Glasair News

Newsletter No. 31 Fourth Quarter, 1988

Glasair builder Jim Cine of Los Lunas, NM (kit #268) Flies the Curtiss C-46-F for the Confederate Air Force Southern California Wing,

The C-46 attends approx. 20 shows per year. It has a 108 ft. wingspan, had a gross weight of 52,000 Ibs during wartime operations (40,000 Ibs currently) and range of 1200 miles. Powered by two 2000 hp P&W R2800 engines, the C-46 lists a max speed of 269 mph and a cruising speed of 193 mph. It is estimated that 100 C-46's are still flying.

Jim flew the C-46 to the Holtville, Ca CAP airshow this past summer. He remembers that Eldon McDaniel (also a Glasair TD owner/pilot) was the tower operator, and Myron Jenkins arrived in his Glasair RG, It's great to see our Glasair builders actively involved in all forms of aviation.

Jim Cline pictured with his Glasair TD beneath the C.A.F.'s C-46: the world's largest twin engine TD! (Incidentally Jim now has over 1000 hours logged on this gorgeous Glasair TD),

Articles

Engine Overhaul by Preston Welch

(Ed. note: Preston Welch bought one of the first Glasair til kits (007) in July '86 before we showed the prototype at Oshkosh the first time. He took delivery the following Nov. and retired early to build his Glasair 111. In January '88 he started working part lime in a small machine shop that overhauls aircraft cylinders at Corona Airport in CA. Concurrently, he began overhaul on a first run out IO 540 K, 300 hp for his airplane. Preston has spent many hours over the past year and a half discovering ;he pitfalls of finding an engine overhaul candidate. He shares his experiences in the following article.

He is also interested in building a Jew six or four cylinder engines for other builders. Contact our factory il you are interested, continued on page 267

Glasair Fuel System About Tanks and Vents by Lyle Powell

The Glasair is continually evolving into a better and better airplane. The more it is subjected to analysis of failures and ideas for improvement, the better this evolvement proceeds, I've heard criticism of "another damn change" in the plans - as if the design were perfect in the first place. If the change is a well-considered one, we should all welcome it.

I'd like to present a view of the fuel system which I hope is constructive and reasonable. It should be noted here that several real improvements in the fuel system have already been made. These include tank baffle check valves to reduce unporting, putting the boost pump behind and at the same level with the lowest part of the fuel continued on page 269 page266

Have You Thought About Your Engine?

Most of us are so involved in building our airplanes that we consider our engine requirement to be off in the distant future. This may be the case, but I'd like to offer some food for thought that may get you to consider this important component soon enough to avoid delay in your project.

Where do engines come from? From Lycoming in Pennsylvania. The current outright (means you have no trade-in core) price for an IO 540 K1A5 is $40,140. The four cylinder 180 hp O-360-AIA is $22,275. Now, where else do engines come from? In all probability most builders will be looking elsewhere in the used engine market. You will find this to be a real jungle. You will find low time engines (less than 500 hrs tach time); medium life engines (800 to 1300 hours tach time; and high time engines (over 1300 hours since major overhaul). Usually these engines are already removed from their original airframes and you'll have no idea what the actual story is unless you know the owner.

Why was the engine taken out of the airplane? Could be a factory replacement (bought outright) which does happen for aircraft operated by charter operations. This is very desirable if the engine is a "first run out," meaning it has never been overhauled since factory new. Most feared is the engine that has survived an airplane crash, especially if some of the occupants did not. The industry calls these "prop strikes:" a bland and somewhat misleading term. The best source for a used engine is probably from an airplane that was destroyed on the ground by man or nature. The greatest number of engine candidates will come from the nation's aviation junk yards.

Engines can be found in the advertising sections of the aviation periodical called Trade-A-Plane published in Tennessee three times per month. (615-484-5137, $14 for 6 mos.) Unfortunately, you'll find as many shady dealers as you will honest ones. It really is buyer beware. If you buy an engine that has been removed from its airplane before you see it, treat it as a "core" to be completely overhauled by honest and knowledgeable people with overhaul certification. This step is the mine field that's in the middle of the jungle.

Let's talk about the mine field. In 1987 I went to Oshkosh to shop for accessories and an engine

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overhaul company. It had taken me 9 months to find a first run out, six cylinder, 300 hp engine core that had no prop strike. I wanted to have it rebuilt right. I interviewed 5 engine overhaul companies and had price quotes ranging from $4400 to $15.560 for the same engine! One of the medium price companies finally told me that if I "really wanted to know what was in that engine I'd have to rebuild it myself." On the way home f decided to do just that. In my life I had built race car engines, racing outboard engines and so I decided to educate myself on at least one kind of airplane engine.

The first thing all Glasair builders should buy is the list of Certificated Aircraft Engines (SSP-387) from Lycoming at one of their regional distributors. Cost is $5 arid it defines all engines the company ever made. All the alpha-numeric digits in the model numbers are coded and define the features the engines contain. Both Lycoming and Continental have designed their engines on a "building block" principal with a high degree of parts commonality. It is essential to be able to "decode" the letters to the right of the engine displacement to successfully shop for substitute components to create the engine you require. You will find it economically important to get as close to your needs with the initial purchase as possible. Lycoming has created ludicrous, high list prices on almost all of their proprietary parts, especially castings. The junk yards use these price lists to discount their used parts prices down to astronomical (i.e., induction air horn for straight back injection servo mount lists for $335 and you can hold it with a thumb and finger. Used market is still $200 for a sand casting that has four tapped holes as the only secondary operation). The Lycoming engine cross reference publication will be very important in your shopping trip through Trade-A-Plane.

If you decide to proceed with the overhaul process yourself, you'll need two more Lycoming publications. First, buy the Overhaul Manual for Direct Drive Engines. This covers both four and six cylinder engines. Cost is about $50. This publication includes all limit tolerances and has subscription updates for three years. The second publication required is a Parts Catalog. You must specify engine type because each model has a different Parts Catalog. Cost is about $30 each.

Let's get back to our jungle with a mine field. When you begin shopping the junk yards you should have some leading questions and become price calibrated. You must understand the coded model numbers of your engine needs because the junk man will only know what is indent stamped on the oil sump ID plate. That's what he has for sale. Consider the coded model number as follows:

AEIO 540 LIB5D '1 2 3

1. AE = Aerobatic engine I = Injected O = Opposed Cylinders

2. Cubic inch displacement of all cylinders 3. L = power and rating by design MOST

IMPORTANT LETTER 1 - nose end design #1 indicates governor

and crank shaft for constant speed prop (not available on all 4 cyl)

Engine Overhaul continued

B - accessory plate layout on firewall side of engine - this is interchangeable part on most engines 5 -

counterweight specifications on crankshaft 0 - dual mag with single

drive-not separate magnetos

If the letters on the left of the displacement numbers only have an "O." it means opposed and also carbureted. A T" on the teft means turbocharged. The first thing to key is the cubic displacement numbers. Then the first letter to the right of the CD because this will define the power rating, compression ratio (thus fuel type requirement). This importance is better emphasized when you consider that not all six cylinder engines will generate 300 horsepower. In fact, most of the six cylinder engines out there will not provide 300 hp. There must be a "K" in the power position and even then some models are only rated at 290 hp. Avoid engines with "V" or "H" left of the CD. They're helicopter engines and every one I've seen is tattered and would require extensive modification.

Now that we know our engine codes, we ask the engine dealer those leading questions:

a Where did the engine come from (aircraft type) b. Why Is it available {first run out? crash? fire?

Ground damage?) c. Prop strike d. Total engine hours - took for 2000 hour first

runout e. Wide deck / narrow deck f. Accessories included g. Guarantee crank and half case repairable h. Fuel pump type i. Freight FOB point j. COD charges k. Price I. Chrome/nitrate/steel-color codes

Expanding these question lines: a. We've already covered early on b. Engine history: also previously discussed.

Most of these used engines will have no log records, but little in life is risk free.

c. Prop strikes are a frequent cause of engine replacement. The best thing lo check is the crankshaft prop flange with a dial indicator. If the crank is between .002 and .005 of concentric through one revolution, then it's probably an OK core. Check for high impact scars on the sump or carburetor area and oil seep from any part of the case.

d. Total engine hours. These engines come factory rated for 2000 hours of operation. In certain service the engine must be replaced at that point. Non-commercial applications can go as long as compression remains high, 3000 hours is not unrealistic for such engines. Try for a first run out. Be patient if you have time, because once you get into second and third (or worse) overhauls, the possibility of compounded previous errors goes up dramatically and so do your chances of having a piece of junk.

e. Wide deck / narrow deck. These are terms used to describe the base flange on all Lycoming

cylinder assemblies. It's the path that the case studs go through. The narrow decks are 1/4" thick at the flange and require a doubler plate over the lip before bolting to the crankcase. Wide decks are 3/8" thick and require no doubler plate at assembly. Both work fine. The significant thing about this spec is an indication of age. Wide deck designs are at least less than 10 years old. Narrow decks are all older than 10 years. It is doubtful if any narrow deck first run outs still exist.

f. Accessories. Shop carefully here and be skillful. If the engine core has no accessories (starter, alternator, vacuum pump, fuel pump, prop governor, magnetos, fuel induction or carburetor) you're in for a lot of additional expense. Try and get similar "cores" for these accessories before making the purchase commitment when the dealer might be negotiable. If you have to buy these things later, outright, without cores, you'll spend several hundred extra dollars. Compare accessory prices in Trade-A-Plane with or without trade-in cores.

g. Guarantees. There are very few used part guarantees in the airplane engine core world. The most common among the honest dealers is they will guarantee the crankshaft and crankcase halves to be repairable. This will protect you for the two most expensive parts in any Lycoming engine.

h. Fuel pump. Most accessory housings on the aft side of the engine will be set up for A/C mechanical fuel pumps. That's what you want, so ask. If you get a Lear Siegler, it will cost 10 times as much to rebuild, so avoid it if possible.

i& j. Freight. Most dealers will ship FOB their store (you pay freight). Be careful if your transaction includes COD Payment. The freight on my engine was $89 from Colorado to California. The COD charges were $137 more! I would have trusted my dealer for a prepayment if I had known.

k. Price. For an engine core, price varies dramatically. Factors include supply and demand, accessories included, engine condition. Starling at the top, Lycoming wants $7500 core charge for six cylinders and $ 5400 for four cylinder models. A great bargain for a six now would be $4000 without accessories. The four jugs would be a bargain at $1800 to $2000 sans accessories. The bad news for Glasair III builders is that "K" series engines are getting scarce and expensive as the junk yard folks figure us out. You may have to compromise on some of the 260 hp models that are more plentiful.

I. Chrome, Nitrate, Steel. Cylinder sleeves are treated in various ways on different engine models of Lycoming engines. I'll discuss this in more detail during the "overhaul" segment, but for now understand that chrome build up to repair worn cylinders is not a good application for first flight airplanes. Chrome cylinders must be flown hard after overhaul, immediately. Most of us will not be checking our creation out that way in the beginning. Avoid chrome cylinders for your maiden flight.

Now that we've found the perfect engine core, let's rebuild that machine to 2000 hour fresh condition so it will last a lifetime. Let's talk about the different ways to overhaul your engine core: First,

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you can pack it oft to Lycoming or one of their regional distributors for overhaul. Lycoming will charge $16.410 for overhaul of your six cylinder core and $8945 for a 180 hp four cylinder from your core. Or you can check Trade-A-Plane for rebuilders all over the country (Texas, Oklahoma and the Carolinas seem to be cheapest) and take pot luck because prices vary dramatically and you have no idea what short cuts they take to make an extra buck. The third thing you can do, if you're mechanically Inclined, is to take the thing apart yourself (after reading the Overhaul Manual), and send the various components to specialists for inspection and refinish. You can find specialists for the following functions:

1. All steet moving parts must be Magnaftuxed for cracks and stress failure. This is a magnetic process that requires a special piece of equipment to discover cracks in the cam shaft, crankshaft, drive gears, connecting rods, wrist pins and prop governor drive system parts. Damaged parts must be repaired or replaced.

2. All castings must be Zyglow tested for cracks. This includes the case halves, oil sump and accessory housing. These parts can usually be welded to repair any casting cracks.

3. Remachine and rebush bearing surfaces that are out of limits including the cam shaft (and tappets), counterweights, crankshaft, connecting rods and rocker arms with appropriate polish operations on wrist pins, rocker shafts and crankshaft journals.

4. Cylinder overhaul is a specialty all by itself. It includes all the functions of a "top end" overhaul of each individual cylinder. This should include replacement of the valve guides and ream, and re- grind of both the intake and exhaust valve seats. It must

include replacing the exhaust valve (because the exhaust side cannot survive 4000 total hours of operation without failure). There is a strong temptation to reuse this part because they cost upward of $150 each. But to do so would be to invite disaster. Intake valves run cooler and can usually be reground for a second life. The cylinders are honed and all pistons and rings must be new. If the cylinders are larger in diameter than service limits permit, they must be exchanged or chromed to standard, but this is not a good idea for a maiden (light airplane as discussed earlier. It is far cheaper to rebuild the cylinders on your core than to exchange them as promoted by rebuild houses. If you decide to rebuild your own engine then you can contact me at (714) 736-6452 in Corona, California on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays where I work part time in a machine shop that does nothing but overhaul aircraft cylinders. We'd be glad to help you with cylinder overhaul and rebuild preparations, at very competitive prices.

When the UPS driver brings your refurbished components from the various specialists, you're ready to find an A & P mechanic to reassemble your engine to factory limits. Any certified maintenance station has one or more current, licensed A & Ps who would take on your reassemble project. Just

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make sure there are no short cuts (i.e., /he connecting, rods bolts must be replaced on a re manufacture and they cost $39 each: 12 on a six cylinder and 8 on a four cylinder). Remember whose life is on the tine if you have an engine failure some dark night over a mountain range.

If you orchestrate your own overhaul through the eyes, hands and minds of a variety of engine specialists, you'll not only know exactly what's inside your engine, but you'll have the secure feeling of knowing it was done the very best it could be and ironically cheaper. Good luck engine shopping!

Glasair Fuel Systems continued

tank, a fuel filter of good quality and adequate size, better fuel filler caps that don't teak water, air or fuel, and a revised vent system, several features of which are real improvements.

The part of the fuel system I'd like most to be improved are the tanks themselves. This feeling is based mostly on experience with my Glasair FT which is now almost 6 years old and has 1000 hours on it. My wife and ! use it regularly for travel and thus we have been exposed to many refueling and overnight experiences which don't happen to people who fly close to home and usually refuel and overnight their plane in familiar and controlled circumstances. We also make long flights, where fuel management is critical, and climatic changes sometimes drastic.

First of all I would like to divide the tank into left and right isolated tanks. This does several important things. It removes the uncertainty about how much fuel you can put into the tanks: something that is impossible with the single wing tank because it is so very sensitive to its tilt. This is not often manageable by observing the skid ball or other leveling devices because the pavement is rarely level, and your options for positioning the plane are usually limited. Even with two filler caps several problems remain: the most dangerous is the ergonomic one. Will you always fill both, when you know it's one tank? Especially when you know that the lower vent will overboard the excess, or put an unknown amount into the low-side auxiliary tank? Invitations to mistakes should not be designed into a system. When you know it's two tanks, with a filler for each, that problem is eliminated. Furthermore when the tanks are divided, the problem of slow filling through all those baffles is reduced, and the 3° dihedral in the Glasair becomes sufficient, since the tilt of the pavement is rarely more than this. So filling the lower tank becomes reliable, and the upper one easy.

It should be noted here that the slow filling of the last few gallons is more than a pesky nuisance. It's an invitation to error, because of impatient or harried line-boys. Most people are unacquainted with fuel tanks that cross over to the other side. And believe it or not, at some large airports you cannot be present to supervise your refueling, so you have no control over the situation. With my Glasair's

single 35 gallon main tank I've experienced filling capacity variations from 26 to 36 gallons. In addition to the tilling problem, there is also the toss of unknown amounts of fuel through the vents because of unlevel overnight parking. And you cannot measure the Glasair*s fuel with a dipstick. Therefore, take-off with unknown amount of fuel on board becomes common: necessitating irksome shortening of flight legs and planning uncertainty that we should not have to tolerate. Fuel flow meters and totalizers are little help here because their use depends entirely on knowing how much you start with.

Dividing the tank into two is accomplished by putting an unperforated nose rib in the middle (or near the middle, so you can use your present sump for one side). Another sump, drain valve and finger screen are necessary, but this is rather easily done. The same check valves are still necessary in "B" ribs to prevent unporting, as with the single tank version. I suggest that two separate ball-type shut-off valves be used, and their handles placed so their position is obvious. Socket wrench type U-joints and extensions on the valves facilitate placing the valves in otherwise inconvenient places. Ball valves are much more reliable valves than these spindle type selector valves we are used to. The long established ergonomic hazard of the selector valve is thus reduced or eliminated: placing the valve between tanks, or at "OFF," or the sticking problem, the leaking problem, the inaccurate detent, etc. Selector valve caused accidents continue to appear as a frequent "system-related" accident.

When you get out of your Glasair you turn one valve olf, never both. This makes it fail-safe for take-off, and it shuts oft communication between the two tanks. Therefore, one tank's fuel can’t bleed into the other while sitting overnight, or even while filling. On my Glasair HI that I'm building I've arranged the valve handles to hit my leg when "off" and point forward when on. Also I have an annunciator light that goes on when a valve is in the "OFF" position just as I do when a door isn't latched. There are only two positions for a ball valve: on and off, 90° apart, with a positive stop at each position, ergonomically excellent.

In addition, if you place one of those small mechanical float gauges in front of each control stick, you can read accurately your last 10 gallons in each tank. This allows a "reserve" system of operation: when the first tank gets to the 4 or 5 gallon mark, shut it off. Then you treat that as a known reserve when/if you run the other tank dry. Normal operating mode is to run with both tanks on. However, you may elect to alternate as in a Bonanza or Comanche.

The above mentioned small float gauges have been written up in the Glasair newsletter (Issue #9, P. 57), and I have one in my Glasair FT. It works very well for the last 20 gallons in my tank and would be for the last 10 gallons each of divided tanks. These gauges give you real confidence in your assessment of your fuel remaining, so that you don't have to carry quite as much "reserve" fuel as you otherwise would. This saves considerable weight of fuel not carried.

Another advantage of divided wing tanks is the reduced tendency for fuel accumulation in one wing during an imperfectly coordinated cruise flight. This can be a surprise if you transition to slow flight, or make an approach from low altitude and find one wing remarkably low and unpredictably heavy. The more fuel you carry and the more tanks you have in the outboard wing panel, the more important this becomes. Another small point that I discovered where this was a problem: autopilot cruise flight (especially in tracking mode) is not always perfectly coordinated, because only ailerons are used for control, and changes in rudder trim are tiresome to keep up with. Then one wing gets heavy.

Next the vent design: this is an extremely important issue, and is deceptively complex, if only because it seems so simple. With divided wing tanks and tilted attitude you do not have the head pressure of the upper tank pushing fuel out the opposite vent, as you do in the present system, wherever the vents are overboarded. Therefore wing tip vents become practical, especially if you use a check valve to prevent gushing in turns or on a tilted taxiway. Cessna and Beech use these, but I think a satisfactory one is an automobile PCV valve (I use the Jeep Cherokee V8 PCV valve because it has the correct tube size, although I'm sure other types will work as well). These are tolerant of fuel and oil and heat and have a hole for reverse-flow relief. This is necessary because of fuel and vapor expansion in the tanks.

However an additional problem remains: the gauging system in the center of the wing requires vent pressures which are equal to those at the tips. If this condition is not satisfied, your gauging becomes speed-sensitive and possibly attitude sensitive. Therefore a second vent line is required between each tip and the central gauge vent. The present Glasair III central gauge is a good one, and can easily be adapted to divided tank use by placing the float in a well which is connected to the fuel lines downstream of each shutoff valve. The gauge would then read left or right tank level, as desired, or total fuel if both are on. The top of the gauge is vented to both tips, as in the present Glasair III design. A drain would be appropriate at the cross where the two tip vent lines and the common line to the gauge connect, to drain any fuel or water which could collect at the low point (the cross). I suggest that this drain be one that can be operated in flight as well as on the -ground (another small ball valve). With this arrangement you have a second or backup vent system for both tanks by opening the drain valve. This fits in a similar design reference as an alternate static source or an engine alternate air valve.

I might suggest an alternative to the Glasair III central fuel gauge. I have a capacitance type tubular gauging unit which fits in the well. The unit feeds its signal to a standard electric fuel level gauge. These too are quite accurate. This well is simply a piece of 1/2" pipe (brass) structurally located in the tank just in front of the spar (a protected location). It stands 6" above the wing skin so it can sense the level of the highest fuel in the

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wing tips. It is capped at the bottom and a 3/8 tube goes from this bottom cap to a cross joint at the filter inlet. A short coupling at the top of the pipe has a sidearm vent tube that goes down to the vent cross joint at the tow point between the seats. The gauging unit screws into the top of the pipe coupling. This capacitance gauge is advertised in "Sport Aviation" and it has been successfully used by several local homebuiders. (From "Skysports" $125, Phone number: 800-AIRSTUF).

An improvement in wingtip venting would be realized if you had an upstanding tip such as a small winglet. Cosmetic considerations aside, this is not a bad idea from an aerodynamic standpoint. My friend Ray Hicks (NASA aero engineer) tells me that an airfoil shaped winglet canted outward 15° and with an angle of attack of 3° - 5° gets at least a free ride drag-wise, and probably adds slightly to the effective span. So for instance, you might put an 8" high winglet, 5" chord at base and 3" chord at top, on the aft or mid-portion of your tip and have your vent outlet in its upper leading edge. Beware here though because ice will quickly plug it, as it would any leading edge opening. You might solve this with a heated pitot unit, or excavate a depression in the upper outside surface with a buried orifice, such as a NACA shape with the orifice in its roof (facing up and inboard). This gives you an elevated vent opening which would preclude fuel spilling from tip vents. At the risk of being repetitious, vent lines must be 3/8" or larger to prevent obstruction by a single drop of frozen water or a small insect.

Wingtip vent lines can be very short and it's easy to ascertain patency by blowing through them. Also, they contain only a small volume of air from which to precipitate water. Their safety design factor is probably 10 times that of the horizontal lines through the wings. However, this can be substantially equalized by the fairly simple expedient of running the long horizontal vent lines inside the front fuel tanks. As long as the tanks are kept full when the aircraft is not in use, the thermal inertia of the fuel prevents rapid temperature drop in these vent lines; this reduces or eliminates water precipitation in them. Also the probability of freezing in ihe vent lines is greatly reduced. In Glasairs with extended wing tips (27 ft span) the rise of the vent tube from the end of the tank to the top of the tip is about 2", which is a fairly decent height to prevent most spillovers. In this case I suggest a ramped recess (like a NACA orifice) on the lower skin surface for the vent opening as illustrated in the last newsletter. Best aft of the spar because the angle of attack of the surface is lower, thus giving better inertia! separation of water droplets. That's where you find them on the large twins and jets. Ram air into a vent was appropriate for biplanes with gravity fuel systems which rarely flew in hard rain or any ice. We have fuel pumps, so ram air is unnecessary, and water inhalation must be avoided at all costs. At freezing temperatures it can freeze in the orifice or in the vent tube and shut you down (VFR or IFR). Freezing rain is something you can encounter VFR and it's an amazing surprise! I've experienced this twice. You immediately lose pitot and pitot type

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vents (unless the backside has a small hole in it) and usually your whole windshield. But you can still see out the side, and the encounter is often brief, so if your engine keeps running you'll be OK. If you fly much in the winter, it can happen. This is when you turn on pitot heat, defroster, sometimes alternate static valve, alternate tank vent valve and engine alternate air valve if the MAP or RPM drops. Think ahead and have all these things available. Make up a "lousy weather" checklist so you won! forget you have them if you need them.

I haven't mentioned the header fuel tank, which is a part of the design in the Glasair. The header tank has several advantages, chiefly that of an isolated reserve tank and an elevated vent plenum. However, I don’t approve of the header tank for crash safety reasons, especially and particularly when the firewall is used as the front wall of the tank and especially with the Glasair glass-foam-glass firewall structure. The place for reserve fuel is in the outboard wing panels not only for safety reasons, but because of structural bending reasons, and because of aerodynamic load distribution reasons. I have seen two firewalls opened for repair where the foam was just a bunch of powder. And I've seen one other where header tank fuel had leaked into the foam in the firewall. That firewall really does vibrate. My firewall is made of 1/2" plywood core now; it previously was foam per plans. The noise damping alone is worth the extra few pounds, not to mention the other considerations: 'Nuff said. A design consideration on vent systems is the

water of condensation that can precipitate in them. In many parts of the country this is not much of a problem, but in the Gulf Coast and lower Atlantic | Coast states it can be so severe that we on the West Coast can hardly believe it. We have overnighted in Florida in the winter, and other places along the Gulf Coast and have been able to drain a stream of water from static lines and had to blow water into the tank from the vent lines. (Carry a small piece of hose with you to do this) I've seen a water level in my altimeter, VSI and airspeed. This stuff can also freeze. Though not relevant to fuel systems, be sure you have a tow-point drain and/or a collection bottle at the low point in your static system (and in your pitot line if it's not continuously uphill). And composite tanks are not a complete protection from water condensation, though they certainly help. All this is to emphasize that fuel vent lines should be as short as possible and as vertical as possible. When vent lines have a long horizontal run, such as those mentioned above from the tips to the center, you must seriously expect that they can get obstructed by water. And if it's below freezing, do not take off until you can blow through your vent lines, whatever that takes. The worst situation is the high humidity day -with overnight freeze when you're tied down outside. When it's freezing day and night you're pretty safe.

I conducted a freeze test with the previously mentioned PCV valves and found that frozen water will obstruct them if they are mounted in a vertical position. Freezing did not produce an obstruction when the valve was mounted horizontally.

There are many other aspects of the fuel system not mentioned here. The emphasis here is

an argument for divided wingtanks and a dual vent system that also provides venting for a central gauging unit. These would make the Glasair a safer airplane. Ed. note: Lyle Powell is not a newcomer to fuel system theory and design. Lyle has published a previous article in Sport Aviation magazine regarding fuel system design and has presented ideas to us throughout the development of the Glasair. Our thanks to Lyle and o the rs who have contributed toward Glasair improvements.

While many of Lyle's ideas presented here are worth considering, we cannot give an endorsement unless we have tested and proven the system. Par t o f the beauty o f homebuilding is what Lyle is doing: he is experimenting to find a better way.

We hope readers unders tand that . wh i le changing a system may be easy for an ind iv idual , the manufacturer must consider many more variables such as: costs, reliability of parts source, complexity, installation logistics (space), etc. The individual doesn't ignore such things, it's just that production and repeatability make them more difficult to solve for a production line manufacturer. The failure of many homebuilt companies is perhaps due in part to a failure to freeze the design and start the production wheel turning. A word of caution to any builders contemplating fuel

system changes: In order to produce accurate fuel gauge readings, vent lines must be free of obstructions, including fuel. Trapped fuel in the vent lines acts as a pressure piston which affects the head pressure of the central stand pipe gauge on Glasair II and Ill's.

In regard to venting, one of the best ideas we've seen toward simplification and improved function is the installation of winglets. The winglets allow for enough vertical height of the vent outlet to solve the spillage problem and resulting complexity. Here's one idea we can enthusiastically endorse without testing. The trick will be to properly design winglets so they won't be an aerodynamic liability or cosmetically unappealing and, that they are bonded adequately. This venting would work well for Glasair I fuel systems only. Glasair II and II! style fuel systems which use the central stand pipe for fuel gauging would have inaccurate fuel gauging caused by pressure differential gradients between the two wingtip vents.

We have done some limited testing with capacitance type fuel gauges and found that if enough distance isn't allowed between the

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capacitance sensor and tube, water droplets can produce very inaccurate readings; essentially shorting out the sensor and giving a false full reading. When the capacitance gauge is oriented vertically, there is less of a tendency for water to be a problem, depending upon design installation and depth the probe extends to.

Stoddard-Hamilton welcomes ideas on improvements to the Glasair design - especially improvements toward safer operations. We will continue to use the Glasair Newsletter as a platform for sharing these ideas with others. We wish to remind you to use your own discretion and judgment when considering the use of a suggestion submitted by others.

Some Thoughts Regarding Customer Support by Ted Setzer, President. Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, Inc.

A recently announced policy of charging for builder support services after three years from date of kit delivery has, as predicted, invited a few comments and questions from builders. While most responses have been positive, I feel that some discussion of the issue would be useful.

First, a misconception related to the new policy should be cleared up. We fully intend to continue to send safety related service bulletins to all builders, whether they subscribe to builder support or not. We did mention service bulletins in our notice of the new policy because service bulletins are one of the benefits each subscriber will receive. Any builders who steadfastly refuse to participate in the program will still receive the ones related to safety. Any other policy would be unthinkable.

Some background information is in order: 1. As of 11/28/88 we have delivered 992 Glasairs to builders. Some of these were delivered as long as 9 years ago, and we still receive inquiries from a portion of these builders. 2. Approximately one half of Glasair kits out there have changed hands once. Some have done so as many as four times. Each change requires a certain amount of time to be spent by our builder support department with the new owner to inventory the old kit, provide a certain amount of education, and just plain "hold hands." 3. An average builder support call takes 20 minutes. After the call our builder support technician must often research the problem and write a letter or respond back with a phone call. 4. tf the call, or another source, initiates a service bulletin, the service department can spend as much as a month of man days researching, writing and distributing it. 5. We accumulate instruction manual revisions over time. Writing and editing an average revision of 100-150 pages takes a minimum of 30 days full time work, not including the time spent logging the reason for each revision change as it is discovered. 6. We currently have three full time A & P mechanic/technicians on our staff, a technical writer

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and a draftsman. A very large portion of their time is spent on customer support. Not to mention a large portion of the time of our various department managers.

What all Of this means is that builder support is a big job. Doing it right is a much more expensive job than we envisioned in our early years. It is hard to think of another product sold to consumers that requires so much support. We have two choices. We can cut back the quality of the support that we deliver, or we can charge a fair amount for the service. We think the choice is obvious.

Stoddard-Hamilton continues to provide three years of free support for each kit sold and four years for those shipped prior to 1989. After that there will be a reasonable charge, if the builder wishes to continue with factory support. We hope you will agree that this is the best way to insure that quality factory support will continue to be available to Glasair owners, new and old alike.

A recent article in Sport Pilot magazine rated us first among the top thirteen homebuilt companies in quality of builder support, based upon customer surveys. If you were one of those questioned in the survey, we appreciate the pat on the back. We wish to continue to provide that quality of support for our builders for a long time to come.

Glasair Factory News

Oshkosh Review Our thanks to Glasair builder Breck Cassidy for

helping us out at this year's annual EAA convention in Oshkosh. Breck scoured the flight line interviewing Glasair owners and taking photos. We apologize if we missed you in this Oshkosh review; our S-H staff is so busy trying to sell a year's worth of Glasairs, it's easy tor us to lose track of alt who came and went.

Congratulations to John Levy for his Grand Champion award at Oshkosh 88 and to Rick Ragnell for his Outstanding Workmanship award.

Our thanks to all who attended Oshkosh 88 and displayed your Glasairs on the flightline. We are especially thankful for the many, many questions which are answered by Glasair builders on our behalf.

We would have to employ 40 salespeople to handle all the questions during Oshkosh week. Your sales help and patience with newcomers to the homebuilt industry is greatly appreciated.

•This year's Oshkosh banquet at the Pioneer Inn was, as predicted, bigger than the previous year. Approximately 220 attended and were treated to flying stories, and an aerobatic question and answer time with both Bob Herendeen and Bud Granley. There was also a very informative discussion of composite materials and how they stand up to heat and other environmental concerns by composite consultant Andy Marshall. (Incidentally, Andy has written an article on this

subject which is scheduled to appear in the Feb. issue of Kitplanes)

If it wasn’t for bone-tired Oshkosh bodies, the banquet would perhaps continue all night. It's a good time to put some faces to the names you read about In Glasair News!

Oshkosh 88 by Breck Cassidy

NG11GR(RG} 1/88 (date of completion) Glen Rutland, Miami, FL Glen completely redesigned the canopy door and door frame to provide more "conventional" entry and exit. The door (see pictures) is designed as forward-opening, latching at the aft-end and locking at the top(a la Piper Cherokee). Glen also installed windows in the baggage area for better visibility. Nice RG, Glen! Ed Note: An earlier Glasair builder, Ron Bowden, installed the same type of door system on his Glasair as well. Due to reduced strength of the fuselage sidewalls, this type of modification will forfeit any thought of aerobatics or high G maneuvers.

N422BB(TD) 10/84 R. T. Fisher, Pembroke, MA

N721WR(RG)3/8S Bill Ruthven, Fort Lauderdale, FL Bill got his RG signed off on St, Patrick's Day!

N142MJ(RG) *85 Myron Jenkins. Parker. AZ

N83BJ (FT) '85 Joseph Wells, Columbus, OH This beauty of an FT was originally ,a TD (as many other FT and RG's were). Pictured with Joe is his daughter, Linda. Joe deservingly won Reserve Grand Champion at Sun-n-Fun '86, This Glasair has more innovations than we have space to list, but we did happen to photograph and note a few: 1. Carburetor Air Filter These photos show a front and side view of Joe's installation, Joe would likely be willing to share the details to those interested. 2. Window Lever Arm The 3rd photo shows an aluminum lever arm installed on the side of the fuselage used for opening the sliding window. Instead of struggling to pop the slider inward and overcenter, Joe simply pulls on the lever arm and the window snaps inward. As shown the lever arm

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is anchored and pivots approximately 8 - 1 0 inches aft of the side rail forward mount. When pulled, the lever arm pushes the side rail over center.

N86JC (RG) "86 Robin Rice, Houston, TX

N348PV (TD) 8/84 Petor Vollheim, Nashua, NH Pictured is Peter Vollheim's clean instrument panel and an innovative gull wing canopy latch mechanism he designed.

N470XX (FT) '87 H. Spencer / D, Nadeau, Hawthorn, CA Firsl Oshkosh!

N42MA (III) 2/88 Dave and Wendy Morgan, Snohomish, WA Lycoming 1O-540 (260 np)

(check out his innovative rudder gust page 275 lock, (see photo)

N540JR (111)6/10/88 Jack Rouse, 1310 Neptune Dr, Boynton Beach, FL (407) 736-4900 If there were a Glasair "Dead Grass Award," Jack would have won, hands down! Jack spent 3800 hours on this plane, and it shows! And, believe it or not, he's buying another III for his wife (now this is taking the ERA to the limit: they already own his-and- hers Siai Marchetti'sM

N213TC (FT)'85 Homer Hawks, Hampshire, IL

N87RX (RG) 12/87 Richard Ragnefl, Dallas, TX This is one gorgeous RG. and Richard claims he isn't anywhere near done yet! He can't be far from done since he won an outstanding workmanship award at Oshkosh 88! Baggage window, overhead lights, light controls, intercom, a beautiful panel and acoustic sound deadening on the firewall that makes this "the quietest single-engine in the world," according to Richard, are just a few of the features he has installed.

N102BJ (RG) Thomas Jekyll. Sunnyvale. CA

N87WB (RG) '86 A. M. Warren / Bud Bryan (pilot), Niceville, FL

But the most exciting feature of this bird is its speed: 240 mph according to Mr. Ragnetl, and still climbing! A modified O-360 doesn't hurt (180 hp to 210 hp), but obviously Richard has done some nice cleanup work on the airframe to squeeze that much out of an already slippery airplane. Sounds like a good feature article for a future newsletter!?!

Oshkosh Mystery RG The N number was blocked out so we couldn't identify it's builder/owner. Trim stripes are light over dark blue. Dual sliding windows and wing tip extensions. Fess up! Who owns this beauty?

N41SS (TDJBS D. E. Ervin, Bluemont. VA

N729S (RG) B7 William Stamm, issaquah, WA

N84EM (FT) -84 Edwin Motell. Corte Madera, CA

C-GDHM (TD) '85 D. H. Morko, Djarkarta, Indonesia However, I understand he has been seen quite often in Canada!

Still building: In fairness to all those who are still saving away, we've included a photo of Jim Nockoloff to represent you. The clock in the photo is at ten minutes to eight. Whether it's am or pm, Jim, you are an early riser or night owl dedicating prime time toward your Glasair project. Keep up the good work Jim (and others)!

Note: More photos from Oshkosh in the next issue. Sorry if we missed you here.

Attention Canadian Glasair Builders We recently learned of operating restrictions for homebuilt aircraft in Canada. For 9 years we (and many

Canadian homebuilders) have been wrongly assuming their rules were the same as those in the USA. It's like a man who dates a woman for four years, marries her, and then finds out she can't cook. Or, on the other side of the coin, it's tike a woman who finds out after marrying him that her husband can't fix things (Of course, homebuilders will have a hard time understanding that joke).

Canadian homebuilt regulations are contained in the publication: Airworthiness Standards, Chapter 549, Amateur Built Aircraft, and they are different than ours. What it all boils down to is this: Canada regulates the type of homebuitts, or limits the performance of homebuiits by placing a limit on the wingloading with the following formula:

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The values of (7), (8) and (9) to be used in the following equation (10) or (11), as applicable, are the values calculated above except that they shall not exceed the following limits:

(7) Flap span ration = 0.75 (8) Flap chord ration = 0.25 (9) Flap deflection = 45°

(10} Metric units (11) Maximum Wing Loading: Imperial units Imperial (fps) Units: W/S2 = 13.3 + (.96 x (7) x (8) x (9)) Ibs / ft2 or 20.4 lb / ft2, whichever is the lesser.

Once the equation is solved, multiply the wing loading number obtained times the wing area and you will derive the max. gross weight allowed for the Glasair.

The Glasair taildragger with wing tip extensions is the only model which comes close to its allowable gross weight. Increasing the flap area and keeping the maximum of 45° flaps is the only way the FT and RG models will come close. One Canadian builder even calculated that nearly three inches would have to be added to the width of the flaps to get his RG model close to its gross weight limit.

The good news is that we have petitioned the Canadian Dept. Of Transport for either a rule change or an exemption such as a pilot license high performance endorsement. At a recent meeting held in Oshkpsh.WI with Canadian D.O.T. members, they were fairly receptive to the idea of an allowance or change. We would encourage all Canadian homebuilders to write a letter to the following people expressing support for a rule change or pilot's license endorsement. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Last minute news flash: I spoke with Mr. Cundy on 12/6/88 for an update. He said that his department, the licensing division of DOT, will be drafting rules for a high performance license endorsement. He expects the rule could be official by Sept. of 1989. At the same time he cautioned that the Airworthiness Branch of DOT must approve that homebuilts outside of the wingloading restrictions can be approved to operate with the high performance endorsement.

It sounds like your letters could be concentrated on both Mr Glenn Lockhard and Mr. Boni Penna of the Airworthiness Division.

Ted Slack Canadian Aerosport Technical Committee Suite 1041 1801 Riverside Drive Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIG OE7

Mr. Boni Penna Mr. Glenn Lockhard Mr. Larry Cundy Transport Canada Bldg Place deVille Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIA ON8

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Repair Costs / Insurance Rates Last year we spoke with an adjuster for one of

the larger aviation insurance companies In regard to accident repair costs. Since the insurance industry does not have much documented information for composite repair costs, the current rates may reflect a certain "padding" for lack of this information.

It would be helpful for us to begin compiling accident repair information for this purpose. Such data will be useful only if it is well documented. We'll all hope and pray there will be no more Glasair accidents, but in the event one should occur, it would be helpful to submit the following: 1. Detailed description of accident 2. Photos and description of damage 3. Repair procedure 4. Receipts for materials and parts purchased 5. Time in hours for repair

Dorsal Fin Dorsal Fins are standard equipment in the

Glasair III kits only. Glasair I and It builders may want to consider installing these dorsal fins on their aircraft to enhance their appearance. Now available in the Fall 88 Options Catalog.

Wing Tip Extensions: A Training Aid Very few (if any) rental aircraft simulate the high

performance nature of the Glasair III. Even a Glasair I or it RG with full IFR avionics and several buckets of bondo in the finish wilt have wingioading and a sink-rate in the very high performance category.

We highly recommend the use of the wing tip extensions for initial test flights and pilot training. Remember the training wheels you used when first learning to ride a bike? Think of the wing tip extensions as your training wings. The only difference between the two is that you wont be as anxious to remove the extensions as you were the training wheels. They’re nice to keep on.

Coming Events Cafe 400-Fri, Sat June 23,24-

Santa Rosa, CA Contact them for entry forms and details: CAFE 4370 Raymonds Way Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (707) 526-3925 Enter the CAFE efficiency contest and pit

yourself against Glasair builders of past and those who win also enter this year's event. Hobnob with the innovators: the leading edge thinkers and dreamers in aviation. Have a great time meeting others and participating in a fun, challenging event. SUN-N-FUN -89 April 9-15 Glasair Picnic / Arlington NWEAA Fly-In

July 12-16 (tentative) It's not too early to plan a visit to Arlington,

Washington next year. As seen in Newsletter 30, the Glasair Fly-In Picnic has a more personal flavor than some of the bigger fly-in's and airshows. Although conducted during the Arlington EAA Fly-In, this picnic is exclusively a Glasair event. July is our

nicest month - you might want to plan to spend some additional vacation time here to the beautiful Pacific Northwest as others have done in the past. Call us and we'll even make some specific recommendations for things to do. Note: If the Arlington EAA Fly-In dates are firmed up as they are tentatively scheduled to be, we will have the Glasair Picnic on Sat. July 15. • Oshkosh89 July28-Aug4

(More information in the next issue of Glasair News)

Only Eight More To Go! As of 11/28/88 we have sold a total of 992

Glasair kits since 1980. At the current rate, we will have sold our 1000th Glasair kit by Jan or Feb 1989, sooner we hope. Get ready for the fanfare. We will be sure to send out press releases to ail the magazines and wave our flag a bit.

European Glasair Distributorship Hoffmann Aircraft has been selected as the firm

for a European Glasair distributorship. Hoffmann currently manufactures a fiberglass composite motorglider called the Dimona. They are currently awaiting certification approval for their latest version: the Super Dimona (perhaps a Glasair III of the sailplane industry!}.

Hoffmann plans to display a complete Glasair kit at their European AERO at Friedsrichshafen Airport, West Germany. The AERO, according to Hoffmann, is the sport aviation event in Europe, (their "Oshkosh" if you will.) We look forward to working with Hoffmann toward increasing Glasair sates overseas.

For reference purposes for our European customers:

Hoffmann Aircraft Ernst Seyr A-1210 Vienna Richard-Neutra-Gasse 5, Austria (222) 25 36 91-0 (222) 25 36 95-0

Canopy Latches As noted in the mailing sent with your new

Options Catalog, we strongly recommend that Glasair I builders currently using the earlier hook and pin style latch system upgrade to the Hartwell style latch mechanism.

We know of two other reported cases of canopy latch failure with these earlier latches in addition to the accident reported at the end of this issue of the News. In both other instances, the pilots were able to fly their Glasairs safely to a landing; one lost the canopy in flight, the other reported not losing the canopy.

Although we feel that, if installed and maintained properly, the earlier style is functionally OK, we also believe the new improvements of the later Hartwell style design to be well worth the investment of time and money to install

The earlier hook and pin design was installed on our 150 hp taildragger. Because of a dramatic increase in performance, Glasairs with 160, 180 and 200 hp engines should strongly consider a more secure latch system.

Spar Cap Leaks Despite Service Bulletin #61 which outlined the

problem and presented several solutions to fuel leaking through the spar caps, the problem persists.

A non-fiberglass "binder is used to secure the unidirectional strands used to manufacture the spar caps. These binders are apparently providing a channel for fuel to seep through the spar caps.

Service bulletin #61 will be revised to have builders laminate a layer of cloth over the spar caps rather than simply painting a sealing coat of resin.

Initially, we thought this was a rare occurrence. Reports indicate, however, that this may be a much larger problem.

We are investigating unidirectional spar cap material without bindings, or with glass binders. In the meantime, take precautionary steps and save yourself the potential of a fuel leak. New builders will be notified if such a change is made.

Manual Revisions, Addendums, Newsletters, Etc

We're sorry, but we can use only one address on our computer system to sort for mailings of manual revisions, addendums, newsletters, etc. If you are having someone "help" in the construction of your Glasair, you will need to forward any construction information to them yourself.

Wood Prop Manufacturers Almost Constant Speed Propeller Bemhard J. Wamke c/o Etoy Airport Eloy, AZ 85231 (602) 466-9441

Ted's Custom Props Ted Hendrickson 600 Superior Ave. Concrete, WA 98237 (206) 853-8947

Great American Propeller Co. 1180 Pike Lane #5 Oceano.CA 93445 (805)481-9054

Prince Aircraft Co. (P-TIP propeller) PO Box 147A Waterville, OH 43566-0147 (419)877-5557

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Pacesetter Props Rt 2 Box 385 Cornelius, OR 97123 (503) 628-2797

Notes on fixed pitch wood propellers: Manufacturing a fixed pitch propeller is both a science and an art. The customer usually wants the maximum cruise performance and the most static RPM (ie take-off power) they can get. Variables such as engine condition, compression, aircraft weight, drag, etc all affect the performance of a propeller.

Since wood props are all hand made, there are slight differences between them. Prop manufacturers cannot guarantee a certain performance, but most seem willing to tailor a propeller to each buyer's needs.

We have had a chance to test fly propellers from all the manufacturers listed above except for Prince's P-TIP (other builders can send us reports on these). The manufacturers we have worked with have produced props with static RPM's of 2150 to 2300 and top speed RPM's of 2700 to 2800.

The best way to gain information and judge performance of these props is word of mouth from other builders. C'mon builders, send us comments on your fixed pitch propellers.

Canopy Seals (Glasair II & III) When fitting canopy seals, be sure to raise and

lower the canopy and check the fit of the bulb with the canopy. If the bulb is located too close to the canopy frame, the canopy will be more difficult to close and may not match closely to the airframe contour.

Grind back the fiberglass flange the bulb seal attaches to until the best fit is achieved. In most cases, this flange will be ground back to the minimum. The canopies will still require a strong pull inward in order to close the latch - it's unavoidable: it’s the only way to obtain a tight seal.

Pay attention now, one of the most important things to be aware of when installing the canopy seals is that they stretch. If you do not firmly compress and pound the canopy seal continuously as you install it, it will end up too short. We repeat, push and compress and pound the seal in place on the flange as you install it. Once you are absolutely sure it is installed with the best fit possible and compressed as much as possible, only then should you cut off the excess and match up the two ends.

Parts Ordering Over the past two years we have tried several

different ways to facilitate customer parts orders. We have tried to fill this spot with qualified personnel that are familiar with the products and are able to communicate in that manner. We have tried using both shipping personnel and builder support personnel. This worked great for order taking but it cut into their most important jobs which were shipping and builder support.

If you have called within {he last several months you may have talked to our solution to the problem.

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Her name is Carolyn Dunton. She has great qualifications to help you in ordering the correct part. Carolyn's background includes military training for maintenance on the Air Force's F4's and F16's. Since working for us, she has worked in the Shipping Department packaging most of the optional kits and small parts. Most recently she has worked in Purchasing procuring the parts and inputting data into the computer. The biggest asset is that she has all the necessary information at her fingertips. She should be able to let you know, while on the phone, if the part is in stock, or when it will be available, and the price.

Newsletter Index Glasair builder Paul Dontan has compiled a 12

page index by subject and issue. We plan to get an update from Paul and include it in the First Quarter 1989 issue of Glasair News. Thank Mr. Donlan for his efforts, gang, it is very useful to have.

New Catalog Optional Equipment Interior Wing Tip Strobes

Several builders have called and requested clear lenses for their navigation lights. Their thought has been to reduce drag by installing the strobes on the inside of the lens and then installing another strobe on the rudder section. This configuration does meet the requirements needed for strobe anti- collision lighting. Stoddard-Hamilton has procured several sets of these clear lenses for the Glasair II and III for this installation. We would like to offer them at the following prices for both the standard Hoemer tip and extended tips. Hoemer wing tip lens clear. LT 672-0376-003 $10 RT 672-0376-004 $10 Ext, wing tip lens clear LT 673-0377-003 $10 RT 673-0377-004 $10 Note: Stoddard-Hamilton regrets that we will not accept original colored tenses back for credit toward this option.

Nav/Strobe Tail Light Installation Also needed when installing the strobes in the

wing tips is the combination Nav/strobe light for the rudder. Stoddard-Hamilton has designed a strobe kit for this application. It includes the Whelen strobe unit, wire harness, connectors and wire for the application. If you desire to order this option, please reference the part number below and designate 14V or 28V. Nav/Strobe tail light installation 14V 212-0601-501 $139 28V 213-0601-501 $139

Post'Lighting Stoddard-Hamilton is also offering a high

quality set of post lights for your Glasair. These attractive, compact lights offer individual lighting for those instruments that are not backlighted. These lights have proven very effective in our own Glasair III as well as other focal Glasairs using them. Instrument Post Light 210-0350-014 $20 each

Resin Mini Pumps Stoddard-Hamilton has discovered a great, no

fuss method for extracting small amounts of resin. The Resin Mini Pump screws directly onto a gallon container (just like the one supplied by Stoddard-Hamilton on gallon shipments) and gives out about 35 grams of resin per pump. They come in a set of two for $4.90 (list is $5.50). You can keep the second pump as a spare or use it for acetone: Call the order department if you are interested in this no mess option. Resin Mini Pump 270-0172-101 set $4.90 Ground Buss Bars

Stoddard-Hamilton is now supplying Cole Hersey Buss Bars for the positive and negative grounding of your Glasair. These high quality buss bars list for $15.96 - available through Stoddard- Hamittonfor$12each. Ground Buss Bars 210-0448-001 $12 each

Builder Hints

Note: Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft Inc. freely shares ideas submitted by other builders. However, inclusion in this newsletter does not mean the ideas are reviewed or approved by Stoddard-Hamilton. Builders are urged to use their own discretion and judgment when considering the use of a suggestion submitted by others.

Work In Progress Insurance Breck Cassidy talked to an aviation insurance

company in Greensboro, NC (he couldn't recollect their name). The company quoted a rate of 2%/year of the value of the project.

Syringe as MEKP Dispenser Leo Sullivan (#3020) found that MEKP attacks

the rubber plunger and contaminates the MEKP. (It might be best to plug the needle end, remove the plunger and simply use the syringe as a measuring device. Otherwise, you may want to rinse the syringe with acetone after each use if the plunger is used.)

Permanent Bonding of Wing Tip Extensions

Glasair builder Jim Sipprelle sent us a 20 page detailed set of instructions for permanent bonding, rather than fastening, of wing tip extensions. Also included are instructions for installation of landing lights in the wing leading edge.

We want to thank Jim for the time he spent to present such detailed instructions complete with photos and illustrations, however, due to its size, we cant fit it in the Newsletter. If any builders are interested, we would be happy to send copies of Jim's suggestions. Ask for Alice Dalton at Stoddard-Hamilton to supply these to you.

Two aluminum anchor strips are secured to the

inside top of the fuselage. Without calculating forces, 1/8" x 1" aluminum would perhaps be substantial enough.

The aft end of these strips are bolted through the fuselage (the bolts are hidden by the dorsa! fin). Strips of fiberglass cloth - three or four laminates thick - are placed every 6 or 8 inches apart to secure the aluminum strips to the upper fuselage structure. Be sure the forward ends of the aluminum strips are centered behind seat. Dick's theory is that upon impact, the fiberglass laminates will peel off one by one and give a slight cushioning to a hard forward impact. The end bolts will be the actual anchor point which will keep the shoulder straps secured.

Engine Baffling This one comes from a friendly T-18 pilot or

Glasair builder who related the story. Anyway, it was found amongst our Oshkosh notes.

A T-18 pilot solved an engine temperature problem by adding a vertical baffle down the centerline of the engine. The related theory was that it reduced turbulence over the top of the engine. Take it for what it's worth.

Ellison Throttle Body Injectors We receive lots of questions about the Ellison

TB injectors. We are soliciting installation sketches, photos and comments to include in the next Newsletter. The main questions builders have are in regard to reliability and function. Come on folks, please give us the numbers and statistics you have experienced.

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Shoulder Strap Attachmentby Dick Hunt

SIDE VIEW

FIBERGLASS STRIPS

TOP VIEW

Cabosil Mixing Hint Mix up one quail to a half gallon of promoted

resin with cabosil. This alleviates mixing small batches each time and the shelf life will be the same as the promoted resin.

Flap Handles from Bob Brown, II FT British Columbia, Canada

Have you seen a flap handle on a Glasair without paint chips? Use one inch shrink tube for the flap handle on your Glasair. A big improvement in cosmetics - and it feels much better. Ed Note: Don't you just love such simple but good ideas!

Letters (including more hints)

Happy Camper Dear Ted and Staff,

This is a letter oJ thanks. Thanks for the Glasair SH2FT.

I'm your average, everyday red-blooded American boy (now 46 years old). I grew up building balsawood model airplanes and dreaming about building a real one. Now 1 fly one that I built - thanks to Sloddard-Hamilton Aircraft and their staff.

You folks have the prototype so you already know what it feels like to taxi past the restaurant and see the people look up from their meals to take notice. You know what it's like to pull into your tiedown and have a car or two drive in next to you with admirers piling out of both sides. You know what it's like when the air traffic controller, after watching your speeding blip streak across the radar screen, asks, "What type of plane did you say that is?"

You might even know the feelings of climbing out around 10,000 feet with your spouse at your side, looking through the tinted canopy, feeling the sun on your shoulder and realizing you own the world.

You know all these things? What about when you send a video of first flight to your 76 year old mother and she calls, bursting with pride and excitement, to tell you in her shaky voice how proud she is of what you’ve done.

Thanks, Stoddard-Hamilton. I spent the last three and a half years in ‘my

two-car garage while the rest of the neighborhood played golf and went to dinner and movies. But, now I fly to the best golf courses with the shortest waiting periods and the finest sunshine; I fly to interesting restaurants with those far-away names; I fly, I fly.

Oh, I did my part (every bit of 51%) and probably a lot more, but I couldn't have done any of it without Stoddard-Hamilton and the staff.

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So, thanks, Stoddard-Hamilton for my gorgeous November four one Juliet.

Sincerely yours, Jim Osbom 5136 West Laurie Lane Glendate.AZ 85302 (602) 263-6767

|Ed. note: Thanks. Jim, for the vision you have painted for those still working on their Glasairs - it's all worthwhile! Thanks also for the good words towards our staff.

Electric Trim Gary Specketer, kit 3003, called to report on a

trim (aileron and elevator) system he is using. The system uses a miniature servo mounted in the control surface and a hinged tab on the control surface trailing edge. The unit is STC'd for numerous aircraft and has a panel mounted trim position indicator. The unit weighs 4 oz. and easily fits within the control surface. The unit also has metal gears and a clutch. Cost approx $500. Gary purchased the system from the manufacturer: Norm Smith (Aerotrim) 1130 102nd St. Bay Harbor, FL 33154 (305) 864-3336 p.s. Gary has not yet found an inexpensive dual function trim switch to mount on the control stick

grip-Understated Performance Dear Ted,

I recently saw a listing for an SH-2 service ceiling in Kitplanes of only 19,000 ft. This is low I believe. Recently, on a trip to Texas, I climbed to 22,000 feet without difficulty. Conditions at that altitude were: 80 KIAS, -12°C, ROC about 100 fpm, gross weight 1450 lbs. As you may recall I have a Bill Stamm tips equipped TO with a standard 160 hp O-320 turning an "Almost Constant Speed" 68" / 79" prop. Just thought I'd pass this along.

Sincerely, Bill Russell

Modified Flaps and Ailerons Dear Ted,

After noting that several builders had filled in the concave under surfaces of their ailerons with good results, i decided to make that modification to my airplane.

4VX (TD #301) now has 225 hours on the tach. While it has always been a great flying airplane, I have frequently wished that the ailerons wouldn't get tighter and tighter with increasing airspeed. Others have commented on the changing balance between ailerons and elevator. At 130 mph IAS, it was perfect, but at 200 the aileron forces were heavier by at least a factor of 5. This was more of an annoyance than a real problem, but I decided to give the flat ailerons a try.

I couldn’t believe the improvement! The force needed Is now well balanced with the elevator at all airspeeds, and yet the hands off stability is as good as ever It is sooo nice.

The mod is very simple, and mine was done as follows: 1. Remove the ailerons from the airplane.

2. Grind off the gelcoat born the under skies of the ailerons, being careful not to damage the glass beneath. 3. Cut two pieces of 1/4" foam the shape of the aileron profile and fill the upper sides with a medium Q-cell mixture. 4. Before the filled surface cures, while the foam can still bend easily, bond the foam pieces to the under sides of the ailerons with resin, holding .them in position with shot bags or equivalent while the bond cures. 5. Sand the foam surfaces fiat with a sanding block at least 12" long. The 1/4" foam was exactly right for the curvature of my ailerons. Others may vary. 6. Fill the foam surface with a medium Q-cell mix and lay up 1 layer of bi-directional cloth over the new flat bottom. Make sure to get good bonding to the fore and aft edges of the original aileron surface, which have been prepared in step 2.

7. Fill and gelcoat the new bottom and end surfaces. 8. Rebalance the ailerons by adding lead to the counterweights. I did this by cutting several layers of 1/16 lead sheet from the local plumbing supply to the shape of my counterweights and pop riveting them in place. I then filled the cracks with a milled fiber mixture. Mine took 160 grams each to balance.

This is the best thing I've done to my airplane. A good friend says his Eagle is rough by comparison, and he does aerobatics in both.

Incidentally, if you want a real exciting ride in a Glasair, get an A10 Flight Instructor to take you on a terrain hugging mission in the hill country. 1 discovered for the first time that my seat pan will oil can under certain high G situations. The rest of the airplane is solid as glass. I think that the A10 pilot is now hooked on Glasairs. Regards to all the folks up there, Al Sibiey

Glasair Models

Dear Mr. Setzer,

Referring further to your letter of September 14. As you requested, I'm including some photos of the completed Glasair model i talked about in my letter to you of Sept. 6th. Time ran out and I was not able to make up the logo or call numbers.

The Glasair was taken to the Quarter Scale Association of America (QSAA) Fly-In 88 in Las Vegas, Oct. 27-30. The mode) was very well received. Few had seen a 30% Scale Glasair. Everyone loves the smooth lines. From the response I should receive many orders for kits.

I am going to start construction of an RG version. I have a friend in Bellevue, WA that built the full size aircraft. I think he would be pleased to see a 30% version of his aircraft.

I appreciate your offer to show the model in your newsletter. Again, thanks for your help.

Sincerely, Dick Groves Cobra Component Modeling 3350 Aztec Rd. St. George, UT 84770 (801) 628-6223

Glasair Models, Continued Dear Mr. President,

I was very happy to get the prospects of your Glasair models, i shall certainly use it in the construction of Glasair radio controlled model. The best thank for the complimentary shirt and hat, which fits me very well.

I increased the plans, aeroplane shall be approximate 2m wide. Two years ago I builted the similar model of German aeroplane Grob G I09. In the secondary school student's competition of RC-MM flying aeroplane models I won the fourth spot of the country. Now I choose the Glasair to built. because it gives me a lot of space to situate a radio control system and it has the beautiful shape. It will! certainly fly well too.

On wing I'll use the NACA 230I2 profile and I shall command meanwhile only the vertical and the horizontal empennage area, because f have only a simple RC system. Perhaps in the next year I shall construct or buy more perfect foreign radio control system, which will give me a possibility to command the engine speed and ailerons too. It is rather excessive for the student in our country. When the model will be prepared perhaps i could send you a photo of Glasair model over Bratislava, capitol of the Slovakia.

i am very honored to be invited for the test flight to yours place and if sometimes I shall be by chance in the USA, near the town where your firm is built up, I hope m be able for it.

I wish you a tot of hearth, happy and successfully life.

With regards, your Czechoslovak fan, Richard Wittlinger

Svobodova 12, Pezinok. Czechoslovakia Ed. note: Glassnost?

External Long Range Fuel Tank, Nose Gear Shimmy, Dive Brakes & More Dear Editor,

Finally I solved the nose wheel shimmy problem for my RG. I would be pleased to discuss my application with anyone interested. The system I use allows free turning while taxiing. In fact, I lubricate the collar through a zerk fitting. I can spin the aircraft around on a dime without using much brake at all. The system does not use any hydraulics or electrics. No modifications are needed to any drag links.

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My dive/speed boards (see earlier newsletter)

are a welcome addition to the flight controls. I intend to install a momentary push button on my joy stick for additional fine flight path control. I suspect the brakes would be a great addition to a IK. JC Whitney sells a small 12vDC hydraulic pump for about $60 should anyone desire a separate hydraulic power source.

Attached please find a picture of the aircraft with the long range tank installed. The tank can be dropped if needed. Also other stores can be attached to the fittings, such as a snow ski container, additional luggage, etc.

With respect to opening slider canopies in flight, I suggest that two hands are required per window. One at the bracket at the aft lower portion of the window and one at the handle at the forward lower portion. A good pull is needed.

Alodine 1201 is, I believe, a good corrosive inhibitor. After cleaning the control push rods, or other aluminum sections, such as baffling, the alodine can be sprayed on with a garden sprayer system. The steel parts can be easily electroplated using a small touch-up kit, also available from JC Whitney, about $20. The nickel plate is simply brushed on electrically. Real simple really.

The more I fly it, the more I enjoy it. Sincerely, Don Wall

FT Nose Wheel Shimmy Dear Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft,

I recently returned home from an extended trip and awaiting me was the polo shirt that I had won at the Arlington picnic. I want to thank you all very much for such a nice item and I will of course wear it to the many fly-ins that I attend each year. Thank you again.

Also there was a message asking about modifications to the mild steel exhaust system which I had made over the last year. I learned that you had been in contact with Randy Alley on the same subject, and that he had covered the subject of these modifications in depth, so I will not repeat them.

Recently I had the second occurrence of nose wheel shimmy in my fixed trigear. The first probably occurred because of wear on the friction material.

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The torque should be checked every 50 hours and some of the problem may come from oil, etc from the engine compartment running down inside the fairing, when washing down the engine. The second time, the three screws holding the top friction plate sheared allowing the plate to rotate against the top attachment rather than the friction material.

In both occurrences the nose wheel pant was badly damaged. The second time the fire wall through attachment on one side became slightly loose. I made back up angle attachments for both sides which are bolted to both the attachments, the vertical rib, and the fire wall with back up plates in the engine side. In case of any shimmy, the attachments should be checked for play. I replaced the three screws with heavier ones and this with the back up angle brackets seem to have solved the problem.

I have approximately 370 hours on the aircraft and my wife and 1 have flown it all over the US and Mexico. We cruise (180 hp) at about 205, and with 66 gallons of fuel we have a nice range. We flew down from Arlington to Concord in 3 hours and 15 minutes and upon landing had enough fuel to have continued to Los Angeles.

Thank you again for the polo shirt. Sincerely, Norman S. Spitzer Berekely, CA N777NS #151

Static Testing

Dr. Jurg Sommerauer of Switzerland sent us this photo of a static wing load test recently performed on his Glasair wing. Some, not all, foreign countries like Switzerland require such tests prior to flight. Here in the USA we get to perform our wing tests in flight!

Hanging Hangar

This photo was sent to us by Canadian (Nova Scotia!) builder Lowell Binder. Lowell has

completed and own a TD and is now constructing a III. According to Lowell, the pole will be removed and his hangar will not tip over. Lowell is a commercial contractor, so apparently he must know what he is doing. As if constructing a homebuilt isn’t enough - some have to build their own original design hangars, too!

Hello Northeast USA!

Dear Stoddard-Hamilton, Enclosed is a picture of my finished product.

During the first display {Schenectady, NY) I realized that, after answering the stock questions a hundred times, an info board was needed. It helped immeasurably during other fly-ins and airshow displays.

These people in the Northeast have never seen a Glasair. Many of those interested had heard or read about it and were spring-loaded with questions and expressions of interest. I spent many hours with them. I wish you could have heard some

First Flights

It's a true sense of accomplishment after one makes that historic first flight in their own creation. It remains just as exciting for the 500th Glasair builder to test fly as it was for the very first, because the event is based on an individual's achievement. Congratulations to the following builders who have joined the ranks of airborne Glasairs!

R.G. Brautt, MD Glasair (FT 10/13/88 Dear Ted,

SH2-F N1490 flew today for the first time. Whal a rush, my adrenaline is still flowing 6 hours later. No problems whatsoever, and I flew it according to the book.

A few specifics for the record: Construction time 4 years almost to the day. Empty weight 970 Ibs. Airworthy certificate for IFR. Stall speed with one notch of flaps 52 mph. Level flight at 1600 rpm was 140 mph at 550 feet MSL. My special thanks to Roy and Terry for their help over the long tour years.

Sincerely yours, R. G. Brault MD

of the comments. Especially at the Stewart Air Show - where the people saw millions of their tax dollars on display (C-5A, C-141, F-14, 15, 16, 18, Harrier, etc) and how they appreciated a beautiful machine like my Glasair which was built in a home basement.

By the way, the airplane is operating beautifully. Over 70 hours now and increasing rapidly. I'm very happy to have completed it to the smallest detail while it was still in my basement. It's hard to stop flying now for any work except pre-flights, oil changes and bug removal.

Sincerely, Skip Ruhe Ed. note; Judging from the detail in Skip's original photos, this is another award winner. Super workmanship, Skip!

Jirn Osborn Glasair I FT 10/1/88 Jim reports the only problem he experienced was a failure on the electric fuel pump. The cause was a broken wire. As of this writing Jim has flown 28 hours on his FT.

Charlie Peterson called to report that he has begun taxi tests on TD kit #101. Serial #101 was the first Glasair kit to go out the door approximately 9 years ago. (ret: Newsletter 29, p. 234} GOOD LUCK, CHARLIE!!

Justin Me Anally Glasair IRQ 10/31/88

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Bill Speyer's first flight was announced in the last issue. Since then, he sent us the following first flight report. Dear Stoddard-Hamilton,

Enclosed are the pictures I promised to send you of my recently completed Glasair RG kit #600. It took me 4 years to complete with 3100 construction hours. Many of those hours include the help ot my son, Greg, and my brother-in-law, Dave Frantz of St. Petersburg, FL.

I flew for the first lime on Sunday, July 17,1988, after about a month of trying to find a problem with the engine. Even alter the first flight the engine problem persisted, preventing me from flying to the Oshkosh Fly-In. After replacing some of the engine accessories (fuel injector, flow divider, mags) in an attempt to solve the problem, 1 discovered a restricted fuel line from the injector to the flow divider which was causing the engine to hesitate on acceleration. With that problem behind me, I now have 30 flying hours on my airplane and it flies like a dream.

On my first few flights I stuck pretty close to the recommended procedures in the Glasair Manual and this worked out very well. At 1260 Ibs. empty weight it's a little heavier than I would have liked, but I have a pretty heavy instrument panel which includes King Dual Nav/Comms with glide slope, R-NAV, NDB, Transponder with encoder and an Appollo 604 Loran-C. I also installed a hand pump on the back of the passenger's seat to pump the gear down if the electric pump fails. I'm sure there's an extra 50 Ibs. in the paint which is painted over the Gel-Coat which came in the kit. Even with the extra weight it is cruising at 195 knots, with the quick controls and last speed it's a great airplane to fly. I am enjoying It very much.

Sincerely, BillSpeyer

Accident Briefs

Canopy Opened During Take-Off A serious but thankfully non-fatal crash of a

Glasair I FT was caused by a canopy opening during take-off. The NTSB investigation report indicated no failure of the canopy latch system components. The canopy may not have been properly latched.

The number one rule to obey when an in-flight emergency exists is: Fly the airplane. We can sympathize with the owner of the Glasair because. other than an in-flight fire, there aren't too many things which could be more distracting than a loose canopy. It is advisable for all of us to mentally rehearse such emergencies and what we should do in such a case.

On the general subject of in-flight emergencies, another good practice is to know where the nearest airfield is as you fly cross country. Some Lorans now have a nice panic button feature which

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immediately displays direction and distance to the nearest airfield. One additional step is to be aware of potential emergency landing sites on your cross country routes, Tom Hamilton is continuously aware of this. Those of us who have flown with Tom can often recall him breaking the monotony of an Oshkosh-bound cross country flight with the words, "YOUR ENGINE JUST QUIT! WHERE YA GONNA LAND??!" It's not just something for student pilots -it's good to be continuously aware.

RG Gear Extension Failure On his second flight, a Glasair RG owner

reported a failure of the gear to extend and a subsequent failure of the nose gear to lock down after he performed the emergency extension procedures. On landing, the nose gear collapsed, damaging the Hartzell propeller beyond repair,

Post accident investigation by the builder demonstrated a faulty nose gear microswitch (he has sent the switch back to us so we may investigate the problem with the manufacturer). The microswitch would prematurely shut off the pump before the gear was down and pressurized. Three other faulty items were found during the post accident investigation, two which were not contributors; a third which was.

1. The hydraulic pump was bleeding pressure internally between the up and down sides. To determine this, the owner suggests all RG owners should press against the nose gear during a gear extension test on the stands. It should take a considerable force to stop the gear. The hydraulic pump will bypass fluid with an internal pressure relief valve at 800 psi. (Be careful not to get pinched between the gear and the floor if you attempt this and make sure the aircraft is secure on the jacks!) The pump will bog down somewhat and then chatter as the internal pressure relief is activated.

His pump barely changed frequency and he was easily able to hold the nose gear from extending. If you can physically stop your nose gear, have someone check the hydraulic pressure gauge to see what pressure the hydraulic pump pressure relief valve is set at. If the motor stops, it could be a pump motor problem or low battery voltage. He also noted that his hydraulic pressure would fall from 1500 psi to 1000 psi over a period of one hour further indicating a pressure leak, internal or otherwise. 2. The hydraulic gauge was faulty. When he disconnected the pump and drained the hydraulic lines, his hydraulic gauge continued to read 1,000 psi. 3. The emergency extension gas spring hooked to the nose gear failed to lock it down after he bled off the pressure at the pump valve. He compared the pressure on his existing gas spring to a new one we sent and found a drastic difference. This was only the second test flight so it wasn’t overuse which contributed to the weak spring.

We printed a notice in Newsletter 28, p. 211 regarding shelf-life of these springs. The seals will dry up internally if the gas spring isn't used occasionally. We plan to print a notice in the beginning of the instruction manuals as well as a service bulletin in regard to these springs.

To check your gas spring, place a small piece of plywood on a bathroom scale and depress the spring against it. The springs are rated at 60 Ibs. Replace it if it demonstrates less than a 50 Ib. push. Glasair I and It owners should test these springs during each annual condition inspection.

He also has installed an emergency bypass electrical circuit in the system should a microswitch ever malfunction again. The bypass will supply juice directly to the pump from a panel mounted switch.

POSITION AVAILABLE

Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft is presently accepting applications for an individual whose experience is well rounded in the areas of aircraft systems research and development, drafting, basic engineering skills, program management, and aircraft maintenance. This individual must be a self starter and be able to work well hands on. Please send resume, attention Christian Klix, Product Support Manager.

LAST MINUTE NEWS FLASHES

The following changes needs to be made to the Fall '88 Glasair options catalog. Please take a moment to pencil in the changes on page 13:

120-3119-308 120-3119-309 120-3119-311

U.S. Air Captain Bob Olszewski has set two more N.A.A. World Speed Records in our factor Glasair III. These records were for the 3 km and 15/25 km closed circuit courses in the S.T.O.L. category! Repeat S.T.O.L. category. The S.T.O.L. category is actually fairly generous, allowing 1700 feet of takeoff and landing distance to qualify. No sweat. Bob's speeds were fairly disappointing (Jess than 270 mph) with several factors such as crosswinds influencing the time. The records will be held provisional for a limited Lime in the hope that we can repeat the attempts to improve the speeds.

Dec. 1A Bob Olszewski and Bob Gavinski flew Vernon Carter's Allison powered Glasair Turbo-prop to a new time to climb world record climbing to 3,000 (10,000 feet) meters in 3:07 minutes. That's an average rate of climb of 3,164 fpm from the beginning of takeoff! Indicated rate of climb at 3,000 feet was 4,200 fpm. (Awesome!) Dec. 15 Another attempt at time to climb records of 6,000 meters and 9,000 meters. Stay tuned.

GLASAIR III TO VISIT PHOENIX, AZ

Glasair builder Dace Kirk, 602/483-0595, has invited us to fly to Falcon Field, Mesa, AZ on the second weekend in February. Dace has a number of potential Glasair III customers lined up for demonstration rides. Call Alice Dalton at Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, Inc. If you know someone who is also interested in seeing our factory III prototype and arranging for a demonstration flight.

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WAS 677.00 708.00 724.00

NOW 94 7.00 990.00 1012.00

ESCORT IIA ESCORT IIA ESCORT IIA