Ttab Mod Shop Update
Just ordered up an EIS 4000 for the Tanarg build. David - not as nice as yours, but this thing literally can replace every instrument on the panel with 10 times the info. You can see what it all does here:
http://www.grtavionics.com/Default.aspx?id=60
I got all the bells and whistles except for the Airspeed and Fuel Flow upgrades. Now I've got to start thinking about cutting a big hole in my panel to install it. And - what am I going to do with all the extra holes left behind by the other gauges? I'm open for suggestions!
I'll be getting rid of the Hour Meter, the CHT & Oil Press/Temp gauges. I'll keep the RPM gauge as a backup. Next pic here I'm playing around with a template as to where I'm going to have a rectangular hole cut into the panel .....
Moded the cable mixer cover. I used a piece of UHWMP I had laying around and cut off some corner strips ...
I then glued them into position and filed them down for function. For those not familiar with this mod, it prohibits the flimsy metal flanges on top and bottom from flexing when applying throttle. This flexing problem effects carb balance. What I'm attempting to do here is support the flanges from flexing.
Here you can see how the corner posts now cemented in place on the cover supports the top (and bottom) metal tabs. It's a Tanarg thing!
Comments
Wow that looks SHARP!
WOW !!!!!!
Thanks for the info on Landing Lights Ttabs-- I'm deep in the middle of deciding.
The Rotax 80hp puts out 250W at 5500 RPM-- not sure what it puts out at idle. If I go with the Lithium Iron batt, that will be VERY important (as the iron does not have much amp hour storage)
The light you got uses about 44W. I am a little concerned about wattage so, I think the 2 light version from Baja Designs is a good option-- only 22W -> 1800 lumens ~$180, made in US
Henry showed me THIS ONE a long time ago, its specs are good 30watts, 3100 lumens, 4 LED, $90. But it's made in India, so the Lumens spec may not be correct (I think that would be tough to produce).
AeroLed (makers of the super cool Aveo Powerburst Strobe/navs I have) has a 2 LED light 25Watts rated at 1600+ lumens for $449 !!!! Ouch!!!
I think I'll go with Baja Designs 2 LED
Carburator Rebuild
Did you know Rotax recommends rebuilding your 912 carbs every 300 hours? Well since this engine sat for 5 years, a carb rebuild is definitely on my list of things to do. So a quick call to Aircraft Spruce and $400 later, I received the deluxe kit (that looked like $20 worth of parts all together). I had a Rotax mechanic do the rebuild as this is no place for a novice to experiment around with - gas flow is life - especially in the areas I'll be flying. His bill was $160 I consider it money well spent.
One thing I can pass along though is the install. If you have carb heaters as I do, you'll want to seal that fitting with some silicone gasket material. No air leaks allowed!
and just a small bead will do ya ...
and now ...
BATTERY TALK
OK - so I hear all this hype about these light weight batteries. What ever. Not a big priority on my list and besides, I could offset the battery weight by dropping a few pounds myself .... right?
So I swung into Batteries Plus to get my generic battery. And then I saw them!
First - the generic battery. Well folks here it is with it's weight listed there on the scale ....
Batteries Plus now offers these Shorai lithium light weigh batteries. How light, well check out the scale ...
The difference in price was $70 and I didn't even get the biggest one. Why? Because this medium sized thing has more cold cranking amps (CCA) than the 14 pounders!!! And they are warranted for 3 years! So for a couple hundred bucks, I'm glad to announce I'm an official test dummy using these batteries. Here's the stats on the battery ...
I have noticed that this battery really turns the motor over unlike any other battery I've tried. My engine starts right up almost instantly! Cost ... $200. These may be worth the effort to look into. I'm impressed.
another
TTABS TECH TIP TID BIT ...
One thing DTA did that I liked was tethered safety pins in areas that you use them. This way they will always be handy and you'll never loose them. So I had some extra cable and started cabling a few safety pins in key areas. Just a little FYI ..
The trike rebuild is nearly complete. Coming up ... installing an Alternator for more juice. (I can feel those heated seats just on fire as I write!)
:>)
Awesome Ttabs! The weight difference is astounding-- that's nearly the equivalent of two gallons of gas!!! One caveat on these LiFE batteries is that they DO put out a lot of juice rapidly (as you noticed)- LiFE can put more juice out upfront than Lead can. So, the battery builders are able to put even less into the battery making it lighter. The downside is that these batteries therefore do not have the long term reserve-- they are sprinters, not marathoners (like Lead)-- therefore a little trickle vampire draw (like a clock, or other electronic item that has a tiny draw when the trike is "Off") will drain the LiFE batteries before you start it up again in a couple days-- whereas that draw is nothing compared to the total amp hours that Lead can store. So LiFE has big upfront punch (equivalent to Cold Cranking Amps), but does not have much Amp hours behind that.
When I was looking for a landing light, not having the extra alternator like you do now, I wanted to be sure that the 912 will put out enough watts to run the light, and the Transponder and the Radio, and the Enigma, etc. Otherwise, at idle, the electronics may try and drain from my LiFE battery (that I'm probably going to get)-- and that LiFE battery probably cant handle that sustained drain.
I like the leash idea on your safety pins-- I think I'm going to go with non-metalic though- worried about the wear on the paint.
Great Stuff Ttabs!!!
Hey Tom... Looking sweet !!! I saw a more complete photo on the Alltrikes facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=324045947724659&set=a.253309841464937.58330.252947191501202&type=1&relevant_count=1 but did not see this photo posted here. It is really coming together nicely !!!
You might consider using a plastic sleeve on the tether wires... I had one near the nose batten on my wing that started carving into the aluminum before I noticed it (and I would not expect that to be a high vibration location). One of these where the vibration is high could do some cutting quickly I would suspect if in direct metal to metal contact.
Ttabs-- did I miss the dash stickers? That's been a holdup for me completing my dash-- getting nice stickers-- including ones that look like the stock Mast warning light diagram, the Tanarg Logo, and all the switch / gauge identifiers. Plus, I also thought it might be nice to have a professionally done version of my dash placard. The stickers you had printed for your trike (TerrorDactyl, etc) looked great-- will this company do the little dash graphics and lettering?
Hey, Henry raised a question about RF noise from your landing light. He saw a new one blast out all kinds of RF- which is surprising to me because they are LED and are not flashing (surging)-- my Aveopowerburst strobes are very quiet. Also, wouldn't winding the power cable to the landing light through a ferule eliminate that? (I was trying to get an idea from Henry if the noise his friend had was internal to that trike (in which case better grounding a ferule should fix it), or if that LED was broadcasting noise (ie a hand held radio nearby would pick it up-- wasn't sure of his answer).
Anyway, I just got my 2 LED Baja light today (1800 Lumens, 21W, 2.1 Amp) - sitting on my desk here ready to go. The baby brother to yours. Thanks for the rec!!!
You can't hardly open the package without voiding the warranty ;) The orange sealing sticker says, "Removing our connector voids your warranty." so, before I do that, Henry warns me to check with you regarding RF noise from this powerful baby (internal and external). ;)
RE Battery: This LiFE battery is so small, I thought I would have to do some mods to sit it in the old "battery compartment." What did you do to strap it in there? I haven't actually ordered the battery yet, but I did order some ALUMINIZED HEAT BARRIER - ADHESIVE BACKED from AircraftSpruce to put between the battery and the fuel tank- just in case !! ;-) What did you do / thoughts?
It's great having you on the frontline of testing now!!!
Good stuff Tom.
I used Lock Tite 620 to seal my carb heaters to the carbs.
Can you tell me about your fuel level sender (make/model)? It looks like a capacitive sensor. I have the same MGL fuel flow/fuel level sender as you do, but my float style fuel level sender sometimes get stuck. If you capacitive style sender works well with the MGL, I will swap it out.
XC - you bring up a good point regarding the possible RF noise using the LED's. The Pilot I spoke with has his two element LED mounted on the wing tip of a Kitfox which is a considerable run. He absolutely loves it and mentioned nothing about any noise being a factor. My expectation is that there will not be any interference but I guess I will not know for sure until I flick that switch on.
As for instrument panel stickers, yea I guess I could have some vinyl stickers made up but that for me is overkill. I'm going to use a label machine with black gloss tape and white letters. I'll cut the labels for fit and finish and for me I think it will be just fine.
Thanks for the added info on the battery. I like your analogy 'sprinters'. One thing I'm planning on doing is add a relay switch next to the battery. When the key is off, the battery will be completely isolated. They do hold a charge much longer than Lead. In fact, it is not necessary to trickle charge them if not used for a long period of time.
Jeff - the Capacitance fuel level probe they sent me was the wrong type so I'm waiting for the right one to arrive. I'll be using it with the Grand Rapids EIS system - not the MGL but I imagine they both will work the same in giving you reliable fuel tank levels. I expect it's going to work slick and the install for me was very easy. I got a little nervous however about taking a drill to a fuel tank and then running screws into it.
Thanks all for the input on the tether cables. I do have some coated cables so I'll change those out.
Ttabs thanks! Will you "flick the switch" on your landing light soon and check for RF- my light is still in the sealed box, and I'd like to know the answer before I break the seal. If it's horrendous, and ferules and isolation / grounding will not work, then I can return the light.
Do you not think that the Tanarg fully cuts off the battery when the ignition key is off? I suppose one of us should disconnect the ground to our battery and run it through a multimeter / ampmeter to determine. I think it is fully off with no trickle (vampire) drain- so a relay switch is just added complication and a failure point.
How about this for labeling? http://www.pulsarprofx.com/decalpro/Vertical/1_MENU/1a_Home/Aircraft/Aircraft.html
Looks slick-- maybe we can share a kit? Certainly we could share design files-- like the little Tanarg graphics and the mast alarm graphic picture, etc.
XC - I'm going to have the final inspection done on Monday and hopefully will be flying very VERY soon afterwards .... weather permitting :D I'll run a radio check for any light interference then and let you know ASAP.
As for the battery - I've completely redesigned my electrical system by adding the alternator and the fuse bus located on top of the fuel tank. I'm going to now install a relay between the battery and the bus that will be wired into the key. This way I know if the key is off, so is everything else. If you start adding alternators and seat heaters, the KISS principal goes right out the window I guess.
The decal thing looks great. I was going to use a black labeler with white lettering and call it good. But I could be talked into this.
WINDSHIELD UPDATE
So I have quite a big piece of Lexan left over from the first two windshields I made ....
Since my wife complains about the wind in the passenger seat a lot, I thought I'd make a cold weather/wife windshield for those special occasions. I figured while sitting in the back seat that about 48" from the bottom of the windscreen to the top of the windshield is about right for total passenger protection. I traced out the initial base of the windshield but added an 18" stovepipe section right to the top ...
Then I drilled the screw holes and initially mounted the screen to get a feel for how to round out the top. Once completed, I had the basic design done ...
One recommendation I have is to sand down the rough edges while the protective sheets are still attached to the lexan. I used these Harbor Freight cheap foam sanding blocks that worked well ....
So this was the 48" cold weather windshield. But I still had enough material to basically make another one! (remember I started with a 4x8' sheet of this stuff). That's 4 windshields out of one sheet!
So I cut out another one but made this one 36" high. This will protect me in the cold weather much better than the 2 footer yet create less drag then the 48 ...
Once everything is sanded and drilled and fastened, it is very sturdy and looks like it was meant to be ...
So now I have a 24", 36" and 48" windshields to choose from for the conditions. Not a bad choice to have when the temperature drops (or the wife tags along).
Not depicted is a small piece of pile velcro adhered to the top of the windshield to prevent any brandishing agains the front tube.
So the cost for 4 windshields - $105
the BALLERINA THROTTLE PEDAL MOD
I don't know about you guys, but I find I have to be a ballerina to push that throttle pedal all the way forward. I guess I need an extra hinge in my ankle to get there. So, to relax the amount of pedal travel necessary, I modded the pedal a little ....
I wanted to create another hole just north of this one to increase the radius of pull on the cable. So, the pedal came off and sent to the vice ...
This did the trick. I can now comfortably reach max throttle with out having to attend dance lessons!
Sweet! I'd say definitely I should talk you into that labeling kit, it will be the "piece of resistance" (J. Spicoli- Fast Times). Where'd you get a 4x8 sheet of Lexan? I'm going to need some, because all my passengers are saying that the wind is significant in the back seat now that I switched to the BioniX-- I was thinking, hey screw them, I'm still perfectly comfortable up front with the shorty-- but, it's a pretty much uniform statement now. ; )
I picked up the Lexan sheet (about .060 thickness as I recall for Tanargs) at a plastics supply shop here in Spokane. You can take your windshield in and they can measure the thickness so you get a matching grade of Lexan.
SKYWEARS FLIGHT SUIT - INITIAL REVIEW
Well I'm not going to say I splurged big here, but I am rather optimistic about this new flight suit I ordered up from Skywears which is located in all of places .... Pakistan! The shipping - while very reasonably priced at $25, took about 4 weeks to arrive. The link above takes you to their offering for their Winter Classic styles. I choose the Ozee knock-off style and wanted to see if I'll have the same zipper problems that plague the European model.
The Winter Classic suits are constructed with a stiff Cordura nylon fabric shell and insulated with a pleated Thinsulate. My initial impression is it feels warm, a bit stiff (it's new) and will make an excellent wind barrier.
The color however is more of a Gold than yellow in my case. So beware if color matching with your trike is important too you. I certainly can live with it.
I'm 6'2" and the XL fits well and is roomy enough for under garments for additional warmth. Since my Ozee had several zipper failures (in flight I might add), I was interested to see how these zips would be from Pakistan in comparison. Skywears uses original YKK steel zippers that are robust and for now operate very smoothy. They don't catch on the material when using. I did stitch a 6" zipper stop over the elastic waist band of my Ozee which ended the broken zipper issues for me and I'll do the same here just to give it a fair shake at longevity.
The tags mention Dry Clean Only .. FWIW.
The pocket set up is the same as Ozee including the leg checklist pocket and breast sunglass compartment. There is however one glaring problem with the suit. NO FLY!!! What were they thinking? I'll have to mod this suit with a velcro flap for a fly. I've already sent them a (ahem) friendly reminder to include a fly in their future models.
So, aside from the fly issue, this suit is $145 shipped! My initial impression - looks like the quality is there and I'm expecting it to perform just fine with lasting results ... so long as I don't have to pee! I'll let you know what their response is to the fly thing and if there's any changes to this review.
BTW - if this suit gets too warm for summer flying, I may order up their summer suit to compare with as well (if it comes with a fly).
Just fly North, bound to get cold somewhere up there!