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  1. addaon

    Why are alternators so heavy?

    I recently did a paper study of converting a 1.5 L turbo auto conversion from alternator+starter to an integrated starter generator. Preliminary, and by no means apples-to-apples, but the controller, starter-generator, and mount came to comfortably under 5 lbs, with the stator and rotor...
  2. addaon

    Nicely-visualied introductory discussion of airfoils

    This is basically airfoils 101, so unlikely to provide much new insight to members, but the visualizations are nice: https://ciechanow.ski/airfoil/
  3. addaon

    April 8th Eclipse

    Anyone know any airfields in the path of totality that allow camping?
  4. addaon

    Turbocharger exhaust temperature?

    For all the engine gurus out there, what are reasonable expectations for turbocharger exhaust temperature? To ground it an example, let's assume inlet temperature of around 1600°F, MAP in the 45" - 50" range for an automotive conversion, operation up to 16k ft. Wondering how reasonable it is to...
  5. addaon

    Paper request: Deep stall characteristics of X-32 or HAL Tejas

    Not sure if any public documentation has made it out there yet, but I'm looking for a document that discusses some whether either of these two designs -- or other examples of relaxed static stability tailless canard-less deltas -- had similar deep stall characteristics to more conventional RSS...
  6. addaon

    Experience re-engining a certified aircraft?

    The TO-360 on my Commander 112 TCA is getting very, very tired. I think I have another year in it, maybe two, but I'm definitely approaching "pushing my luck" territory. Overhauling the TO-360 is cost prohibitive -- Lycoming wants this engine to have never existed, and overhaul quotes are...
  7. addaon

    Keyed/splined oleo strut?

    I was looking at some teardowns of Cannondale's Lefty Ocho strut, which is basically an oleo strut landing gear for bikes. No direct applicability due to sizing, but one interesting design note is that, rather than using a scissor link (like most airplane oleos) or a second strut (like every...
  8. addaon

    British air museums?

    I recall someone mentioning an air museum very worth visiting in the UK, but didn’t note it down and can’t find the thread now. Going to be passing through next week, so thought I’d ask for a rec or two.
  9. addaon

    Inverted oleo strut?

    I assume that inverted oleos (piston on top, allowing scissor link on top) have issues with sealing, and that’s why we don’t see them in the wild… any counter-examples?
  10. addaon

    Why is trailing link gear so good?

    Trailing link landing gear is known to be wonderful in terms of both landing performance and taxi performance, and my experience with my Commander confirms that — it’s the best ground-handling plane I’ve been in, and makes even the craziest landings bounce-free. So… why? Compared to simple oleo...
  11. addaon

    Human CG position relative to seat

    Writing up some notes here, because I realize I've gone through this exercise several times and have gotten somewhat different answers. Problem statement: For a pilot sitting in in a seat with a 5°-from-horizontal seat angle, 13°-from-vertical back angle, and relatively low seat height (so...
  12. addaon

    Double-hinged rudders

    Anyone have any examples of double-hinged rudders used in homebuilt aircraft, or any real data about weight increments for double-hinged rudders in small planes? As I go through my stability and control numbers, it really seems to be the optimal solution for my bird, at least when taking...
  13. addaon

    Looking for a graph -- interference drag on interior corner

    Hey all, I have no reason to believe this graph exists, and didn't see it flipping through Hoerner, but it seems like it should... I'm looking for something that looks at the interior angle of a "right angle" extrusion style channel on the X axis, and something correlated to drag on the Y axis...
  14. addaon

    Prop to nose wheel clearance -- guidance?

    Anyone have typical numbers for this? This is in the context of a retract, so the drag cost of screwing with the prop flow isn't a major concern, just thinking about safety margins. 23.925 doesn't give direct guidance, but the part (a) numbers of 7" minimum for ground clearance seem as good a...
  15. addaon

    Beringer axle weights?

    Can anyone confirm that the Beringer axle weights in kg are correct? The conversion to lbs went horribly wrong, and since the axles are a bit lighter than I'd expect I want to make sure that it only got screwed up in one direction, not both. See pg 105 of...
  16. addaon

    Dyke Delta landing gear drawings?

    Anyone have drawings of the Dyke Delta’s landing gear mechanisms, or of other designs where the mains rotate around a spanwise axis? Looking for some intuition around bracing against side loads, managing retract forces, etc.
  17. addaon

    Shopping to buy (not build) an E/AB

    So I'm giving serious thought to setting aside my Commander 112TC in the next zero to three years, and buying a different plane to tide me over until my own design is flying. Mission requirements: 2+ seats 140+ kts cruise 600+ nm useful range (+ reserve) 500+ lbs useful load at 600 nm range...
  18. addaon

    Material Temperature Limits (in the news)

    https://avherald.com/h?article=50faa50b There's mentions on many threads about material temperature limits, especially around composites (resin systems) but also adhesives (this article), 3D printed materials, etc. This article serves as a good (if somewhat bizarre) reminder that setting your...
  19. addaon

    Diagonal ribs?

    This might be a silly question, and it might be answered elsewhere (link?), but why are diagonal ribs so uncommon in fabric-covered control surfaces? I know the Ercoupe uses them so they're obviously possible. I know that in a metal-skinned control surface the skin is a perfectly adequate shear...
  20. addaon

    Self-piercing Rivets

    Anyone have experience with self-piercing rivets, either in our application or in others?
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