CHAPTER 81 SKY WRITER

Erik Fjerstad, Ch81 Newsletter Editor5418 W Lone Star Dr, Tucson, AZ 85713

CHAPTER 81

SKY WRITERSeptember 2015 Newsletter

Notice!

Saturday, 19 September, 10am, Chapter Meeting atRyan Field Administration Building

Annual dues are $20, and have been assessed for 2015. Asof 29 Aug, 70 of 106 regular members are paid-up. Theamounts showing (below) include the 2015 assessment. Ifthe amount due is less than $20, that is because of either apre-payment, or a pro-rated amount from joining thechapter last year.

Checks should be made payable to EAA Chapter 81 andbrought to a chapter meeting or sent to the Treasurer:

Jim Gries13640 N Heritage Canyon Drive

Tucson AZ 85658-4073Do not send payment to the newsletter editor!

EAA Chapter 81 Meeting Minutes

August 15, 2015

Meeting was called to order at 1000 at the Ryan Fieldmeeting room by President Eric Witherspoon.

Secretary’s Report: There was no July meeting due toAirventure Oshkosh, and, therefor no minutes of thenonexistent meeting. Secretary Bob Miller is off the hook.However, just to make sure that Bob doesn’t get too lazy,he had to take Minutes on the Board of Directors meetingwhich immediately preceded this one.

Treasurer’s Report: Jim Gries says that we have$14,780.58 in the bank, including $60 in dues receivedsince June and $600 received for the sale of an aircraftradio donated by the widow of previous Chapter 81Treasurer Mick Myal. This matter will be addressed laterin this meeting.

Old Business:

• President Eric Witherspoon has made severalattempts to contact the Pima Community CollegeAviation Program about our proposed donation,without success. RV-12 builder Tito Sanchez hada hangar visit from the JTED Eagles Nestprogram, which has built RV-12s and seeksfunding to build another. Treasurer Jim Griesoffers to contact both the Pima CC program andthe high-school student Eagles Nest program tosee where funds might best be allocated.

EAA Chapter 81 Newsletter - Page 1

Calendar of Events(Please send event info to the editor)

Sep 19 Chapter Meeting – details TBD

Oct 17 Chapter Meeting – details TBD

Nov 07 Arizona Air Guard Tour – details TBD

Nov 21 Chapter Meeting – details TBD

• Volunteers are needed to inventory the donation toChapter 81 of loads of aviation-related items,including apparatus, books, plans, and videos.The gift was contingent upon our providing aninventory so that there may be a tax deduction forthe gift. Bob Miller, Lynn Wesley, Jerry Miel, andJoe Seibold comprised the volunteer party tocollect the two pickup-truckloads of items, whichare presently being stored.

• Andy Meyer has not yet been able to fullyinvestigate options for a Chapter 81 Hangar, buttells us today that he will “kick his effort into highgear” at this point. Options include possiblelocations at Tucson International Airport, RyanField, Marana Airport, or possibly a largeindustrial storage unit with towable access to anairport. Input from the membership is solicited.Andy can be called at 520-904-4132 or emailed [email protected].

• The Chapter 81 Facebook page is 2-3 hits perweek. There is unlimited room for photos.President Eric has a few to send, and many othermembers likely do as well. This is an opportunityto let the community know who we are and whatwe are doing, so don’t be shy. Most folks stilldon’t know that regular people can build and flyairplanes!

New Business:

• Steve Hewlitt went to Airventure Oshkosh thisyear.

• David Schiffman informs us that there will be anAOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association)Air Safety Seminar on “Cross Country Challenge”held at the Clarion Inn (previously Holiday Inn)on Palo Verde on Tuesday 9/29/15 from 7 to 9PM.Dave also saw a TV show about General DouglasMacArthur’s Lockheed C121 (militarydesignation for the Constellation) “Bataan” beingrestored to flyable condition at Valley Airport,about half-way between Williams, AZ and theGrand Canyon.

• Jim Galvin has purchased a Zenith Zodiac 601 andis requesting help with the set-up of the MGLglass panel engine monitoring system.

• Marv Kea is looking for a hangar or to share ahangar at Ryan Field. Please contact him at 520-631-6612 or email [email protected].

New Visitors:

• Mike Thompson is not currently flying norbuilding, but wants to build an RV-7. He is a

Tucsonan and self described “stale” pilot.

• Jim Taylor lives in Tucson and at Flying Diamondairport, a live-in flying community. He is trainingas a Sport Pilot and has purchased a nearly-complete Team Aircraft Mini Max. He will bejoining Chapter 81.

• Bruce Gage (hope I guessed right at the spelling)has been a pilot since the 1970s, including gliders,and an open-water sailor as well. He is gettingback into aviation, but hasn’t yet decided on thetype of flying that most interests him.

Bob Miller wanted to share his experiences in informalflight training. He flies with previous Arizona AdvancedAerobatic champion Rick Brown in Rick’s Sissler Cygnet,a plans-built tube-and-fabric LSA pulled behind a GreatPlains VW conversion. Although light and responsive, itis neither overpowered nor an aerobatic aircraft. This doesnot in the least prevent Bob from benefitting from Rick’svast experience on how to fly better. They practice slow-flight, maneuvering at MCA (minimum controllableairspeed), stalls and recovery, horizon referencemaneuvers (placing the nose where you want relative tothe horizon while keeping the wings level, which requirescross-controlling), slips, lazy eights, and canyon turns.Bob described a canyon turn as a maneuver that can saveyour life when you find that you have flown into a canyonwith terrain rising faster than you can climb. Obviously,one wants to avoid such a situation in the first place, butwouldn’t it be a good idea to have the skill to save yourbacon if such a circumstance occurred? The canyon turnis sort of half-way between a hammerhead (which is a trueaerobatic maneuver) and a lazy eight (which definitely isnot). Basically a steep lazy eight, it slows the aircraftdown to the point where it can make a 180 degree turn in avery short radius, just what you need to reverse course inthat tight canyon. Worth learning, and one does not needan aerobatic aircraft to learn it. Bob firmly believes that apilot should explore the envelope of what his or heraircraft can do so, that when a situation occurs, you knowwhat you and your airplane can do to save the day.

The meeting began and ended with the viewing of EAAChapter Videos chosen by President Witherspoon, with thepre-meeting viewing on bush flying in Alaska (featuringMiracle-on-the- Hudson pilot Jeffrey Skiles), and theconcluding video on the Autogyro gyroplane (gyroplane isthe correct designation for an aircraft that has anunpowered rotor and an engine to provide thrust, as in anairplane) and a “Hints for Homebuilders” on how to threada new control cable into your already-built homebuilt.The latter involved gas-welding the new cable to the oldand pulling it through, more secure than using tape.

Meeting adjourned at 1050. The next meeting will be heldat the Ryan Field meeting room on 1000 on Saturday,

EAA Chapter 81 Newsletter - Page 2

September 19.

Respectfully Submitted by

Secretary Bob Miller

Tech Counselor Report – by Eric Witherspoon

I did a Tech Counselor visit to Bob Sutherland's Titan P51project on Friday, 8/21. The chapter may recall a meetinghere a couple years ago. Life events took Bob away fromthe project for a while, but he's been back at it. Muchwork has been done on the tail / tail installation, as well asmaking and re-making the fuselage side skins andinstalling controls in the cockpit.

Fuselage side skins were re-made for two reasons - first toclean up some rivet spacing which is not obvious in theplans, and second to increase the thickness by oneincrement (total of 6 lbs for the airplane) to avoid oil-canning that has been seen on other examples with largerthan the original engine.

The airframe was originally designed for 100hp Rotax, butessentially all builders are using either of two automotiveV6's. Bob reports an automotive V8 installation is also indevelopment, but Bob already has his engine, a 2.7l,180hp, 70-degree Suzuki V6 with a belt-based prop speedreduction drive. The next larger engine is a 240hp HondaV6. Some may recall the construction of this airplane israther unusual - a welded-steel square-tube frame that the2024 Aluminum skins are hung on using hat channels via

blind/pulled aluminum rivets. In the cockpit, this structurealso features another layer of aluminum inner skins insidethe steel tubes such that the steel tube nature ofconstruction is not visible. Bob had all of the steel partspowder-coated locally, and bought a very nice-lookingseat custom made for this airframe. The design is true tothe original running a liquid-cooled engine with radiatorbehind and below the rear seat. It also features retractinglanding gear, including the tailwheel.

Bob plans to learn to tackle aircraft wiring when the timecomes, including a computer-driven engine control. Anelectric constant-speed prop is used with his particularengine configuration. Bob reports that a hydraulicconstant-speed prop is possible, with purchase of a $20kgear reduction drive!

ANNUALS - Owner AssistedInstruction – Maintenance - Consultation

Jim Moss A&P IA www.northside-aviation.com/

From member Ed Davis

(393-0250 or cell 444-0034)I have an automotive engine work stand that workedbeautifully for me to mount my Jabiru 3300 anddesign my firewall arrangement. Would like to sellthis for $25.00. I also have two adjustable stands formounting upper wings and setting their angle ofincidence and dihedral. These are available for useby chapter 81 members.

Equipment and Tools For Sale

Contact Bruce Noon – 520-991-5844 ormailto:[email protected]

Note: Prices are “Asking”. For photos of most of theequipment, see July's newsletter:

http://www.eaa81.org/Newsletter/2015_07.pdf • ICOM IC-A5 radio & extended bat. - $100• Pilot PA 200 A23 two place MiniCom - $70• Pilot PA-1190 headset $70• Red Baron GA Headset Model C-40-10 $70

EAA Chapter 81 Newsletter - Page 3

• ATS Rivet Gun 2602KT Rivet Kit withStackon box $100

• Wire safety twist tools x2 $25• Wire .0320 Type 302/304 $5• Deburing set $5• AXIS Citation HVLP fresh air system

painting compressor and Full respirator masksand shoot suits. Over $1500 new - asking$800 see http://axispro.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=53 )

RV-4 Wings and Empennage For Sale Contact Jeff Bowers at

520-331-4639 mailto:[email protected]

Visit EAA81 member Glenn Brasch's

RV enthusiast website http://rvairspace.com/

Check out Glenn's new iPhone / Android phone app“Airport Courtesy Cars” available now!

Boredom Fighter For SaleFrom Bill McLearran of Mobile Aire at Ryan Field.

First flight in January, 1995 at Casa Grande Airportwhere it was built. Phase 1 testing completed in May,1997. It was put in storage in Casa Grande aftertesting and not flown until I bought it out of the backof a hangar. After much repair of just storageproblems I started flying it and love to fly it. I’m justtoo big for the airplane. It is comfortable for me butit’s tailheavy when I fly it. It cruises at 95 with awooden prop and at 90 with the metal prop on it now.The engine log has an entry estimating 500 hourssince overhaul entered in 1970 and since that time mymechanic and I show another 124.9 hours in thislogbook. The airframe has just 65.4 since new. I am

asking just $9500.00 locally and it includes a sparewooden prop and a spare mag. It won 2 trophies atCopperstate in 2009 which I have in my office.Contact Bill McLearran at 520-400-0522 or by email:mailto:[email protected]

Ryan Field Hangar Space AvailableBob Olden has ½ hangar space (approx 1200 sf)coming available September 1. It is in an excellent,easy to the air, location. Space can be configured tosuit need. Hangar has enclosed toilet w/ lav, andswamp cooler. $225. per mo w/ six month renewablelease. Contact Bob Olden at [email protected]

Check out our Chapter Facebook Page!

https://www.facebook.com/eaa81.org

Please send items of interest, classifieds, etc to

Erik Fjerstad – Newsletter Editor([email protected])

or to Erik's address on front page.Check out the Chapter Website at

WWW.EAA81.ORG/

Chapter Officers & Staff Eric Witherspoon, President (520) 572-1332

[email protected] Peery, Vice President (520) 241-1135

[email protected] Miller, Secretary (520) 322-0677

[email protected] Gries, Treasurer (520) 289-9669

[email protected] Seilbold, Director (520) 818-0603

[email protected] Schiffman, Director (520) 647-3410Erik Fjerstad, Webmaster

and Newsletter Editor (520) [email protected]@eaa81.org

Tech CounselorsGil Alexander (520) 544-8191

[email protected] Norm Radtke (920) 539-9270

[email protected] Valade (520) 579-6235

[email protected] Eric Witherspoon (520) 572-1332

[email protected]

EAA Chapter 81 Newsletter - Page 4

Bill McLearran's Boredom Fighter