Light Aviation January 2020

The Team

President RogeR HoPkiNsoN

MBE

Vice Presidents

BRiAN DAVies & JoHN BRADy

Chairman

TiM HARDy

Ceo

sTePHeN slATeR

Chief engineer

FRANCis DoNAlDsoN

B.Tech c eng FRAeS

Chief inspector keN CRAigie

engineering email engineering@laa.uk.com

CoMMeRCiAl

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

Ring in the new…

New year. New dreams. New plans. And a continued passion for life. One thing I’ve always admired about the many members I have been privileged to meet, is that their passion for life continues unabated, no matter what life has thrown at them or how old they get. I’m still a youngster compared to many of you, the three score and ten comes up later this year, yet I’m as daft as I ever was about motorbikes and aeroplanes.

Having sold my first and only aircraft over three years ago, after 28 years of ownership, I started going stir crazy a couple of years ago and it has got steadily worse, so much so that I recently bought another Jodel with a friend, Paddy Jordan. We are now in the throes of doing some ‘tidying up’ and I must say I am surprised at just how excited I am about working on the aeroplane and planning trips to near and far. I definitely want to be back in the air and my license revalidated in time for us to go on the LAA Scottish Tour in late May.

I hope you too are looking forward to this new year just as eagerly; Malcolm refers to the ‘Roaring Twenties’ of the 20th century in Safety Spot , but I hope for us all the decade will be as memorable for all the right reasons in this 21st century. Undoubtedly, we will face new challenges, but only by having dreams, plans and passion will we overcome them and get the best out of life.

You may recall that at the 2019 Rally it was announced that following agreement between the LAA, CAA and the Yak community, the Yak and Nanchang fleet will be moving across to LAA Permits as their inspections come due. Jeremy Diack, from The Yakovlevs display

team, and private owner Rob Rowe, have very kindly put together an article detailing the more recent history of marque and how this change in oversight will go a long way to ensuring the types’ futures. Rob, in fact, details the transition to the LAA system, as his is the first example to go through the process. I’m sure you will join me in welcoming the Yak and Nanchang community into the LAA.

We have been following Nigel Stevens’ tale on restoring his former Royal Egyptian Air Force Chipmunk over the last couple of months, and this issue concludes the story. I don’t doubt many, like me, are quite astounded by the utter state the aircraft was in when Nigel bought it, but to his enormous credit he has retained as much of the original aircraft as he possibly could. For his pains he has won two of the most prestigious awards in aircraft restoration, the FAI Phoenix Diploma, and the Aéro Club de France Coupe GIFAS. Well done Nigel.

The CAA is holding an airspace consultation, in which we can comment on airspace which we feel needs amending. This is a golden opportunity, see NEWS.

That’s about it other than to wish you and yours a safe and healthy new year.

Be safe, Brian.

By Brian Hope

Christian Meier with his very impressive Lancair 360 which cruises at 200kt. See Meet the Members (p56).

The year ahead

By Tim Hardy

Ihope you all had a good Christmas holiday and I’d first like to take this opportunity to wish you well for the New Year. Hard to believe as it may seem, we have turned the corner and are now well on our way to the start of better flying conditions. We just need it to stop raining for a while!

No doubt there are many of us who, in anticipation, are getting our aircraft, and ourselves up to scratch to take advantage of the spring and summer weather when it arrives. It’s also a time for planning, and perhaps some, till now unvisited destinations are being pencilled in to your flying programme.

Light Aviation , as always, will be there to stimulate your appetite for a longer trip or two – how about getting involved in the exciting LAA Tour of Scotland in late May for example?

In addition, we will be rolling out our usual programme of meeting up with members from around the country, fly-ins and of course the LAA Rally which, sadly, this year will be without Brian Hope as our Rally Chairman. Brian will be around of course, but I hope you will take the opportunity if you can, to thank him personally for his excellent stewardship.

Planning for the future

Our Association starts its financial year on 1 January and, over the last 12 months, the board has started to look a little further ahead to forecast how the LAA’s finances are going to stack up, what challenges lie ahead and how we take a longer term view on the way we are structured. As a result of this work, we took decisions in 2019 on the staffing of our Engineering department that we anticipate will bring dividends in terms of member service, and laying the foundations of future experience with what we hope will be the next generation of our senior staff members.

This work has also emphasised the need to build up a broader platform of member services, part of which led to

David Cockburn’s appointment as Head of Training, with renewed focus on the Pilot Coaching Scheme.

It has been a little while since we approached you to respond to a membership survey, so we are thinking it’s time to do it again, to capture your thoughts on what we need to do better and how your needs, as members, are perhaps changing. I hope that when it comes along, you will give your fullest attention to the survey, as we really do want to listen and act on any shortfall in association performance. Please expect some questions to help us profile our members better and, in response to what we consider our service proposition consists of, please give your reaction to it and describe what your requirements of this association are.

We would also like to understand more about your opinion of the value for money that your membership represents, good or bad. I think we should foster a healthy debate among ourselves, particularly when you compare our membership fees against other pastimes you might indulge in. Only by full and frank discussion can we understand what we are good, bad or indifferent at so we can then improve or change altogether where required.

I think it was about this time last year that I mentioned that we are always interested in receiving applications from those who might be interested in becoming a director and board member of the LAA. It’s important that we have a board that truly reflects our membership, we are after all a pretty diverse bunch. Whether you’re a builder, restorer, flyer or enthusiast of whatever genre of aircraft, if that sounds like something you would like to get involved in, then you would be most welcome to get in touch. You do not have to have had previous directorship experience, a passion for what we do and a desire to work as part of a team are far more relevant. Just send us a short note and a CV to office@laa.uk.com . Thank you.

Safe flying!

06 NEWS

CAA launches airspace consultation, Giles Abrey reaches Cape Town

10 my iNfriNgEmENT

Richard Warriner reports on a vertical infringement of Stansted’s CTA, whilst approaching Barkway VOR

12 cockpiT audio: parT ii

Ian Fraser looks at intercom systems

16 projEcT NEWS

Van’s RV-9A and Europa XS. Plus New Projects and Cleared to Fly…

22 a Trio of advENTurES

Martin Ferid reviews his favourite three getaways of 2019: Badminton, Sanicole and Gelnhausen

28 coacHiNg corNEr

David Cockburn, PCS Head of Training and member of the LAA Safety Ctte, takes a look at that useful Christmas present!

30 yak WElcomE

The Yaks come in from the cold – and join the LAA fleet…

36 WHErE To go

Plenty of dates for your 2020 diary, plus GASCo Safety Evenings

38 STruTS4u

Anne Hughes profiles the activities of the Struts and Clubs

40 projEcT NEWS SpEcial

After first seeing the KFA Safari at the Rally, experienced builder Dudley Pattison is now well on the way to completing a pair of wings…

44 cHipmuNk: parT iii

After 19 years, Nigel Stevens is finally ready to fly his beloved Chipmunk…

50 SafETy SpoT

Members respond to a range of issues, and we look at the accident stats

56 mEET THE mEmbErS

Christian Meier flew from his Austrian Tirol base to the LAA Rally in his Lancair 360, flying non-stop – in both directions…

60 cEo THougHTS

Steve celebrates the social side of the LAA, and works on his Cub

65 laNdiNg voucHErS

Your free landings, discounts and offers for February 2020

Following communication from Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, the CAA now has a new role regarding the way in which airspace is classified. They must now:

• Regularly consider whether to review the classification of airspace;

• Consult airspace users as part of that review;

• Where they consider a change to classification might be made, amend it themselves in accordance with a new procedure that they must develop and publish;

• In developing that procedure and their policy describing airspace classifications, seek to ensure that the amount of controlled airspace is the minimum required to maintain a high standard of air safety and, subject to overriding national security or defence requirements, that the needs of all airspace users are reflected on an equitable basis.

The first airspace classification review

is now starting, and the CAA is seeking your help. An online consultation invites respondents to identify volumes of controlled airspace in which the classification could be amended to better reflect the needs of all airspace users on an equitable basis.

This consultation forms the start of the first review, and once it closes, there will be three more stages to complete the work:

• Shortlisting volumes of airspace for potential amendment, using analysis of evidence about airspace use and consultation responses

CAA seeks our views on changing airspace English Channel Temporary Danger Areas

A Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) has been operating from Lydd since the start of December and will continue to do so until 31 March 2020. It is carrying out Maritime Surveillance for the purpose of National Security and protection of human life in the area of the English Channel, and will be operating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLoS) and has no Detect and Avoid capability. Six Temporary Dangers Areas (TDA) have been established to facilitate its safe operation.

Due to the operational requirement, less than 24 hours’ notice may be given for the activation of the required areas of the TDA complex. Please check Notam and while operating within the area of Lydd and the English Channel, where possible, it is requested aircraft that you monitor London Centre on 121.5MHz or London Info on 124.75MHz as TDA activations will be announced on these frequencies.

• Preparing and consulting on guidance for a new regulatory process to reclassify volumes of airspace identified through the review exercise

• Developing solutions to enable airspace reclassification

More information about the review process, together with a series of visualisations that show how controlled airspace is being used at set times during the week over different flight levels, can be found on the consultation website.

How to respond

The LAA will be responding early in the New Year, both as an individual Association and more widely with the GA Alliance. It’s important that we all as individuals respond too, with your comments based on your knowledge of your local airspace. Please visit the dedicated consultation website, https:// tinyurl.com/tegr7h8. Comments must be made by 3 March 2020.

Chris Thompson appointed National Coach

Long-time LAA Coach and test pilot Chris Thompson, has agreed to take over as National Coach for the LAA Pilot Coaching Scheme from Will Greenwood, who stands down after almost a decade of service. Thank you Will. Chris will work alongside Head of Training David Cockburn to help coordinate the work of the PCS Coaches and develop new initiatives for 2020. Chris has a wide range of flying experience in everything from the giant Antonov AN-2 to the diminutive Cri-Cri, and has also run the LAA’s popular Air-Ground Radio Operators courses at his home airfield of Popham.

Right Chris Thompson will be taking over from Will Greenwood as National Coach for the LAA Pilot Coaching Scheme

Giles Abrey completes Cape Town flight

As a youngster, farmer and LAA member Giles Abrey was inspired by the writings of the 1930s aerial adventurers, such as Alex Henshaw, and held a dream that one day he too would one make his own adventurous flight.

Having built a Van’s RV-8, G-GAST, with a team of five friends over five years, on 3 November 2019 he departed his farm strip near Thetford, in East Anglia, bound for Cape Town, South Africa. The 7,200-mile route took him through France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and on to South Africa, where he arrived safely at Livingstone International Airport, Cape Town on 5 December.

Giles’ flight, Adventures 4 charity, is also to raise funds for three charities: The Institute of Cancer Research, Farm Africa, which works to improve the ability of African farmers to produce the nation’s own food, and a local charity Gee Wizz, which helps children with disabilities and life-threatening conditions. If you would like to support these causes, you can do so by visiting Giles’ website at www.adventures4charity.com The site also contains his fascinating blog of the adventure with pictures and information about the project.

Above Giles Abrey was inspired by the writings of Alex Henshaw, and is now raising money for three charities with his adventurous flight

Scottish Tour update –May 2020

Since we announced the LAA Scottish Tour last month, to be held 24-30 May, the response from members has been superb. We already have more than 30 confirmed participants and a further 15 who have expressed an interest. Many of those coming have touring experience, so if you are a relative ‘newby’ or lack experience, you won’t be alone in planning or help with technical issues – assistance will be there for the asking.

Local airfields and individuals have also been in touch offering their services to participants, including former PFA Chairman David Faulkner Bryant, who lives on the Isle of Skye, which we now intend taking in on the Tour. Dave has even offered to provide refreshments.

What we want to emphasise is that you don’t have to do all of the tour, you can join it and leave it at any stage, depending on your own time availability. Several members have already said they will spend three or four days, either starting on the first weekend or catching up towards the end of the week – flexibility is the name of the game. That also applies to the routing; we intend to take in Glenforsa, the Great Glen, the Isle of Skye and the North and East coasts and will have a basic itinerary, but it will not be set in stone. We will have a briefing every morning and discuss the options – based principally on the anticipated weather.

The Tour schedule finishes with the Perth fly-in and Meet the LAA Day on 30 May, where both Trig Avionics and Pooleys have already said they intend being on hand. So, if you would like to join us or be kept informed, please drop me a line on: neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

2020 Flight Guides in stock

The LAA Shop now has stocks of the 2020 AFE and 2020 Pooleys Flight Guides . The AFE Guide costs £29.95 and the Pooleys Guide £30.99, both including post and packing. You can shop online at www.laa. uk.com and clicking the ‘Online Shop’ tab.

Why

should the kids have all the fun…!

In November, the Vintage Aircraft Club organised an Aviation Art Fun Day for Grownups at LAA HQ Turweston. Supported by Phil Hadley and David Burchett from the Guild of Aviation Artists, we set about using proper paints and canvas boards to produce mini masterpieces.

The requirement was that all were beginners and, as it turned out, half were left-handed. As always with the VAC’s ‘one-off’ days, everyone had so much fun creating a joint collage that plans are in order for a repeat performance. The day also showed us the challenges faced by our young artists who create their artwork amid the hustle and bustle of airshows and with less exotic materials. The closing date for 6-17 year olds for the LAA’s art competition is the end of January, so there is still time to enter.

Jan Atherton receives award

Below Stuart MacConnacher presents Jan Atherton with her well-deserved trophy. Photo: Tim Badham

Jan Atherton received her LAA Lois Parker Trophy from Stuart MacConnacher at the Vintage Aircraft Club’s AGM, as she had been unable to attend the LAA AGM in October. The Trophy is for distinguished service in an administrative function and Jan’s sterling work at the Rally in making the arrangements for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Strut, her work as the co-ordinator of the Oxford Strut, and her management of the Jodel Club forum make her a deserving recipient. Well done Jan.

TQ-Avionics KRT2 (formerly Dittel)

Funke ATR833S

Trig TY91

Becker AR6201

8.33 kHz Coms and Nav / Coms

Suppliers of all leading manufacturers

My infringement

Richard Warriner reports on a vertical infringement of Stansted’s CTA – whilst approaching Barkway VOR

Conducting an instructional flight from Tatenhill to Headcorn via BKY – BPK – LAM, I managed to infringe the bottom of the Stansted CTA near BKY.

The flight was conducted in a PiperSport, which has a glass cockpit and a three-axis autopilot. Approaching BKY, cruise altitude was reduced from 2,400ft to 2,100ft to allow some extra margin below the 2,500ft CTA floor because of turbulence. The aircraft was being flown on autopilot in HDG/NAV and ALT modes and at the time we were monitoring the autopilot to ensure that the turn at BKY was executed correctly and that we didn’t infringe the Stansted Class D airspace.

At some stage approaching BKY, turbulence caused the disconnection of the ALT mode. There was no notification other than the extinguishing of the rather dim lights on the ALT mode switch. I noticed the aircraft altitude was increasing and at 2,400ft instructed the pilot to ‘descend, now!’. I didn’t see an altitude greater than 2,450ft on the altimeter, however Farnborough LARS asked us to confirm our present altitude as our Mode C was showing us inside controlled airspace.

A couple of days later, the aircraft owner received an email from NATS asking the PIC for that flight to fill in an online questionnaire. A little later the same request was received from the CAA. In both cases I returned the questionnaires as soon as possible and awaited the responses with some trepidation.

Above Left is a SkyDemon trace of the route from Tatenhill to Headcorn, and right the section of the route approaching BKY where the infringement occurred

At the LAA Rally I took the opportunity to have a chat with the Infringements Team on the CAA Stand. This proved useful, as I could add some information and context to the basic report. One point was that the Infringement severity level appeared to be raised, possibly due to a ‘Loss of Separation’.

As advised by the Infringement Team at the Rally, an email duly arrived on the following Tuesday saying: “The CAA now looks upon this matter as closed. However, a copy of this letter will be placed on your licensing record and may be referred to if any further reports are received in the future.”

Thoughts and learning points

It seems that this incident was classed as a ‘Loss of Separation’ as there was IFR traffic less than 3,000ft above us. As we were receiving a Basic Service from Farnborough LARS (North) with a discrete squawk, I’d assumed we were ‘known traffic’ to Essex Radar, but that wasn’t the case. Whilst we were known traffic to Farnborough Radar, and other ATC units would have been aware that we were receiving a service from them (due to the squawk), units such as Essex Radar would not have been aware of our flight intentions or route. As such we would have been ‘unknown’ to them.

Air Traffic Controllers are required to ensure safe separation is maintained between traffic under their control inside controlled airspace and any infringing aircraft, that by definition may be unknown to them at that

point. In the area that was infringed, the Stansted Controller was required to provide a minimum of 3,000ft vertically from the unknowns, and hence separation was lost. Had we been receiving a service from Essex Radar (unlikely given their traffic load) we would have been ‘known traffic’ to them, but there is no prescribed separation between IFR and VFR flights in Class D airspace. Traffic information is however, required to be provided to both flights.

Given that about the only thing we get from a Basic Service is the QNH, the alternative services are probably a more useful option. Frequency Monitoring Codes (FMC, aka Listening Squawks) are really useful in this respect, as they enable the aircraft to be contacted rapidly by the actual controlling unit and allow for timely and effective resolution to any potential infringement.

It’s not ATC’s job to keep non-cleared traffic out of controlled airspace, but it might have been better to have been using the Stansted Listening Squawk, or to have been in receipt of a Traffic Service from Farnborough. This NATS Blog* by an Air Traffic Controller indicates that the listening squawk and appropriate frequency dialed in could be a good option for anyone close to controlled airspace. A quick call from ATC could reduce the number or severity of infringements and save everyone from a load of stress and paperwork.

While not wishing to add to controllers’ workloads, it would then be interesting to know how many ‘Saves’ (Infringements prevented by a quick call to an aircraft using the listening squawk), have been achieved. This information might encourage more pilots to use the system, particularly those who don’t like talking to ATC, as ATC does endeavour to transmit a warning to traffic using their listening squawk that appears to be about to infringe. However, this is very much subject to their workload and a warning cannot always be guaranteed. Where listening squawks definitely do help is in the rapid recovery from inadvertent infringements.

ATC has a system called the Controlled Airspace Infringement Tool (CAIT), which shows up an aircraft that has entered controlled airspace without a clearance. If

Above A fabulous panel (not from subject aircraft), but should you be relying on it to keep you out of trouble if you do not realise the limitations of the various component parts?

this could be modified to indicate aircraft, which on present trajectory would infringe, a quick call could save a lot of problems.

The problem with GA operations outside controlled airspace is that their flight paths are not ‘reasonably predictable’ and ATC generally have no intention data (flight plan, route etc). ATC can extrapolate the track of the aircraft using radar data (if the flight continues on the same track, speed and vertical rate, where will it be in X minutes?). Most modern ATC radars can do this and provide the ATCO with a ‘predict vector’ on the screen. Automating this system is potentially problematic though because unfortunately, due to the random nature of some GA flight paths, especially near controlled airspace boundaries, it would generate far more false warnings than would be useful.

Some light aircraft have sophisticated avionics, as with the autopilot in this case. Perhaps we need to be more familiar with the operation and failure modes of these systems. This can be a bit of a ‘gotcha’ for instructors flying in a pilot’s own aircraft where they are not familiar with the particular setup. A contributing factor is that on the autopilot in the PiperSport, it only starts the turn onto a new heading having reached the waypoint, hence the need to monitor the turn and that the rate of turn kept us within the four nautical mile gap between BPK and the Stansted Class D airspace.

Horizontal positioning has had millions of years of evolution, vertical positioning is a more recent skill!

Thanks to the CAA Infringement Team and NATS for their help with this article. ■

*NATS BLOG: https://nats.aero/blog/2019/03/ airspace-infringement-series-controllers-story/

■ About the author: Richard Warriner is the well-known owner of a Rans S6 G-BUWK, in which he has flown 5,700 hours to date, averaging 340 hours per year over the last six years. He is also a Class Rating Instructor (CRI), keen to help members improve their flying skills and confidence as well as oversee their biennial revue flights.

In Part II of how best to deal with audio issues in the cockpit, Ian Fraser looks at intercom systems…

Audio systems seem to be an avionics function that has been left by the wayside in the trend to equip our aircraft with modern new radios (I know, we didn’t have a lot of choice with that one), and fancy glass instrument panels and navigation systems.

‘An intercom is just a way of connecting the headsets together, and the cheaper the better’ is a philosophy that too many recreational pilots adhere to. However, audio is becoming an important part of the modern avionics’ infrastructure, the quality, capability and flexibility of which is essential for the function, safety and indeed, the value of your aircraft.

Old technology

Many older aircraft are still equipped with very basic intercom systems, which can be significantly inferior to a modern system, yet you can (and people still do) buy them today. I am sure that we have all experienced noisy intercoms or heard very noisy and near incoherent transmissions, and that is indicative of a poor intercom or

Above Old basic intercom

miss-set squelch. It sounds a bit like an old movie cliché, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Audio advances

As with most electronics today, there have been major strides forward in the functionality and quality of audio systems and that can make major improvements to the cockpit experience and, in turn, reduce pilot workload.

Before you build or upgrade your aircraft audio system think it through carefully. Make it reliable, flexible and as future proof as possible. In other words, make it as good as you can afford to, not as cheap as you can get away with! You will appreciate it every time you fly your aircraft because good audio not only makes flying a more enjoyable experience, it will look after your ears, and it is becoming ever more essential to support cockpit activity into the future.

As airspace becomes more restricted and traffic increases, we are becoming dependent on an increasing amount of information in the cockpit. Even the CAA is advocating the use of navigation devices (e.g. SkyDemon) for infringement avoidance and traffic

“Audio will become more important in the future cockpit so plan ahead, don’t cut corners on a cheap solution”

awareness, and their use is likely to become part of the PPL syllabus. But, if we are not careful, this could become counterproductive as we are tempted to be more ‘heads down’ in the cockpit, peering at small displays, searching for even smaller and more complex features within them – the very devices we have to help us could actually exacerbate the problem.

Commercial aircraft already use audio alerts to draw attention to information that may need action, and many of our current gadgets that produce visual data can already also generate audio warnings, either in straightforward language or attention-grabbing tones. We must harness this if we are to remain safe and flying is to remain fun.

What is missing from many of our aircraft is a way of connecting and controlling these secondary audio signals. ‘Simple’ say some, just connect the warning source into the intercom or headset music input (if it has one) and you have a solution. That could work but has limitations, which will become apparent as we progress.

However, there are many other options that should be considered, and their use will make the cockpit a much better and less cluttered place.

Decide on functionality

Before you specify or upgrade your audio system you need to decide how you (or future owners) are going to

Top left Intercom with auto squelch and individual volume

Top right Audio mixer to connect more inputs

Above Headset music connection

use the aircraft. Do you plan for the aircraft to carry passengers? Do you fly long distances or just short local sorties? Is the flying shared? If passengers or a co-pilot are part of your flying plans, then you need a good and flexible intercom. If you are threading the needle of UK open airspace then you need traffic and airspace awareness. A modern intercom is a completely different device to the old traditional ones. They come in various forms from a function built into your radio to a sophisticated audio switching panel, full of all sorts of exotic features.

A complex requirement

It is important to remember that voices, ears, headsets, environment and the intercom’s task are almost always different and vary continually. The modern intercom is the device that has to bring this complex array of audio together effectively, whatever its source, and present it coherently to all listeners. You and your passengers need to be able to hear all your gadgets comfortably, so it needs to be matched to the environment and the task you are asking it to do.

Auto squelch

Starting at the basics, we’ve all used squelch, the knob that adjusts the threshold of sound that ‘opens’ the microphone, supposedly only when you are speaking. In

an old-style intercom, that is a compromise and often demands eternal fiddling to get it set just right for the combination of variable background noise and different microphones in the aircraft. In some cases, setting it correctly is virtually impossible, but if it is not set correctly then background noise is much worse than it needs to be, or voices are clipped or even suppressed.

By far the most important development in intercom systems is the auto squelch function, which constantly adjusts itself to the individual microphone, position and background noise. They only open the microphone when the sound they pick up is a voice, and they don’t need adjusting. They don’t all use the same method (algorithm) and some work better than others, but they are all much better than the old manual squelch system. This development has made an important contribution to quieter cockpits.

Volume control

Volume control is an often overlooked but important consideration when specifying an audio system. An intercom internal to a radio may only have one volume control covering radio and both channels of its intercom and setting it will always be a compromise based on the pilot’s need to hear the radio clearly. That setting may not be good for the intercom and co-pilot. While there are relative radio / intercom volume settings available in some ‘set-up’ menus, you shouldn’t really have to go there every time you need an adjustment.

With a separate basic intercom, the radio volume is independent so that the pilot can set it to what he needs but the intercom volume for both the headsets are still a compromise adjusted by a single knob. As long as both pilot and passenger headsets, voices and ears are the same, no problem, but normally they are not. Ideally an intercom should have a separate volume control for each operating crew member. Of course, some headsets have a built-in volume control, but it is important to realise that it is a volume attenuation (reduction) control, not a true volume control. Auto squelch and individual volume controls are available in many modern types of intercom.

Warning audio

Multiple warning audio inputs to the crew headsets are a

Above Miniature audio panel

Below Combined audio panel / radio

‘must have’ thing of the future, indeed audio warnings for angle of attack (AoA), navigation, traffic, airspace, terrain, obstacles, altitude, autopilot and engine management etc. are already available from many modern gadgets common to our aircraft. So, what are the options to enable connecting them to the headset? While it may be theoretically possible to connect some directly into the headset socket or in parallel with another audio input, there are many engineering reasons why you should not do that.

And getting back to the earlier mentioned option of connecting to a music audio or auxiliary input on your radio, intercom or headset, this is also not ideal. If you need more than one input you can add an audio mixer (e.g. Gretz GA AM, or Flight Data AP60) to your music or auxiliary input but, having got the audio in, the next issue you need to think about is how to control it. With all these warnings available there are some points in a flight where they will become a distinct nuisance. In the circuit for example, other traffic and your altitude are well within the warning limits and your various alarms will be chattering or hooting away incessantly.

Control what you hear

Also, although using the music or ‘aux’ input on a radio or intercom can work for warnings, it has other serious drawbacks. Most intercoms automatically mute the music input when the radio is receiving. So, in a busy circuit, just when you might want some important safety warnings, the radio (while receiving ATC messages) turns them off. Some devices allow you to inhibit this ‘radio priority’ function (it is buried in the set-up menus), but if you do, the reverse problem occurs with a variety of lower priority traffic and terrain warnings swamping the incoming ATC radio. It is important to be able to control (without distraction) the lower priority warnings such as nav, obstacles or terrain, while retaining the important ones such as AoA or engine management.

As is often the case, there is more than one way to do this. The simplest is a switch in the audio lead of each warning. Another way is to use the various inputs on a modern audio panel (e.g. PMA4000, GMA245 or TMA44 etc.). Despite the labelling of functions as Com, Nav, Aux, Music etc., that is nothing more than ancient convention, they are just input selection switches – the

inputs are all the same aviation standard (600 Ω) and can be used for anything you like. They have some permanent selected inputs and some selected by the associated Nav / Com etc. buttons. For example, you could connect your tablet or smartphone audio to Nav 1 and a portable GPS audio to Nav 2, which means you have a selective way of suppressing them in the circuit while key warnings such as angle of attack or engine remain always connected. Another benefit of this solution is that the illuminated annunciator on the audio panel will always indicate which devices are selected.

We must not overlook that some headsets can connect to a navigation tablet, through either wire or Bluetooth, but that normally only provides one input and is suppressed (not controllably) by radio or intercom traffic – not a very robust input for warnings. It is mostly intended for phones and music. Also bear in mind that the next generation of iPhones may not have wired audio.

Multiple radio capability

For continental touring, one of my personal concerns is a radio failure – it can be a show stopper. When I built my RV-6 I included a mini audio panel (DC500) providing me with an easy way of connecting a second (handheld) radio to my intercom, headset and PTT.

Unfortunately, the audio panel failed, was obsolete and I replaced it with a simple intercom. That was one of the biggest mistakes I made in my 25 years of aircraft ownership and I have now had to put it right. Unless they are set up as the primary radio, handheld portables are not easy to use in a busy cockpit and, if you connect to them independently, you lose intercom and warning functions. Failsafe switching for a second radio in the cockpit is complex and it is not a simple task to do with ‘off the shelf’ switches.

Audio panels

Audio panels are the answer to switching radios and they are available with various levels of capability. Pictured opposite (bottom) is an audio panel combined with a radio, and top (inset) is a 57mm instrument hole mini audio panel. Both provide all the extra functions discussed so far.

Just add a socket for the handheld and you have a box 2 but, be careful in selecting the audio panel for this

function. If you want a Box 2 function, decide exactly what you want it to be able to do, i.e. just replace Com 1 or allow pilot and copilot to use either. Audio panel Com transmit switching functions are not all the same.

Other features

Having looked at the essential features of a modern audio system, there are several other attributes available which might help you choose one above another. The picture (below) illustrates such a full function example.

Last message replay is a function that has appeared in some radios and audio panels – the push of a button will replay the last message received on the radio, a very useful device.

Bluetooth is also becoming a more common feature on some more sophisticated audio panels (and some of the more expensive headsets). Bluetooth has three main purposes; connecting a phone or tablet, connecting music and, in the case of some audio panels, outputting cockpit audio to an ‘action cam’, although not all at the same time. Mostly they are single channel devices.

Stereo . Some headsets and intercom systems now offer stereo capability, but its primary purpose is to support music systems. There is no aviation reason for this, aviation radio is all mono.

However, one clever feature offered by some stereo panels allows the apparent position of sound sources to be synthesized in the audio, such that radios and passenger voices seem to come from the left, right or centre depending on how they are physically positioned.

ILS markers . Unless you aspire to IFR flight, don’t bother with marker beacon functions.

Finally…

Audio will become more important in the future cockpit so plan ahead, don’t cut corners on a cheap solution. If you get it right and use a modern standard type of intercom or audio panel, it should last for as long as we are still flying avgas-powered aircraft. This article is not a product review and I am not recommending any device, but I hope that it provides food for thought for anyone planning to build or to update their avionics.

In Part III we will look at audio systems installation and noise reduction headsets. ■

Below State of art full function audio panel

Projects which inspire others to build their own aircraft

Compiled by Mike Slaughter

Project News S

o here we are in that strange part of the year, sunrise continues to happen later, although we are now past the winter solstice, giving the impression that the mornings continue to get darker as we return to work after the festive break.

While the evenings have been slowly pulling out for a couple of weeks now and, certainly down south, we will have gained nearly an hour in sunset time from its earliest point by the end of the month. Solar anomalies aside, I hope you all had a pleasant festive break and that the turkey sandwiches and mince pies are becoming a pleasant but fading memory…

Looking down the New Projects list there is a very broad selection of new aircraft being started this month, including the first customer KFA Safari and another new type, the Shock Cub. The predecessors of the Shock Cub from Zlin Aviation have been around for nearly 20 years in progressive ‘Cub-alike’ formats and this latest version has been popular in the US and South Africa for a while.

Synergy Aircraft, in Coventry, have been appointed the UK agent by Zlin and are currently building their demonstrator. Cub in name and general layout, the similarities end there with a different wing profile, huge fowler flaps and leading edge slats, monster back country tyres

and, giving the aircraft its name, huge shock absorbers up the outside of the airframe. Conceptually it’s like the Just Superstol, an out and out STOL off airport fun machine, powered by the 100hp-140hp Rotax 9 series. I hope we will hear of its maiden flight in Project News in the very near future.

Due to their popularity, Project News sees a fair number of Van’s aircraft through any year, but every build has a unique story behind it and so it is with Nick Williams-Jones’ RV-9. A chance call put Nick in touch with that vital component on any project, an enthusiastically engaged inspector. Not only is Nick’s inspector, Ernie Horsfall, a little unusual at 101 years old, but he kept in frequent proactive contact throughout, preventing the Van’s from falling by the wayside.

You would expect an architect to have an eye for detail and that is definitely so if you take a close look at Nick Kenney’s Europa XS. Having started with a part-built project he collected from the near continent, he has completed a beautifully trimmed, painted and equipped example of type with the latest tech and engine. It’s a real modern ‘go places’ cruiser.

To get in touch with Project News , and tell your story, report a milestone or just to send a picture, email: projectnews@laa-archive.org. uk . Please share your story!

G-RVWJ (LAA 320-15128) Van’s RV-9A

By Nick Williams-Jones

Having chosen to build an RV-9A, for all the reasons that have made it so popular, and convinced my wife Julie that it was a sound investment, not quite as popular, all that was left was to find an inspector to supervise, guide and advise me during the build. I looked through the LAA list and saw that Ernie Horsfall lived just a couple of miles away, which was ideal. He had all the inspector categories to see the build through, from first rivet to final inspection before first flight, and a quick check on Google revealed he had received the Bronze Medal from the Royal Aero Club for outstanding achievement in aviation. I made the call and the following day we met and shook hands.

I spent my early career in the Fleet Air Arm, leaving as a Chief ‘Tiff’ in 1990, having spent the previous 13

years maintaining Wessex V helicopters and latterly Sea Harriers. Even though my career then took me away from aircraft, I was quite confident that my sheet metal and riveting skills would quickly get back up to speed, and I was raring to go. As it turned out, it was my workshop practices that were rusty and it was only after numerous 3/16th holes had been drilled in my fingers, some close shaves with a pneumatic rivet squeezer and other painful mishaps, that I admitted that I should start paying a bit (lot) more attention in the workshop!

I had been able to retire early in 2012 and estimated that if I worked full time on the project, I should be able to complete it in two years! As I entered the second year, progress was not as I had predicted. I realised I was missing the daily contact with people, other than

Project News

the postman, and I drifted back into part-time work, that eventually turned into full-time projects – and the build suffered.

This is where Ernie really came into his own. He would call regularly, checking on progress, encouraging me to get back out there, finding out what problems I was encountering and offering his expert advice.

Without his constant badgering, I know that what turned into a seven-year build would have reached double figures.

Months to achieve

I did hit some very big walls during the project. Cutting the canopy to size was one such event that took months to achieve and yet, when I actually made the ‘big’ cut, it

Above A double garage looks like a reasonable space to build the components of an RV-9. Photo:

Left Early test of the panel confirms the investment in pre-made harnesses was indeed worth it.

was all very straightforward. A success, but stressful all the same. Having never experienced avionic or even basic electrical installations due to what used to be a strict trade demarcation when working on Navy aircraft, designing and installing a Garmin G3X based system was another incredibly challenging period.

Harry Mendelsohn’s were very helpful, and I jumped at their offer of making up all the looms only to have to then de-pin every D Sub to thread the looms through the airframe! The things you learn so you don’t make the same mistake on the next build (I don’t think Julie reads this magazine!).

I finally moved the project to Blackpool Airport in early 2018, where Westair Flying Services very kindly gave me a space at the back of their engineering

Nick WilliamsJones

Photo: Nick Williams-Jones

hangar to complete the build. Having blown my budget on the Garmin G3X Touch system, I decided that I would paint the aircraft myself… and hit another block. The more I read about 2K automotive paint the more I convinced myself that I would never survive the process, due to the horror stories about toxic side effects but, with sensible precautions I did. The end result is acceptable; it’s not showroom condition but with strategically placed decals, at 3,000ft it looks fine from the ground.

Since 2012, I’d attended the LAA Rally every year. Each time I would swear that next year I would be flying in with my completed aircraft, a process that repeated with Groundhog monotony. Whilst there was progress, it was slow, until in September 2018 I decided enough was enough and I committed myself to spending every spare waking hour I had, seven days a week, to complete the project and make the 2019 Rally.

Finally, in June 2019 I sat down with Ernie, signed, dated and double checked every last bit of paperwork (Engineering still found one unsigned/dated sheet) and sent it off, being rewarded a few weeks later with the Permit to Test. I then handed the aircraft to the extremely experienced and capable test pilot, Dave Harvey and on 15 July 2019, WJ took to the air.

There were some minor defects and teething problems to overcome but we were soon into the full test

Below Ernie and Nick reflecting upon a job well done.

Photo: Nick Williams-Jones

Bottom Looking handsome, the Nine outside the hangar at Blackpool. Photo: Nick WilliamsJones

schedule. Unfortunately, Dave and I had summer holidays to take (at different times!) and a gloriously wet traditional Lancashire summer to contend with but, three months later, the test phase was complete.

It was incredible sitting there watching the aircraft being put through its paces, but my most memorable event was on a summer’s evening at 6,000ft over Morecambe Bay, observing as Dave took her to VNE –183kt. I looked down at the wings shaking my head thinking, “I built this in my garage!”

The full permit has now been issued and after some RV-9A coaching I flew her solo for the first time at the end of November. The experience was incredible. I cannot thank Julie and my lads enough for their support and patience with me over the last seven years, and everyone else for their help.

However, my appreciation and heartfelt thanks go to Ernie. I’ve enjoyed all his stories of his time in the REME in the Middle East during World War II, of his experiences building and repairing his beloved Jodels, his many flying exploits and his career in the motor industry, but most of all his encouragement to see the project through.

Without Ernie, it would not have been such a complete journey and I’m so glad I made that call seven years ago. Thank you, Ernie.

G-NICX (LAA 247-15362) Europa XS

By Nicholas Kenney

The inspiration to build a permit type aircraft began one sunny summer’s day in 2015, whilst on a jolly with friends to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Marshalled upon arrival, we parked our C172 in line with an array of other visiting aircraft and my eye was drawn to what was, in my opinion, a beautifully crafted Europa XS Tri-gear. With the arguably futuristic styling of this 1990s designed vessel, I took a few cheeky pictures and think it was fair to say that, at that moment, I knew this was going to be the start of a new challenge and journey.

So, after falling for this newfound idea, I set about contacting Europa Swift to make some initial enquires about performance, kits, costs and availability etc. Upon speaking to the sales rep, I was advised that a new build kit had a pretty long lead time and I may have to wait many months before manufacturing would even start. As a result, I turned my efforts to sourcing a partially built Europa kit.

Below Nick’s Europa looking great at the 2019 LAA Rally.

Photo: Nick Kenney

Below left Would sir like parmesan with that? You can have any colour wire – as long as it’s white.

Photo: Nick Kenney

Below right

Attention to detail and the efforts of a professional automotive upholsterer have resulted in a beautiful interior finish. Photo: Nick Kenney

After a reasonable amount of research, I followed up an advert on the internet for a part-built Europa located in the Netherlands. Advertised as mostly built, with just some painting, firewall forward and avionics required, I concluded this was just a case of obtaining some remaining components, plus a bit of work, and we would be off. How wrong and naive can one be!

I booked a commercial flight to Amsterdam with a pal, hired a car and headed off into the depths of the Netherlands to inspect the aforementioned aircraft.

Andre, a well-established racing car mechanic with a great sense of humour and plenty of tales to tell, warmly welcomed us upon arrival.

He had bought the part-built aircraft as a project for himself, but soon found that he lacked the time to complete it due to work commitments and the associated travelling. As a result, he found himself a completed Europa from the UK. However, Andre did not have a pilot’s licence, so I wagered him I could

Below Thanks to friend Brinsley Manzi’s expertise, it all miraculously came alive when the power was switched on!

Photo: Nick Kenney

complete the aeroplane before he could obtain his licence. A deal was struck for the aircraft and a bet was sealed with a handshake. All we needed to do now was to arrange a trip to get the project back to the UK.

Once home, I spoke to Andy Draper regarding the pros and cons of foreign imports. Now, I would advise anyone planning to import an aircraft to speak to the LAA first, but Andy managed to answer all of my questions and allay my concerns. So, a return visit was planned for collection.

After the three-day epic road trip picking up trailers, the aircraft and repeatedly explaining to onlookers why we had a part-built aeroplane strapped to a trailer on the back of our truck on an overnight ferry heading for England, we parked the aeroplane on its trailer in my workshop, which is located in my hometown of Shoeburyness. Next, I had to set about formulating a build team.

Initial inspection

Andy Draper was kind enough to visit me at my workshop for an initial inspection of the aircraft. After a good few hours of poking around the fuselage and the components we acquired, he advised some alterations had been carried out which were not factory standard. This would need rectification. He then kindly accepted my request to become our inspector.

Next, my friend Harry Page, an established CFI at our local flying school with a background knowledge of toolmaking and all things wise, was keen to get involved. Then another friend, Brinsley Manzi, who had a profound knowledge of electronics and pretty much anything with a wire going through it, joined the team as well.

It soon dawned on me after a few nights of discussing the project that this wasn't going to be just a case of bolt an engine on and obtain a nice spray job – this was going to be somewhat more of a challenge. In fact, the more we spoke, the more daunting it became.

However, words of wisdom were provided by Andy, which stuck with me throughout the project, ‘Just try and concentrate on the small task you’re working on, the remaining and bigger picture will eventually fall into place’. This proved to be a very calming statement when thinking of the enormity of the project ahead.

Over the coming weeks, we formulated an initial design brief for the build. This involved the engine type, propeller, avionics, graphics and theme for the interior etc. The choice of power plant was to be the Rotax 912is. With its improved redundancy, fuel efficiency, power and torque, it seemed to be a reasonably obvious choice. Rotax have a pretty good track record and is the preferred engine type recommended by Europa. However, as this was a fuel-injected variant of the powerplant, and had an electronic engine management system, some new considerations would need to be adopted for this application.

The engine was sourced from CFS Aero via Jonathan Porter (now Metal Seagulls). Jonathan offered us a day’s installation course that proved to be very enlightening, if not slightly overwhelming at times. But, one Thursday evening the engine was hoisted onto its mount and, with further assistance from Jonathan, proved to be a relatively straightforward install.

The choice of propeller was the Airmaster Whirlwind with an AP332 controller via Dirk Oyen. This would go hand in hand with the new powerplant.

For avionics, Dynon was the chosen solution. We opted for a single, battery-maintained 10in touchscreen, pitch and roll autopilot servos, with Comm, GPS and transponder. For aircraft conspicuity, we opted for the Pilot Aware system, which can be displayed on either the Dynon PFD or Panel mounted iPad mini via the Sky Demon platform. Dynon works well with the electronic management system (EMS221) supporting the Rotax engine and its built-in sensors.

Electrical loading and distribution management is controlled through a Vertical Power VPX. Planning the electrical system was a joint effort between Brinsley and myself, which worked out quite methodical. However, compiling a wiring loom was something else. It would seem when wiring aeroplanes you can choose any colour variant of wire you like – as long as it’s white.

Whilst being handy for people who are colour blind, it left us scratching our heads at times, but purchasing a Dymo labelling machine with heat shrink tags proved a successful solution for recording the vast network of white cabling. Looking back and thinking about the mass of white spaghetti behind the panel seems insane to me now, so hats off to Brinsley for pulling it off.

My advice to anyone carrying out an avionics install from scratch, would be to get some help from someone with experience. Whilst the installation manual suggests a lot of ‘plug and play’ with their kit, an awful lot of wiring for both powerplant, propeller and non-Dynon equipment is still required. It has to be said, however, when the system was first powered up, everything pretty much down to ‘canopy open’ warning lights worked first time, after a few software updates to the Dynon system. This also included the Dynon to engine sensor values displayed on the PFD. Dynon fortunately have pre-sets for the 912is engine making relatively light work of the setup process.

If my memory serves me right, Brinsley decided to don the rear section of the nosewheel spat and proceeded to wander/dance around the workshop in a moment of celebration or wiring induced madness. We have the photos Brinsley!

The fuel system was definitely a concern to us all. Being fuel-injected, with high-pressure fuel lines running through the fuselage, we knew we needed to get this right. We designed and produced a fuel system drawing

Below The 912is installation proved relatively straightforward with help from Andy Draper and Jonathan Porter. Photo: Nick Kenney

in conjunction with the Rotax manual and the Europa saddle tank. After a few added words of wisdom from both Andy and Jonathan in relation to micro bubbles and return fuel lines, mods were made to the design and we have come up with what we feel is the best solution for this type of aircraft application. It isn’t too different from the fuel system on a Rotax 914.

Flawless finish

Preparing the fuselage, wings and components for painting was also a huge undertaking, being a balance between applying just the right amount of filler to obtain a flawless finish versus not adding too much weight. I feel a happy medium was struck here and I am equally happy with the final finish. The completed paint job was managed by friend and sprayer (Jim) just a few miles away from the workshop.

We spent a long time procrastinating over the interior finish. Due to my job as an architect, I waded through quite a few hours on CAD designing the main instrument panel and finish. This skill further proved fruitful when producing the wiring and fuel diagrams, along with drawings required for the many MOD applications.

The panel was eventually cut from brushed aluminium Diabond on a CNC, along with the throttle panel and other matching interior components.

However, ultimately, the finesse of the interior was carried out by a local and skilful car trimming expert, Carl.

In the summer of 2018, we transported the Europa to Damyns Hall aerodrome for its weigh in. Again, we were met by Andy Draper and the tedious task of weighing the aircraft began.

The final APS weight (aircraft prepared for service)

New Projects

If your aircraft has been featured in the New Projects list, please let Project News know of your progress at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk

n Van’s RV-7 (LAA 323-15674) 28/11/2019

Mr S Starkie, 7 Barnes Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 5AA

n Pitts S-2SE (LAA 009A-15673) 27/11/2019

Mr P Begley, 10 Grassington, Bancroft, Milton Keynes, MK13 0QJ

n Mission M108 (LAA 370-15672)

Cleared to fly

If your aircraft has featured recently in the magazine and has subsequently completed its maiden flight, Project News would like to hear from you at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk

n G-CLDC Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar (LAA 315-14907) 08/11/2019

Martin and Heather Child, 15 Barlby Way, Leeds, LS8 2PS

n G-CLFM Glastar Sportsman (LAA 295A-15433) 27/11/2019

Mr James Edgeworth, 15 Tees Grange Avenue, Darlington, DL3 8DD

n G-EEHA Sonex (LAA 337-15220) 14/11/2019

was recorded as 907lb after a little ballast was added to the tailplane due to a slightly forward C of G. We put this down to the slightly heavier fuel-injected engine and the firewall forward positioned battery.

When I consider the amount of equipment and trim installed, I am pleased with the final weight outcome. With full fuel and two POB, we would still have reserve for a bit of baggage.

As the ‘jobs to do’ list shortened, unfortunately so did the amount of daylight towards the end of 2018.

A couple of test flights had been planned, then deferred due to weather or circumstances. The next scheduled test flight was programmed for early March 2019, and indeed in March G-NICX took to the skies for its first flight, which again was carried out by Andy Draper. After a 30-minute initial flight, we flew together on a shake down test for a further three or so hours.

During this and the coming flights, we tested the aircraft’s handling, stall performance, AOA and ASI setup along with the autopilot functionality. These all proved accurate and stable.

I am now in receipt of the Permit to Fly documentation and overall, I’m pleased with the aircraft. It took three-and-a-half years to complete and was both enjoyable and a vast learning experience.

Since permit issue, I have completed just over 40 flying hours, including trips to the LAA Rally, various airfields in the UK and a trip to Hasselt in Belgium, where the propeller was dynamically balanced. I would like to thank all involved with the project for their patience and expertise. I would be happy to share my experience with anyone looking to build a Europa.

Oh, and just for the record, Andre should have just managed to complete his LAPL by the end of 2019! n

22/11/2019

Mr M Wood, Wonston House, 3 Bovington's Yard, Aston, OX18 2BQ

n Sherwood Scout (LAA 345-15671)

15/11/2019

Mr A Liggat, 43 Spottiswoode Gdns, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8SB

n KFA Safari (LAA 402-15670) 06/11/2019

Mr D H Pattison, Ridgewood, Ham Road, Liddington, SN4 0HH

n Shock Cub (LAA 419-15669) 04/11/2019

Mr M Divito, Chase Cottage, Tamworth Road, Coventry, CV7 8JG

Mr Timothy De Salis, Corner Cottage, Cookham Dean Bottom, Cookham, Maidenhead, SL6 9AR

n G-OOAK Jabiru J430 (LAA 336-15601) 08/11/2019

Mr Robert Swift, Burnt Mill, Coach Road, Egerton, Ashford, TN27 9AX

n G-CKTX Van's RV-7 (LAA 323-14871) 08/11/2019

Name and Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-DPRV Van’s RV-7A (LAA 323-15455) 26/11/2019

Name and Address held

n Van-s RV-7 (LAA 323-15668)

01/11/2019

Name and Address held by LAA Engineering

by LAA Engineering

n G-MCAB Minicab GY201 (PFA 056-11161) 04/11/2019

Name and Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-ORBT Bristell NG5 Speed Wing (LAA 385-15591) 05/11/2019

Name and Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-RATC Van’s RV-4 (PFA 181-13996) 13/11/2019

Name and Address held by LAA Engineering

Right A factory picture of the Shock Cub, a new type to the UK.

Photo: Zlin Aviation

Left Jabiru G-OOAK coming in to land from an early test flight. Photo: Rob Swift

A trio of treats

Martin Ferid reviews his favourite three getaways of 2019 – Badminton, Sanicole, and Gelnhausen

With Santa safely back at base and Christmas done and dusted for another year, let’s hope that Rudolf and Co managed to circumnavigate the globe without an antler clipping someone’s airspace and an infringement being lodged against them.

In many respects, 2019 was a nondescript year, full of ‘ifs’, ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’, with relatively few highs, some lows and plenty of uncertainty. Just as some people suffer from triskaidekaphobia (freaky about the number 13), just looking at the number 2020 gives me good vibes, as it has a positive and optimistic feel. The resolve to make those dynamic changes in our lives should last for a few days at least, after which it’s anybody’s guess.

Some years ago, I saw a great motivational billboard poster that said: If you carry on doing what you’re doing, you’ll get more of the same . When hopes are high, we aspire to be more like Vitruvian Man, Da Vinci’s 1490 AD mathematical and artistic aim at perfection. Eat healthier? Drink less? Lose weight? And naturally, for the aviator, fly more! Unfortunately, when resolve is at its highest Newton’s third law kicks in like a perennial plant, events take over, forces conspire, and for most of us, well, it just doesn’t happen. Work, family duties and technical issues collude with whichever of the weather gods you believe in Þórr, Indra, Zeus, Jupiter or Seth,

Main Horsemanship of the highest calibre is on display at the Badminton Horse Trials.

and no doubt a few that I’ve missed, ensuring that when the pilot is otherwise committed, the weather appears to be fine and vice versa.

Organising a flying event of any kind is risky, as the weather not only has to be reasonable at the location but also in as many outward directions as possible. As the pilots on our ‘fly-out list’ are based all over the country, at times we end up the lone aircraft to make it, whereas others prove to be extremely popular, it is just so weather dependent.

One of the best examples of the past year was the opening of the ‘new’ restaurant at Calais airport, Vol Au Vent (+33 3 21 19 34 48). I’d met Frederick, the current incumbent, at his other restaurant in Ardres and assured him that, as the date got closer, I would see if we could generate some interest, as Calais is one of the few remaining customs airfields and anything that keeps it going is a good thing.

Having had positive responses from 10 aircraft, I booked a table accordingly, knowing that on most occasions people tend to drop out as the date draws closer. Come the day with wall-to-wall sunshine, not only did nobody drop out but a total of 30 LAA aircraft turned up to a packed restaurant, with 14 squeezed around our table for 10.

Those of you that are new to touring and have joined us on some of our little jaunts, I hope the thrills were worth the sleepless nights and that it has opened a whole new world for you. As for the numerous, almost

Flying Adventure

embarrassingly complimentary emails with regards to my monthly offering, what can I say, apart from thank you. I could be magnanimous and say ‘you shouldn’t have’, but the truth is that they make it all worthwhile, especially as many of you are using the features as a guide and getting out and about more as a direct result.

Each January, as a gratuitous indulgence, I like to feature my favourite three fly-ins of the past year, and assuming at least some truth in the idiom from William Cowper’s 1785 poem, The Task , that ‘variety is the very spice of life’, then this year’s offering is metaphorically just about as aromatic and flavoursome as it gets.

We start in the Shires of England and one of the world’s premiere equine events at Badminton. Then we move across to Sanicole and Experimental Days, an extremely popular homebuilder fly-in in the Limburg area of Belgium. And we finish in the lovely town of Gelnhausen for an airshow/fly-in, in the Hesse region of Germany.

Badminton: The Horse Trials

There is no escaping that this is essentially an equestrian event, but having its own long, well-kept airfield gives ‘Biggles’ and his cohorts the opportunity to fly-in. On the postscript of each article, you may have noticed a request regarding events that can maybe stimulate the imagination and include interest for family members who maybe aren’t quite as obsessed with Bernoulli’s Theorem as we are. Well, for the average

aviator, Badminton is out there, as it’s part of the ‘society season’, more Pimms and cucumber sandwiches than cheese butties and a cuppa. Flying-in is straightforward, with the reasonable restriction of not over-flying the crowds or competitors. (PPR is essential and a Notam is operational).

The weather this year could best be described as breezy and changeable, but with the arena located just a few hundred metres away from the runway, the walk from the parking area has a satisfying, almost celebrity feel to it as you pass the queues of traffic and packed car parks, having just ‘arrived’.

The great house at Badminton is currently home to the 12th Duke of Beaufort, whose family has owned the Estate since 1608. They are descendants of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, and the house and parkland date from the 17th and early 18th centuries. The latter having been designed by the renowned landscape architects Capability Brown and William Kent.

Eventing began here in 1949 and it is one of only six locations worldwide having a coveted five-star classification, as listed by the Fédération Équestre Internationale, making it one of the most prestigious events of its kind. Both horse and rider have to compete at several lower grades, leading to a lengthy qualification process, sometimes taking several years.

The three-day event is split into three phases: dressage, cross country and jumps. Penalties are accumulative, ultimately providing the final result.

Above Badminton’s perfectly adequate airstrip is available if you would like to attend the worldfamous Badminton Horse Trials

Left The pomp and circumstance of a British brass band at Badminton.

Flying Adventure

“Until Belgium dropped charges on experimental aircraft, it was a place that most pilots with permit aircraft avoided”

If you stay for the weekend, make a point of seeing the marching military band with all its pomp and circumstance, whose music is a reminder of British traditions harking back to a time gone by when Britain ruled the waves. Both riders and their mounts are resplendent in their presentation, although much of their skill is lost with the apparent ease in which they appear to complete the required disciplines.

The overall winner was English veteran rider, Piggy French, on a 14-year-old mare, Vanir Kamira, simply known as Tilly around the stables.

We went en masse as a family with kids and grandkids, although I had by far the easiest journey. Part of the reason for going was an effort to combine our interests, as both my partner Sian and Olivia, my daughter-in-law in waiting, have a history of gymkhanas and have been riding from an early age. Naturally, having the use of a car as well, we weren’t restricted to the hotels in the immediate vicinity that take full advantage of the popularity of the event and charge a premium for the period.

For a list of hotels in the area see www.badmintonhorse.co.uk

As might be expected, there is a civilised, genteel and relaxed atmosphere with a multitude of vendors, selling goods and products associated with country pursuits. Food and drink outlets tend to focus on the select, from hog-roasts to farm sausages, with prices not too dissimilar to most outdoor events of this kind.

Meanwhile, our hamper easily competed with the best of them, packed with smoked salmon, pâté, artisan

Below Regular LAA Rally visitor Bart Verhees lives nearby to Sanicole and keeps his original design Delta 2 at the field. The clubhouse and bar in the background would certainly be the envy of most UK flying clubs.

Below right A local memorial to 204 men, the majority of them captured resistance members, executed on the site during WWII.

pies, a variety of cheeses, ginger beer and a nice sparkling rosé. Although truth be known, the grandchildren still went for the pizza and crisps.

As a ‘toe-dipping’ exercise into the world of Jeeves & Wooster, it’s a nice day out and being singularly lacking in most other skills, you can guess who got the part of Jeeves…

Looking at the relatively few aircraft, they were nearly all EASA types, although I suspect that most LAA members aren’t aware that flying-in is possible. I can instantly think of several pilots I know whose wives keep horses, making it a distinctly easy way to kill two birds with one stone.

This year’s dates are confirmed as 6-10 May with PPR timeslots required. Contact Julian Seaman –j.seaman2@sky.com or 01454 218333.

Any other information needed is available from the Badminton office and you can email Vicky Iddon on vicky.iddon@badminton-horse.co.uk or go to the website www.badminton-horse.co.uk/aircraft

Beverlo (EBLE): Sanicole Belgium

Until Belgium dropped charges on experimental aircraft, it was a place that most pilots with permit aircraft avoided, the vintage fly-in at Schaffen-Diest being just about the only exception. I’m not sure how much the Belgian authorities managed to squeeze out of pilots during the whole period of charging, but looking at the turnout I’d guess that the cash-injection to the Belgian economy from this single fly-in would easily rival if not surpass any real profit they may have made.

The fact is that the charges were only dropped due to a bit of luck in the timing, and the efforts from Wim Van Malcot, others based at Sanicole and the LAA’s Roger Hopkinson, with his EFLEVA hat on, so once again, thanks gentlemen for your efforts.

In the five years that this event has been running (which includes 2017 and 18 badged as the EFLEVA Fly-in) it has not only become popular, but from an organisational perspective is already something for others to aspire to and emulate. If you haven’t been, you should go and for anyone that’s been to Schaffen, the route is virtually identical.

Camping under the wing is popular (€10 per night) and the majority of pilots spend the entire weekend at the airfield as everything is laid on. A food package can be purchased for the duration, Friday-Sunday, made up of breakfast, lunch and supper for €95. If you prefer sleeping in a bed for the night, only a couple of km away are the army barracks, where perfectly adequate rooms can be rented through the aero club at €25 per night.

A ‘Kampenaar’ is an inhabitant of nearby Leopoldsburg and the town was named after King Leopold I, a German prince from the small Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and the first King of Belgium.

The airfield sometimes takes its name from the town and sometimes after the military base Beverlo, created in 1835 when Belgium gained their independence from the Netherlands. On the departure of the military, it was privately purchased and renamed Sanicole, which has an interesting story of its own. The story goes that new owner ran a company supplying sanitary products and had a daughter named Nicole, the resultant name being a combination of his two loves.

Many of the attendees were obsessive aviators that pop-up at fly-ins far and wide, as well as a fair few from our ‘fly-out’ list embarking on their embryonic forays, where every aspect seems a challenge until after the landing when all worries are washed away with the first beer. On this occasion, I was riding shotgun with Robin Voice in his DR300, which had a particular poetic

Above right Short final for Gelnhausen to join an interesting array of vintage aircraft and vehicles for the next day’s airshow.

synergy about it, as years ago Robin led the Tiger Club aerobatic display team, and Sanicole was one of their regular haunts. He was fondly remembered by those around at the time and was presented with a book containing his name immortalised in print. Bicycles are available for a bit of exploration and there is an almost ‘on-demand’ shuttle service to and from the accommodation, Leopoldsburg or, as in our case, nearby Heppen where a few of us had reserved a restaurant, Hoeve Coletje, Hamsesteenweg 51, Leopoldsburg 3971, +32 11 34 71 62.

The following day I was treated to a tour of the local area courtesy of club member Rudy Vervecken, which included the local coal mine, at one time the major employer in the region. There is a dedicated Mining Museum, documenting its history at Beringen Koolmijnlaan 201, Beringen 3582, www.mijnmuseum.be

We also visited the site in the nearby woods where there were the systematic executions of a total of 204 men during WWII. One hundred and seventy-six of them were captured resistance fighters brought in from gaols all over Belgium, only to have their lives ended for fighting against oppression.

The inclusive food package at the airfield consists of pizza on one night and BBQ on the next, so we decided to sample more of the local cuisine for our evening meal in Leopoldsburg, returning to the airfield for drinks until late. Cacaooh, Bevrijdingsplein. +32 479 24 64 98. This year’s event will be held on 3-5 July www.experimentaldays.be.

Gelnhausen (EDFG): Germany

In a bid to whet the appetite I featured the town a month before the fly-in, as it lies a little past Frankfurt and out of the comfort zone for many. Apart from the veteran tourers, the majority of those nibbling the bait were pilots comfortable with flying in France, but yet happy to venture further afield. The response was far better than I’d expected, with pilots from all-over expressing an

Above left A lamplighter statue in the picturesque and historic town of Gelnhausen.

Flying Adventure

intention to go. In the event, with the forecast as it was, Alistair Roxburgh and I were the only ones to get there in his Jodel 1050. It was uncharted waters for Alistair as he had not flown in Germany before, but I think he’d agree that it is a sheer delight. The Information Services bend over backwards to be of help, the airfields are pretty relaxed: nearly all have restaurants and many supply mogas too. Our route was to take us through France, Belgium and northern Luxembourg to Trier (EDRT) for customs.

With a nice Channel crossing, things seemed to be going well until the weather started pushing us further south than intended, a situation further exacerbated by Luxembourg Control who asked us to stay clear. After a rather circuitous track, we landed at Saarlouis (EDRJ) about an hour after we were meant to be at Trier. Almost immediately the phone rang with German Flight Planning checking on our whereabouts.

With good onward conditions, our planned night-stop at Speyer was easily achieved, where we had a hotel booked for the night. We had a visit planned to the Technic Museum, which is located at the airfield and well worth a detour if you are anywhere in the vicinity https://speyer.technik-museum.de/.

The following day was practice day at Gelnhausen and, with only an hour’s flight, we arrived in the afternoon to a birds-eye view of a couple of the routines, before being cleared to land. On landing, we were warmly greeted by the organiser Benjamin Schaum, who is always easy to locate in his leather Australian bushman style hat. They were a little disappointed that there were no further arrivals from the UK, but as the weather had been much as forecast, I explained that we were lucky not to be stuck at a French airfield somewhere en route.

The great thing about many German fly-ins with accompanying air-shows is that the pilots are generally well looked after. Normally you’ll find a pilot’s enclosure, where complimentary soup, hotdogs, coffee and soft drinks are provided all day, and a free shuttle service sponsored by a local motor dealer promoting their brand. Much as the transport is much appreciated, I didn’t want to be at a hotel miles away, as I had been before. I had instead pre-booked a nice hotel in the centre of town, a very pleasant 20-minute walk away.

The town is nothing short of charming ( LA May 2019) and our hotel room had a prime position overlooking the main square, and this really should be considered ‘a must-do’ destination, with or without the fly-in. AltstadtHotel Gelnhausen, Untermarkt 17, 63571, +49 6051 977980.

For food and drink, other than the pilot’s enclosure there are a variety of vendors at the show, selling typical fayre at events of the kind. For much nicer food, in a lovely setting, the town has an abundance of reasonably priced restaurants with outdoor seating, as well as three ice cream parlours worth trying.

Watching some of the German pilots warming their engines before their routine, with an open canopy and hair

swept back in the breeze, it was not hard to see why the imagery was so captivating, and surely every youngster would want to be a pilot.

Considering the stiff breeze and a lowish overcast for the first day, the displays were well executed by enthusiastic pilots. With much better weather and a larger crowd the following day we enjoyed the show, meandering through the vintage cars and aircraft until it was time to make tracks for a nice flight home.

The next Gelnhausen fly-in at will be in 2021 www. flugplatzkerb-gelnhausen.de/

The three contrasting destinations were each enjoyable in their own right and apart from the Belgian foray, which had good weather both ways, meteorological conditions did throw up some en route challenges. But as pilots, we learn to cope and manage the situation, until, of course, things get ‘interesting’ and then we turn tail, looking for the nearest bolt hole.

I wish you all the very best for the year ahead and hope that however much flying you managed last year, you make your target for 2020 a little more. There are soo…… many places out there just awaiting discovery, so it doesn’t have to be another aimless trip around the block.

Next month’s Flying Adventure visits Stamford – EGSP (Peterborough Sibson). ■

Get touring with the author!

Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor & Revalidation Examiner and specialises in helping qualified pilots expand their horizons into Europe, by flying with them in their aircraft both as day trips or a few days at a time.

If you lack confidence in crossing the Channel, touring in general or indeed any aspects of flying, contact details are below. Just ask, as we are only too pleased to help!

Conversely, any tips, advice, comments or suggestions for interesting destinations or events will also be gratefully received.

A browse through the favourite destinations of the website should help with a little inspiration, as it provides a selection of places we’ve visited, giving a snapshot of what to expect, cruising at a relatively sedate 90kt.

The ‘touring’ pages contain a useful amount of info with regards to formalities, radio procedures, flight plans etc. and for a little amusement on rainy days try the bit of fun section.

Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com

Tel: 07598 880 178

Website: www.lightaircrafttraining.co.uk

Coaching Corner…

David Cockburn, PCS Head of Training and member of the LAA Safety Committee, takes a look at that useful Christmas present!

Well, it may not have been received this Christmas, and you may have even given it to yourself, but many of us are the proud owners of a spanking new (or not so new) software-driven device which can indicate our position over the ground on a cockpit display. This may be an instrument which is permanently fitted or, more usually, a handheld device such as a tablet.

The CAA and NATS tell us that the majority of airspace infringements are caused by pilots who do not have a moving map display available to them. So, they’re a good thing, and perhaps if you haven’t got one yourself you might want to consider getting one for this year’s flying season or perhaps send a letter to Santa for next Christmas!

Unfortunately, the statistics also show that a large number of pilots who infringed notified airspace did have a moving map display – but they didn’t know how, or weren’t able, to use it properly. Instances are noted of pilots who miss-set routes and/or waypoints. Some had out-of-date information on the display, either because they didn’t know how to find or load the updates, or because they just

Below Navigation devices, whether from Santa or not, require learning if you are to get the best from them.

hadn’t done it. Some were flying so close to controlled airspace that a tiny deviation sent them into it, and others were unable to see the information they needed because the sun or another bright light source was reflecting off the screen. There were also some who couldn’t follow the correct sequence of operations to show the necessary information, and some who discovered that if you don’t change or recharge batteries, they go flat.

And yes, a few actually had the device in the cockpit but hadn’t switched it on!

Take time to learn

Now we all know that looking at devices in the cockpit, especially if it involves our head being down for any length of time, is very dangerous. Even if we have electronic conspicuity devices in our aircraft, our primary defence against hitting another aircraft (whose pilot may very well be trying to work out how to use their own new moving map device) is ‘lookout’. GASCo recommends a maximum of 20% of our time looking inside the cockpit. However, these modern devices take a bit of time to get used to, and that 20% isn’t going to provide us with a lot of training time. So, it’s a lot better if we can learn how to use our Christmas present properly without having to worry about managing the flight at the same time.

We can start by reading the instructions before we get anywhere near the aircraft. If it’s possible to apply power to the device at home, go through the manual there while making the appropriate selections. This will minimise the time you’ll otherwise have to spend in an unheated hangar!

Some hardware or software suppliers, such as SkyDemon, offer online training videos, which are often easier to comprehend that the written word. Of course, in many cases these devices rely on batteries, and an essential part of the learning process is power management and battery charging (and changing if possible). The duration of the battery life on most modern tablets and phones is likely to be adequate for most requirements, provided you start with a fully charged unit; better still if you have a USB power point fitted in your aircraft.

Hopefully, having learned and practised the basics, then uploaded an up-to-date aviation database (they don’t all cost money), we can try the device out. When it is first switched on it may take a while to sort out where it is, the display should eventually indicate a sensible position; or it should if its aerial is in line of sight with the satellites. And yes, the receiver works a lot better if connected to an

Photo: Richard Dawe

“Whether in a vehicle or an aircraft, we should not be trying to fly or drive while training ourselves how to use the device”

antenna which isn’t obstructed by the airframe! Once it’s on, we can check that the position indicated on the device moves correctly with the device itself. Walk around with a handheld device, or maybe taxi or push the aircraft if the kit is permanently fitted.

However, to learn how to use the device properly you really need to be travelling, preferably in an aircraft. I say ‘preferably’ because a lot of useful learning and practice can be done in a road vehicle.

In any case, whether in a vehicle or an aircraft, we should not be trying to fly or drive while training ourselves how to use the device. Find a friend who can fly and navigate the car or aircraft (even if only in the cruise in the case of the aircraft), while you practice the appropriate selections and, if necessary, refer to the manual. Of course, if they are familiar with your device then they can help you learn, but remember someone has to be looking out.

Expect the learning process to take a lot longer than a single flight – you need to learn not only how to operate the device, but also how to integrate it into a sensible flight planning system and navigation technique that minimises effort but maintains situational awareness.

Above If you can mount the device high up the panel, it will minimise the need to move your head inside the cockpit, and also alleviate GPS receiver issues.

Photo: John Dean

There are several guidance leaflets published by the Royal Institute of Navigation (see below), and others, which can guide you through that learning process. Some useful documents are listed below, especially for those using a standalone sat nav.

Ideally, you will be assisted by an LAA Coach, or other instructor, who is familiar with your device. However, for practical reasons, most of us will probably rely on our friends. Please note though, that if your present was a new glass cockpit, you do require formal differences training from an instructor.

And just in case you’re wondering, I prefer to navigate using the visual skills and techniques I used when I was teaching visual navigation to RAF pilots and navigators.

However, I also carry a device in my pocket to which I can refer every now and again to check I haven’t become too complacent – and always if I’m getting near notified airspace, it’s worth staying well away from that!

• Useful documents from the Royal Institute of Navigation ( https://rin.org.uk/page/GANG ).

These include: Infringement Avoidance; Syllabus for GPS Training: Instructor’s guide and Syllabus for GPS Training: Student’s guide. ■

Coming in from the cold

Yaks and Nanchangs to join the LAA fleet. By Jeremy Diack…

At the 2019 LAA Rally, Rachel Gardner-Poole, head of the UK CAA’s GA Unit, confirmed that the CAA and LAA had reached an agreement on the transfer of regulatory oversight of Russianbuilt Yak light aircraft, including the Yak-50, Yak-52 and Yak-18A (and also the Chinese-built Nanchang CJ-6A by virtue of its Yak-52 heritage). To mark the occasion, Yak-52 G-YAKX was confirmed as the first Yak to be approved for Permit transfer. Rob Rowe, part owner of G-YAKX and chief test pilot for this regulatory switchover, has recounted his experiences later in this article, but perhaps it’s best to start with some latter-day Yak aircraft history, picking up some 40 years after Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev first established his pioneering aircraft design and manufacturing company in the early 1930s.

The WAC and the Yak 50

The USSR swept the board at the 1976 World Aerobatic Championships (unlimited class) held in Kiev, Ukraine,

taking seven of the 10 top positions, including first, second and third places. The same aircraft type was used by all Soviet Bloc team members, the newly launched Yak-50, which had completed its maiden test flight just 13 months earlier in June 1975. Created as a rival for the American bi-plane pocket-rocket, the Pitts S-1S, the Soviets finally had their championship winner.

Fast-forward two years to the 1978 World Championships held at Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic, and the picture had changed somewhat.

Introducing more abrupt manoeuvres into the competition sequences for the first time, the Yak-50 struggled to keep pace with other types, such as the Zlin Z-50 L which, with its full-span ailerons could easily out roll the Yak-50. The highest placing the men’s Soviet team managed that year was fifth place, and not wishing to be outdone on the international stage, it looked like the Yak-50 was officially on notice.

Impressively, the Soviet women’s team had still managed to take the top five female positions in their Yak-50s and so the aircraft was used again at the 1982 championships in Sptizerberg, Austria (the Soviets having passed,

Above The Yakovlevs display team with a Super-52 in the foreground, its lighter weight and additional power enabling it to keep pace with the Yak 50s. Photo: Courtesy Yakovlevs

understandably for the times, on the USA-hosted 1980 championships). Soviet aerobat legend Victor Smolin managed to secure the top spot in his Yak-50 but the writing was on the wall, and this was the last time the Soviet team was to use the Yak-50 at the WAC in the unlimited class.

It’s fair to say that the Soviet’s desire to win, rather than just compete, was all-consuming. By 1984 the Soviet team had lost four pilots, including 1976 World Champion Viktor Letsko, because they had been pushing their Yak-50s beyond their limits, resulting in structural failures.

A Service Bulletin to strengthen the main spar had been introduced and new life limits of 300 hours for training aircraft and 47 hours total life for team aircraft had been imposed, but it was clear that the Yak-50 had now been overtaken by other types and was no longer the leading aerobat at this unlimited level.

Sukhoi take centre stage

The Soviets went back to the Yakovlev Design Bureau and asked them to build a Zlin-beater and this resulted in the birth of the Yak-55. With fixed undercarriage and powerful, slab wings, the Soviets were presumably expecting great

Top left Transition to an LAA Permit will not alter maintenance requirements, Yaks may be ‘agricultural’ but they do require regular attention.

Top right The Yak 52 is an affordable and capable aerobatic machine, with the plus of the feel of a warbird at a sensible price. Photo: Ed Hicks

Above Modified Super-52 panel, removal of horizon and its inverter alone saves 15kg. Photo: Courtesy Yakovlevs

things from the Yak-55 at the 1984 championships in Bekescuba, Hungary, but their top finisher, Victor Smolin, only managed fifth place. Having failed to achieve a repeat of the 1976 clean sweep, the Soviets later switched to the Sukhoi 26M and went on to achieve considerable success with it at the 1986 championships.

Yaks come up for grabs

With the Yak-50 now relegated to the side lines, and with DOSAAF (the sports arm of the Russian military) withdrawing all support for it in 1990, there were significant numbers of them sitting unused and unloved at DOSAAF airfields across the Soviet Union.

Enter UK aerobatic legend Richard Goode. Richard had been competing at the world championships in his Pitts S-1S during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1988 a fellow competitor, Wolfgang Jagle, who flew for the West German national team in his Pitts S-1S, told Richard that the East Germans were interested in off-loading their Yak-50 fleet, and suggested that there was a good business opportunity waiting. Richard agreed, and in partnership with Vic Norman, of AeroSuperbatics fame, they purchased six

Photo: Courtesy Yakovlevs

Yak-50s, two of which were brought onto the UK register. With a sponsorship deal from UK vodka distillery Valdivar in place at the time, the two aircraft were re-registered as G-VLAD and G-VLAR.

Glasnost

By now, with Glasnost in full swing and the dissolution of the Soviet Union underway, Richard was able to start purchasing those Yak-50s dotted around the Soviet Union at DOSAAF airfields. According to Richard, there were a total of 312 Yak-50s built but most of these were scrapped under DOSAAF orders, leaving only around 70 still surviving today (the UK has 16 of them). They had survived by being ‘hidden’ from the Soviet authorities. Richard’s search for a Yak aircraft dealer put him in contact with some interesting characters, and without wishing to pre-empt his autobiography (out April 2020), suffice it to say that the British security services found Richard’s Soviet Bloc contacts a matter of some interest.

The ‘flag of convenience’ era

It would appear that practicality beat strict regulatory compliance in the early 1990s and through a contact at the FLA (the USSR’s general aviation amateur builders association), Richard was able to register Yak-50s bought in Russia under their banner, and had FLA Certificates of Airworthiness issued. Richard readily admits that the FLA registration was effectively a ‘fudge’, but it was one that worked well for a number of years and UK Yak-50s (excepting G-VLAD and G-VLAR which had come from Germany) could be seen sporting Russian ‘RA’ registrations. The ‘fudge’ was finally brought to an end, however, when the Russian aviation authorities knocked on the UK CAA’s door in 2001 and informed them that the registrations weren’t valid.

Richard subsequently discovered that there was a UK statute in place which required the CAA to issue Permits to Fly to any and all ex-military (airworthy) aircraft put forward, and so this was the route chosen to get them onto the UK register. Much discussion ensued between Richard, the CAA and the Yakovlev Design Bureau (YDB) and eventually it was agreed that Dimitri Dratch – head of light aircraft at YDB – would issue an AD to life limit Yak-50s to 100 hours between major overhaul, and the CAA would then allow them to be put on the UK register under a CAA-issued Permit to Fly.

The Yak 52s

At the same time that this was occurring, another UK aerobatic superstar, Mark Jefferies, had started

Below The Yak50 is getting on for 45 years of age, but what a stunning looking machine. Under the LAA maintenance regime, its future will hopefully be assured.

purchasing Yak-52s from Termikas in Lithuania. These aircraft were imported under Lithuanian registrations (LY) and soon started appearing across the country. Other companies started to get involved and Yaks were suddenly available from a number of sources in Eastern Europe, including Aerostar in Romania (who held the manufacturing rights for the Yak-52) and Anabaras in Lithuania.

The Yak-52 is a direct descendent of the Yak-18A, first test flown in 1976 and put into production in 1979. Powered by the same Vedeneyev M14P 360hp ninecylinder radial engine as the Yak-50, the aircraft was designed to serve as a military trainer, sharing design and layout similarities with post war fighters such as the Yak-17 jet fighter trainer.

Heavier than its single-seat cousin at 1,015kg (the Yak-50 is 750kg empty weight) the trainer is nonetheless a very responsive and highly capable aerobat, and also relatively easy to fly and land. With inverted fuel and oil systems, the aircraft can fly inverted for up to two minutes, has a 180˚/second roll rate and is stressed to +7 and -5 G.

As a trainer, the undercarriage was designed so that the two main wheels are still exposed and unlocked when retracted, limiting fuselage and wing damage following a wheels-up landing – which not only military cadet pilots have benefitted from in the past. Like its lighter cousin, the Yak-52’s engine starter, brakes and landing gear (and flaps on the 52) are operated by compressed air, replenished by an engine-driven compressor charging main and emergency air bottles, which can also be manually topped up.

Yak formation teams

Team Yakovlevs owner and lead pilot, Jez Hopkinson, who in the early 1990s operated a one-man aerobatic school out of Compton Abbas airfield using an immaculate Slingbsy T-67M Firefly, was an early adopter of the Yak-52. Purchasing LY-ALJ in 1994, Jez and his fellow syndicate members, John Griffin and Dave Hawkins, soon caught the Yak bug and it wasn’t long before other Yak enthusiasts were knocking on their doors and The European Yak Club was formed. This included the establishment of Yak-specific formation training at The Squadron at North Weald (and at Compton Abbas), where many Yak pilots cut their formation teeth. Out of this came two aerobatic formation teams, The Aerostars and The Yakovlevs, as well as John Griffin’s spectacular solo Yak-50 displays in G-YAKA, under sponsorship from Flyer magazine.

Getting to know the Yaks

Idiosyncratic is probably the best way to describe the Yak-50. Powered by a supercharged 360hp nine-cylinder radial engine, with a two-blade VP prop, the design belongs firmly in the warbird camp rather than the modern aerobat category. The all-metal airframe (with fabric covered ailerons, rudder and elevator) is tough and agile and boasts exceptionally fine handling characteristics, enhanced by a relatively high power-toweight ratio.

Aside from the engine start, which requires thorough pulling through beforehand to prevent hydraulic lock, and also requires more hands than are readily at one’s disposal (one hand to hold the stick-mounted brake lever, one hand to control the throttle, and two extra hands to operate the magnetos and starter button simultaneously), the most notable ‘gotcha’ for first-timers is undoubtedly

taxying the aircraft. The 50’s nose is long (imagine a Yak-52 without the front cockpit) and wide and obscures any forward view when on the ground.

By loosening the shoulder straps, it is possible to lean out of the side of the cockpit and gain some forward visibility, but the only real way to see what is ahead is to use a zig-zag style of taxying.

There is then the added gotcha of the locking tailwheel, which no amount of differential braking will overcome and must be fully unlocked before taxying. The method of unlocking the tailwheel is somewhat counterintuitive, as it requires a positive stick forward position which feels both unnatural and precarious. With these idiosyncrasies mastered, the standard manoeuvre is to then jam the tailwheel in the taxiway guttering after having forgotten how much fuselage there is behind you! ‘ Been there, balls’ed that up !’ T-shirts are available to order…

In the air

Once in the air, both types handle like the warbirds they emulate and the growl from their radial engines makes them a popular addition to the air show fleet. The Yak-52, while an excellent platform for solo aerobatics and basic formation training, is nonetheless a bit underpowered for dynamic formation aerobatics. The Yakovlevs’ solution to this was to launch a Super-52, a lightened and more powerful version of the factory-built Yak-52. Using an upgraded M14P ‘F’ engine, with in excess of 400hp, and swapping the two-blade Russian propeller with a three-blade replacement from MT in Germany, the other significant change is a weight reduction of around 150kg.

Much of this can be achieved through the replacement of the original Russian instruments and avionics with modern equivalents, such as the artificial horizon, which in combination with its power inverter weighs in at a hefty 15kg, compared to the 600g solid-state gyro replacement. With the upgraded engine, three-blade propeller and lightened airframe, the Super-52 now manages to keep pace with its single-seat cousin.

The Yakovlevs

Performing in the UK and across Europe for nearly a decade (the team’s first official display was at Yeovilton in 1999), The Yakovlevs made an inaugural trip to China in 2008 and had to learn the fine art of dismantling and re-building their aircraft. This proved to be a steep (and expensive) learning curve. As the only team in the world able (or sufficiently foolish enough…) to pack two Yaks into one container, the project involved the services of a master carpenter in addition to the team’s engineers.

The dismantling includes removing the aircraft’s wings, tail section and propeller. The wings are packed into upright wooden cradles, which are placed in the container either side of the fuselage, with the rudder and elevator secured above the fuselage on a rig between the two wings, with the propeller on the floor beneath the fuselage. As the main undercarriage on both the Yak-50 and Yak-52 is ‘conveniently’ attached to the wings rather than the fuselage, this meant a dolly had to be constructed to hold the fuselage off the floor (and also for wheeling it in and out of the containers).

The prototype version appeared to work OK, and on the journey out it did its job well, but unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the return journey. Having finished the inaugural display at Dazu in east-central China to spectacular acclaim (the viewing figures were amazing and would make X-Factor blush), there was an

accident at the shipping port and both of the team’s containers were dropped. The wing cradles held firm but unfortunately damage had been caused to the main spar of three of the four aircraft, due to the dollies bottoming out on the container floor whilst still under heavy load. The damage effectively wrote off three of the four aircraft and it was two seasons before the team could launch again (the five-year court battle over insurance pay-out is a tale for another time…).

Gluttons for punishment, the team were back in China in 2010, this time with bomb-proof fuselage dollies, and despite numerous incidences of heavy handling of the containers in ensuing years (G-meters/trackers installed in the containers generally reveal a 20 G+ stress load on each trip), the aircraft have not received any significant damage since the 2008 incident and the team will be returning to China for the ninth time in 2020.

Engineering

One advantage of dismantling and rebuilding aircraft so often – 43 times and counting due to the fact that the Chinese military won’t let GA aircraft transit in-country and require teams to bribe their engineers into dismantling aircraft in between shows for transport by road – is that it means that our engineers have a more comprehensive knowledge of the state of the airframes than is possible under standard maintenance.

While it’s fair to say that Yaks are ‘agricultural’ in build (e.g. the generator is powerful enough to provide light for a small town), they are nonetheless maintenance intensive and require constant vigilance. The air system is one of the most temperamental of the aircraft’s systems – there isn’t a Yak aircraft out there that doesn’t have some minor air leak in it somewhere – and with moisture an unavoidable factor, flap and gear actuators are frequently subject to corrosion. Not unlike their woolly cousins, Yaks are blessed with snot valves, conveniently

Above The ‘Bomb’ – actually the compressed air tank. LAA oversight should enable the use of replacement alternatives made of kevlar. Photo: Courtesy Yakovlevs

located under the engine canopy and just within spray reach of an unsuspecting novice’s foot.

Parts availability

Preventative action is the name of the game, as replacement parts are something of a lottery and are becoming increasingly difficult to source, which of course is one of the key reasons for bringing them over to the LAA. While Minor Mods approved by the CAA have led to non-OEM components being used in certain areas (harnesses, lightweight generators and modern avionics, for example), there are other components that would significantly benefit from a modern replacement, but would require a Major Modification approval under CAA PtF categorisation, and therefore are beyond the budget of a private Yak operator.

Yak aircraft’s air bottles are a prime example of this. With the appearance of joke bombs from a Peter Sellers’ movie set, these metal spheres have also behaved as such in the past, with one notable explosion in a Yak-50 15-odd years ago. Luckily the explosion happened when the aircraft was taxying rather than airborne, but it still wrote the aircraft off.

An MPD imposing a hydrostatic testing requirement every five years, plus a yearly borescope check, has

Below The Yakovlevs regularly visit China to perform and manage to ship two aircraft per container. Experience has taught them they need to be virtually bullet proof! Photo: Courtesy Yakovlevs

Not just Yaks!

As well as the transition of YAKs to LAA oversight, we will also in future be in a position to support owners of an even rarer type, the Nanchang CJ-6. Originally developed as a military trainer for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, while it looks superficially similar to its Russian counterpart it is structurally quite different, with a flush-riveted aluminium structure and a distinctive cranked wing. There are currently five aircraft

the UK register.

prevented further bottles giving way so spectacularly, but as soon as these bottles reach their finite life and fail hydrostatic testing then there is a problem, as there are no replacements to be had for love nor money.

The Americans, who operate Yaks on their Experimental aircraft category, have no such problem as they are permitted to use replacements made from Kevlar, which as well as being much stronger are a fraction of the weight of the original ‘bombs’. But on this side of the Atlantic, Yak operators have been unable to follow suit and it’s Russian Roulette as normal.

Future-proofing the fleet

The prime reason for the move to the LAA register is therefore one of future-proofing the Yak fleet. There are ex-DOSAAF airfields dotted around Russia which still house spare Yak components, but unless your Russian ‘contacts’ are up to scratch then sourcing these parts has become something of a challenge. The 50 and 52 share many common components (particularly firewall forward), but there do remain some significant differences, and it is Yak-50 parts that are by far the most challenging to source.

With the Yak-52 still in production in Romania, and the Chinese producing their own equivalent (the Nanchang CJ-6A), parts are still available, but many of the Yak-50’s replacement parts have now been exhausted, so non-OEM replacements are the only realistic option.

No shortcuts

It is envisaged that the move from CAA to LAA Permit to Fly status will make a significant difference for the future-proofing of these aircraft, but what the change is not about is an opportunity to make cost savings by cutting back on maintenance requirements, and the LAA has been very clear about this from the outset of negotiations with Yak operators and the CAA. Luckily, most of the existing engineers who are qualified to work on Yaks in the UK are also separately LAA inspectors, meaning that not only will the maintenance programmes remain the same as they were under the CAA PtF system, but these same engineers will also be able to continue to work on them and sign them off.

Overflight restrictions

Another key benefit to arise from the change of register is that of overflight restrictions. Until recently, all CAA PtF aircraft were subject to some pretty Draconian overflight restrictions, effectively limiting flights over congested areas to just that ‘for the purposes of taking-off or landing at a government or licensed aerodrome’. Taking this at

Nanchang CJ-6A G-BVVG, pictured by Mark Harkin at Prestwick Airport, belongs to the Nanchang CJ6A Group.

on

Transitioning to an LAA Permit to Fly: What is involved

By Rob Rowe

With G-YAKX being the first YAK-52 to transition, at the point of conducting Annual checks, we realised this was going to involve a learning curve all round. Compounded by simultaneously conducting a 600 hour life extension inspection programme of thorough visual and NDT inspections. So about as complex as it gets, but with this done we’ve covered off the two key procedures to be encountered across the fleet … so a very useful exercise all round.

Annual

It makes sense to schedule transferring to the LAA when your aircraft’s Annual is due and this helps spread the LAA’s workload too.

The starting point is filling in the LAA/APP-TRANSFER1 ‘Application to Transfer Form’, covering airframe, engine & prop details from the log books and weight and balance schedule, with some aircraft basic history too and the maintenance schedule being used (your maintainer will have this, if you don’t).

A list of non-standard features is required that can be found online, from the CAA’s AAN (Airworthiness Approval Notes) for your aircraft when it was first registered, plus any subsequent mods, again your current maintainer can help here. As many of these mods are commonly found across the fleet, we’ll progressively build up a LAA archive of these to make this information more accessible.

With the form completed, you’ll need to provide supporting docs consisting of CAA Permit to Fly / Limitations, Certificate of Validity, plus a weight and balance schedule and evidence of compliance with all the required MPDs and service bulletins, plus show that all of the ‘life limited parts’ such as hoses are still ‘in life’.

A new yearly activity will be to conduct and document a simple flight test (details can be found on the LAA’s website) to flag any performance issues ahead of Annual maintenance. In the case of G-YAKX we agreed with LAA Engineering that it made sense to hold this over until after the combined Annual and Life Extension had been completed, as a thorough check out of the aircraft was of greater benefit then.

With the Annual and paperwork completed, a £350 one-time aircraft transfer fee, and your LAA membership dues paid, you should be good to go when LAA Engineering issue your new Permit to Fly.

face value, it meant that basically any flight within UK airspace was questionable, as it was patently impossible to avoid all congested areas, especially when the term is so loosely defined (apparently an empty golf course abutting a settlement is a ‘congested area’, while the M25 on a Friday afternoon when it becomes ‘Europe’s largest car park’, isn’t!).

For formation teams in particular, it meant that they couldn’t ask for any form of air traffic control service, for fear of being routed over a congested area, and any short A-to-B flight would invariably involve the rest of the alphabet being used as turning points, routing the formation around all potential habitations. A recent amendment to the overflight restrictions has ameliorated the situation considerably (thank you, CAA), but by moving across to the LAA register the restriction is now

Life extension

This has just been made a whole lot easier by LAA Engineering acquiring the intellectual property (IP) for this process on YAK-52s, and the historic fleet records, thereby bringing it in-house for a single sign-off. The scope of the life extension remains unchanged, but over the next 18 months we’ll work with LAA Engineering to review the fleet records and explore whether there are alternative means of compliance.

As for G-YAKX the procedures for this activity are work-inprogress, with an end of January completion envisioned, and I’d certainly like to thank LAA Engineering for their ongoing support in making all this happen, in particular by taking ownership of the IP.

New Parts

It is early days for this, and we’ll solicit a prioritised wish-list from the YAK community first, but the objective is to drip feed researched alternative component sources for LAA Engineering approval, to fit in with their fair resource availability.

Certainly, an early opportunity would be to source new pneumatic reservoirs made from composite materials, as the original steel sphere variety have now reached ‘unobtainium’ status. We’ll keep you posted on this and other activities in due course.

non-applicable, and a more sensible (and workable) set of over-flight regulations are in place.

Looking forward to our new relationship

As mentioned at the outset of the article, Rob Rowe’s Yak-52 is the first undergoing CAA-LAA changeover and the Yak community wishes him luck in his venture but have faith that Francis’ team will manage the transition with their usual aplomb.

It is envisaged that the rest of the Yak fleet will follow over the next couple of years, to coincide with future maintenance checks, and the Yak community is excited to be making its new home with the LAA. With many thanks and all due respect to the CAA for putting up with us ‘Russians’, it feels great to be coming in from the cold… ■

Above Rob Rowe’s Yak will soon be the first to transition onto the LAA fleet, with the others coming over as their maintenance checks come due.

Where to go Where to go

W here to g o

There is a smattering of Fly-ins and events in January but the GASCo Safety Evenings are in full swing, plus Strut talks and social gatherings (see Struts4U, p38), so do yourself a favour and pop along to one near you.

Check the Royal Aero Club Events website for the latest

January 2020

1 Compton Abbas New Year Fly-in

1 Popham New Year Fly-in 01256-397733

1-12 Evans Head, NSW (VH) Great Eastern Fly-in

4 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in

5 Croydon Airport Hallmark Hotel Aviation Collectors Fair 07973-885754

5 Bicester Sunday Scramble Classic Cars

11-12 North Coates Brass Monkey Fly-in 01472-388850

18 Tauranga (ZK) Classics of the Sky Air Show

29 White Waltham 7.30pm - Aviation

Poetry Evening

FEBRUARY

1 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in

6- 9 Hawera (ZK) SAANZ SportAvex National Fly-in

15 Reading University GASCo/RMetS Weather for PPLs Seminar [pre-book]

19 White Waltham GASCo Airspace Infringe Awareness. No need to book.

20 Central London GASCo Airspace Infringe Awareness dtucker@haywards.net

20-22 Tauranga (ZK) RNZAC Club Competitions – National Finals

22-23 Mandeville (ZK) Weekend Eight Fly-in & Steam Festival (t.b.c.)

27 Sherburn GASCo Airspace Infringe Awareness Presentation [pre-register]

Contact: Oliver Prince oliver.prince@ sherburnaeroclub.com

29 Popham VAC Fly-in/Drive in lunch 01256-397733

MARCH

5-6 Yeovilton FAAM Cobham Hall Reserve Coll’n Tours [pre-book] 01935-840565

7 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in

7 Gatwick Museum Threshold Night Photo-Shoot [Pre-book]

31-Ap 5 Lakeland, Fl (N) EAA Sun’n’Fun fly-in

27-29 Wangaratta, Vic (VH) Antique

Aeroplane Assoc National Fly-in

APRIL

1-4 Friedrichshafen (D) AERO GA Exhibition 0049-7541-708128

4 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in

information and web links for many of the events listed. 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

10-12 Wanaka (ZK) Warbirds Air Show

11-12 Easter (Scotland) Easter at Easter Fly-in [PPR] 07967-715304

19 Fenland VAC Daffodil Fly-in

19 Henstridge LAA Wessex Strut Fly-in [PPR] 01963-364231

19 Old Buckenham American Fly-in [PPR]

19 K2 Centre, Crawley Gatwick Air Enthusiasts Fair 01403-252628

21 Cambridge Airport GASCo Airspace Infringements Awareness Presentation

25 Duxford General Aviation Expo

26 Bicester Sunday Scramble Classic Cars

MAY

2 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in

2-3 Popham Microlight Trade Fair 01256-397733

3 Old Warden Shuttleworth Season Premiere VE Day Air Show

6-10 Badminton Eventing - Badminton Horse Trials

8 Plymouth Hoe VE Day 75th Anniv Event

9 Shobdon GASCo Airspace Infringements Awareness Presentation

9-10 Old Buckenham VE Day 75 Anniv Show plus Meet the LAA Day [PPR]

10 Popham Aero/Auto Jumble Classic Vehicles & Fly-in 01256-397733

10 Kempton Park Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts Fair 01423-862256

GASCo Safety Evenings

GASCo’s excellent Safety Evenings are now underway and we have included the dates booked until the end of March; many more events are listed on the GASCo website well into May. For further information see www.gasco.org. uk/flight-safety-information/safety-evenings as new dates are being added regularly.

Friday 17 January Deddington Oxon. BMAA. Contact: TBA

Monday 27 January 2020 Breighton Airfield. 1930. The Real Aeroplane Club. Contact: Charles Sunter 07903 112 542 chairmanrealaero@outlook.com

Wednesday 29 January Chatteris Airfield 1930. Contact: Katie Denham 07879 779280 katie@cambridgeshiremicrolights.co.uk

Thursday 30 January Eshott Airfield. 1930. The Eshott School of Flying. Contact: Richard Pike (or Tim Fawcett)

Richard@northeastaviation.co.uk for more information.

Thursday 30 January. Rochester Airport. 1930. Banquet Room, Bridgewood Manor Hotel ME5 9AX. Contact: Kelvin Carr 07976 981769 kcarr@rochesterairport.co.uk

Tuesday 4 February 2020 Bristol Aero Club & LAA Bristol Strut. 1930. Directions via: https://www.bawa.biz/ contact

Contact: Philip Green 07768 822406 social@bristolaeroclub.co.uk

Wednesday 5 February Samlesbury Airfield. Courtesy of Bay Flying Club and BAe Canberra Club. 1930. Contact: Peter Balmer 07799 404234 pete@pbalmer.free-online.co.uk

Thursday 6 February Horse & Farrier, Otley. 1930. Contact: Rosie Ireland 07929 935371 rosielyle@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday 6 February Otherton Airfield

Contact: Alex Jermaine-Crowley 07739 456 433. ajscrowley@gmail.com

Friday 7 February Sandown Airfield Café 1930. Contact: Terry Slack 07917 194604 terry.terman@btinternet.com

Thursday 13 February Snitterfield Airfield 1930. Contact: Andy Balkwill 07850 410263 andybalkwill@hotmail.com

Monday 17 February The Wheatsheaf Sandbach. 2000. Contact: Steve Rosser 07973 226219 steve.r@lsa-technology.co.uk

Tuesday 18 February. Surrey & Sussex Balloon Group. Details TBA.

Wednesday 19 February Andrewsfield Aviation. 1930. Contact: Mike Rowland 01371 856744 mike@andrewsfield.com

Wednesday 26 February. Earls Colne

1930. Contact: Victoria Pratt/Kevin Barber 01787 223676 enquiries@flyafc.co.uk

Tuesday 17 March North Coates Airfield 1900. Contact: Steve Charters 07952 923 265. stevecharters@gmx.com

Wednesday 18 March Bobbington Village Hall. 1930. Contact: Tony Dring 07973 921840. anthony.dring@yahoo.co.uk

Thursday 19 March Goodwood Aerodrome Building 1930. Contact: Kristin 01243 755 159. aeroclub@goodwood.com

Saturday 21 March Sutton Bank Airfield 1930. Contact: Josephine Runciman 01845 597237 enquiry@ygc.co.uk

Tuesday 24 March Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Ravenair. 1930. Contact: Neil Bishop 07815 195 477. Pre-registration is essentialsee http://tiny.cc/rz7udz

Without

•

•

•

•

•

The New Year is a time of optimism regarding continued flying for some, and for others the ongoing hope that our aircraft will be ready to fly when the really good weather arrives! Thank you to all who have contributed to this column over the last three years and I hope that a glimpse into the Struts across the UK has served to bring closer links between the groups and encouraged more members to attend.

Struts 4U

by Anne Hughes

We start the New Year with a visit to the Bristol Strut, which was founded in 1986. Originally, meetings were held at Backwell, then moved to Bristol Airport and finally to BAWA (British Aerospace Welfare Association) at Filton. Richard Thomas was the first coordinator, supported by Gordon Pritt as treasurer, a role he held for 28 years!

Since those early days a Strut Newsletter was produced, providing a history of the group and its prestigious members, including Guinness World Record holder, the late Edwin Shackleton who flew as a passenger in more types of aircraft than any other person. Now called the Brissle Strutter the newsletter was edited for many years by Ian and Mary Leader – and 23 years on Mary is still in charge!

Trevor Wilcock takes up the story…

“We have had several well-known coordinators over the years: Graham Clark, author of many That Worst Day articles in Flyer magazine; Nigel Hitchman, roving event reporter and photographer;, and Ed Hicks, photographer and editor of Flyer

A problem for the Strut is the lack of a ‘home’ airfield where we can hold events, our members fly from various strips and airports in the Bristol area.

We have co-operated with other Struts on activities such as Young Eagles (Y.E.) and Scout flying, and in 1995 held our first Young Eagles event jointly with the Gloster Strut. A further six Bristol Strut Y.E. events took

Above Bristol Strut members visiting the Helicopter Museum at Weston Super Mare where they inspect a former Queen’s Flight Wessex helicopter.

place at Filton. A feature of the events was getting the young people, who were mainly drawn from local schools, to prepare a short piece of work in advance to show why they wanted to fly. This seemed to be very successful in providing motivated kids for the event. We have even arranged a flying day for school teachers in order to support the interest in flying for young people.

In 2007 we held a ‘Spread Your Wings Day’, introducing local pilots to permit aircraft ownership and operation, plus flying abroad, topped off with a flight in a permit aircraft.

Strut members have made various contributions to LAA Rallies, running the Aircraft for Sale tent/caravan for quite a few years. Dave Hall has been a familiar figure on the Youth and Education Support stand, and Brian Osley has helped with the Rally setup and dismantling for at least 25 years, which earned him the LAA President’s Joystick in 2018.

Like most other Struts we have guest speakers at our evenings and organise visits (e.g. Bristol ATC, gliding, gyrocopter flying, aircraft museums). For the last few years most of our monthly meetings have been held jointly with the Bristol Aero Club and this shares the task of finding suitable speakers.”

As with many of the Struts, Trevor says that the Strut is keen to engage in different ways with young people.

I am pleased to say that a project involving the Vintage Aircraft Club along with the Cornwall Strut is starting up with the aim of giving more young people the opportunity to sample aeronautical engineering and we will update you on this in the February issue. ■

Strut and Club events January and February

Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 1930.

Contact: keith.picton@ntlworld.com

13 January Billy Blake in Peace and War by Tony Dowland.

10 February Touring: Accommodation and fuel by Martin Ferid.

Bristol Strut: Room 4, BAWA Club, Filton, 1930.

Contact:

chairman@bristolstrut.uk www bristolstrut.uk

7 January Members flying activities from 2019.

4 February GASCo. Safety Evening.

Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk 01752 406660

15 January EGLA Quiz – Peter Chapman TBC.

12 February Pilot Maker – The Harvard Story by Martin Pengilly.

Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter. 1930.

Contact: david.millin@sea-sea.com

9 January Counter Terrorism Awareness, by Sorrel Layne.

13 February AGM and Strut Awards with LAA Chairman Tim Hardy.

East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@btinternet.com

0131 339 2351

No meetings January/February.

East Midlands Strut: The Plough, Normanton on Soar, LE12 5HB. 1930 for 2000. Contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com

12 January Quiz Night.

Gloster Strut: The Victory Club, Cheltenham, GL50 5SY. 1930.

Contact: harry.hopkins@talktalk.net

20 January AGM with Scrapheap Challenge. By Bill Brooks.

17 February TBA.

Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. Contact: b.w.spence@btinternet.com / 01381 620535

Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000.

Contact: gary.james.smith@btinternet.com

23 January AGM and Social.

27 February Frontier Engagement Team with Rachael Marshal.

LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail.com http://linsystrut.wixsite.com/website

North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Brunch third Sunday of each month. 1130-1330 at Fishburn

Aviator Cafe. Contact: alannixon297@ btinternet.com

North Western Strut: Veterans Lounge, Barton, Manchester, 1930 for 2000. Contact: cliffmort@btinternet.com / 07813 497427

North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. HEMS Bistro Café 1300. PPR on 01407 720581. Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com 07876 483414

5 January Aircraft Systems Lecture. 2 February War in the Air 1935-1940

Oxford Group: The Duke of Marlborough, Woodleys, Woodstock, Oxford, 2000. 8 January AGM; 12 February – TBA. Contact: LAAOxford@gmail.com www.oxfordlaa.co.uk

Redhill Strut: The Dog and Duck, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QB. Third Tuesday of each month at 1930. Contact: david@milstead.me.uk

Shobdon Strut: Shobdon Airfield, 1930. Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com

Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shorehamby-Sea, 2000. Normal meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month. 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: Crowfield Airfield Clubhouse 1930. Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk 07790 925142

15 January Amelia Earhart by Graeme Douglas. February Annual Strut meal and social evening (date and location TBA).

Sywell Strut: Aviator Hotel, Sywell Aerodrome

2000. Third Wednesday of every month. Contact: Alan Jackson alan@electricmail.me.uk 07899 954016

Vale of York Strut: Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801 cwaholliday@gmail.com

27 January 1930 at Breighton with The Real Aeroplane Club GASCO Safety Evening: Perception vs Reality.

26 February 1900 Rufforth East Café, Chocks Away – Flight Planning

Wessex Strut: Henstridge, 1900 (food) 2000 meeting. Contact: neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

17 January Strut Awards. 2012 London Olympics Ceremony and shooting James Bond Skyfall by Andy Strachan.

17 February Talk by Eric Verdon-Roe.

West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 1930. Contact: Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@ googlegroups.com StuartDarby stuartdarby134@hotmail.com or visit our website wmstrut.co.uk

15 January RAF Museum Cosford and the Handley Page restoration by Darren Priday. 19 February Tilstock Sky Diving Centre. Introduction to operations.

West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: nkg@barnbeth.demon.co.uk / 01505 612493

Youth & Education Support (YES)

Contact: Stewart Luck captainluck@hotmail.com

Note : Some Struts make a small charge towards costs for members, but all are welcome to attend the gatherings. Please check with the Strut contacts above if you have any queries. Let me know of any calendar or contact details changes for your group as soon as possible. ( struts@laa.uk.com ). Thank you to all Strut coordinators and newsletter editors for the continuous flow of information.

Left Bristol Strut members’ aircraft at a fly-out to RAF Brize Norton.

Project Special

Safari… so good!

With an empty space in his workshop, Dudley Pattison was enchanted by two first-timers to this year’s Rally – the KFA Explorer and Safari. It was the latter that stole his heart and his project began…

Icannot stand an empty workshop, what’s more my long-suffering wife can’t either, as she complains that I get under her feet when I have ‘nothing to do’. So, strategically, I am being a caring husband by buying my next project, ensuring married bliss for us both!

By late August this year, I had come to the end of the pre-final rig work that I could carry out at home on the RV-7A, which I had spent just short of three years nailing together, so it had been safely transported to Enstone, courtesy of Ed Ridler’s very upmarket transporter. I am indebted to Ian Nash, Merv White and Winston Lee for doing the electrics for all the on-board ‘bells and whistles’, as I must have missed school the day that electrics was being taught. Thanks also go to Phil Hall, my LAA Inspector. As I write, the Permit to Test for the RV is in the post.

With the RV gone from my workshop, I had a void to fill. At this year’s LAA Rally Graham Smith of Sprite Aviation, was showing part-built examples of the new-to-the-UK KFA (Kitplanes for Africa) Safari and Explorer aircraft. Stefan Coetzee, the KFA boss was also in attendance, having flown in from South Africa specially to attend our rally.

The Explorer is a 600kg aircraft and the Safari has a

Below As I am not the tidiest person in the world when using epoxy, I cut masking tape sections out from lengths of 50mm wide masking tape on a cutting board. A part used roll of 25mm tape I had proved to be the correct diameter to give a perfect crescent when drawn around the inside and the outside.

The masking crescents are placed on each side of the rib about 8mm from the spar and straight pieces of tape are placed on the spar about 8mm from each side of the rib. The epoxy is applied and squeezed around the fillet joint with a round ended spatula or similar.

MAUW of 700kg. The Safari really appealed to me as with its empty weight of around 380kg, it could carry two full-sized adult pilots, full fuel (about four and a half hours’ endurance plus 45 minutes reserve) – and lots of baggage in a proper baggage compartment.

A Safari also flew in from the Netherlands, and the owner kindly allowed me to sit in it. It is one of those aircraft that is simply ‘right’. Controls naturally fell to hand and I could even see the horizon over the nose, so I could tell that although it was going to be necessary to do a gentle weave whilst taxying to avoid objects hidden under the nose, with the flaps down the view should be no problem on the approach.

Honest, helpful and reliable…

Another reason the project appealed was the fact that Graham was the agent. I had previously built a Groppo Trail, supplied and supported by him and he proved to be honest, reliable and helpful. There’s not a lot more you need from an agent is there?

Graham had shipped in two additional wing kits with the aircraft in order to fill the container, so I decided to take the plunge and it wasn’t long before Steve Richens, a friend who had just finished a HiMax, drove me to Firs Farm, near Hungerford, dragging a trailer to collect one

“The component quality is good, the packing generally excellent and the checklist clear”

of them. My experience of the kit (just the wings so far) has been a good one. The component quality is good, the packing generally excellent and the checklist clear. The instructions need a little work, but this is being addressed as work proceeds. Stefan explained to me that English was his third language, although you certainly wouldn’t know that talking to him.

One thing I discovered very early on was that my relationship with Graham was totally different to that which existed during the Groppo build. With that aircraft, Graham had built one and knew all the answers, and he had done a lot of work on anglicising the Italian instructions. With the Safari, the first question I asked him was answered with, “I haven’t built one yet. You know more about it than I do!” He will catch up though, he has been supplied with a quick build kit that he has recently started. In the meantime, any builders can contact me regarding wing build queries – and as long as I have got past the stage for which they have a question, I should be able to help.

Tube spars

For the construction of the wings, plywood ribs are bonded to large aluminium tube spars using epoxy resin fillets, which shrink around the spar as they cure, locking the rib to the spar. It’s a system that has found favour on a number of designs over the years and was first used

Above The wing is started upside down. Two trestles are strategically placed with blocks screwed to them to hold the two spars accurately in position. When all is square, and the spars are in correct ‘winding’ – the front spar is lifted by 20mm at the tip to give washout. Yes, I know, it seems wrong to lift the front spar to give washout but it is upside down.

Right This gismo to turn the wings over was built from leftovers from other projects that have provided support and jigging for an RV-4, Stummelflitzer, Sherwood Ranger and an RV-7A. Waste not, want not.

“A UK builders’ group has been set up, so texts, phone calls, voicemails and videos can all be exchanged between South Africa and the UK free of charge”

on the Avid Flyer and Kitfox. In the UK, a similar process is used on Mike Whittaker’s designs and by Russ Light on the Sherwood Ranger. KFA ask you to scarify the spars at the rib positions and supply a very good epoxy to first ‘tack’ the ribs in position, then later form a fillet to both sides to really lock it in place.

I have now just about got both wings to a stage where I can go no further until the next container turns up at Firs Farm.

It is due to leave South Africa on December 20 so I won’t be getting the rest of the kit until late January. I will be getting a fully welded fuselage, the empennage kit, finishing and firewall forward kits (to suit a 912 or 914) and a covering kit. There won’t be much in the covering kit as it uses nitrate and butyrate dopes, and I asked Stefan if I could just have the Ceconite type material as I wanted to use the Poly-fiber system, which is much more fire retardant. Also, this summer at a fly-in, I saw my Isaacs Fury that I covered in Poly-fiber in 1998/99 and it still looked good.

One thing worth a mention is the use of WhatsApp on this project. A UK builders’ group has been set up, so texts, phone calls, voicemails and videos can all be

Below left I am a huge fan of Permagrit tools. The 32mm diameter cutting disc in the Black and Decker Minicraft Buffalo drill (now extinct but Dremel make a similar tool) was demonstrated to me by Ian Richardson, boss of Permagrit and an old friend from the model trade, at last year’s Rally as I was looking for something to fit the RV-7A canopy Perspex with. This disc did all the Perspex cutting (anyone that has built a Van’s will know how much work that is). It has also done all the GRP cutting necessary to fit the leading-edge D box cuffs to the Safari, and is still cutting extremely well. The cuffs are sensibly supplied oversize so the builder can cut them to fit. I disc cut the GRP about 0.5 to 1.0mm outside the line and then sanded back to the line with the coarse side of a Permagrit sanding block, finishing with a lick over using the fine side of the block.

Right There are four sections of premoulded wing leading edge cuffs per wing panel. They are dry fitted and clecoed in a few places to ensure they go back on in the same place when they are glued on. This will be done at a later stage, after the wings have been fitted to the fuselage.

exchanged between South Africa and the UK free of charge. I am a bit of a dinosaur so don’t ask me how it works.

Yet to be approved

I must make it clear that at the moment neither the KFA Explorer nor Safari are LAA approved, so I am taking a risk in jumping the gun. However, after speaking to Francis Donaldson at the Rally, I think it is a very small risk. Francis, of course, said that he couldn’t guarantee that there would not be a problem, but KFA and Sprite Aviation have both undertaken to supply FOC, any components that are necessary to add/change to gain LAA acceptance. You cannot be fairer than that.

And finally… it’s time for a word from our sponsor! Some of you will know that I organise the Homebuilder tent at the Rally. Please contact me if you have anything at all connected with homebuilding you may wish to show. Just a table full of bits can be interesting.

Please contact me at dudleypattison@gmail.com . For Safari details: http://kitplanesforafrica.co.za, plus you can contact graham@spriteaviation.co.uk

The Dean Wilson concept continues to thrive

By Francis Donaldson

It’s now approaching four decades since American Dean Wilson first conceived the Avid Flyer, which combined one of the many two-stroke engines that were proliferating for use in open frame ultralight aircraft in the early eighties with a two-seat airframe more along normal lightplane lines. The first Avid Flyer, which first took to the air in 1983, was of very lightweight construction and small size, and used conventional dope and fabric finishes rather than the sailcloth-like pull-on pre-stitched Dacron envelopes popular among the ultralight crowd, widening its appeal to enthusiasts for regular homebuilts.

Launched in the mid-1980s as a budget priced kit, the Avid Flyer became extremely popular worldwide, including more than 50 which were sold into the UK where, initially at least, the kit retailed for less than £10,000. Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Avid was soon joined on the market by the Kitfox, an obvious clone created by Avid’s former marketing man Dan Denney. The Kitfox included various styling tweaks and options which, along with a more effective advertising campaign, resulted in it soon outstripping Avid sales, including around 130 in the UK.

Over the years the Rotax four stroke 912 series engines have become the engine of choice rather than the lightweight, but less reliable two-strokes, and both the Avid and Kitfox have become generally heavier, faster and more sophisticated to keep up with market demand, with the later versions having a max gross weight almost twice that of the original models.

There has been all manner of variations on the basic concept by a number of manufacturers, clipped wings, STOL versions, tricycle gear, floats and skis, a ‘back to

Below The KFA Safari joins a near 40-year heritage of the Dean Wilson Avid Flyer concept.

basics’ single seater and even versions that purport to be aerobatic. All have shared Dean Wilson’s original concept of a complex welded steel tube fuselage and tail surfaces with (except on the single seaters) side by side seating, and high strut braced wings. The Avid and its various proteges have wings of simplified ladder-style two-spar construction, with large diameter aluminium tube spars and spruce-capped plywood ribs. Harking back to the flying machines of the Edwardian era, the front spar doubles as the wing leading edge capped, in the more refined models, by a thin fairing strip of wood or plastic which gives a more aerodynamic leading edge to the aerofoil.

External wing struts

A truss of diagonal tubes within the wing, riveted and glued to the spars, provided vital fore and aft bracing to the wings, while the twin external wing struts converged at the fuselage underneath the rear spar fitting, allowing a quick wing-fold feature for ease of hangarage and transport. Full span flapperons, rather than conventional ailerons and flaps, simplify construction and provide lively flying characteristics.

Whereas the wings, which were left to the amateur to construct, were of ultra-simple construction, the fuselage, as conceived by Dean Wilson, was supplied as a fully pre-welded assembly and was something of a celebration of the welder’s art, the lightweight structure being achieved by a highly complex framework of small diameter steel tubes – much more so than, say, the Piper or Taylorcraft types of the 1940s era. Despite their light weight, these multi-tubular fuselage trusses have proved highly efficient in protecting their occupants in serious accidents, exploiting to the full the ability of steel to absorb energy as it yields.

Whilst kit plane design has continued to march onwards with sleek glass and all metal designs, this simple construction methodology remains as popular as ever, the KFA Safari and Explorer being the latest of the genre to arrive on the UK scene. The two designs have majored on the bushplane / outback potential, with high load carrying capability and the ability to operate out of unprepared areas a major selling point. The KFA models feature rugged construction, an all-terrain undercarriage and a number of aerodynamic enhancements in pursuit of even better low speed handling. Manufactured in South Africa, KFA’s comprehensive kits are competitively priced, and I look forward to being able to fly the first UK examples before too long. ■

Photo: KFA.

REAF refugee takes flight!

After a 19-year restoration of what most would have been regarded as a well-past salvation wreck, Nigel Stevens was left with nothing else to do but fly his fabulous Chipmunk. Part III of Phoenix Rises

With the restoration of my ex-Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF) Chipmunk by now making good progress, it was time to start making firm decisions on the final paint scheme. This most visible part of the project was certainly a lot of fun, although it did present a few problems. The markings can be viewed as three layers: the basic paint, the operational markings and the tactical markings.

Basic paint

The aluminium/silver finish was done by a car body shop in a paint booth using modern paints. The company in question does a lot of painting for car restorations, they had also painted another aeroplane in the Club RSA (similar to an LAA Strut) of which I am a member. The aluminium colour was identified from that of a ‘new old stock’ undercarriage fairing, which the proprietor of the

Main Nigel with the Chipmunk at BullChip 2019, an annual social gathering of Bulldog and Chipmunk owners at Abbeville for formation flying and fellowship.

body shop recognised immediately and declared it the same colour as the paint used on his vintage BMW motorbike. I did not know, but there are around four possible levels of varnish brilliance in modern car paints, and the paint expert suggested we use a less glossy version to prevent the aeroplane looking like what my son calls a ‘Ralph Lauren restoration’. I’m happy with the result and it polishes well.

Tactical markings

The tactical markings and the operational markings were then applied by hand in the hangar. The tactical markings go on first, since the operational marking are overlaid. In this case the tactical marking are the roundels, the fin flash, the serial number and the wing and fuselage stripes. The drawing for the original REAF dH order from dH Support provided most of the information, except for four points.

■ The fin flash on the fin, which came back from Egypt

was lower than on the drawings, but we quickly decided that as the dimensions were correct, we would apply them as per those on the aircraft.

■ The black lines were shown on wings and fuselage with no mention of any colour between them, although both the wings and the fuselage had clear evidence of yellow paint. A lot of research went into trying to resolve this query, and although we discovered that white was used between the black lines by the REAF, ultimately a scan of another REAF Chipmunk posted on the internet and not discovered until 2016, confirmed that yellow was indeed used on training aircraft.

■ The military serial number, in European style numerals, was to be painted on the airframe and space left for Arabic numbers. And the roundel diameters were given with only the enigmatic statement ‘Apply to drawing office for diagram 25 for roundel details’. Correctly speaking, the numbers 1, 2, 3 etc. used with the Roman alphabet, which we use, are called Arabic numbers, to differentiate them from Roman numerals, I, II, III, IV etc. The numbers used with Arabic script are more correctly called Hindi numerals. Needless to say, the drawing refers to Arabic numerals when, in fact, they mean Hindi numerals. Both styles were used on the airframe.

■ The roundels corresponded to the drawings, but the exact form and position of the crescent and the stars remained a mystery since they had been painted on the fabric part of the wing covering, which had long since disappeared. No adequately detailed photographs could be found to reproduce the detail. Then one day in 2006, while I was trawling the internet, I stumbled on an advert in a 1950 edition of Flight magazine. Neville Duke had established a speed record delivering a Typhoon from the UK to Cairo and, right in the middle of the advert next to Neville Duke, was a perfect image of the REAF roundel. This provided all the information required to solve the puzzle.

Left Most of the information for the paint scheme for the Egyptian Chipmunk was available from the official dH factory order drawing, which dH Support Ltd were able to provide.

Op markings and colour identification

Colour identification turned out to be easier than expected. Paint shop colour swatches were used to define the correct RAL reference for the green of the roundels and the yellow for the bands. The green turned out to be known as Brunswick Green, the yellow was identified as Signal Yellow.

The operational markings drawing call out the red for the fire extinguisher as Signal Red. All three are railway colour references as Brunswick Green is the green used by the railway companies to paint steam locomotives, both before and after World War II, and Signal Red and Yellow are the colours for the signal arms.

It is worth noting that the operational markings, tyre pressures, fuels types etc, for the export military version (Mark 20) have some differences to those applied to the RAF aircraft (T Mark 10).

The aircraft is now, as near as I can tell, in the markings she bore in the Royal Egyptian Air Force between 1954 and 1958.

Concessions to modernity

Every attempt was made to keep the aeroplane as original as possible. Four concessions to modernity were required, however. Both an 8.33 VHF radio and a Mode S transponder were fitted to allow flight in the controlled airspace which has come to dominate the planet. A modern solid-state regulator replaces the original, not very reliable, carbon pile, and finally modern non return valves were fitted to the fuel system since original parts could not be sourced.

Reassembly

Once all the parts had been completed and the painting finished, assembly work started. The ailerons elevator halves and the rudder were mass balanced – only the rudder was out of balance limits and required additional weight to correct it.

“The Chipmunk is a very clean aeroplane and the speed builds up really rapidly when you push the nose down with the throttle fully open, but I don’t think I will do that very often!

Time was taken to methodically install the parts and also give an additional inspection as items, last seen several years ago, were extracted from their packing. As each system was installed it was adjusted as per the manual – cable tensions set, control movements measured, and the control stops set and locked. There are fixed trim tabs on the rudder and aileron, so I measured the ones on WP971 and set mine to the same angle.

There were a few minor, but time-consuming, glitches… One vignette can serve as an example –trying to get the correct tensions in the two springs on the carburettor hot/cold air control, so it would open on the ‘Open’ setting and close on ‘Close’. It sounds trivial but it took two weeks and several worldwide e-mail exchanges. We are on the demarcation of responsibility line (mentioned last month) between the engine (de Havilland Engine Company Ltd.), and the airframe (de Havilland Aircraft Ltd.). The two springs are different. One is part of the airframe and is in the airframe parts list, the other is part of the engine and is in the engine parts list. One spring is available as a spare part, the other is not.

Final checks

The final checks were on the geometry and then the weight and balance. Despite being beaten-up in the Suez War, dimensions are within ¼in, where the manual gives a tolerance of 1.25in. Dihedrals were measured and found to be within limits, which was a relief since there is no adjustment possible if they are out of limits! The C of G was in the right range, despite the fact that the original 27lb radio was no longer fitted.

OSAC made their inspection and after we had confirmed the static engine rpm at full throttle against the brakes, corresponded to the maker’s figure, I finally received the OK for the test flights.

Test flying

The test flight programme includes such items as recording maximum rpm and unstick speed at take-off, measuring the rate of climb, determining the stalling speeds with different flap settings and diving to Vne. An

Below left Traces of the original paint were still visible, which helped match the correct colours.

Below right The completed section of wing post-restoration.

endurance flight is also required – I flew for two hours and 48 minutes, where the theoretical time to empty the two tanks is three and a half hours, with the installed 12 gallon tanks.

I was authorised to do the test flying as I hold a French PPL. At the start of the test programme I had a total of 450 hours in my logbook of which 100 were in tailwheel aircraft. As far as tailwheel types were concerned, I had been checked out on the CAP10, the CR100, the Jodel D112 and the Piper PA18. I also have a French aerobatic qualification on my licence.

Despite 4,800 hours on Chipmunks (restoration time!) I had never actually flown in a Chipmunk, even as a passenger. During the 19 years of the restoration, I had had several offers, but none had materialised into flights. From the very beginning, Rod Brown had kindly proposed to give me a conversion course, and when the time came he became more insistent as he followed the project to completion. So, a couple of months before the first flight, I came across to the UK and Rod gave me a conversion course. His parting words were a reassuring “Well, at least I don’t think you will break the aeroplane!”

And the test flights? Well, really nothing to report. The first flight was (fortunately) uneventful, and it was only after taxying in and shutting down that I realised I had not felt stressed and that the aeroplane behaved identically to WP971, which I had flown with Rod.

Throughout the test programme, the performance matched the figures given in the pilot’s notes. The one thing that stood out was the dive to Vne. The Chipmunk is a very clean aeroplane and the speed builds up really rapidly when you push the nose down with the throttle fully open, but I don’t think I will do that very often!

With 2,000rpm set and 90kt on the ASI, the aeroplane can be trimmed to fly straight and level with hands and feet off the controls. So, copying the fixed trim tab settings from WP971 worked!

Flying the aeroplane

Before buying the wreck, I asked a friend for his advice. As a retired test pilot and ex-RAF, where he flew Hawker Hunters, he seemed qualified to give me a view. I asked him if it was a suitable aeroplane for me, an average,

club, private pilot. His reply is worth repeating. “I have 4,500 hrs as an instructor on Chipmunks. Go ahead it is the perfect aeroplane for you. It is an easy aeroplane to fly, but a difficult aeroplane to fly well! It is still the standard by which I judge modern training aircraft when test flying.”

I am still learning to fly the aeroplane and I am ready to admit I have not yet reached the ‘fly well’ category, but it is a joy to fly, even for me with my limited aeronautical experience. It is very stable in the cruise but only too ready to play if you want to throw it around.

Historic importance

Having got to the end with a flying aeroplane, it is perhaps useful to mention why this particular aeroplane is special – at least to me.

C1-0942 is the only survivor of the 56 Chipmunks exported to Egypt and is a flying example of the rarer export military version. As far as is known, it is the only aircraft flying which flew as part of the Royal Egyptian Air Force.

It is one of only two flying survivors of all the aeroplanes, Egyptian, French and British, present in the theatre of operations, during the Suez War of 1956. The other is the ex-French Navy F4U-7 Corsair #133722.

This Corsair flew at Duxford in its original colours of the French Navy 15F Squadron, in the 1990s. It now lives in the US and the present owner has it decorated in the colours of the US Navy in WWII in the Pacific.

Restored to its original colours, C1-0942 is also, worldwide, the only aircraft flying in REAF markings.

Recognition

The restoration was carried out for personal satisfaction (masochism!?) but it has been very nice to have had it recognised by one’s peers. The aircraft was awarded the OSAC Trophy for Best Restoration in France in 2018. OSAC makes the inspection of the aircraft before the first flight is authorised. Their award underlines the technical quality of the work done.

In August 2019, at the annual national Fly-In, combined with EFLEVA days, at Brienne le Chateau, the aircraft was awarded the Fédération RSA Trophy for the Best Restoration.

In September 2019, it received the prestigious Phoenix Diploma, awarded by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. For anyone who does not know the Phoenix Diploma, the FAI only awards one Phoenix Diploma each year, for which each country is allowed to submit only one candidate through its national aeroclub.

In November 2019, the restoration was awarded the Coupe GIFAS in the Grand Prix du Patrimoine Aéronautique of the Aéroclub de France. As it is the oldest national Aéroclub in the world, which celebrated 120 years of existence in 2018, it needs no introduction.

The five coupes of the Grand Prix are aimed at encouraging the preservation of worldwide aviation

Top The sure sign of a very understanding wife. Doesn’t everybody store the completed parts in the lounge?

Above A retractable Chippie would look pretty cool. After many years, it was wonderful to see the wings and fuselage of No 1655 reunited.

heritage and represent the most important aeronautical restoration awards in France. The Coupe GIFAS is the highest award of the Grand Prix, and is sponsored by GIFAS, the French aerospace industry body, equivalent to the SBAC in the UK.

Reading this article, I suspect some of you may conclude that I should also be awarded an anorak…

Silly questions…

After a while, and 19 years is ‘a while’, hearing the same questions over and over again becomes tiring, so here is a list of some questions you should avoid asking someone who is restoring an aircraft. On the receiving end, with time, it becomes more and more difficult to avoid facetious answers.

Q: Why a Chipmunk?

A: Because I could not afford a Spitfire or a Constellation. Facetious, but true anyway. I have been told by several pilots who have access to both Chipmunks and Spitfires that the Chipmunk, which is a delightful aeroplane to fly, compares very favourably with the Spitfire. I have never had the opportunity to find out, but to be realistic the Chipmunk is more my fighting weight, anyway.

Q: Why a restoration?

A: Because the Chipmunks offered for sale at the time of the start, in flying condition, did not inspire me, and I didn’t think a restoration would take that long nor be that expensive (famous last words).

There is a quotation attributed to the scholar and poet A.E. Houseman: ‘It would only have taken a few moments thought, but a few moments is a very long time

and thought is very hard work’. Slightly modified, this perfectly fits restoration.

Q: Why is it called the ‘poor man’s Spitfire’?

A: Because if you are not poor at the start of the project you will be at the end. This is a specific application of the principle: How to make a small fortune in aviation: Start with a large one. Nevertheless, I imagine it’s still cheaper than a Spitfire.

Q: Where did you find the project?

A: In a newspaper advert. This is actually true, but most people don’t believe it.

Q: What was the funniest moment?

A: The aeroplane is located in the Paris region. Around Paris Air Show time, we get quite a lot of aircraft spotters who also take the opportunity to visit the airfields around Paris to see what’s new. One June afternoon, the hangar doors were open and I was working on assembling the Chipmunk. A group of spotters put their heads round the door and saw me. They had quite a long and animated conversation among themselves and although I could not hear the details, they were clearly selecting a victim.

Finally, one of the group stepped forward and did his

Above Job done – that time when you look at your aeroplane and realise that all that is left to do is fly it.

Below Nigel Stevens, centre, with the Coupe GIFAS, France’s most important award for aircraft restoration and presented by the oldest Aero Club in the world, the Aéroclub de France.

best in very broken schoolboy French to ask me if they could look around and take photographs. I smiled and answered: “Good Afternoon. Don’t you think it would be easier if we both spoke in English?” The expression on his face was priceless and his five friends collapsed with laughter.

Q: What was the weirdest moment?

A: When the machine was finally completely assembled and there was nothing left to add or adjust, I stared at it in the hangar for a long time as I suddenly realised that, after 19 years, the next step was to go and fly.

Q: What was the most difficult thing?

A: Surprisingly nothing stands out. It was uphill all the way.

Q: What was the worst thing?

A: Definitely the paint stripping. No question. Smelly. Messy. Difficult. Very bad memories.

Q: What is your next project?

A: You’ve got to be kidding me. Well actually… if anyone has any Chipmunk bits taking up space in the garden shed and would like me to take them off their hands at no cost… ■

Safety Spot The latest LAA Engineering topics and investigations.

By Malcolm McBride

Responses from members on Auster trim systems and Rotax fuel pumps, plus an initial look at the 2019 accident statistics

Well, here we are, in the ’20s. Of course, I wasn’t around in the 1920s, not even a twinkle in anybody’s eye, but if the media reports have any truth in them, it was a pretty amazing time to live. Aviation enthusiasts, a new cohort, were able to enjoy relatively reliable aircraft and, as private flying was a fresh concept, almost every distance flight became a record. What a time to be a flyer!

Of course, everything shines if the backdrop is appropriate. What became known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’, shone, perhaps more brightly in our imaginings, because it was contrasted against the horrors of such an awful war. One of the few positives to come from the war was the technological advancement that gave us what we know as aviationalbeit at one hell of a price.

So, welcome to Safety Spot , the first of this new decade. I hope that all is well in your life and that, even though the weather is not so good, you’re managing to enjoy whatever’s going on in your particular area of aviation. Oh, and I’m sorry to forget this until now: Happy New Year to you and yours.

Longitudinal Trim and Fuel Pumps

The November 2019 edition of Safety Spot generated quite a bit of feedback. Thanks to all who commented so positively, that’s very encouraging, but also thanks to those of you who took the time to let me know when things weren’t quite right. The story we told, where an Auster pilot got into trouble because his automatic pitch trimmer got stuck, had a few people scratching their heads… Does the nose really go up on an Auster when the flaps are deployed? Well no, our letter writer got a bit muddled, as with most types (though not all) lowering the flap lowers the nose – not the other way around – apologies for the error. As I explained in the piece, I’ve never had much to do with Auster aircraft in my career, so this error passed me by! Quite a few of you commented that this didn’t feel quite right, so thanks again for picking up the phone or tapping out an email, feedback’s always good to get.

A couple of days ago, I had the great pleasure of chatting through this issue with retired LAA Inspector (and the national Auster Club’s technical expert), Ron Neal.

There’s not enough space in this issue to include even a summary of our conversation, you can’t after all fit a gallon into a pint jug. But I have put a close-up picture of the part Ron thinks most likely to have caused the jam in the longitudinal trim tab, causing all the fuss. Thanks, Ron, for sending us the drawing… it all becomes clearer.

I mentioned, in my discussion about the Auster auto-trim failure, the possibility that the inflight control problem could have occurred because of damage to the system whist the aircraft was parked. One of our past CEOs, serial aircraft restorer and great colleague, Phil Hall writes:

Dear Malcolm,

Having read, and as ever thoroughly enjoyed, Safety Spot in the November magazine, the piece on the Auster trim tab has given me reason to put pen to paper, so to speak. Having recently finished the prolonged restoration of my Gardan Minicab, I make an effort to keep it spotlessly clean, some might even suggest that I am obsessive, but it really does help to get to know every little nook and cranny.

So, it was a set of unusually mucky fingerprints on the underside of the elevator trim tab that spared me the controllability issues described by November’s Auster pilot. The fingerprints stood out like a sore thumb as I did my pre-flight check.

On closer inspection the trim tab was no longer connected to the operating cable, in fact the cable assembly in the cockpit had been pulled away from both the trim lever and cockpit side wall. I will never know exactly how the damage happened, but I can only guess that, in trying to pass behind the aircraft whilst parked in the hangar, someone fell against the trim tab, and then put it back into position using their dirty hands!

I was lucky to spot the problem before it became a big issue but saddened to think that someone would damage an aircraft and not say a word. All the best, Phil.

Thanks Phil – obsessive? Of course, you’re a flyer – actually your Minicab looks fantastic, especially now that you’ve fixed the trim and wiped off the finger marks.

Yet another trim tab issue resulted in an MOR describing how the longitudinal trimmer failed during a take-off at Wellesbourne Mountford. You will, I hope, have noticed the sketch showing the control runs on the DHC-1 Chipmunk, and the accompanying picture showing a rather manky cable end fitting. The pilot involved, LAA’er Paul Shenton, struggled a bit with the out of trim forces but is powerfully enough built to wrestle the aircraft back to terra firma.

Paul comments that there are a couple of lessons worth sharing here. The first, is that it’s always important to understand the systems on your aircraft – understanding systems, in the broader sense, is rather a theme in this edition. Back to Paul.

Above When you fly an aircraft it’s important to understand how the various systems work, but when you operate an aircraft as an owner within the LAA’s ‘shared-responsibility’ system, this understanding becomes an imperative. The sketch above shows the basic cockpitto-empennage control system layout. As you can hopefully see, the longitudinal (pitch) trim system is arranged such that the final drive to the trim tab is via a push-pull Bowden cable – this means that the trim wheels can rotate freely even if the inner wire in the Bowden cable is completely seized. After the trim jammed during a normal take-off, the owner couldn’t find any record of this system ever having been serviced. Photo: Malcolm McBride

Above Auster expert, Ron Neil, took me to task when I described the Auster having Fowler flaps – Ron explained that they are more correctly described as ‘Junkers’ flaps. I wrote back thanking him for his lesson in basic aeronautics and, during our very enjoyable conversation, he said that some people might be confused about just how the Auster’s auto-trim operating piano wire could get stuck within its outer covering. Anyway, Ron took the trouble to send me a drawing, from which I’ve extracted the above sketch showing the point where the wire wears on the guide tube, and the worn-through piano wire (in its ‘stuck’ position) is shown in red.

During our conversation, Ron mentioned that he has written quite a few ‘technical notes’ for Auster owners, most of which have been published in the Auster Club’s magazine. He has kindly offered to re-format these documents so that we can add them to the Auster Type Acceptance Data Sheet (TADS). Thanks Ron, very much appreciated. Photo: Ron Neal

“The trim system on the DHC-1 is unusual in that there’s a front and rear trim wheel; this suggests a ‘closed-loop’ trim system, rather like a PA-28 which employs a wire-wound drum moving a threaded push/pull rod, altering the tail surface’s angle of attack. Not so, the final drive to the tab in the Chippy is a push/pull Bowden cable and I’ve learned that these always need extra care and maintenance.”

In this case, where Paul lost longitudinal trim function during a climb-out but the trim wheels in both the cockpits appeared to operate normally, we learn that, because there is plenty of ‘give’ in the outer part of the Bowden cable, even though the cable had seized, the trimmer wheels in the cockpits were still free to rotate. Couple this with the fact that the trim tab is impossible to see from the cockpit during pre-flight control function checks, it’s likely that a trim system fault could be missed. This segues nicely to Paul’s second lesson.

The pilot should always visually check the operation of the trim during the control function check during the Check A [first flight of the day]. A pilot when conducting this check must operate the trim from the cockpit and ‘eyeball’ check that the tab is moving through the full range of travel and in the correct direction. Paul adds. If I’m conducting a skills test (GST), the applicant isn’t likely to do well if they don’t make a point of doing this before we head skyward. Good advice Paul, thank you.

A final error from last month, spotted by fuel-system aficionado, long-term LAA flyer and founder of the well-known fuel system component manufacturer Andair, Andy Phillips, concerned my comment that the paired Rotax fuel pumps, the subject of both EASA and CAA ADs (and an LAA Airworthiness Alert), were plumbed in parallel. Andy explained that this isn’t the case, and they are actually connected together in series. Rotax 912iS expert, John Barrott, who we’ll be hearing from later in this Safety Spot , also generously took the time to let me know that I’d got my ‘wiring’ wrong. Good spot Andy and John.

You’ll notice that the accompanying pictures show that this dual electrical fuel pump issue isn’t quite over, as Rotax have recently reissued their Alert Service Bulletin.

Rotax 912iS Crank Position Sensor Failure and Subsequent Engine Behaviour

Bernie Mills is part of a four person Bristell group based in Gloucestershire; their aircraft has completed a little under 300 hours since the machine’s first flight about three years ago. Recently, shortly after setting off on a cross-country flight to Fishburn, Bernie felt a ‘thud’ through the airframe and the Lane A warning light came on. There’s a procedure for resetting the ignition system which Bernie followed, and the Lane A fault disappeared – wisely though, Bernie returned to his strip and downloaded the ECU data, which he promptly sent off to 912iS expert, John Barrott. John writes:

A recent in-flight problem for a 912iS powered Bristell provides an interesting and useful example of how the modern systems, built into the fuel injected Rotax engine, operate under problem or error flight conditions.

In this particular case, a few minutes after take-off, the pilot felt a momentary drop in rpm (manifesting itself as a ‘bump’ from the engine) along with the illuminating of one of the two independent Engine Control Unit (ECU) warning lights. As the engine was still running normally and in line with the Rotax operating procedures, the corresponding ECU was then power cycled by the pilot. The ECU error then appeared to have been cleared and the engine continued to operate normally. The aircraft was flown back to base for investigation, and data logs from the engine ECUs were then downloaded and analysed.

As might be recalled from previous articles and correspondence, the

Left LAA Flyer and serial aircraft restorer, Phil Hall, wrote to us following our discussions about Auster trim systems in November. I’ve copied his letter into the full text – here’s a picture of the ‘evidence’ – as you can see, the culprit wasn’t wearing gloves – though it’s good to know that Phil conducts a very thorough walk-round check before setting off in his recently restored Gardan Minicab.

Photo: Malcolm McBride

the system, the fault disappeared. However, by interrogating the engine’s ECU, the problem was identified, as you can see from the pictures above.

Left and below The ignition system on the Rotax 912iS is based on the systems one finds fitted to a modern car. It doesn’t work anything like a magneto, which is a straightforward electro-mechanical device, it’s really two computers working in parallel. The picture below shows the principal components of the iS ignition system and the graphs on the left, extracted by 912iS expert, John Barrott, give a visual representation of a failure event. John’s text explains the

Rotax 912iS engine consists of two completely independent fuel injection and ignition systems, each operated by its own Engine Control Unit (ECU) and each having its own set of operation critical sensors. In Rotax parlance, these two systems are referred to as ‘Lane A’ and ‘Lane B’. Under normal running conditions, both systems are running all the time.

Examination of the datalogs indicated that the Lane A Crank Position Sensor (CPS) had been providing inconsistent readings to the ECU on an intermittent but increasingly frequent basis, over a number of flights prior to the incident flight. This worsened during the incident flight and, about six minutes in, the ECU could no longer determine an accurate crank position and thus logged a CPS failure error and illuminated the warning light as seen by the pilot. The specific diagnosis was thus straightforward… A problem with Lane A’s CPS or its connection to the ECU. The wiring to this was subsequently inspected and the fault found – see the associated pictures.

What is perhaps of more general interest, though, is how the 912iS engine’s systems coped with this failure and kept the engine running normally.

The two accompanying graphs help to illustrate this and show a few selected parameters from the Lane A and Lane B ECU datalogs over a 34 second period during which the problem occurred. Note that, for clarity and because they do not add anything to understanding the process, the Y axis absolute values have been omitted. The graphs have been annotated with four time-based points of interest at A, B, C and D.

Up until time A (which was about 6.5 minutes into the flight) everything was operating normally. The engine was in economy mode and running at about 5,000rpm. Both Lanes were operating, with each providing about half of the total fuelling requirements through their independent injection systems.

At time A, the Lane A ECU detects an apparent CPS failure. It raises an error flag at this point and, because it is unsure of crank position, stops fuelling the engine.

Because the 912iS has two fully independent systems, there is no need for Lane A to enter a ‘limp home’ mode at this point, as would be the case with a single system car engine, for example. Instead it communicates via system status messages to the Lane B ECU, which picks up the slack. This can be seen on the Lane B graph, where Lane B increases its fuel injection mass to compensate for Lane A. The momentary rpm drop, as felt by the pilot as a ‘bump’ from the engine, can also be seen here. In fact, this rpm drop lasted for less than 0.3 seconds and the engine then continued to run normally, albeit with the Lane B ECU now providing full control of some functions.

At time B (7.5 seconds after the error lamp has illuminated) the pilot switches off power to the Lane A ECU and switches it back on at time C (about 10 seconds later). The ECU then takes about six seconds to fully reset and restart, which it does by time D. The intermittently faulty CPS readings were back to normal at this point, so the error lamp was extinguished, and operation returned to normal. The fluctuations in fuel mass over the first few seconds of normal operation are due to adjustments being made by the ECUs based on various sensor inputs as the engine settles back into economy mode.

I think that there are two useful general points to take from this incident. Firstly, that the Rotax 912iS’ redundant systems are there to enable the engine to continue to run normally in the event of a sensor failure, and they operated exactly as intended in this case. Secondly that the 912iS installation in the Bristell, with individual ECU Lane power switches, makes it self-evident how to cycle the power to just one ECU if required. Some 912iS installations use a multi-position key switch for ECU power, and this is not recommended for a number of reasons, one of which is that it can be less obvious how to switch off/on just one specific ECU when in a high workload situation. Thanks John, for a most interesting explanation

So, that’s it, I’ve run out of space – don’t forget, Safety Spot only works because you take the trouble to let us know about the issues you come across with your aircraft operation. Please keep your stories coming in. Fair Winds. ■

Above It’s important, when routing electrical cables, to protect the loom from the effects of heat. Bernie Mills, the owner of a Bristell aircraft fitted with the complex Rotax 912iS engine, had a crosscountry flight cut short recently when one of his ignition circuits started playing up. After recycling

Photo: Bernard Mills

sequence of events.

Photo: BRP-Rotax GmbH/John Barrott

Right Rotax 912i (Series) engines were manufactured without a mechanical fuel pump so fuel is supplied to the engine via two independent electrical fuel pumps, which Rotax supply as an assembly. In October 2019, Rotax issued an Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) requiring owners to check their pump’s serial numbers because of an unspecified problem affecting pump assemblies within a certain serial number range. LAA Engineering issued an Airworthiness Alert and wrote to all potentially affected members and, though we haven’t received responses from everybody, none of our members’ pumps fell into the ‘affected’ serial number range.

However, LAA Engineering remains concerned that very few technical details about the cause(s) behind the ASB have been forthcoming – and you cannot make good engineering decisions based on poor data. Rotax has just reissued the ASB, available from the Alerts section of our website, although this latest document allows users to change just an individual pump as opposed to replacing the complete fuel pump assembly. BRP: Rotax GmbH

This year saw three aircraft

by fire, very fortunately

these events occurred on the ground and there were no personal injuries. Of the three, two occurred during initial ground runs whilst preparing the aircraft for its initial flight test authority. I cannot imagine how both these owners must have felt after many hours of preparatory work, let alone the expense… for the want of a fire extinguisher.

Above The Pie Chart above gives a good pictorial representation of the types of incidents to LAA aircraft from the first of January 2019 until mid-December 2019 – at the time of writing we haven’t completed our full analysis but, as we’ve seen in previous years, operational incidents predominate. The areas shaded in various greens show these operational events (when the principal cause of the event was a Human Factors (HF) related failure). The blue shaded areas represent events that ended up as an incident or accident because the pilot didn’t cope well with a technical failure of some sort – we call this type of event an Op/Tech. As you can see, incidents with a purely technical cause are a tiny minority. Photo: Joe Hadley and Mike Roberts

Above and below left Whilst taxying his Europa Tri-Gear back to the owner’s hangar at Rochester Airport, after a perfectly normal landing, the nose undercarriage of the aircraft collapsed. Fortunately, the damage was limited to the leg itself, which had broken through, and the propeller but because the engine was operating under power, a full shock load inspection will be needed.

The picture on the left, showing the broken part and its associated drawing (above) show that the steel tube has fractured. Though the picture doesn’t make it obvious, the leg has failed at the forward attachment bolt hole – although this hole isn’t shown on the drawing and, as this is the point of maximum bending stress, it shouldn’t be there. The picture of the fracture face shown on the left is orientated correctly, top is top of leg. It shows three distinct failure zones –clearly, the top (nearly) half shows embedded corrosion product, so this section of the tube has been broken for some time. The owners recall that there was a very violent ‘shimmy event some time ago but they don’t remember any other heavy landings.

Below this corroded area there’s a zone each side, which is notched and banded – in other words a progressive overload failure. The amount of material in the bottom section of the tube has finally been reduced to a point where it couldn’t support the taxiing loads and has suddenly given way.

I suppose we will never know why this undercarriage has an extra attachment hole drilled in such an unsuitable place – presumably this has been done in the past by somebody who doesn’t understand stress management – but perhaps equally important here is that after a major potential overload event, a heavy landing or massive shimmy, it might be wise to dismantle the components so that they can be completely inspected. Photos: Malcolm McBride

Above

consumed

all

Photo: Kev Thomas /Hugh Thacker

Below and right Over the last few Safety Spots, we’ve been stressing the critical importance of thorough ‘first flight of the day’ (Check A) inspections and a recent pre-flight ‘find’ by a conscientious pilot proves the point.

The pictures show two examples of a failed wheel half, the picture on the right shows a catastrophic wheel failure that occurred back in October 2018. The aircraft involved was Herefordshire Gliding Club’s Eurofox tug which, at the time of the failure, had about 800 hours on the clock. After this failure event which, incidentally, happened whilst taxiing so there wasn’t any further damage, the club introduced a rule that the wheels on the aircraft must be inspected especially carefully during the Check A:

The picture below shows the new ‘find’. Once started, a crack like this will spread rapidly through the metal and, as it does, the wheel half becomes weaker and weaker until component failure. It’s true that hanging a glider on the back increases the length of the take-off run, so the wheels have a much harder life, and it’s also true that these aircraft have a higher than normal utilisation. Having said that, this type of materials failure isn’t necessarily just about the rough treatment or the number of landings – under a microscope you can see that this crack’s likely origin is from an inclusion in the casting, so it could have begun its journey at any time. Photo:

and

of the

some years ago emphasises the point that a system will fail at its

flight control system. This updated AIL can be downloaded from the ALERTS

of our website. Photo:

Above Many of our aircraft have two or three axis auto-pilots fitted now. The picture above has been taken directly from a recently updated Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) (LAA/MOD/EQUIP/002 issue 2) which requires the fitment of a cotter pin (split pin) and a large diameter washer on the drive arm of the auto-pilot servo to prevent the arm coming off the drive shaft in the event of a drive pin failure or the screws coming undone holding the arm to the central boss. A failure of this pin

weakest point

that the autopilot, when fitted, becomes part

aircraft’s

section

Roger Hopkinson

Malcolm McBride

Above We discussed the Jodel seat cracking issue in the last (December 2019) Safety Spot and we’ve received quite a bit of feedback about this issue. More than one Jodel owner has found cracks in a seat’s structure, either in the area of the seat strap hole or the seat belt attachment point.

There’s always been a requirement to check this area for cracks at each annual inspection, but this repetitive inspection has now been given extra weight by the issuance of an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL). Because the fabric of the seat needs to be pulled back each year to expose the structure, the continual re-stapling required to reattach the fabric of the seat back to the base cover, isn’t a very practical. The top picture on the left shows the original staples (which secure into a wood strip); the lower picture shows the method adopted by Jodel owner (and Chair of the LAA’s Safety Committee), Doug Blair. As you can see, he’s riveted eyelets into the fabric halves and has laced the back to the bottom – quite a neat idea that allows for regular inspections without any consequential damage. Our Design Department doesn’t consider this to be a modification needing approval. Photo:

LAA engineering charges

LAA

Permit

Factory-built

(can now be paid online via LAA Shop)

Note: if the last Renewal wasn’t administered by the LAA an extra fee of £125 applies

Modification application

Prototype modification

Repeat

Above The sketch abovet comes from Jodel owner, LAA Inspector and Aeronautical Engineer, Dr. Bill Brooks. Bill found cracking on his seat in the area surrounding the seat belt attachment - this attachment is brazed, and a general repair was agreed. Bill felt that the hole in the tube to which the seat strap attaches, a known area where cracks have been seen, could do with reinforcement – he used a washer to do this as you can see from his sketch – again, the DO don’t consider this a mod that needs approval… but, if you want to copy this good idea on your seat, bear in mind that any welding on an LAA aircraft must be done either by a CAA approved welder or by a person approved by the Chief Inspector. In this case Paul Grellier, of Hampshire-based Airweld Ltd., did the work for Bill, and he knows what he’s doing! Photo: Dr. Bill Brooks

C of A to Permit or CAA Permit to LAA Permit)

Four-seat

Manufacturer’s/agent’s

Project

Category change

Group A to microlight

Microlight to Group A

Change of G-Registration fee

Issue of Permit documents following G-Reg change £45

Replacement Documents

Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document)

Latest SPARS – No 17 April 2018

PLEASE NOTE: When you’re submitting documents using an A4-sized envelope, a First Class stamp is insufficient postage.

Doug Blair

Snow man soars high…

We meet Christian Meier, ski instructor and hotelier, who flew from his base in the Austrian Tirol to this year’s LAA Rally in his superb Lancair 360, cruising at 200kt and flying non-stop – in both directions…

Welcome Christian, can you tell us something about your career?

After compulsory schooling I did an apprenticeship in metal work and then stayed in different countries to study the language, including the UK, Italy and France. I then took training courses to obtain snowboard and ski instructor status to the highest levels in Austria. I also gained a licence to run a hotel and now run an Aparthotel and a ski school in the Tyrolian Alps.

Tell us about being a ski instructor

St. Johann in Tirol is a small tourist village near Kitzbuehel and I run the small Aparthotel Sonnleitn ( www.sonnleitn.cc ), which is next to the ski slopes, with my parents. For 25 years my side job during winter is as a ski and snowboard instructor in Kitzbuehel. After being with the biggest ski school of the town for a long

time, I now run my own one-man business. Most of my customers come back every year to be guided around the nicest slopes of the ski area, at the same time learning more advanced ski techniques. I am also very fortunate to live only five minutes from a small flying club with one of the prettiest airfields in the Alps.

What do you do during the summer?

In summer the Aparthotel keeps me busy. After a heavy winter with up to two metres of snow in the garden, there is a lot of maintenance and renovation to do to get everything ready for the summer season before the guests arrive. Most of my flying happens between May and October.

What started your interest in aviation?

I started with model aircraft when I was a kid, my grandmother bought me plenty of kits.

By the time I was old enough to get a pilot’s licence, my father had sold his aircraft, but I was more interested in motorbikes at that point anyway. However, when I was 30

Above Christian Meier Sywell Christian with his Lancair 320MK11 at this year’s LAA Rally. Christian has been a member for 10 years and this was his first visit to the event.

“As traffic on the roads gets ever heavier, I have no real wish for a better vehicle either – the future of transport is in the skies…”

years old my father sent me a fax with the address of Lancair in Oregon, and I sent for their brochure and a video for their brand new Lancair Legacy. In the end though, I was able to convince him to buy a partly built Lancair 360.

In what, where and when was your first flight?

I can’t remember my first flight, probably with my father as a kid. I started to take my licences in 2003, two years after we bought the Lancair kit – there was plenty of time to learn to fly as the building process took seven years.

I learned to fly in Zell am See, it’s an hour away from home by car. Flight training was done in a Falke SF25b motor glider to keep the costs low. Just the hours essential to being done in an aeroplane were done in a DR400. This way I got TMG and SEP in one go.

How did you hear about the LAA?

My father bought a Skybolt while visiting a good friend in

Above Christian’s home airfield, St. Johann in the Austrian Tirol near Kitzbuehel, only five minutes from his home.

the UK. I have been a member myself for 10 years but the Lancair was built under the Austrian regulations.

I like the Light Aviation magazine as there is no such magazine in Austria or Germany where I can find this detailed information about experimental aircraft. Especially the technical and safety themes are very interesting.

What types and how many hours have you flown?

I have 350 hours total. After getting my licence I started in our local club’s Falke SF25 to get some more experience, then moved to the Turbo Dimona HK36 which made it really easy to cross the Alps compared to the underpowered Limbach Falke. Finally, the Lancair was ready to fly. Initially I was my father’s test flight engineer in the right-hand seat, but 30 hours later, once used to the higher speed of the Lancair, it was time to change seats.

Do you have a favourite type?

After being checked out on the Lancair, I had very little

interest to fly other types. Every now and then I get a ride in another type, but none could compare to my Lancair – except one. The Legacy was an impressive aeroplane to fly, until I saw the fuel flow of its six cylinder engine…

What do you like about the Lancair?

The Lancair 360 MKII airframe with the Lycoming IO-390 is a perfect combination for short and highaltitude airfields. There is always plenty of power for take-off and it handles like a go kart in the sky. Burning 40 litres an hour of avgas I get cruising speeds of 200kt true; flying lean of peak consumption goes down to 32 litres while still flying over 180kt true. There is also plenty of room for two people plus luggage.

As there are nearly 500 two-seat Lancairs flying, it’s a proven design with no unexpected surprises during building and flying. I had only 100 hours of flying experience, mostly on motor gliders, when I had been checked out on the Lancair and many pilots told me it was too dangerous flying a Lancair with such limited experience. But if you respect the limits its very easy to fly and to land. You just need to be mentally ahead of the aircraft!

Have done much long-distance touring with it?

The first long distance flight I made was to Cuers (LFTF) in the South France – 2 hours 20 minutes –compared to 10h by car…

Then I went non-stop to a Lancair fly-in at Marmande (LFDM) near Bordeaux in 3 hours and 30 minutes. For the past two years I have been to most of the European Experimental fly-ins like Experimental Days in Sanicole, Belgium and the RSA fly-in at Brienne le chateau in France. Also the EAS Fly-in in

Below Christian flies over the ski slopes where he makes his living as a ski and snowboard instructor during the winter months.

Switzerland, which is at different locations every year, and of course the Austrian fly-ins.

Tell us about your flight to and from the LAA Rally

I have planned to cross the Channel for a long time, so the LAA Rally was a good opportunity. Flying VFR non-stop from Austria, the weather is an issue as well as the multitude of different airspace and agencies en route. I generally plan a routing with the minimum of Class C and D airspace and Restricted Zones, and I’m always on a FIS frequency as they are very helpful to get the right information quickly.

Departure was from St. Johann in Tirol (LOIJ), flying to the south of Stuttgart, Germany then south of Luxembourg and Calais. There were some very low clouds on the south of the Channel so I had to divert to the north and then overfly this layer of cloud.

Once at Dover, I was handed over to London Information. Thanks to a good pre-flight planning I knew what a Basic Service was (the terminology is not used outside of the UK). Further routing was following the coast to the west in sunny weather and then near Goodwood I turned north, not higher than 2,500ft passing Farnborough to the east and staying clear of Heathrow. At 200kt you need to concentrate to stay clear of the airspace around London. It was a good idea to arrive at Sywell early on Wednesday afternoon, as there was no traffic over the airfield and no slots needed. Time to practice a standard overhead join.

The flight back was on the same proven routing. In the afternoon there were some thunderstorms forecast for north of the Alps, so I had to leave early on Sunday morning.

Having a fast aeroplane with long endurance is a real advantage to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains. During the flight a friend followed me on

Flightradar24 and sent me the latest Webcam images from my destination airfield. Total flying time for that weekend was 7 hours and 15 minutes.

What has been your best aviation moment?

Every flight in your own built aircraft is a best moment, its spec is built to your personal needs!

Do you have any aviation heroes?

Yes, Lance Neibauer. He designed one of the most elegant and most efficient aircraft. He built it and then flew it to Oshkosh. I was lucky Lance went on to sell kits of his Lancer 200 and later refined it to the Lancair 360MKII.

Any aviation books you recommend?

Mike Busch on Engines in particular – and also his other books.

Have you had any ‘hairy’ moments while flying?

Most of my initial flying was done in the mountains under the tutelage of good instructors. I was well taught to escape a dead-end valley and flying close to the mountains. You must be sure you don’t fly in the mountains when the weather doesn’t permit it!

Do you have any non-aviation interests –apart from skiing?

I like to do many different things but I’m not particularly good at any of them – kite surfing, rock climbing and diving. I also enjoy rebuilding and maintaining things in the house and programming the homepage for my business.

Do you have any aircraft or vehicles on your wish list?

There are no aircraft on the wish list as I’ve built the perfect one for me, and I’m still busy tweaking it for less weight and better performance. As traffic on the roads gets ever heavier, I have no real wish for a better vehicle either – the future of transport is in the skies…

Do you have any advice for fellow pilots?

Yes, watch out for traffic! Install the best traffic avoidance system you can get like ADSB in/out and Flarm. Don’t wait until the authorities legislate for such a system – it could be too late for you by then. ■

Right Christian’s route to and from Sywell, direct fights on both occasions and totalling just 7 hours 15 mins.

Below The Lancair took seven years to complete and is powered by a Lycoming IO-390, which enables it to cruise at up to 200kt.

An exciting year ahead

Well, first and foremost, a very happy New Year. From both an LAA perspective, and personally, I’m looking forward to an exciting 2020!

Speaking for myself, I’m hoping that a slightly hypothermic Christmas holiday spent in the hangar will move my Piper Cub into the last lap of its restoration programme. As you read this, the wings are destined for the spray booth and the fuselage is resplendent in Cub yellow (as indeed I am after many a happy hour of rubbing down). Now all we have to do after that… is to remember how to put it all back together…

Meanwhile, assuming the Cub is finished in time, there are some great fun and flying events to look forward to in 2020. Neil Wilson’s already got no shortage of enthusiastic participants for our Scottish Tour in late May, and if you take a look at the Year Planner included in this magazine, we’ll be continuing to host our popular ‘Meet the LAA’ days at airfields around the country throughout the summer. See you there.

Of course, by the time we get to the summer, it might be that we’ll be rebranding our activities under the banner of a new, larger, more inclusive organisation created by a merger with the BMAA. There’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes in both organisations in terms of due diligence, and how we might create a mechanism for integration if, and only if, you agree we should do so. We’ll be putting these ideas into print in next month’s magazine, so watch this space.

In the meantime, at his time of year as appropriately named ‘Atlantic depressions’ minimise our flying opportunities, the social side of light aviation becomes increasingly important and the LAA ‘Struts’ are one of the jewels in the crown of our Association.

These regional groups were created 50 years ago, in the preinternet days when the only way that homebuilders were able to share information was by meeting face-to-face, usually monthly on a local airfield or a suitable hostelry. These days, as the proportion of LAA members ‘buying and flying’ as well as building has increased, these meetings are just as likely to have a guest speaker discussing long distance touring, air racing or flying a warbird, as how to adjust that inaccessible tailplane widget on some in-build project.

The great news too, is that, after a period when numbers fell, the interest in attending LAA ‘Struts’ is rising. The number of active regional groups increased from 18 in 2015 to 25 in 2019, including the first to be launched outside the UK. The ‘First Continental Strut’ is based at Antwerp in Belgium, serving LAA members in Benelux and northern France, and it was recently a pleasure to be invited to join them at a Strut night at Antwerp Deurne airport.

Among our ‘Struts’ there are also type clubs and special interest groups, including the International Auster Club, Europa Club and the Vintage Aircraft Club. This latter club, under the dynamic leadership of Anne Hughes, has certainly come up with some of the most innovative ideas for club meetings.

Spooky sessions…

How about combining the club AGM with a spooky storytelling session on Halloween weekend? Or, earlier in the year, a really excellent ‘I Learned About Flying’ session with members sharing their experiences and owning up to indiscretions.

Coming up is another innovative gem. On Wednesday 29 January

By Steve Slater

“The great news too, is that, after a period when numbers fell, the interest in attending LAA ‘Struts’ is rising”

at 7.30pm, the VAC and West London Aero Club will be hosting their third Aviation Poetry Evening at White Waltham in Berkshire.

If you are in the area it’s a flying night with a difference, with various readers including Pilot magazine editor Philip Whiteman, myself and many others reading aviation-inspired verse. There are ‘open mic’ sessions too, where many audience members join in to share their favourite poems.

Of course, social flying doesn’t have to be formally organised. There are also plenty of opportunities for ‘hangar flying’ with a table, some chairs and some like-minded friends at the end of a day’s flying or fettling. For me, one of the pleasures of ‘our sort of flying’ is to sit with a cool drink in hand, outside the hangar with some mates, watching the sunset across the airfield. Of course that will have to wait till a little later in the year. Roll on the summer.

In the meantime, don’t forget that even if we spend some of our winter evenings in the warmth of the living room, there are still opportunities to gain flying some young recruits.

In closing I can’t resist including this picture sent to me by GASCo Chairman Prof. Mike Bagshaw, of 23-month-old Albie Croxford, engrossed in Light Aviation magazine with grandpa! There’s nothing quite like starting them young! ■

Classifieds January

For all display or commercial advertising enquiries please contact Neil Wilson: 07512 773532 neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

You can email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA at the following address: office@laa.uk.com

Deadline for booking and copy:

20 January 2020

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.

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.

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.

aircraft for sale aircraft for sale

Tiger Moth, Gipsy Major 1c mid-life, long exhaust, new tie rods. Becker 8.33, intercom. Hercules prop, long range fuel, brakes, tailwheel, newish tyres and fuel tank. Cambria cover and cotton hangar covers. Permit till August. Best offer on £70k. Very reluctant sale. ron@ukmgparts.com or 07802 703961

Tecnam Sierra P2002EA G-TSAC. Rotax 912ULS, 580 hours E & AF. Built 2008 to a high standard by aircraft trained chartered engineer, in superb condition. Immaculate Aerodur C21 finish, always hangared. Dynon D100 EFIS, Garmin GTR225A com, GTX 328 transponder, GPS496. Trutrak Vizion A/P, Woodcomp 3N VP prop + Smart c/s controller. Lee on Solent. £48,000. Phone 023 9241 2708, email: alan.cozens39@btinternet.com for full spec and photos.

Rans S6S Sport. This unique Rans 912UL-powered S6 has been upgraded to 499kg and covered in conventional Ceconite fabric. Additional cabin panelling - the most luxurious S6 in the UK. Only 20 hours with a current Permit to Fly. May be seen at Milson, Worcs. £35,000. Contact David Bedford, DBedford1@btinternet.com

Reg no to suit Dreamliner pilot? E 787 FLY. On retention certificate. Offers over £1000. Mike 07977 519491.

holidays

France, Loire, Montrichard private airfield. Hangarage for two aircraft, four-person cottage. Package designed by flyers for flyers. £700 per week, www.lachaumine.co.uk Tel: 07802 217 855, 01424-883 474.

Flexible Aviation Finance*

Specialist Lender

We Finance:

Helicopters

Light Aircraft

Gyrocopters

Microlights

Gliders

Hot Air Balloons

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Contact: Jay Lucas

Dire ct Tel: 01933 304789

Mob: 07341 866056

Email: jl@arkle finance.co.uk

We b: w ww.ark le finance.co.uk

projects

Wooden Project: SA 105 Super Cavalier. Fuselage, tail group complete, signed off. One-piece wing ready for skin. Tip tanks, undercarriage and duplicate tail group parts included. Continental O-240 engine for overhaul. Offers. Tel 01685 814319 or email flitzer@btopenworld.com

aircraft services

We can cover your Tiger Moth Wings and Control Services quickly and cheaply. Call me to discuss. Tel. Shelley 07941130585 or email meekcomes@gmail.com

Welding Services CAA approved Tig welding of 4130 Tubular structures. Mobile service based in East Anglia.

Contact Richard Kimberley LAA Inspector 594 on 07850 570231 or e mail: rksrichardkimberleyservices.co.uk

Dream it, Fly it, visit our website

www.LAA.uk.com

Space available in a modern hangar at North Moreton near Wallingford on an 800 metre grass strip with excellent approaches. Avgas available on site. Please contact Peter Vacher at pvacher@aol.com

Hangar for sale due major road works! 35’x30’ polytunnel type hangar. Can be seen on Google Earth - Charlton Mires Farmhouse - in field west of A1. Front door needs attention. Buyer to Help dismantle and provide transport from Northumberland. Photos from seller if interested. Offers invited. Call David on 07771622545

landing vouchers

FEBRUARY 2020

For February we have two free landings, one at Beccles Airfield in Suffolk, and the other at Chiltern Park in Oxfordshire; a 30% discount for Blackpool Airport in Lancashire, and a £5 landing fee at Wolverhampton Airport in the West Midlands.

Some of those February days are cold, crisp and remarkably clear, so take the opportunity to get some air beneath your wheels should one come

Aviation

Free Landing February 2020

Beccles 01502 476400

Located in unrestricted airspace, and under new management, Beccles Airfield invites you to come and say hello. Please PPR, as there is sometimes parachuting taking place, and take care if breezy as wind-shear is possible on final to Runway 27. The clubhouse offers tea,

Aviation

along. Please check the airfield is operational if we’ve had a wet spell, even if it is not PPR, you don’t want to turn up and discover it is closed due to waterlogging.

Daylight is still relatively short so make sure you head for home early and keep an eye on that dew point as fog can roll in very quickly this time of year. Have fun!

coffee and snacks. Avgas available during opening hours. Historic Beccles town is nearby, and if you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton then why not try karting at nearby Ellough Park Raceway. Beccles Radio is 120.375. www.becclesaerodrome.co.uk

Thirty per cent off Landing February 2020

Blackpool Airport 01253 472527

All aircraft must submit a PPR and please read the arrival details before flying in, as the airfield has some specific procedures. Keep a look out for traffic from BAE Warton. Give Warton a call if coming in from the South on 129.525. No landing or taxying on the grass. The airport

offers a GA rest room with tea and coffee. Avgas and JET A1 available. If you require fuel, let them know on arrival. Blackpool ATIS is 127.200. Approach and Tower is 119.950. For 30% discount present voucher to airport VSP when paying. www.blackpoolairport.com

Free Landing February 2020

Chiltern Park, Oxfordshire 07739 802010 Aviation

Chiltern is a friendly grass airfield. Primarily for microlights and gyrocopters, it is also suitable for light aircraft. Join on the permanent dead side to the East of AD at 1,000ft, and descent to circuit height. No overhead joins and no fuel available. Please land on centre line of runway

Aviation

04/22 unless told otherwise. Located within the RAF Benson MATZ, there can be busy helicopter activity in the week. Call Benson 120.90 and then make calls to Chiltern Radio on 134.030. There may be no reply but make blind calls. www.chiltern.aero

Reduced Landing ‘February Fiver’ 2020

Wolverhampton 01384 221378

A well-maintained airfield with two tarmac runways (10/28 not open), Wolverhampton is a good destination for the winter. PPR please, and high vis jackets advisable. The café is open daily with a choice of meals – the café and booking in are located at the control

tower. Avgas, JET A1 and UL91 are available. Hire a taxi and visit the Black Country Museum at Dudley, which is only five miles away, or the RAF Museum at Cosford, which is around nine miles away. Radio is 123.005. www.wolverhamptonairport.co.uk

Opeyeytato is suffering from pregnancy complications and is in grave danger. The nearest hospital is 200km through jungle — mother and child are unlikely to survive the journey.

That’s where we step in.

For 75 years, MAF has been a lifeline to people cut off from the help they need. You can be part of this rescue.

We are seeking committed Christians to work as aircraft engineers, experienced pilots and managers, as well as teachers, accountants and IT technicians

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