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Rudder Control

Would like to know if anyone has ever built or modified the rudder control to be operated by hand for some one not able to use there legs.

Added by Terry Capps on October 19, 2010 at 11:36am — 1 Comment

Protection stripes to pitot and fuel tank openings

This theme is not very exiting, but sometimes a simple solution to small things could be welcome.
Well, the point is that the cloth stripes (red ribbons) that I used to cover open tips of tubes (pitot and fuel tank breathing) simply disappeared, maybe removed by the wind. How to make them hold better?
I cut small pieces of aluminum tube, about 1 inch, and riveted them to the cloth stripes, so that these tubes stand 90 degrees to the cloth (rivets into the tube pieces). Then I…
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Added by Sergio Fink on October 14, 2010 at 2:27pm — No Comments

Aerial Drops 'V' Aerial photo-video

As you know we have been working on aerial video mounts and aerial drops. Now, with current flood risks rising, we are looking at combining the adaptations to our aircraft. Yesterday we cut a great big hole in the plane. We did not do this lightly. Much consultation took place.


The original idea had been to use our existing vertical shot video mount and cut a round drop chute for the supply cannister system. However, the need to shoot large areas of land from low levels…
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Added by Jonathan Porter on October 14, 2010 at 5:30am — 2 Comments

Dynon EFIS D100 Product Review

This will be the first in a series of Product Reviews. Rules are simple, you have to use the Dynon D100. Post your thoughts, pros and cons and end with your Recommendation.

Dynon's EFIS-D100 is one of the most affordable large screen Electronic Flight Information Systems on the market today. The 7" wide-screen display features large, easy to read text and graphics and is capable of displaying multiple pages of information in…

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Added by Product Review on October 13, 2010 at 7:15am — 7 Comments

Around Ghana, West Africa in a CH701 - in 3 days

It just has to be done. As we try to raise awareness of the ability laden CH7xx and CH8xx range of aircraft for humanitarian aviation logistics, it is now time to undertake a mission that appears to have never been done before.


On November the 1st to 3rd Patricia Mawuli, the 22 year old girl from the bush in Africa who has learned to build and fly airplanes, will take 9G-ZAF, the Medicine on the Move CH701 around Ghana to prove the metal of the T6 aircraft. For a low hours…
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Added by Jonathan Porter on October 11, 2010 at 1:41am — 2 Comments

link to "the" engine.....

www.bwid.net/s9/670.htm

Added by Pedro Rivera on October 10, 2010 at 5:52pm — No Comments

XL Inside Canopy Latch upgrade and cable adjustment

This started out as a simple task, replace the stock knob with some sort of handle. In the middle of the simple project I had to adjust the cables, I couldn't get the canopy to unlatch from the outside. But first here are some pictures of the aftermarket Canopy latch. These are cell phone pictures.





This is in the latched position. I'm not committed to this spot, it is a start.…



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Added by Jake Reyna on October 10, 2010 at 7:58am — 2 Comments

New forum for ULPower engines is now up.

I have established a forum page for Q&A about ULPower Aero Engines:
http://flywithgus.boardhost.com/index.php

Added by Gus Warren on October 9, 2010 at 11:52am — 5 Comments

Nose Bungee Cord on 601XL

After noticing my nose strut sticking up thru the top of my firewall a little more than usual the last couple of flights I contributed to normal stretching of the bungee 65+ hrs on the plane a closer look I found the cord had about a 1 inch section on the left front than was only about 5/16" thick original is 5/8" the outer covering was in good shape the rubber inside had all but broken. Has anybody else had a problem like this with…

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Added by David Coberly on October 6, 2010 at 5:30pm — 4 Comments

Chuck Martin works on his CH750 Quick Build Kit at Flight Crafters

Chuck Martin is working on his CH750 Quick Build Kit at Flight Crafters.

Day One: Horizontal Stab completed

Day Two: Elevator completed. Fuselage in the background.…

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Added by Russell Lepre' on October 4, 2010 at 3:38pm — 1 Comment

Adding Brake fluid

Mack Kreizenbeck loaned me his brake fluid filling system. Only thing I would change is to use a larger container, I had to refill the bottle a few times to get fluid to the Master Cylinders. And I overfilled just a bit, that wasn't evident until I stood on the brakes while doing a static rpm test.


Added by Jake Reyna on October 2, 2010 at 11:20pm — 3 Comments

Canopy safety system

Since I am 600 miles from home, simple solutions are needed until I am able to fabricate a more robust system for restraining the canopy in the unlikely ;-) event that it opens in flight. Here are a few pictures.





I use the bungee cord as my second set of hands while installing the lower cowl and had been looking for a storage solution. The ends go through the seat belt bracket and I purchased a hook at the hardware store for $1.50. The… Continue

Added by Jake Reyna on October 2, 2010 at 7:36am — 4 Comments

Using patterns for CH701 bracket holes in stabilizer

After reading manuals and watching video to figure out how to cut my stabilizer skin for the brackets I decided on my old boat building, hot rod building style. I used some stiff cardboard to make a pattern for the cuts along with rivet holes in the pattern for the spar and ribs to line things up when I transfer to the actual aluminum skin. Pattern done, tomorrow I… Continue

Added by David Abbott on October 1, 2010 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Product Reviews

We're tying something new at Zenith.aero, a Product Review site that will allow builders to share their actual experience with a specific instrument, system or new idea that has been implemented.

An example would be Dynon's EFIS-D6. A blog will be posted and using Dynon's descripton of the specific product. Those of you that have actually used the system can post your comments. Pros and cons, hours used, airplane that it is installed, price and would you…

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Added by Product Review on September 30, 2010 at 7:49am — 3 Comments

Kitplanes magazine article on the safety of Zeniths: "Safety is no accident"

The November 2010 issue of Kitplanes magazine (and it's still September as I write this!) has a story on the safety of Zeniths, presented as part of a series of articles on homebuilt (kit) aircraft safety. As the article's clichéd title states, safety is no accident, so I'm reprinting it here (with the gracious permission of… Continue

Added by Sebastien Heintz on September 30, 2010 at 7:30am — 1 Comment

N number now in the FAA database

I don't know why this should make me feel elated, since this is hardly critical at this point in time. Somehow, though, it seems like a rite of passage of some sort. Hopefully, N274AJ will be in test sometime next year!

Maybe it's encouraging, since the rest of the day has been full of bent or broken parts. :)

Added by Jim Belcher on September 29, 2010 at 2:21pm — 1 Comment

Started marking out

Finally bit the bullet and started. Drew up curvy bits such as wing, stabilizer and rudder ribs on CAD. Printed them out 1:1 scale and traced them on to the 6061-T6. Only done the 0.016" bits so far (oh and the 0.025" spar webs), but it was good to finally get some aluminium out and start work.


Question now is what the best tool is for long cuts. 300mm shears? Nibbler? I know for damn sure I won't be making 12 foot cuts with aviation snips!…


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Added by Marty de la Motte on September 28, 2010 at 6:38am — 2 Comments

Newsletter #180 (Sept-October) Mailing now!

Look for more examples of completed 601XL upgrades in this issue of the Zenair Newsletter which is now in the process of mailing throughout the world.

Ulis Temos, who has been featured before in the newsletter regarding his cross country flights in his CH701 shows pictures of a custom toolbox that he built into the seat of his aircraft.…



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Added by Zenair News on September 27, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

It's a bird it's a plane, another Zodiac 601XL leaving the ground

After many obstacles, 417SX departed U76 this afternoon, I should have

waited until tomorrow morning, it was warm today, 91. I decided to do a

high speed taxi to see if the Airspeed Indicator was alive, it was, and

figured that a short flight to test my FWF had come. Taxied back and I

was airborne quickly, remembered to keep the nose down in a cruise

climb, 500 fpm, Airspeed was indicating 120mph and the GPS was giving a

similar reading with the engine turning at… Continue

Added by Jake Reyna on September 25, 2010 at 10:00pm — 14 Comments

Zenith CH 650 featured in Playboy, October 2010

Playboy magazine is known for its quality articles, right? Well, there's a nice article (and photo!) of the CH 650 in the October issue of the magazine:



Page 31: Click the image above to view a larger image.



How did the CH 650 end up in Playboy… Continue

Added by Sebastien Heintz on September 25, 2010 at 5:00pm — 9 Comments

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