Joshua Blackh4t

The LHS is great, but it will take time and money to install. And has to be done by a mechanic. I just want the function of the LHS for cheap and simple install. I will take any crutch available to prevent a wheels up. The only time I see any issue is if you rely on hearing it to save you. If you never hear it, then thats great. If you hear it once in your lifetime, it payed for itself many times over.

Yeah, thats the idea. Very positive audio alert based on gps derived height agl and gear light status. Could be the down light or up light. Down light is more positive about the gear, up light means it will sound if the sensor is dislodged from the light. Or even both. Light sensors are cheap. Also, would be a terrain alarm whenever wheels are up. So, probably only a couple hundred in parts, not much labour once its programmed, and 5 minutes to fit. Obviously not as good as the LHS, but much cheaper and doesn't need a certified install. Much better than the throttle position one which keeps annoying me at the wrong time.

So I was thinking about the danger of gear up landings and how the better alarms all need permanent wiring when I had an idea for a simple one. The more technical minded can chime in. Arduino or Rasberry pi board, gps sensor, and an open source database of ground levels. Light sensor attached to the gear light. Battery powered, or 12v plug. Audible alarm when the acft is below 500ft AGL with gear light on. Would be 100% portable, so no certification needed, can have status lights to check gps is working and gear is detected. Alarm can be out through a headphone plug, possibly even set at mic levels so it can be plugged into the intercom. I see it as a small box attached to the dash, sensor on a lead stuck to the light, and thats about as intrusive as it needs to be. Thoughts?

I 'know someone' who has flown with worse. Not telling you to do so, but if it was parked outside you wouldn't notice it. But get on to a new or overhauled fuel pump. Apparently Aeromotors in USA does them best and cheapest, but I couldn't take the downtime and had to fit a Wheldon which sounds lots nicer than the Dukes.

Having once left the gear down in my E and not realised until 7000 (i was very heavy, and a hot day. I was stressing about weight and blaming the performance on that) I can attest that the speed penalty is insane So I would be starting with the gear. 100% check everything out that it folds back pefectly. Good luck

My understanding of balancing is they set up the machine, run the engine, get a reading, add weight as necessary and then repeat until correct. If yours is all ok and you decided to do it, it might be cheaper because the first reading will be within tolerance. So that would be my first question: is it a flat rate or hourly. If he's coming out anyway to do a bunch of others, it might be a simple fee and it might make it better. I was told by a mechanic to get it done every 500 hrs, but that was in an area with mainly dirt runways

Or in Australia. I have been told that when my prop is next due (in about 8 years or 700 hours), it won't be able to be ground down any further. However if I keep looking after it, it would be fine for many many years especially with someone who doesn't use it too often and only on good runways. So when it's near end of life, I'd love to be able to sell it for any value to someone in USA. I'd bring it over to USA as checked luggage to save freight and pay for a US holiday

Don't you lock your rims away at night? Thats the main reason they fold up, right?

Great work, looks nice. And yeah, in a physics textbook that bolt isn't optimum, but real life it will never let you down. The bolted base is interesting, did you drill that out or were there holes there? I think most I have seen used supports around the edge rather than bolts. Anyway, here's to many uneventful times using them.

I did some emergency repairs with tape and clear plastic. This was enough to get me to town where I bought some araldite glue and a 1.5mm drill and now have proper repairs. Still needs replacing, but this takes the urgency off it. The flight to Darwin with the tape trying to peel off was a bit of a nervous trip. Pretty sure its clear and also pretty sure its original. Thats doing pretty good for almost 60 year old plastic. The front has been upgraded and I think its green tint.

Yeah, it has 1% deductible. $1200 Aud. Also, it has about $500 no claim bonus. For the stolen contents it has $350 deductible. So by the time I get the new window here it will be about $700, and a bit of time to fit it, its still only just worth a claim. Same with contents, it may be worth it, but maybe not. The airport is at an Aboriginal community, so its kind of restricted area, and kind of unsafe for vehicles. However this is the first plane broken in to at this place. Also, they have kindly forgotten to charge landing fees and parking fees so I won't disturb them. It would start adding up. I've told my insurance company, but at the moment I think I'll wear the cost so that they have no grounds to refuse a potential larger claim if I continue to park here. Its all a work related expense. I'll think about this. It would be nice because I fly a lot in hot climates. I tend to put a cover over her as soon as I stop for longer than 10 minutes. Thanks for all advice

Hi, So unfortunately I was the victim of a bit of vandalism. Luckily not much was taken (spare radio, licence, logbook, cheap phone with backup flight software), but the little pests tried to break the windows and managed to crack the pilots side window. Luckily its a part than can still be bought, and also it can be temporarily taped up and still flown. Looks a bit like a bandaid though. Anyway, my questions are: looking at the photos, would you say this is clear or tinted? And on the knots2u website they list a uv block version. Does anyone have any experience with it and is it worth it? Also, its covered by insurance, but chances are its not enough to warrant a claim.

Thanks. Do you know if the knobs just pull off? And will the mechanism stay together when the face comes off or will it all be a big mess? Also, I was planning to use silicone spray unless anyone has a better suggestion

So, I know the answer is to replace it, and I agree, and I have a new 355 waiting at home to be fitted but right now I'm on the other side of Australia and need a working radio. So my lovely old KY92 is working fine electrically, but the knobs are getting harder to turn, especially the first one which has a mechanism to increment the 2nd digit. The other day, while taxiing at an international airport (Darwin), it got so hard to turn it 'slipped a gear' and made a few anxious moments until it slipped back. Its still working, just very stiff when changing the 2nd digit (119 to 120 etc). So my question is: can I simply pull off the face of the radio with the 4 little screws I can see on the side, then clean and spray it all, and put it back together and hope? Or will everything get misaligned and I won't know what is what? I have a handheld with me that I can use to retune it if necessary, but I wouldn't want to do that. Added the obligatory photos of the plane in all her glory to be looked at.

Nice, I had to go the Wheldon route since Aeromotors couldn't do an exchange and I didn't want the downtime. Was significantly more expensive (approx $2500 in AUD). It does sound a lot smoother than the Dukes that came out.