RDavidson

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About RDavidson

  • Rank
    Advanced Member

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  • Gender Male
  • Location Pueblo, Colorado

RDavidson's Activity

  1. RDavidson added a post in a topic Antenna Suggestions (VHF) Kitfox model III   

    Send Dale a message...
    the antenna works really well...
     
    Ron
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  2. RDavidson added a post in a topic T3 suspension   

    Hello Thomas!
    I’m glad the plane is doing well!
    I did it the most difficult way possible...I won’t even bore you with it...my buddy used the LSA T3 and it mounted right up with no mods if I remember correctly...you can call and they will tell you if it will fit or not.  I’m pretty sure it mounts to what you have though...at the most you would add a spacer or two, but that would be it.
    My buddy’s name is Barry Cole, so yo might look at his posts in the Magnum section to see if he posted his T3 install.
    Good Luck,
    Ron
     
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  3. RDavidson added a post in a topic Magnum brake issues   

    Word...
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  4. RDavidson added a post in a topic Magnum brake issues   

    Vance,
    I don't want to poop on Matco because I haven't used them, but originally the Magnum used Cleveland everything.  I get that the cleveland stuff is crazy expensive and it makes Matco very attractive, but if you go big tire/bigger gear at anytime I think the clevelands are the way to go.
    I could be wrong about matco, so don't through eggs too hard at me!  lol!
     
    Ron
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  5. RDavidson added a post in a topic New build flight test HELP   

    You can call other insurance companies...Barry Cole found coverage to test fly his Magnum.  Might depend on amount of tailwheel time?  He had to shop around and work with the underwriters.
    A lot of times they put you in an impossible situation, like requiring me to get 5 hours of instruction in an already flying magnum with an instructor that had 5 hours in a Magnum...Yah right!
    Sometimes you just have to roll the bones, but for test flying, especially the first time, insurance be good...
    If you do "roll the bones" look for great property insurance...there are a lot of umbrella insurances out there that would cover any damage you could do to other peoples property.  You don't want to be completely irresponsible, but you can only do what you can only do...
    First Flight advice: Get and Read the EAA Flight Testing book, Read the FAA Flight Testing AC (Very Long but there are some golden nuggets in there)  Biggest take away...Take your time!!!  Don't have a crowd watching or filming.  Pick the PERFECT weather day.  Make the first flight a short one.
    And the advice that just about every guy that has gone through this will give you  DON'T DO A HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST!!!  This is my pet peeve...All a high speed taxi test does is put you in between flying and landing...the most critical phases of flight.  In these little airplanes that zone can be only 1 mph different.  If you don't take my warning please do this...If you do get off of the ground, push in full power and fly...
    I personally did a high speed taxi test in a Starduster Too biplane and explored both sides of a 150' wide runway, several times trying to stop.
    My buddy just did the same thing in his airplane and a high speed taxi test.
    of course you want to make sure it tracks straight and the brakes don't pull, but you can feel that at slower speeds.
    My two cents...won't even buy you a cup of coffee anymore...
     
    Best of luck, and don't let this scare you...you will do fine.
    Ron
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  6. RDavidson added a topic in Avid Magnum   

    Dynafocal mount types
    I thought I would drop this in a new post...
    dynafocal type one measures 30 degrees at the mount platform on the engine case, it is the most common of the two types...
     
    dynafocal type two measures 18 degrees at the mount platform on the case, it was developed for the Piper PA-30, from what I read, but is not very common.  I have never put my eyes on one...
     
    I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Avid stuck with the Dynafocal Type One for it’s mounts.  Mine was, and three others that I have put my eyes on have been.
     
    Thanks,
    Ron
    • 0 replies
    • 638 views
  7. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Thanks Chris!
    The downfall of a Bee schemed airplane is an absence of deniability.  Somebody called the cops on me, saying they thought an airplane was having trouble out in the desert.  When I got back to my home Airfield I got the tower asking me to call them!  Everything worked out, but a nice plain white airplane could be a benefit! 
    I don’t even want to think about having two projects hanging over my head!!!  Ha!  Keep plugging away...
     
    Ron
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  8. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Leni,
    Thank you soooo much for the advice.  I finally had an airstrip to myself and did about 10 short field landings and takeoffs using full flaps...man did it work much better.  I’m still working on the landings, getting slower and slower and increasing aoa, but it is something I’m easing into.
    Take offs are improving greatly!  I have been just leaving full flaps in, I will soon incorporate the stick back flap handle up...
    I found that if I push the stick full forward like a normal take off, and push full power in, as the plane speeds up and the tail becomes effective the stick naturally wants to come back to center then I keep pulling back slowly.  This gets the tires off the ground then I push over and use ground effect to accelerate.  I’m getting airborne in 100-200 feet.  I’m no where near max performance, but it is what I feel safe with right now.  I need more practice and of course gas money!  Lol!
    I was using a 2900’ dirt strip.  I had a 5-10 knot direct crosswind.  My last 5 landings/full stop/take off were in the first 1300’ or less.  So much improved!
    I’ll keep working on it though...
    https://www.facebook.com/EAA808/videos/1579652455466083/
     
    Thanks again for the ideas and advice!
    Ron
     
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  9. RDavidson added a post in a topic Kitfox 1 More pics   

    Just looked through this entire post...TJay you have some serious building skills!  Looks fantastic!
    Ron
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  10. RDavidson added a topic in Avid Flyer General Hangar   

    Flat plates/wingtips/winglets/fences VGs and more
    Fellas,
    If you know about wingtips/flat plates/winglets jump in and let us know what you have learned.  We are trying to determine if flat plates on the wingtips would be better than the finch tips or others for STOL not Cruise...
    assumptions are that wing area stays basically the same...so same length of wing.
    Here is a bit of the previous discussion...please jump in...
     
    Leni,  I am all for tip experiments.  I hope that someone can give some actual measured comparisons of same plane, same pilot, same weight, same winds, and at least two different tips.  Sounds like the Avid (Finch?) tips that turn up at trailing edge do a better job of shedding the vortexes cleanly away from the wings, making them stronger, (what they are designed for), which should help the performance of that plane even though it affects the one behind it.  Maybe they are not the best for formation flying?  EDMO
    Edited 5 hours ago by EDMO
    • 1 reply
    • 960 views
  11. RDavidson added a post in a topic Step 2, Build Magnum!!   

    Ed & Leni,
    Im going to move this conversation over to the  Avid General Hangar to get some more input and keep us from polluting Barry’s post any more than we already have...
    Ron
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  12. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Thanks Leni!  That is exactly what I was needing...I owe you $5 and a cup of coffee 
    Ron
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  13. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Wait, I just re-read that, are you saying increase the AOA?
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  14. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Leni,
    You are spot on...before the VG install a 3 point Landing was a death wish because of the AOA causing the wingtips to stall right before touch down!  Yikes!!!  Much better now.
    I was using half flaps on this one...I wasn’t really trying for a short takeoff here, I was working my ass off trying to keep it on the Jeep trail without being able to see over the nose!
    What flap setting do you use when going for shortest distance?
    I am just now experimenting with full flap settings...I listened to your advice about testing those settings out after you got the hang of things.
     
    Thanks,
    Ron
     
     
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  15. RDavidson added a post in a topic Some good fun!!!   

    Brian,
    Thanks...Lycoming I-O360, fuel injected, 200hp...The cylinders were too close to the cowling, so I made some extra room.
    Ron
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