tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26597227100810811962024-03-05T21:56:22.881+00:00Tinworm-wingsflewings, then fixed and now rotaryTinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.comBlogger428125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-8114769884517022012020-05-14T11:35:00.000+00:002020-05-14T16:52:13.306+00:00 "It's 2020, where's my flying car"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those who do not know, for the last two years I have been working on a history PhD at Manchester University. My field is the History of Technology. Within the field the democratising of a technology is a genre which is concerned with the accessibility of a technology, its diffusion and availability, its design and its control. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started from the premise that the advent of the microlight aeroplane has democratised private flying. During my recent Viva (an oral exam where doctors grilled me on the content of my first written submissions) it became clear to us all that my definition of democracy was problematic. Unlike other democratised technologies, like the telephone, the car, the internet, etc, private flying has not been broadly adopted and has not become part of everyday life for ordinary people, who usually only experience flight as passengers.<br /><br />I can argue that the technology, the microlight, has democratised private flying, but cannot really argue that it is a democratised technology more broadly, and I suppose would only really be able to do so if having a microlight was as commonplace as having a car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We talk in history and social science circles about the idea of "imaginaries", which is one of those detestable academic words which doesn't exist in the real world, but which has been coined to mean something not easily defined in ordinary life. An imaginary (an abstract noun, not an adjective,...so, a thing, but one you cannot see) is, broadly speaking, an idea that a society has about itself. For a better definition read<a href="https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/makingsciencepublic/2015/04/23/imagining-imaginaries/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"> this excellent article</span></a> from one of several academic writers I admire, who believe that academic writing must be easily understood. Academic writing has a reputation for being elitist and often being deliberately obtuse (when<i> I could just have said unclear!</i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am exploring an "imaginary" which seems to have existed since the 1920s, at least, and which is most commonly experienced in lightweight news reporting about new innovations in aviation, especially small, non-commercial flying machines:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For instance, on Facebook there is a page, "Its [sic] 2020, where's my flying car", another meme bemoans the fact that while we expected by 2020 to all be flying our own cars, in fact under Covid nobody - not even the lines of pictured passenger planes- is flying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The implication of this is that the flying car is something which has long been sought, even if we haven't given it much thought, but have only vaguely imagined was being worked on by the boffins. I am trying to trace the origin of the notion that there might one day come a time when all of us might have a flying machine with the utility of the car. I don't say that we have ever actually believed that it would happen, necessarily; only that somewhere deep in our collective psyche, un-selfconsciously and perhaps never critically examined, we have a notion that it would be wonderful to have a machine in the garage which could take us anywhere. It is almost like a shared joke, and it makes me think of those moments when a whole audience laughs having suddenly realised the punch-line before the comedian delivers it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Advertising for the smaller aeroplanes, which might be owned by would-be pilots equated the aeroplane to the car. For instance, in the 1920s de Havilland ran adverts which talked in terms of aeroplanes being easily "driven", or being as economic as driving a car, or that they could be towed home and parked in an "ordinary" garage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fact that few people had cars at the time and that until the 1930s it was uncommon for houses to be built with garages says quite a lot about who these adverts were actually pitched at, and that makes the subject of my first chapter especially interesting to me. Why was it that the Royal Aero Club (modelled on Royal Automobile Club, incidentally but not co-incidentally) made it a qualifying test at the start of their 1920s competitions to find the idea light aeroplane, that it must be capable of being passed through a gap equivalent in dimensions to the doorway of an "ordinary garage"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(image included with the kind permission of Mr A. Ord-Hume)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not going to give you the punchline now, because that chapter is due to be published by the Deutsches Museum in the autumn, and actually the article isn't about the imaginary of flying cars. But it is all part of the idea of the aeroplane becoming something that ordinary people might aspire to own and fly themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>One Man, One Vote</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>...redefining what we mean by democracy and technology</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I started writing this blog entry it was as a response to people's attitudes to Covid and to the restrictions on flying, and to my realisation in recent weeks, that I needed to completely re-define democracy in relation to flying. I think I will have to write a separate blog on that now. Suffice it to say that previously I saw it in terms of "One man, one vote".....and private flying as the ability of the individual to own a plane and fly it. Now I think I need to see the whole question of aeroplane operation from the point of view of "the people" more broadly. Covid has shown that there is a tension between the libertarian, right wing position, which previously I had seen as a democratising, autonomous one, and the needs of the wider community.</span></div>
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Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-27299679030478963552020-04-29T13:14:00.001+00:002020-04-29T15:18:23.968+00:00Crash<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">BRIEF version</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last summer, 4th July, I put myself in hospital. It is the subject of an Air Accident Investigation Report which will be published imminently. The BMAA magazine already let the cat out of the bag, for which they have apologised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This will all be fairly humiliating. I don't come out of it well. The airworthiness of an aeroplane is the pilot's responsibility.<br /><br />I took my wing off a few days previously to clean it. I got a very experienced friend, an inspector who has been around microlighting for many years, to help me re-rig the plane afterwards, as this was only the second rigging since I bought the plane.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an SSDR aircraft it had been modified by the previous owner, who actually did a really good job of it. It is a good design, but you do have to remember what he told you about the process, and neither my friend nor I had remembered it. The front strut has two pins between the Jesus bolt and the pod. Because we hadn't unhooked the top one, we hadn't been able to slide the outer sleeve on the strut, so had found rigging the lower pin tricky, but finally my friend secured it, or so we thought. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, the non-sliding sleeve covered the fact that my friend had failed to pass the pin through both the inner tube and the outer sleeve, so that the top half of the front strut was not secured to the bottom tube; the pin was sitting on top of it. I explained it better in my crash report (will look it out). The point is that the mistake is not visible, as the connection is covered by the sleeve. A conventional front strut does not have the sleeve, so the error would have been obvious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I took off, the wing lifted, gravity came into play and the front strut separated and swung from the Jesus bolt. I performed an emergency landing in crop, only just managing not to get impaled on the exposed strut anchoring point which was sticking up towards me. The trike folded over my back and the monopole broke over my arm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I managed to get out and go and lie a safe distance from the trike, while some friendly hang glider pilots who had witnessed the whole embarrassing thing called the ambulance. Unfortunately I wasn't in a bad enough state to go for a free helicopter ride, but had to wait for the ground ambulance to pick me up. Nothing was broken, fortunately. I just needed strapping up etc.<br /><br />But there is little left of the plane...except, very happily, the wing, which is ok. I am building a new trike, about which, more later.</span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-2956937282267486882019-02-22T21:53:00.000+00:002019-02-22T21:54:31.909+00:00Hangar Dolley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I needed my trike to be more manoeuvrable in the hangar. I constructed this dolley from a motorbike turntable ...modified with some welded-in steel, and added in a motorbike trailer ramp.</span><br />
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<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-43510513838787044232019-01-22T14:39:00.002+00:002019-01-22T14:39:22.393+00:00BOO<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prompted to say my name, Peter, when my little sister was a baby, she managed "bubu", which became Boo. I have been Boo ever since; my sister Beth, occasionally, is Bethy-Boo.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So it is a happy coincidence that my new plane's registration is BU </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(G-MYBU)</span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-69450256972612258102019-01-20T13:40:00.005+00:002019-01-20T14:01:33.681+00:00I own a historic Chaser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I knew I was buying a developmental Chaser, but amazingly, I have just discovered that I own the very one used to advertise the type!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, I picked it up from South Wales only yesterday, with my mate Doug Clark. A week ago we did the same 500+ mile round trip to pick up the wing and another trike from Paul Wilkinson. Both trikes were Paul's and you couldn't wish to do a deal like this with a more helpful and knowledgeable guy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here she is now, looking very sorry for herself, 27 years on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I shall be flying the original wing, which Doug inspected and said is still a good one, on a different trike, which has a later, more convenient rigging set-up, but which was involved in a roll-over, so that its own wing tubes were bent. Still, it gives me a spare sail and a spare engine on the red trike, unless I get a better offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is Paul, about to set off and demonstrate the white one. Looks fantastic, doesn't it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking forward to flying her soon!</span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-35047437507347100002019-01-20T12:08:00.001+00:002019-01-20T18:41:15.022+00:00Untangling spaghetti for less than a P&M fortune<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you hate the idea that behind the pristine instrument panel of your pristine plane lies a diabolical spaghetti of wiring, and if you are willing to take out another mortgage to get P&M to tidy the wiring into something with the order and elegance of a good circuit diagram, worthy of your otherwise beautiful aeroplane, they now offer this as a service, I understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When Doug and I were visiting a friend's airfield in Wales yesterday we were handed an illustrated mail-out about the service. Everyone in the room was outraged that P&M were offering to tidy up a mess of their own making, but what infuriated Doug more was the realisation that the re-wiring that had inspired this P&M money-spinner was work that Doug had done and which they had admired when he had gone over to Manton to have something else put right on his trike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">above and below: Doug's excellent work</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, if you would like Doug to untangle the spaghetti behind your panel and make it something logical and worthy of the admiration of the best in the business, and you don't want to pay P&M prices, contact Doug Clark.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">email:<span style="font-size: large;"> planecrazydoug@gmail.com</span></span><br />
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<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-16292075512815764692018-12-07T13:24:00.003+01:002018-12-07T13:24:46.708+01:00Chaser<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, that is flattering. I just talked to someone selling a Chaser and when I told him my email address he recognised the name Tinworm and told me he was a reader of this very blog!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi Paul!</span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-2291367200157310222018-12-06T17:04:00.003+01:002018-12-06T17:07:06.251+01:00Wash 'n Go!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After flying with Richard for an hour and a half (P1 for about 45 mins of that), I dropped him off at the hangar and went off for a final solo circuit, before coming back to the hangar to negotiate the sale of my half share, That last circuit was bittersweet...and the landing was a greaser; a great way to end three and a half years of fantastic flying. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeR0Dv77bhmp14vka7SobN2z4PxvlmsNrwqv-SNxI9hd0eyJd4t5guuLTgJ681vsr-XSox5wvJybae0DbwzywDo2U0Iue0v1f1r3iSaA4A-aiy7qSQp9p2OyqchP9xkCIGXe6XP1bx-9j/s1600/DSCF1079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeR0Dv77bhmp14vka7SobN2z4PxvlmsNrwqv-SNxI9hd0eyJd4t5guuLTgJ681vsr-XSox5wvJybae0DbwzywDo2U0Iue0v1f1r3iSaA4A-aiy7qSQp9p2OyqchP9xkCIGXe6XP1bx-9j/s400/DSCF1079.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really couldn't have had a better plane-share partner. Richard Noremberg (seen here washing BUC, which he put on her tail to test out his new cordless washer) is an experienced three-axis pilot, who like me came from flexwing. But while he feels that fixed wing is where he belongs, he knows that I have never really felt that it is really my thing. I have been itching to go back to flexwing for some time....and of course, in the meantime I have started doing gyrocoptering, too.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eMQ1df0Ao5XZNcNFdgz1pAkfSDu5WBl5rlsSY9GNvsKBvpHKBKLd9Lg05jRhctQ2GRTWA6a3Nmced6QCaafg1_vzuh7vsbKRqYR3aFEiKinyXFoXwovl_3d3Y7g_loTdSG17J5FzuQ8j/s1600/DSCF1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eMQ1df0Ao5XZNcNFdgz1pAkfSDu5WBl5rlsSY9GNvsKBvpHKBKLd9Lg05jRhctQ2GRTWA6a3Nmced6QCaafg1_vzuh7vsbKRqYR3aFEiKinyXFoXwovl_3d3Y7g_loTdSG17J5FzuQ8j/s400/DSCF1080.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost looks like it is taking off!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Richard has been very generous with his time and expertise - often allowing me to take P1, as he lives more locally and can more easily get flying than I can, and I have benefited from his guidance. When I am on my own and flying a little too nose high, I can hear his voice in my head saying, "Watch your speed!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, we have done the deal, the money is in the bank, and now I am on the look-out for a flexwing - possibly something classic: maybe a Chaser S, a Flash 2 Alpha or a Pegasus XL-Q?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If anyone has something suitable for sale, or is aware of anything, please shout! Email tinworm63@gmail.com</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And finally, a huge thanks to Rich for the last few years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Peter</span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-59483790118404129642018-09-30T14:48:00.002+01:002018-09-30T14:51:37.106+01:00Gyrocopters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqcr7bDIBRycgif8-dNU0Vz2GivzVK4qfmKn-v-pDac1TNBN8EpbiRiIJZ0qG3VWmsc8v-YvTXWUKog-b3cb0YiDEG-NkbyXKp9ITaMDvDTQRyS7j2MPMyaiOcZpbtBFSaRyUJWTUl1hV/s1600/captain+gyrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="750" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqcr7bDIBRycgif8-dNU0Vz2GivzVK4qfmKn-v-pDac1TNBN8EpbiRiIJZ0qG3VWmsc8v-YvTXWUKog-b3cb0YiDEG-NkbyXKp9ITaMDvDTQRyS7j2MPMyaiOcZpbtBFSaRyUJWTUl1hV/s400/captain+gyrot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have decided to learn to fly gyros,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">known variously as autogyros, gyroplanes or gyrocopters. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But they are all the same thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I shall be blogging my progress in a new blog, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gyro-Tyro</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://gyro-tyro.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">Click here to join me there!</span></b></a></span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-62863843508255874672017-03-25T22:45:00.001+00:002017-03-29T22:31:01.629+00:00Update!<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since last time I posted, so much has happened. Radio failures, a failure to get my log-book signed, necessitating a new GST, engine problems and finally, our skins failed the Betts test, so that we were grounded while expensive replacements were made.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But we have also done some really great flying.</span></span><br />
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Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-30500023277212882572015-06-09T17:07:00.001+00:002015-06-09T17:07:07.166+00:00Bought an Xair<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally managed to get into my blog, since google changed something or other, making my password inoperable!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmaRznhoOciTgf84fzl2fOm4FwbeTpts0egYbJ_KF5sebZ-DbXeataPsbMHzlAJ4DqayPFeMASuonKxoMaBLDk_YC6TPgvy7akvx6rjO_9EnL3wg00taAPrNzwauwCSV4wQci4mYfKVAY/s1600/G-CBUC002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmaRznhoOciTgf84fzl2fOm4FwbeTpts0egYbJ_KF5sebZ-DbXeataPsbMHzlAJ4DqayPFeMASuonKxoMaBLDk_YC6TPgvy7akvx6rjO_9EnL3wg00taAPrNzwauwCSV4wQci4mYfKVAY/s400/G-CBUC002.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I do mean to update things just in case there really is anyone who does read this.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have bought a half share in an Xair, fixed wing microlight and have had several wonderful evenings, recently, flying it with co-owner Richard. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Since taking this shot Doug has fitted a PTT button to</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> the top of the joystick, like a machinegun tit.</span></span></div>
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<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-74774551667491730712015-05-01T23:39:00.000+00:002015-05-01T23:46:14.346+00:00sold<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have sold both my flexwings through AFORS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I really should have documented my conversion to the dark side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Am in negotiations to share an Xair, which is one o<span style="color: white;">f<span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-rS_B1Yi5g" target="_blank"> these</a></b>:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello to Toni, who is learning to fly :)</span></h2>
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Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-28338274263394418952015-01-06T10:16:00.004+00:002015-01-06T10:19:18.784+00:00AFORS advert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYkJVmUE4A95dhVXJjssOnNk7mLFEN8Ic2uK8evk6uUvJ7X3Es7XCcipFkZAaY1uP-3tuIZLXpWQhT_CbsUgpIRfDc4tGIsa2RA27S1k9OVtI8fyO2mPNazq8KUL83mCRLxlwCYg6ezcj/s1600/DSCF4151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYkJVmUE4A95dhVXJjssOnNk7mLFEN8Ic2uK8evk6uUvJ7X3Es7XCcipFkZAaY1uP-3tuIZLXpWQhT_CbsUgpIRfDc4tGIsa2RA27S1k9OVtI8fyO2mPNazq8KUL83mCRLxlwCYg6ezcj/s1600/DSCF4151.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have finally put G-MYWT on AFORS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://www.afors.com/index.php?page=adview&adid=32042&imid=0" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">here</span></b></a> to see the advert</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am selling her for £5,500</span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-34860829716221851812014-07-22T10:06:00.002+00:002014-07-22T10:06:18.266+00:00Q<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NR73HcbVUlo8hoUtQ_HE-1lWfH40p6dDnOeFxOw1PlMdG1hFjjtz60vgTPPb3sr8OFpg3jgR5mT_uXk6B3Zjsx9rdp-zMgCSfq_a6Dr4eMWNbeNxWtIksieNK3nHsBD59QVtBNw5qhfI/s1600/20140514_164139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NR73HcbVUlo8hoUtQ_HE-1lWfH40p6dDnOeFxOw1PlMdG1hFjjtz60vgTPPb3sr8OFpg3jgR5mT_uXk6B3Zjsx9rdp-zMgCSfq_a6Dr4eMWNbeNxWtIksieNK3nHsBD59QVtBNw5qhfI/s1600/20140514_164139.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, must test fly the Q, before deciding whether to keep it or to keep the Quantum</span></div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-33739009783388456482014-07-22T10:02:00.002+00:002014-07-22T10:02:31.904+00:00Fantastic....am back in the air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two permits, new medical form, insurance, transfer documents, blah blah blah...endless bureaucracy sorted out after a year grounded by pulmonary embolisms etc....</span></div>
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<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-80464278230191625722014-06-01T22:52:00.004+00:002014-06-01T23:23:59.019+00:00Quantum 15 / 582 For Sale<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I am heading over to the dark side, I am going to keep my new Pegasus Q as a cheap, fun flexwing and sell my more expensive Quantum to raise funds for a share in something fixed wing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan Smy has inspected, flown and permit-passed both the Q and the Quantum and he says both are great fliers, but if he could choose one, he'd have the Quantum, which he reckons has 6 years left in the wing. He said the pop it made as the Betts tester pricked the wing was a very good sign. I am delighted. He did some servicing on it, replaced the thingummies that the pylon slides between, sorted the brakes, renewed all the bungies which hold the ribs in (after a year out of flex flying, I cannot remember the names of things). I have re-organised the service history in the file so that everything is very accessible. I wish my house was that tidy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan put me on to someone who is looking for a Quantum, and he came and had a look. I was embarrassed by how dusty and muddy it was (no water at the airfield), so when he had gone, I used a large bottle of drinking water and some Fuchs-Off to spruce both my planes up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will get all the details together and do a proper advert, but for now if there is anyone who is interested, please email tinworm@hotmail.co.uk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblUsDyBAF-Wdhj0sF4DCclCK6CWIG029iRXXViBnmHdKyM7u_VN0n3EaeJ8OGf3HRF4KfEYubLgr6bdL1OkiEKcbVfkUss_dyGE5tzH6y54TornX0kEl0Gpz9mEB3paEePDMLRDg8lLr5/s1600/20140601_135333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblUsDyBAF-Wdhj0sF4DCclCK6CWIG029iRXXViBnmHdKyM7u_VN0n3EaeJ8OGf3HRF4KfEYubLgr6bdL1OkiEKcbVfkUss_dyGE5tzH6y54TornX0kEl0Gpz9mEB3paEePDMLRDg8lLr5/s1600/20140601_135333.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have just realised that I have had my Quantum exactly three years.<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://tinworm-wings.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/i-own-quantum.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Here's the blog entry</span></a></span></span><span style="color: red;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-10846787838937131752014-05-11T23:59:00.000+00:002014-05-12T00:00:21.431+00:00finally getting back in the air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAPEI5N90RVWgsBLfIjqcCnoFXiC_a0BbqhI3VH9awj5Zaz_BiDMN2SwuIJ_BYHRSVCfl4zXWgMiI4mgJjyX3JlJmFjTjn1v2hF6Sc4EYqLOMC9yAC7MZA8gJ7d0qp06etTitPDokBwLM/s1600/428407_10201102928521988_1510983721_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAPEI5N90RVWgsBLfIjqcCnoFXiC_a0BbqhI3VH9awj5Zaz_BiDMN2SwuIJ_BYHRSVCfl4zXWgMiI4mgJjyX3JlJmFjTjn1v2hF6Sc4EYqLOMC9yAC7MZA8gJ7d0qp06etTitPDokBwLM/s1600/428407_10201102928521988_1510983721_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had the pulmonary embolisms, the long period on Warfarin (now off it), the fortnightly blood tests, etc and now that I am fit, I am keen to get back in the air. I am waiting for my Medical Declaration to be signed by the GP, have renewed my lapsed BMAA membership and....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...have bought a second plane! It is a low hours Pegasus Q. I plan to permit it this week and possibly get the Quantum done too. Then I will sell the Quantum. I will get better economy with the Q, and because it is a cheaper, older aeroplane, I think I will feel I can justify having it, later in the year, when I hope to get a 3-axis aeroplane too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And with the latter in mind I need to complete my interrupted fixed wing conversion. So, exciting times!</span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-17495617957439744252013-10-24T10:14:00.000+00:002013-10-24T10:15:09.712+00:00Grounded<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of months ago I had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs, which almost killed me and which put me in hospital for a week. I was grounded, which meant not only that I couldn't fly my own plane (never, never call it a plane, Bader!) but also that I couldn't fly to Australia a few days later as planned. My trip was postponed by a month, and after that I spent a fantastic month visiting my sister in Melbourne, camel trecking and camping in the Outback and visiting friends in Darwin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am on warfarin now and making good progress. I can fly again, but now my aeroplane (it is an aeroplane, Bader!) is out of permit, so what I really must do in the next week or so is get down to the hangar and do some maintenance on her.</span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-7774210309424778582013-03-21T17:25:00.002+00:002013-03-21T17:36:00.862+00:00small inputs<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Small inputs</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and give them time to take effect! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18UfdJQBaIS2wxF1saQSdD3K6ySQzXuA1trll_6FOmeYUDF7vKLu3IJj8fSMCboQAElpbF09TualS2VrN387WY21CtIcmZTlTYp51ItKJF6ig6ebJInwye1fe2LpI9H-uKzcXhh_M6tH5/s1600/DSCF0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18UfdJQBaIS2wxF1saQSdD3K6ySQzXuA1trll_6FOmeYUDF7vKLu3IJj8fSMCboQAElpbF09TualS2VrN387WY21CtIcmZTlTYp51ItKJF6ig6ebJInwye1fe2LpI9H-uKzcXhh_M6tH5/s320/DSCF0177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have now done my first unsupported landing in 3-axis. But I am very much over-correcting because I am used to a slower approach with a relatively rapid succession of large flexwing inputs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can't wait to get up again this weekend (if weather allows) to practise my circuits, approaches and landings . . . </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and must make</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">s</span>mall inputs</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and give them time to take effect! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqTMmkqBJZah9fKqwiUQOhp-x9qOtqd7ph2VHE4yQdrMzPD1YqdM34JcygLhG2qu4hSs5e5xLAmHLF5hJOcQ-pK47KcZKvlS05bi3oXPFMSroSkyuWi9O2gi_SLE7v1pCzyuO_KcPwR4w/s1600/DSCF0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqTMmkqBJZah9fKqwiUQOhp-x9qOtqd7ph2VHE4yQdrMzPD1YqdM34JcygLhG2qu4hSs5e5xLAmHLF5hJOcQ-pK47KcZKvlS05bi3oXPFMSroSkyuWi9O2gi_SLE7v1pCzyuO_KcPwR4w/s400/DSCF0178.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-91876572873309812102013-03-16T09:45:00.000+00:002013-03-16T10:03:24.010+00:00Bernouille turned upside down<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A year or two ago I saw a film on YouTube which appeared to debunk the Bernouille Principle as a way of explaining the lift of a wing. Student pilots are always taught that an aeroplane flies because of the shape of a wing, which because of its shape experiences negative pressure over its top surface so that it is effectively sucked upwards (or forced upwards by the greater pressure beneath the wing). So this film said, how does that explain the fact that an aeroplane can fly equally well upside down? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was fascinated and came away excited and confused. The film hadn't persuaded me that Bernouille was wrong, but on the other hand it obviously couldn't be the whole story.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am reading a book called Stick and Rudder, which has apparently been continuously in print for the last 60 years and is very well regarded. The author, Wolfgang Langewiesche, says it is all due to the angle of attack, and that while Bernouille is no doubt true, it obscures the whole business: </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "Trying to understand the piloting of airplanes by concentrating on Bernouille </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and Prantl is like trying to<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>catch on to tennis by studying just exactly </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">how the rubber molecules behave in a tennis ball"</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have only just started the book, but essentially he says that <span style="font-size: small;">all</span> fl<span style="font-size: small;">ight</span> is about the angle of attack of an inclined plane (surface). So that is why my hand, which is not aerofoil sectioned, rises when I stick it out the car window, or why an aerobatic <span style="font-size: small;">aeroplane</span> with almost no hump in its wing flies equally well upside down!</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-51413746246931548172013-03-15T13:10:00.002+00:002013-03-16T12:14:50.124+00:00Stick and rudder<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Talking about adverse yaw
with Mike, yesterday, I was made to realise that I only half understood what
causes adverse yaw in a turn. I have been reading what is now a very old flying
manual, as it was written for RAFVR pilots at the start of the war (but on the
premise that aerodynamics do not change). Perhaps their description was too
simplistic, or perhaps I misunderstood it. But blurting out that I understood
this, then going on to mis-describe it in earshot of other pilots was humbling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I said that adverse yaw was
created when the outside wing, travelling faster than the inside one, suffered
induced drag, so pulled back in the opposite direction to the turn. Mike said
that actually you get more induced drag when the wing is going slower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mike explained that yaw is
not a component of speed but of lift, and now it is slowly becoming clear
in my mind, a day later! I am devising a teacher’s way of explaining it to
myself and possibly others (about which, more later).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It needs to be reiterated
that any misunderstanding is my own, not Mike’s, obviously. And also, if I have
not got it right since Mike explained it, that isn’t a fault of his
explanation, but my slowness in getting something. I have always been like
this. I need to go away and think things through, which is what I am doing now.
And remember, this is not a manual I am writing here, it is me playing with
what I am learning, and trying to get some sense out of it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">By patient Q&A, Mike eventually
drew the words “angle of attack” out of me and then went on to show me the
effects on the chord line (leading edge to tip of the aileron) of depressing
the aileron. The increased angle of attack increases that wing’s lift, and it
is the increased lift, not the speed, which creates the drag. On the opposite
wing, the raising of the aileron (raising the rear of the chord line so that it
is pointing down) reduces the angle of attack and therefore reduces its lift,
so there is less induced drag on that wing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Visually (as well as
technically), there is another aspect to this, which is the direction of the
lift (it is all flooding back to me now, but I must revise all this, as it has
been 5 years since I did my Principles of Flight exam). Lift is perpendicular
to the relative airflow<span style="background-color: #073763;">.<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">*</span></span> </span>So, the outside wing’s lift is pointing backwards,
while the inside wing’s lift is pointing forwards and if I am right, it is
that, too, which causes the direction of yaw. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think what we are saying is that because the
lift is pointing backwards lift drags that wing backwards; drag is the
secondary effect of lift.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So that is where my original
misunderstanding came in. I said that airspeed created drag. Actually, greater
airspeed creates lift and it is the lift which creates drag. Here’s a thought,
maybe it would be more helpful to talk in terms of directions of forces. If the
force perpendicular to the relative airflow is upwards and backwards, it will try to pull
the wing (and the aircraft to which the wing is attached) upwards and backwards
towards that wingtip. And because you want to turn in the opposite direction,
you need something to counter this force, which is where the rudder comes in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I am getting used to pushing
the stick and rudder in the same direction (stick right, right rudder pedal)
and that doesn’t pose a great problem, conceptually, except on the ground, taxying - where this is opposite to a flexwing's steering). I
have been getting used to using the clinometer (turn and slip indicator), which
is a curved glass tube spirit level with a ball sitting at the bottom in the
middle. In a turn, you have to use the rudder to keep the ball in the middle to
achieve a balanced turn, where the aeroplane is not tending to skid outwards of
the turn or slip inwards of it. When the ball rolls to the left, you have to
apply left rudder to correct this and bring it into balance again. I was
pleased that I got the hang of this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">(My copy of Stick and Rudder, by Wolfgang Langewiesche - recommended by Katie - just arrived. Am off to do some reading now) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">*</span></b> </span><span style="color: red;">Mike just rang to say that people in the clubhouse have just been discussing what I wrote and he asked me to explain what I meant by saying that lift was perpendicular to angle of attack. Oh dear! I got that bit wrong. I have changed it to perpendicular to the relative airflow. <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">"</span></span>I will leave you to ponder that one", he said.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">:)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">A friend of<span style="font-size: small;"> mine who was on t<span style="font-size: small;">he</span> same Masters programme as me at Imperial College, and who is very scientific, and was in fact a<span style="font-size: small;"> curator </span>at t<span style="font-size: small;">he</span> Science Museum</span> said, after reading this<span style="font-size: small;">, "Blimey, and I thought riding a bike was difficult!"</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-35104339268845598452013-03-08T22:15:00.000+00:002013-03-08T22:32:54.065+00:00Our pathetic flying documents<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With my licence revalidation due <span style="font-size: small;">soon</span>, I had an almighty search for my medical certificate yesterday. Took me two hours to find it. I was looking for the old style pink card, forgetting that the current one is an online download. I don't know how it slipped out of my licence's wallet, but because it is now just a flimsy bit of A4 it ended up with a load of receipts in <span style="font-size: small;">a</span> paperwork tray. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What a relief to find it. But it does highlight for me how flimsy our paperwork is. Just look at our pilot's licences. After all our hard work, you'd expect a document that really looked the part....something like an old fashioned, crested passport would be about right<span style="font-size: small;">!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I researched my dissertation on Raoul Hafner, looking through his private papers I found his autogyro licence, issued in 1933 and it was hard bound with fine scrollwork: Federation Aeronautique Internationale British Empire....lots of fine writing both in English and French, with personal details and on the page opposite, <span style="font-size: small;">Hafner's</span> photo and <span style="font-size: small;">large, proud signatu<span style="font-size: small;">re</span></span>. It was a worthy document, unlike the pathetic thing we carry<span style="font-size: small;"> - and are for<span style="font-size: small;">ever in danger of losing.</span></span></span></span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-50322862382802383652013-03-07T14:06:00.002+00:002013-03-09T21:33:29.776+00:00another Dragonfly's big end bearing failure<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday I heard of another big end bearing going on a Dragonfly, which makes three (<a href="http://tinworm-wings.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/crash-landing.html" target="_blank">including mine</a><span style="font-size: small;"> - and <span style="font-size: small;">I didn't know about the one before mine when I purchased my Dragonfly, so there could easily be others)</span></span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I had been telling the pilots at Chatteris about the kicking my confidence took in my first year of being licenced when I had six engine failures in the Dragonfly, the last of which was never diagnosed by Paul Bailey, who ended up just replacing all the ancillaries on the engine. Its new owner gets lots of joy out of it, but he ought to, he has practically a new engine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For all that the Dragonfly could be a wonderful fly, I will never be able to forgive the Bailey engine for really shaking my confidence and for having put my girlfriend off flying microlights altogether.</span></span>Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-59554658984695923002013-03-07T12:06:00.001+00:002013-03-09T21:31:20.469+00:00Flying a C42 with Katie Denham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdWZ3KJcljRdD5BpgyXIgbJ4HpAdVTSNYM6Ls9Ptp34VOwUUpmAooDV5jiWjPiTZJKq8w_KDa4cGIgYAipXwVdxkc3rOqsHVGLQ9kCpvFK9SvunBXD8RyamXZpJOqIFOL4u0tffem_Fq7/s1600/DSCF0118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdWZ3KJcljRdD5BpgyXIgbJ4HpAdVTSNYM6Ls9Ptp34VOwUUpmAooDV5jiWjPiTZJKq8w_KDa4cGIgYAipXwVdxkc3rOqsHVGLQ9kCpvFK9SvunBXD8RyamXZpJOqIFOL4u0tffem_Fq7/s320/DSCF0118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the school C42, but one Katie has a share in.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday I did my re-validation qualifying hour with an instructor, and wanted to get some more 3-axis experience, so I did it at Chatteris with Katie Denham, who very recently got her instructor rating. I met Katie at a competition at Sutton Meadows about three years ago and we have kept in touch since. Katie has a share in a C42 and it was a school C42 that we did our hour in. What a great aeroplane!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Katie has a very calm, confident but unassuming manner and I was immediately at my ease, and almost <span style="font-size: small;">from the off</span>, "You have control".....and I was taxiing to runway 06. This, as you will know, is the first mental conversion required of a flexwing pilot, as the controls are reversed. Steering a trike is like steering a children's tricycle; it is direct. But a 3 axis tricycle nose wheel control is connected to the rudder, so you push right to go right. So I did it rather too slowly at first and I think Katie thought we'd never get to the runway, so took back control for a short while, then<span style="font-size: small;"> gave it back for the last 25<span style="font-size: small;"> metres</span></span>. On the taxi back I was much more confident. The trick to getting it straight is to put yourself in the centre and steer yourself rather than the nose of the aircraft, and that came naturally to me; and actually, push right, go right makes real sense. Get the throttle settings right, and I will crack it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once airborne the first thing I realised very quickly was how light the controls are compared to flexwing, where you are correcting all the time, and dealing with often quite strong upper body movements; so much so, that Lizzie's instructor did wonder how easily she'd manage it (though, in fact, she was a natural). Katie told me to hold the stick with thumb and fingers either side of it, rather than wrapping fingers round it, as I did at first. Your hand sort of brackets the stick, a bit like a tuning fork with the stick between the prongs. This will mean greater sensitivity, but presumably is also to stop you nervously flying nose high and stalling.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We did Ex4....controls familiarisation. I learnt about setting flaps...about the ballooning effect and how to counter it, bringing the nose down to the right attitude.The reverse, taking off flaps, was trickier because I did not realise quite how snappy the spring would be, so let the handle forward, releasing the loads, far too dramatically. But with a few tries that improved. Of course we don't have flaps on trikes, so this was all new.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I learnt a lot about setting the trim, about the nose attitude of the aeroplane, and spent lots of time looking at the airspeed indicator and the revs. The C42 trim settings are done with switches on the top of the stick, which incidentally is centrally mounted and shared. Stick forward -front button, stick back -back button. All very logical really. Trim is almost inconsequential on the Quantum, so it is some time since I thought about it, but setting it up on the C42 was just the same as doing it on the GT450. Lovely being able to do it with tiny switch inputs on the stick rather than a great big knob on the side of the <span style="font-size: small;">A</span>-frame.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All climbing and descending was much as you'd expect in any aircraft, PAT and APT, etc. I was pleased to be able to go straight into that without embarrassing myself.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One thing that did surprise me was that almost nothing was done with the rudder<span style="font-size: large;"><b>*</b></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(see update below for clarification)</span>, and not just because I was being introduced to it slowly, either. All turning was done with the stick, using the aircraft's differential ailerons. This made the operation very much simpler than flying the Tiger Moth, for instance. Katie demonstrated the way the nose can drop down to the right on a turn and how to counter it<span style="font-size: small;">- but it didn't seem a great problem.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I loved the challenge and focus of the hour, which passed very quickly; And despite it rushing past, I felt that we covered an awful lot. I really enjoyed being a student, but like being a post-grad again I had the advantage of knowing all the basics already, so that progress was fairly rapid, leaving me feeling confident about doing a conversion, which really does have to be the next thing. Of course, lots of that confidence has to be down to Katie, whose delivery is very clear and reassuring. I did ask her how long she thought conversion would take, and she was professionally reticent to give a number, but my impression is that it is probably a very affordable 10-12 hours.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(This was a lesson, not a joy ride, so I d<span style="font-size: small;">idn't take my camera up, and the aeropla<span style="font-size: small;">ne was back in the <span style="font-size: small;">air</span> after my lesson before I thought to take any pictures, so I took pics of the one Katie has a share in)</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b>Update</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Katie has now read what I put and has got back to me with some feedback, which she has said I may quote:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I can see that I didn't emphasise the use of rudder clearly,
it is important in the C-42 but use of it is much more subtle than in the AX
series where you need a bootful of rudder just to get the thing to turn.
However, most flex wing pilots soon get used to the rudder<span style="font-size: small;">. <span style="font-size: small;">T</span></span>he two things that
seem to be the biggest issues are learning to fly by power and attitude rather
than feeling airspeed directly and being too heavy handed on the controls;
flying with a light touch is vital, especially when landing a 3 axis as you
will be able to feel the aircraft slowing down during the hold off and feed in
more and more back pressure. A vice-like grip makes this almost impossible, but
I don't think you will have a problem with that.</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
There is so much to learn with 3 axis, I think it's more of an art than flex
wing flying, converting is just the beginning...."</span></span></div>
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<br />Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2659722710081081196.post-66730557725118133622013-02-18T23:56:00.002+00:002013-02-18T23:56:29.145+00:00Yakkity Yak, Yakkity Yak!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I forgot to mention that over Fram we were buzzed, ten o'cloc<span style="font-size: small;">k high, by a<span style="font-size: small;">n all<span style="font-size: small;">-silver Yak <span style="font-size: small;">(3M, I think) </span>with a red star on the fuselage, which turned and came past a<span style="font-size: small;">gain. You can see why I thought it was a Spit at first...until it banked and<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>I saw its wing shape<span style="font-size: small;">, which look<span style="font-size: small;">ed</span> oddly like a Hurricane's. We then th<span style="font-size: small;">ought the fuselage, with that wing, made it a <span style="font-size: small;">Must</span></span></span>ang, wh<span style="font-size: small;">ich would have been muc<span style="font-size: small;">h more e<span style="font-size: small;">xciting than a Yak, of course, but it was still a real highlight s<span style="font-size: small;">haring airspace with this character.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pKriNDQ6JLHefZ_yQF6ycwlajBk-IhCze-8Z_2RAqYR4NxqYD7ck7g9YfBE-1mqr-EHfSwMDwf_TE_aAZQdCx6pQG12Wm1v9ImQ8VkR49FevpKavdI2uKchkK9_s_ND1XJ57_b1eq9jq/s1600/the+one.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pKriNDQ6JLHefZ_yQF6ycwlajBk-IhCze-8Z_2RAqYR4NxqYD7ck7g9YfBE-1mqr-EHfSwMDwf_TE_aAZQdCx6pQG12Wm1v9ImQ8VkR49FevpKavdI2uKchkK9_s_ND1XJ57_b1eq9jq/s400/the+one.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Just found this on Google and it looks<span style="font-size: small;"> like the very one. It was seen at Duxford last year in the Flying Legends show, so there is every chance it is the one we saw.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
Tinwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13253606626971950447noreply@blogger.com0