Hi Gene,

I made the tow bar and it works fine.

With respect to high temps check for overly lean fuel/air mixtures, leaky air baffles, or ignition timing.

I sealed my hinges on top of my cowl with flexible metal tape on the inside for a very noticable improvement.

I use SCAT on all beneath cowl air ducts without problems.  One tip to control the unrulely wire is to take needle

nose pliers to bend a small angle on the wire end and tuck it into the duct.

I use SCAT, even though Jabiru says you should use a smooth hose.  After I had been flying for a couple of years, I tried using a large 90 degree elbow radiator hose (because someone on the Zodiac forum was saying gas mileage would improve), but my EGTs were high then, so I went back to SCAT tubing. I have read on the forums that some people have bought different jets for the carb. 

Hi Gene, Just wondering if you can feel any difference in the way your airplane flies since you added the aileron push rods. I can tell the difference in how my ailerons feel since I installed hinges on them. On the ground the ailerons are easier to move, but in flight, the difference is very slight, if any. While I had the airplane apart, I also added a parking brake (just two valves in the brake line to hold brake pressure in the lines). I don't use the parking brake very often, but it is handy when parking on a bit of a slope, or on windy days. My airplane gained about 60 pounds with the mod...CG didn't change much. After flying the plane a little, I removed the control stops that they had you install for the ailerons. I didn't like the way te stick felt in a decending left turn...it felt like I could feel some binding in the controls when I start to roll out of the turn. I tried making the space larger, but I just didn't like the feel, so I took it off. The airplane flies good now. Where do you you keep your plane now? Did they completely close the old Bay County airport? Gary

Gene
Thanks for the towbar information, after the gear reversal I find that the aircraft is much harder to push in reverse without experiencing an unintended quick reversal of direction, so the towbar is going to make things easier and safer when putting it into the hanger.
I have not tried two people entering on the step at the same time. One is very stable.

Gene,
You have a very nice looking aircraft.
I now have 127 hours TT on the 601XL-B. 14 since the upgrade and gear reversal, 42 since Roy's 5th bearing was put in.
I recently reset my horizontal stabilizer 3/8 of an inch higher at the rear mounting bracket and increased the bracket to .090 . Raising the rear was easier than lowering the front on a completed aircraft. I had to retrim the lower front rudder to clear the saddle fiberglass but otherwise it was straight forward. I reversed my landing gear during the rebuild (easy and took 40 minutes with the wings off) in order to lighten my nosewheel weight. This moved the mains 5.75 inches further forward and really imporved the nosewheel lightness.
With both the stabilizer change and the main gear reversed the aircraft rotates naturally at 54 mph with neutral trim. I still need the flap-trim booster with flaps deployed.
I use apporximately 1/2 of the full trim travel during landing.
Before these late changes I had to pull the nosewheel off the ground at 64 mph and it was impossible to keep it off during landing without adding power. Now I can easily make soft field landings without fear of overstressing the nosewheel on rough ground.
The tail does not sink while entering but I have a Corvair engine up front . Yours may be lighter.
What did you make your tow bar out of?
Gary Ray

Sounds like progress to me... keep at it. I've been dragging my feet partially because of the hectic schedule (leaving for a dental course / ski trip in Utah Tuesday) and partially because I want to include my dad in the airplane stuff. He just doesn't enjoy the damp chilly environment that has prevailed in the hangar lately. It'll get done soon enough I'm sure. Right now, I'm focussed on encouraging him to go ahead and get a 5th wheel camper so he can continue to camp with the rest of us.

On top of that, all us old farts have a string of medical appointments to deal with, right?

Ed

Our intention was to ski Mon - Fri but today (Friday) the snow is falling to hard to be any fun so we decided to start the drive home. That plan caved in at 8 this mornign when we saw that (A) we might not make it out of the parking lot and (B) the roads were not safe to travel due to too much snow.

So we're sitting it out at least until tomorrow before hitting the road. This has not been the best ski trip ever. Had I known how it all would go down (as I do now in hindsight), I would have stayed home and worked on my plane too.

Ed

Hey Gene,

It's been so busy here lately that I still haven't finished the 50 hour maint. on my plane. Marita and I will be in New Mexico for all of next week (skiing). When we get back we're picking up a new camper then maybe after that, I'll have control of the schedule again.

Ed