RAF progress photos

[LARRYEBOYER]

Here are some photos taken of the RAF with the lower thrustline. I am excited to fly this baby. Aussie Paul said the one in NZ with the lowered engine and stepped keel was the best RAF he ever flew.

[LARRYEBOYER]

Here is another shot.

[LARRYEBOYER]

and another

[LARRYEBOYER]

are you bored yet with pictures of my gyro family?

[StanFoster]

Larry: Nice looking craft you are building.

Stan

[birdy]

Larry,how much lower is the TL from the factory setup.
BTW,the wireing looks the same as mine,and mine's fly'n.lol

[Alan_Loughrey]

Hi Larrye, your Raf will be even better, as you have a better stab. The one I am flying here in NZ has a Rob Sanders stab.

I took a gyro pilot flying today who owns a very high thrust line gyro. Well today he was converted. Two circuits with his hand on the stick is obviously worth a thousand of my words!!!!!!!! :eek:

I am using Alan my "Firebird" mates computor at the moment while I am staying with him to fine tune the Firebird production. I sat in a Firebird cabin shell today. It is getting close now. What a shame that I made such a fool of myself with my earlier predictions of time frames!!!!!!!!!! :o

Better late than never I guess!!!!!!!!! :D

Aussie Paul.

[LARRYEBOYER]

Birdy, acording to Don Parhams math, I am about 4 inches above clt. Chuck Beaty's math formula gives me 1 more inch or 3 inches. I also put the stab back 10 more inches. The stab is in the prop blast also. It should have more authority. I was concerned that I might have to legnthen the pre rotator sheath and shaft. Not so. I installed the prerotator and all works well.Yesterday was a big day in the skunk works. I am running out of parts. I am down to fuel pump system. instrement panel and engine wiring.I know I have many hours to go but it makes me feel good thinging its only a few more things!
Aussie Paul, how does that machine fly vers your hybred?There are those who believe raising the engine is the answer, others bringing the weight more in line with each other.(lowering the engine in effect raises the cabin weight).Looking at Chuck's math formula, that might be the more effective route to achieve clt on a RAF. The conversion of lowering the engine is a weekend project and about $250. Changing redrives or major alterations like AAI are expensive. I have not flown in a Groen brothers ship yet. It may well be worth the time and money. I have a friend locally in PA that has ordered a Sparrow hawk. He shoud have it this fall. I look forward to helping him complete it and maybe be the test pilot.

[ben]

larry, that ship is sure looking good

[Alan_Loughrey]

Larrye, the lowering of the engine redrive is as you say a cheap quick method, and if you have a stab with some fin area or shift the Raf fin and rudder back, the yaw instability that stops people flying with the doors on is removed, making for a very use friendly all weather gyroplane.

In round figures if a standard Raf is Zero :eek: , an effective stab brings it up to say 70%, your mod up to around 80% and Hybrid up to approx 95%. We could argue all day over the % but these are my feelings from the last few years of testing.

70% is acceptable if you are not a complete novice who wants to fly in gusty, thermally conditions.

Adding some sort of extra fin and or rudder as well as the 70% or more fix, finishes the job to a satisfactory level. :)

Aussie Paul in NZ for another couple of days.

[LARRYEBOYER]

I was flying today in moderate winds 10-15 a little gusty and the thermals were working. I got hit with some real gusts and thermals at the same time and I had zero! pitch issues. The aircraft wanted to do a 45 left and right in one wind gust. but no pitch moments like I had with the older stab. I really love the new LM ultamate.Paul. Thanks for your input. I appreciate your experience and knowledge. Plus no one has more respect in the gyro world as far as I am concerned, than you. Many talk the talk but you walk the walk. No one I know has flown their RAF hybred on a cross country like you.

EVEN MY LITTLE FLYING BUDDY LIKES TO HEAR OF YOUR EXPLOITS!

[LARRYEBOYER]

I stopped by to see Chris and show him my new OLimpia digital camera. Here is his garage and toys. He is almost finished with his 2 seat changeover. he will have the nicest AirCommand on the planet.

[Alan_Loughrey]

Thanks Larrye, nice to have some nice input rather than the usual "s**t" I sometimes get.

Aussie Paul in NZ untill Wednesday.

I arrived in NZ on Thursday the 22 May, me thinks. I have flown every day and there is now almost 30 hours on the clock.

I can't download my pics here so you will have to wait for me to arrive home ans post the pics.

One thing great about being in NZ is that I have not had to eat the "young pigs penis" that I did in China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11


Aussie Paul at Alans pc.

[Gyropilot007]

Ok all, I'm going to show my ignorance. I ordered an RAF kit in March of 2003. It was delivered in June of 2003 and I've been building it ever since. At this time it is almost finished. My aircraft is pretty much stock except for the following modifications:

- I installed Larry Martin's Ultimate Stabilizer
- I installed Don Parham's landing gear modification
- I installed RAF's electric stabilator modification
- I Installed Larry Martin's overhead console

I keep reading about this 'Hybrid" RAF and the required modification. What are they and how would they benefit my machine.

Thanks for consideration.

Bob McGuire

[LARRYEBOYER]

I did a mock up of how the instrement panel will look. Before I do the final cuts, any suggestions or ideas? The radios go to the right side of the panel down low. This will leave me space for intercom.

[LARRYEBOYER]

All the widgets and gadgets installed. Instrement panel and wiring time.

[KenSandyEggo]

Larry, take careful measurements and eyeballing in locating the radios on the bottom right of the panel. The bottom one will come very close to the rudder pedals. Put the shorter unit on the bottom, if one is shorter than the other. The top one will come very close to the side of the cabin. If I recall, I didn't take note and had to do my panel over, as the top radio hit the side of the cabin. It was one of those "Oh S+++" moments.

[Harry_S.]

Looks fine Larry. I can appreciate your being antsy about completing and flying it.

Like Ken said, double think it, then re-think it,then sleep on it, then it will come out as you expected it to.