Chapter 1311 will try to list the aviation-related events in Indiana and surrounding states, plus the major events across the country. Do you know of an event that isn't listed? Please inform the newsletter editor to get it included.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 6:30 p.m., at Hendricks County Airport. Program: Dave and Steve Kopeschka's Corvair-powered auto gyro
Directions from Indianapolis:
Take U.S. 36 (Rockville Road) west past Avon.
Turn left (south) on CR 300 E (84 Lumber is on the SW) corner of the intersection.
At about 1/2 mile turn right (west) into the airport.
The operations building is straight back from the road.
On the Radar:
Chapter 1311 Board of Directors for 2008
Newsletter editor: Michael Mossman, 1-765-483-9533, michaelandkatie@insightbb.com
Classified Ads
WANTED TO BUY: Used Rotax 912, Jabiru 2200 or Rotax 582 engine. Contact Mark Rinehart 317-745-2466, capt_riney@yahoo.com.
FOR SALE: Piper jumper cables in excellent condition (round plug type), $50 or make offer. Portable intercom, $20. Contact Larry Rush k9hxt@sbcglobal.net or 272-2153
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE: Cessna 150, at Sheridan Airport. Contact Gus Gustafson at 317-293-4430 or dalefaye@msn.com
WANTED TO BUY: Used 4-foot brake and 4-foot shear. Contact Troy Grover, 317-919-6594 (cell phone), rv6grover@sbcglobal.net
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE: One-third interest in an RV-7A. Fully equipped for IFR, including autopilot and extended range tanks. Based at Eagle Creek Airport. $35,000. Contact Vern Sullenger at sullenger@iquest.net, cell phone 317-695-7929.
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE: '57 C172 TT approx. 3700 hr. Engine approx. 700 hr since overhaul. Good paint, nice interior. VFR: Narco Mode C, Narco 720 channel comm.; Horton STOL kit w/gap seals. Last annual 7/07. Hangared at Franklin, IN. $30,500. Reason for selling: starting a project. Tom Chapman, cell 317-625-3126, home 317-888-6866, tschapman1@aol.com
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE: One-half interest in a beautiful Tri-Pacer in great condition. Located at Hendricks County Airport. $9,000. Reason for selling: starting a light sport aircraft. Dave Helton 317-590-5001 davehelton@heltonassoc.com
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE: 1966 Alon A2, TT-2539, SMOHE 930, IFR panel, nice, $27,750. Mark Eminger 765-528-2146 or Robert Barnhart 765- 448-4024 for information 7-10:30 EST.
2008 Membership Roster
See our chapter roster online at http://www.eaa1311.org/memberroster.html
Did we miss anybody? Please let us know; we'll get it updated right away.
Aviation Humor
Gentlemen:
I was asked to make a written statement concerning certain events that occurred yesterday. First of all, I would like to thank that very nice FAA man who took my student pilot's license and told me I wouldn't need it any more. I guess that means that you're giving me my full-fledged pilot's license. You should watch that fellow though, after I told him all of this he seemed quite nervous and his hand was shaking. Anyway, here is what happened.
The weather had been kind of bad since last week, when I soloed. But on the day in question I was not about to let low ceilings and visibility, and a slight freezing drizzle, deter me from another exciting experience at the controls of an airplane. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment, and I had invited my neighbor to go with me since I planned to fly to a town about two hundred miles away where I knew of an excellent restaurant that served absolutely wonderful charcoaled steaks and the greatest martinis.
On the way to the airport my neighbor was a little concerned about the weather, but I assured him once again about the steaks and martinis that we would soon be enjoying and he seemed much happier.
When we arrived at the airport the freezing drizzle had stopped, as I already knew from my ground school meteorology it would. There were only a few snow flakes. I checked the weather and I was assured that it was solid IFR. I was delighted. But when I talked to the local operator I found out that my regular airplane, a Piper J-4 Cub, was down for repairs. You could imagine my disappointment. Just then a friendly, intelligent line boy suggested that I take another airplane, which I immediately saw was very sleek and looked much easier to fly.
I think that he called it an Aztec C, also made by Piper. It didn't have a tail wheel, but I didn't say anything because I was in a hurry. Oh yes, it had a spare engine for some reason.
We climbed in and I began looking for an ignition switch. Now, I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but it shouldn't be necessary to get the airplane manual just to find out how to start an airplane. That's ridiculous. I never saw so many dials and needles and knobs, handles and switches. As we both know, confidentially, they have simplified this in the J-4 Cub. I forgot to mention that I did file a flight plan, and those people were so nice. When I told them I was flying an Aztec they said it was all right to go direct via Victor-435, a local superhighway, all the way. These fellows deserve a lot of credit. They told me a lot of other things too, but everybody has problems with red tape.
The take-off was one of my best and I carefully left the pattern just the way the book style says it should be done. The tower operator told me to contact Departure Control Radar, but that seemed kind of silly since I knew where I was going. There must have been some kind of emergency because, all of a sudden, a lot of airline pilots began yelling at the same time and made such a racket that I just turned off the radio.
You'd think that those professionals would be better trained. Anyway, I climbed up into a few little flat clouds, cumulus type, at three hundred feet, but Highway 435 was right under me and, since I knew it was straight east to the town where we were going to have drinks and dinner, I just went on up into the solid overcast. After all, it was snowing so hard by now that it was a waste of time to watch the ground. This was a bad thing to do, I realized. My neighbor undoubtedly wanted to see the scenery, especially the mountains all around us, but everybody has to be disappointed sometime and we pilots have to make the best of it, now don't we?
It was pretty smooth flying and, except for the ice that seemed to be forming here and there, especially on the windshield, there wasn't much to see. I will say that I handled the controls quite easily for a pilot with only six hours. My computer and pencils fell out of my shirt pocket once in a while but these phenomenon sometime occur I am told. I don't expect you to believe this, but my pocket watch was standing straight up on its chain. That was pretty funny and asked my neighbor to look but he just kept staring ahead with sort of a glassy look in his eyes and I figured that he was afraid of heights like all non-pilots are. By the way, something was wrong with the altimeter, it kept winding and unwinding all the time.
Finally, I decided we had flown about long enough to be where we were going, since I had worked it out on the computer. I am a whiz at that computer, but something must have gone wrong with it since when I came down to look for the airport there wasn't anything there except mountains. These weather people sure had been wrong, too. It was real marginal conditions with a ceiling of about one hundred feet. You just can't trust anybody in this business except yourself, right? Why, there were even thunderstorms going on with occasional bolts of lightning. I decided that my neighbor should see how beautiful it was and the way it seemed to turn that fog all yellow, but I guess he was asleep, having gotten over his fear of height, and I didn't want to wake him up.
Anyway, just then an emergency occurred because the engine quit. It really didn't worry me since I had just read the manual and I knew right where the other ignition switch was. I just fired up the other engine and we kept right on going. This silliness of having two engines is really a safety factor. If one quits the other is right there ready to go. Maybe all airplanes should have two engines. You might look into this.
As pilot in command, I take my responsibilities very seriously. It was apparent that I would have to go down lower and keep a sharp eye in such bad weather. I was glad my neighbor was asleep because it was pretty dark under the clouds and if it hadn't been for the lightning flashes it would have been hard to navigate. Also, it was hard to read road signs through the ice on the windshield. Several cars ran off the road when we passed and you can sure see what they mean about flying being a lot safer than driving.
To make a long story short, I finally spotted an airport that I knew right away was pretty close to town and, since we were already late for cocktails and dinner, I decided to land there. It was an Air Force Base so I knew it had plenty of runway and I could already see a lot of colored lights flashing in the control tower so I knew that we were welcome. Somebody had told me that you could always talk to these military people on the international emergency frequency so I tried it but you wouldn't believe the language that I heard. These people ought to be straightened out by somebody and I would like to complain, as a taxpayer.
Evidently there were expecting somebody to come in and land because they kept talking about some damn stupid son-of-a-***** up in that fog. I wanted to be helpful, so I landed on the ramp to be out of the way in case that other fellow needed the runway. A lot of people came running out waving at us. It was pretty evident that they had never seen an Aztec C before. One fellow, some General with a pretty nasty temper, was real mad about something. I tried to explain to him in a reasonable manner that I didn't think the tower operator should be swearing at that guy up there, but his face was so red that I think he must have a drinking problem.
Well, that's about all. I caught a bus back home because the weather really got bad, but my neighbor stayed at the hospital there. He can't make a statement yet because he's still not awake. Poor fellow, he must have the flu, or something. Let me know if you need anything else, and please send my new license airmail, special delivery.
Very, truly yours, SD
Aircraft Spotter
Quote of the Month
March's Program
Lathrop builds the car bodies from Kevlar. His cars are able to withstand a great deal of stress on the race track and are designed for a high probably of surviving a crash.
When Lathrop starting building a racing car, a competitive car in these classes might cost about three months salary from a normal day job. Today, it's much more expensive, with race cars costing upwards of $60,000. Competition has led many builders and racers to search for lighter (and more expensive) materials for their designs. The current crop of racing engines cost much more these days, plus the customized computer controls that are needed to make these engines run. Add to that, racing engines also have to have custom-built fuel injection.
Racing cars are becoming much like aircraft, in that they often need streamlined tubing for exposed chassis components. Lathrop says that streamlined tubing is made from standard round tubing, then it is squashed to get the streamlined shape. Steve gets his steel from AED in Indianapolis, which he says is a good source for buying in small quantities.
Race cars now have wings to provide a down force to help keep them on the track. Lathrop built his first wings from 3003 T6 aluminum, which was an arduous process for the small-chord wing. He now builds a mold then fabricates the wings from composite materials.
The Bearkhawk plans originally spec'd hundreds of materials for various parts. Wanting to reduce the materials cost and bring some commonality to the project, Steve just used pieces of bar stock or billets for many of the fittings then machined the parts.
Lathrop says he needs to get some of the race cars out of the shop so that he can get back to work on the Bearhawk. When he starts on the fuselage, he will tap into many of the same principles that he developed for his race cars. For example, he will test twist the fuselage for rigidity like he does for the racing machines.
Lathrop is a long way from needing an engine for his aircraft, but when the time comes he will likely buy a big block Lycoming, rebuilt by a trusted professional. Just like in racing where there are chassis guys and engine guys, in aviation there are airframe guys and engine guys. Steve says that he is a chassis guy and prefers to hand the engine work off to a specialist.
Go back to Section 1
April 2, 2008 — Dave and Steve Kopeschka Corvair-powered auto gyro
May 7, 2008 — TBA
June 4, 2008 — TBA
July 2, 2008 — TBA
August 6, 2008 — TBA
September 3, 2008 — TBA
October 1, 2008 — TBA
November 5, 2008 — TBA
December, 2008 — TBA
President: Dale "Gus" Gustafson, 1-317-293-4430, dalefaye@msn.com
Vice President: Doug Moncreiff, 317-280-1621, cdmoncreiff@sbcglobal.net
Secretary: Michael Mossman, 1-765-483-9533, michaelandkatie@insightbb.com
Treasurer: Vern Sullenger, 1-317-839-8728, sullenger@iquest.net
Director: Dennis Crawley, 317-387-1737, Crawley27@comcast.net
Director: Dave Helton, 1-317-745-7916, dhelton@iquest.net
Director: Chuck Long, 317-892-3146, LoneEagleHDS@aol.com
Director: Glen Matejcek, 1-317-839-5444, aerobubba@earthlink.net
Director: David Morton, 317-745-4846, djamorton@sbcglobal.net
Director: Gary Reynolds, 317-745-6223, n98gr@att.net
Director: Paul Vogel, 1-317-272-2106, p_vogel@sbcglobal.net
AIRCRAFT KIT FOR SALE: Sonex kit #115. Have everything but the skins. Kit not started so it could be either a tri-gear or taildragger. $8,000. Contact Fred Baldwin 317-354-6200 (cell phone), bladex22@comcast.net
Current as of March 15, 2008
NAME EMAIL ADDRESS PROJECT(S) BALDWIN, Fred bladex22@comcast.net Bladerunner twin jet BRAAF, Bob bbraaf@msn.com Cessna 210-5 BROYLES, John broylesjohn@sbcglobal.net — CHAPMAN, Jeff PoP6756@aol.com Piper Tri-Pacer CLARK, David davecpd@att.net 1946 Aeronca Chief CRAWLEY, Dennis Crawley27@comcast.net Grumman Tiger EMINGER, Mark tjemee@yahoo.com Christavia Mk1 GRIFFIN, Jim jimg@netcapade.net Questar Venture GROVER, Troy rv6grover@sbcglobal.net RV10 GUSTAFSON, Dale DALEFAYE@msn.com Piper J-4 HATFIELD, Doug hatfielddoug@hotmail.com Zenair 640 HELTON, Dave davehelton@heltonassoc.com Piper Tri-Pacer KOPESCHKA, Dave iedvk@iquest.net Little Wing Autogyro KOPESCHKA, Steve stephen.j.kopeschka@rolls-royce.com Little Wing Autogyro LATHROP, Steve lathropdad@worldnet.att.net BearHawk LeBARON, Tim tjlebaron@sbcglobal.net RV-4, Breezy, Ercoupe LEUCHT, Chuck charlesleucht@sbcglobal.net RV-9A MATEJCEK, Glen aerobubba@earthlink.net RV8 MATEJCEK, Robin aerobubba@earthlink.net RV8 MONCREIFF, Doug cdmoncreiff@sbcglobal.net JDT Hi-Max MORTON, David djamorton@sbcglobal.net — MOSSMAN, Michael mmossman@fujifilmgs.com Zenair 601 HDS PRINCELL, Rick GRPContracting@comcast.net GP-4 REYNOLDS, Gary n98gr@att.net RV6A RINEHART, Mark capt_riney@yahoo.com Kolb Mark III Classic RUBERSON, Bryan bruberson@aol.com Aeronca Chief RUSH, Larry k9hxt@sbcglobal.net RV6A, RV-8 SHUMAKER, Kim kkrv-9a@sbcglobal.net RV-9A SMITH, Sean — — SNYDER, Jim jim.snyder1@comcast.net Cherokee 180 STUCKER, David d.j.stucker@worldnet.att.net — SULLENGER, Vern sullenger@iquest.net Cherokee 140, RV-7A VOGEL, Paul p_vogel@sbcglobal.net Sonex VONDERSAAR, Bob rvondersaar@austin.rr.com Steen Skybolt VONDERSAAR, Teresa tvondersaar@ausin.rr.com Steen Skybolt WEATHERS, Steve indy.pilot@hotmail.com Wag Aero Sport Trainer WININGS, Jim winingsj@aol.com Rocket WINTERS, Ernie lwinters@pow-wowfitness.com Cessna 170 A
Current as of December 31, 2007
NAME EMAIL ADDRESS PROJECT(S) BAIN, Kyle dficeman@hotmail.com R/C models BEETHAM, John jabeetham@earthlink.net Fokker D VII, Piper Dakota BUDNY, Skip skbudny@tds.net Mini 500 helicopter BYRUM, Jon jbyrum@byrumarchitects.net RV-7A CHAPMAN, Tom chapman.t@insightbb.com 1957 Cessna 172 DAVIDSON, Ginger planecrazy13@att.net RV3 DAVIDSON, Rich ifitsoldillflyit@msn.com RV3 HENDERSON, Robert robert_10215@msn.com Christavia MK2 LAURENZANO, Mike mikelaurenzano@yahoo.com Bushby Mustang II LEWIS, Jimmy rudder4@aol.com RV-7A LONG, Chuck charles.long@allisontransmission.com Zenair 601 HDS MELCHIOR, Dirk d-r-melchior@msn.com F1 Rocket MYRTLE, Bill WEMyrtle@yahoo.com Brantly B2B, Kitfox I NG, Bart bng@math.iupui.edu RV-7A RAHM, Kenneth riptide757@aol.com — ROBBINS, Will werobbins@flightline.com — ROEVER, Doug dmroever@iquest.net RV-7 Tail kit ROTTLER, Mark mark@rottler.org — SCHERMERHORN, Scott scottschermerhorn@yahoo.com Luscombe 8E restoration UTLEY, Ted ted.utley@in.ngb.army.mil —
"Pilot's Letter to the FAA"
Thanks to Mike Foushee, Chapter 729 Newsletter Editor
Glen Matejcek offers this items spotted recently on eBay: Kevin Lancaster, who is the owner of True Flight, bought the bankrupt Tiger Aircraft LLC company in Martinsburg WV. Tiger Aircraft has an inventory of "new" Lycoming 180 h.p. engines for sale. Lycoming had already started the clock on the warranty so they can't use them on new aircraft. They are new in the crate and have been properly preserved and inspected. The reserve is below most most overhauls. If interested, bid on item number 170200270940.
"What we do not make conscious emerges later as fate." Pioneering Swiss psychologist Carl Jung.
By Michael Mossman
After the regular March meeting at Hendricks County Airport, about a half-dozen Chapter 1311 members and guests made the trip to the Zionsville area to visit Steve Lathrop in his shop, where he is constructing a Bearhawk aircraft from scratch.
Lathrop's "day job" is building racing cars, as he's done for 30 years. He started building and racing Formula Vee cars, which used the original Volkswagen "Beetle" engines. He stepped up to Formula Ford, which was a car based on the Ford Pinto engines, and later Formula Continental, which was the Ford 2000 engine. Steve's had many successes with his race cars, as one achieved a second place in a national championship. Although a lot of these customers are racing for trophies, they are already very professional in their approach to the sport and are technically oriented. Needing an edge to compete, they turn to Steve for his abilities to turn steel tube and Kevlar into serious contenders.
Lathrop's race cars are build from steel tube, using many of the techniques seen in tube and fabric aircraft, with the exception being that the race cars are built with much larger diameter tubes. The chassis are butt welded the TIG welded to completion. Steve found a Hossfeld Universal iron bender in an Amish shop and bought it for forming tube and bar stock for the cars. The Hossfeld is limited to larger-bend radius in tubing, so for the tight diameter bends in tube, Steve will farm out those components to a subcontractor.
In order to give his cars the competitive edge that his customer's demand, Lathrop spends a great deal of time analyzing the strengths and rigidity of the car frames. Once built, he will test the frames for rigidity, trying to determine the number of pounds required per degree of twist. The more pounds required for twist, the better the frame is able to keep all of the tires on the track during a high-speed turn. Using just a few extra tubes, he has been able to increase the rigidity
When adapting an auto engine to a race car, he often has to design and build many of the components to make it work. One common component that gets thrown away is the bell housing, which are usually made from cast metal. Steve will design his own parts, write the computer file that makes the drawing, then take the file to a shop that will cut the parts from billet stock with a water jet machine. Using magnesium and other light-weight materials, Steve can trim many pounds from a car while improving on the strength, durability and accessibility of the component.
One novel attempt to build a competitive car at a lower cost is an engine and transmission combination based on a 1000 cc Suzuki engine. The engine currently has a wet sump, but Lathrop might have to revert to a dry sump operation. It's expected to produce 175 h.p., and should do about 150 m.p.h. on the race track. No street car should be able to keep up with it on the race track.
Using his fabrication, analysis and design skills, Lathrop has turned his attention to building a Bearhawk aircraft. The Bearhawk is a tube-and-fabric tailwheel airplane that looks a lot like a scaled-up Cub. It's a four-seater with a large engine. Steve says there isn't a lot more work going from two seats to four in a tube-a-fabric aircraft, except perhaps a few more bays in the fuselage and larger or heavier parts to work with.
In order to cut the many ribs for the Bearhawk wing, Lathop resorted to using a standard electric router. His first attempts wore down the bit very quickly. Once he learned how to lube the bit it lasted a long time and was able to cut three rib blanks at a time.
Lathrop made wood form blocks for the ribs, and routed fluting slots in the form blocks so that every rib would have its flutes in identical positions. He cut some 0.125-inch aluminum plate with a fly cutter to make the "die set" for flaring the lightening holes. He pressed the ribs and lightening holes in a six-ton press, which also had the advantage of straightening and flattening the ribs and the same time. His wing spars were formed over blanks made from maple.
For many of the formed sheet metal fittings, Steve believes that making specialized tooling is actually a time saver. He says that if the builder will make the correct tool to bend a part or fabricate drill patterns for hole spacing, then they will get greater repeatability, which is a key to a better part.
The Bearhawk fuselage is constructed from 4130 steel tube, which is often gas welded. Lathrop doesn't recommend gas welding over TIG or vice versa; he just says to do whatever you are best at doing. One example he gave was of a race car frame that was TIG welded. The only crack the frame sustained after several crashes was on a fitting for the suspension.