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  1. JimCovington

    Emergency Egress: Improvements to the bubble canopy?

    The Zvezda SKS-94 does this with a little explosive cartridge assist - considerably less than a standard ejection seat. I've seen them called "extraction" seats. You want the push; there are some situations where you can't count on the canopy to pull you out...
  2. JimCovington

    Sadler Vampire

    Aha - I imagine the shipping/crating charges would equal the cost of the airframe! I have no idea - how much is it to ship a 20' container down under? anyone know? Yes, it will fit in a 20' container without disassembly. It's a little bugger.
  3. JimCovington

    Sadler Vampire

    Isn't that an Australian site? This is a pretty US-specific model. Designed in the US, flown in the US, used in a US weapons test program - it and its descendants never made it to Australia. AFAIK, it has no parts in common with the Australian SV models. It's a one-off. Here's how I...
  4. JimCovington

    Sadler Vampire

    Hi guys, Been gone for a while. Doing annoying things like trying to make money (to pay for more planes) and buying another plane (certified, a C206 - not sexy, but o so useful.) Anyway, I happen to be the owner of a Sadler Vampire that hasn't been mentioned in this thread - EXP 001, the...
  5. JimCovington

    Hombebuilt B-29/Stratocruiser

    Sheesh, don't do that. If we shut down every thread when it diverged, we wouldn't have a forum left. :gig: Can you imagine hangar flying at the local strip and having to stop talking every time someone said "Hey, that reminds me..." :roll:
  6. JimCovington

    Hombebuilt B-29/Stratocruiser

    Why the complex hinge mechanism? it weighs more....
  7. JimCovington

    RC-Type retractable landing gear

    It's a good question, but I'm going to stick with my original answer. The KR gear is barely 12" off the ground and supports a gross of only 750lbs - most planes require much more clearance, and the suspension & strength of the gear just aren't there at larger sizes. A quote from this thread on...
  8. JimCovington

    Quiet Flight

    Very interesting. I don't suppose you had any way to test power output? Can you record mp3 files? I'm curious to hear the sound characteristics.
  9. JimCovington

    RC-Type retractable landing gear

    I'm going to guess weight. By them time you scale it up to the strength required for human-carrying aircraft, it's much heavier than more complex alternatives. Those two side plates would have to be pretty massive chunks of steel to carry the loads.
  10. JimCovington

    Quiet Flight

    I don't really think the presence or absence of rockwool or fiberglass will influence my decisions to breath from the tailpipe.. :)
  11. JimCovington

    Hombebuilt B-29/Stratocruiser

    Getting waaay off topic... Really? Didn't know that. Also didn't know the number of seats mattered more than the number of engines. Didn't one of the EAA magazines run an article recently about getting required special pilot certification for turbine aircraft? Or was it Kitplanes? I don't...
  12. JimCovington

    Crashworthiness

    Can I get those guys to just follow me around? Especially when I'm NOT in my plane. He was still extracting himself from the cockpit when he looked up and saw the divers "like fish..."....WOW.
  13. JimCovington

    Hombebuilt B-29/Stratocruiser

    If by "light airplane" you're referring to the proposed design, I disagree. "Light airplane" and "120 lb carbon airplane capable of handling a 100lb 35 hp engine" are two completely different categories. First, it's a challenge to DESIGN a 120lb carbon airframe - using any tools you want...
  14. JimCovington

    What is worth a few pounds?

    One thing that hasn't been mentioned, and makes you much safer in a crash, is pilot weight. Before I go any further - I'll say that I have a few pounds to drop myself. Want to save 10 lbs in a 1000 lb plane? Skip the expensive carbon cowling and hit the gym. Being fitter and carrying less...
  15. JimCovington

    Crashworthiness

    Using a simplistic theory of deceleration=>constant is the only way to go for these types of calculations for amateurs. If I were in the business of crash protection, I wouldn't use the simplification. A collapsing metal structure will probably peak early and then yield more easily as it...
  16. JimCovington

    Crashworthiness

    Your spreadsheet can be GREATLY simplified with a few acceleration formulas: Acceleration Equations Formulas Calculator Velocity Given Initial Constant Acceleration Time WikiAnswers - What is the formula for calculating acceleration I think I found an error in E20/E22 - you need to double...
  17. JimCovington

    Crashworthiness

    Yeah, I'm getting that way also - plus I have previous damage. I took an impact load parallel to my spine somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 Gs several years ago and my toes still tingle. Not something I want to do again.
  18. JimCovington

    Crashworthiness

    Actually, we can take a lot more than 10 - we can *sustain* 10 gs. Military pilots sustain 9 frequently. IIRC, the number the FAA uses for crashworthiness is 21 gs parallel to the spine. Stapp's tests showed that 35+ gs perpindicular to the spine produced loads you could walk away from, and he...
  19. JimCovington

    Hombebuilt B-29/Stratocruiser

    If you're asking, the answer is "no." Anyone with the extensive composite construction & design experience required to build a 120lb airframe (without engine) doesn't need to ask. It's a huge challenge. Here are some comparable examples of very small airplanes (without engines): Carbon dragon...
  20. JimCovington

    The sherpa

    No need for a campfire - just put your marshmallows between the gear legs and fire up the engine...
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