Simple as they are, vintage taildraggers are equally simple to maintain. And even though the original Cubs are 77 years old, parts and support of various kinds are widely available.Its probably the only airplane you can build today from the combination of three catalogs: Univair, Wag-Aero and an engine shop. You can buy everything to build one, says Cub Clubs Steve Krog. And that includes major parts, such as control surfaces, wing parts, gear components and so forth.
I extensively tested the Brightline Bags second-generation FLEX System for a couple months. Bottom line: I bought one. So did my wife.Most standard bags start with a few specific compartments for a headset, GPS or such, and have a large center section for everything else. And, thats the problem; everything else gets dumped in that main compartment. Finding what you need can be a challenge.
A pilot with a flight bag? What a clich. For me, a large and we’ll constructed backpack works just fine, thank you. Plus, a backpack works the best for my short motorcycle commute to the airport and is easy to deal with in the cabin. But a recent run to the airfield made me consider using the Sportys Navigator bag thats been a permanent ficture on my office floor.
Flight bags become a part of our aviation lives. We somehow become attached to those glorified grocery bags we use to schlep our flight gear around-so spending a little time making a selection is worth the effort. Chances are youre going to have it for a long time. There is a bewildering selection of bags-we quit counting at 70 different offerings. However, before even looking at a flight bag, we believe that the selection process should begin with a thoughtful assessment of the type of flying you do, followed by consideration as to what you truly need to have with you in an airplane and how you want it organized. A good flight bag is all about organization and convenience for you as pilot in command.
Reduced to its essence, having the gear for post-crash survival is great; being found quickly is even better. The faster you and your passengers are found, the greater the chance of survival. Improving the odds starts before departure and means making sure someone knows where you are going. Being on an IFR flight plan has historically meant the least delay in post-crash rescue. Next best is being on a VFR flight plan or making sure someone is in position to start search and rescue (SAR) if you don’t show up when expected.
For the April 2015 issue of Aviation Consumer, our Used Aircraft Guide will be on the Aviat Husky, the rugged backwoods taildragger. We want to know what its like to own these planes, how much they cost to operate, maintain and insure and what theyre like to fly.
I thought the original Flying Eyes Hawk pilot sunglasses, designed with headset-friendly webbed temples, had enough utility to justify the $170 price, but for many flights they were off my head more than they were on. Thats because I found the lenses to be too dark, even in partly cloudy conditions. I just happened to be looking for prescription sunglasses that can serve flying missions, plus a variety of high-impact adventure sports. Ready to pull the trigger on a new pair of WileyX glasses, I instead invested in the latest Flying Eyes with transitions lenses to see if they could handle my abuse and how they perform in the cockpit. Heres a field report.
Engine mounts have it tough. The elastomer doughnut-looking things that live between the engine and airframe to prevent the vibration of the ironmongery up front from beating the rest of the aircraft to flinders not only live in a harsh environment, they are generally forgotten after being installed and are subject to an ongoing identity crisis.
Paul Fuhrman of the Lord Corporation (founded by Hugh Lord in 1924) gave us a simplified explanation of what is involved in designing a device that will effectively vibrationally isolate the airframe and engine of an airplane. Step one is ground vibration testing of the airframe to find its natural vibrational frequency. Every object has a natural resonant frequency-think of a tuning fork. All engine isolation systems are designed to prevent the suspended mass-the engine and propeller-from exciting the resonant frequency of the airframe. Doing so will cause everything from discomfort to the occupants through damage to the airframe and components.
Worth mentioning are two popular timers targeted specifically for cockpit use, including the $50 ASA Flight Timer. The ASA has no shortage of features, including three simultaneous timer functions, audible and visual alarms, a stopwatch and a digital notepad. There’s even a dedicated approach timer mode for storing up to 12 approach times.
Groppo is among a slew of European microlight manufacturers who’ve been plying the market since the early 1980s, long before the U.S. light sport rule was even a thought. Steve Bensinger told us that nearly 100 Trails (or variants) have been built for the European market, where they are called Trials.
Well known in clinical settings for its line of noninvasive patient monitoring equipment, Masimo, Incorporated offers the $145 iSp02 tablet-driven pulse oximeter. Intended for extreme sports and aviation use, the iSp02 measures blood oxygenation, pulse rate and perfusion index, and presents the data in a free tablet app that’s compatible with iOS and Android.
