DOPE SHEET THE NEWSLETTER OF CHAPTER 13 OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION SERVING SPORT AVIATION IN THE DETROIT AREA Volume 55 Number 8 website; EAACHAPTER13.ORG September 2010 President... Rex Phelps... 586 469-3246 runwayrex@juno.com Vice President... Mike Fisher... 810 392-2020 mjfisher@banyanol.com Secretary... Cliff Durand... 248 853-0232 pchdurand@yahoo.com Treasurer... 586 463-9342 Tech Counselor 248 563-0927 Don Miller... millerdon@wowway.com Bob Hunt. roberthunt@aol.com Aug 28 Davids Landing/RCCD 9:30 am Sept 2 REG. Meeting* 7:30-10 pm 9 Officer Meeting** 7:30 pm Sept 12 Young Eagles @ Ray A/P 9am to 1pm Sept 16 Michigan Helicopter Assn. EAA 13 Hangar Oct 7 REG. Meeting* 7:30-10 pm Oct 14 Officer Meeting** 7:30 Nov 4 REG. Meeting* 7:30-10 pm Nov 11 Officer Meeting** 7:30 pm Dec 2 REG. Meeting* 7:30-10 pm *All Regular Meetings (not all are listed) will have a pre-meeting Bar-B-Q/Setup get-together that starts at 6:30 pm. **Officer Meetings are normally held the following Thursday at Rex s hangar, 420C. REGULAR MEETING 1 ST Thursday of each month. Our regular meeting place is Ray Airport, in the chapter hangar (#304) located on the Northeast corner of the field. Meeting time is 7:30 pm to 10 pm. Sept. 2nd meeting We should be getting a presentation from two of the three Young Eagle candidates that we sent to Oshkosh this summer. Then there is the business of nominations, for next month s elections of officers for the next two years. This should leave us with plenty of time to visit. Sloshkosh? A record ten inches of rain fell in Wisconsin this July. Corn farmers were elated, but aviators attempting to land and park at Whitman Field were a little less enthusiastic. Wet turf closed parking for aircraft, automobiles and camping areas for attendees. Mass fly-ins by type clubs were all cancelled. Still, the show must go on and it did. Everyone pulled together, and many saw a little humor in the situation. Witness this photo of Vintage Aircraft V o l u n t e e r Marie from Chapter 15, C h i c a g o. She reports the I survived Sloshkosh 2010 T-shirts were selling like h o t c a k e s. (Additional Photo Pg. 5) -1-
Robert Mahieu, Editor Emeritus After ten years of dedicated service as the Editor of the Chapter 13 Newsletter, the Dope Sheet, Bob Mahieu is stepping down from the post. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Bob for his willingness to take on this complex task for a full decade. Volunteers, as you know, can be difficult to find for any endeavor, but to take on a task of this nature for so long a time clearly sets Bob above most. Bob s easy going nature and concern for the feelings of others is, no doubt, a real asset in the performance of his duties as editor. As Editor Emeritus, Bob s new responsibilities will include honing the skills of the new editor to insure that the Newsletter will continue to be a source of pride for the members of Chapter 13. So, the next time you see Bob, shake his hand or give him a pat on the back, he deserves it. Chapter 13 members fly into Traverse City for the Del Schmitz Memorial Luncheon On June 26, 2010 a number of members of Chapter 13 flew to Traverse City and attended a memorial luncheon at the home of Del s daughter and sonin-law Linda and Merrill Gardiner. After lunch, the group settled down in the back yard and swapped stories about Del. Some were familiar to all, but Linda was able to shed some insights into Del s history and the members shared a few amusing new stories about Del that the family had not heard. Linda recently forwarded a note to thank us for attending the shin dig. And she stated further that, It was just what we imagined would be the perfect tribute. Chapter 13 Members Photos Don Miller is attempting to assemble a photo file of our members. He was able to take a number of photos at a recent chapter meeting, but we ve got a way to go. No one is required to wear a tuxedo or even a suit and tie for this snapshot so it shouldn t be too painful. Just see Don at the next meeting and he will take the picture. Or if you like, bring a favorite snapshot and we will use it. The photo should be a recent portrait or head shot please. Chapter 13 Decals for Sale Jim Krause has gone through the effort for us to have our chapter logo done as decals. For $10 you get two, one that sticks on the out side of some thing like your tool box. And one that goes on the inside of a window. Annual Chapter 13 Picnic The annual Picnic was a success this year due largely to the efforts of Bill Appleberry, who boldly volunteered to coordinate the event. Perfect weather for the occasion was, once again, provided by Ren Sagaert. Good food and good friends, It doesn t get any better than this. My wife Sandy attended the event for the first time. She met a number of the women associated with the group as members or spouses. I asked her what they talked about. A lot of things, she said, but mostly they pondered how airplane people could talk so much about a i r p l a n e s. Anyway, many thanks to Bill and Ren for their efforts. -2-
This Saturday the 28th (if you get this in time) Don t forget the joint get-together at David s Landing for EAA 13 and RCCD. www.rccd.org Michigan Air Tour If your going you need to sign up now. www.miaviation.org Twenty Years Ago The FAA proposed a number of changes in medical application forms briefly: First, the FAA wanted to know when you received a ticket for a moving automobile violation. Second, the FAA wanted a list of any health professionals you have visited in the last five years and why. Third, applicants were to be asked to sign a declaration authorizing the National Driver Register to furnish the FAA with any information they may request. Failure to comply could earn you a $250,000 fine and five years in jail. It should be noted that the EAA found the proposals unnecessary, unreasonable and potentially oppressive. Sport Aircraft Manufacturers Association (SAMA) formed after two years of meetings at EAA headquarters. The purpose of the organization was to support sport aircraft development. This was to be accomplished by assisting the EAA, AOPA and the FAA. Their contribution to the effort would be to provide technical data as required about the newly proposed aircraft class. The Smithsonian Institution offered a four day aircraft restoration course in Washington D.C., September 24-27, 1990. The cost of the seminar would be $515.00, which would not include housing. The Sport Aviation Ultralight Regulation Update reported that there was little more to report on the regulations affecting the two place ultralight. The petition for increased weight, landing speed and engine fuel were still in the FAA regulatory process. The FAA may still be studying the feasibility of global positioning as a means of navigation...but Trimble Navigation is about to market its first receiver combining GPS and LORAN designed for General Aviation, it was expected to sell for under $10,000. CarolAnn Garratt s July Visit Wrap-up Our special guest speaker in July was CarolAnn G a r r a t t, aviator and author. She d i s c u s s e d the details of her around the world flights and her efforts to raise funds for ALS (Lou Gehrig s disease). The meeting was very well attended by Chapter 13 and RCCD members and their families. It s fair to say that she was very pleased with her warm reception. Many members acquired personally signed copies of her books; Upon Silver Wings, Global Adventure in a Small Plane and Upon Silver Wings II, World Record Adventure as well as her video, with all of the funds collected going toward ALS research. Many thanks to her for sharing her experiences. Web Site EAACHAPTER13.ORG is now a great tool in the way we can show the community what we are all about. We are now at the point that we need your input. People love to look at photos when exploring the internet. Please send your photos to our Webmaster Carol Lynn (Dick Green s wife) at gwynnyd@comcast.net. She will be happy to find the right place for it on the website. Include current project, past project, what you are flying, photos of chapter activities. Let s let the community know that we are a good and fun neighbor. -3-
Young Eagles update, Croswell The Young Eagle volunteer pilots of Chapter 13 descended on Arnold Airfield (55G) in Croswell, MI., on Saturday, August 7, 2010. In all, eight pilots took part in flying the young pilot candidates. Seven members were from the Chapter and Col. Tim Juhl of Carsonville was enlisted to assist by Airport Manager Bart Perry. Weather was ideal with temperatures up to 82 F, mostly sunny skies, little humidity and light winds. Flying interest was keen in the Croswell area and, aided by an article in the local paper, many showed up for the event. Operations continued well past the posted closing hour due to the demand. Still, I am told, the event ran more smoothly than the record event of this past Spring. Unlike the earlier event when all of the young people showed up together, this time the young fliers arrived evenly throughout the day. In all, 110 Young Eagles were introduced to flying, most, for the first time. I think that s a new record for the Chapter. Young Eagle Coordinator, Dennis Glaeser can take a bow for this one. But, he s not the only one, following is a list of people that made everything happen: Pilots Doug Conciatu Aeronca Peter Dugdale RV-6 Dennis Glaeser Zenair Stephen Green Cessna 150 Timothy Juhl Champ Robert Mahieu Luscomb 8A David Shirey Varga Laurelle White Cessna 172 Dave Germann s Stits S-1 I don t often give progress reports at our club meetings, but I do what to share with all of you, my joy of completing and flying my project. About eleven years ago my son and I started building a Skybolt, it s on the gear and the wings are built, but I was distracted about 4 years ago and decided to build a Pitts S1 to mount my Skybolt engine on until the completion of the project. Well, I completed the Pitts, but didn t hang the Lycoming O-360 on it. Instead I installed a 130HP Franklin Sport-4 that I found on a Pitts mount when I was looking for the Lycoming mount. It s a long story but here are some of the highlights and fun facts about the Pitts and the first few flights. I received my airworthiness certificate for the Pitts (N4YW) on July 10 rd, just before the Chapter 13 picnic started. Some of you may have seen the plane at the picnic, my first fly-in event (I taxied over from the west hangars). It was another week before I mustered up the right stuff for a first flight. I took to the sky on July 16 th, OK-ok, so the first flight wasn t into the sky, but only eight inches off the deck. The witnesses all said I had three wheels off the ground at one time so that was a first flight. The engine was suffering with performance issues that made it fun (to put it nicely). Yep, the first flight was aborted at eight inches off the ground and I still can t believe I stopped before the end of the runway; but it wouldn t have made it over the trees. I decided to abort, gently pulled power, set it back down, and began to apply brakes. The tail started continued next page Sloshkosh - continued from page 1. Autos, aircraft and campers were restricted to areas of high ground, where ever it could be found. Any attempt to drive elsewhere resulted in severe rutting, witness this photo. Ground Crew Theresa Perry Mark Fullmer Bart Perry Tom Vukonich Paul Kahler Lorne Minor Tim Hazard Organization Flight Controller Photographer Photographer Computer Processor Produced YE Packets Photo Processor -4-
to bounce, and it started getting fun when I heard Bob Mahieu s very calm voice on the radio say pull the stick back ; the stick only moved another inch, but that inch took the bounce right out of the plane Thanks again Bob! ALWAYS have someone on the ground with a hand-held for your first flight! A p r o p change improved performance, but the change didn t address the real problem discovered after the third flight (hot air). That second take-off on July 17 th, was followed by a 40 minute flight, and topped off with a bounce on landing, and a go around to a much easier second landing. I underestimated the sink rate on the first attempt; it s true, bi-planes are all drag and drop like rocks. To resolve the hot air issues I installed a BLITZ Cold Ram Air Induction System. I like the name, actually it s a modified transmission funnel made by BLITZ (ram air) and a 6 piece of tube hooked to the carb box. The cold air gave me 25 percent more power during a hot static run-up. Here s a table for a Franklin 125 HP engine, mine s the same cubic inch, bore, stroke, carburetor, compression, just a hotter camshaft grind & rated at 130 HP. These numbers are very close to my engine perf o r m a n c e curve would have been nice to have this info before takeoff, but didn t find numbers until after the probl e m w a s solved: Prop Curve: Load 2800 = 125 HP, 2700 = 112 HP, 2600 = 100 HP, 2500 = 89 HP, 2400 = 79 HP, 2300 = 69 HP, 2200 = 60 HP, 2100 = 52 HP, 2000 = 45 HP, 1900 = 39 HP. Flight Tests: OK, I took off the first time with a 60 pitch prop and was only making 1900 RPM (39 HP- had I looked this up first, I wouldn t have attempted a takeoff), due to the heated air problem I didn t see an RPM increase as the plane accelerated. thought we would. take off aborted to safe stop. Changed to a 50 pitch prop, now making 2100 RPM (52 HP). Take off on 27 straight into a light wind, had about a 200 fpm climb at 100 MPH. Prayed from the time I took off until I was past the trees. Cut the diameter of the prop down from 70 to 67 and had 200 RPM increase during cold static, but dropped to 2100 with a hot engine (by the time you taxi out the end and do a run up the engine oil is 140 degrees still didn t realize it was a hot air issue). Did another test flight with a shorter prop, but you have to remember by cutting the prop it also increased the pitch, didn t re-measure yet, but maybe it s a 51 or 52 pitch prop now. Only had 2100 during takeoff and climb prayed again! I talked about the problem in the terminal building with a bunch of people. The open discussion helped sound out the issue and come up with the idea of cold air induction. I installed the BLITS Cold Ram Air Induction System (cost 2.99) and a 6 piece of hose from Mel Messer, static RPM now 2350, 74 HP static and now RPM actually increases as the plane accelerates. I would estimate the climb rate at least doubled. After testing the system, I told Louis Knapp about the cold air induction idea that was derived from the discussion with him and others in the terminal building and how great of an improvement it was overall on RPM, Louis s reply was classic well, we have all the words, all you have to do is put em in the right order. I tried to fly off the hours before Oshkosh but didn t get that done. I ve been flying a lot and tons of fun doing a few rolls and spins in the little plane. I sent a parachute out to be repacked, so I haven t been doing too much in aerobatics. I flew the two seat (260 HP) Pitts S2-B a couple of weeks ago, it made me realize how little power I have in my plane. Once airborne it trades altitude and airspeed off nicely for aerobatics, but it would be nice to have that vertical power. I m contemplating changing the exhaust to a 4-into-1 to gain a little more HP, or maybe change back to the original plan and put my 180 HP, O-360 Lycoming on it over the winter. That said, the story isn t over, just until we meet again I ll keep all-you-all up to speed in a future article. -5-
248-794-3784 tpvvuk@yahoo.com THE DOPE SHEET Tom Vukonich, Editor 2961 Secluded Pines Dr Oxford, Michigan 48371 First Class Mail Address Service Requested stamp here Congratulations to Dave Germann for 1st flight in his Pitts -6-