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  1. V

    DIY 400 year nuclear battery: Electric Aircraft Recharging Challenges Solved ;)

    A Chinese entity has announced a small nuclear battery that produces power for about 50 years. Other previous Russian devices last even longer. Some of these batteries have an energy density 10x better than present lithium battery chemistries, and they pose no fire risk. Nirvana! The...
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    Is there a "not-so-bad" place for an airfoil discontinuity?

    When considering the practicalities of building a wing skin, there will sometimes be lap joints, sheet overlaps, etc that cause small variances with the perfect airfoil (as defined by coordinates, formula, etc). Where is it best to put these small-but-present imperfections? Does the location...
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    Aircraft component weight data source (wheels, plexiglass mass/sqft, fuel line, etc).

    I've done some searches here, came up empty handed. Do we have a list of component/material weights that could be used to estimate the empty weight and CG of a new design? Even weights for props, tailwheels, etc aren't typically listed in sales literature. Raymer and others suggest use of...
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    Swift Fuel Unleaded Causing Valve Problems? UND goes back to 100LL

    The Univ of North Dakota has reverted to 100LL after finding valve seat recession in engines using Swift UL94. The planes were mostly Piper Archers and Seminoles. This could be trouble. Or, maybe not. Link to AVWEB piece: Citing Valve Damage, UND Drops Unleaded Fuel And Returns To 100LL...
  5. V

    Fiberglass Biax: With or without 3/4oz mat?

    I'm shopping for +/- 45 deg fiberglass biax cloth (aka "stitched" , "knitted" etc) and I've noticed some products include a 3/4 oz mat as well as the two plies. I can't find a description of the purpose of this mat, but a lot of products include it. Any info? At first I thought it might be...
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    Composite film/fabric as hinge

    In the past, Zenith used sheet metal (the top wing skin) as the aileron hinge on some aircraft (available on the 601?). Chris Heinz claimed it saved weight, reduced construction time, resulted in an aerodynamically cleaner wing and that it worked well. Still, potential customers worried about...
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    A history of VW Beetles in Antarctica

    Okay, maybe not >directly< related to airplanes. In the attached 30 minute video, a Scottish video blogger gives an interesting history of the several VW Beetles brought to Antarctica by Aussie and Kiwi govt research teams. Despite the -50C temps and brutally rough ice driving surfaces, the...
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    FAA and VA cross checking pilot medical records, some pilots grounded

    A recent WaPo piece revealed that the VA and FAA are comparing records to: 1) Identify pilots with medical issues that are known to the VA but were not disclosed to the FAA 2) Identify individuals who fraudulently claim VA disability benefits for conditions they didn't report to the FAA. It...
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    FAA approves 191lb drone for BVLOS ops

    This 191lb drone has been approved by the FAA to operate beyond (the operator's) visual line-of-sight (BVLOS). It will be used primarily for pipeline and power line survey and inspection. According to this article, this is the largest drone approved for BVLOS operation. There are...
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    VW heads: Single Port vs Dual Port 1600CC heads on the VW factory dyno

    While looking for some other information, I came acrossa post on this South African VW site with these factory dyno charts for VW 1600CC engines: One with a single port head, one with a twin port head: Single Port 1600CC engine below: Dual port 1600CC below: The scale of the two charts...
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    Available mass-produced, inexpensive brushless DC (BLDC) motors?

    For those pondering the cheapie side of electric flight, what are the available options? Since multiple motors might be feasible and projects might be big or small, l'd think anything from about 5hp and up would be of interest. In the old days, a tinkerer wanting a cheap electric motor might...
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    Corvair aero engines: The next chapter

    I know we have some knowledgeable fans of the Corvair aircraft engine here, so here's a general question: Yes, it is often stated that the world will never run out of suitable Corvair cases, heads, etc for conversion. But: 1) Are there any signs of somebody starting production of new...
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    Physical Scale Models for Structural Analysis of Composite Acft: Utility? Scaling Factors/Similitude Considerations?

    We've recently had discussions on the practicality of full-scale structural testing of actual homebuilt aircraft prototypes, and also some references to use of models in crash testing. So, that got me wondering if appropriately constructed physical scale models of composite aircraft can provide...
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    FAA: Non-commercial Aircraft Registration Period to be 7 years (up from 3 today)

    The required re-registration period for most noncommercial aircraft is going from 3 years to 7. Yea! A little less paperwork. But, registration lists will surely get less accurate. More here: FAA Extending Aircraft Registration Period to Seven Years (Contains link to 33 page FAA draft rule)...
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    The Last 747 Has Rolled off the Production Line.

    It's the end of an era. 55 years since the first one was produced, the last 747 is almost ready for delivery. This freighter, a 747-8F, will be delivered to Atlas Air. They now operate fifty-seven 747s. More here:Last 747 Is Off The Line - AVweb
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    New York to London in 80 minutes on new passenger jet-- powered by cold fusion

    The nuclear-powered ‘Hyper Sting’ could whisk travelers from London to New York in 80 minutes The plane is to be twice as fast as the Concorde, and twice as big. The big breakthrough that makes this possible? Cold fusion! Be patient. The guy behind this says production of the jets probably...
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    CFD Simulation of VW Type 1 Aero Engine Air Cooling

    Bottom line up front: I found this interesting, but this wouldn't be considered highly practical information. This is a study done by two engineering students in Thailand in 2019. VW-Aero Engine Cylinder a Head Cooling Efficiency Investigation https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/39/1/4/pdf From...
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    FAA: Wrestling with Appropriate Pilot Rating for EVTOLs

    From the AOPA site: FAA PUMPS BRAKES ON EVTOLS AIRCRAFT APPROVAL ONE THING, PILOT RATING ANOTHER From the piece: ++( “The agency is pursuing a predictable framework that will better accommodate the need to train and certify the pilots who will operate these novel aircraft,” the FAA wrote. The...
  19. V

    EMT Conduit connectors for projects: Maker Pipe

    I ran across these connectors that can be used with locally available metal conduit to make projects. They are manufactured in South Carolina and sold by a little company called "Maker Pipe." The models below are just a few, they have lots more: I'm always needing some sort of rack...
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    15% ethanol to be allowed in "normal" auto fuel?

    The US executive branch is proposing to temporarily allow an increase of ethanol (from 10% to 15%) in auto fuel. The stated reason is to help reduce fuel prices. IIRC, ethanol has been limited to 10% for technical reasons (compatibility with material in auto fuel systems?) Anyway, those...
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