All The Kings Horses And All The Kings Men

Many years ago I flew an old Cessna 182 that the Manifold pressure went bad on it. The Manifold pressure was a small unit that fit into the gauge cluster and was no longer available. A full size Manifold pressure was mounted in the glove box area.

The owner thought long and hard about the hole and decided on a course of action. At the time, the Stormscope weather detection was coming available. He cut a picture of the display unit out of a magazine and attached it to some backup board and installed this in the panel. Many people thought it actually had a Stormscope installed.
 
NoWingsAttached: Indeed...'bout time, eh?

BillyGyro: Thanks...it is taking longer than expected, but it is moving now.

Animal: It has been moving, just slowly. And I have been remiss in taking pictures.

Jeff Tipton:
I'm not sure a manifold pressure gauge would be much use with a Subaru engine. Even if it seemed to need attention, that's the computer's realm. Hopefully, I'll never be foolish enough to need a storm scope in an open gyro...real or imaginary. Storm scopes are cool though. I have wished I had one in the Bonanza a time or two.
 
There's A Hole In The Bucket, Moria

There's A Hole In The Bucket, Moria

I guess I could always put a rotor tach in that top hole. The panel-mount models are kinda pricey though, just like panel-mount clock/timers. Once again, the availability of over-the-counter models, like the Schwinn bicycle tach and the Cen-Tech photo-reflective tach (both well under $50.00) makes it clear that the technology is there, just not in the right box.

I do have to admit this is fairly cool. Can't wait for the price to come down on these:
 

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Jon my panel mounted timer is just a simple little digital cooking/kitchen timer mounted on th panel with some tape on the back.

One big button to start, stop, start, and two little ones pressed together to reset. Really cheap and cheerful.

Like the look of your two place, hope it's back on the road soon. I definitely like the idea of good brakes and the Black Max are super if a little pricey.

I bought a twin tach instrument, rotor and engine, on the Forum couple of years back. Sadly have not yet managed to get it working but think that would be a neat instrument at the top.
 
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Actually, those aren't Black Max brakes. Those are Chinese pit bike brakes ($19.00/side). I have adapted them along with their rotors for gyro use. It took a bit of machining, but I think they will work well.

A twin tack would be fairly cool. I look at RRPM though as interesting but not required. Basically, I am going to hold the button on my pre-rotator until it spins as fast as it can go. That's what I have to work with. I can get feedback for power settings from there from the way the machine behaves. I had one in the original iteration, and other than noting the RRPM at cruise, I never looked at it. I've never been a "by the numbers" flyer, as flight conditions change and numbers tend not to change with them. I have seen a few "by the numbers" flyers get in trouble trying to get their numbers to work in extreme density altitude conditions, for example.

I really would like a clock. I don't normally wear a watch and often forget to put one on when I fly. Perhaps I'll go with velcro or double-stick tape on a blank hole plug. I can't see spending $200.00 on something that fits in the panel when a work-alike is available from Walmart for about $5.00. I do understand the liability issues that make it cost $200.00 instead of $5.00, but I don't have to like it.

I am still considering the fuel flow indicator. I see that as good to know information in flight.
 
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I really would like a clock. I don't normally wear a watch and often forget to put one on when I fly. Perhaps I'll go with velcro or double-stick tape on a blank hole plug. I can't see spending $200.00 on something that fits in the panel when a work-alike is available from Walmart for about $5.00.

Jon,
Take a look at this three-function timer.

http://www.control3.com/5027p.htm

I use it and consider it the perfect solution for 'tracking' time.
Time of day, count-down timer, count-up timer, all available with the push of a button. And VERY well made.

I activate the count-up at brake release and is the only function I use in flight.

The other functions are available when needed. Of course, I can't hear the count-down timer beeper but I don't use it anyway.
Price is right. Mounting - problematic. But doable. The back is not 'flat'.

See what you think..........
 
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Excellent! That might just be perfect!

See, I knew that someone on the Forum would have seen something I wasn't able to find. That's what makes this community great!
 
That's The Brakes.....

That's The Brakes.....

I have brakes! I would just love to say that my $19.95 per side gamble on Chinese pit bike brakes paid off, but with all the machining and fiddling around I did to get them to work, I'm not sure it was anything more than an exercise in "can it be done."

The results are excellent. The full-castoring nose wheel was flawless. Steering with the toe brakes was smooth and easy (and should be even better once I get the upper pedal part made). Braking was good, and the ability to hold the machine (for pre-rotation and such) was excellent and much better than I expected.

Now, except for steering while low-speed taxiing and winding the engine up for a good pre-rotation, I don't need brakes. I know this now. However, these brakes are what I imagined I needed when I came from the FW world.
 

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Jon,
Can you post a picture of the toe brakes on the front and side? How far does the upper pedal have to move to engage the cylinders? I love the color, is that a pale yellow or off white? or do I need to readjust my new monitor? Thanks for all the pictures you have posted.
 
Jon when I started learning on the Bensen the brakes really sucked. It was not fun.

When we did the Hornet I wanted good brakes and the Black Max are good. (Knew your Chink jobs weren't BM's but they look as though they work well.)

No, probably don't need them as much as you during taxi, in both I fly the nose wheel is linked through a spring, but nice for peace of mind, and yes probably a throwback to fixed wing days and short strips. Used to go into a 3,000' strip in a Lear 25b, always had my hand on the drag chute. Went into a 3000' strip in a 72, had to put power on to get to the end. Go figure.

Know what you mean by not needing or looking at gauges. Did it for years... now enjoy just using rotor blur and pucker twitch.:)
 
Friendly: I'll post pictures of the front pedal again when I make the part that attaches to the hinge that actuates the master cylinder. For testing, I was able to just press on the hinge and prove the concept. Once I attach a larger pedal area to the hinge, I think it will be perfect. The throw is about 10 degrees for a hard stop. It is a smooth transition.

I'm using rattle-can (Auto Parts Duplicolor brand) Santa Fe Tan for the body with Metallic Crimson for the lettering and some accent pieces. By the way, Duplicolor now makes a self-etching green primer for aluminum and other metals that works a lot better than the green self-etching primer sold by Aircraft Spruce...at least it works better when used with Duplicolor paints. I had trouble getting Lacquer-based paints to stick to the Aircraft Spruce self-etching green primer.

Resasi: Yeah, the GyRonimo had marginal brakes. It bothered me the first time I taxied the machine, but I got over it. Then too, no pre-rotator, so it wasn't a big deal. Funny how what we are flying "at the moment" impacts the way we think and fly. isn't it. :)

Gyromike: There are multiple sites that stock the parts. I got mine directly from China at: http://www.alexwarehouse.com/dirt-pit-bike-rear-brake_p388.html. I see they have gone up a couple of bucks since last year. If you google pit bikes and pocket bikes, you'll get all sorts of options. Be aware that there was a lot of effort put into caliper mounting brackets and adapting to plastic brake line for gyro use. That eats a lot of the savings. The disc rotors are sold separately. I can't remember where I got the ones I used because I looked at so many. If I were to do it over again, I'd probably just use self-made aluminum disks.
 
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Well...I hung the engine yesterday (it was found guilty without a trial) and despite the ability I built into the support struts for adjustment, I was unable to remove the entire "smile" out of the landing gear. This is a bit of a bummer, as it means I have to trash the axle and build another one. I started this today. I'm going with multiple sticks of 1X2X1/8" rectangle tubing epoxied together.
 
Apparently, there is something worse than watching paint dry.....

Watching epoxy cure. :rant:

THEN I have to paint. :eek:

I decided, after much discussion, some calculations and gnashing of teeth, to go with 3 sticks of 1x2x1/8" rectangle stock instead of the 6 sticks I -wanted- to use and the 4 sticks I was going to settle for under duress. I should have the new, improved axle installed tomorrow if all goes well.
 
Always color-code wires...but use the same color code!

Always color-code wires...but use the same color code!

I finished the wiring today (although the picture shows a bird nest still hanging from under the side panel...pre-completion). This would have given me the opportunity to try an engine start except for a fuel leak injector return line. I'm guessing that this was due to some ethanol-infected gasoline during some past refuel.

1. The new axle and tidy-up of brake lines. Note the connection to the keel.
2. Friendly asked for a side view of the brake master cylinders. Here they are.
3. Here is another front view of the brake setup.
4. A front view of the axle and mounted engine.

I used 3 sticks of 1x2x1/8" rectangle stock (instead of the 6 sticks I wanted to use) per recommendations of others with similar machines. Sadly, I must confess that 6 pieces, while very Buldozer-esque, would probably have been overkill. The 3 sticks seem more than sufficient.
 

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Houston, We Have Main Engine Start!

Houston, We Have Main Engine Start!

Finally! I got all the little fiddly-bits tied up and was able to start the beast today. I had to repair some issues with a fuel return line, and checking all the fluid levels and all the little pre-start stuff that you have to look after that can turn into whole day-burners was as tedious as expected.

Anyway..engine is running fine. I seem to have an issue with my oil pressure gauge, but I'm sure that is just a bifocal-induced wiring thing that will easily be sorted out. Everything else is working well.

Here is my short list as it stands at the moment:

1. Tidy-up wire and brake line tie-downs.
2. Fix whatever is going on with the oil pressure gauge.
3. Build and install the toe brake pedals.
4. Build and install the pedal stop bracket.
5. Re-hang the rudder/tail assembly.
6. Measure and order the push-pull cable for the rudder.
7. Build the bendix/rotor-steering assembly. (I never liked the old one, even after going through it to make it more stable).
8. Build a new hydraulic reservoir and plumb the pre-rotator.
9. Re-install the rotor-head.
10. Re-pitch and re-install the propeller.

There are probably some "gotchas" hiding in that list somewhere, but the only real chore is #7. I considered buying an assembly from Tom Milton and adapting it for my hydraulic pump, but upon consideration, it will take as much adaptation going that way as it will to just build something that fits my needs.

I think I'm within a few weeks at most of being back in the air again. It's been too long for the Bulldozer, and I miss the beast.
 
It is looking even better than the first version Jon! I too long to see it flying once again….coming in to land, sounding and looking more like a military aircraft than private….
 
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