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davgray(at)sbcglobal.net
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 Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:22 pm Post subject: WW's New Flight Operations Manual-- Long post for those not |
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I just finished reading William's new publication, called "Flight Operations Manual".
This is an indispensable collection of articles for all builders.
As I was reading it I just kept saying 'EXACTLY' in my mind over and over.
When I started my project, I was not aware of any of these ideas. I learned most of these lessons
as I went along. That was not the fastest or the least expensive way to learn it.
This book will help keep your mind set right, increase safety, reduce cost,
and affect the way you build, maintain, and fly your aircraft.
Other than always having dreams of flying since I can remember, my background is not aviation related.
I was 16 years old before I flew in an aircraft. (a Cessna 210). I built model aircraft on a meager budget when
I was a kid. I worked my way through college doing a variety of jobs covering the spectrum from burying
people, maintaining a freezer warehouse at 20 degrees below zero, building homes and driving dump trucks for
the City of Grand Rapids. I consider these jobs as character builders.
I started my flight lessons the first year out of college but put it on hold when I learned a contract is only
as good as the word of the parties that sign it. Not wanting to repeat this event in the
future I built and opened my own business. After 7 years it started to make economic sense on paper so I
built another one with the same results. Anyway I was 47 before I got back to flying.
I purchased a 1991 Grumman Tiger. It was perfect. A sports car feel instead of the Cessna 172 stationwagon performance
that I trained in. As Rick Linstrom remarked in his article, it is a two finger aircraft. It prepared me well for the
601XL that I would build and fly later. What the Tiger does in knots the 601XL does in mph except at the top end
the Tiger is a little faster. But the view, light controls and nimbleness are remarkably familiar.
I sold the Tiger because I always wanted to build an aircraft and two aircraft at the same time might strain my marriage.
I wanted the legal freedom to do all of my own work. I realized I was deficient in knowledge on the subject but I am trainable and eager
to learn.
I knew from the start that in my family, I am an aberration, the only one that possessed the flight gene. I was not going to get
any help during the construction. I knew this from previous testing on my two children. I offered flight lessons in the Tiger if
they wanted to learn to fly and got a clear 'negative' response from both of them. I expected the same response for the building process
and was not surprised. This meant that I would have to choose an aircraft project that I could complete by myself.
I had plans for the Sonex and went to the builders workshop. They are a very professional family run organization as is Zenith. When looking
for suitable engines I came across a link to William's FlyCorvair Web site. After I read the information on his website and the Corvair Construction Manual I knew which engine I was going to use. The manual was packed with practical information and the rational for why it should be done a certain way. It was refreshing and a major step in the right direction. The Sonex had a limitation of 200 lbs for the FWF
installation where the Zenith 601XL would accept a 300 lb installation. So my decision suddenly became much easier.
William chose the 601XL as a test bed about the same time. I don't recall which came first but it was welcome news to me.
My kit arrived in mid-March 2004 within a couple days of my birthday. What a present! I rented a trailer large enough to pick it up at the freight depot, unpacked and inventoried everything for the next two days and safely stored it in the basement of my Veterinary Clinic which I designed 17 years earlier
to provide an access to the basement that would be able to handle this future event. In the next 9 weeks, I completed both wings and the
tail section in my personal business office, a 10 x 18 foot space. I did this between client appointments and before and after work.
It's amazing how much wasted time is in an ordinary business day. I averaged about 2.5 - 3 hours/day.
The airframe was completed in 10 months. I had never built anything with metal prior to this. It took a little over 1-1/2 years to complete
the electrical, and Firewall Forward items. Much of this time I waited for William to complete the production and testing of the recommended
systems and parts. When it came to the engine and FWF package, I wanted it to be strictly setup as designed by William Wynne.
In spite of this criteria, I still unknowingly took a few expensive missteps which William corrected before I wrecked my project.
What local shops said they could do was not good enough for a flight engine. Their work became money down the drain. On the other hand
everything I ever purchased from William has worked as he said it would.
The electrical and avionics took more time than I expected and helped keep me busy.
During the construction time, I read more than I did in the first four years of college. I studied the plans before I moved on to the next section. I read and planned the electrical system with the help of Bob Nuckoll's Book (at) aeroelectric.com and I looked for avionics solutions and parts.
For those of you that are new builders, it is much easier now. The systems are worked out, and the parts are beautiful CNC pieces off the shelf with proven track records and many flight hours of success. You have access to professionally built engines and FWF parts from William Wynne (at) www.flycorvair.com , Falcon Heads, and 5th bearings, not to mention the advances in light weight avionics at very reasonable prices and CNC pre-punched parts as standard items in the kits offered by Zenith.
Just a few years ago, this was not the case.
Your project can be built better and quicker because of these advances.
Still, a project of this size is composed of solving thousands of smaller problems, each one brings you a sense of satisfaction when you know you have it right and it gets you that much closer to flying your creation. With this transition to flight, you begin on a entirely new adventure, new problems, and a new sense of accomplishment.
Looking back, this has completed a life ambition, it has been and still is a work of art, it is an intellectual mind saver, and a wonderful escape from the day-to-day hum-drum where 95 percent of daily events are repetitious. Part of the reason I do this is because it is hard to do it right. I have to work at it, but that is also why I feel such a sense of accomplishment. It might be that I just like to see the world from a higher perspective that only pilots ever get to experience. The best part for me is the second that my wheels leave the ground followed shortly by a climbing turn onto my selected course as I watch the earth drop away.
As the Stock Trading Baby commercial says, Burrrrrrrp.....if I can do it, anybody can.
Gary Ray, 601XL, WW Corvair Engine, 0.060 over, Falcon Heads, Roy Szarafinski's 5th bearing, 105 hours TT
davgray(at)sbcglobal.net (davgray(at)sbcglobal.net)
[quote][b]
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Gig Giacona
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1416
Location: El Dorado Arkansas USA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: WW's New Flight Operations Manual-- Long post for those |
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Where is this ""Flight Operations Manual" of which you speak? I can't find anything about it at flycorvair.com.
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_________________
W.R. "Gig" Giacona
601XL Under Construction
See my progress at www.peoamerica.net/N601WR |
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K5YAC
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Posts: 949
Location: Owasso, Oklahoma
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| Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:35 am Post subject: Re: WW's New Flight Operations Manual-- Long post for those |
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The "Corvair Flight Operations Manual" is hot off the press. I picked up a copy at Brodhead, WI last weekend (yes, I'm a Pietenpol guy) and have read most of it. As Gary has already stated, it is a must have for any Corvair builder and pilot. Ten articles written by ten different and experienced Corvair pilots... this manual answered a lot of the questions I've had in the back of my mind regarding safe limitations, test procedures, things to look for, etc.
I would recommend it to all Corvair folks, even if you are already flying your engine.
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_________________
Mark Chouinard
All framed up... working on rigging.
www.mykitlog.com/k5yac
http://www.westcoastpiet.com/images/Mark%20Chouinard/pictures.htm |
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Ron Lendon
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 685
Location: Clinton Twp., MI
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: WW's New Flight Operations Manual-- Long post for those |
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I picked one up at Oshkosh and read it in the tent during the rain storms. GOOD STUFF! It is a compilation of 10 Corvair Flyers experiences and has very little of the ever most humble WW in it. The Corvair movement lives on.
If you are building a Corvair Powered airplane, you want this book.
Call Fly Corvair to get yours. Or follow this link:
http://flycorvair.com/ops09.html
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_________________
Ron Lendon
WW Corvair with Roy's Garage 5th bearing
CH 601 XLB
N601LT - Flying
http://www.mykitlog.com/rlendon
Corvair Engine Prints:
https://sites.google.com/site/corvairenginedata/ |
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