Phil_P

Very good Alan

I actually keep a length of such essential in my airborne tool kit even when not 'vol-biving'

Out of interest, what do others carry tool/spare wise? Mine runs to;

Leatherman with screwdriver adapter & bits (do they make a Ti version?)

3 Sockets that'll fit on the above

Small double ended box spanner that will do plugs & prop nuts

Spare plug & cap

A length of throttle cable inner

A couple of spare prop nuts

Zip ties

'Bog' roll!

Worst case scenario for if the point of bend started to crack (I had this problem with an aluminium cage), cut out a short section around the damage & get someone to run up a plug to fit into both sides then weld it in place (as it was only the cage, I resorted to pop rivets).

Phil

do you need a special charger?

Dave.

Oh yes, charge these with a suitable charger or be doing it outside or in a fireproof box. Inappropriate charging of these has resulted in serious property damage.

Have a look here;

Phil

I have been trying to figure out if it would be possible to rig on-board charging by running the output of the generator through a fat blocking diode and then onto a suitable charging circuit. A second diode would then be used to carry all discharge current other than direct starter motor feed. This I am thinking would mean that all current flowing into the battery would have to be via the charger, and that all current flowing out would NOT be via the charger. Sort of like two parallel one way streets in opposite directions.

There is of course the fire concern, and that does trouble me. I suppose I could just resort to a total loss system like yours vince. The generator output could be utilised to run any other on board electrics, just not a charge circuit.

Phil

My idea for obtaining fuel without a demountable tank, is a flexible bladder for petrol. Think in terms of a 'CammelBac' but for fuel. Such a beast is available in Aus., but not been able to track them down locally.

An option for tentage, is when two are flying together, split the load of a small two man tent. I have a great 'Mountain Equipment' tent that comes in at about 2kg. This could be seriously reduced by using Ti tent pegs, so about 750gramme each for two people. Not even that cramped, so almost luxurious.

Cooking, I have a 'Primus' lightweight stove that with run on anything from diesel, jet A1, petrol or bottled gas. If I run it on petrol, then I only have to carry the flask/pump assembly, and fuel it from the motor. The best home made accessory I have is an aluminium stove windshield made of six squares of ali and some ali piano hinge between the sections so it concertinas up. This speeds up boiling times hugely, reducing fuel requirements. I could make it lighter yet.

If going somewhere without access to water, I have an ultralight water filter that goes down to micron levels to make just about any water pottable. A small carbon filter would take out any tastes left behind.

I have also picked up an 'A Bike' on ebay, and would love to get off the ground with that so I could cycle to the petrol station.

Great thread, Phil.

PS, I still like Vol Biv as a name though.

If I can remember who borrowed my G/H wing a few months back, I will ask them if they are ready to pass it on. It was lent on condition that it would go to the next needy individual.

Phil

I just go to the Met Office site, figuring it's probably pretty close to the horses mouth so to speak.

From here;

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/

You can narrow thing down, choose forecast or history, choose wind, weather, pressure etc. zoom to your region/city, and even add a 'gadget to your browser that will bring up a handy side bar with details that you choose.

Phil

I must confess, the prospect of all of the guys on one side dropping while those on the other got stuck made me shudder a bit. The poor pilot would have got tw*tted by the free end of the ladder at high speed!

Phil

Eddie, tough luck. I can't help you on the tank, but I do have a couple of damaged/repaired GSC blades you can have if you want. I have used them and they didn't fly apart, but no warranty (but then, no charge either).

Phil

Hope it works out well for you Mike.

I have just posted a little bit on another forum, singing the praises of my lovely wife Nikki, who not only hasn't complained about me flying for the last three days, but even suggested tonight that I could sleep up at the airfield (comfy caravan) to make the most of an early start if I wanted (no, she doesn't just want all the quilt )

I think she knows that as and when I get my hip surgery that I'm going to be grounded for ages, and will be like a bear with a sore head for six months!

She's fantastic, the absolute best, and not sick of me yet, even after twenty eight years.

Phil

Ask at garmin.com, pretty switched on when it comes to tech support.

Phil

I should think that 100' might just be in range for a decent paintball marker. I bet the wing would look good in fetching yellow with blue 'splots'.

It's a terrible thing to say, but I wouldn't buy anything that Dell recommends, purely on principle. He really does irk me that much.

Jeremy Clarkson comes a close second to him in pure 'I am a God' self aggrandisement.

Phil

PS remember that all reflex wings will kill you!

Well, you can't stop the torque, all you can do is take measures to reduce the effect it's having on you.

As Pete says, give us some more information to work with, otherwise we are working in the dark.

Phil

Probably that it's a good 'chat up' line

And just in case it can't be found, my personal recommend is for the Thule version. I know that 'Slim' rates an alternative.

I picked up my Thule second hand off that well known auction site, and then just screwed on a piece of ply. Onto the ply I screwed four small blocks of wood that stop the bottom of the motor sliding around. The motor is then secured with two car 'lap belt' style seat belts from the 'A' frame, although anything similar would do.

Rock solid, 'A' frame folds to access tail gate of 4x4, will support loads more than quoted max weight (i.e. standing on it). You can get into your motor while on the platform, which for me is easier than standing up with it at the moment.

Hi Gary, the black prop is near enough identical to the genuine Adventure prop that came with the motor. I guess Kyle may have 'rearranged' that one however. I seem to remember a figure of around 15 degrees, but I may be way out on that.

The convention for finding the pitch in degrees is to measure a point 75% out along the blade, place the blade on a level horizontal surface and measure the angle that the chord line of the aerofoil makes to the horizontal at that 75% station. The chord line is the line running from extreme trailing edge to extreme leading edge. A digital level makes it easy.

There are probably calculators on the web to convert the angle into inches, or you can use a bit of trig to work it out. The 'inches' figure is the distance that the prop would advance along it's axis in one complete revolution (assuming no slipage). Americans seem to routinely use inches, but us Europhiles mostly stick to degrees.

Phil

Does it have a reed valve, if 'yes' then check the petals for any damage.

Head and base gasket

Leaking crank bearing seals

Plug cap or HT coil tracking

Sticking decompresser

Check compression to rule out stuck rings

Blocked breather on tank

One way flap valves in carb starting to fail

Air leak on inlet track or fuel line

Blocked fuel filter or tank pick-up

Give me a while, I'll probably think of some more;

Oh, you've not swapped the prop have you?

Phil

I'm assuming therefore that you have found the motor isn't achieving full revs?

Phil

Have you told her that if you have to run more than about a dozen steps then you are quite possibly doing it wrong? Even I've been able to manage it (up till last weekend at least) with my dodgy hip! And if you are tandeming, then the passenger won't be carrying any weight anyway.

If she really doesn't want to do it, then it's pretty much trike or don't fly PPG, as I don't think there are going to be any really practical solutions.

Phil

Personally, I thought it was brill, but then I do have rather a warped outlook on life.

from the clip it appears he did not take the route to minimize the risk to both himself and the children, something wich was his responsibility as a pilot.

Dave

Dave, I feel you have made my point for me.

You have based a condemnation on a couple of minutes of shaky, blurred video footage, and a few gasps and comments from bystanders.

We don't know what risk assessment was carried out, we don't know what if any, reasons there were for appearing to continue to fly towards the crowd even when something was wrong (if indeed it was).

As a pilot interested even only in self preservation, I would expect him to avoid a low flight over power cables if it was possible. As a human being, I wouldn't expect him to persist flying towards a crowd of children if avoidable, with a known problem.

I don't know ANY of the above. As and when the facts come out and he is revealed to have screwed up big time, THEN go after him with claws out, not before.

I haven't noted any venom being directed towards the pilot who tragically lost his life within the last day or so, and there, but for the grace of God, a similar tragedy could well have unfolded.

Phil

Well there are 2 facts we do know, he was flying directly at and over power lines and directly at and over a crowd, something that has been banned at airshows in europe since the fatal crash in germany , both of these carry high risk if something goes wrong as it seems to have done here.

Aerobatics involving flying over a crowd, or with the energy of the aircraft directed in such a way as debris would end up in a crowd are certainly banned.

Was this pilot doing aeros?

Had dispensation to drop items been granted? Was it required in the USA even?

Do we know why he was at such a low level over the power lines?

Do we know whether it was possible to take avoiding action?

Do we in fact know ANY of the circumstances other than the initial plan, and the crash? And here I mean FACTUAL information, not here-say, conjecture or press (dis)information?

If you do, I guess you should be over there assisting the FAA with the investigation. If you don't, well I guess that's up to you own consciences.

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.

Phil

Agreed Leo, we don't know the facts, and he is being crucified. Not the first time that members of this forum have indulged in uninformed character assassination, and I doubt it will be the last.

Funny how the Brit system of fair play and innocent until proven guilty has been exported the world over, and yet there seem to a huge number of folks here who don't seem to agree with it.

Incidentally, it was a powered parachute, many of which operate outside the category of aircraft that includes paramotors. They are much heavier, higher powered and faster. Oh, and nearly always steered with the feet.

Phil

The only reason I have wanted to get back on the ground so far, is the problem of becoming physically air-sick. Cleaning the motor down post flight isn't fun