Well said Mark L. My position is and always has been that we are all collaborating to assist builders in constructing the safest airplanes that they can. My purpose in contrasting the different developments was to assure builders who have done like me and purchased nearly complete aircraft, or are nearing completion, that they need not begin major surgery on their planes in order to fly with the least amount of risk, and the greatest enjoyment. If a builder has not completed his boat and wings, then by all means, lengthen the fuselage the entire 16 inches of the longerons as supplied, as Mark stated he should have done during that phase. Get copies of the new wing plans from Mark, and build them also, adjust the angle of incidence as prescribed by both Bill Clapp, and Mark Langford, and you will have a much nicer plane. Incorporate as many of the other enhancements that builders have come up with that suits you. My remarks of doing less are mainly for the builders in similar positions to myself to know that with a few select things accomplished, they can have a very enjoyable plane to fly.
The most important point in all of this cannot be stressed more, and that is that a pilot/builder MUST keep the CG in the range that it belongs, preferably the first 4 inches, but must be the first 6 inches (the last 2 inches are too far to the rear all have agreed). This is in all conditions and flight attitudes, and all weights. A doubter only has to read the NTSB report of a C172 pilot out of New Smyrna Beach Airport that loaded up his family for the holiday, after weighing everyone at the FBO, and did NOT perform a weight and balance check. He was 100 pounds UNDER the maximum allowable weight for the model, but had 150 pounds too much weight in the baggage area (he thought you could combine placards of floor and hat rack totals). After lift off climbout gradually came to a stop out of ground effect and the aircraft stalled into the swamps just north of the Indian River. Just some thoughts.... crain...@cfl.rr.com http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html KR2(td) N96TA Sanford, FL Apex Lending, Inc. 407-323-6960 (p) 407-557-3260 (f) crai...@apexlending.com
