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NE Minnesota new guy

18 posts in this topic

Posted

High time I introduce myself, Mark Johnston. I live about 50 miles from Jim Chuk and have visited with him occasionally at flyins for a few years. Been flying ~15 years, used to be a joint owner in a Piper Arrow, flew with CAP ~2004 to 2011, built a weight-shift control trike with some salvage and lots of influence from a Cosmos Phase II trike (582 gray head), and been building a scratch build 4 place Bearhawk for way too long - and it will be for a while yet. The trike recieved its ELSA airworthiness on Christmas eve, 2006. It has been my only route to the sky for the past few years since leaving the Arrow group. I have a 1000' home strip and hangar.

Started getting interested in Avids recently, last month I went to visit Jim to see how they would feel and how I'd fit. Well, I'm a convert. An ELSA registered Avid Mk IV with Heavy Hauler wings (each with an extra 12'' length) came to me last month. Equipped with a Jabiru solid lifter engine that shows no signs of ever been overheated, Catto prop, RV-6A nose gear (from Avid), original factory 18" fuselage stretch, 193 hours total time airframe and powerplant. Possible future conversion to taildragger???

Been spending some time reviewing old topics, looks like lots of good info and good people. I look forward to contributing where I can,

Mark

P.S. Anybody know anyone interested in a trike :).

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Posted

Welcome Mark!

I am over in park rapids slowly working on a repower and floats for my kitfox 5.

Hope to have it in the air before too long and would enjoy meeting up with you and jim sometime.

Brett

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Posted

Hi Brett,

I sure know how the slowly part goes. Hopefully I'll make it to the Moberg flyin in Bemidji again this year - kinda in the neighborhood anyway.

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Posted

I'm in northern Wisconsin. KRRL. Not that far...

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Posted

Cool.  You guys also look up the Park Rapids Zorbaz ski plane fly in as well.  It is 3 mi from my house on little sand lake.  Early feb each year.  They typically plow a runway for wheel planes as well.  Hope to have mine running for that next year.

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Posted

I'm in northern Wisconsin. KRRL. Not that far...

I'll try harder to catch you at Oshkosh this year too, usually pretty rushed there but should have a bit more time this year. I camp with a travel trailer at De Relleumdats.

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Posted

Cool.  You guys also look up the Park Rapids Zorbaz ski plane fly in as well.  It is 3 mi from my house on little sand lake.  Early feb each year.  They typically plow a runway for wheel planes as well.  Hope to have mine running for that next year.

I've been trying to make it to Zorbaz on skis for a few years, always conflicts with weather, work, or whatever... perhaps next year, though I don't see skis going on the Avid until a taildragger conversion.

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Posted

I'm in northern Wisconsin. KRRL. Not that far...

I'll try harder to catch you at Oshkosh this year too, usually pretty rushed there but should have a bit more time this year. I camp with a travel trailer at De Relleumdats.

I camp in the same place...

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Posted (edited)

So do we. I live in south central Mn.

Edited by Bandit

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Posted

Small world it is, I look forward to meeting you guys at Oshkosh, this year I plan to be there all week. I'm usually in the southeast corner of the back field, generally showing up mid day Sunday with a lawnmower. 

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Posted

Hey Mark, how is the new Avid coming along? Airborne yet?  JImChuk

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Posted

I got a couple hours in with the instructor on Saturday. it was a very gusty day, my first hour I didn't do so well. The second hour I was doing much better and doing better on the landings than I expected to.

Need to burn a bunch of gas solo now.

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Posted

I got a couple hours in with the instructor on Saturday. it was a very gusty day, my first hour I didn't do so well. The second hour I was doing much better and doing better on the landings than I expected to.

Need to burn a bunch of gas solo now.

Congrats on solo - We LIKE photos!  :BC:  EDMO

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Posted

Just wanted to get a picture up. Haven't been up with it since the runway's been covered with snow, hope to make it up again yet this winter.

20170716_182017.jpg

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Posted

Looking good!

You have a grass strip up there by Cotton?

And don't forget:  tricylcle planes make great skiplanes.  Just do a nose ski.  Some people even say it is better, as long as you can power the nose off with elevator when manuvering in the snow.

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Posted

Looking good Mark.  I was just building a couple more sets of skis today.   Last year was the earliest ever for me on skis, I flew on Nov. 20 with skis.  Looks like this year will be sooner.  Almost have to much snow for wheels now.  Supposed to be a low of 4 Thursday night.  Wont be long the lakes will be freezing over...... JImChuk

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Posted

Great looking bird! Looks like you figured out the pic posting deal. Keep em coming we love pics! What’s your empty weight on that one? 

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Posted (edited)

Looking good!

You have a grass strip up there by Cotton?

And don't forget:  tricylcle planes make great skiplanes.  Just do a nose ski.  Some people even say it is better, as long as you can power the nose off with elevator when manuvering in the snow.

Thank you, yes I have 1000' with 1% pitch, tall trees and powerline on lower end. My 60x34 Catto was marginal for getting out but my 62x32 Prince is doing the job well on the Jabiru. Vgs have made a big difference on getting in. More practice needed but we're getting to know one another.

 

The main skis for my trike would likely work fine on the Avid but I'm not confident I can make the geometry work out safely on the RV6A nose gear. I'll likely run the tricycle gear next year yet, perhaps install the Grove taildragger gear next year. Jim, I think you probably have more snow than us yet but skis would be better. I'm waiting to put the trike skis on 'til the deer shack (travel trailer) gets put away. Got the deer but too sick to process efficiently right now. I do look forward to having a cockpit and some cabin heat for winter ops.

Joey, thanks for the help on posting pics, perhaps I should figure out how to resize smaller so I don't cause slow connection issues for folks. Empty wieght on paper is 611# but I think that's about 30# shy. Was worse but I just saved 10# going to an Odyssey PC680.

Edited by marcusofcotton

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