Howdy

Chopnotch

Newbie
Joined
May 8, 2010
Messages
81
Location
DFW Texas
Okay... I'm "The new kid on the Brock". Hope you guys can stand my attempts at humor because I can't help it. A fellow down South around San Antonio named Charlie helped me out on my quest to gyro and I just arrived home from the trip back to DFW (Texas that is). He had a KB2 and I had some nice stuff to trade for it. I don't know all the ropes but, I am a study hound and have been for a little while now. This is going to be pretty fun I think.

About me: I have a diverse background. I really like machines and always have. I am a mechanical designer by trade and have worked for Volvo, Lockheed martin, Mac Tools, Motorola and BAE. I have also filmed a couple of movies and was a stage performer in my younger years (last show at the MGM Grand in Vegas in '94. My hobbies and interests basically revolve around building or restoring things like motorcycles, cars and the like. This KB2 to work on and hopefully fly is more like a fantasy dream come true.

I am looking at it now and man... it's cool.

Okay... better sign off before I get the keys all funky!

Cheers!
Stu

ps. the Chopnotch is not "chopper" related. i was building a chopped top VW Notchback drag car at one time and still use the "handle".
 
Greetings and welcome to the forum and more fun than should be legal!
 
Thanks Animal!

Will do on the pics. I have a packed garage (1 motorcycle, 5 motorized bicycles and now a gyro along with associated building supplies) so, the background would be too "busy" for decent pics. I got home from the 12 hr round trip to pick it up at midnight and I'm getting ready to head to work for the day. By Saturday, I will drag her across the street to the park and take a ton of pictures since some look-overs by you guys in the know would be appreciated. This is neat. Really neat.
 
Here she is:

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HI Stu

First thing of the bat,---get the proper tail on it before it ever leaves the ground.

There are several styles , the two most common are a "tall tail" and a "T" tail , both have "good Horizontal Stabilizers" on them

Tony

PS. looks like a tall tail is out so it will have to be a good "T" tail
 
Awesome Tony. Thanks for the tip! The present tail is quite flimsy. What is the best place to locate one or is it something I can build here in the garage semi-easily? Also, need a good source for Rotax parts. Any recommendations on a supplier? The engine does run pretty good. Fired right up and had great response on throttle.


The gentleman I acquired the gyro from suggested I redo the hoses and get a new fuel pump as well. I would like to replace the prop drive belt with a new one while I am at it. Pretty much all of the rubber stuff. The seat tank is also missing the fuel cap. I am hoping there is an automotive cap that will work. Maybe someone on here knows?
 
Cool! What have you got for rotors? And as long as I am asking silly questions...What do you weigh? and who are you going to go to for your training? Also, are you planning to keep it PART 103 legal or move it up to a registered experimental weight aircraft?

California Power Systems, Leading Edge Air Foils and 800-Airwolf are the "usual suspects" for Rotax parts. If you google "rotax parts" you'll see links to all of them.

Good luck...it looks like a good start.
 
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Hi Stu welcome to the forum. Nice ride! Needs a bit of TLC but it sure looks very capable :) This is the best place for any and all the info you need! Thanks for the pics. (secretly ...and not so secretly we are all picture junkies first and only than after that we like to fly too :) )
 
I would make that 503 a DCDI and get all you can out of it. If you’re a big pilot you will need it.

The check plates look like they are for a glider. You might need new plates for you weight.
 
Welcome to a bigger world

Welcome to a bigger world

That is a sweet set up you have there, I would suggest a Herron T tail, you can make it in your garage if you are a good welder. Here is a video of one that I have YouTube - Dave flying his KB3 .

There are some other things you will need to look at, but I would start with the tail. I will try and find the website where you can get the tail.
 
Cool! What have you got for rotors? And as long as I am asking silly questions...What do you weigh? and who are you going to go to for your training? Also, are you planning to keep it PART 103 legal or move it up to a registered experimental weight aircraft?

Thanks! I hope it's a decent start... still thinking it's the neatest thing!

Rotors? I got two sets. One set is aluminum sheets pop riveted to an under structure. I have an extra hub bar? which is a Benson so I personally am thinking that set of blades are Bensons. The other set is a smooth set of aluminum. I am not sure. I will take some good shots later in the week but will post some crap pics in a little bit that I took yesterday. Maybe they are identifiable from those?

My weight is in the 220 range. I am 6'2" so I know there are some things that need to be figured out about the rotor disc span and I can probably knock myself down to 210.

I am going to keep it part 103 if possible. I am kinda gov't licensed out these days and don't want the hassles. I think we are headed for being required to have a license to breathe soon...

Thanks for the Rotax leads!

(secretly ...and not so secretly we are all picture junkies first

Thanks for the welcome! I understand the need and appreciation for pictures!

would make that 503 a DCDI and get all you can out of it. If you’re a big pilot you will need it.

The check plates look like they are for a glider. You might need new plates for you weight.

Good to meet ya Brent. So, you think the engine is a 503 or I need to make it a 503? I'll search out the DCDI as soon as I finish posting these replies and try and figure it out. Charlie (PO) said they were glider plates and gave me a set of proper ones to switch out. He has some posts on here as Charly from around a year ago. He got it and never finished it or got it to a point to fly.

I was thinking about building a glider (since I have the two sets of blades and glider cheek plates to start) and restoring this motorized one for the power.

That is a sweet set up you have there, I would suggest a Herron T tail, you can make it in your garage if you are a good welder.

Great video Dave. Watching stuff like that really makes me wanna go play with these things bad.

Good welder? I don't know yet. I am sitting next to a Lincoln stick welder I acquired about a month ago but have not fired it up yet. When I do, it will be my first experience with one. I'm decent with tools but still can't speak from experience yet. I dig that tail on yours. I'll give it a go if the plans are out there.
 
That makes sense Paul. Question. I saw on the Rotax supplier site that they have a dual carb kit for a single like mine. Reading the specs it looks like maybe 6-8 added HP by adding it? I am glad these are Bings... Just like my old Beemer cycles I used to ride except on steroids. Cool think is I am familiar with them. So, with duals, what is the advantage? Quicker throttle or just the few added HP? I have dual Dellortos on my old 914 Porsche and those are a pain to sync. Great throttle though! Is a dual upgrade worth any hassle and would it make sense for me as a new guy or should I save the upgrade for later when i want to do "stuff" to the gyro after I get used to flying? Shoot, that reminds me I need a mentor around Dallas as well! I still want t keep it part 103 too. With a tail upgrade, added carb weight of a second carb I might be getting right at the cusp of the weight limit. I think Charlie (PO) said it weighs in at 235 lbs as is.
 
Thanks a million Dave for your effort to find that for me amigo! I appreciate the assist! That looks WAY better than what I have. I'm sure the females in my family (wife, Mom, daughter who all think I am nuts) appreciate the assist as well although they don't know it.
 
It's the gain in horsepower. If the weights stated are accurate, add a few pounds for a helmet and a jacket, 30 pounds for 5 gallons of fuel, and total weight at takeoff with you onboard will be around 500 pounds. With the single carb, you're over 10 pounds per HP, pretty marginal.

Rotax specs the 503 (of the vintage you appear to have) single carb and DCDI at 46/50 HP respectively, so the gain is only about 4 HP. If the second carb adds 2 pounds and 4 HP, you increased weight only 0.4%, but increased horsepower 8.6%. A no-brainer from a performance standpoint.

If that machine weight is accurate, you have 19 pounds margin before busting the ultralight limit of 254. I don't know what a second mag and dual-plug heads adds to weight, but looks like you'll have room.

If you need to replace the blades with something more modern, then it gets interesting. Dragon Wings are light but generally require a prerotator, which will bust the limit. Sport Rotors are hand-startable, but weigh 5 or 6 pounds more then Dragon Wings in the size you'd need.

Decisions, decisions! I'd start by getting it airworthy, find someone with lots of experience who weighs 170 pounds to test fly it, get some performance data, then use available data to determine if it will still fly with another 50 pounds of pilot and, if not, whether 4 HP will make a worthwhile difference.
 
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