Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - Taildragger conversion battery position.

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Taildragger conversion battery position.

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Europa-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

paul(at)wilsonnet.flyer.c
Guest

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:04 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Our syndicate is currently carrying out the taildragger conversion using the

Swiss carbon fibre type undercarriage leg.

The aircraft is a classic, with a 912S with the XS firewall forward kit and

upgraded gross weight mod.

I wondered where other builders of this type had put their battery for best

c of g position, i.e. under the cowls , or under the extended baggage bay

area.

Also, has anyone souced ready made leg fairings and spats for this

conversion, from an existing aircraft which may fit with slight alterations

?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks,



Paul.

Ian Mansfeld

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Salisbury, England

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:58 am Post subject: Re: Taildragger conversion battery position.

I had this conversion done to a 80hp mono by the knowledgable Dave Hunter at Kemble. The conversion made no change to the CG, and my battery remains in the engine bay (although my aircraft as built does tend to an aft CG anyway). Leg fairings were from Duncan Macfadyean (apologies if spelling is wrong!) and are VERY clean and light. Wheel fairings are Europa Tri-gear, trimmed to fit by Dave.  



Excellent mod, added a VP prop to get a machine that I am very pleased with (1000fpm RoC and 125 knot 75% cruise on 19 lph from 80hp). 



Out of interest, are you in touch with the man who makes the carbon hoop, as Dave and I had a very difficult time contacting him and any new info would be useful just in case a new leg is needed one day.



Ian G-BVVP

ptiller(at)lolacars.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:27 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

I'm at quite an early stage of a Europa rebuild project but am already considering the conventional taildragger mod.  I've tried to contact Luc Job regarding the hoop but with no luck.



With regards to the carbon undercarriage hoop, would there be any issues with getting it made elsewhere?  I work for a company that does a lot of carbon lay ups (it builds racing cars) and it also has a licence to do aerospace work (it build radomes for aircraft and helicopters etc).  If a lay-up manual was available and tooling could be borrowed / re-manufactured then a small run of hoops could be made in the UK.  I'm not sure what the requirements from the PFA would be and whether new drop tests and certification would need to be carried out due to a new supplier.



Please note the motivation for this would not be to take work away from the guy in Switzerland but just to ensure a continued and maybe more reliable supply of hoops for aircraft flying and new builds.



Let me know if anyone is interested and I can take things further at work.

Visit -  www.EuropaOwners.org

http://www.europaowners.org/viewtopic.php?p=12912#12912

grahamsingleton(at)btinte
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:46 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Phil

I thought PFA had decided they would not aprove any more carbon leg 

conversions, there have been some failures?

imho the carbon leg is too stiff, a better alternative would be S glass 

uni for the bending and carbon for the torsion. Long EZ legs are all S 

glass with E glass torsion layups.

I think the original carbon legs were made by Arplast but I could be wrong.

Graham



flyingphil2 wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



I'm at quite an early stage of a Europa rebuild project but am already considering the conventional taildragger mod.  I've tried to contact Luc Job regarding the hoop but with no luck.

ptiller(at)lolacars.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:52 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Graham,



Oh really?  I'll check that out.  I tend to agree about the carbon hoop being too stiff and I'm rebuilding G-SYCO that was written off due to an accident involving a broken leg.  I think the taildragger mod is a really nice design but the stiffness of the leg and lack of availability mean that it has some downsides.  I wonder if the Swiss mod could be developed with a new hoop with reduced stiffness?  The alternative that you suggest sounds promising.  Apparently Europa were thinking about developing a mod but nothing was ever produced.  I wonder what their solution would have been?



Regards,



Phil

Visit -  www.EuropaOwners.org

http://www.europaowners.org/viewtopic.php?p=12915#12915

wdaniell(at)etb.net.co
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:25 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Has anybody done this for the trigear?



The steel legs are pretty heavy



--

fklein(at)orcasonline.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:52 am Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Phil...Have you checked out the Flight Crafters taildragger mod?...it 

uses a one piece metal gear which attaches externally and is faired 

into the bottom of the fuselage; it can be retrofitted into a completed 

Europa; I'd suggest emailing or talking w/ Bob Berube (at) 

bberube(at)tampabay.rr.com. I have a series of photos from Bob showing the 

sequence of installation; let me know and I can send you them off-list.



I expect to receive soon the plans and hardware which would allow me to 

easily convert my XS mono to taildragger configuration at some later 

date. At this moment I am undecided as to whether I will complete my 

bird as a mono...may just go ahead now w/ the TD'r.



Fred

A194

On Monday, October 9, 2006, at 05:50 AM, flyingphil2 wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Graham,



 Oh really?  I'll check that out.  I tend to agree about the carbon 

 hoop being too stiff and I'm rebuilding G-SYCO that was written off 

 due to an accident involving a broken leg.  I think the taildragger 

 mod is a really nice design but the stiffness of the leg and lack of 

 availability mean that it has some downsides.  I wonder if the Swiss 

 mod could be developed with a new hoop with reduced stiffness?  The 

 alternative that you suggest sounds promising.  Apparently Europa were 

 thinking about developing a mod but nothing was ever produced.  I 

 wonder what their solution would have been?



 Regards,



 Phil

 Visit -  www.EuropaOwners.org

 http://www.europaowners.org/viewtopic.php?p=12915#12915





 -- 

 This message has been scanned for viruses and

 dangerous content by MailScanner, and is

 believed to be clean.

ami(at)mcfadyean.freeserv
Guest

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Stefan Rouvenet in Switzerland developed and flew a leg that was constructed

from glass. But it was too 'soggy'.



Duncan McF

 	  Quote: 	
		  > 

>

> Graham,

>

> Oh really?  I'll check that out.  I tend to agree about the carbon hoop

> being too stiff and I'm rebuilding G-SYCO that was written off due to an

> accident involving a broken leg.  I think the taildragger mod is a really

> nice design but the stiffness of the leg and lack of availability mean

> that it has some downsides.  I wonder if the Swiss mod could be developed

> with a new hoop with reduced stiffness?  The alternative that you suggest

> sounds promising.  Apparently Europa were thinking about developing a mod

> but nothing was ever produced.  I wonder what their solution would have

> been?

>

> Regards,

>

> Phil

grahamsingleton(at)btinte
Guest

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:09 pm Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

A couple of thousand folks have flown legs made of S glass on EZs with 

no problem at all. Stefan had a very steep learning curve and AFAIK 

didn't quite make it over the top.I have to say though that his BMW 

engine had a lot to do with that.

Graham



Duncan & Ami McFadyean wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <ami(at)mcfadyean.freeserve.co.uk>



 Stefan Rouvenet in Switzerland developed and flew a leg that was 

 constructed

 from glass. But it was too 'soggy'.



 Duncan McF

>> 

>>

>> Graham,

>>

>> Oh really?  I'll check that out.  I tend to agree about the carbon hoop

>> being too stiff and I'm rebuilding G-SYCO that was written off due 

>> to an

>> accident involving a broken leg.  I think the taildragger mod is a 

>> really

>> nice design but the stiffness of the leg and lack of availability mean

>> that it has some downsides.  I wonder if the Swiss mod could be 

>> developed

>> with a new hoop with reduced stiffness?  The alternative that you 

>> suggest

>> sounds promising.  Apparently Europa were thinking about developing 

>> a mod

>> but nothing was ever produced.  I wonder what their solution would have

>> been?

>>

>> Regards,

>>

>> Phil

>

ami(at)mcfadyean.freeserv
Guest

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: Taildragger conversion battery position.

Or his wiring of the BMW engine, to be precise.

Duncan McF.

---

HowardM

Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 7

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: Taildragger conversion battery position.

 	  Ian Mansfeld wrote: 	
		  I had this conversion done to a 80hp mono by the knowledgable Dave Hunter at Kemble. The conversion made no change to the CG, and my battery remains in the engine bay (although my aircraft as built does tend to an aft CG anyway). Leg fairings were from Duncan Macfadyean (apologies if spelling is wrong!) and are VERY clean and light. Wheel fairings are Europa Tri-gear, trimmed to fit by Dave.  



Excellent mod, added a VP prop to get a machine that I am very pleased with (1000fpm RoC and 125 knot 75% cruise on 19 lph from 80hp). 



Out of interest, are you in touch with the man who makes the carbon hoop, as Dave and I had a very difficult time contacting him and any new info would be useful just in case a new leg is needed one day.



Ian G-BVVP

_________________
Howard

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Europa-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum