Tales from the Log of the Ruptured Duck
- Thread starter Kayak Jack
- Start date
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I’ll try again, Tom. Getting them down to acceptable size has caused me problems.
Have you examined the ultralights? Lots of choices.
Have you examined the ultralights? Lots of choices.
I have a Go-Pro, but I think that it’s easier to defuse an atom bomb than to operate this thing.
Way to go Jack! I admire your guntion, wonder if that's a real wordHayes Aero, the dealer who is assembling the kit that is becoming my plane, will be going to Florida for the Sun and Fun gathering. That’s an annual gathering of airplanes and airplane nuts. When he returns, I’ll work with him to assemble it. That will help me get better acquainted with the bird, and help repay him for a couple of extras he’s doing for me.
I the meantime, I’m laying out some routes to fly. First, I need to do a bunch of landings to get better at that skill set. Then some local flights. I plan to explore some square miles of local areas that were my stomping grounds while growing up. With more experience and (hopefully) more skill, I’ll fly further from the home field - for trips that last all day long. I like to fly along rivers, strings of lakes, and bike trails. Amazingly, these have air patches along the way where pancake breakfasts, coffee, etc are available. The summer air is calmer in early mornings and late afternoons. Noon to, say, 4:00pm is time to enjoy ground time at a nice field. Lunch, ice cream, and a nap. Siesta time. Then fly home.
Later, multi-day trips.
Thanks, Andy. It would be a lot of fun with another guy flying along on trips.
While pre-planning a trip to view Lake Huron from the Saginaw area, N’ly to Oscoda, I found a sod strip named “Field of Dreams”, H80. Much more picturesque than nearby “Oscoda County Kaufmann Memorial”. field at Mio. But, I can camp at Mio, and there’s a drop dead restaurant within easy walking distance.
I’ve gotta work my way up to these 3-4 day trips.
I’ve gotta work my way up to these 3-4 day trips.
Andy, you wouldn’t know anybody who could do that, now would you?
Tomorrow, we start installation of a sensor probe for the Reserve Lift Indicator (RLI) into the left wing of the WABbit Hunter. (Googleize: “Be vewwy vewwy quiet. I’m hunting WABbits!”)
I encourage other pilots to Googleize and read about the Reserve Lift Indicator, an instrument with red, white, and green range markings on the face
We’re also installing a utility power outlet, what looks like what used to have a cigarette lighter inside. This will have 2ea USB outlets to maintain charge in my iPad and cell phone.
I also have a small fire extinguisher. I’ll use a large hose clamp to hang a tin can on the frame, and set the fire extinguisher inside the tin can as a cradle. Low tech. Similarly, rather than an $85 Free Air Temperature (FAT) gauge, I have an $11 wall thermometer to duct tape to the frame, somewhere handy. Low tech.
The high tech is the iPad, using Wing-X to navigate. I encourage other pilots to take a look at Wing X.
Most other aspects of the WABbit Hunter are lawn mower simple. In fact, surprisingly so. The Ruptured Duck was a 1963 Cessna 172D. Only one instrument would have needed an explanation to either Amelia Earhart or Wiley Post. And that explanation wouldn’t take 5 minutes. IE: all its technology was straight from the 1930s.
Technology on the WABbit Hunter is from snow mobiles, small sail boats, and lawn carts. A torque wrench is needed only on the engine mount bolts, and cylinder head bolts.
The covering on wings and tail are made of Dacron sail cloth. There is no covering on the fuselage. The whole fuselage is open. LOTS of visibility. Lots of it.
I encourage other pilots to Googleize and read about the Reserve Lift Indicator, an instrument with red, white, and green range markings on the face
We’re also installing a utility power outlet, what looks like what used to have a cigarette lighter inside. This will have 2ea USB outlets to maintain charge in my iPad and cell phone.
I also have a small fire extinguisher. I’ll use a large hose clamp to hang a tin can on the frame, and set the fire extinguisher inside the tin can as a cradle. Low tech. Similarly, rather than an $85 Free Air Temperature (FAT) gauge, I have an $11 wall thermometer to duct tape to the frame, somewhere handy. Low tech.
The high tech is the iPad, using Wing-X to navigate. I encourage other pilots to take a look at Wing X.
Most other aspects of the WABbit Hunter are lawn mower simple. In fact, surprisingly so. The Ruptured Duck was a 1963 Cessna 172D. Only one instrument would have needed an explanation to either Amelia Earhart or Wiley Post. And that explanation wouldn’t take 5 minutes. IE: all its technology was straight from the 1930s.
Technology on the WABbit Hunter is from snow mobiles, small sail boats, and lawn carts. A torque wrench is needed only on the engine mount bolts, and cylinder head bolts.
The covering on wings and tail are made of Dacron sail cloth. There is no covering on the fuselage. The whole fuselage is open. LOTS of visibility. Lots of it.
Tomorrow, we start installation of a sensor probe for the Reserve Lift Indicator (RLI) into the left wing of the WABbit Hunter. (Googleize: “Be vewwy vewwy quiet. I’m hunting WABbits!”)
I encourage other pilots to Googleize and read about the Reserve Lift Indicator, an instrument with red, white, and green range markings on the face
We’re also installing a utility power outlet, what looks like what used to have a cigarette lighter inside. This will have 2ea USB outlets to maintain charge in my iPad and cell phone.
I also have a small fire extinguisher. I’ll use a large hose clamp to hang a tin can on the frame, and set the fire extinguisher inside the tin can as a cradle. Low tech. Similarly, rather than an $85 Free Air Temperature (FAT) gauge, I have an $11 wall thermometer to duct tape to the frame, somewhere handy. Low tech.
The high tech is the iPad, using Wing-X to navigate. I encourage other pilots to take a look at Wing X.
Most other aspects of the WABbit Hunter are lawn mower simple. In fact, surprisingly so. The Ruptured Duck was a 1963 Cessna 172D. Only one instrument would have needed an explanation to either Amelia Earhart or Wiley Post. And that explanation wouldn’t take 5 minutes. IE: all its technology was straight from the 1930s.
Technology on the WABbit Hunter is from snow mobiles, small sail boats, and lawn carts. A torque wrench is needed only on the engine mount bolts, and cylinder head bolts.
The covering on wings and tail are made of Dacron sail cloth. There is no covering on the fuselage. The whole fuselage is open. LOTS of visibility. Lots of it.
Jack, I don't think I could handle the technology. wiskey compass and needle ball maybe. The DC 10 was the first majic jet, I taught and flew it 18 years. Then the aiirbus came along and it actually intimitaded me! I admire your attitude and your determination to keep flying.
I wont have a whiskey compass, or needle and ball. The instrument panel is only about 11” wide X 6” high. It’s down there just in front of my feet. Cylinder Head Temperature (CHT) and EGT dominate that. There are a selection of other items, from which guys choose - altimeter and slip indicator. No bank indicator, no attitude indicator, no vertical speed indicator. When I asked about a compass, he looked at me blankly, and then said, “Nobody has one.” I told him that I had never seen an airplane without one. In the end, I decided to have an orienteering compass on a lanyard around my neck. sigh
I’ll tape on a yaw string, either as a back up to the electronic ball, or bring up something to replace the slip indicator. The fuel gauge is a clear, plastic tube fastened on with zip ties. That manometer will be the most accurate fuel gauge I’ve ever flown with! The air speed indicator is a plastic cylinder about 3/4” diameter and 6” tall, with a little hole in front and a little red ring that goes up and down. Obviously, no pitot heat here. No stall horn either.
But, as I mentioned above, I’m adding a Lift Reserve Indicator. I think you would like that. Check it out on Google. My Free Air Temperature (FAT) indicator is a small, wall thermometer, to be taped on. Maybe I’ll get a “weather indicator” - a little Dutch boy and girl vs the witch.
It’s interesting. In many ways, it’s about as technologically complicated as a riding lawn mower, or a snow mobile.I’m very pleased with the plethora of small, sod strips that I will be able to get in to - and OUT of. Flying a pusher will be different. It may actually go a bit nose down when power is added?
A friend of mine, Terry Lutz, was a test pilot with Airbus. He flew the first one into Oshkosh a few hears ago. Good guy. Also retired USAF.
I’ll tape on a yaw string, either as a back up to the electronic ball, or bring up something to replace the slip indicator. The fuel gauge is a clear, plastic tube fastened on with zip ties. That manometer will be the most accurate fuel gauge I’ve ever flown with! The air speed indicator is a plastic cylinder about 3/4” diameter and 6” tall, with a little hole in front and a little red ring that goes up and down. Obviously, no pitot heat here. No stall horn either.
But, as I mentioned above, I’m adding a Lift Reserve Indicator. I think you would like that. Check it out on Google. My Free Air Temperature (FAT) indicator is a small, wall thermometer, to be taped on. Maybe I’ll get a “weather indicator” - a little Dutch boy and girl vs the witch.
It’s interesting. In many ways, it’s about as technologically complicated as a riding lawn mower, or a snow mobile.I’m very pleased with the plethora of small, sod strips that I will be able to get in to - and OUT of. Flying a pusher will be different. It may actually go a bit nose down when power is added?
A friend of mine, Terry Lutz, was a test pilot with Airbus. He flew the first one into Oshkosh a few hears ago. Good guy. Also retired USAF.
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Corona lockdown isn’t speeding things up a bit here. I’d hoped to “fly above” the mess. Plans and dreams aplenty; but time airborne - nil. sigh One of my dreamy plans includes flying Michigan’s coasts with Lakes Michigan and Huron. And, maybe downstream, our coast of Lake Superior (Gitche Gumi’s “big sea shining waters”. Michigan is the Water Wonderland state, after all..
Thanks, Andy. While I know that you’re right, I’m more like the cartoon of the little girl, praying.
“God, please grant me patience? And - HURRY UP about it!”
“God, please grant me patience? And - HURRY UP about it!”
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RUPTURED DUCK RIDES AGAIN
Following corona guidelines, I’ve been staying home, been out only twice for groceries. Today, I went for a 7 mile bike ride. As my Mom would have said, “Get outside and blow the stink off!” I rode a couple of miles to Haslett, then around Lake Lansing. There are lots of folks walking and riding bikes. Keeping respectful distances, etc.
i stopped at a county park on the lake, went to the rocky shore, and enjoyed a cigar. Several folks, of a wide age range, came ambling by.. A couple of families - complete with family dog - launched boats and went for a ride.
God bless America.
Following corona guidelines, I’ve been staying home, been out only twice for groceries. Today, I went for a 7 mile bike ride. As my Mom would have said, “Get outside and blow the stink off!” I rode a couple of miles to Haslett, then around Lake Lansing. There are lots of folks walking and riding bikes. Keeping respectful distances, etc.
i stopped at a county park on the lake, went to the rocky shore, and enjoyed a cigar. Several folks, of a wide age range, came ambling by.. A couple of families - complete with family dog - launched boats and went for a ride.
God bless America.
FIRST FLIGHT
Here’s a report of a trip that took place over 116 years ago. On 17 December, 1903, the Wright brothers flew four, individual flights at Kitty Hawk. The final one was about 852 feet. But the first one, that all important one, was only about 125 feet. Maybe the most important 125 feet in human history?
The B-52 wingspan is 185 feet!
Here’s a report of a trip that took place over 116 years ago. On 17 December, 1903, the Wright brothers flew four, individual flights at Kitty Hawk. The final one was about 852 feet. But the first one, that all important one, was only about 125 feet. Maybe the most important 125 feet in human history?
The B-52 wingspan is 185 feet!