Newsletter

October 1996

Volume 16, Number 10

 

Chapter 724, Experimental Aircraft Association

Merritt Island, Florida

Mailing address: P. O. Box 320923, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

 

Officers Technical Counselors

President: John Murphy 783-1515 Ted Yon 783-7966

Vice President: Eric Kennard 631-3264 John Murphy 783-1515

Secretary/Treasurer: John Soukup 783-7128 Young Eagle Coordinator

Newsletter Editor: Fred Mahan 452-5797 Tony Yacono 459-0080

Flight Advisor

Tom Hennessy 452-4021

 

The next meeting will be the second Wednesday of October

October 9, 1996, 7:30 P. M.

 

Permanent New Meeting Place!

Big Merritt Island Air Service Hangar, South Side of Runway

Second Floor, Southwest Corner Meeting Room

 

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EAA Chapter 724

P. O. Box 320923

Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

 

 

Calendar of Events and Places to Go

Oct 5 Plane Fun Day, Merritt Island Airport, 453-2222

Oct 5-6 Daytona, Daytona Skyfest, 1-800-854-1234

Oct 5-6 Plant City, 1st Annual Strawberry Aircraft-Auto Show, 813-754-3707

Oct 10-13 Myrtle Beach, SC, Airshow to benefit American Fighter Pilots Museum, 1-800-596-8687

Oct 11-13 Thomasville, GA, 29th Annual Thomasville Fly-In, 912-228-0726

Oct 11-13 Evergreen, AL, 6th Annual Southeast Regional Fly-In (SERFI), 334-765-9109

Oct 12 Montgomery, AL, EAA Chapter 822 Fall Fly-In, 334-365-3508

Oct 12 Carrollton, GA, EAA Chapter 976 Fly-Out (Callaway Gardens), 770-834-7970

Oct 19-20 Augusta, GA, Boshears Memorial Fly-In, 1-800-487-9068

Nov 2 the Second Annual Great American Fly-In, Space Center Executive Airport (Tico), 267-6043

Nov 2-3 Lakeland, FL, Sun ‘n Fun Wings ‘n Things (Free Admission), 813-251-1820

Nov 2-3 Lakeland, FL, EAA/Aircraft Spruce Aircraft Builders’ Workshops, 1-800-967-5746.

Nov 16-17 Griffin, GA, EAA/Aircraft Spruce Aircraft Builders’ Workshops, 1-800-967-5746.

Regularly Scheduled EAA Fly-Ins Across Florida

Every First Saturday, Cannon Creek Airpark, Lake City, Fly-In Breakfast, 904-755-4760

Every Second Saturday, Charlotte County Airport, Punta Gorda, 813-575-6360

Every Third Saturday, Sebring Airport, Chapter 803 pancake breakfast

Dunn Airpark, pancake breakfast

Every First Sunday, Ft. Myers Airport, Chapter 66 pancake breakfast, 941-947-1430

Every Second Sunday,

Naples Airport, 941-775-1661

Dunn Airpark, barbecue lunch

Every Third Sunday, Kissimmee Municipal Airport, west side of the field, 9 am on.

Every Fourth Sunday, Bob Lee Airport, De Land, Fly-In Lunch, bring your own, 904-985-5373

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September’s Chapter Meeting

September’s meeting was held on the 11th in our newly-enlarged meeting room. Thanks to all who took out the wall. Also, thanks to Bill Brown, Chapter 724 now has a sound system in the meeting room. In spite of a few teething problems and squeals, the system should help relieve the strain on Chapter President John Murphy’s vocal chords. John gets to wear a headset, which carries the microphone -- what else, for an aviation minded organization. Now, if Bill can just tidy up the looks of the system so that wires don’t reach from the amplifier directly to the speaker hung from a water pipe near the ceiling ... . Another improvement to the meeting room is the donation of a heat pump, providing either heating or air conditioning, by Ken Hardison of H&M Air Conditioning. Please thank Ken when you see him at the airport -- he’s a pilot, too. We appreciate it, Ken! And thanks to those who helped install the unit and volunteered their time (and paid for subcontractor time) to install the unit.

One of the chapter members gave a report on a proposed tower 12 miles south of Titusville. The 1251-foot AGL tower would increase the local minimum vectoring altitude from 2000 feet to 2300 feet. If you wish to comment on this proposal, talk to one of the chapter officers for a contact person.

Another chapter member (the newsletter editor’s not doing too well on names) gave a report on a full-size P-51G replica that is being developed. It will be a carbon fiber full-size replica, powered by a Lycoming T-53 turboprop engine from a Grumman Mohawk. The airframe is reputed to cost $150,000, and the builder can expect to have $350,000 tied up in the project when complete!

Another bit of news for composite fans: Shirl Dickey is now flying a Chevrolet V-6 engine in his canard E-Racer (do you suppose he says after he beats you in a race, "You’ve been E-Raced!"?). He’s supposedly getting 230 mph at 4700 rpm and 30" manifold pressure.

 

 

 

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Plane Fun Day

 

Don’t forget, Saturday, October 5th, is Plane Fun Day at Merritt Island Airport. Prowl the rows of factory builts and homebuilts, feast on the CAP’s hamburgers, and volunteer to fly kids for the Young Eagle program. Rain or shine, Plane Fun Day runs from 10 am until at least 3 pm.

 

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Windows for Remy

 

Don’t forget Roy Blaha’s "Windows Fro Remy" project. Roy gave us a fascinating first-hand account of how the windows in this French church were destroyed during WW II. Roy was there, overhead! This organization is raising money to replace the stained glass windows in the church of a town which so graciously honored American fliers killed in the attack. For details, contact the nonprofit organization, Windows For Remy, P. O. Box 644, Linden, CA 95236, 510-824-2466. Or, contact Phillip Blaha of cocoa Beach, who can tell you how to get in touch with his father.

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Head Sets

From Contact Jerry Rooks, September 28, 1996

 

Your new head set deserves better treatment than you’re giving it. Those nice, soft, fluid filled ear cups are susceptible to damage by excess heat! Don’t leave them in the HOT cabin. First thing you’ll notice is that they went flat and don’t block much sound and feel terrible on your head. You should protect them from such heat as the trunk of the Lincoln, too. Pretend the darned thing is a 35mm camera that cost you big bucks for the vacation shots inside. Put it in your Flight Bag, with the other goodies, and keep it in the air conditioning with your body.

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Powder Coating

Ben Owen, from Summer 1996 Technical Counselor News

 

Powder coating of steel tube structures makes them look very attractive, but it may not be the best solution for checking out the structure beneath. Many kit manufacturers are using MIG welding with powder coating over this, and unfortunately, the welds cannot be seen. As these aircraft age, it is almost essential to remove the powder coating to check the welds from time to time. Also, many of these welds have not been normalized after welding, which is still the recommended aircraft process. MIG welding is known to require extremely competent welders, and if cracks do generate in MIG welding, it is usually at the beginning or end of the weld.

It would be particularly important when inspecting a landing gear. This is starting to show up on some two-place high-wing aircraft; where MIG welds were not normalized after welding and then were powder coated.

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Shake, Rattle, and Landing Roll!

From The Flying Apache Association, September ‘95

 

A friend was flying his Apache when a severe vibration began. It was so intense that he could not see the instruments. He was on downwind leg and made an immediate landing safely. An immediate inspection revealed the following: four of the six bolts holding the propeller had failed. Removal of the other propeller revealed several cracked bolts as well. Total time on the bolts is unknown, but aircraft total time is 7400 hours. Further examination of the bolts indicated three had failed some time ago, as there was corrosion on the sheared parts. The other bolt was a fresh break. Considering the cost of new bolts versus high or unknown time failure, it would be prudent to replace suspect attach bolts.

 

(Ed. Note: How long since you’ve inspected your prop bolts? How long?)

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For Sale

 

RV-4 Project. Steve Pangborn is putting his RV-4 project up for sale, having decided to build a Bearhawk. Included is a completed tail kit, an unstarted but complete and inventoried wing kit, plans, and engine rights. $4200. Call Steve at 631-1979 for details, or grab him at the Wednesday night chapter meeting.

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