dalesneddon

dalesneddon's Activity

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   dalesneddon added a post in a topic Hello from Dale S in SW Mo    13 Jul 2014

   Thanks Ed for the heads up.  I'll look for Chris's photos.  Thankfully there is no rust on the current nose gear.
    
   Do you need a lousy T shirt from Osh?
   

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   dalesneddon added a post in a topic Hello from Dale S in SW Mo    13 Jul 2014

   Thanks everyone.
    
   The brakes are some version of matco, and the nose gear may be from a challenger (how did you know Ed?).   The plane flew an hour yesterday, and didnot overheat.  We went through the brakes and they are somewhat better, but not great.  I did read some of the brake advertures here, so maybe there are some ideas that can help. 
    
    
   I'll try to take some pictures next time I'm with the plane, which will be next week, wed or thursday.  An avid owner told me that avid had a stearable nose wheel for the plane if I can find one.  Anyway,  it flies.  The engine is strong.  So i"m happy.  
    
   I'm hoping to drive to airventure for a couple of days.  Maybe some from this group will be there?  Love to meet some of you.
    
   Thanks,  Dale
   

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   dalesneddon added a post in a topic Hello from Dale S in SW Mo    12 Jul 2014

   Thanks everyone for making me feel welcome.  Found a little more history on the plane.  The free castering nose gear has been bent at least twice.  The first time the previous owner lost the prop. (I was wondering about the shiny prop on the dusty plane thing).  Then I  bent the nose the other day, enough that the  wheel caster was scrapping the ground.  It happened when trying to taxi the plane from grass to a runway that was up  a couple of inches.  Found a friendly machine guy with big press that put it back in shape, mostly.
    
   It is straight enough to fly again for now.  No idea how much strength (spring) was lost in the repairs.  
    
   I was attracted to the plane partially due to the tricycle gear, and didn't think much of the non-avid free caster nose gear currently in place.  Kitfox has a simular part but   the price was out of reach anyway. 
    
   So we are looking to replace the gear, maybe with a stearable nose gear? 
    
   Or, I may just convert it to a tail dragger.  The tail wheel is in a box of parts somewhere.  
    
   But, I'm very low time, about 50 hours total, and only a few in the avid.  Plus I'm over 60 years old. Which means there will likely  be a ground dance in my future. 
    
   Oh well.  Thinking it through: These planes are meant to fly from grass.  There are great grass strips all over the place.  Current nose gear hate grass with bumps.  So at some point, nose gear has to go to the back.
    
   Someone told me about dragging instruction available in Lamar Mo, (close enough).  So I will fly the avid as is for a while, then get trained (insert graphic of light in tunnel attached to a Union Pacific thing). 
    
   Well, maybe we will live happily ever after.  After the brakes start braking, and the cooling starts cooling. 
    
   My wife and I named the plane Patches after we got done patching the holes in the wings and fuse.  May be we will rename her Drag Queen at some point.
    
   Thanks guys for the warm welcome!
    
   -Dale
   

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   dalesneddon added a topic in Introduce yourself    11 Jul 2014

   Hello from Dale S in SW Mo

   Hello everyone.  I'm Dale from SW Mo, near Joplin.  Just purchased an Avid Flyer model B (I think) with HH wings, rotax 582 gray head.  Plane had sat for a spell and sold by widow of previous owner.  We got it annualed and in the air last week.  Flys fair.  More work to do.  Brakes don't, cooling barely does, nose wheel strut is bent some.  But it flys, engine seems strong.  Have a little more work to do to take it to a good airplane.  I appreciate this site, it looks like you guys have already fought the battles and figured a bunch of things out.  Thanks for letting me join.
    
    
   

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