Hi Rick.. Please come and fly up to Natfly this year?
Chris..

Hello Rick!

How are you?

Are you coming to NATFLY? We need some 601's there :)

Come join us for a BBQ and come meet Michael Heintz, it will be fun!

Liezel

Greetings Ricky.
Feel free to put Scooter and I on the page. I will make a point of calling in soon. It is planned for Jimmy Williams to carry out an inspection tonight all being well.
Peter

Hi Rick
I sent a message to your private email.

Regards
Phill

Hi rick how did you get on with that rear spar mod. If your around over the weekend or friday wouldn't mind popping in and having a look for myself

Also just gathering general thoughts on control stick layout. Are you happy with the centre mounted stick? Just putting though an order for my control kit and I'm after as feedback as I can get.

Hi Rick
I too tried posting questions on the mod blogs but Sebastien refused to answer my questions without me emailing them directly to him. Alternatively, Matheiu Heintz has a Q&A forum going and is answering questions thoroughly, even mine. Here is the link, http://www.zenith.aero/forum/topics/qa-safety-alert-and-saib?id=260...

Top question by the way. I look forward to the answer.
Phill

Nice looking plane. How long has it been flying? Any issues so far?

Ed

The sunshade is about the easiest thing I installed on the plane. First you need to contact Cleveland Tools or Ralph Koger at Cleveland Aircraft Tool (800) 368-1822, or Ralph Koger (515) 432-5714 . You simply tell them that you want the Koger sunshade for the Zodiac 601XL.

When it arrives, you form the curve of the center track by bending and trial fitting to the OUTSIDE of the bubble until it fits nicely. Then you clean the underside of the bubble along the centerline and stick the track in place with the 2-sided mounting tape supplied. I used two strips of blue painter's tape on the outside of the bubble as a guide.

You can have the entire shade positioned ahead of the rear canopy bow as I did or split the track to extend fore and aft of that bow as you see fit. It extends and retracts with one hand very easily. Mr. Koger has designed a very nice product. You'll need to bend the lateral ribs to conform to the canopy contour but that's simple as well.

The accidents have my full and rapt attention too. I just came to the conclusion that a few guys who I trust and respect had accumulated 300 - 500 hours without incident. The Zenith factory demo has over 1,000 hours likewise. The designer still has no reluctance to fly in or allow his sons to fly in the design without the mods. The extensive investigation produced a vague conclusion about "coupling of design and operational factors" leading to the accidents. Now if I know several guys who are flying a lot without failures and there is an operational factor; where is the variable? These are all planes of the same design... only the operation varies. That's enough for me to continue flying mine and to be forewarned not to horse it around. I guess they'll carve that on my tombstone, huh?

Ed

You would think that with seven wrecked planes, trained personnel could find the common cause if it exists. But what if the cause is varied? The way the plane was built even if a whole bunch of people loved and respected the builder. What if it was the way the plane was maintained or what was not maintained, even if dozens of folks thought the pilot was very very thorough. what if the planes get broken by an inadvertant sudden control input even if everyone who knew the dead pilot believes that he was the very soul of flying calm discretion?

Like I said the design is a constant. How we build fly and maintain are the variables. So what are we addressing? The design not the variables. It doesn't add up for me.

Try this web address:

www.cleavelandtool.com

Ed

You're welcome. Good luck.

Ed

Hi Rick

This is a first for me. I'm not much of a social networker, and you are one of my first friends on Aero Zenith. Just by chance, an hour ago I had a phone conversation with another Australian. I must say that I've very impressed with airplane building ethic of Australians. I need an energy transplant.

I got an email that you left a comment on my wall. I tried to find my wall and could not. Fortunately, I looked again at the email, and it had a link to my wall. Earlier today I posted a message on the ZBAG forum with my personal thoughts regarding the cause of the accidents. Rather than repeat that here, you might take a look there.

Good luck with your airplane. It's a beaut!

Terry

Hi Rick

It shows up on Yahoo OK for me. I wonder if Yahoo has subsidiary servers or whatever for down under and there is a delay in updating from the US (or wherever they are) servers?

Anyway, the link is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZBAG/message/1686

I'd be happy to respond if you have questions.

Terry

You are welcome. Ralph has a great product and very good support.

Ed

Hi Rick,

My own XL has been collecting dust in the back of my hangar since April. I feel there is a good chance the problems can be resolved, but it will take some effort and professional analysis to get there.

I just heard my upgrade kit is in shipment and should be here Friday. Before seeing the FAA report my plan was to install it and enter phase I testing. Now I am not so sure. I certainly won't enter phase II (carrying passengers and flying long distances) until I feel more confident in the design.

Paul
Camas, WA

HI Rick,

Thank you for your comments. It is nice to know that not everyone thinks I am the Devil Incarnate because I have doubts about the XL design.

I don't think there is a wind tunnel big enough to take a full size Zodiac. Many years ago I saw a very large wind tunnel that was "Stolen" from the Germans after World War II. It was moved to Johnson space flight center in Alabama. While it was big enough to walk around in (and made me feel very small) it wouldn't hold a full sized light plane. Also, it was designed to work in the trans-sonic speed range - just under mach 1.

I gather the FAA engineers have prescribed a path to proving the current design is adequate. I don't really understand it, but I am not an aviation engineer either.

Paul

Hi Rick, The servos I use are the ones from Dynon and yes they are easily over-ridden. I will be using the FlightDek 180 and using the built in autopilot.

How are you Rick.
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciated it. How are you progressing to date?

Phiiille. - Sorrrey, ben drincen yore porte.

I am impressed well done Rick
why the chage to nosewheel?
chris

Hi Rick

Thanks for the comment.

They loved the pub but the main reason that we went there was to find genuine Australian handmade souvenirs. Harder to find than you may think as most trinkets are mass produced in China. There were a few shops at the Ettamogah Pub that had what they were looking for. Pat and Mary are absoloutly delightful people and we plan to go and stay with them in their next Winter in their beautiful house.

Hows your flying going and have you taken Yu for a ride yet?

 

Phill