Elite Side x Side

[CLS447]

I am now in the process of switching my new Air Command Elite over to a side x side 2 place. Today I finally got the seats mounted & the dual pedals on. I am getting alot of ideas for changing & improving the setup. Here are some pics so far.

[ToddP]

Looking good Chris!

I didn't realize you were planning on making this a 2-place. Are you going to start instructing...or was Shar just getting tired of staying on the ground? ;D

[Udi]

Are you using an Air Command upgrade kit, or are you making your own design changes? From your picture it looks like the rudder pedals are about 15" closer to the seats. Are you going to mount two control sticks?

Udi

[CLS447]

Todd, I was gonna convert my 447 to a 2 place but till I would have bought everything to do it I figured leave her alone & build a whole new machine.

Doug from AC wanted to sell me a tandem. I wanted the s x s on their website so he put together the second one they ever made. Tim O conner owns the original. Doug also talked me into starting it as a 1 place. It flies great so here we go. Instructing is not my intent just sharing the fun in a safe machine but I will teach my passengers. Shar is first!

All I have to do is install 2 seats,Change pedals, change stick & rehang...... YEAH RIGHT!!

[CLS447]

Today's progress!

[CLS447]

another

[barnstorm2]

Looking Great!

Is it going to have a pod or will it be open?

[PW_Plack]

Chris,

Is that a red instrument pod, or is your wife a mermaid?

[CLS447]

It will only have the instrument pod in the middle. No plans for an enclosure.

Tim,
When do we get some close up pics of your 2 place?

Paul,
That's not my wife, it's my girlfriend's daughter. I'm not really sure if she will fly yet, but her Mom can't wait and they are not mermaids.

[CLS447]

One mod that I am going to do is to move the 2 seat setup back 2-3 ". I am also going to spread the seats apart 1-2". Unlike the tandem, AC has no means for dual throttles on the s x s. I will probably make something similar to the RAF's throttle system. Any other ideas?

[CLS447]

AC sent me a T-stick for the 2 place. It is made of steel. I like the concept but is not going to work in it's current configuration.It needs to be wider, taller, more forward & possibly have the grips pointing up. Nothing major but it will take more time , phone calls & money.

The other problem is in the dual pedals. Nice assembly but the center mounts are cast & not machined. When foced to match the existing frame holes the rods were binding. Unacceptable! If AC can't or won't help, but they normally do, I will have replacements machined to work out better.

[Larry Boyer]

8)Hey Chris, That machine really looks wide. With all that drag, do you think it will take off with that teeney, tiny Underpowered overweight Subaru?
I'm sorry, I meant to say "Will it fly with that teeny, tiny underpowered overweight ass of yours?"

What I really meant to say was" you have a great looking ,well buit cooooooool machine!

[barnstorm2]

My work on the 2-Place AC Elite Side by Side is on hold until Spring. My current challage is to get the EJ-22 to cool. She stays cool for a few minutes but slowly the temp climbs over 200 and I have to shut her down. Here is one of my last tests.

[CLS447]

Tim , have you tried it without the thermostat? Looks like you got some good helpers in the pic!

[Aussie_Paul]

Air locks can be a major problem to some ej-22s. The maintainence manual for the car says to slowly fill up the radiator, and put some some in the overflow tank. Run the engine at 2000 rpm for 5 or 6 mins. Shut the engine down and go and have a coffee for 30 mins. When you coms back top up the radiator and the overflow tank and it should be ok.

Some engines don't give trouble, other engines do. My radiator guy says that they have quite a lot of trouble getting the air out of some engines. He suggested to fill it up wityh warm water if the system has been drained.

I would try without a thermostat first.

Oops, most important is to have the heater outlet and inlet joined with a piece of heater hose or you will never get it to work correctly.

Hope that this is of some help

Aussie Paul.

[Aussie_Paul]

Lookes at the pic again and saw the heater hose is in place.

Aussie Paul.

[Mike Hook]

Chris
How does your ac handle on grass runways? Is the light nose gear a problem?

I am looking for something to fly out of my farm that will handle a grass strip well.

Mike Hook

[CLS447]

Mike,

When I first saw pictures of that nose gear it looked pretty lame. Now I like it very much. It's shock absorbing and made of chrome moly steel. In single seat config there is not much weight on it and it tended to slap the spring up and down. I put a buffer washer to quiet it. With the 2 seat config I am yet to taxi it, but there will be more weight on it.

I can tell you this, the grass I flew it off of is not smooth at all and its working out great.

[Mike Hook]

Thanks Chris
I just have to get moving on a gyo project, and as soon as the weather breaks will have to get the tractor and equipment out to the farm. I have been mowing a strip over 700 ft long in hope of some day flying off it.

The side by side ac looks great as well as your single place.

Mike

[CLS447]

Mike,
They are one in the same. I am converting the one here in the pic to be a side by side.

Unless you were talking about my old 447.

Thanks for the compliment.

[Aussie_Paul]

Chris, love that ferocious security animal!!! LOL

Aussie Paul

[CLS447]

Paul,

She protects me by sitting on my lap every time I am on the computer. If I put her down for a coffee refill she patiently waits until I sit back down. Then she is back on my lap again. She is a ****zu named Lady, she used to be Shar and Tristen's dog but now she is mine. My 2 Min Pins have learned to accept her, but my little female is still the BOSS!!!

There is a picture of my male, Spike, in an earlier post in this thread. Tristen and I are sitting on the side by side with our dogs in our laps. Here is a pic of all three at the airport.

My female Min Pin is scared of the camera and always tries to hide, but we caught her here. I always forget to unhook them from the trailer. LOL!!!

[Larry Boyer]

HEY BARNSTORMER. nice looking machine. I see you have turned the fuel injection manafold around. Does that present any problems for the ECU? Where did you get your ECU?Any mods on that? if so who did it.?

[barnstorm2]

I have run her without a thermstat. Did not help. Currently I have an actual Subaru Thermostat with the bypass hole slightly inlarged.

I am hoping it is some trapped air somewhere. However, I have run it four or five times and re-topped it each time.

It is not using the stock ignition. I think it is a ford ign.

[barnstorm2]

Yes, Chris, I am VERY fortunate to have the of these guys.

I will start posting some of my pictures so we can collaborate on our machines.

[barnstorm2]

Set of cockpit pictures

[barnstorm2]

more

[barnstorm2]

dito

[barnstorm2]

Another angle showing rudder pedals.

Let me know what you want to see.

[barnstorm2]

Here she is at the PRA 34 hanger. I have removed the gear to replace the axles and axle tubes.

We ran the engine with a strong fan on the radiatior and it did not overheat as quickly. Perhaps with the prop on it will not overheat ???

[barnstorm2]

Engine Close up starboard side

[CLS447]

Bumping this thread back up !

[PW_Plack]

Chris, why? I enjoy following your progress, but yikes! Nine threads? Can't you just pick one and update it?

[CLS447]

Paul, they all dealt with different things.

Really ,I think that there are alot of people that don't know how to go back in time. Once the thread drops off the list, most new members never see it again.

Due to the "problems" with that SxS AC in that other thread, I know if that was me ,I would be looking for ideas from other builders.

I hope that he can use some of my stuff to his own benefit ! And that goes the other way too !

[PW_Plack]

Chris, I understand. An alternative might be to put links in your signature, the way Dan Dolph does for his old thread on "why Dean doesn't fly".

Like this:

__________________
Happy Flying, Chris L. Spadafora
Air Command SxS Upgrade (http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237)

[CLS447]

Oh jeeze, I can't even shrink pics yet !

That Air Command thread has been so dead , I thought I would give it some life again !

Thanks for reading them, I appreciate comments !

Now get going on your machine & post all about it !