Steve65E-NC

aerobat95 - two decades ago I had SWTA install wing root fairings and wing tips on my 65E. A few months later, at Oshkosh, I heard John Ronce (Rutan aerodynamicist) say that you could not beat a clean 90 degree transition from wing to fuselage. I have really liked the wing tips. Doing it again I would add the wing tips and skip the root fairings. I think Lasar makes the tips that SWTA uses, I would call them direct. Wonder if the VOR antenna in the tips idea has worked out, they were just experimenting with it in the early 90s. I suspect paint type may affect.

We have visited Stella Maris in our E. Great place for a family vacation. Beach at nearby Cape Santa Maria fantastic. Lodging at Cape Santa Maria Beach Club also looks worth consideration. The rest of the island is interesting to visit also, not at all tourist. I think a day with a car was part of our package. Lots of Europeans and good food if you stay near the Stella Maris lodge. At that time you could rent a house or stay in some hotel type rooms adjacent to main lodge. We stayed in the rooms and met interesting families from around the world.

I thought the controller did an outstanding job. Wonder why he did not declare an emergency for the pilot and thus unload his other control responsibilities. The couple was dead several times there and had no idea. Why to have some level of training for spouse.

I have the SWTA mod and like it very well. About the only significant extra parts that I see are a fiberglass strip across the bottom front and a vacumn molded covering for the inside tubes. I understand that a standard 201 replacement windshield can be trimmed as a replacement. I suggest you call around to the salvage jobs for the two strips and a windshield to use as a pattern, and bonefied STC paperwork with instructions. I have had little problem with access through the two triangular ports in front of the Windshield. Black goop seal as before. To change the vacumn garter easily you either need small hands or need to just loosen the regulator from the firwall (simple). The hydraulic reservoir is as accessable as before. One caveat, wether purchased as a new mode or pieced together, try to work with someone who has done this mod before. Some metal shrinkage is needed across the top of the windshield and this can look pretty rough if done by a first timer.

They are a pain to install. When drilling the holes through the rubber be sure use a drill larger than the screw thread. On mine the engine side is wire tied, so if the lower cowel is off, I attach boot to engine and tie before re-installing cowel. A shortened box or open wrench helps.

No mention of engine time or condition. So, you may have to add price of overhaul or complete engine to purchase price. No mention of damage history or lack thereof, so look the logs over carefully. Strange that they did not claim the one piece windshield or other mods. Looks like someone cared so might be worth a look.

I don't want to argue. But others have mentioned Aeroshell 6, same as Propeller hub, and white in color. Can someone clarify. The 6 has the advantage that I already have it on hand for the Prop.

Look above and to the right of the seat assembly. You will see the pillars nipped and the roof peeled back like a sardine can. Wonder if "Jaws of Life" cut through those tubes. If any fuel present, I would not want to use a spark producing saw.

So, what does that say about replacement windshields for those of us who already invested in the SWTA windshield mod.

I would start with a call to Russ at DG Supply, 800-446-8160 or 269-684-4440 for advice on evaluation, repair, rebuild. If you are getting power, then it may be the electric motor. When mine went out seven months ago, Dukes was in turmoil and everyone was having trouble getting product or parts. Your pump is newer and probably a better candidate for repair or rebuild. I found DG very helpful and knowledgeable on the repair/rebuild side. They seem to have a good inventory of parts. I also found Lasar very helpful. I assume yours is a Dukes Pump. Some folks suggested a change over to the other brand, but I could not see that as the way to go.

I think I would pay to sit on a Jury that puts this jerk away for a good stay. This goes beyond just nuts to criminal. He is going to cost every pilot in the world significant good money.

I have flown night IFR with the little red over-head spots along. No problem. That is all that came on my airplane as certified.

I wonder how much difference tie downs made. For folks who were there. Could you detect a significant advantage for tied down aircraft? Did field installed, screwed or driven, tiedowns hold through the storm?

Suggest you call Skytec directly. I did when my Prestolite crashed ane I was trying to select a new starter. the owner was very helpful. I put the NL in and I am very satisfied so far. It appears to have solved a long standing "hot start" problem.

What is the deal with paint and VOR signals? How might paint affect performance of a wingtip mounted antenna? I had my Aircraft painted with a good two part paint (Vestal White P/N570-545). The painter painted the top VOR blade antenna. Signal disappeared. I purchase a used antenna and painted it myself with the same paint. No signal. I found a second used antenna and did not paint it. Problem solved. This led me to suspect that this particular paint was absorbing or attenuating the VOR signal. My after market wing tips have the same paint and this inhibits me from trying a wing tip mount.

There were also at least two RVs attending. Very nice museum, my wife enjoyed it. We made a number of new acquaintances. I thought the food (pizza) worked good in that it all arrived at the same time. A buddy and I did a SE gathering here in Hickory, NC in about 2007 (see folder in my Photo Gallery). The planned program was on ADS-B by NC-DOT. It including demo flights in equiped aircraft for all who cared to fly. The only problem was that we had about fifty hungry people ordering a la carte from the small Airport restaurant. The food came out at different times and this food process took way to long. A lesson learned.

Check out www.floridaisland.com. If you like what you see call Jay at 954-816-7455

I had a broken oil ring. I think it was related to the cermachrome cylinder problem. You could see and feel a definite ridge on the walls at the top of the stroke. My compression test went way down on that cylinder. What happened with compression on your cylinders and what was the cylinder wall treatment, if any?? I wound up replacing all four cermachrome cylinders within 800 hours. Too bad as I had paid for porting and balancing. I went back with cerminil. About 1000 hours later, compressions are holding fine, but oil usage has been pretty high right from the start with the cerminil.