Hanger Slab

At the same time I was trolling the web I spotted an advertisement for the Rylstone Air-Park and speaking to Ron Loneragan about Lot 49, and I was impressed by his plans and the future of the Air Park. The real game changer was the land is Torrens Title - I own the property. 

What do you do when you rent the land and are told to leave with the slab and building? 

Answer: Leave.

My wife and I looked at the numbers, and if we rented 3 bays it added up as an investment, and the Tucano had a home with friends. After much talk, design and finally quotations the money began to flow. In the end, we squeezed an 18 mm x 14.5 deep hanger from Maxi Sheds onto the block while still meeting the Council and Airpark rules.

Construction began in October 2013 using a local contractor AYR Concreting. Mick was a gem helping me pick up my schedule making up for lost time with the plans.  We were afraid the Council approval could take 4 additional weeks, and it was decided to set up the formwork before approval. And this was done in mid-October by Mick.

Big is it not..!

The Council surprised everyone and had the approval through in 2 weeks, so we were now back on schedule but had to get some critical brackets for the pour from Maxi Sheds. After more emails and more money they were to dispatched by courier in mid-November with the shed for delivery on the 29/11/13 - this is tight if not impossible for the building trade and erection is due to start on the first week of December - does not look good.

Styling

While there are many paint schemes, I was looking for something different when I stumbled across the Royal Air Force 2010 paint scheme for the 50th Anniversary for the Battle of Britain.  

Spit-tano in good company

The scheme is based on the Spitfire WW II paint scheme and so suited the aircraft that the aircraft was known as Spit-tano and I had a paint scheme with a XXX wow factor....!

To read more click on this link:---> Global Aviation Resource

2010 Display Combinations

Tucano

With a new flying itch, I began searching the web and was impressed by were the class of aircraft known as ultralights had progressed to. My earliest memory of ultralights are the Australian Scout and to describe this as an aircraft was to say it had wings! The body was a pole with a tail, wings and a lawnmower engine with the cruise, stall and landing speed separated by a few knots.  The guys who flew these were indeed in touch with the roots of aviation, and I personally have no love of anything related to gardening.

The flying training on the Jabiru was also proceeding at this time. A Jabiru has high elevator authority, adequate rudder and the ailerons are there to just to give your hand something to do. For those who have never flown a J160 the only way to roll is to apply rudder into the desired direction of roll and following with the ailerons to control the resulting roll. As a pilot, I feel I am cross controlling and not connected to the aircraft, but as an ex-Warrior pilot, it is proper training as in that class of aircraft the rudder is a convenient footrest. 

But if I was to spend money on an aircraft it had to that the X factor as I own a Skyline from the 1980s and you know what is said about men with old red cars. The European market has some unique offerings mostly plastic with performance on a 100 hp that is unbelievable as were the prices and we all know manufacturers never exaggerate the cost. Searching the WWW lead to bumping into Flying Legend in Italy who were offering a replica Tucano. Personally, I always liked the Tucano when I first saw it in the 1980s, and unlike most styling from the '80s the Tucano has developed into a classic, and like all classics, it's still in production. 

Finding a Flying Legend. 
The investigation began, and the team at Flying Legend answered every question about the aircraft, and after reviewing the basic assembly manual, I was impressed. The plane ticked all the boxes - all metal alodined - retractable tricycle - constant speed - Rotax - pushrods for the ailerons and elevators - electric flaps - tandem - quick build kit and it was a Tucano...! 

The alodine finish makes the aircraft primer ready that can have bond issues compared with the chemical bond that is created by alodine. The other item is the fitting of bladder fuel tanks as riveted tanks are notoriously difficult to seal and generally required the use of some really nasty and expensive sealers even upholstered seats are supplied.

49% Approval
My initial approach for approval to build resulted in a rejection of the quick build kit by RAA. Stunned and unable to get a clear answer to why I began a process of analysis using ANO 21.29. This resulted in many hours of reading and several spreadsheets to calculate the work distribution to meet the magic 49% total but regardless how I worked the numbers I could barely meet the rule even with the whole tail assembly as a flat pack kit - I had to be doing something wrong...! 

A chance contact with Martin Ongley of the SAAA quickly put the process back on the track. After reworking the spreadsheets, it was found that with a small amount of basic construction the quick build kit could indeed be used. I quickly contacted Martin who lived only a suburb away and had him review the numbers and received a yes, but I was advised it would pay to run it by CASA. This was done, and after a short period, no objections were raised - woohoo! 

Commitment.

After examining what could be committed to a project of this size and cost it was determined that selling assets and a little bank money it would be possible to fund the project over 24 months. The factory is quoting 650 hours for the airframe assembly, and that looks achievable and fitted into the schedule.

Re-Start

This blog covers the success or failure in constructing a Flying Legend Tucano Replica at Rylstone Airpark, but all journeys have a start. This journey began about 12 months ago with a continuing itch to build an aircraft but have not flown for many decades my wife granted permission to do a few hours on the basis that it would satisfy that itch. 

The most cost-effective option was ultralights, so I drove to the Oaks Airport outside Sydney and introduced myself to the CFI who showed the two available training options a Jabiru J230 and J160. After being shown a J160 cost was not such an object, so I said "I take the bigger one mate" and duly booked in for my first flight. 

On the morning of the booking I drove to the airfield, it was a beautiful Sydney spring morning, and I was greeted by John who was to be my instructor. John said he was taking me for my first flight and we began to walk towards an early model J160. Fear now began to swamp my mental processes, and in my mind, I was now running at a 100 mph to anywhere. John walked me around the aircraft and all the items I would like to see on an aeroplane like a wing, motor, rudder, elevator, etc. and all where my memory of BAK said they should be, but this thing was a mini-me...! 

At this point words like "be a man, John's not shown any sign of fear"  kept me from turning thought into concrete action. 

John instructed me on the best was to enter the cockpit, and I made a quick mental note that if I lived, I would have to see my physiotherapist if I was to be able to enter and exit in future with any dignity. Once in the left-hand seat, it began to seem more reasonable, and I mumbled something like "its about the same size as a 150" but that voice in my head reminded me that I never liked 150's. With nowhere to run I duly turned on the master,  two mag switches and shouted "Clear prop". Pushing the starter button the engine sprung into life and settled to a 1000 rpm idle. 

On a 160 Jabiru the throttle is between your legs, and one has to think the designer might be telling you something, but the run-up was completed, boost pump and anti-collision light on, and all there was to do is line up and apply full power. 

The flight is a 30-minute blur, but on return to the Oaks Airfield, a passable landing was achieved which would be the last one for many an hour. Again one of the great joys of flying that I had missed overwhelmed me again, that view from a cockpit of grinding down a glide slope, so like any addict, I was hooked still. I now am on the way to a new licence, but that will have to slow down until next year as I have a hanger to build, but that is a story for later. 

In conclusion why to write about this - well I have realised in 60 years that action comes only from commitment and writing is the start of a renewed commitment. Commitment can and does lead us all to failure but to fear failure leads to becoming a spectator, not a participant.

Have fun..!