New RAF 2000 build

Another idea was looking at, instead of having the headset jack on the dash I have run cables to the seat back, with a couple of jacks at the top.

Gary
Hey Gary! That thought actually crossed my mind also. Or at least somewhere overhead and back somehow. Hmmmm now you got me thinking more lol.

Mike
 
Mike....Please consider changing out that spindle. Back in the archives here in the RAF section...2005?? is my story. I will abreviate it here.

I was building my RAF and received a phone call from a guy in Wisconsin advising me to put the upgraded spindle in so that I would not repeat what happened to him. His broke and he flipped his RAF over costing him $20,000...but not hurting himself. I took his advise...er...um...half way. I immediately bought one and then let it sit on my shelf procastinating irs changeout.

My dad and I were going for a flight in my RAF. He was 84 at the time.

I was prerotating and ready to turn onto 18. As I was turning...I felt something weird with my pedals.....you know how machines talk to you sometimes...I was now going down 18 and moved my pedals...well...the rudder was working fine but my front spindle was broken and just barely stuck together. I assumed what I had felt must have been a sidewing gust. I was just about to lift off when mt front spindle completely broke and I was looking down at the nose of my RAF grinding to a halt my forward speed. I remember holding backstick keeping the front of my rotor disc from hitting the runway. The gyro was stopped and I asked dad if he was ok as my rotor was still spinning with my constant applied backstick. Dad said he was fine but why was I smiling and so happy? I replied...because you are ok. .and I still have a gyro to fly!.

We were able to tow it back to my hanger....where I went and put that new spindle in....only took 3 hours as I was flying again that afternoon....I was scolding myself for not doing it earlier....but also patting myself on the back for saving dad, and myself from injury....and only scuffing the paint on the bottom of my RAF cabin.

The old spindle has a hole drilled through the spindle where it shouldnt be....and several have busted right at that drilled hole. Few RAF pilots have changed out this spindle....and this could happen somehow, somewhere, sometime.

I no longer fly but fly vicariously through all you guys and gals....and I dont want to get hurt on my vicarious ride alongs! :)
 
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Mike....Please consider changing out that spindle. Back in the archives here in the RAF section...2005?? is my story. I will abreviate it here.

I was building my RAF and received a phone call from a guy in Wisconsin advising me to put the upgraded spindle in so that I would not repeat what happened to him. His broke and he flipped his RAF over costing him $20,000...but not hurting himself. I took his advise...er...um...half way. I immediately bought one and then let it sit on my shelf procastinating irs changeout.

My dad and I were going for a flight in my RAF. He was 84 at the time.

I was prerotating and ready to turn onto 18. As I was turning...I felt something weird with my pedals.....you know how machines talk to you sometimes...I was now going down 18 and moved my pedals...well...the rudder was working fine but my front spindle was broken and just barely stuck together. I assumed what I had felt must have been a sidewing gust. I was just about to lift off when mt front spindle completely broke and I was looking down at the nose of my RAF grinding to a halt my forward speed. I remember holding backstick keeping the front of my rotor disc from hitting the runway. The gyro was stopped and I asked dad if he was ok as my rotor was still spinning with my constant applied backstick. Dad said he was fine but why was I smiling and so happy? I replied...because you are ok. .and I still have a gyro to fly!.

We were able to tow it back to my hanger....where I went and put that new spindle in....only took 3 hours as I was flying again that afternoon....I was scolding myself for not doing it earlier....but also patting myself on the back for saving dad, and myself from injury....and only scuffing the paint on the bottom of my RAF cabin.

The old spindle has a hole drilled through the spindle where it shouldnt be....and several have busted right at that drilled hole. Few RAF pilots have changed out this spindle....and this could happen somehow, somewhere, sometime.

I no longer fly but fly vicariously through all you guys and gals....and I dont want to get hurt on my vicarious ride alongs! :)
Thank you Stan! Certainly don’t want to have a problem like that! Can you advise where I can get the new spindle?

Mike
 
I ordered mine from when RAF was in Canada. It was only $40-50 then. I suppose you could get one from SA? if they are still in business?

That was the closest I ever came to balling up any of my rotorcraft. I remember stating I had never scratched myself or machine through 20 actual forced landings....but forgot about this aborted take off. I had good reflexes but was a poor mechanic!
 
I ordered mine from when RAF was in Canada. It was only $40-50 then. I suppose you could get one from SA? if they are still in business?

That was the closest I ever came to balling up any of my rotorcraft. I remember stating I had never scratched myself or machine through 20 actual forced landings....but forgot about this aborted take off. I had good reflexes but was a poor mechanic!
Thanks Stan I will check with them. They are still shipping as I have ordered a few things from them I wasn’t able to find anywhere else. So nothing replaced the set screw at the top?
 
I forget what was different...except there was no hole bored through the spindle.....
 
I have a panel question for all you smart folks out there. The RAF has very limited panel space. I will be using my iPad running ForeFlight with ADSB in and out, AHRS etc. If I use a regular size iPad i won’t have room for any analog instruments. I was planning on having a backup altimeter and airspeed indicator just in case, along with rotor and engine tach backup but it won’t fit with the full size iPad. I can probably fit it all if i use an iPad mini, but it will be harder to read being smaller. I’m using the MGL EMS so engine monitoring is all in one. Should I go full glass with the iPad and trust it or have a backup plan. If my iPad dies, I can always use my iPhone with ForeFlight as a back up.

Mike


As big of a panel as the RAF has, you should be able to work in a Ipad there.

My Vans RV 4 has a tiny panel, and it has the following.... a 3 inch airspeed, 3 inch altimeter, then what I believe is 2 and 1/4 or whatever that smaller common size is... it has a fuel flow gauge, manifold pressure gauge, and a G meter. Also in that small panel is a icom radio and garmin transponder and a angle of attack gauge. The Ipad is right in the middle of the panel. All my engine stuff is displayed on a EIS system. I use it with ifly app, and also have a thing in the plane called ilevil that transmits flight data to the iPad so my iPad becomes similar to a dynon type Efis.

If it was my gyro ( your RAF ) I would basically just want a analog airspeed and altimeter, a engine RPM and oil pressure and water temp gauges, and the iPad.
 
GyroRon - Any chance you can post a photo of your Vans RV-4? How do you like flying it? I’ve considered going this route too.
 
For those who are interested, I spoke to Eben at RAF today and they do in fact have the upgraded spindle that Stan was mentioning, so if your concerned you can get it from them. Be safe!

Mike
 
Happy weekend all! Got a little bit done today. Prop mounted and oil drain plug swapped out for the ValvoMax system to make changing oil cleaner and easier. Will tighten everything up and pitch the props tomorrow! Good flying!

Mike
 

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That looks like a lot of weight on the axle without the support braces installed. Have you got something else not visible in the photo supporting it?
 
Finally had some time to work on the landing gear struts with shocks. Seem to work well. Shocks have a 1200lb capacity.
 

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Thank you for the explanation Gary.

Where is your thrust line in relation to the center of gravity now?

(sorry I'm way too late, Vance said this over a year ago, about drop keel mod on RAF 2000)

If the engine/prop "dropped" 6 inches, then everything else (rotor, cabin, pilot, gas, tail) went *up* 6 inches from the prop thrust line. So really my 400 pounds (guess) of engine, accessories, oil, coolant and 2 wheels didn't move at all, while everything else moved up.

That's about half of an empty RAF 2000 at 800 pounds. If my gas and I weigh about 300 pounds then we moved up too and we are flying 1100 pounds total. Ok, so CG moved up about (1100 - 400) / 1100 * 6 inches = 3.8 inches. If I load up a passenger and get to 1320 LSA gross weight, now CG has moved up 4.2 inches, compared to original thrust line.

So I think the CG moves up about 4 inches in relation to prop thrust line. Do we care that the CG is also 2 inches lower to the ground or further from the rotor? Seems like distance to thrust line matters most and drop keel should help.
 
Well, a year later the build continues. If I were retired I would have been done already but time is precious and I can only devote so much time to the garage or be divorced lol. Finally heard back from SportCopter after many emails and allegedly my rotors are in the box ready to ship and the cheek plates I’ve been waiting months for will finally be done on Friday. Hopefully they will ship sometime next week. Would love to start working on the upper portion.

Stan - I got the new spindle and it looks exactly like the one installed so the must have included it with the kit when originally purchased, so now I have a spare in case of an oops.

The replacement HS that was damaged is on its way so hopefully that will be here soon, then off to paint….again 🙄
I mounted the MGL remote radio and transponder to a nice 6”x12” aluminum plate along with the RDAC for the MGL EMS. It’s usually mounted near the engine so less wires have to be routed into the cabin, but it’s exposed to the elements out there and I would have to fabricate a cover for it, and I really couldn’t find a place I was comfortable with to mount it. So it’s inside, out of the weather, and easily accessible.

Anyone have an idea where all the sensors are on the 2.2 fi? Or will I need to install them all.

I hope everyone is happy, healthy and out beating the air into submission!
Mike
 

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Sensors on 2.2.
Crank angle sensor just above crank pulley.
Depending on ECU/ignition setup you are using there may be a cam position sensor at top of LHS cam pulley. Maybe not needed on wasted spark setups (can be blocked with rubber bung).
Water temp sensor on the solid water pipe going across the top of the motor (in the car this also has a temp switch for radiator fan, can replace this with analogue sensor for other instrument on dash)
Depending on ECU selection there may be throttle position, manifold pressure, mass airflow, intake air temp.

Oil pressure sensor port is near the crank angle sensor on top of motor, slightly back and to the right. Note, if putting a VDO pressure sensor in there its not an NPT thread although people often force them in there. VDO do the same sensors with correct thread for japanese motors.

I say depending on ECU selection as I am trying an aftermarket ECU like used in race cars, so dont have to use the same setup as would be needed on standard subaru ECU.

Gary
 
Sensors on 2.2.
Crank angle sensor just above crank pulley.
Depending on ECU/ignition setup you are using there may be a cam position sensor at top of LHS cam pulley. Maybe not needed on wasted spark setups (can be blocked with rubber bung).
Water temp sensor on the solid water pipe going across the top of the motor (in the car this also has a temp switch for radiator fan, can replace this with analogue sensor for other instrument on dash)
Depending on ECU selection there may be throttle position, manifold pressure, mass airflow, intake air temp.

Oil pressure sensor port is near the crank angle sensor on top of motor, slightly back and to the right. Note, if putting a VDO pressure sensor in there its not an NPT thread although people often force them in there. VDO do the same sensors with correct thread for japanese motors.

I say depending on ECU selection as I am trying an aftermarket ECU like used in race cars, so dont have to use the same setup as would be needed on standard subaru ECU.

Gary
Thanks Gary that helps a lot.

Mike
 
Got the fuel line mounted and the Trim compressor mounted after work today. Every little bit helps. I also want to mount the Nav/position lights to the wheel pants. Anyone done this or have ideas in running the wiring?
 

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Got the word from SportCopter that my rotor blades and cheek plates will be shipped this week! Finally can get things moving along. Got the panel mapped out on CAD and will print out a full scale blueprint of it this week to make sure all is as it should be!
starting to get excited as I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Also have a question, can I somehow connect into the fuel injectors to monitor fuel flow vs. adding 2 fuel flow sensors in-line? I’ll be monitoring fuel flow and pressure.
 

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I also want to mount the Nav/position lights to the wheel pants. Anyone done this or have ideas in running the wiring?
I glassed in a 5/8" vinyl tube around the front of the pant and ran wires through that. I mounted the light through a block of plastic with screws into t-nuts. On the other side I added connectors so the pants can be removed by unplugging the wires right there. Sorry my old pictures are blurry.
 

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