ptwizz

Ahh - I see - ideal kit question. I'd have one of these:

If money was truly not an issue: I would be out flying, not at work. Therefore my kit would be worn out.

A flywheel is not a load on the engine in the same way that a prop is. At a constant 2000rpm, it might take 20HP to keep the prop turning, while the flywheel requires virtually no power. The only real alternative to running with the prop would be an engine dynamometer. A dynamometer simulates the prop load (often with an enclosed fan) so that the engines operating parameters (torque, rpm, induction rate, fuel consumption, temperatures, exhaust gas content etc.) can be measured through a range of loads. Simons approach (run - stop - adjust - run) is the safe approach. If you are adjusting anything, take notes / photos etc. and keep an accurate record of everything you do. That way, when the engine refuses to start , you can return to the original settings .

Nice illustration of the fluid dynamics around the wing.

That is exactly my reasoning. I have no more confidence in insurance companies than in any other financial institution (pensions etc). They are all essentially gambling and will do what they can to weight the odds in their favour. None of the smiley faces represent 'rant' in an adequate manner.

...to which the insurance company could reply: "The fitting of a tracking device without proper notification has invalidated your insurance" The insurance companies hold all the cards.

Once the pistons are done, I will indeed get onto the main crankcase. The crankcase will not be from castings, but a bolted structure consisting of a front plate, a back plate and seven 'sides'. All will be machined from 1" thick Aluminium 5083, which I have just ordered. I had investigated the possibility of a two piece cast casing, but the design would have made for awkward assembly of the engine and I couldn't find a foundry interested in the job. Yesterday, I machined the pockets in the undersides of two pistons. This operation takes about 3 hours per piston (and since the cockup on the first piston is quite stressful ). Everything I touch is contaminated with tiny flecks of aluminium

I think the accuracy is quoted as 3m to 5m with GPS signal, or about 50m with mobile phone signal only. It's enough that I can see on a map that my van is parked in my driveway, not on the road. It is a cheap tracker. I doubt that it will make much difference to your insurance, as it's probably not approved (doesn't claim to be) and they would probably want it to be installed by a third party who will charge far in excess of the hardware cost.

I risked my £32.50 and bought one through Ebay. Review: Does exactly what it says. Works perfectly well inside a van. Takes about 20 minutes to set up. Review ends.

In an attempt to answer the question: Exhaust smoke can easily be made by injecting oil into the hot exhaust. Such a system is easy to construct and can be switched on and off at will. Coloured smoke canisters cannot be 'switched off'. So it comes to pass that of those who wish to show off with smoke, many choose the exhaust smoke system.

Vince, I think you're describing a Honda TV ad from a couple of years ago.

I'm liking the small quantity of fragrant Jojoba leaves on the side of Simon's bath.

If dirt in the idle jet is the problem, fit an inline fuel filter.

Hi Paul, Do you have the CVK carb? The first thing you will need to do is diagnose the problem: If you allow the engine to idle for a couple of seconds, then open the throttle quickly, the engine may stop completely, indicating that the mixture is weak at idle, or it may quickly pick up RPM, indicating a correct or rich idle mixture. If the mixture is weak at idle, it could be an adjustment of the carburettor, although this is unlikely to have happened on its own. It is more likely to be an air leak. Check the carb mounting to the intake manifold and the manifold mounting to the engine. If the mixture is rich, it could be a leaking float needle. This would cause the float chamber to overflow, particularly when using the primer (without the engine running!). If all seems well with the above (no leaks), the idle mixture adjustment is on the underside of the CVK carb.

One of the replies to last weeks spam got me thinking. Far from wanting to conceal our location, there are good reasons why we might want others to know exactly where we are. I have been looking at these devices http://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/product/tk102-nano-gps-tracker for fitting to bikes. In short, it's a GPS with it's own sim card (on pay as you go) which will send, on demand, either GPS locations by text or a real time position on a map. The same thing (probably) can be had for half the price on Ebay. At £30 I'm tempted to get one just to try it out. If it does what it claims, it would be useful to fit to a paramotor both for emergency location if you go missing and for location of your motor if it were to be stolen. Has anyone on here had any experience with these devices?

I think it's been shown that a tin foil hat makes it easier for the aliens to read your mind. I can, however, supply a lead-lined flying suit with full helmet at only 19kg for a reassuringly astronomical fee.

More hours in the workshop, more swarf in my socks and a satisfying pile of pistons in progress.

Farmer Dave has reminded me: Another advantage of four stroke engines (apart from being cleaner, quieter, more reliable and having more linear throttle response) is the fuel consumption. I am about 78kg and on a 29.5m² Ozone Indy wing I get about 2 to 2.5 litres per hour. While a 2 stroke engine may be lighter, this is to some extent offset by the extra fuel required on take off.

The order in which I have practised forward and reverse launches has been dictated by the conditions in which I have chosen to fly. I've probably been a little over cautious and denied myself what should have been quite reasonable flying opportunities.

Sunday was a perfect day for experimentation. Wind was virtually nil in the morning, building smoothly to a nice, clean 10mph by 4.00pm. After a little ground handling, I made my first reverse launch with the motor. By comparison with forward launches, it's a doddle. After a very quick and clean launch, I climbed to about 2000ft, close enough to the low cloudbase which was keeping the air smooth. I took the opportunity to play with the speedbar. The force required to push the bar out is considerably greater than I had expected, considering the mechanical advantage of the pulley system. With the bar fully out, I was immediately aware of increased airspeed by the wind on my face and the sound from the lines. A little more throttle was required to maintain altitude, as expected. I am in the habit of using the trimmers to balance torque and achieve straight flight at cruise with the brakes parked. It occurred to me that asymmetric use of the speed bar should have a similar effect. With a little gentle experimentation and frequent checking of line tension, I found I could make effective course changes using the speedbar alone. By this time, the wind was picking up and I was flying large (1 mile) circles around a chosen point, using only the speedbar and throttle to compansate for the wind. Landing into the smooth 10mph wind was a pleasure. The muddy state of the field (and now of my wing!) less so. I could have landed on the nice grass strip, but decided to go for the stubble to avoid disturbing the tow launching boys. I now feel more confident in a little more wind, knowing that I can penetrate better. With any luck, this should translate directly to more flying opportunities.

Bailey 175. There is no reason why the largest suppliers or most popular motors would necesserily be the most well repspected brands. There are pros and cons to every aspect of popularity. You will probably find many more complaints about the most popular motors, simply because more people have them. This is similar to asking 'what's the best car or bike?' It depends on what you want to do with it and on your personal requirements and taste. I fly a Bailey because I believe 2 stroke engines are a work of purest evil. I don't mind that it's dated and heavy. I could have aquired a lighter, more powerful and more modern 2 stroke motor, but I like my Bailey in the same way that I like my old british bikes and car. The only real advice I can offer would be this: Get as much experience as you can before committing your hard earned cash. Your own experience is worth considerably more than any number of popularity polls.

Some progress, at last. Before starting (again) on a set of pistons, I worked out how to set up the Drummond lathe to turn the pistons (too big Ø to pass over the cross slide) without a long overhanging tool. The new, stiffer setup allowed me to make short work of seven blanks. The finish is also considerably better than that achieved on no.1. Provided my life doesn't get in the way too much, I should have a set of pistons before too long. Then I can get onto the really interesting bits. Edit: Why do the pictures show in reverse order? I attached the lathe setup photo first.

Hi CHilly, Is there some way that I can quickly find which site you will be at on any particular day? Cheers,

Far too long without getting my arse in the air. Saturday saw a string of 4 or 5 failed launch attempts in nil wind. Sunday looked more promising with a little breeze, so I headed out planning to fly from Shipdham in the morning and Northrepps in the afternoon. As it turned out, I couldn't fly from either location, because I had just missed the people who could give me permission to fly the sites. However, I met Mike Chilvers and several other parmotorists at Northrepps. I took the opportunity for some much needed ground handling practise. I was also able to assist a novice with some ground handling, he had turned up with a wing (Revo) which he had never been able to get up. After a brief inspection, we adjusted the trims (one had been all the way in, the other all the way out) and soon had the wing in the air. By the end of the day, he was running across the field with the wing under control and, with a bit of a push, made a 'flight' of approximately 20 feet and an altitude of 6". Although I didn't get into the air myself, there is significant satisfaction to be had from assisting another potential pilot in his first steps.

I have to assume that miniwing is employing sarcasm as a form of humor. The alternative is unthinkable.