught myself how to build them from scratch by sourcing parts and materials online. I honed my flying skills through free simulators and tested my creations until they soared through the air. As I entered medical school, I joined the Pilots Club on exciting fly-outs. These trips opened my eyes to the joys of being in the cockpit , as opposed to watching from the ground, and I made the decision to pursue a PPL. The moment I embarked on my first solo flight, I felt a sense of awe and exhilaration that I will never forget! My love for flying is rooted in the freedom it provides and the sense of responsibility that comes with being the pilot-in-command. Like medicine, discipline and safety are paramount. I am deeply grateful to the LAA for awarding me the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary. It is no secret that aviation can be prohibitively expensive, and this generous support will help tremendously with financial barriers. Additionally, the community of fellow aviation-enthusiasts is an invaluable source of support, particularly given the inherent challenges of PPL training. I have no doubt that bursaries provided by the LAA will continue to encourage those, who may not traditionally enter aviation, to take steps towards their goals… the transformative power of such opportunities is immeasurable.
Matt Chaloner Despite the cliché, I have been interested in aviation for as long as I can remember. I previously wanted to join the RAF as a pilot, but did not achieve the required qualifications prior to the cut off age of 23. Following a trial flight purchased for my 22nd birthday, I committed to pursuing a PPL, fulfilling my dream of becoming a pilot – and at the age of 26 I was finally able to start making some tangible progress towards that goal. For work, I manage a commercial cleaning company with more than 450 employees; and find flying a light aircraft to be an extremely cathartic hobby in contrast to the pressures of my day-to-day. The award of the Armstrong-Isaacs bursary will be of great help to me to push forward in the final stages of achieving my PPL, and I am very grateful to the LAA for giving me this opportunity. Around the time of submitting my application for the bursary, I decided to join the LAA as a member, and have been delighted by the community spirit that I have witnessed within the organisation. On completion of my PPL, which I hope to be able to achieve with the assistance of this funding, I look forward to being able to commence building my own Permit aircraft which will take my family and I around the UK, Europe and Scandinavia – and the Armstrong-Isaacs bursary will be a fantastic stepping-stone to helping me achieve this. April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 13
Inspiring members to take on their own aircraft build or restoration project Compiled by Mike Slaughter
Project News T here are a number of types, at any point in time, which are often in this column’s Cleared to Fly list. And then there are those that we won’t have seen before or maybe not for a long time. Although, I would stress to anyone thinking of contributing a progress report to Project News, it doesn’t matter if we’ve seen an aircraft like yours every month, we’re not reviewing the type, but telling the story of the journey of that particular through the construction process, and so every project is different with its own challenges for the builder – be they a first timer or ‘repeat offender’. But of course it’s always nice to be offered something a little different… So I was excited to receive Chris Chegwen’s account of his third CFM Shadow project as something that we do not see too often here. Learning to fly very basic aircraft more than 30 years ago, I’ve always been conscious of the Shadow but I’ve never had any significant exposure to one. During my training, Brian Milton’s book, The Dalgety Flyer was a firm favourite, telling the story of Brian’s flight from the UK to Australia
in an original Shadow powered by a 426cc 40hp Rotax 447 2-Stroke engine. The Shadow was quite a luxurious microlight by comparison to its counterparts of the day, it had a good turn of speed and was fully enclosed. I can remember looking longingly at them as I got dressed up in a padded romper suit to set off on a possible four-hour flight knowing they’d probably make the same flight in half the time and in shirt sleeves. There have been something in the order of more than 400 built – but do you know what one looks like? If not, then look below! Mark Fotherby has provided a very interesting report on his group built RV-12 and it follows on from John Price’s account of his ‘Twelve’, G-NCLA, from last October and November issues, in that Mark looks at some of the differences between the two seemingly similar projects. A lovely account of a friendly group build – and by the time you read this their pride and joy should have been taken to the painters. To get in touch with Project News, and tell your story, report a milestone or just to send a picture, email: projectnews@laa.uk.com. Please share your story!
G-CMJB (PFA 206-13735) Streak Shadow Built by Chris Chegwen
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hris has had a long association with the Shadow aircraft type, he completed his first one in 1999, a Streak Shadow 912. One of the first Shadows to use the Rotax 912, he was lucky enough to benefit from the upgrade modification being worked on at the time by Nigel Beale of Skydrive, the then Rotax agents. He completed that aircraft, G-BYOO, in around a year, but while Juliet Bravo is its clone some 23 years later, she has taken 10 years to leave the ground, simply due to life’s random ebb and flow. In between these two aircraft he’s restored and owned another example, so three in all. Interspersed among this trio, Chris also built a classic Skyranger and has flown other types as well. Interestingly the acquisition of this aircraft was a complete accident of fate, while visiting another builder being interested in some parts he had to offer, Chris’ interest was sparked as the garage door was opened when he immediately recognised the boxed form of an unstarted CFM Shadow kit. The rest, as they say, is history.
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Inset "Here's one I made earlier"… Chris's second Shadow, a Rotax 503 powered variant. Right Chris and his new Streak Shadow
For those not familiar with the Shadow, the first thing most people notice is that the empennage appears to have been fitted upside down. Then, if seen parked, the nosewheel is often off the ground and the rear of the aircraft is sitting on the tip of the vertical stabiliser. The pilot also has a near glider-like view, sitting well out in front of the wing. The CFM Shadow is a truly composite structure, there’s ply, styrofoam, glass fibre, aluminium, steel and fibrelam. Fibrelam is a manufactured honeycomb board about ½in thick and has been used for airliner floors, the entire monocoque of the fuselage pod is made from precut and routed fibrelam panels that are bonded together with an Araldite product. One slight downside of this ‘sticky finger’ type of construction is that everything needs to be scrupulously clean and degreased, apparently just one greasy fingerprint is enough to give a bonded joint the potential for failure. On the upside a fuselage takes shape (and can be sat in) very quickly. The tandem fuselage module is slung underneath the large keel tube and the engine frame mounts out on the backside of the P2 seatback pusher style. So, unlike contemporary ‘engine on a pole’ ultralights, the result is a more compact form that’s not overly tall. As the CofG is back around the P2 seat and in front of the main wheels, it’s easy to see why the aircraft wants its derrière on the ground when unoccupied, giving an excellent reason to mount the tail section upside down. The wings are constructed from an aluminium spar beam with a ply ‘D’ box leading edge and this assembly was performed for the builder at the factory. The remainder of the wing is built up from blue foam ribs and rear spar, which are themselves diagonally wrapped in fibreglass cloth. Flaps and ailerons are made up from preformed aluminium components. The tailplane components are constructed from either alloy or wooden ribs and gussets, bonded and / or riveted onto leading and trailing edges. All the surfaces are then conventionally fabric covered. Available ready to fly or as a kit, CFM stopped production around the turn of the millennium, and Chris’ kit would have been one of the very last produced. When he acquired it the kit was untouched and very complete, it included pretty much everything except an engine. It would have been configured for a Rotax 582 but he
Top left You can see the wing construction here, glass wrapped blue foam ribs bonded to the prebuilt spar and ‘D’ box. Top right Oratex painted and covered wing in the foreground and a painted, but yet to be covered wing in the background. Oratex is precoloured, and is stuck on, then shrunk. Above left Reclined seat and modified controls - throttle and rudder on the left, and side stick on the right. Above A well ordered panel. The bricks help keep the Shadow on its nose when the cockpit is unoccupied. Above right The Rotax 912 is easy to preflight, thanks to now engine cowling.
managed to pick up a 912 engine mount from Danny Crosbie and a second-hand Rotax 912 elsewhere. The majority of Shadows were built with Rotax 2-stroke engines, but Chris says the Streak with a 912 is much quieter, inside and out, and far more economical, around 4,700rpm will give a cruise of 85mph burning 10 lt/hr. On all of Chris’ Shadows, he has glazed the area between the front and rear cockpit, originally as designed this would have been covered with very thin ply. The view for both occupants is greatly improved, and probably hardly bettered by any powered enclosed aircraft. Another area that’s different on Juliet Bravo to most other Shadows, is Chris’ choice of covering material. By design, Shadows are covered in heat shrink polyester, but he has used Oratex, being attracted by the speed of finishing, the odourless nature of the system and the probable saving of around 11kg compared to the classic covering approach. The finishing process of the conventional heat shrinks is not only very smelly but requires many revisits with brush or spray gun to the same side of a panel, and as Chris is working from a wheelchair, the ‘glue it, shrink it, fly it’ nature of Oratex made life much more straightforward. Also, TLAC, the importer of Oratex, had already had the Shadow cleared by the LAA for its covering process, so there was little paperwork to be undertaken – always a big attraction to an experienced builder! Being paraplegic also affects what Chris needs from his aircraft. The Shadow has a side mounted stick on the right of the cockpit and a throttle on the left. A standard mod exists to remove the fore and aft throttle and replace it with a two dimensional control, not unlike the main flight control, where fore / aft remains throttle and left right is the rudder input. Chris says it’s very intuitive as it’s both controls left to turn left, and both right to turn right. Also the Shadow does not suffer a lot of adverse yaw and rudder requirements are not extreme. Was the aircraft hard to build? Well clearly having been there and done it before was a big help and hugely cut down the head scratching time, but Chris would describe the Shadow kit as being part kit, part plans built in its level of prefabrication – fairly typical of kits born of the 1980s. Juliet Bravo is now in the process of flying off some remaining parts of the test schedule and will hopefully have her full permit by the time the season gets under way. April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 15
Project News
G-WAFI (LAA 363A-15450) Van’s RV-12iS By Mark Fotherby
Above Wing structure on the work table in April 2018.
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n 18 November 2022 our RV-12iS, G-WAFI, first took to the air in the capable hands of our test pilot John Price. John is also the author of two recent articles in this column about building his own RV-12iS, G-NCLA. His description of the build process mostly mirrors our own experience, so I will explore the differences between his build and ours. John built his on his own, in a purpose-built workshop. G-WAFI was built by a group in a single-car garage. John built his in 30 months. We built ours in five-and-a-half years John went for the Garmin Avionics option. We chose Dynon. Other than that, the two aircraft are very similar. We were originally a group of three, and discussions were held in our local, Woodies Free House in New Malden (hence the registration, Woodies Aircraft Factory One). A formal set of rules for the aircraft-building group was drawn up. We all agreed to sign up for the next available LAA metalworking course. One of our group fell at the first hurdle and was never seen again, leaving just Brian Lloyd and myself to get to grips with the intricacies of riveting bits of aluminium together in the LAA workshop at Turweston.
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Above What the fuel pump install would have looked like if we had fitted the standard Rotax fuel pumps. Above right The modified fit of Andair fuel pump and gascolator, with custom fuel pipes. Below On the driveway for the first trial fit of wings, June 2021.
Only after we had completed this very worthwhile course did we order the first part of the kit. Shipping etc would have been less expensive if we ordered all of the kit in one hit. However, we felt it was important to see if we could work together in my odd-shaped, single-car garage without driving each other nuts. This also kept our initial investment, and potential losses, to a minimum should either or both of us get cold feet and want to bail out. As it turned out, once work started in March 2017 we found that we had different, but complementary skills. We elected to devote two days per week to the build, family and work commitments notwithstanding, resulting in slow but steady progress. The garage has just enough room for a mezzanine storage floor, and we built a substantial workbench big enough to support assembly of the wings. When we were halfway through constructing the empennage and rear fuselage kit and wondering where we were going to store it, we were approached by a recently retired neighbour whose wife wanted him out of the house – so then we were three… again. Robbie Stewart, while not being particularly interested in flying the finished product, did bring his enthusiasm and commitment to our build, and just as importantly had his own garage around the corner in which he offered to store our completed assemblies! Even so, creating enough space for all the bits to be inventoried and stored, and to cater for the slowly growing aircraft required an ongoing and elaborate version of garage Tetris. One of the unintended consequences of this was the aircraft spent a lot of time in the front garden to give us space to work in the garage, creating a lot of interest among the locals, which led to many enlightening and entertaining conversations. Our first engine run even happened in the front garden! When we were part way through building the wings, further advantages of buying the kit section by section became apparent… Van’s released the fuel-injected Rotax engined RV-12iS. The only major elements that were the same for both versions were the rear fuselage/ empennage and wing kits, so this gave us the opportunity to complete the aeroplane as an RV-12iS. Also, by delaying purchase of the engine and avionics, we
Project News
Left Happy post-lockdown day. Wings fitted and wing pins in, July 2021.
Left Waking the neighbours – first engine run December 2021. received the benefit of any improvements to both systems made while we were building the less complex parts. We built a wing cradle to store the wings flat against the wall, and sold off our worktable to create enough space for the forward fuselage to stand on its undercarriage. However, the garage was not long enough to be able to rivet the aft fuselage to the rest of the aeroplane, so this operation had to be done once we had a hangar available. There were a few awkward knock-on consequences of not following the construction sequence – the difficulty of adjusting and attaching the rudder cables with all the avionics loom, fuel and brake lies getting in the way being probably the biggest – but nothing insurmountable. The only major deviation from the standard Van’s Kit came about when we saw the new Andair PX375-S duplex fuel pump at Sywell 2019. It seemed to be a much better engineered and altogether tidier alternative to the Rotax automotive derived item, which has been the subject of several Service Bulletins. We found the process of designing, prototyping, making the new fittings and fuel lines and submitting the LAA MOD application challenging, educational, and ultimately straightforward and very satisfying, as was the fact that several builders (including John) have adopted it. While the covid lockdowns enabled many builders to
Below Very frosty test flight day, Popham December 2022.
spend more time on their build, for us it had the opposite effect, because we were unable to work together, and had to resort to sharing the few odd jobs we could work on at home individually. This probably delayed us the best part of a year, in total. At that same 2019 LAA Rally we formed a WhatsApp group so that we could arrange where to meet with the two or three other RV-12 builders we knew were attending. This has since grown into a very active group of 34 RV-12 builders, owners and flyers in the UK. It has become a constant source of help, experience, spare parts and humour, which has helped us enormously with our build and subsequent flying. A final hurdle was where to carry out final assembly and flight-testing. Initially it was to be Rushett Farm strip, about seven miles from home. As that became unavailable we turned our attention to Fairoaks, 20 miles away. When that became unaffordable, we were tipped-off by our LAA Inspector that new hangars were being erected at Popham, 55 miles away! This will be a familiar story to any London-based builders and flyers. However, we couldn’t be happier with where we’ve ended up, in a thriving, friendly and helpful GA-minded community. So, many thanks go to our ever-enthusiastic and encouraging Inspector, Marc Ansty, Harry Lees for his help with the avionics installation and so much more, John Price for being brave enough to take our creation into the sky for the first time, and Bob Dawson for being the sort of ‘been there done that’ kind of guy who was so instrumental in setting up the WhatsApp group. And, of course thanks to our respective wives and families for their encouragement and tolerance of strange goings on in the garage… ■
New Projects If your aircraft has been featured in the New Projects list, please let Project News know of your progress at: projectnews@laa.uk.com
Cleared To Fly
n Sling 4 TSi (LAA 400A-15859) Mr N Houghton, Winstone, Gloucestershire n Bristell NG5 Speed Wing (LAA 385-15860) Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Aeroprakt A32-M Vixxen (LAA 411A-15861) Name & Address held by LAA Engineering
If your aircraft has featured recently in the magazine and has subsequently n G-HIBB Jabiru J430 (PFA 336-14694) 16/2/2023 completed its maiden flight, Project News would like to hear from you at: Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n G-CMLM Van’s RV-7 (LAA 323-15368) 17/2/2023 projectnews@laa.uk.com Name & Address held by LAA Engineering
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 17
Special Feature
NUNCATS and the Skyjeep for Africa Mark Hales heads to Old Buckenham to meet Tim Bridge and his simple, yet remarkable electric aircraft project… Photography: NUNCATS and Mark Hales
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Special Feature
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t may come as a surprise, given current public interest – not to mention electric appetite within governments – that there are no electric aeroplane projects on the LAA’s fleet. There might yet be, which is why I’m at Old Buckenham on a very windy day, surveying the NUNCATS electric Skyjeep for Africa, which looks for all the world like a Zenair 701. More of the African bit in a moment. NUNCATS is the brainchild of former chemical process engineer Tim Bridge and his wife Helen, together with recently appointed non-exec directors Alex Durand (CEO of Saxon Air at Norwich Airport) and former RAF engineer of 27 years, Alan Rampling. The NUN bit is one of Tim Bridge’s guiding principles and stands for ‘No Unnecessary Novelties’ – of which
more in a moment, too. The CATS part needs less explanation, as in ‘Community Air Transport Services’. NUNCATS was formed in 2019 as a project intended to facilitate provision of basic health care in Africa, but also to involve communities here in England. A second aircraft is currently under construction by students from Norwich International Aviation Academy, plus some more from local schools. The Zenair 700 series and its derivatives all began with the now-familiar slab-sided, thick-sectioned super STOL high-winger designed in the mid-1980s by FrenchCanadian Chris Heintz; (Zenith, aka Zenair, is an anagram of Heintz’s surname). Heintz enjoyed an early spell at Robin Aircraft – (designer of the all-metal HR (HeintzRobin) series of the 1970s) but went on to create his
. Test pilot Tim Kingsley lifts the Skyjeep from Old Buckenham’s runway in January 2023 April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 19
Special Feature
“The batteries are almost
more important than the motor – any battery pack has to be very specific to an application, due to size and, in this case, weight”
Magnum Opus, which is the Zenair range of certified aircraft and kits, very much still in production at the company’s spacious factory at Ontario’s Huronia Airport, run by Heintz’s son Matt. Another facility in Missouri is managed by Matt’s brother Sebastian, and mainly handles production of Zenair kits (like the 701), destined for America and the rest of the world. Since the 701’s first flight in 1986, some 850 or more have been completed and flown, while without looking any different, the basic design has grown in dimension and carrying capacity to include the SD, SP and HD, the 750 Cruzer, which is a slightly speedier version and forms the basis for the Skyjeep, the four-seat 801, and the ultimate 850 evolution which can accommodate a 200hp Lycoming. There are also numerous lookalikes and variants bearing different names to be found all round the world, which includes NUNCAT’s Skyjeep… Just as with Carroll Shelby’s Cobra and Colin Chapman’s Lotus 7, that amounts to the sincerest form of flattery.
Electric propulsion
Zenair 700s have already been fitted with a huge variety of engines, from two and four-stroke Rotaxes, VWs of all sizes, conventional American Lycoming and Continentals, any number of converted car engines (including, err… a 600hp NASCAR V8), Rotec and Verner radials, and of course, a Garrett turboprop. The Skyjeep, though, is the first ever Zenair in four decades of development to use electric propulsion. Because, the unique feature which turns Zenair into Skyjeep, is the Emrax 268 electric motor on the nose, fed by four bespoke Lithium-ion battery packs and a dedicated Emsiso motor controller. Two battery packs are mounted under the cowl between the firewall and the motor and one per wing, where each occupies about half the space taken up by the original petrol tank. The electronic motor control box is made by Slovenian company Emsiso (same box as used in The Pipistrel Velis) and is mounted just beneath the lower battery pack in the nose. This converts the 400 volt direct current from the batteries to three-phase alternating as required by the Emrax. Propeller is a DUC three-bladed ground adjustable (currently set to fine pitch for 20 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
aggressive take-off) the like of which you’ll see on any number of Rotax 912s. So far, so revolutionary, but according to Tim, the way it’s been done is deliberately straightforward. There are no airframe modifications whatsoever (other than the addition of the STOL landing gear from the 701, which is a bolt-on fit) and when it came to choosing an electric motor to make the transformation, there was a simple question: “What does everybody else use… What does Pipistrel do? The answer is, a motor developed in conjunction with Emrax. So that’s what we’ll do…” And they would use the Emsiso control box as well, just like Pipistrel. In Tim’s opinion, it would have been an ‘Unnecessarily Novel’ search to try and build anything else when a solution was already available on a shelf. The Emrax motor was designed by Slovenian engineer Roman Susnik and is now produced as part of a fivemotor range at his factory in Kamnik, just north of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. Initially intended as an assister for gliders – and mainly because there was nothing suitably reliable on the market – Emrax’s 268 is a brushless synchronous motor, which means the speed of rotation is controlled by the cycles of the alternating current. It features permanent magnets in the outrunner – which rotates with the propeller – while the armature, which takes the current, is static and bolted to the engine mount. It’s a low-speed engine (unlike those in Formula E racers which need a gearbox), but like all electric motors, it develops maximum torque at zero rpm, just like a steam engine… Tim designed a simple engine mount which attaches to the airframe’s five hard points, stress calculations were done by Swift Aircraft (of Europa fame) in nearby Coltishall… and there you have it. An electric aircraft. Or almost. The batteries are almost more important than the motor and Tim explains that any battery pack has to be very specific to an application, mainly because of size and, in this case, weight. There really won’t be anything on any shelf so they will have to be made to suit, and unless you have an unlimited budget, they’ll have to be assembled from cells already on the market. The ones in the Skyjeep consist of hundreds of Lithium-ion cells, known commercially as ‘18650s’, or 18mm diameter by 65mm length with ‘0’ for the cylindrical shape. “Originally the Skyjeeps battery packs were assembled by a firm in Czechia,” says Tim, “and they were initially very helpful, as was Emsiso, makers of the control box and its electronics. “I well remember standing next to the aircraft, witnessing a terrifying scene while the control box people drove the motor flat out via a WiFi link to my laptop, all the way from Slovenia… I was very glad I had a piece of string attached to the emergency kill switch… But then the battery people got bored with us, I think only because they had bigger projects to do, but that turned out to be a bonus because it forced us to do it ourselves. That has meant we can keep it all in house, and reduce the
Right top Upper battery pack is at the top of the picture – note the cooling fans. On the nose, just behind the propeller, is the Emrax motor’s outrunner, the part which turns with the propeller. Radiator and duct for the controller and motor is to the right of the picture. Right bottom Both battery packs clearly visible, dwarfing the motor on the front. The orange port to the left is for the charger, the black one is the kill switch. When that’s open, the aeroplane is no longer live.
Special Feature
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 21
TIM BRIDGE AND HIS SKYJEEP
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urprising to discover, but Tim Bridge is not a pilot, or not yet anyway. Enthusiasm for things mechanical and a basic knowledge of sheet metal work came from his father Dougie, who worked at Lotus cars in the 1960s as a mechanic to Jim Clark, among much else, before going on to become a service rep for Rolls-Royce. It was the world tours with Dougie that gave Tim an early insight into the Third World’s problems. Many years and several jobs later, Tim takes up the story. “I was on an earn-out holiday from a previous job and I’d got the time and the money to get a PPL which I’d been meaning to do for ages. Meanwhile I’d started to build a Midget Mustang kit. But then along came covid and I decided to do this (The Skyjeep) instead…” He says the kit is “ridiculously easy” to build, especially now the latest kits feature the matched rivet hole strategy pioneered by Van’s for the RVs. “It was my lockdown project. I got it finished in six months…” He watched his creation fly in the hands of test pilot Tim Kingsley in January this year, but as anybody who has attempted a major project will know only too well, the emotion was not so much elation, but realisation. “I’d found out which mountain I’d set out to climb and that I’d just set foot at base camp…” he says, adding that there weren’t any particular concerns beforehand. “We’d done plenty of flights tied to the hangar floor,” he says, “and the engine doesn’t care whether you’re flying or not” The two Tims had discussed the test flight programme extensively and agreed that for the first taxi runs Tim K would go just fast enough down Old Buck’s 800 metres to make the wheels go light. Something which Tim B describes as looking ‘very pedestrian, like walking pace’. “Then, on the next run he gave it the full beans and it just left the ground in about three fuselage lengths and went straight up”. Tim
the pilot later said he didn’t pull back as much as he could have, for fear of looking too scary to the spectators… What then of the future? I’m happy to say my scepticism has largely evaporated, but as always with anything like this, I can see there’s a way to go, even if there’s an aeroplane to fly. Not least the approvals process which usually takes as long as the development. Assuming approval does happen, Tim Bridge describes his preferred role going forward as more teacher than engineer, or salesman. “Yes you could order a kit now, I reckon probably for about £85K, but what I’d really like is for the UN to come knocking on the door and say, can we have a dozen please… Then I could hand over the business side and concentrate on teaching people how to assemble aeroplanes, which is what I’d rather do… Do you know,” he says, “when we advertised for students wanting to join our programme – and learn about aircraft engineering – we were oversubscribed in under four hours. So there are clearly youngsters out there who can’t find what they want in the current system… We need to tap into that.” ■
Above Fuselage of the second 750 under construction. Left (top) NUNCATS has teamed-up with SaxonAir, the International Aviation Academy Norwich, Action Community Enterprises (ACE), East Coast College and Vattenfall to give young people aged 16 to 25 the opportunity to start building one of the aircraft at a free aviation summer school. Left (bottom) Here’s one we made ourselves. Students contemplate a Skyjeep wing.
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Special Feature
costs…” And are the cells available in the UK? Tim rolls his eyes. “Predictably NOT. These are from Japan…” An 18650 looks very much like a slightly larger AA and is readily available as branded rechargeables for your torch, but in this application the bare cells are mounted in a lattice at each end, connected by ‘heavy wire bonding’ which is spot-welded to the end of each cell. Each delivers 3.7 volts and some are connected in parallel to create current, some in series to reach the required 400 volts. In multiples of just over 100, if my arithmetic is correct. Tim is slightly reluctant to reveal too much about the specifics because he says this is one part where he can definitely add value, something which also goes for the programming of the Emsiso control unit which he describes as the ‘really clever bit’. Clever, but definitely exclusive, not to mention hard to describe in a few words, so to summarise; the control unit comprises a sophisticated set of electronic switches which convert the Direct Current from the batteries into alternating current. Think of direct current as maintaining the positive and negative poles, like a straight line on a graph. Alternating current reverses polarity several times in a cycle (domestic supply does it 50 times per sec) so the plot becomes a sine wave, swerving above and below the line, positive to negative, with the shape of the wave defined by the number of cycles in a given interval. Three phases means three separate sine waves which overlap, so the voltage seen by the appliance never drops to zero. How then, to create that from a straight line… Tim explains it as a series of electronic switches – or bridges – which allow current to flow across the span whenever current is fed to the column. These reverse the polarity as many times and as fast as is required, or ‘very fast, very active’, in the words of their creator. There’s a feed coming back from the motor so the controller ‘knows’ how fast the motor is actually turning in response to the switching and the unit not only controls the speed, but effectively the power of the engine. The 268 is capable of 200Kw/268bhp (check the moniker) but is considerably derated for this application to a nominal 100hp, or the equivalent of a Rotax 912 or UL Power 260. If you programme the control unit to keep the switches on for a longer interval in the cycle, it will produce more power but obviously at the expense of battery life, and the generation of more heat. The production of potentially destructive heat in electric motivation has always seemed – to me anyway – an odd by-product, but it’s definitely real. The Skyjeep features water pipes to the motor and control unit, and the batteries, and there’s an electric pump and a conventional compact heat exchanger fed by air ducted through the cowl. “We’re very aware of thermal runaway,” says Tim, or the now well-known propensity of Li-ion batteries to catch fire if you stress them beyond their design parameters. “The trick is not to drive them too hard… leave some capacity unused and you won’t have a problem”. Hence the use of less than half the 268’s potential. “Everything on the electrical side has to be user proof, just like EVs
Above E-Conditions Experimental disclaimer. Left Thickness of wing section and slotted flaps all help create high lift. Below NUNCATS founder Tim Bridge, left, and test pilot Tim Kingsley (right). Bottom Simple cockpit, minimal number of gauges, simple operation.
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 23
Special Feature
Above The NUNCATS solarpowered charging facility at Old Buckenham can accommodate all kinds of electric aircraft and offers a fast charge. Below right The Skyjeep’s simple charging box. Works with a 3-pin plug. Bottom The charger in action. It’s small and light enough that you can take it with you when you leave…
(Electric Vehicles)…” concludes Tim, “but in reality an electric aircraft is very simple to operate. The battery packs are easily accessed and removed, which also means that whenever the oft-promised battery tech improvements arrive, the whole lot can be easily updated. The installation has been built in compliance with CS-VLA (the UK’s standard) and the American EPU (Electric Power Unit) and ASTM F-2840-14 (American Society for Testing and Materials) criteria, which governs design and manufacture of electronic propulsion units for light aircraft. The 750’s basic airframe also complies with American standards, but has since been approved by the UK’s LAA,
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although not with the electric motor. And therein lies a problem of timing. “An LAA Permit is a good start for world acceptance,” says Tim, “so we began as a registered LAA project, for which there was definite enthusiasm initially, but by the time we were ready to fly, some key people had left. Now the word is that they don’t know what the CAA wants them to do with electric aircraft…” So the engineering and test flying programme was switched to continue under the CAA’s E-Conditions. Tim’s personal view is that LAA certification is nothing to do with the CAA*, but says if the Skyjeep is not flying regularly by the middle of the year, then he will simply dismantle the aircraft and ship it over to
* Note from LAA Engineering CTO, Jon Viner
In order to recommend to the CAA that it issues a Permit to Fly for an aircraft, we have to demonstrate that the aircraft meets an appropriate design code. For conventional aircraft, these are long-established, and rarely cause much of an issue. Where there are unusual features that aren’t covered by an existing design code, we need to come up with an alternative – so that there aren’t awkward questions asked at the last minute (and therefore delays), we discuss these with the CAA ahead of time and get its buy-in. For electrically powered aircraft, there are some design codes out there that we might use, but these are generally a bit ‘over the top’ for our kind of aircraft. CAA has been working with industry, including LAA, to come up with an appropriate set of requirements for microlight-type aircraft. This is still in progress and taking a bit longer than hoped, but with a gathering group of electric aircraft projects knocking on the door, we’re hopeful that CAA will guide this to fruition soon. The main area left to resolve is the containment requirement for battery fires/overheat. We continue to work with Tim to move the project towards gaining a Permit to Fly, and intend to use the experience he’s gathered so far in helping the CAA’s working group to an appropriate conclusion for this class of aircraft.
Special Feature
the US. “Zenair liked the idea enough to give us a kit,” says Tim, “so I’m sure there’s some possibilities we can tap into over there…” That, in my opinion, would be a loss.
Mobility for the world
Below Cowlings are on the to-do list but the aircraft is safe to fly without them.
And so to the infinitely more complicated, and for me, more interesting part of the story. I’d be lying if I said I’d headed towards Old Buckenham with a less than sceptical mindset, not least because had I been driving to Norfolk in an electric car, I’d have needed to plan the journey very carefully, including a venue to recharge before coming back. What use then, is an aircraft which only has limited range and needs regular charging in a country where there isn’t a national grid? Tim is both passionate and articulate on the subject, and you sense the reply is one he’s used many times… “There are grids all over Africa,” he says, “albeit small ones... Every clinic in Africa has solar panels now, and so do a lot of villages – mainly to charge mobile phones – but since we’re not Pipistrel, we don’t need a $25,000 three-phase charger. Ours is the size of a supermarket basket and costs $2,500…” He points to a grey plastic container on the hangar floor. “If necessary, the paramedic could plug in and top up while he’s working…” Tim also points out that every village in Africa has a football field – or an area which approximates to one – and a well known 700 party piece is to land and take off from an exactly similar space. There is no doubting that Tim’s quest is to provide the transport which brings primary medical care to a patient who desperately needs it, and although sadly, this is not a new requirement, the details remain as stark as ever. If a mother needs help with say, a difficult birth, and the nearest medical facility is only 10 miles away, that’s a trip which nobody in the developed world would see as any kind of obstacle, but there’s no transport in those parts and a two-day walk in baking heat will almost certainly kill her. The Ssese islands in Uganda is an archipelago of 84
islands in Lake Victoria, none of which are far away from a hospital, but accessing them can involve crossing several expanses of water which grow larger in the rainy season. There aren’t any bridges, so it needs a flotilla of small boats and a substantial walk in between. Happily, there’s one example of the proposed rescue strategy in action which comes from Brazil, where an enterprising paramedic uses either a Kitfox, or a Zenair 701 on floats, to reach his emergencies depending on where he’s going. I could go on, but you get the point. There is no shortage of examples to illustrate both need and possible solution. But what of the real world practicalities… “The current market opinion says an electric aircraft needs one hour’s endurance plus half-an-hour reserve with two large Americans on board,” says Tim, “but NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations), or the people who might actually use this stuff, don’t agree. The Skyjeep might not fly as far as some people would like, but it flies far enough to be a tool that NGOs can actually use. And more importantly, when the range goes down, the cost goes down as well, which means the number of people that can access it, goes up. And the cost absolutely HAS to go down… There’s no one doing it at the moment with a view to cost saving, most of it is for the E-VTOL market and the military, with the excess that goes with either.” According to the World Health Organisation, there are one billion people in the world with no access to primary health care, and each year there are 5,000 infants who will die before their fifth birthday. It’s a grim statistic which Tim has witnessed in person. “I never got over the things I saw around the world in the 1980s, and I don’t think I ever will. What I’m trying to do isn’t a perfect, or a complete solution to the problem. It’s a very small tilt at a very big one, but it’s really a case of doing what you think you can. We really should be throwing every tool we can at this…” ■
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 25
Coaching Corner
Coaching The possibility Corner… of ditching… Planning to head across the Channel this summer? Head of PCS David Cockburn suggests some things to think about when it comes to over-water flying…
Q
uite a few of us will be considering flights to France, or perhaps even further afield, this summer, and I have no doubt many are already considering the necessary preparations. There are, of course, a large number of administrative arrangements to be made, but I thought we should consider the fact that there’s a lot of water to be crossed before we can land in Europe. I have to admit that I tend to choose the shortest over-water routes whenever possible, but there are often good reasons for doing otherwise. And we don’t have to visit Europe to encounter lots of water. The UK is surrounded by it, and our country includes many islands which offer spectacular scenery, and many of them have aerodromes and strips which are worth a visit. We also have several large estuaries and bays over which we may wish to fly, either to reduce time and fuel burn or to avoid complex airspace boundaries. You know how much I encourage Threat and Error Management (TEM), so I thought I’d look at some of the aspects of crossing a relatively large expanse of water in an aircraft. The first thought of course is the risk that if the engine fails we should be unable to glide back over land, so may have to ditch. Many LAA aircraft are not factory built and so there are probably no guidelines about how the aircraft is likely to behave once it hits the water. It may be a good idea to look at the design of our aircraft and consider that point. We should also think about how the aircraft is loaded and if that might affect its behaviour in the water. Think about the doors; how easy will it be to exit the cabin wearing the type of life preservers which we are using (remembering not to inflate them until we are
26 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Above There’s lots of excellent information in the CAA Safety Sense leaflet on ditching. Below left Dull grey sky meets dull grey sea… Below right A ditching pilot should consider rising and falling water like the ridges of a ploughed field.
outside the cabin)? If we have a dinghy, would we be able to launch it? To assist in planning for such an eventuality the CAA has updated the excellent Safety Sense leaflet no 21 ‘Ditching’ on its website, and its study should be part of any pre-flight preparation for a flight outside gliding distance of a safe landing site on terra firma (cliff faces are not usually safe landing sites – we’ve got to get over them!). I don’t propose to duplicate the comprehensive advice in the leaflet, which is available at tinyurl.com/ safetysenseditching. Nevertheless, in addition to encouraging carriage of a 406 MHz personal locator beacon (and registering it: www. gov.uk/register-406-beacons), I’d like to emphasise one point from the leaflet, which is the need to ‘land along the swell’, unless the wind is so strong that we probably
Coaching Corner
shouldn’t really be flying anyway. What the expression means is that a ditching pilot should consider the rising and falling water as similar to a ploughed field, and aim to land along the ridges of the swell in the same direction as the furrows. Unless the wind is exactly across the swell, we should use the headwind component to reduce the speed at which we let the aircraft sink onto the water. For anyone contemplating over-water flight, then perhaps the best preparation for the worst is to join some form of sea survival course. A few companies in coastal locations provide comprehensive training if desired, but I have attended an introductory course organised by GASCo in the past and found it most useful. I believe it intends to continue offering these in the future. However, although engine failure is one threat to be considered before flying over water, there are several others to bear in mind. I remember experiencing one while crossing the Thames estuary at about 1,500ft in poor (but perfectly legal) visibility. The surface of the water was a dull grey, as was the stratocumulus layer above me, and the horizon faded into nothing ahead of me. Despite being clear of cloud and in sight of the surface, I had to convert to instrument flying until the far shore became visible as a workable horizon. Even with a visible horizon, it is all too easy to allow the aircraft to sink gradually towards the water if the colour of the sky is the same as the colour of the water, especially if the sea surface is relatively calm. Such ‘grey out’ conditions underneath a cloud sheet have been known to hide low stratus ahead, or a bank of advection fog. Alternatively, the pilot may not notice that a broken or perhaps overcast cloudbase above them is descending to their level until they are enveloped in the cloud (think tropical maritime air mass and a cooling sea). Because our aircraft are normally restricted to ‘VFR below’ in cloudy conditions, we need to be particularly aware of the hazard, and try to avoid encountering it. We should actively search through our aviation forecast for any possibility of low cloud or fog over the water and check that conditions at coastal airfields are good and not deteriorating. Unfortunately we can’t guarantee that hazardous conditions will always be forecast; there are no reporting stations off our shores and, as sailors will tell you, the weather at sea can change rapidly. Of course, climbing through a cloud sheet might be considered much safer than struggling underneath it, but unless (1) our aircraft has serviceable blindflying instruments, (2) we are qualified and current in using them for the length of time that we shall be in cloud during the climb, (3) we are not going to encounter ice
Below Have you got a personal locator beacon? Make sure it’s attached to you or your life jacket!
during that climb, and (4) we shall be able to get back down again safely, an instrument climb is not an option. Better to turn back while the shore, which we have just crossed, is still available as a horizon while we turn back to whence we came. A large expanse of water offers nothing in the way of navigation features, and poor visibility can make it very difficult to maintain a steady compass heading. GNSS can come into its own here, but it’s always worth trying to find a visual fix every six to eight minutes, even if only to confirm that the GPS is working correctly. There are lightships in the Channel, but in poor visibility it is advisable not to plan to over-fly them. We might meet another aircraft doing the same from the opposite direction! It’s a lot safer if we aim to pass to the right of such features, as with radio aids on shore. However, we may well encounter other objects in the sea. Hopefully we should not be so low as to have to consider a ship as a hazard, although their superstructure can reach higher than 250ft above the waterline. Most oil rigs are of a similar height, and although their positions are marked on the charts there are a large number of them around our coasts. A growing hazard is the plethora of offshore wind farms, which now cover such large areas of the sea that they are no longer unique enough to be used for navigation. However, with the newest ones reaching heights of 600ft above the sea or higher, they provide a growing hazard in poor visibility, especially if we fail to notice that our aircraft has descended. Having spread doom and gloom in the previous paragraphs, I’d like to emphasise that in good weather, over-water flight can be most enjoyable. Be warned though, I guarantee you’ll fall prey to the false impression that the engine note has changed once the coast is behind you! Just make sure the planning has covered all the nasty eventualities, and that a responsible person knows exactly what route you have planned. A copy of your SkyDemon plog (or a written one if you are an old dinosaur like me) is probably the easiest way to make sure the information is correct and available in the worst case.
TopNav
One of the CAA’s biggest concerns is airspace infringement, and it continues to encourage practice in basic navigation skills. For many years, the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) has organised an annual, and very friendly, competition called TopNav during which the participants (pilot and navigator/assistant) have an opportunity to practise these skills without reference to modern navigation aids. The RIN’s GA Navigation Group is organising the event again this year at various venues between 15 and 30 April and details are on its website. rin.org.uk/page/TopNav ■ April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 27
Engineering Matters
The latest LAA Engineering topics and investigations. Compiled by Jerry Parr
Engineering Matters Including: Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), undercarriages and their failings and Permit to Fly Revalidation Procedures…
W
elcome to Engineering Matters – the section of Light Aviation that is dedicated to discussing all manner of topics concerning both technical and operational aspects of the LAA fleet. We all learn by sharing information, so if you have anything to
say that you think would benefit others, or have experienced an interesting technical issue or component failure, then please contact us with a description of what you encountered and include accompanying pictures. Send your submissions to LAA Engineering at engineering@laa.uk.com.
AOPA: ‘Can your aircraft use unleaded fuel? AOPA has produced an online database where owners and operators can check to see what fuel their aircraft engine is approved to use. It should be remembered that it remains the owner/operator’s responsibility to ensure that the information is true, and that the correct fuel is used. The database relates to the engine type and there may be other restrictions regarding the type of fuel used that are airframe/fuel system related. The database can be accessed at: www.aopa.co.uk/go-flying/can-your-aircraftengine-run-on-unleaded-fuel.html Right AOPA unleaded fuel check page.
Continental Aerospace Technologies ICA As an example of ICA and the difficulties in promulgating and enforcing them, Continental Aerospace Technologies (formally known by various ‘Continental’ based names over the years) recently issued Mandatory Service Bulletin MSB23-01A concerning the incorrect fitment of crankshaft counterweight retaining circlips. The initial news of a potential problem came from Cirrus Aircraft. It issued a statement that there may be an issue with certain engine models and it was not flying its own company aircraft. Cirrus Aircraft does not have the power to ground aircraft, other than its own company-owned fleet. Four days later, Continental Aerospace Technologies issued MSB23-01A. Then the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive on 23 February 2023.
Despite Continental Aerospace Technologies referencing its Service Bulletin as a ‘Mandatory Service Bulletin’, compliance was not ‘legally’ mandatory until the regulator (in this case the FAA, as the ‘State of Design’ regulator) issued an Airworthiness Directive. Fortunately, there was only one aircraft in the LAA fleet that had a model of engine listed in the SB and AD. However, that was not directly affected, having had no crankshaft work carried out involving the engine or crankshaft listed in the SB by serial number. There has also been another FAA AD issued for some ‘Continental’ engines, which concerns Superior Air Parts cylinders. As with the crankshaft AD, only one LAA-administered aircraft may have been affected, which it wasn’t. April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 29
Engineering Matters Undercarriages Left The main undercarriage attachment beam mounted across the fuselage with the milled out ‘mouseholes’ visible at the bottom left of the picture.
Above P200 NLG -This is a view of the nose undercarriage mounting, looking forwards.
Above The cracks in the ‘mouseholes’ normally only appear on high-houred training aircraft in the USA.
Undercarriages and their failings tend to crop up in Engineering Matters, which is not surprising given their workload. Recent problems include: ● Mission M108 The main undercarriage legs are composite leaf springs and when being inspected for its annual inspection, the aircraft was found to be sitting ‘one wing down’. On further investigation, one leaf spring was found to be suffering from cracks along its lengths. There had been no reported heavy landing. ● Pioneer 200-M It is often the case that when an Inspector takes on a ‘new to them’ aircraft, they might spot defects that are simply not acceptable and may well have been there at the time previous Permit to Fly revalidation inspections were carried out. In this case, the Inspector found that the engine frame had been rewelded a number of times but remained bent. Additionally, the relatively new nose undercarriage leg appeared to have been forced into place, fracturing a weld in the process.
Above and right The MCR-01 main undercarriage location bars mounted in rubber ‘silent blocs’ that have started to migrate out of their housings. 30 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
● Van’s Aircraft RV-12 On the RV-12, the main undercarriage legs are aluminium leaf springs that are bolted to a beam mounted across the centre fuselage. There have been cracks found previously in the beam but normally this has been limited only to high-houred examples that have been used as training aircraft (in the USA). Van’s Aircraft issued Service Bulletin SB-00040 in August 2022 which provides additional support in the area and transfers some of the loads from the bottom of the beam to the top. ● Dyn Aero MCR-01 ULC The MCR-01 utilises a composite bow for the main undercarriage. This is located within the fuselage by the use of ‘silent bloc’ (i.e. rubber) mounted bars. The undercarriage bow had been removed for an inspection when the wear to the silent blocs was discovered. Some undercarriage installations are such that damage can be fairly easily spotted, such as the Mission M108 and Pioneer 200-M mentioned above. Others, such as those reported on the RV-12 and MCR-01 are not so obvious and may require some amount of dismantling before issues can be discovered.
Engineering Matters
Lucy Wootton: Chief Inspector notes
Updates from the LAA Chief Inspector, including the process to select new LAA Inspectors
New Inspectors
Above left New Inspectors, from left, Ben Hinsley, Ray Kelly and Colin Cheeseman.
Three Inspector candidates visited LAA HQ in March for interviews, and I’m pleased to report that all three were successful. Congratulations to Ben Hinsley from Yorkshire, Colin Cheeseman from Cornwall and Ray Kelly from Norfolk.
Above New Interactive inspector map
Inspector Map goes live
A new interactive Inspector Map is now live on the LAA website, under Engineering / Find an Inspector. The map allows LAA aircraft owners to see the location (by postcode area) of every Inspector around the UK, as well as their contact details, a photograph and a short biography. Furthermore, it acts as a resource for Inspectors, with a virtual Inspector card shown for every Inspector, including details of their authorisations. Owners can filter their search by particular type of authorisation, in order to find the type of Inspector that you need. The category key is available as a hyperlink from the map, to help you understand the different Inspector categories. If, for example, you were looking for an Inspector to supervise the build of an RV-6, then you would select the categories A-A for all fixed-wing aircraft and A-M for all metal fixed-wing aircraft. This will give you all the Inspectors in the UK who cover this type of aircraft. Then, to see if they are authorised to inspect build stages, look at their virtual Inspector card in the ‘Build Stages’ column.
Inspector renewals
The Inspector ‘year’ runs from 1 April to 31 March, so all Inspectors must renew by 31 March to continue using the authorisations granted to them as an LAA Inspector. An email has been sent to all Inspectors regarding this, including an LAA Inspector Declaration, which must be signed and returned to LAA Engineering. The old Inspector cards have been replaced by the virtual Inspector cards on the new Inspector map. The reason for this is two-fold. An Inspector card issued on 1 April each year could soon become out-of-date, as other authorisations were given to an Inspector, but these were not reflected in the Inspector card until the following April. Now, when I amend an Inspector’s authorisation on our internal database, this instantly appears on the virtual card online, so that is always up-to-date. Plus, a virtual card is more environmentally efficient.
Inspector webinars
The inaugural series of Inspector webinars finished on 6 March, and demonstrated they were a successful method of online training delivery. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues in LAA Engineering for helping make this series a reality by sharing their time for each one. Another series of webinars will run in the autumn and will be a formal element of Inspector training, forming part of Inspector training, alongside in-person seminars every four years.
Left Parts Control shed at Project Slingshot.
Out and about
March brought three interesting visits. The first, was to Project Slingshot at RAF Cosford, a project headed-up by Al Seymour, Air Cdre (Rtd), LAA Member and LAA Test Pilot, facilitating students building a Sling 2. Students from Aston University Engineering Academy (AUEA) were assembling the fuselage and had already assembled the empennage, ready for build stage inspection by LAA Inspector, Mark Davies of Swiftair. An impressive level of enthusiasm was shown by the students for the project, plus the benefits of being involved in the project for the students’ applications for higher education courses, both in terms of apprenticeships and university courses. It was also a pleasure to meet the teachers from AUEA, as well as the local volunteers and LAA members who were giving up their time and passing on their expertise of aircraft building to the students. I was particularly impressed by one young woman, who had taken on the role of organising all the parts and tools and displaying them in a garden shed in the hangar, which was being used as ‘Stores’. Her system for tool and parts control was impressive, ensuring a high level of quality control. Watch out for photos in a future Inspector training seminars! Ben Syson (LAA Engineering Head of Design) and I spent a day with Paul Baisden, a CAA-approved welder based at Southend Airport, in order to improve our knowledge of welding, as we regularly handle welding approvals here at LAA HQ. It was a very interesting and educational day for both of us and we thank Paul for his time. We can use a lot of what we learned that day to improve processes within LAA Engineering and for the wider Inspectorate and owners when it comes to welding. My first visit to an LAA Strut was on 17 March, when I attended a Wessex Strut meeting at Henstridge Airfield, to give a talk about LAA Inspectors, their role, how the system Inspector system works and what happens at an ACAM audit. It was a pleasure to meet so many members and answer their questions, and I would like to thank the members of the Wessex Strut for their hospitality and the wonderful food that was provided.
Communications to Inspectors
Just a note to Inspectors to say that I regularly send out emails, but some of these have been going to Inspectors’ spam folders. Please check your spam folder to make sure you have not missed any of my emails.
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 31
Engineering Matters
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness
LAA Engineering housekeeping
Whenever possible, LAA Engineering tries to maintain awareness of manufacturer-issued Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) and promulgate them to owners as deemed necessary. Unfortunately, with more than 500 aircraft types on the LAAadministered fleet, it is simply not possible to monitor every airframe, engine, propeller and equipment manufacturer. It has to be said that some manufacturers are better than others at informing their customers of problems. TADS will include references to ICA and contact details of manufacturers but again, it is impossible to update TADS on a daily basis. It remains the responsibility of aircraft owners to check for relevant ICA, i.e. Service Bulletins (SB) and Airworthiness Directives (AD). Normally, a regulating authority (CAA, FAA etc) will issue an Airworthiness Directive that (legally) mandates a Service Bulletin. Occasionally, an AD will be issued in its own right without reference to any other ICA.
Permit to Fly Revalidation Procedures The new Permit to Fly revalidation procedures are now in force. Please refer to LAA Technical Leaflet ‘TL 2.00: Revalidating Your Aircraft’s Permit to Fly’ for more information. The relevant forms can be downloaded from the LAA website ‘Forms, Checklists and Worksheets’ section. An LAA Alert A-003-2023 has also been issued, promulgating the new procedures. The previous LAA/FWR-1 forms will not be accepted after 31 March 2023. Please ensure that the aircraft registration (and preferably what documents are attached) is stated in the email subject heading and send each document as a PDF. Permit to Fly Revalidation Please ensure that you use the latest version of the application forms for the Permit to Fly revalidation. It may require the web browser to be refreshed.
Recent Alerts & AILs Recently issued instructions for continued airworthiness. (Please check the LAA website for further details).
complied with as detailed in the current revision of the SB. Refer also to LAA Alert-002-2023.
Van’s Aircraft Service Bulletin SB-00036 Rev 3 Van’s Aircraft have issued SB-00036 Rev 3 calling for an inspection of the outboard elevator hinge on the horizontal stabiliser rear spar of various models of RV and the actions to be taken if cracks are found. LAA Engineering has reviewed the Service Bulletin and can confirm that it should be
Sling Aircraft Service Bulletin #0021 Sling Aircraft have issued Service Bulletin #0021 concerning missing elevator torque tube locking bushes, affecting Sling 4 TSi kits and quick-build. Potentially affected airframes are listed by serial number in the Service Bulletin, although it might be considered prudent for all examples of the type to be checked.
LAA Engineering charges LAA Project Registration Kit Built Aircraft Plans Built Aircraft Initial Permit issue Up to 450kg 451-999kg 1,000kg and above
*Gyros note: if the last Renewal £300 wasn’t administered by the LAA, an £50 extra fee of £125 applies
Modification application £500 Prototype modification minimum £60 £600 Repeat modification minimum £30 £700 Transfer (from C of A to Permit or CAA Permit to LAA Permit) Permit Revalidation Up to 450kg £150 (can now be paid online via LAA 451 to 999kg £250 Shop) £350 Up to 450kg £190 1,000kg and above 451-999kg £240 1,000kg and above £275 Four-seat aircraft Manufacturer’s/agent’s type acceptance fee £2,000 Factory-built gyroplanes* £50 (all weights) £285 Project registration royalty
32 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Category change Group A to microlight Microlight to Group A
£150 £150
Change of G-Registration fee Issue of Permit documents following G-Reg change £55 Replacement Documents Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document)
£20
PLEASE NOTE: When you’re submitting documents using an A4sized envelope, a first-class stamp is insufficient postage.
Technical
Composite tips and tricks
In the process of building his own-design Blue Two homebuilt, Andy Best has learned a few tips and tricks that he thinks could help other homebuilders…
I
confess, while I’m not a builder with wood, I was inspired by Dudley Pattison’s excellent woodworking articles where he gives great advice on techniques to help with wooden aircraft construction. Although I have far less experience of aircraft building than Dudley, I would like to try to pass on a few methods which I have found useful while building with carbon fibre composite on my Blue Two microlight. My design method has always been to try and keep things simple. It reduces the parts count, the manufacturing time, saves cost and weight, and there is less to go wrong. As the famous quote from the Lockheed ‘Skunk’ works says, ‘simplicate and add lightness’. To that end, I have not used any moulds in the construction of the aircraft, just laid the carbon cloth directly onto shaped blue foam. The epoxy resin is applied by stippling with a brush at room temperature and left to cure overnight.
Building in composites does, at times, seem to come in for some bad press, with comments about it being ‘horribly sticky’ and ‘uncontrollably messy’. But, if you want the strongest lightest structure with free flowing ‘aerodynamic’ curves, which won’t rot or corrode, then composites are for you. And, there is no need to get ‘horribly sticky’ and ‘messy’ either, as long as some thought and care is applied to each operation. Plan what you are going to do, cut out the carbon or glass cloth layers from their rolls and lay them down carefully on a clean surface, ready for use. I have found it beneficial to always use ‘peel ply’ over the top of every layup. It provides a good visual indication of whether the cloth has been properly wet out, allows you to smooth out the layup without distorting the underlying cloth, soaks up excess resin and gives a good surface for any further bonding. On the clothing front I wear an old apron when doing April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 33
Technical
issors – great for
Above Electric sc
de sanding tools
Above Homema
th.
cutting carbon clo
Above A bag of sugar is a great conforming weight for keeping materials pre ssed together.
n.
for every occasio
layups. It protects my clothes from the occasional brush with wet parts, plus the large front pocket is useful in which to keep the electric scissors. By the way, if you do have the misfortune to get wet epoxy on your clothes, then that’s it, they’re scrap. Even if you try washing them in acetone, which dissolves wet epoxy, it’s impossible to get it all out, and once it cures hard, it’s there for eternity. Always use nitrile rubber gloves to protect your hands, in the largest possible size, so they are relatively easy to get on and off. Somewhat surprisingly, I have had no negative reactions to the epoxy, but I did find the fine dust from sanding the blue foam to be a cause of irritation. I now use a lightweight paper all in one suit and a face mask for all sanding work. My favourite tool must be my electric scissors. Sadly, they are quite expensive, but they just zip through the cloth even when it’s wet with resin. Don’t be tempted by cheaper versions which don’t have carbide inserts in the cutting blades, as they rapidly go blunt and then no longer cut. I wrap the scissors in cling film to protect them, just in case there may well be ‘sticky fingers’. And then there’s sanding. This is the most time consuming, and sometimes boring, aspect of composite aircraft production. The overall shape of the fuselage must be sanded carefully before beginning any layups. Watch the Youtube video of Mike Arnold sanding the fuselage of 34 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Above Former 5kg sugar bags are used filled with pea shingle and sand, holding an upper wing skin in place during bonding. his record breaking AR5 and you’ll see what I mean. When contour sanding soft blue foam, unlike a hard wooden surface say, it is helpful to have the sandpaper mounted on a softish surface. I cut the sandpaper from a roll and use a spray-on contact adhesive to attach it to plastic or rubber foams of different hardness. Flexible sanding boards made from thin strips of wood (I used wooden slats from an old Venetian blind) with wooden kitchen door handles screwed on are good for the sweeping curves of a fuselage. For the wings, which are curved in profile to form the wing section but need to be absolutely straight along their length, I use a 3ft length of rigid aluminium ‘T’ section. Keep the length of the ‘T’ section parallel to the length of the wing and sand back and forth at +/- 45° with care on the foam, but obviously with more vigour when finishing the epoxy surface. And of course, there is tape. Now, tape can be extremely frustrating. It is virtually useless at holding parts in place for the five or so hours required for the epoxy to harden. Spring clamps and heavy ‘G’ clamps are generally too aggressive on soft foam parts and can distort them. My preferred method is to use weights of varying size, to suit the part being held. For propping up and weighing down parts that are being bonded, stout plastic 5kg bags which originally held sugar (my wife bakes a lot), are now filled with pea shingle or sand and are very versatile.
Technical Below Cut the bristle length down to make a more user-friendly stippling brush.
ng used Above Carpet tape bei the upper for nt’ age as a ‘release . engine cowl moulding
Above Two layers of 200g/m² carbon cloth laid over the carpet tape, with peel ply on top.
Above Grinding tool with a Perma-Grit bit – great for trimming off cured epoxy.
Above Andy Best’s Blu
e Two.
Left Multitool used for
If the part is hanging off some structure above it, then, of course, weights are of no use. The solution can be to drive a couple (or more) screws through the part into the underlying structure. I know this sounds rather brutal, but once the resin has cured, the screws are removed and the small hole that is left can be covered by the next layer of fabric or filled with microballoons before painting. There is one redeeming tape however, and that is brown shiny carpet tape. This tape is an excellent release agent, far better than any wax-based release agent. If you are taking a splash moulding off a male form then carpet tape is definitely your friend. A Dremel-type tool (coupled with some Perma-Grit grinding tools), is an essential composite builder’s tool for removing excess cured resin in hard to reach places. I use a machine that I bought from Aldi, which is very good, and less than half the price of the equivalent Dremel. Also, make sure you buy a rechargeable battery version, so when you’ve crawled up inside the rear of the fuselage to fettle a pushrod mounting point, you’re not left fighting with an electric cable trailing behind you. A special mention must be made about bandsaws. It’s only after you get one that you can’t understand how you ever managed without one. I bought mine with a variable speed option. It’s an unnecessary feature which I never use. The actual speed is set fairly slow as I use the
trimming cured compos
ite.
bandsaw to cut aluminium and even stainless steel sheet when making brackets, so it takes a little longer to cut wood than it might. But, who cares? I’m not tied to a desperate production target and can afford a few extra seconds to make a cut. I would advise buying a quality blade (Starrett for example) and with fairly fine teeth if you are needing to cut metal. I tend to avoid using plastic spreaders to apply the epoxy resin onto the carbon cloth because, although it is a quick method it’s easy to distort the fabric weave. The 160 gm./m² carbon cloth that I used on the wings is particularly loosely woven and does need careful handling. So, I stipple with a 25mm wide brush, with the bristles cut down to about half their original length. I still can’t decide whether it’s worth washing them in acetone and then hot soapy water to clean them after use, or just to chuck them in the bin and use a new brush for every new job… For trimming the edges of cured composite components I use a vibrating multitool. It looks fearsome, but in fact is remarkably safe. The small vibrations of the cutter mean that only rigid objects are actually cut and soft flexible materials (like skin) are not. The version I use, bought from eBay, works well and was half the cost of my previous Bosch unit. ■ April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 35
Technical
TESTED
The latest aviation kit put to the test… 01 The ‘federated’ instrument panel of Ian’s RV-6 incorporating AV30 (bottom left), a Trio pro pilot autopilot (bottom centre) and an Avmap Ultra EFIS, plus of course the normal three air data instruments. Just as capable as a full panel or glass cockpit. AV30 blends in very well, unlike one of the others. 02 AV30E in Legacy display mode fitted to Ian’s RV-6 and flying. Not everything was connected when this was photographed but it still performed well as a basic instrument.
01
uAvionix AV30E In the first of a two-part review, Ian Fraser assesses, and installs, a uAvionix AV30E in his RV-6…
02
FROM £1,740 www.uavionix.com/products/av-30
T
here are now several small EFIS (Electronic Flight Information System) devices on the market that electronically fulfil the function of the old gyroscopic AI (Attitude) or DI (Direction) Indicators that fit in a standard 80mm 3-1/8in instrument hole. Whether they are fitted because they are fulfilling a mandated role as a back up to a full glass panel; IFR duplicate requirements, because their mechanical predecessor broke and needs replacing; or just because we want that warm feeling of more flight data information if conditions get marginal, there is no doubt that they are certainly increasingly omnipresent in our aircraft. Most include ASI (Airspeed Indicator) and Altimeter
functions in their display and, apart from look and feel, there is not much to choose between the basic features on the various candidates. Where the difference lies, is in what else they do beyond the basic flight instruments and how easy they are to use. uAvionix (of SkyEcho fame) recently launched its contender AV30, and was kind enough to lend me one to review. AV30 comes as either an uncertified instrument for use in permit to fly aircraft (AV30E £1,550) or as a fully certified version (AV30C), which can replace primary instruments in a certified aircraft. AV30 is rear mounted (from behind the hole like a traditional panel instrument) with three instrument types in one. In a Permit to fly April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 37
Technical
aircraft, or as a certified aircraft secondary instrument, it can be switched in-flight between DI, AI and uniquely, a traffic ‘radar’ display all selected just by the press of a button. While its primary display pages have the look and feel of their traditional gyroscopic counterparts, they also have significant functional overlap with each other. For example, all pages can also contain heading, track and DI ‘heading bug’ information. As well as the traditional gyro and air-data instrument functions it has either an internal or external DI ‘aiding’ magnetometer *1. Importantly to many LAA builders, it has a built-in battery backup as standard.
What will it do? 03 The AV30 system. While AV30 can be used on its own, in interconnects with many other devices as the key stone of a sophisticated federated avionics system.
Physically it looks much more like a normal panel mount instrument than its front mounted competitors (Garmin G5 or Avmap Ultra) although as a result its display area is slightly smaller. Its self-adjusting brightness display is clearly visible in bright sunlight. It has three display style choices – legacy (pic 1), vintage (pic 5) or EFIS – which allow it to blend in well with an existing panel whatever the vintage.
03 38 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
The basic instrument needs a 12V connection (just two wires) to provide an attitude indicator and magnetometer aided *1 gyroscopic DI. Very simple, and that is all you need to replace old gyros but, include a connection to your pitot / static system (a T connector to the existing tubes will do) and it provides an accurate ASI and altimeter. Add an Outside Air Temperature (OAT) sensor (one wire) and it enables air data displays for true airspeed and density altitude as well as OAT itself. In basic form, AV30 has an internal magnetometer but proximity to interference from the rest of the panel electrics often makes such an internal feature in EFIS displays less than ideal. You can add a remote magnetometer (AvMag, another three wires) which can be located anywhere on the aircraft to avoid electrical or magnetic interference. This should provide a much more accurate and reliable heading *1. Connecting AV30 to your aircraft’s audio system (one wire) adds several audio warnings, such as attitude and Angle of Attack (AOA, a sort of stall warner). Add (virtually any) GPS (one wire) and it will display track as well as, or instead of, magnetic heading data and if your GPS has a
Technical
way-point or route in it, it will display that on a course deviation display (CDI) and in customisable information windows. And, so, on to its specialist features. It has a valuable extra feature called a ‘multi-function display’. This uses AV30’s computer, display and interfaces to run specialist aviation apps (just like a smartphone). The first app included with the instrument is the traffic display. To get the traffic display it requires a Wi-Fi interface (AvLink, a sort of plug-in dongle) which receives data from a Wi-Fi enabled traffic receiver such as uAvionix’s own SkyEcho or others). If you have a uAvionix TailBeaconX (an ADS-B transponder) AV30 provides a controller function using the knob, buttons and AI windows for transponder settings. Finally, you can connect an autopilot (one wire). AV30 either relays the GPS to the AP via its HSI display or can generate navigation data for the autopilot (even without GPS) from its heading bug. Just steer it round the sky with the heading bug or climb and descend with its height control feature.
Instrument control
The key to the value of small EFIS devices is how they will be used. Our ‘permit to fly’ aircraft are not usually IFR approved nor used in such conditions. Most of us fly VFR with a map or GPS navigator and our eyes predominantly outside. Whether as a mandatory back up or a warm feeling instrument, AIs and DIs are contingency instruments and rarely used in anger. Use of the flight instrument function will not be a familiar routine so it is important that, as contingency instruments, their functions are easy and intuitive to use. Comprehensive instruments such as AV30 come with a conundrum. How to provide simple and comprehensible control of what can be a complex device with many options and settings. This presents the biggest challenge to both designers and users of multifunction EFIS devices and the solution adopted can be a key discriminator between the various models. AV30’s control is through a press and rotate knob and two buttons and for in-air use is simpler than many. Pressing the central knob cycles through the three display types AI, DI and Traffic and provides the basic controls for each of the functions. In AI mode just twisting the knob changes the altimeter (Kollsman window) setting. For DI, twisting the knob controls the heading bug and for Traffic or ARC, the scale The right-hand button indexes through pre-defined display configurations and left-hand button or knob presses enable more in-depth menu control. At all times the legend above the knob and buttons lets you know where you are in the control process. I think this is easier to understand and more intuitive than the common single knob approach. For most activity, AV30 is very simple to use, even in rough conditions, and I suspect most users will not need to go beyond the knob and right button in the air. Autopilot or Transponder control (if you have them) will need more interaction in the air so require more familiarity. There is a useful free simulator app (for PCs only) to help with familiarisation. It and the AV30 quick reference card are wonderful tools for understanding what this device will do
04 and how to use it. Google search, uAvionix AV30 support.
Personalise your own display layout
For each of the generic functions it is possible to set various individual preferences and additional data within the generic display, although generally such settings are a one-off exercise and would not normally need to be attempted in flight. AV30 can remember several versions of display settings which can then be selected from within the primary functions with the right-hand button. Once you have a feel for what the instrument will do, you can set your display references and there is very little need for deeper control in the air.
04 The traffic page. This was the only traffic Ian could find on the short flight he has done so far.
Traffic function
This is one of AV30’s main discriminating and unique features. Any traffic display requires an input from an electronic conspicuity traffic receiver. AV30 has been designed around uAvionix traffic products, such as SkyEcho, which connects wirelessly to AV30 via a Wi-Fi dongle, AV link. However, it can also connect to other third party devices such as Levil, Sentry etc. that generate Wi-Fi GDL90 format traffic data. Its traffic display is a traditional radar or PPI (plan position indicator: pic 4) showing symbols for traffic contacts over an otherwise blank screen. With a quick glance in my instrument scan (which is all it is going to get) it is a lot easier to assess the situation than with traffic ICONs buried in map symbols and other clutter. Its aircraft symbols are traditional chevron shaped – blue if flying, brown on the ground. In smaller scales, a dotted line shows direction, its length indicating relative speed of other aircraft. An adjacent number shows relative height in 100ft steps, + for above, - for below. The scale is adjustable (just rotate the knob). The display can be decluttered on a selected height basis. The display presentation is based on their ARC format (See DI note) rather than the traditional circle. ARC format shows more of the ‘radar’ map ahead than behind own aircraft and usefully includes your track data too. An April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 39
Technical
Some have fixed locations within the screen, others can go in various locations. While I love the concept, some of the displays of add on functions can appear a little small or cluttered to be easily read.
DI displays
The DI function also has three sub versions. Heading Rose (pic 6) described as a magnetic aided DI gyro *1, and provided you have a GPS connected, GPS HSI (pic 7) and GPS ARC display (pic 8). Again, a sub menu of add on data similar to that for the DI can be set up in any of three versions of your customised display. They can be selected in flight by the right-hand button. ARC display is a novel concept, as it is a plan as well as a direction. A two-dimensional plan extends in an arc in front of the aircraft icon, bordered with its moving DI scale, however the only feature that appears on it is the next GPS waypoint or, in the case of traffic, the other aircraft icons. It is a useful aid to spatial awareness. Magnetic DI performance will certainly form a part of my next stage flight testing.
05 05 AV30 in vintage display mode. It also has a vivid bright orange and blue EFIS mode
‘interrogate’ tool can be used to identify details of each aircraft on the display. I’d like to have seen coloured threats and maybe an audio warning to bring its functionality closer to its dedicated traffic competitors, but I uAvionix says that this is just the start and enhancements are planned. It is a simple, legible and good traffic display, and will form a key part of my air test in part two.
AI displays
The basic AI display starts with an uncluttered ‘legacy’ version, although even that can be changed to give it a more vintage look (pic 5) or a vibrant EFIS colour. You can then add additional features displaying various parameters around the instrument. Three different layouts of the various add-ons can be ‘saved’ and then recalled with the right-hand button. In the set-up menu you can select additional data for display on each of the AI pages. It includes ASI, Altimeter, AoA, heading (magnetic) , track (GPS), waypoint, G, and several others.
Autopilot control
Another excellent contingency function of AV30 is its ability to control an autopilot (AP) using just its magnetic heading data. It generates navigation data from its DI heading bug (and Altimeter) and sends it to the AP in the format of GPS data (RS232 NMEA messages). That enables it to supply the normal data input for many experimental Autopilot devices. With it you can just steer your aircraft through the sky with the heading bug. It will also relay GPS data and routes through the same interface displaying them on its GPS HSI or ARC displays. This is a vital feature if, when touring, you run into an military GPS jamming exercise – and is easier than fighting your AP’s wing leveller and turn coordinator function.
Installation
Mechanically AV30 fitted easily into the spare hole on my panel – four screws, and it was in. It connects to the rest of the aircraft through a small 15 way (sub-D) plug with
06 DI mode Magnetic heading rose version. 07 DI mode, GPS CDI page. This is showing the next GPS way point to the north as well as the heading bug.
06 40 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
07
Technical 08 DI ARC display. 09 Avmag mounted in the tail and inclined to match the AV30s self-reported angle. 10 Compass calibration, Ian on brakes and instrument, Chris on wingtips and Ruth on compass, which was on a horizontal platform taped to the stabiliser. It was cold and windy, adding to the challenge. The compass swing took 30 minutes.
08
09
solderable pins. It needs 12v, a breaker and connection into the pitot /static system. Obviously, the connections to other functions in the aircraft depend on what they are and how they were fitted. The remote magnetometer (pic 9) must be mounted well away from magnetic and electrical interference and must be precisely aligned with both aircraft and the main instrument. I located it in the tail area in my RV-6 but wingtips or mid-fuselage are other commonly used positions. Set up involves spending time with the instrument telling it about the aircraft, but is easy. Calibration of the internal magnetometer involves a flight or if the remote magnetometer is fitted, a ground compass swing (pic 10). While it looks complex, the installation and setup manual is relatively simple to follow, and it worked.
Initial conclusion
Test flights
I had intended to include a flight test report in this article, but weather, logistics, a Permit inspection and a deadline conspired to use up all my time. I have flown with it in the RV and I am happy with what I have seen so far but such a comprehensive instrument deserves a more thorough test than time has allowed. I will be test flying it over the next few weeks and will be updating this article in a couple of months.
It is a good looking comprehensively specified flight instrument that will be a valuable safety asset if required to perform in its contingency role. Its primary functions are easy and intuitive to use although you need to be familiar with its controls to maximise the benefits of all its functions. What won’t it do that some of its competitors do? It is not a self-contained GPS navigator and does not have a pseudo ADF arrow. What will it do that the others do not? Traffic display! I am happy to give it panel space in my RV.
Note
Note *1, Magnetic aided DI. As many of us will remember from learning to fly without GPS, a gyroscopic DI drifts with time and needs constant resetting from the magnetic compass. A magnetic compass ‘lags or leads’ in manoeuvre. ‘Slaved’ DIs appeared in more sophisticated aircraft combining gyro and magnetic compasses resulting in a reliable heading display that remained accurate through manoeuvres and cruise without constant attention or mental arithmetic. AV30s DI has a similar capability they refer to as ‘magnetic DI aiding’. My flight testing will be looking carefully at how well it does this. ■
10 April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 41
LAA Strut News
Struts 4U
Anne Hughes rounds up Strut news & views
T
he annual YES conference is always a time to ‘recharge the batteries’ ready for another season of working with young people. It is inspirational to be among so many dedicated volunteers whose involvement ranges from aviation art and poetry, to building and restoring aircraft, as well as the leaders of Air Scouts and Air Cadets who give their time freely throughout the year, encouraging a future generation of aviation enthusiasts. We were reminded that the Struts can play a central role in working with young people, supported by YES. The rewards are often unexpected, as it is the volunteers who go home from their involvement feeling inspired by the youthful enthusiasm they have seen all day! The 15th Education Conference at the RAF Museum, Cosford, on 4 March, was attended by around 70 invited participants, and 20 speakers provided an insight into the work they do to support youth in aviation. Three of the invited groups who are building or restoring aircraft explain the projects in which they are currently involved: The Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Cosford branch (BWC) of the Royal Aeronautical Society has always been active in running successful STEM events for children of all ages, but when the Schools’ Build a Plane (SBaP) project was launched with Boeing in 2009, our response was deeply sceptical. “Who on Earth thinks it’s a good idea to let kids build an aeroplane?” “We relented, and accepted delivery of our Rans Coyote aircraft kit in January 2011 at a school in Wellington, Shropshire. We spent the first three months sorting and checking the inventory and teaching the basic skills of accurate measurement, marking out, drilling and riveting, as well as how to read
42 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Above Students from Stokesley Secondary School work on the engine of their Fartravel Linnet restoration project. Below Six aircraft have been completed as part of Schools’ Build a Plane program.
and interpret engineering drawings and complex assembly instructions. The project was immensely rewarding for the volunteers – as well as the kids. It was great to watch the children grow in confidence, developing determination, courage and enthusiasm when facing an initially intimidating challenge. Our LAA Inspector commented on the ‘exceptional build quality’ that was achieved by the pupils, and it was clear that our volunteers became the positive adult male role models that some of the pupils lacked in their everyday lives. “All of our students recognised the positive effect that SBaP had had on them, increasing their ability to work in teams, solve complex problems together, and manage their own time – all of which are directly transferable into the world of employment. “All six aircraft we built have now been sold into private ownership. While some of our volunteers were engaged with the Air League Slingshot project – an entirely different challenge from the Rans Coyote – it was clear that we were missing the contact with schools and wanted to continue. In 2018 we established our own incorporated charity called STEM High Fliers and selected the TLAC Sherwood Ranger as our next build, mainly because of the wider range of skills needed for its assembly. “Involved with the Dudley Academies Trust, we are now working with a group of 24 Y9 pupils, aged 13-14, with an equal male/female split, drawn from four secondary schools. “We have our build area established, since November 2022, in the Institute of Technology in Dudley. This is by far the best area we have ever worked in and we are teaching the basics of measuring, drilling, riveting and glueing again, all looking forward to a rewarding three-year project, delivering more pupils with enhanced life skills and better employment prospects. In a
LAA Strut News
Strut Calendar Please contact your local Strut to check the details before attending the calendar events. Above IoT build area awaits its students! discussion about airworthiness and the open culture, I was rewarded with the most mature thing I have ever heard from a 14-year-old boy. “We have to create a culture where people aren’t afraid to admit they’ve made a mistake.” Chris Hughes Julian Hill, from North Yorkshire, who wrote this piece, was unable to join us at the Conference but sent the following news: “Under the careful supervision of aircraft restorer Julian Hill and his volunteers, students from Stokesley Secondary School are restoring a rare vintage aircraft to full flight condition. After enjoying many years of flight and aircraft restoration projects, Julian decided it was time to pass his skills on to the next generation. “With the generous bequest of a 1964 Fairtravel Linnet, the award-winning project began. Sporting a Rolls-Royce engine, the Linnet is one of only five ever made (only two survive). Test flown by Neville Duke, it is a low-wing, two-seat enclosed monoplane. It has a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The aircraft uses wood construction with a laminated box spar with an elliptical trailing edge. It flies at 160mph. “The work of dismantling the engine is currently underway and the young people have thoroughly enjoyed the unique opportunity of carrying out work themselves on an aircraft that will one day return to the skies. One young person recently exclaimed that it has been a ‘10/10 experience, beyond anything I could have imagined’.” In Northern Ireland, Mark Bowler is preparing to rebuild a primary glider and shared his news with the Conference. “The Glider Project has received a DfT Reach for the Sky Challenge grant to train 12 young people, 14-20 years old, to rebuild a primary glider. The Ulster Gliding Club in Bellerana, Northern Ireland has donated an Elliott’s of Newbury primary glider airframe to the project. “We have three other mentors to help guide the participants: Jim Gorringe, Stuart Porter and Ben Ringland. So far, one enthusiastic young female student from the Ballymena area has responded to a newspaper article wanting to participate. Owen Anderson (Ulster Gliding Club) has agreed to be our BGA Inspector. “We have been searching far and wide for a dry, secure and preferably comfortable workspace. Ideal spaces are much more difficult (expensive) to acquire than first thought. We continue the search so we can enlist more students to this exciting project. “Our objective is to have an airworthy glider that students, with some flying training, will fly. All the students will be able to ‘fly’ it on a ground-based tripod support that provides three axis control of the glider in a breeze. This project will take place 2-4 times a month over the next 12 to 18 months, depending on how well we progress.” None of these projects, nor any of the activities in which the Conference volunteers are engaged, are without their challenges. However, the message from YES is always full of positivity and more volunteers and Struts are welcome to support and initiate projects and events for young people. YES contact details are at the end of the calendar. ■
Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 17 April – GASCO Safety Evening (NB: This is the third Monday in April NOT the second). 8 May – Flying Electric Aeroplanes with Deepak Mahajan (tbc) Contact: Bob Howarth email: bobhowarth99@btinternet.com Phone no. 01980 611124 Bristol Strut: BAWA Club, Filton, 1930 Contact: chairman@bristolstrut.uk www. bristolstrut.uk Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. 15 April – TopNav Competition; 19 April Marc Wolff, On the Screen – helicopter aerial stunt coordinator; 16 April – Porsche Club Fly-Drive-in; 13/14 May – Vintage Aircraft Club Fly-in. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.c.ok 01752 406660 Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter. 11 April – D&C Police Drone Operations. Contact: david. millin@sea-sea.com East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@ btinternet.com 0131 339 2351. East Midlands Strut: Meeting on the first Tuesday of the month on Zoom until further notice due to venue availability. Contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com We also have a Facebook group and upload recordings of some meetings where we have speakers. Gloster Strut: The Victory Club, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY at 19.30. 11 April – Chasing the Morning Sun – Manuel Queiroz. Parking available. Contact: Harry Hopkins phone 07902 650619 harry.hopkins@talktalk.net Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. 30 April – Spring Fly-In at Easter Airfield. Contact: b.w.spence@btinternet.com 01381 620535. Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000. Contact: Steve Hoskins hoskinsltd@outlook.com 07768 984507. LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail.com http:// linsystrut.wixsite.com/website North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Brunch on the third Sunday of each month. 1130-1330 at Fishburn Aviator Cafe. Contact: alannixon297@btinternet. com North Western Strut: The Clubhouse, Boysnope. 1400. Contact: cliffmort@ btinternet.com 07813 497427. North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. First Sunday of the month – HEMS Bistro Café. 1300. Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com 07876 483414. Oxford Group: Sturdy’s Castle Country Inn, Banbury Road, Kidlington, OX5 3EP. Second Wednesday each month.12 April – The Future of Aircraft Propulsion by Robert Heathe-Whyte; 10 May – David Wilson from the FAST Museum – Building the Cody Flyer Replica. Contact: LAAOxford@gmail.com www. oxfordlaa.co.uk Redhill Strut: The Castle, Millers Lane,
Outwood, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5QB. Pub contact: 01342 844491. Third Tuesday of each month, meet at 1900-1930. Contact: david@milstead. me.uk Shobdon Strut: Hotspur Café, Shobdon Airfield, Hereford HR6 9NR. 1930. Second Thursday of the month. 13 April – Midlands Air Ambulance, Our work in Medivac and Saving Lives by Nicola Beebee. Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com Southern Strut: Longshore, Brighton Rd, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5LD. First Wednesday of the month 1930 for 2000. Contact palmersfarm@sky.com Strathtay Strut: Scottish Aero Club, Perth Airport, Scone. Scone Clubhouse. Contact: keith.boardman@peopleserve. co.uk 07785 244146. Suffolk Coastal Strut: Earl Stonham Village Hall, IP14 5HJ. 19.30. 19 April – Strut AGM; 17 May – Talk from Southend Controllers Henry Spurgeon & Jeff Pacy Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@ suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk / 07790 925142 The Joystick Club: Activities throughout the year. Pedal planes and simulators at Old Warden Air Shows. Contact: Mike Clews, m.clews@sky.com. 07775 847914. www.joystickclub.co.uk Vale of York Strut: Chocks Away Café, Rufforth East Airfield.1900. Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801 valeofyorkstrutlaa@gmail.com www. valeofyorkstrutlaa.wordpress.com Wessex Strut: Henstridge Airfield Clubhouse. 1930. 14 April – quiz night; 22 April – Henstridge 80th Birthday Fly-in and Meet the LAA. Check Wessex Strut website. Local fortnightly Strut walks organised by Wessex Aviators Leisure Klub. Contact: neil.wilson@laa. uk.com West Midlands Strut. There are no meetings at present, but if you would like to help to get the WMS operational again please get in touch with the Strut coordinator, David Millin. david.millin@ sea-sea.com / or Contact Barry Vickers – brvickers@gmail.com West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: Neil Geddes barnbethnkg@gmail.com 01505 612493. Youth & Education Support (YES) – YES also available for Strut talks/ presentations. 29 April – Young People’s Aviation Taster Day at Audley End; 7 May – YES at Shuttleworth Air Show. Contact: Stewart Luck captainluck@hotmail.com (Contact 07974188395 to volunteer.) NB: Please contact your local Strut to check the details before attending the calendar events. Thank you to all Struts and clubs for getting in touch. If you have any stories, items you wish to share or updates for the calendar, please contact me at struts@laa.uk.com April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 43
YES Report
Great group photo with faces young and old!
Working together Stewart Luck, head of YES (Youth & Education Support) reports on the 15th Education Conference held at RAF Cosford
Y
ES is a UK-wide group, working together with the LAA, and with leading industry companies, local education authorities, schools and universities and many others to educate, encourage and inspire young people to take part in all sorts of activities connected with aviation. We bring together lots of people and organisations doing the same thing, but with a different twist to the mission. Top-end educational establishments have to get their recruits from somewhere and we realised years ago that the encouragement and enthusiasm related to aviation should be lavished on a child while at primary school, so that the passion stays with them through teenage years and on through to adulthood. That’s why the conference speakers were a mix to captivate the minds of everyone in the room from eight to 88. Cllrs Stephen and Shirley Reynolds (portfolio holder for Youth development at Telford & Wrekin Council) spent time with us to describe all the opportunities available in
Above From left, Chris Hughes, John Phillips and Lukas Brezgys for Build a Plane, Stewart Luck -YES, and Harvey Matthewson from Aerobility. Below From left Rishi Radia and Florence Robert from RAeS, Pete White for Feet Off the Ground, Tatiana Shevchenko, Air Scout leader Rory Wilson, plus Steve Slater presents Pete White with the Faulkner Bryant Shield for his work at Bodmin Airfield.
the Midlands. Next up, Rotarian Roy Bricknell described how he took his STEM knowledge into schools to cover Theory of Flight in class. The day went smoothly with talks on aviation art from members of the Guild of Aviation Artists, Scholarships and Bursaries from the Royal Aero Club trust, WWI Heritage Trust VR Sim and the Schools Build-a-Plane projects. After lunch and networking, the talks continued with Air Scouts, the STEM High Flyers project and Aerobility. Captain Kath Burnham spoke of being a commercial pilot and how to get your licence – and then a job. The Suffolk Coastal Strut was represented by Andrew Caldecott, who explained its Strut activities and urged other Struts to pick up the torch and shine it for Youth & Education. I would like to thank and praise our sponsors and supporters, namely Pooleys, the LAA, Skysmart and the Royal Aeronautical Society which helped enable the 2023 event to go ahead. ■
Photos Viv Porteous 44 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
LAA Partner Content
LAA Partner Content
Learn more: Keeping claims stress-free Alexis Morillon from Air Courtage Assurances looks at the claims process, plus some of its customers talk about their claim experience… As an aviation insurance broker, our main priority is ensuring our clients are protected and supported in the event of a claim. Experiencing loss or damage to an aircraft can be a stressful and difficult time, and our team is committed to providing exceptional service to help our clients throughout the claims process. Our goal is to make the claims process as seamless and stress-free as possible, while also ensuring that our clients receive fair and prompt compensation for their losses. We are proud to say that our clients consistently report high levels of satisfaction with our claim handling process, and we believe this is due to several key factors. Firstly, our team of claims specialists are highly experienced and knowledgeable in the aviation insurance industry, and are well-equipped to handle a wide range of claims, from minor damage to total loss. All the while providing clear communication and regular updates throughout the process. We also understand the importance of
timely and fair compensation for our clients. Our team works closely with insurance underwriters to ensure that claims are processed and resolved as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that our clients receive the appropriate compensation for their losses. In addition, we prioritise transparency and accountability in our claims handling process. We strive to provide clear and concise information to our clients regarding their claim status and any relevant documentation required, and are always available to answer any questions or concerns they may have. At the end of the day, our clients’ satisfaction is our top priority. We are committed to providing exceptional service and support to help our clients navigate the complex and often stressful claims process. That shows in the positive feedback we receive from LAA members, and we thank our clients for their unwavering trust. It is always a pleasure to deal with LAA members and we are delighted to be able to assist you in unfortunate events such as a claim. ● Gilbert: Quite frankly, I have been immensely impressed by the support you have given me, also the prompt settlement and assessment of the damage by the loss
adjusters, and of course the underwriters, who completed my claim, in full. The whole episode has been an absolute pleasure, very straightforward. I only regret that I had to trouble you with this accident! ● Roger: From initial claims report to final payout, all contact with Air Courtage and McLarens has been polite, courteous, and professional, keeping me informed at all stages of progress. Simple as that. ● Jenny: Funds have been received into my account this morning. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking your team for the outstanding work undertaken on my behalf. ● Mike: Dealing with that reality and promoting my flying hobby into the future, has been very greatly helped by your professional support and personal good humour throughout the last few months. Thank you and the company you represent, very much indeed. ● Ray: I would personally like to thank all involved and the insurance company for the speed and compassion that this has been dealt with. It was a difficult time for me, and you were all great, thank you. I have been singing your praises to the LAA and all the pilots I know. ■ April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 45
See our website for full range
www.lxavionics.co.uk Supply, design, build and install service Fly or drive in to our Showroom at Turweston. uAvionixSky Echo II Please call us to order.
We specialise in Avionics supply, design and build assistance for homebuilders.
GTN650/750 Xi waas GPS/NAV/COMM
GFC500 Autopilot
RV7 panel under build
G5 AI/HSI
RV9 panel under build
G3X Touch PFD
custom made loom for RV9
GNS to GTN adapter
We can help with panel and wiring design through to complete installation. Contact us to discuss your Avionics build requirements and to go through ideas.
Call us on 01280 700020, or visit us at Turweston (next to the LAA) to discuss your requirements. Talk to us for LAA member discounts
info@lxavionics.co.uk
www.lxavionics.co.uk
Our Address: LX Avionics Ltd, Hangar 10, Turweston Aerodrome, BRACKLEY, NN13 5YD
VAT: GB 793 1777 86 Company number 4417407 E & OE
Meet the Members
A flying passion which is ‘plane’ to see…
Neil Wilson talks to Roger Breckell – who became involved in aviation at the tender age of 11 years old…
W
hat started your interest in aviation?
I attribute the spark of aviation in me to my father. He had joined the RAF before WWII and became a Pathfinder navigator. He was shot down in a Halifax and became a PoW.
How did you get into flying?
When I was about 11 years old I used to ride horses at a stables on the edge of RAF Woodvale. Across the fence was a civilian Aero Club. One day a pal and I walked over, and after paying 10 shillings (50p), became social members of the Southport Aero Club. I still meet up with him at every LAA Rally. This members club was very welcoming, and having some of the prime movers ensured that we got a goodly number of rides in the back seats of their C172. One day, the Aero Club decided it was going to have a grand club day out,
Below Roger got to experience Chipmunks with the CCF.
so it chartered a Cambrian Airways Vickers Viscount, and we all flew to the old airfield at Jurby on the Isle of Man. Problem was, Jurby thought we were arriving in a fleet of Cessnas, so there weren’t any stairs for us to disembark, so we had to wait for a set from nearby Ronaldsway! Next up was the RAF Combined Cadet Force, and it was here I discovered the joy of flying Chipmunks. While at school I was lucky enough to be awarded a Flying Scholarship. I was sent to the Doncaster Flying Club where I learned on the Condor for my 30 hours. I was able to complete the five hours to gain my PPL for £39.80 – paid for by my grandmother. This was all accomplished in April 1971. From there I joined the Liverpool University Air Squadron (LUAS). My timing was fortunate, as I understand that I was one of the first three students chosen from other colleges, as LUAS spread its wings. This gave me many happy hours flying – and April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 47
Meet the Members
on and off over the years, as well at one point becoming a committee member. When the North Lancs and Fylde Strut started, I also joined it. Then in early 2018 I moved down to Mere in Wiltshire, and one of the first things I did was to join the Wessex Strut.
You’ve flown and owned quite a few different types. Tell us about them and your flying.
socialising. I enjoyed both Chipmunk and Bulldog flying, as I again had the good fortune to be chosen for the coveted third year. Among my flying memories, were looping around the DI and gaining my Primary Instrument Flying Grading on the Chipmunk. Plus, the Bulldog, also a joy, especially for low level cross-countries, tail chases and formation work including a memorable time we flew formation IFR.
How did you learn about the LAA?
Some friends bought a Tipsy Nipper, so I drove to my first Popular Fly Association (PFA) Flying for Fun Rally, which was where I joined the PFA. The Nipper group very kindly allowed me to fly it for many happy hours, including a visit to a VAC meeting at Finmere. I joined the North West Strut and have been a member
48 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Above Fond memories for Roger of his Jackaroo Below Beagle Pup 150 and Wittman Tailwind. Bottom Piper J2… no, brakes, a tailskid and a nominal 50hp!
Over the years my flying hours a year have been as low as five and quite a bit higher as the demands of work – and life – dictated. After a varied and, in some ways, quite fortunate career in business, I was able to effectively retire earlier than planned, and have enjoyed doing plenty of flying ever since. In total, I have been lucky to accumulate more than 2,000 hours on many different types.
Any favourite or less favoured types?
One man’s favourite type is almost always another’s worst type, and vice versa, so rather than directly answer this I will briefly mention some of the aircraft I have flown, and in many cases owned. ● Condors – A fine trainer that helped me finish and gain my licence, and gave me plenty of happy memories. ● Chipmunk and Bulldog – Both superb in their own ways. Liverpool UAS was the last to change to Bulldogs. We were all very proud when we won an inter UAS trophy as the only UAS still flying the Chipmunk. ● Thruxton Jackaroo – A magnificent aircraft! With it, I toured all around France and Switzerland, plus flew many Vintage Aircraft Club passengers and endured some serious crosswinds. Call me a heretic, but I found the Jackaroo far better than the Tiger Moths I have flown. ● Piper Cub – My first flight into Henstridge was from Sywell in a J3 to the 1978 fly-in. I have owned a couple including an early example with a (nominal) 50hp Franklin engine, no brakes and a tailskid! ● Wittman Tailwind – A fabulous, if at times, frantic machine. I felt really lucky to have met the designer Steve Wittman, once at Sun’n Fun. ● Beagle Pup 150 – Just beautiful handling. ● Stolp Acroduster 2 – Under my custodianship I enjoyed many happy hours, appeared on local TV, won a trophy at an LAA fly-in at the old Derby Airfield, before Toyota arrived, and even enjoyed wrapping up warm to fly aeros in the depths of winter! ● Microlight years – I had, and still have, the great pleasure of being a member of West Lancs Microlight club. There, I flew many types starting with the farmers’ AX3. Other types range from Snowbird, Rans, Mistral, MW6, Minimax, Skyranger and Ikarus C42 to the Jabiru, Dynamic and CTSW. ● Chevron – A microlight-powered glider and real fun to fly, as long as one considers its gradual rate of climb, slightly slow cruise and desire not to land (without drag flap!). It needed a hangar or de-rigging and care in winds above just a handful of knots. ● Reality Escapade – I bought mine as an incomplete project, as the initial builders had what looked like a 95% complete aircraft but discovered there was still a long way
Meet the Members
to go. When complete and permitted I found it to be an absolute delight. It would do things other aircraft couldn’t but its undercarriage positioning was a poor compromise. One which could, however, be overcome. Jodel – Among the many variants I have flown, by far the best was the Mascaret, built by my good friend Alf Burns, which eventually passed into my ownership. FLS Sprint 160 – My current aircraft, and as strong as they come. My daughter and I just love flying this aircraft. Some of the other aircraft that I have owned and flown include Cessnas from 120 to 182, Pa28 from 140 to Arrow, Fairchild Argus, Aircoupe, Terrier, Slingsbys, Pitts, Falco, Luscombe, Decathlon, Flexwings, Luton Minor, Turner T40a, a few Van’s RVs, Eurostar, Thruster, Banbi, F22a, P300 and Bristell.
What’s been a favourite moment in aviation for you?
As with most pilots my first solo in Condor G-AYFF on 13 April 1971 will forever be remembered. Sadly, covid stopped the 50th anniversary being marked in 2021. However, my first achievement was a few years before when an Air Experience Flight instructor got in and told me
Above (top) Piper J3 Cub. Above (bottom) “Fabulous but frantic” Wittman Tailwind. Above right Maxair Drifter. Below Stolp Acroduster.
to fly to Leyland, and I managed it. Again, in a Chipmunk, but this time with me up front when my instructor cleared me to continue aeros until cloud tops were reached when he made inputs and asked me to recover and then fly the QGH approach. Tail chasing in Bulldogs; formation flight a Jet Provost; displaying and flour bombing in the Jackaroo. I still smile about the time I was asked, “How many POB?”, in an Ercoupe with my one-year-old daughter on my lap. Since then there have been many moments when something as simple as crystal clear air or flying among scattered Simpsons clouds have been wonderful. Other times have been when I’ve flown with a group of others, and to all arrive and enjoy our shared experience, whether it be to a local airstrip fly-in or as far away as the South of France. Currently, I very much enjoy flying with a friend in her Chipmunk, where we join in with practice formation flying.
You took part in air racing – in what / where did you go, and did you win?
Ah, yes, air racing… This was handicap racing run by the Royal Aero Club. Basically aircraft are flagged off at timed intervals with the object (of the handicappers) of all aircraft arriving at the finish line at the same moment. This can make for spectacular finishes, as fields of 30 or so made for a great spectacle. I was lucky to be able to race my Acroduster 2 and perhaps appropriately my best result was second at Swansea, where the circuit took in the lovely scenery of the Gower. Full power racing didn’t do wonders for my engine, although that, as they say, is another story… and I was allowed to complete a season in the Pup I had sold to a fellow racer.
Any aviation heroes?
A difficult question, and I am tempted to say all my passengers! However I will name a few, including Steve Wittman for purity of racing spirit and giving us the Tailwind. Terry Francis, much missed for giving us the Escapade. Paul Dewhurst and Ben Ashman of Flylight for their knowledge and constant enthusiasm, plus Cedric Flood – an aviator all his life.
Any favourite aviation books?
Almost any book by Ernest K Gann, Never stop the Engine when it’s Hot by David Lee. The flight of the Mew Gull by Alex Henshaw. The Tiger Club (vols 1 and 2) by Lewis Benjamin. Airymouse by Harald Penrose. Birds and 50 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Meet the Members
Fools Fly by John Urmston. And last but not least, A Pilot’s Perspective by Cedric Flood.
Lesson: I always fly with an experienced instructor to refresh skills such as spinning Some early microlight engines have also given me moments, but I doubt I’m unusual in that regard. Lesson: stick to Rotax 912 with an electric fuel pump.
What other interests do you have?
I am a born-again biker. Well, I say born again, as I only really started in the late 1990s, then stopped while I enjoyed playing with a 1942 Willys Jeep, and then restarted motorbiking with an old Honda Hornet. I do enjoy the open freedom of the bike, but I also like the camaraderie. Other interests come and go but I always enjoy those with a social aspect. I enjoy being part of the Wessex Strut Walking Club – we meet every fortnight for a walk in the local area. The aprés walk in a pub or café is good, too!
Any hairy aviation moments?
I’ve had a few! While learning to fly as a student, I became lost when doing some solo PFL practice. Basically I misidentified a landmark and by the time I realised my mistake it was getting dark. I managed to sort things out and whether by design or luck the lights of Doncaster Rovers came on, which enabled me to home in on the field. Grass runway, no lights so some members illuminated the far end of the runway and the fire engine marked the threshold. What followed was probably my best landing to date. Lesson: double check landmarks! I’ve had a few engine issues notably when the VW in the Nipper seized. I told Liverpool Airport I was not returning and when I was eventually standing by a nearby road awaiting a pal coming to pick me up, I wondered at the number of police cars and fire engines passing to and fro (noted no ambulances!). Anyway, it seems they were looking for the crash site and were quite disappointed when they drove down the track to find a little Nipper and nothing to do. In fact, they did, as they had to off-load all their water as they had sunk into the mud of the track. I enjoyed spinning, especially in the Chipmunk. Not too sure about Bulldogs, as one spun in at Southport. Then when we were cleared to spin again I was naturally doing just that when a call came over the radio that ‘all spinning was once again banned’! Another spinning issue was in the Nipper when it just didn’t want to stop. It seemed like time almost stopped as I tried everything I could think of, but then it suddenly stopped. Luckily the engine was still running, so I carefully flew home.
Aircraft ‘wish list’ – to fly or own
Below (top) Jodel Mascaret has been Roger’s favourite of all the models he’s flown. Below (bottom) FLS Sprint is “as strong as they come!”
I have always loved the look of the Falco and the General Avia F22. Perhaps one day one of the Rotax-powered lookalikes will become available in the UK. If money were really no object then I’d have a Gloster Gladiator, in silver RAF colours.
Any advice to share with others?
I doubt I’ve got the right to advise, but I do try and think about what might happen and how I will react. I do try to listen to the aeroplane and feel changes in noise or response, and when over water I rather like to leave the throttle where it is, as long as the engine is happy… ■
April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 51
Where to go
A
WHERE TO GO
selection of flying events for the months ahead, and some you definitely want to add to the calendar for later in the year. Don’t forget, GASCo are always running Safety Evenings up and down the country. We’ve got them listed here, plus keep an eye on their website, www.gasco.org.uk, for further updates.
April 1 2 8 15 15 17 19-22 22 22 22 22 29-30 30
Popham Eurofox Fly-in North Coates Helicopter and Autogyro Fly-in (PPR) Perth ACS Aviation Festival Bodmin TOPNAV Competition Turweston VAC Fly/Drive-in Popham GASCo Safety Evening Friedrichshafen AERO Henstridge Airfield 80th birthday and Meet the LAA day Spilstead Farm Fly-in BBQ (PPR) Halfpenny Green VPAC Black Country Popham Jodel Fly-in Popham Microlight Trade Fair Easter Spring Fly-in
May 13-14
13-14 13-14 19-20 20-21 27 26-29 28
As always, check the Royal Aero Club Events website for the latest information and web links for many of the events: http://events.royalaeroclub.org/events.htm. Our thanks to the RAeC and to Dave Wise for the use of their data. If you have an event you want to advertise on the list, please email the details to Dave at: dave.wise@btinternet.com.
Bodmin VAC fly-in (PPR) Compton Abbas Pooleys Air Day (PPR) Wycombe Private Flyer Fest Compton Abbas Pooleys Air Day Popham VPAC Southern Fly-in Sandown Spamfield Fly-in Kirkbride Open day and Fly-In (PPR)
June 3 8-10 9-11 17 24/25
Bodmin Ladies’ Day Fly-in Sywell Aero Expo – Meet the LAA in a dedicated display area Guernsey Air Rally Wickenby VPAC Northern Fly-in Breighton VAC Fly/Drive-in (PPR)
July Turweston LAA Open House (PPR)
7-8
Leeds East Private Flyer Fest North
Planning ahead July 7-9 July 8/9 July 15
Sleap Sleapkosh Fly-In Rufforth East Fly-In / Meet the LAA Old Warden Shuttleworth summer picnic evening airshow (PPR) July 15 Cromer VPAC Eastern Fly-in July 15/16 New Farm Shadowfest 40th Anniversary of CFM Shadow fly-in July 15/16 Bodmin Grasshopper Gathering L-Birds event July 24/30 Oshkosh, Wi EAA AirVenture National Fly-in & Display July 30 Lundy Lundy Sunday (Strictly PPR) August 5/6 Eshott Summer fly-in August 12 Shobdon VPAC Western Fly-in August 19 Bodmin Cornish Pasty Fly-in Aug 19/20 Perth Scottish Aero Club fly-in and Meet the LAA day Sept 9 Sleap VPAC End of season Fly-in Sept 9 Bodmin Cornwall Strut Fly-in
Get ready for Spring! UK VFR Charts – S.Eng/Wales 1:250,000/1:500,00 (Folded) £15.99
Chasing the Morning Sun (signed copy)
£18.00
The First Homebuilt Aeroplanes
£12.00
Embroidered Wings £2.50
Engine Log Book - £14.00 52 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
Propellor Log Book - £16.00
LAA Fleece £30.00 Sizes: S, M, L, XL & XXL.
Log Book Binder - £15.95
Aircraft Log Book - £14.00
Landing vouchers
LANDING VOUCHERS Spring has sprung, the evenings are beginning to draw out, and the opportunities to fly are increasing. That makes these landing vouchers an even better extra to use towards your flying. Our thanks to Beccles, Middlezoy and Strahaven for supporting
✁ Aviation LIGHT
our free landings for LAA members scheme. Please be sure to thank them for their participation by buying some fuel for your aircraft, or when on the obligatory trip to the cafe, fuel for you and your passenger!
FREE Landing May 2023 Beccles 07920 067285
Located in unrestricted airspace, the clubhouse offers tea, coffee with snacks. Closed on Monday, open Tue-Sun. Some accommodation is available on site, so it is a great base for touring and a stay. Please PPR on the above mobile number or use the form on our website, as there is sometimes parachuting taking place. Be careful of some possible windshear on final to Runway 27. When you’re here, have a race at the nearby Ellough Park Raceway in a kart, or visit nearby historic Beccles town. Avgas available during opening hours. Radio is 120.380 www.becclesaerodrome.co.uk
✁ Aviation LIGHT
FREE Landing 1-24 May 2023 Middlezoy 07901 826351
Situated on the lovely Somerset levels, the airfield’s flying group has restored a blister hangar into a welcoming clubhouse. PPR on the above number, as the airstrip is right next door to WestonZoyland, so keep a lookout. Airfield closed from May 25 for the rest of the month due to a non-flying event. Be aware of a bump on the main runway. Radio 129.830, make blind calls. Please visit www.mzaero.co.uk
✁ Aviation LIGHT
FREE Landing May 2023 Strathaven 07708 183215 / 0771 714 1104
A lovely airfield to visit, situated in beautiful countryside. Although mostly a microlight airfield, if you are on a day trip or touring Scotland, you are welcome to stop off and say hello. Located near East Kilbride, there are many things to visit nearby. If you need to organise a taxi, please phone ahead, as you may have a long wait otherwise. No fuel available. Please PPR by phone on your first visit. All circuits to the North please. Safety Com 135.480 www.strathavenairfield.co.uk
54 36| LIGHT | LIGHTAVIATION AVIATION| April | July 2023 2021
MAY 2023
ANDAIR FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS COMBINE MODULAR DESIGN, SUPERB QUALITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO SUIT ANY AIRCRAFT BUILD PROJECT.
Having built a reputation for excellence in the design and manufacture of light aircraft fuel system components within the amateur-build aircraft sector, Andair has now established a significant presence in the commercial aviation market as well.
www.andair.co.uk
For all display advertising enquiries contact Neil Wilson 07512 773532
neil.wilson@laa.uk.com
www.LAA.uk.com
Free landing vouchers, informative webinars, great written content and lots more will help YOU improve your flying this year.
Join us on our #fly2023 challenge. Visit 23 new airfields and log 2,023 minutes throughout the year! Sponsored by Bose and uAvionix.
Email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA: office@laa.uk.com
Classifieds
April
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE
PROJECTS
ARV Super2 G-ORIX, MidWest rotary engine. Decommissioned; could soon be airworthy. All documents, manuals, spares. Road trailer included. Sell entirely £16,750 or shares: 50% or 33%. See eBay advert. 07913 671 858
For all display or commercial advertising enquiries please contact Neil Wilson: 07512 773532 neil.wilson@laa.uk.com
Part built Cavalier project airframe from deceased estate available free of charge to any genuine party. Phone Keith 07968 530 890
You can email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA at the following address: office@laa.uk.com Deadline for booking and copy: 18 April 2023 If you would like to place an aircraft for sale advert please see details below: MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £6; 31-50 words: £12 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £45 NON-MEMBERS’ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £22; 31-50 words: £44 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £60 www.laa.uk.com
LAA Engineering advice to buyers: AIRCRAFT APPROVED? Members and readers should note that the inclusion of all advertisements in the commercial or classified sections of this magazine does not necessarily mean that the product or service is approved by the LAA. In particular, aircraft types, or examples of types advertised, may not, for a variety of reasons, be of a type or standard that is eligible for the issue of a LAA Permit to Fly. You should not assume that an aircraft type not currently on the LAA accepted type list will eventually be accepted.
F.8L Falco G-BVDP. As seen and tested in 3.23 LAA magazine. First Flight: 19.10.2003. Total Airframe : 428.45. Engine: Lycoming 0-320-B3B (narrow deck). Hours: TTSN 2,329 hours. 120 hours since top overhaul March 2017. Propeller: Hoffman HO-V72L-170DW.New hub. Overhauled and Zero timed June 2022 following EASA/Hoffman AD. Hours since zero time. 17.05. Magneto’s: New 2017.Permit renewal date: 8/ 2023. Radio: TRIG TY96 (8.33khz) 2017 Transponder: Peformance: Max 208 Kts, Gear down Max 108.5Kts. Stall: 53 Kts (40 degree flap). Landing : 80Kts. Cruise: 75% power 24/24 – 155Kts. Email: nickturner3110@btinternet.com
BUILDING GROUP
AMATEUR BUILDING All LAA aircraft builders and potential builders are reminded that in order to qualify for a LAA Permit to Fly, homebuilt aircraft must be genuinely amateur built. For these purposes the CAA provide a definition of amateur built in their publication CAP 659, available from LAA. An extract from CAP 659 reads “The building and operation of the aircraft will be solely for the education and recreation of the amateur builder. This means that he would not be permitted to commission someone else to build his aircraft”. An aircraft built outside the CAA’s definition could result in an expensive garden ornament.
56 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
PARTS FOR SALE Hartzell Constant Speed propeller for sale. HC-C2YK-1BF with F7666A-4 Blades. Removed from RV7 after import to the UK. 627 Hrs total time Excellent condition. Contact Tom Pickford 07770 607 447
SERVICES Engine Overhaul. Zero time Major engine overhauls carried out on all types, since 1976, c/w dynamometer run-in and test. Bonner Engineering, Shoreham Airport. Contact Bill Bonner: 01 273 440250. aerobonner@aol.com. Aircraft Weighing. Light Aircraft Weighing Service in East Yorkshire and surrounding area. For details contact Demraview Ltd. Email: Demraview@gmail.com Mob: 07984 810 761
Design & Stress Analysis Service. Type submissions, modifications, engine frames and general advice. We cover everything from SSDR to A380:- structures, powerplant (IC and electric) and avionic installations. Contact John Wighton enquires@acroflight.co.uk or call 07770399315.
IMPORTED AIRCRAFT? Due to unfavourable experiences, the purchase and import of completed homebuilt aircraft from abroad is especially discouraged. TIME TO BUILD? When evaluating kits/designs, it should borne in mind that technical details, performance figures and handling characteristics are often quoted for a factory-produced aircraft flying under ideal conditions. It is wise, therefore, to seek the opinion of existing builders and owners of the type. You should also take your own skill and circumstances into consideration when calculating build times. The manufacturer’s build time should be taken as a guide only.
RV-9 QB project part completed. Tail wheel, slider, QB, new IO-320, Sensenich Prop. Empennage/wings mainly complete, primed. Fuselage well underway, cockpit painted. Finishing/FWF kits. Many extras. LAA sign off on all work. Current Vans pricing exceeds £100K with shipping/VAT and 12-16 months lead time. View/collect South Norfolk. Serious offers steveharries1@gmail.com
Sling TSi: builders wanted to form a new group of 4-6 members at Shoreham. Get involved from the ground up. 4 passengers, 450 kg useful load, 148 knots cruise, 800 NM range, 27 litres / hour. Anticipated contribution: £45,000 £67,500 per person depending on share size. shorehamsling@gmail.com
For all members classified advertising enquiries contact Sheila
OFFICE@LAA.UK.COM
SERVICES & MORE
FUEL SERVICES
Safe flying No Ethanol TRANSPORTATION
Don’t risk it with water absorbing E5 and E10 fuels (mogas). WARTER UL91 and 100LL aviation fuels are ethanol free, storage stable and have a vapour pressure suitable for flying.
Aircraft Transportation Specialists Specialist vehicles to move your aircraft safely
Please call for more information. Available in 55 and 195 litre drums for immediate despatch, UK-wide, on a next day basis.
Anglo American Oil Company +44 (0) 1929 551557
www.aaoil.co.uk
COVERS
Telephone: 0121 327 8000 E-mail: info@ponsonby.co.uk Web: www.ponsonby.co.uk
Contact us now for a quotation
DREAM IT, FLY IT,
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
WWW.LAA.UK.COM
For all display and company advertising contact Neil Wilson NEIL.WILSON@LAA.UK.COM WWW.LAA.UK.COM April 2023 | LIGHT AVIATION | 57
From the archives
FROM THE ARCHIVES The stories behind items in the LAA’s collection
T
A GAGGLE OF GIPSYS
hese manuals tell of the key stages of powerplant developments by Frank Halford, a freelance engine designer, which de Havillands sought to design its first ‘Gipsy’ engine in 1926, forging a creative relationship that was to continue until the jet age. The Gipsy 1, which powered the quintessential Gipsy Moth of 1927, and the improved Gipsy II variant which gave the Moth a useful boost in performance. The Gipsy III, was in effect a Gipsy II ‘dry sumped’ and turned upside down to create a more streamlined package with a higher thrust line and giving the pilot a better forward view. The little-known ‘III’ was an important stepping stone to the Gipsy Major variant which went on to be built in huge numbers, both for the civil market and small military trainers – most famously the Tiger Moth. And top of the pre-war line, the initially troublesome Gipsy Six, designed to power de Havilland’s small biplane airliners such as the Rapide, but also proving popular for the deluxe touring monoplanes of the 1930s built by Miles and Percival.
58 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2023
As well as the still-relevant technical data contained in these manuals, their lovely workshop aroma evokes thoughts of epic adventures when identical booklets must have featured. Surely back in 1930 Amy Johnson must have slipped an upright Gipsy manual just like that one into Jason’s luggage locker before setting off solo to Australia, a spare propeller lashed to her Moth’s cabane struts? How many of these grubby manuals must have been thumbed by white-overalled mechanics as the line-up of dozens of Gipsy-powered aircraft were having their last minute preparations for the big King’s Cup races of the thirties – aviation’s Ascot of their day – to the music of the blaring crackles from stub exhausts? And how desperately must Scott and Campbell-Black have scanned that manual for more details of the lubricating systems of their Comet racer’s Gipsy Sixes when flagging oil pressure, while en route Mildenhall to Melbourne in 1934, almost robbed them of the lead in their record-setting three-day dash? Francis Donaldson
ER E com D N . 0R NLI ero O asa l
. ww
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LAS AEROSPACE LTD
Concorde House, North Road Industrial Estate, Okehampton,Devon EX20 1BQ
TEL: 01837 658081
www.lasaero.com