Table of Contents VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 1 May 74 VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 2 Oct 74 VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 3 Jan 75 VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 4 APR 75 VARIVIGGEN NEWS No. 5 July 75 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 6 OCT 75 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 7 JAN 76 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 8 APR 76 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 9 JULY 76 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 10 OCT 76 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 11 Jan 77 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 12 Apr 77 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 13 JULY 77 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 14 OCT 77 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 15 JAN 78 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 16 APR 78 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 17 July 78 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 18 OCT 78 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 19 JAN 79 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 20 APR 79 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 21 JULY 79 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 22 OCT 79 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 23 JAN 80 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 24 APR 80 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 25 JULY 80 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 26 Oct 80 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 27 JAN 81 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 28 APR 81 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 29 JULY 81 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 30 Oct 81 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 31 Jan 82 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 32 Apr 82 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 33 JULY 82 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 34 Oct 82 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 35 JAN 83 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 36 APR 83 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 37 JULY 83 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 38 OCT 83 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 39 Jan 84 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 40 Apr 84 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 41 JULY 84 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 42 OCT 84 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 43 JAN 85 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 44 APR 85 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 45 JULY 85 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 46 OCT 85 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 47 JAN 86 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 48 APR 86 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 49 JULY 86 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 50 OCT 86 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 51 APR 87 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 52 JULY 87 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 53 OCT 87 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 54 Jan 88 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 55 Apr 88 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 56 July 88 THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 57 Oct 88 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 58 Jan 89 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 59 Apr 89 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 60 July 89 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 61 Oct 89 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 62 Oct 89 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 63 Apr 90 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 64 July 90 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 65 Oct 90 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 66 Jan 91 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 67 Apr 91 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 68 July 91 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 69 Oct 91 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 70 Jan 92 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 71 Apr 92 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 72 July 92 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 73 Oct 92 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 74 Jan 93 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 75 Apr 93 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 76 July 93 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 77 Jan 94 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 78 Apr & July 94 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 79 Oct 94 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 80 Jan 95 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 81 July 95 THE CANARD PUSHER No. 82 Oct 95 Last issue Notes on "THE ELECTRONIC CP", by Stet Elliott "THE ELECTRONIC CP" is a set of computer files consisting of all Canard Pusher (CP) Newsletters published by Rutan Aircraft Factory. The set includes all CPs from the first one published in May 1974, to number 82 published in October 1995. There have been newsletters published after that date, however I do not intend to convert them to digital format. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this product set, but ACCURACY IS NOT GUARANTEED! If you are building a Rutan design, you MUST NOT rely on "THE ELECTRONIC CP" as your only source of current information. You will also need the printed copies of the CP's because "THE ELECTRONIC CP" does not contain the required illustrations, photos or graphs you will need to properly build and fly a RAF design. Obtain printed copies of Canard Pusher newsletters from Rutan Aircraft Factory, or another builder. You may make copies of another builder's CP's. This is approved and encouraged by RAF, and is so stated in each recent newsletter. Stet Elliott 4805 Summerlin Rd., NW Albuquerque, NM 87114-4525 505-899-2941 Email: flyez@earthlink.net ADDITIONAL NOTES ADDED 08/09/2002 The document assembled by Stet Elliott was formatted in WORD and converted to an HTML file which can be searched for specific words of the readers choice. The formatting and conversion was done by Marc Borom 7087 W. Brightwater Way Tucson, AZ 85746 VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 1 May 74 RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY/P.O. BOX 111/VALLEY CENTER, KS. 67147 THE NEWSLETTER staff has finally organized: Burt Rutan, Editor-in- Chief; Carolyn Rutan, Proof Reader. This, being the first newsletter, will be mailed to all holders of VariViggen Tech. Reports and Plans. Future newsletters will be mailed only to those who actually plan to build an airplane and who have an Aircraft Serial Number assigned. This is your newsletter, the sole purpose of which is to aid in your construction projects through exchange of information. Please feel free to send progress reports, comments, or photos of your project for printing in future newsletters. ACTIVITY at the RAF - Carolyn and I have spent a busy Fall and Winter preparing the plans and getting them mailed. My apologies to those who waited several months. Our prototype, N27VV, has passed her 300th flight-hour, and our latest inspection and relicense revealed only that she needed new tires and brake pads. The low maintenance requirements have been very pleasing. Check around and see how much flying most homebuilt prototypes see in their first two years! We took several trips this winter - see May '74 "Sport Aviation". N27VV has given two airshow performances so far this year and we have approximately eight more on the schedule for this season, including Oshkosh, July 31-August 6, and Brantford, Ontario, August 10 and 11. Sales of plans now total 190, and 53 builders have already returned their "Page Two", requesting a serial number and indicating that they plan to build an airplane. Of these, 41, plan to build theirs similar to the prototype or with minor modifications, and the rest - wow! We will see some very interesting flying machines! To get on the Sport Aviation list of Aircraft Under Construction, I urge you to notify EAA Headquarters of your project. To the builders, I'm enclosing a complete list of all present builders (by Aircraft Serial Number), their addresses, and any major modifications they are considering. I will mail the list to other plan holders only if they return "Page Two" indicating they intent to build an airplane. This list will be updated each Newsletter. VVN1, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PLANS Changes - I'm very happy to report that there have been very few corrections reported. 1. Material was omitted on F13; it is 1/8" plywood. 2. The fixed trim tabs, which are discussed in the Tech Report, were omitted. They should be installed on each elevator to improve trim characteristics (speed stability). Each tab consists of a Balsa wood airfoil epoxied to two booms (1/4" hardwood dowels) which are epoxied into 1/4" slots notched into the trailing edge of the elevator. I have noted no performance loss due to the tabs. The booms increase the tabs effectiveness at high speed and prevent the tab from reducing maximum elevator lift. **SKETCHES OMITTED** 3. The Tech Report refers to the propeller size as 70Dx67P. Performance on 150 HP is best with a 69Dx64P or 69Dx65P prop as shown in the plans. 4. Zounds!$#, don't plug in your angle-of-attack indicator! I slipped a decimal point on a resistance (pg 43 of Plans). The revised schematic shown, also includes the trimpots I have in my airplane to allow fine calibration. This is identical to the system in N27VV. This system can also be used for the car-top wind tunnel shown in the Tech Report. **SKETCH OMITTED** 5. The sharp eye will note the slant in the side of F121 bulkhead on pg 19 (B.L. 12.1 to B.L. 12.25). This is because the bulkhead slants backwards (see side-view) while the fuselage is getting more narrow (see top-view). No errors here; just a clarification of the reason for the slant. 6. NG35 is an 8" Scott tailwheel assembly, not 9". VVN1, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ALTERNATE Source for Epoxy - I've found another wood bonding epoxy that can be substituted for the Epibond. It's a 50-50 mix and, thus, is less critical to mix than the 10-to-1 Epibond. It's Bond Master M666 by National Starch & Chemical Co., 653rd Ave., N.Y., N.Y. Weibe Wood Products, 311 S. Kansas, Newton, Ks., 67114, sells it at $13. for two quarts. I've seen its excellent results in several wood aircraft. ENGINE Selection - Alot of you indicate preference for larger engines. Frankly, I'd like to have an 180 hp O360 in mine, but I do not recommend the 200 hp Lycoming: the extra weight would create a tailheavy condition that would require some redesign. The same is true for a metal prop or constant speed prop. As many are now finding in other applications, the modern wood prop is unbeatable for fatigue-free safety. FULL-SIZE Drawings - I received a question as to why all the drawings for ribs, etc. are not full-size to allow tracing to the part. The answer is because so many of the ribs, etc., are so long, that they won't fit any convenient paper size, and that paper that long, can shrink and thus effect the size of the part. If you use the following hints you will find that converting the scaled-down drawings will be a very small percentage of the work required to build your aircraft: Do not draw the part full size to transfer to the material; transfer the dimensions directly to the wood or metal (ball-point pen on wood; BIC Banana on metal). Have a wife or friend read the dimensions from the drawing or grid while you use a scale to plot them on the material. This is much faster than looking back and forth and eliminates errors. Buy a Stanley metal tape, rule no. B61-112Y. This is a 12 foot retractable tape-rule with graduations in tenths of inches, not 1/16ths. That tool alone will save you many hours of conversions. MACHINED Parts - A question has come up as to whether the machined parts will be available. If I can receive orders for 25 or more sets, the handling and shipping costs can be justified. The set would include (8) WA5 taper pins (1) NG32, NG33, NG34 (1) RM5 screwjack assembly (welded, heat- (1) RM6 threaded tube treated & chromed) (2) V1 plugs (1) NG37 (1) NG1 spool (2) MG12 (1) NG28 (2) MG15 (1) NG29 (2) MG19 (1) NG30 (2) MG30 (1) NG31 (2) MG35 (1) MG42 Let me know if you would consider buying some or all of these. The price would be more than it would cost if you had a good friend with a lathe, but considerably less than if you took the drawing to the local machine shop. I'll definitely have F23, F25, F27 and F28 available by December 1974 and the cowling shortly thereafter. VVN1, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PHOTOS - I'm also considering making available photographs, if there is demand enough to get a low price. Let me know if you would be interested in Set #1 8x10 Color - Top quality, suitable for framing: 1 inflight shot 1 ground shot with Carolyn 1 shot showing cockpits with canopies open. Approximate cost, $14. plus mailing cost. Set #2 4x5 Black & White glossy: 4 different inflight shots 4 different ground detail shots 4 different cockpit shots Approximate cost, $5. plus mailing cost VARIVIGGEN PATCH - The symbol on the cover, we selected as the official VariViggen patch. Our distinctive plan view identifies us without need for words! Look for it at Oshkosh. Sew-on jacket patches will be available. ITEMS - for Future Newsletters: Cockpit head system, stowable ladder I use for front seat entry, improved carb heat muff design, complete treatment process for sealing plywood and for exterior finishing, additional hints on electrical system, etc., etc. QUESTIONS - I can answer your questions, etc., promptly only if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. **ORDER BLANK FOR MACHINED PARTS OMITTED** VVN1, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 2 Oct 74 Published quarterly by Rutan Aircraft Factory Burt & Carolyn Rutan Building #13, Mojave Airport P.O. Box 656, Mojave, CA 93501 ACTIVITY at the RAF - This is the first opportunity we've had to inform everyone of our move. We have a new facility at the Mojave, California Airport where we are supporting VariViggen builders. We left Kansas in June and spent most of July in southern California looking for a home for the RAF. We then took N27VV on a 4500-mile trip which included the Oshkosh EAA convention (N27VV participated in the evening airshow and won the "OUTSTANDING NEW DESIGN" trophy this year), a visit with Ken and Margaret Ashdown (VariViggen builder S/N 069) on the beautiful island of Manitoulin in Ontario, Canada, Airshow appearances at Brantford, Ontario where we were the guests of the fine people of EAA chapter 115, stops in Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and finally our big move to California, arriving in Mojave the first week in September. N27VV performed well despite the 110-lb baggage load on most of the trip and the 10,500-ft density altitude takeoff at Flagstaff, Arizona! We made up "VariViggen Builder" badges for those who were at Oshkosh. We were pleased to see more than 40 builders during the week as well as six more at the Brantford show. Back-seat riders at Oshkosh included Fred Weick (Eurcoupe designer), Charlie Schuck (FAA), Harold Best- Devereux (EAA, Europe), Sheldon Gallager (Editor, Popular Mechanics), Peter Lert (Air Progress) and many of the builders. We flew two photo flights in which we posed for air-to-air shots in formation with Dick Curtis's Curtis Pusher Replica at 50 kt! Those photos should show up in magazines and the EAA film. Even though the VariViggen had been to California twice before, we couldn't wait after arriving to Mojave for the first chance to really demonstrate her flying ability to the multitudes out West. The next weekend, September 7-8, was the EAA Western Fly-in at Porterville, CA. The following excerpt from the Bakersfield, EAA Chapter 71, newsletter written by Denny McGlothlen tells it all. "The star of the show was Burt Rutan with his "VariViggen", Boy this bird really turned me on. I was out on the runway when Burt flew in the airshow, and seeing the VariViggen make the low speed sharp turns right at lift off, well an airplane just isn't supposed to do such things but this one sure will. I can see that this is going to be a very much built airplane in the EAA ranks." The VariViggen succeeded in awing the crowd there and also won the "Most Popular" trophy, the "2nd Monoplane" trophy, and the 1st place cash prize for the spot landing contest. The VariViggen has won every spot landing contest it has entered. Due to the fantastic low speed maneuverability and visibility you can use quick tight turns on short final to set up the correct height and speed for the accurate touchdown. The 2nd place-winner at the Beatrice, Nebraska contest just shook his head and said, "That's no fair; That's not an airplane!" We have two more airshows and a magazine article commitment within the next two weeks. After that we plan to remove the old cowling, give the aircraft a good inspection (she now has 400 flight hours) and install the new design cowling with prop extension. When testing is complete on the cowling we will begin cowling production. RAF BUSINESS - Yes, we are now conducting a full-time business primarily to support VariViggen builders. Our facility on the Mojave Airport (100 yards S.E. of tower building) consists of an office and shop sufficient to allow us to provide VariViggen components, related engineering support for VariViggen builders, technical and educational material (the car-top wind tunnel project is aimed primarily at high schools and colleges), and engineering analysis/test consulting. Refer to the first edition of our CATALOG, included with this newsletter for detailed description of all products. The last page will be revised periodically and mailed to all builders. We now see an important need for a periodic newsletter, complete enough to give all the information to builders that can assist them in their projects. Future newsletters will include essentially the same format information and photos as this one, with more builder-submitted information as it becomes available. All suggestions are considered - Remember this is your newsletter. Due to the fact that the plans have (and will be) marketed at a relatively low cost, builders are now being asked to share the continuing cost of research writing, setup, printing, and mailing the future newsletters on a yearly subscription basis. Refer to the CATALOG for the cost and publish dates. Newsletter #2 is provided free to all plans and TR holders. Future ones can only be sent to paid up subscribers. We will continue to provide the updated list of VariViggen builders only to those who have returned their plans "page two" and have received an Aircraft Serial Number. We keep individual correspondence files of builders with S/N's, which now totals 128 builders. VVN2, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PLANS Changes - It has been four months since the last newsletter and many of the builders are well into their construction projects, so we have quite a few corrections/improvements to note. This section will provide changes, not only to the plans, but to the Tech Report and Owner's Manual as well. Changes will be classified as follows: MEO - Minor error or Omission. OPT - Optional Improvement. DES - Desirous Change - Does not necessarily effect flight safety but should be incorporated to improve the aircraft or correct a fault. MAN - Mandatory Change - Change must be incorporated as soon as possible as safety of flight is affected. Remember, all mandatory changes are Air Mailed immediately to all newsletter subscribers. CATEGORY LOCATION CHANGE MEO PL pg 59 Part No. of 8" Scott tail wheel assy omitted. NG35 is Scott #3200. Channel shaped plate is furnished with V-NGSA assy purchased from RAF. DES PL pg 1&2 Change RAF address: Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 DES PL pg 3 On weight & bal chart change 115 hp to 125 hp. MEO PL pg 5 Change number of AN3-14A bolts from 3 to 8. Change AN115-16 (16) to AN115-3 (3). MEO PL pg 11 3rd column, 2/3 down F.S.137 should be F.S.37. DES PL pg 13 I'm told that solid rod gives better antennae performance than tubes. Use 1/8" alum welding rod or some alum clothes line available at any dept. store. MEO PL pg 14 Clarification - The C12 belcrank bearing rivets to outboard side of C9. MEO PG pg 20 F30 & F29 identification is reversed on flat layouts. MEO PL pg 21 Capstrip detail W.L. 0.1 should be W.L. 0.0. MEO PL pg 25 SPAR F change WS3 to W3. Two places. MEO PL pg 26 SECTION L-L change 57 deg to 54 deg. MEO PL pg 27 Right center. Change 83 deg to 173 deg. MEO PL pg 31 WA3 Omitted dimensions. Left two holes are centered. Other six holes evenly spaced & 0.31" from edges as shown. MEO PL pg 36 Tolerance on all control travel is +- 3 deg, except reflex travel which is 0 to 1 deg up (when down) and 7 to 8 deg up (when up). MEO PL pg 37 EC1 can be made easier & stronger with the legs overlapped or with doubler plates rather than butt welded. DES PL pg 42 RM5 change coarse thd to course double advance thd (for faster reflex travel). MEO PL pg 45 Pivot detail F14 should be F31. MEO PL pg 46 NG32 change to .063 wall to .065 wall. NG1 1/16" hole for cable. Change to #50 drill hole. MEO PL CH 8,10 Clarification on wing attach assemblies. Be careful when cutting tapers in steel straps for WA5. There is a lefthand & righthand part to put the 5/16" holes in lower WA2 fittings on top. DES PL pg 50 MG2 5.1R should be 2.6R. MG5 1.63D should be 1.75D. MG11 1.7D should be 1.75D. MG4 "to fit MG12." The preferred method is to first drill MG4, clamp to MG12 then use MG4 as a drill guide to drill MG12. MEO PL pg 51 MG42 add the #50 drill cable hole as in NG1. DES PL pg 46 Strut assy. To allow improved strut lubrication, eliminate upper O-ring (2.8" from housing bottom) and move lower O-ring down .4" to within 0.1" of scraper. If you have already cut the two O-ring grooves, that's Ok; just cut the new lower one and leave the other grooves empty. MEO PL pg 53 Table at right. Switch No. 2. Change "overridden" to "not overridden." MEO PL pg 55 2nd column, 1st row. Add WR42 after WR32. MEO PL pg 58 NG21 Change F14 to F31. MEO PL pg 59 NG30 Add "any type steel." MEO PL pg 57 SA6 Change AN115-16 to MS20115-3 or to AN115-3. (Same thing). OPT PL pg 60 Static holes on both sides are optional. One side only is ok with a very minor error due to side slip (about 0.5 kt per deg). MEO PL pg 3 Lower left. Change 134.1 to 132.1. DES TR Cover Change address & move nosegear back 6" on 3-view. DES TR pg 2 Change address. Change reference to "pk2" to "Plans." MEO TR pg 5 Change empty weight to 950 lb. Change limit "g" to 5 g. Ultimate is 7.5. MEO TR pg 5 Range with fuselage tank 375 mi. 555 mi. with added 12 gal long range tank. MEO TR pg 5&7 Change 300 ft to 400 ft. MEO TR PG 7 Change 85 KT TO 80 KT. MEO TR PG 12 Add weight = 1500 LB to upper graph. MEO TR PG 23 Delete all reference to Bede. Change Newton to Mojave. (805) 284-2645. Delete answer about kit, refer to RAF CATALOG. NOTE: I strongly suggest that you write all changes into the plans from this list. Thus your plans will be updated even if you lose your newsletter and will contain no erroneous information. VVN2, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE BUILDING TIPS 1. You don't need to strain your eyes on the grid on the vertical stabilizer ribs to get them cut out exactly the right size. Cut the top and bottom the correct size and make the others oversize. After they are mounted on the spars and the glue is dry make a 4-foot long sanding block out of a wood 2x2 with sandpaper glued along one edge. Run the block (held vertically) over the ribs to bring them down to the spars and into line with the end ribs. That tool can also be used to taper the top capstrips on the inboard wing and the fuselage formers to fit the skin. 2. Remember to get help on plotting the grid-drawn items up to full size. One person to read x & y dimensions from grid and one to plot (2 rulers help) directly on the wood. Several builders reported that they made all formers, canard ribs, inboard wing ribs and vertical stab ribs in less than 1 1/2 days work; a reasonably small percentage of the total job. Carrol Holzworth (S/N 2) reports that he found a large sheet of thin plastic, drew 1" grid lines on it, then used it as a full size grid to punch through to mark the parts. Be sure you are using the decimal 12" rule and tape measure, fractions are for carpenters! 3. One builder wanted to know why there are more and larger bolts on WA2 than on WA3. The reason is they are sized for bearing on the wood spar vs aluminum spar. 4. When drilling through the wood spar for the wing attach fittings use the following procedure: Clamp only the forward fitting in place. Be sure it's at the correct W.L. and B.L. Square the drill as well as possible (use a long drill bit and use a square) and drill only one hole. Then clamp the rear fitting on, installing a bolt in the first hole. Now drill all holes in the front only drilling 1/2 way through the spar. Then drill about 2/3 through from the rear to complete the holes. On final installation be sure to fill the holes with epoxy to take up any voids due to hole misalignment. The epoxy is stronger than the wood and will assure full strength even if there is a little slop in the holes. 5. Glue the building jig to the floor to prevent shifting during construction. Install a tight wire at W.L. = 0 and B.L. = 0 for use as a reference in measuring. The wire is stretched along the jig, attached forward of F.S.20 and aft of F.S.200. A tape rule and good carpenters level can thus locate any B.L. and W.L. 6. Be sure you are using a good epoxy glue (see plans and Newsletter #1) coat both parts and put on enough for a generous fillet. Capstrips are not required on the canard or vertical stab. It's probably a good idea to use 3/32" or 2 1/2 mm hard birch ply on the canard top skin. This is not needed for any flight loads but the canard is used for handling the airplane on the ground. With the stick back you can reach over the canard and grab the canard trailing edge (not elevator) to pull the airplane. If you're already sheeted with 1/16" ply you may consider one light layer of fiberglass on top. 7. After trimming the canard skin adjacent to C8 spar, not too much overlap is left on the bottom. This can be reinforced with epoxy and cloth strips on the inside (Dynel, fiberglass, or even cotton). Don't do this everywhere, though, it can build up excess weight. 8. Charles Allen (S.N 047) substituted .063 4130 bent angles for C10. This is fine here, but the extra stiffness of extruded aluminum angles in most other places is required. 6061 T-6 can be used for C9 and E6. 9 I noted the bottom of the canard and elevators to provide inter-bay drainage and only used 3 drain holes on each canard and each elevator. 10. Wayne Koch (S.N 009) build a Gilliom 18" bandsaw and 6" sander from a kit. They look like quality tools at a real low price. I was impressed with his, so I'm building my own. Write for their catalog, 1109 N. 2nd St., St. Charles, MO 63301. The bandsaw needs to be modified to provide a slower speed for steel cutting. SHOPPING - Here are a few helpful sources we've found or have been notified of. 1. Western Ply & Door still has good prices on the birth ply (See Chap 2). 50" x 50" sizes. 2. UNIVAIR, Rt 3, Box 59, Aurora, CO. 80010 has rebuilt Scott tailwheel assy #3200 for $70.00. 3. Harbor Sales, 1401 Russell St., Baltimore, MD 21320 has an excellent lightweight plywood (A/B OKOUME) in the thicker sizes (5/32" & up). Their 5/32" is light enough to be a substitute for birch 3/32". It is too soft to substitute where hard birch is called out. Send for their price list. 4. Spencer Aircraft, 8725 Oland Ave., Sun Valley, CA 91352 has good prices on hardware, I'm told. 5. Ask questions at your local EAA chapter meeting. 6. These outfits have catalogs with a very wide variety of needed parts, the first one is an absolute must: Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, Box 424, Fullerton, CA 92632; WAG Aero, Box 181, Lyons, WI. 53148; Aircraft Components, Northshore Dr., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. FLASH - "FLYING" MAGAZINE FLIES THE VARIVIGGEN - Peter Garrison of "Flying" magazine conducted a flight evaluation of the VariViggen for an upcoming article in "Flying," the largest general aviation magazine. VVN2, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PARKING - Without pilot or copilot the cg is very near (slightly aft) of the main wheel location (with weight on the main gear its reaction moves aft of the no-load position shown in Chapter 19). Thus when the pilot gets out, he lets the aircraft down on the aft skids. At first we were ashamed of this tail-sitting attitude and would immediately tie the nose gear to a tiedown or install an aluminum tube tripod under one skid whenever we parked. I don't do this anymore for the following reasons: 1) sitting on the skids, the center of pressure is well centered and the aircraft will take winds from any direction with little weathervaning or upsetting tendency common to the conventional parked aircraft, 2) when parked in a hangar even a low wing aircraft will overlap all the way to the fuselage and thus a VariViggen will take up considerably less room than even smaller homebuilts (I've put it in many hangars after the owner said "sorry we're full," without even moving other airplanes!)., 3) this attitude allows more convenient preflight inspection of fuel, oil, landing gear and pulling the prop through, 4) baggage loading, fuel and oil loading is convenient while on the tail, 5) it is very easy to pull the nose down by the canard tip, step to the ladder and get in when ready for ingress, 6) we consider it a "status symbol" - just one other thing no other plane on the field can do! However, for an airshow, in order for people to more easily inspect the cockpit, we either tie the nose gear to a tail tiedown rope (VariViggens park backwards, too!) or retract the nosewheel only (pull the main gear breaker) and set it clear down on its nose. Thus, the canard is an excellent seat for four to watch the show! ENGINE Selection - Since I mentioned I would like to have 180 hp in Newsletter #1, alot of you have thought it was for more speed. Not true, considering 75% power cruise, speed would only increase 10 mph with 180 hp. The main reason would be for better rate-of-climb, particularly at high altitude. Remember, low aspect ratio means lower climb performance. A VariViggen will not climb as well as a conventional aircraft with equal cruise speed and hp/weight ratio. Those that want better high altitude climb performance and want to use a heavier engine or constant-speed prop will find the airplane tailheavy and for that reason I have not recommended them, due to the terrible requirement for lead in the nose. There is a better solution, however, that can eliminate this problem. I used this solution when I found my partially completed airplane to be tail heavy. The original design had a shorter wingspan. I increased the span of the outboard wing panels. This moved the allowable cg range aft, thus solving the problem without lead. A disadvantage is a slightly reduced g- capability. If you are interested in using a constant-speed prop or heavier engine, send me the weight, length of engine, and weight of the prop. I will then calculate for you the amount of extension to the wingtip, show how to make the extension and calculate the amount of reduction in allowable 'g'. Please also include $6.00 as consulting fee for this design change. This can only be done up to a point at which the control power of the canard is reduced and the overall cg range is too small. While this solution is better than lead nose weight, I still recommend 150 hp (180 hp for short airstrips or high density altitude flying) and a modern light weight wood prop. MODIFICATIONS - As you know, it has been our policy to not be adverse towards those who want to modify the aircraft. We have had this policy mainly in the interest of promoting education and design progress. However, we have seen some examples of modifications, even some under construction that will result in disappointing performance and in some cases unsafe flight characteristics. In all cases those individuals designed their modifications by aesthetics and by eyeball rather than by valid engineering calculation supported with appropriate tests. In most cases, when I was able to point out the disadvantages and calculate the effect on performance and stability, the author of the change decided to stick with the plans. One builder doubled the rudder area and didn't even know that that would reduce overall directional stability due to rudder float. I must modify my policy to point out that I am not adverse to anyone modifying the airplane that is qualified (or finds qualified help) and is willing to conduct the analysis and tests required to verify the modification before flying his aircraft. I am very adverse to those who may give all the rest of us a bad image by building a "VariViggen" that either has poor performance or contributes to an accident statistic under the name VariViggen. A plans-built aircraft has good utility and excellent flying qualities. Modifications that add weight, be they as subtle as extra heavy gussets everywhere or fiberglass over the wood skin, or more substantial like 70 gallons fuel or four place, etc., etc., can result in very disappointing climb performance at high altitudes. Our experience in flying N27VV over 400 hours in all kinds of flight conditions, runways, weather, density altitudes, etc., is very valuable and we have found that due to the low aspect ratio (necessary for optimum low speed flying qualities) the airplane should have a lower weight-to-power ratio than conventional designs. You cannot expect to carry four people and more fuel adequately from Albuquerque in the summer unless you use at least 200 hp. You cannot expect the same safe flying qualities if you stretch the nose sever feet for "looks." This would decrease stability and actually slow down the aircraft! You cannot just assume that a beautiful flush inlet three inches from the top of the wing will provide adequate cooling. My measurements during development of an oil cooler system showed terrible pressure recovery during low speed. I should point out that because with a canard aircraft both surfaces are lifting wings (the canard actually has a much greater wing loading than the main wing) their size, position, interference with each other, high lift devices, etc., have a very important effect on the cg range, the flying qualities, and low speed performance. Their design is far more critical than with a conventional aircraft with one main lifting wing (sized for performance, etc.) and a tail sized VVN2, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- merely to provide adequate static margin and sufficient cg range. For example a formula-one racer has an extremely small tail - but it can be designed for one cg only and still provide adequate stability and sufficient control But if it were a canard, the designer would have much less room for change, to provide a large flight envelope (speed range and maneuverability) even for one cg. Therefore I am unable, without conducting the appropriate test to answer a question like "is it ok to move the canard down eight inches to clear my extra radios in the instrument panel." I am not adverse to you making the change, however, if you are willing to conduct the test and verify its satisfactory result. The car-top wind tunnel system which will be available this December is an excellent method, others are also valid. Remember, this aircraft was not developed by "guess work" but by a very careful design-test program. Small changes can be full of "surprises." If you modify an aircraft, when it is ready to fly, you are an experimental test pilot, not a production test pilot - be prepared to accept the full responsibility to safely plan and conduct exploratory testing and critical flight envelop expansion - for there are no proven limits on your airplane. I don't mean to inhibit progress, only to promote valid development. In this way we are also promoting education, which is what EAA is all about! NASAD - The VariViggen plans have been submitted for approval by the National Association of Sport Aircraft Designers. Several areas of information are required that were being reserved for the VariViggen Owner's Manual. This information is being distributed to all plans holders now in order to qualify for NASAD approval before the complete Owner's Manual is published. The information in the Owner's Manual will be more detailed and will include information in several other areas (see Catalog). VARIVIGGEN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION/OVERHAUL/CHECKLIST MAIDEN FLIGHT PROCEDURE MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION Wood Structure - Wood structure, properly sealed with the epoxy specified or with a good grade of varnish, will provide years of service with no maintenance, especially when hangared. Periodically check all visible surfaces for cracks or ships in the finish that indicate either degrading protection or internal damage. Check that all moisture drains are open. Remove the outer wing panels once per year to inspect inboard wing internal structure through WR46 rib. Metal Structure - Periodically inspect rudder and outer wing panels for skin buckles or loose rivets that may indicate internal damage. Check that all moisture drains are open (none required on foam filled ailerons). Inspect outboard wings for internal damage and corrosion through ribs with panels removed once per year. Plexiglass - Cracks up to three inches long should be stop-drilled 1/4" outside of the visible end with a 1/8" dia drill. Larger cracks require replacement (N27VV has had no cracks). Mechanical Components - All controls and reflex/gear pivots that are sealed bearings or oilite bushings require no lubrication. Check periodically for any excessive slop or binding. Check all cables annually for any signs of fraying or wear. Replace any frayed cable. Grease main gear, external gears, reflex screwjack, NG23, MG16 bushing, and MG31 zerks with automotive grease every six months. Periodically check main gear shock doughnuts and all tires for excessive cracks. Inflate main gear tires to 36 psi and nose gear tire to 40 psi. Periodically clean nose gear shock strut and service as shown on plans, page 45, once per year. Check brake fluid level and brake puck wear twice per year or every 50 hours of flight time. Check all landing gear, engine mount, and control system structural parts for damage or cracks each 50 hours of flight time. N27VV required only routine maintenance and one brake shoe and tire change in its first 300 hr/2 years. Electrical - Check for loose or chafing wiring every 50 hours flight time. Follow manufacturer's recommended maintenance for battery. Engine, Propeller, & Instruments - Follow manufacturer's recommendations. OVERHAUL Engine, Propeller, & Accessories - Follow manufacturer's recommendations. Gear & Reflex Motors (MG39, NG4, & RM9) - Replace every six years if aircraft is hangared and every three years of not hangared. Wheels & Brakes - Follow manufacturer's recommendations. VVN2, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK LIST Preflight 1. Ignition - off 2. Remove gust locks 3. Remove tiedowns 4. Check control surfaces (freedom & security) 5. Check landing gear & tire 6. Check fuel & oil quantity 7. Under cowling - nothing hanging or dripping 8. Drain strainer 9. Prop (nicks & security) 10. Pitot static - clear 11. Gear handle down 12. Master on - check reflex operation & instruments Engine Start Follow manufacturer's recommendations Before Takeoff 1. Fuel - on 2. Mixture - rich 3. Mags & carb ht 4. Trip - T/O 5. Reflex - 8 deg 6. Ammeter - chg 7. Gear - handle dn, 3 green lights 8. Controls - free 9. Engine inst. - green 10. Circuit breakers 11. Harness - both seats 12. Canopys - locked Before Landing 1. Mixture - rich 2. Carb ht - A/R 3. Reflex - 4 to 8 deg 4. Gear - dn, 3 green lights, visually check mains 5. Airspeed 65 to 75 kt on final Securing 1. Avionics - off 2. Master - off 3. Mixture - cutoff 4. Ignition - off 5. Gust locks - on 6. Tiedowns MAIDEN FLIGHT PROCEDURE Ground Tests - Run engine on ground at lease one hour. Check for sufficient fuel flow at full throttle and minimum fuel quantity. Taxi enough to thoroughly check engine, brakes, controls, landing gear, and to become thoroughly familiar and comfortable in the cockpit. Recheck weight and balance (see operating limitations). High-Speed Taxi - Weather - smooth air, no crosswind. Runway requirements - smooth, at least 4000 ft for initial tests. Reflex - 8 degrees. Make several runs as follows to speeds of 40 kt, 45 kt, 50 kt, 55 kt: Accelerate to aim speed; reduce power to maintain speed. Lift nose wheel off about one ft above the ground, check directional and pitch control, rock wings (with mains still on the ground) to get the feel of roll control (nose may not rotate at 40 kt). When you feel you can comfortably control pitch attitude up to one to two ft nosewheel height, you are ready for lift-off. Accelerate to 60 kt, reduce power to about 1/2 throttle, rotate nose and fly down the runway at an altitude of several feet. Reduce power very slowly to idle once airborne (slowly, so you don't have to adjust for abrupt pitch trim changes, if any). The airplane exhibits a pronounced ground effect and may float a long way down the runway. Its best not to make a "full stall" landing (aft skid clearance), just lower it to the runway. Ask yourself - is the airplane out of trim directionally or in roll? If not, you're ready for the first flight. First Flight - Once the lift-off and flight down the runway is accomplished, the hard part is over. The actual takeoff, full flight, and landing are much easier. I still recommend smooth air and a large smooth runway. The following is a description of the prototype's (N27VV) first flight: "As the Cessna 172 chase plane maneuvered into position, I started my take-off roll. Take-off (at 50 kt) and climb (at 80 kt) were normal and a very strange feeling came over me as I cleared the end of the runway. The air was absolutely still and there I was climbing straight ahead. I had waited a long time for this moment, but somehow it felt like I was on my first solo. I had to rock the wings to convince myself I was really flying. I leveled off at 1500 ft AGL and performed some stability checks - static and dynamic and pleased with the results proceeded to do sideslips and maneuvering turns. I set the reflex at several positions and slowed up to near full aft stick to check low speed handling. Again the aircraft felt solid, while still responsive - particularly in roll. So much for the "work", I moved in close to the Cessna for some pictures, then made a low pass down the runway and landed just a sunset after 50 enjoyable minutes of flying." Best final approach speed for first flights is 75 kt. DO NOT forget to send us your change of address if you move. If you have a question that requires our answer, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Be sure to send any comments or suggestions for the newsletter. Also send us your builder tips and photos. Items to be covered in future newsletters: details on new cowling, long range fuel tanks, alternative aileron construction eliminating foam, cabin heater, ingress ladder, improved carb heat muff, external wood finishing procedure, and anything you suggest! Burt & Carolyn Rutan VVN2, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Charles Allen S/N 47. Canard ready for cover. Charles Allen, Elevators. Jim Cavis S/N 31, June 74 N27VV Ready for bottom cover N27VV in configuration for its first flight. Note tip plates and no cowling. N27VV parked on its tail at a dirt strip in Kansas. N27VV ready for outboard wings summer 1971. VVN2, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 3 Jan 75 Published quarterly by Rutan Aircraft Factory Burt & Carolyn Rutan Building #13, Mojave Airport P.O. Box 656, Mojave, CA 93501 (805) 824-2645 THE VARIVIGGEN program is now in high gear! We are very pleased to see the great number of excellent projects under construction. As of this writing we have received the plan's "page two" from 218 builders indicating that they are building or are planning to build. (Those of you with aircraft serial numbers have the updated builders list enclosed with this newsletter.) We estimate that about 150 projects are now in the construction stage. The following are photos of projects sent to us. We encourage all of you to send photographs for the newsletter (black & white), also, how about everyone with a project underway, sending a photograph and caption to Jack Cox, Editor of "Sport Aviation" (Box 229, Hales Corners, WI. 53130) for insertion in the "What Our Members are Building" section of the magazine. Also, "Sport Aviation" periodically prints a list of projects under construction. Send Jack your name and address and mention you are building a VariViggen. 150 builders on the next list would look real impressive! - - - - - - - - - **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Ken Guscott's Fuselage S/N 129 Dec 74 This shot from the back seat shows that the rollover structure does not block visibility - Photo by Peter Garrison New emblem on N27VV. Drawn by Jerry Slocum Charles Allen's Fuselage and Canard, S/N 47, Nov 74 J. Scheibinger (S/N 196), just for fun set his canard on the nose of his Volmer amphib! Carrol Holzworth's (S/N 2) canard & elevator ready to mount on fuselage. - - - - - - - - - VVN3, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- I didn't really think anyone would build the landing gear first, but Mike Melville (S/N 115 did. Excellent work, Mike. He's done with the inboard wing and most of the control system and may be the first to fly! **PHOTOS OMITTED** CONSTRUCTION MANUAL. For sometime now we have been wanting to provide photographs of the construction details. Since we did not take these during the construction of N27VV, we had been looking for a project on which to begin the photo series. Jim Cavis, S/N 031, has agreed to not only get professional quality detailed photos, but to write a construction manual with detailed information on tools, jigs, materials, construction hints, etc. This will be similar to the type of information on pages 11 and 12 of the plans but very detailed and expanded to about 30 pages, referring to approximately 75 detailed photographs. It will be published in two parts. Part one (fuselage, canard, inboard wing, vertical stabs, control system, and landing gear) should be ready by March or April and will include drawing changes to use the larger AN 220-2 control system pulleys which are much easier to obtain than those shown in the plans. Part two (outboard wings, canopy, engine installation, instruments, electrical system, seats, and fuel system) should be ready by about the end of the year. Price for the manual will be between $15 and $25. Complete details will be in the next newsletter. The following is a sample of photos from Jim's project taken in December. He now has the entire control system installed and is working on the landing gear. - - - - - - - - - **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Left Inboard Wing Rear Stick Area Looking aft in baggage area Spar G looking aft - - - - - - - - - VVN3, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTIVITY with N27VV has been almost nil for the last two months since we have had it in the shop to develop tooling for the fiberglass parts and exhaust system. Before N27VV was hangared though, Edwards Air Force Base invited us to participate in their open house display last November. The VariViggen blended in well with its red, white and blue, and fighter appearance. Also, writers Bill Cox, Don Dwiggens, and Peter Garrison did flight evaluations of the VariViggen that month. Keep watching for articles in "Flying", "Plane & Pilot", and "Science and Mechanics." We are planning to have N27VV flying in time to take it to San Jose, where we are guest speaker at EAA chapter 62 banquet meeting on February 15. We have been giving several presentations to EAA chapters and other interested groups. Then we will be filming a movie sequence for a film which depicts the 1990's. The VariViggen strafes and bombs a futuristic-looking car in a desert canyon area, then crashes - the crash is done with a model, of course! The airplane will then be inactive again for some improvements (see special performance), then we plan a U.S.A. tour with many stops, including of course, Oshkosh '75. We'll have more information on where and when in a future newsletter. VariViggen plans have received NASAD approval in AA category. COMPONENTS. We are behind the schedule we made in October for supplying the machined parts and fiberglass parts. What we thought we could do in a month has taken two or three (kinda like building an airplane!). the good news is that the machined parts for the first 25 airplanes are complete and they are beautiful. All steel parts are cat plated and baked. The nosegear strut is hard chromed and precision ground. Some builders have found it difficult locating the O-rings, backup rings, and scraper for the nose strut, so we have stocked up on these and can supply them with the nosegear housings. We also plan to build the NG36 scissors and NG20 'Y' bracket in machined aluminum with bushings to replace the welded homebuilt. Thus, we will be supplying the complete nosegear with the Scott assembly. We plan to offer this complete nosegear to builders of other aircraft types, but only after VariViggen builders have been supplied. Availability is now for the machined parts shown as "immed" in the catalog for the first 25 sets. The second production run will be available in one to three months. The fiberglass parts will all be made in first-class tools being prepared by Fred Jiran, well known in the sailplane crowd for his excellent work with European, glass sailplanes. All tooling was redone from my prototype molds at considerable expense, but the result will be much higher quality parts without the waviness seen in N27VV's parts. All parts will be supplied in primer gell coat finish. The visor part (F27) has been modified, raising by one inch the portion which connects to the leading edge of the windshield. This results in a better looking, further-aft slanted windshield, more instrument panel space, and a smoother matched mold line to the nosecone. If you have not already cut out the top edge of F41, leave it about 1 1/2 inch taller than on the plans and trim to fit F27. If it is already cut, it is a simple task to scarf on an extension. F20 can be notched down between the longerons to provide clearance for long radios or instruments to extend out over on top of the canard aft spar. Notching F20 all the way to flush with the canard top will not weaken the structure. While the external fit should not pose a problem, it is suggested that you trial fit F27 before skinning the fuselage sides so any builder tolerances can be trimmed out. The cowling tooling was a considerably larger task than we had anticipated due to the changed mold lines to enclosed the new exhaust system. In the design of the new cowling we made two decisions that will reduce the cost of your aircraft by over $200. First we are not using a prop extension. I originally thought this would be justified to provide a better looking aft closure. However, after finding that the prop extension now costs over $100, we modified the cooling outlet to provide a well-streamlined aft mold line without moving the prop aft as shown on the plans. Also, we are not using an expensive aircraft exhaust system. Instead of an expensive aircraft muffler, we used a simple manifold terminating in the center under the prop with the multiple hole outlet. The entire system was made up from stock bends (available at Midas) at a materials cost of less than $12. It's quiet and located so no exhaust-prop impingement occurs. The cowling is less bulky than it would be with a standard aircraft exhaust system and, best of all, you don't have to but the exhaust system - have you priced them lately? Full details and pictures will be supplied after all tests are completed. We could produce cowlings by February 15, but we will not start production until all flight tests on the prototype cowling are completed, thus we expect cowling availability toe in mad to late March. F23, F28, and F27 will be available by March 1. We only plan one master tool per part so all fiberglass parts can be made at a rate of only one set per day. The following items are still planned, but we cannot schedule their production until we have a better idea of the demand and can afford the investment in tooling: V-MG19, V-MGMA, V-RMA, V-MG14, VVSC, Engine Mount, Fuel Tank, Exhaust System. The car-top "wind tunnel" manual availability has been delayed until this summer. We built the new prototype system (see photos) but experienced failures with one type of the potentiometers used, after about five hours testing. A redesign is required, plus the demands on our time are preventing us from completing the textbook at this time. We were quite pleased with the new "wind tunnel" system as it gave us very accurate data in developing the aircraft shown in the photographs, which is a design we are building in order to break the existing world records for distance and speed in the under 500kg weight class. We are also delaying the Owners Manual, for a different reason, though. FAA is now proposing that homebuilts fall under a new set of regulations for custom built aircraft in which a builder can do his own annual inspections and maintenance if he has a "repairman's certificate," given only to the builder. If you buy your completed homebuilt from someone, you would have to have maintenance done by an A& P mechanic. Also required is a manual. There are several different proposals for the manual format and contents. One by FAA, one by EAA, and still another by NASAD. As soon as it is decided what the regulation will specify, I will arrange the VariViggen Owners Manual to match, including all additional information specified in our catalog, of course. If FAA still has no regs by this summer, we'll publish it anyway, since it has alot of important information for VariViggen operation. **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED** VVN3, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WING. We have started construction on an entirely new outboard wing panel design for testing on N27VV. First, a little background: We have done extensive testing on a new construction method using urethane foam and hand layup unidirectional fiberglass. I do not mean the Rand formulae of wood construction with foam and Dynel surface development. We actually make a tapered spar very easily by laying up layers of unidirectional glass, carve a wing using only three rib/templates, and cover with two crossed layers of thin unidirectional cloth. this method is light, strong, requires no particular skills or tools, and best of all, can be done in about 1/4 of the man hours required to build the metal wing. If this system meets test expectations, we will supply plans for outboard wings and rudders, thus taking the aluminum construction totally out of the design. A small cost savings is also possible. Since the unidirectional glass with the epoxy surface treatment is somewhat difficult to obtain in partial rolls, we are importing a large quantity from Europe and will make available kits for the outboard wings and rudders. No aircraft-quality wood is required. Now, for the really big news - the aerodynamic design of the wing panel. The original panel is a very, very conservative design from the stall standpoint, and retains the flat bottom out to the tip for ease of metal construction. Now that I have actual flight test data, I can design out some of the unnecessary stall margin, and reflex and twist the wing for optimum performance. I wouldn't recommend this for a new design, but it can be done with low risk, using actual flight test data. Considering the trip requirements, and designing for best climb and cruise performance without excessively reducing the G-capability, I have arrived at the following design and have started construction: Original VariViggen Increase VariViggen SP Span ft 19 23.7 25% Area sq ft 119 125 5% Aspect Ratio 3.03 4.47 47% ! Span Loading 89.5 71.83 -20% **SKETCHES AND GRAPHS OMITTED** Conservatively, we estimate a 25% increase in rate-of-climb at gross weight and a five to seven mph increase in cruise speed. That's almost 180 hp performance on the 150 hp engine! As you can see from the sketch, the new wing has a 15 gallon aux. fuel capacity. It will fit the inboard wing built to your plans and uses the save V-WAA (WA2 and WA3) wing atch. assembly as is used on the original outboard wing. It will also tie in directly with the current design AB10 aileron pushrod and should require no other changes. In addition, we are going to incorporate the recent NASA- developed "winglets" developed by Dr. Whitcomb in an attempt to further increase rate-of-climb. In summary, if the SP works as I think it will and retains the stall safety, we will have a very competitive performance aircraft to go along with our already superior handling characteristics. But that's an if, so please don't bother us alot with further questions now; we should have test data and a decision whether to make plans available by Newsletter #4. I do suggest that you hold off on purchasing materials and building the outboard wing if you have not already done so. VVN3, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER Modifications - True, the VariViggen is not a 4-place airplane, but it can easily be made into a 2 + 2 configuration with plenty of room and visibility for a 140-lb wife and one or two children, combined weight up to 110 lb. The sketch is self-explanatory. This is the best way to add some family utility without compromising cruise performance. Scaling up the outside dimensions to add more people will result in either slower speeds or higher fuel flow, depending on engine selection. **SKETCH OMITTED** As a two-place, the rear seat area is much larger than is usually needed, and a relatively minor modification can be made to increase fuel capacity, baggage capacity, and still hold a 6' 4" back seater in relative comfort. Again, the sketch is self-explanatory. This is probably the best way to increase range, since it does not add any complexity to the simple gravity-feed fuel system. **SKETCH OMITTED** ADHESIVES. I am still hearing about some builders using obsolete wood adhesives and varnish. That was S O P years ago, but inexcusable now that modern epoxies are available. With modern epoxies, the wood structure should last indefinitely. Here are two more very good adhesives: 1. FPL glue 16-A, available from Aircraft Spruce, Bx 424, Fullerton, CA. 92632, at $11/qt or $29.90/gal; 2. West System Epoxy, available from Gougeon Brothers, Bay city, MI. at $19.95/gal plus $5 for hardner (specify 206 hardner for 40 minute pot life). This latter one sounds excellent as it has a relatively fast cure of six hours and can be used as low as 40 degrees F temperature. It's a 5 to 1 mix, has a relatively low viscosity, and can be used directly for painting structure. It provides a 100% molecular bond between coats without surface preparation. For gaps over 1/32", it can be thickened with "401 fibers" (1.90 for a bag - enough for the entire aircraft) to fill even large gaps without decreasing strength. Send Gougeon Brothers an extra $ for their manual on this epoxy system. Pastor Jenkins, S/N 177, is using it on his VariViggen. He completed his fuselage structure and canard in only 12 days! VVN3, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PLANS Changes - Be sure to incorporate these revisions into your plans Now. Location - PL - Plans TR - Tech Report NL - Previous Newsletters Category - MEO - Minor error or omission OPT - Optional improvement DES - Desirous change - Does not effect flight safety but should be incorporated to improve aircraft or correct a fault MAN - Mandatory change - Must be incorporated as safety of flight is affected Category Location MEO NL2 pg 2 Change phone # to 824-2645. MEO PL pg 11 Center of page, change "W.L.18" to "W.L.22". MEO PL pg 4 Furane Plastics has closed their N.J. office. MEO PL pg 4 Western Ply & Door Co. no longer uses "Western" in their name. MEO NL2 pg 3 Wrong address for Spencer. Use the one on plans pg5, 8410 Dallas, Seattle, WA. 98018. MEO PL pg 50 Newsletter #2 changed the 1.63 and 1.7 dimensions to 1.75 because we found some belcrank bearings (MG7 - MS20218-2) with an outside flange of 1.75. Since then I purchased some MS20218-2's from Arts Surplus (address on plans pg 5) for $.75 each, that have a flange diameter of 1.67 which is the correct O.D. shown in the mil spec. We are machining the RAF-supplied MG5 & MG4 parts to fit the 1.67" bearings. If you are building your own MG5 & MG4, I suggest you get the MG7 bearing first, and fit the inside diameter to a slip fit on the bearing with a chamfer to clear the bearing radius. The RAF-supplied parts accomplish this. MEO PL pg 18,38 Some of you have found interference of the SA1 stick torque tube with F63 bulkhead. F63 should be modified in the center to have a notch rather than a hole to allow the tube to fit higher. If F63 is already fabricated, cut out the top edge and install a doubler plate as shown in the sketch. Also, to provide more clearance, you can move the entire stick assembly down by increasing the .8 dimension on SA12 & SA13 to 1.0 inch (plans pg 38). **SKETCH OMITTED** MEO PL pg 25 SPAR G - 2.3" dimension should be 2.5" so spar comes flush with the capstrips that cover rib WR25. This taper on spar G can be trimmed after installation to fit flush with the capstrips. MEO PL pg 38 Tube sizes on Detail A are incorrect, change to 3/8 x .063 spacer clamped by bolt & 1/2 x .063 spacer welded to SA2. MEO PL pg 42 RB2 - the 1/4" hole callout is wrong - should be drilled to be riveted to belcrank bearing the same as AB4, pg 40. A 7/8" hole & rivet pattern to fit RB5 is required. MEO PL pg 5 Cotterpin AN 330-3-3 should be AN 380-3-3. MEO PL pg 42 Cleveland Tool Co. no longer makes ball screw actuators. The correct part is RO 308, ask for 1/2 ft of screw and the RO 308 ball-nut assembly (about $45!) from Los Angeles Rubber Co., 2915 E. Wash., L.A., CA. MEO PL pg 25 Cut holes in WS24 outboard end for the landing gear cables before glueing in. (Notch in about 1" where it butts to WS7). MEO PL pg 53 Diode number omitted. Can be # 2761135 from Radio Shack. Also RG58/U can also be RG58/C or RG58/AU. MEO PL 2024 T-3 & 2024 T-4 aluminum callouts are reversed in several places in the plans. These are interchangeable in all cases. MEO PL pg 11 First column, change "quarter square" to "triangle". MEO PL pg 13 Antennae rods are 14.15" long. Don't scale dimension from drawing. MEO PL pg 18 F63 outside edge is drawn at B.L. = 12.25. This should be B.L. = 12.4. If you have already cut out F63, just ship out about 1/8" wider with 1/8" ply strips. DES PL pg 45 The forward bolt passing through NG37 cannot be tightened down hard without binding NG20 & NG36. While this has presented no problems on N27VV, it is a poor design practice & I am improving it by providing a spacer for the bolt to tighten on. The spacer can be 5/16" x .035 steel tube drilled out to press onto the 1/4" bolt. Drill out NG36 to 5/16" to fit over the spacer. I also strongly suggest a short length of 3/8" tube welded in the arms of the NG20 "Y" bracket to provide a better bearing surface. Also note that NG36 center pivot must be offset to prevent interference when the strut is deflected. Thanks, Mike Melville, S/N 115, for these suggestions. **SKETCHS OMITTED** VVN3, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- BUILDING Hints - Most of these were suggested by builders. If you have suggestions, please get them in for Newsletter #4. Build the fuselage and/or inboard wing jig at W.L. = -3 instead of W.L. = 0 to facilitate installation and removal of parts without having to notch the jig. F10 can be bent in place if done in the order stated on pg 11, but it takes alot of clamps since it is relatively stiff. you can saw notches in F10 about 1/2 way through, every 2 inches from F.S.22 to F.S.48 to make it easier to bend. The strength along F10 is not needed. Its primary function is to tie F11 and F15 together. When permanently installing Spar E, glue in WS2, WS5, WS6, WS7 and WS9. Let dry. Then bend WS1 over to fit and glue in WS1, WS8, WS10, WS3, and WS4. This keeps the bend in WS1 from deforming the flat bottom. Urethane foam (2 lb/cu ft) can be substituted for the balsa everywhere. Cover with one layer of 9 oz fiberglass - go easy on the resin, it's heavy. PE2, pg 39, can be fabricated easier in two parts and overlapped in the center thus: **SKETCH OMITTED** The nutplates for PE2, pg 39, are hard to get at, after installing WS3. Install them on F152 before installing the wing spar. F5 is cut curved, not bent. 90 degree or 45 degree plywood is okay. I used 90 degree throughout. A good stapler for skinning is the Aero T50. Use 3/8" long staples. I took a large screwdriver and ground a scoop shape on the blade to use as a scoop to pry the staples out once the glue is set. Due to their slant, bulkheads F41, F70, F91, and F121 come out short when the waterline drawings on pg 17, 18, and 19 are used as patterns. Some builders have made them short and just adjusted in place by notching up the longeron slots and shimming the top. This is perfectly fine, but if you haven't cut yours out, here are the dimensions for bulkhead patterns which should fit quite well. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Tom Hendricksen, who is building S/N 169 with a "full" IFR instrument panel, sent in his panel layout and a modification to mount the panel further aft, to provide clearance for the longer radios. Note that F27 visor does not quite extend to cover this panel but a small extension could be added. **SKETCHES OMITTED** VVN3, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOPPING Stolp Aircraft, 4301 Twining, Riverside, CA 92509 has 2024 alum extrusion angles. Columbia Airmotive, Box 436, Trout Dale, OR 97060, (503) 665-4896, has good prices and stock on hardware and has the 500-5 wheels and brakes for about $115. G & J Aircraft, 1115 So. Sultana, Ontario, CA 91761 (986-6534) has good hardware stock and good "scrounging" prices. Wicks Organ Co, Highland, IL 62249 will supply spars cut to size and has a complete plywood stock. J & M Aircraft supply, 1014 Joseph St., Box 7586, Shreveport, LA 71107 has a good overall hardware and materials catalog - send for it. Plywood & Door Co., 1555 Santa Fe, Long Beach, CA has birch 1/4" plywood 5-ply with outdoor glue for only about $.35 per sq. feet! This is not aircraft ply because it has some patched imperfections, but is still excellent quality and perfectly adequate. They also have a complete line of all plywood sizes, aircraft and non-aircraft - write for list, or go see them if you can. They deal only in plywood and service is good. Wiebe Wood Products (Newsletter #1) price per quart of M666 Epoxy glue is now $8.50 plus postage. Mr. Wiebe tells us that the price will probably be going up again, but that he will continue to supply our builders as best he can and will keep the price as low as possible. FLIGHT Test Assistance - We are planning to provide a pre-first flight inspection and initial flight test assistance service for our builders. This would involve us visiting your flight test area, giving your aircraft a very complete inspection, and rigging check, prior to first flight and either flying your first flight or checking you out in N27VV to improve your proficiency for your first flight. Providing flight test assistance in expanding the flight envelope of your airplane would also be very beneficial in assuring flight safety. This service will only be provided to those who are building the airplane without major modifications from the plans, and flight envelope expansion on your aircraft will be limited to the envelope shown in the aircraft operating limitations, plans page 3. We will provide this service to the first three builders who complete their aircraft, free of charge except for transportation costs. Transportation costs may also be eliminated if we can work it to coincide with another trip. Clarification of placement of WR12.6 with respect to fuselage. It's probably best to install WR12.6 capstrip after skinning fuselage sides. Fuselage skin should extend about 1/4" to 1/2" below wing top. Fuselage skin is notched to fit over wing spars. **SKETCH OMITTED** BARTER Corner - Everyone is welcome to a free ad for this section, after all, it's your newsletter. Jim Cavis reports he can sell the Pointer portable model 3000 ELT with voice modulation for $96.00 FOB Phoenix. That model lists for $160.00. Contact him directly at 8344 E Turney Ave., Scottsdale, AZ. 85251. Charles Allen would like to trade a set of new Cleveland 600x6 wheels and brakes for 500x5, or will sell for $75.00. He's also looking for an O-320 and the Scott nose wheel. Write to him at 1022 Hoedel Ct., Lafayette, CA. 94549. Jim Brunson, 5225 W. Ave. L-2, Lancaster, CA. 93537 has an O-320 Lycoming for sale. Ken Winter, 1538 E. 66th., Tulsa, OK 74136, S/N 133, has a partially completed BD-5A for sale. VVN3, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PARTS LOCATOR CHART OMITTED** VVN3, Page 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN NEWS NO. 4 APRIL 75 Published quarterly by Rutan Aircraft Factory Burt & Carolyn Rutan Building # 13, Mojave Airport P.O. Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-2645 Subscription rate: $4.75/yr, back issues/$1.00 each Current issue is included with Technical Report purchase. N27VV has seen a lot of action since newsletter number 3. We've logged nearly 100 hours on the new cowling, including trips to San Jose, Watsonville, and Flabob, Ca.; Phoenix, Az.; and Las Vegas, Nv. In addition, I flew the action-packed chase and bomb scenes for the movie "Death Race 2000," which opened April 30 in theaters in the Los Angeles area. We had a lot of fun doing the film, which required many hours of flying, doing close-in passes on race cars. On many of the passes, explosions were set off around the car just as I pulled up. The model used for the crash scene was built from our R/C model plans. The movie is rated R, so be ready for a little crude language and nudity. A lot of our recent flying has been to give rides and to put time on the new cowling. The cowling has added more performance than I thought it would and cools the engine much cooler than the old configuration. I'm now cruising at 152 mph at 75% power at 7500 feet with the external fuel tank, which means 155 without the tank. When we fly the new SP wing we expect to cruise close to 160 on the 150 hp Lycoming. The VariViggen was featured in May issues of "Flying," "Private Pilot," and "Plane and Pilot" magazines. As for our comments on the articles, I think they were well done with a few exceptions: The VariViggen does not lose altitude during a power application at normal approach speed and is not control limited as John Olcott mentioned in "Flying" (a retraction has been sent), and Don Crane did not make a full aft stick circuit and landing (that's not hardly recommended for a checkout!). Watch for another article in a future issue of "Mechanics Illustrated." Scheduled dates coming up include presentations at EAA chapter 40's meeting at Van Nuys, Ca., June 13, and the AIAA/EAA symposium at Boeing Field in Seattle, Wa., June 28. We'll also be attending the Porterville (Ca.) flying, June 16, and Oshkosh flying, July 29 to Aug. 4. Ken Ashdown (SN 069) from Ontario, Canada, will be giving a technical presentation on the VariViggen at the First Canadian Symposium on Recreational Aircraft, Ottawa, Carleton University, June 23-25. Another article about N27VV was written in the "Hangar Flyer" publication by Don Pridham, editor of EAA chapter 92, Orange County, Ca. His comments are reprinted here: "When we arrived at Flabob, the wind was still calm, but that nice state of affairs didn't last long enough. A REALLY strong 90 degree Santa Ana wind came up for quite awhile there, and everyone walked out near the runway to watch the sheep and goats being separated... At about the height of the wind gusts, Burt Rutan and the VariViggen came zapping into the pattern, came down like he was riding a string, painted it onto the runway without a trace of strain, pain, crabbing, slipping, or anything, turned off in about 6 lengths from touch-down, and taxied effortlessly past toward the tiedown. In the back seat was his enthusiastic and charming wife, Carolyn, and BOTH of their girls! I kinda remember seeing and talking to a large number of you friendly folks up there, looking at bunches of fine craftsmanship, and eating some excellent food prepared by Chapter 1, but what happened next sort of erased my mind totally on most other happenings. Joel Confair and I finally found Burt Rutan, who had been very busy fielding the myriad questions about the VariViggen. Joel had wanted to verify the time and place for our next meeting with him. Out of the blue, Burt says, "Don, how'd you like to take a ride in the VariViggen?" My jaw drops. Joel's drops further. "When?" "How about right now", he says. My mind is already popping circuit breakers as I'm thinking what Joel is mumbling (something about who's the Pres.) I consider of course stepping back, bowing a bit, and offering to let Joel go instead ---- HOWEVER, I have to live closely with a person who would never stop kicking my butt if I didn't go. ---ME! (So now I finally know -- when it gets down to me or somebody else for the goodies, it'll be me every time. Hah, the old id is really there, just like the shrinks say it is!) So in a numb hazy smiling kaleidoscope we belted in, taxied out staring at a few hundred camera lenses, and made an unreal take off. I watched the elevators very scientifically, and he brought them way down to lift the nose up. It came up very quickly and instantly we were going up at a shocking angle and rate of climb. The minute we were off, he started making a series of 90 degrees right and left turns. After a pass of the field, Burt announced he would demonstrate "departure stalls" (one can hear conversation very well, even though tandem). Thereupon he hauled up the nose in a steep left climbing turn, held it awhile, then stated, "OK, there it is." He then executed beautiful right and left steep banks and directional changes, all the while when it was technically "stalled". Actually we were still seeming to climb about 500fpm and things never felt the least bit "loose". Burt cranked into the downwind, aiming approximately at the cross on mount Rubidoux, approached the cross, CAME RIGHT UP TO THE CROSS ABOUT ONE INCH AWAY, and casually flicked into an instant left bank like a bored housefly in July. If I'd tried that in my Mooney, crews would have been picking up pieces scattered a mile East of the mountain, and I'd have been crucified. It's really strange though. I have a very healthy respect for flight, and what a plane can and can't (or shouldn't) do, yet not ONCE was I ever the least bit anxious, uneasy, or apprehensive. The VariViggen has a solid feel of confidence and safety throughout the entire flight regime. It is really the finest maneuvering craft I've ever had the pleasure to ride in, and at all times you REALLY KNOW IT'S FLYING. Landing was so apparently simple as to be nearly anti-climactic. Burt had saved another few surprises for the ground, though. Naturally, he had landed super-short, and said, "OK, watch this. We'll go taxiing right between those parked birds.", pointing to a pair of high wingers moored practically tip to tip, with ropes coming down at 45 degree angles and meeting about 6 feet apart. "Have you really thought seriously and adequately about this decision?", I say, as he goes chugging merrily through like he was only pushing a wheelbarrow. I sweat a bit finally that time, as I pictured three airplanes suddenly hugging each other in a big MUNCH! The ground handling is fantastic, as it can, I believe, turn in its own length and width, or bring its nose up touching a building, then turn left or right and taxi away without bumping a wing. (No reverse needed). People -- things are happening in EAA. Thanks, Burt." VVN4, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSTRUCTION MANUAL - Part one of the photo-illustrated construction manual, written by Jim Cavis, SN 31, with approximately 100 photos, is just about completed (includes fuselage, canard, inboard wing, vertical stabs, control system, and landing gear). Part one also includes helpful sketches on jigs and numerous building tips. The written information is similar to plans chapter 5, except expanded to about 35 pages. Also included are pulley bracket drawings for using of the AN220-2 pulleys. Part one will be ready June 15th. Cost is $18.50 (first class mail) and $20.50 for Overseas (Airmail). SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WING - The SP wing configuration still looks very similar to that shown in newsletter number 3, but I've greatly simplified the construction method and upped the wing fuel capacity to nine gallons per wing. The construction method was verified on the fiberglass VariEze wing, which was built in two days. We have completed all necessary structural static tests, thermal tests, and fuel compatibility tests. I'm now awaiting another shipment of unidirectional fiberglass to build the flight item SP wings and hope to have sufficient flight test data by mid June to show the acceptability of the new wing. ADHESIVES - Gougeon Brothers, 706 Martin St., Bay City, Mi 48706, whom we mentioned in newsletter number 3 as having an excellent epoxy glue for wood (105 Resin plus 206 Hardener at $25/gallon), now has a mini pump system which attaches to the cans and dispenses the correct ratio (5 to 1). Each stroke of the resin pump gives 1 oz.; each stroke of the hardener pump gives 1/5 oz. Good news is the price: $3.50 for both pumps. Get two sets; they're plastic and may have a limited life. Gougeon 105/206 still looks like the best resin, although Aerobond 2178 is also excellent (available from Aircraft Materials, 850 E. San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, Ca 94070). BUILDER'S PROJECT REPORTS - The following reports/photos were sent in by builders and I agree with the building hints suggested. You might consider them for your project. Charles Allen (SN 47) on fuel tank -"The tank was made this way mainly because I had on hand a sheet of 6061 .050 alum., which is a weldable alloy, but of course harder and springier than 5052 - I drew up the two end bulkheads on paper using rounded bends but straight sections in between - Cut the two body pieces at least 1" longer than needed, then bent the "rounded" corners on a friend's sheet metal brake. A series of slight bends is all that is needed, frequently holding the piece over the full-size end patterns to check accurate progress. A right angle flange is bent where the top and bottom pieces join. The two pieces are then joined by about 3 clecoes on each side on the inside flanges. Then the exact cut-off line on each end are drawn on the tank - and the tank is trimmed - I used a table saw, a plywood blade, and a lot of cotton in my ears. And of course safety glasses at all times! Each tank end is then set on the alum. sheet to be used for the end piece and traced. The ends are cut out allowing at least 1/2 - 3/4" for a bent flange all around. Saw cuts are made into the corner areas. The good thing about this is a form block for each end is not necessary - Just a 2x4, or 6, clamped along the straight sections and those sections bent over. The small tabs are bent over a small block. The ends are clecoed onto the tank body. First the .032 baffle is made, put in place. Also the holes for the filler neck, tank gauge and vents and bottom fittings are drilled - I do not flange those holes - Welding the fittings directly to the tank is adequate. The whole thing is then taken to a good heli-arc welder - I left the tank gauge hole open - checked for leaks and then used sloshing compound on the inside to make sure - The tank gauge was bolted to .063 alum. plate which was then riveted to the top of the tank using closed-end pop rivets - Sealing compound was put on between tank and plate first - Tank was then primed with zinc chromate and painted - Sounds complicated - but it really is not." **SKETCH OMITTED** Vernon Williams (SN 189) on reflex screw (RM5/RM6) - "The reflex screw is from a 5" craftsman "C" clamp. It is a 5/8 - 8 acme thread. I cut the neck off the clamp and turned it to fit inside a 3/4" tube. The whole tube assembly is brazed onto the gear of the motor (Ford unit) which has been turned down to fit inside the tube... When turning the drive gear down on one of these motors some precautions are needed because the teeth of the drive gears are hardened and will eat a common tool bit right up. First grind the teeth down to near the base diameter of the gear. Then, you can chuck the drive gear directly in a three jaw chuck and by using a fast turning speed and carbide cutter you can turn the rest of the gear down." Vernon Williams on inboard wing spar - "The key to this method of construction is to build spar E first. I built mine complete out to FS 25. In building the spar, make your wing ribs first and take the measurements for the spar height from your actual ribs and not from the plans. This is necessary because the drawing shows the height at FS 153 which is in the middle of the spar. Also at least one of the dimensions given is off at least 1/2"* ... I made a stub (about 12") WR25 to use as a spacer and have made the WS9 and WS10 webs. I plan to drill all the holes to mount the wing attach fittings, main gear pulley, and the aft gear pivot point before I even mount the spar on the firewall. The main advantage I see is that when you mount the spar on the firewall (be sure and support it or the weight will pull the firewall down) it gives a nice straight, level, and strong datum to build the wing from. Also, the spar can be out where you can drill the important holes in a drill press. In assembling the whole mess, the WR25 can be slid in and turned up to fit in place and the WS9 and WS10 webs can then be glued in place (the wing attach fittings can be used as clamps) and then the rest of the ribs can be added ... Instead of trying to bend WS1, I made it straight and then bent the WS3 and WS4 caps to form the curve of the spar. Then I set my bandsaw to cut the 4 degrees bevel and trimmed the height slightly oversize. Then I got out my trusty Jack Plane and planed it to size. This makes a nice looking spar which should (I hope) make building the wing easier." * Be sure to note the correction on the spar height at B.L.=0 (7.8 dimension should be 7.3). VVN4, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** N27VV and the Monster Car Filming "Death Race 2000" Model Being Set Up for Crash Scene Carolyn with the Monster Car Driven by David Carradine In "Death Race 2000" Orville Winfield, SN 114, Fuselage and Canard Charles Allen's Tank in Place Mike Melville's Nosegear Motor Mike Melville's Main Gear Charles Allen's Tank Vernon William's Spar E Vernon William's Reflex Screwjack Mike Melville's Maingear Motor View from Underneath, Looking Aft VVN4, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAN'S CHANGES - Be sure to incorporate these revisions into your plans now. Location PL Plans TR Tech Report NL Previous Newsletters CAT Catalog Category MEO Minor error or omission OPT Optional improvement DES Desirous change - Does not effect flight safety but should be incorporated to improve aircraft or correct a fault MAN Mandatory change - Must be incorporated as safety of flight is affected CATEGORY LOCATION CHANGE DES PL pg 59 NG38, change 1/16 to 3/32 cable. OPT PL pg 40 AB4, move cable shackles 1/2" closer to pivot (change 5.5 to 5.0) to allow sufficient cable clearance with MG6. MEO NL#3 pg 7 Change Aero T50 to Arrow T50. MEO PL pg 51 MG42, spool 0.5" width should be 5/8" to allow sufficient cable room. Change 1/16" roll pin to 3/32". MEO PL pg 24 7.8" dimension on Spar E should be 7.3". OPT PL pg 39 Tilt the lower edge of PB2 rearward about 1/2" to allow more cable clearance with SA6. MEO PL pg 46 NG1, .5" should be .6". .85" should be . 95". DES PL pg 38 SA5 has inadequate lateral stiffness. Stiffen by welding 3 pieces to top rim as shown: **SKETCH OMITTED** DES PL pg 44 Engine position is shown on the plans only by locations of the mount pads on the engine mount drawing. To obtain more prop clearance and the correct fit to the cowling, the crankshaft at the prop flange should be located at W.L.32 (prop flange at F.S.186.5). For conical mounts (not dynafocal) the top mounts should be at W.L.36.2 and the bottom mounts at W.L.26.55. More details on this are shown on the instructions included with cowlings. Delete the F.S.189 circle on PL pg 6. Add a 12" circle with center at W.L. 32. Lable it F.S.186.5. OPT PL pg 39 PE2, change 1.3 to 2.0 and change 1.8 to 2.5. This moves cable forward to provide extra clearance with MG43 gears. (May not be required - depends on your MG43 installation. MEO PL pg 28 VS1, 2.8 dim. should be 2.5. MEO PL pg 17 A fairlead should be installed at B.L.4.3 and W.L.6.3 on F51 to position the rudder cable below F21. MEO PL pg 45 Turnbuckle required on 1/16" cable that runs gear up & down cannot be a standard turnbuckle since they use up too much cable room and would run up on either pulley. Total disturbed cable length must be less than 4 1/2" including nicropress sleeves. N27VV has a short homemade turnbuckle made from 2 shackles and a short length of threaded alum tubing. Another method is to eliminate the turnbuckle and adjust tension with a small idler pulley. Vernon Williams substituted a chain as suggested on the plans and he reports excellent results with a Boston K2512 pulley and No. 25 chain. LANDING GEAR RETRACTION GEARING We are recommending mandatory changes to increase the retraction/ extension forces on the landing gear . These new gearing changes will allow use of either the Dodge or Ford window motors and will result in positive gear retraction for all allowable aerodynamic conditions . NOSEGEAR - The system shown on the plans is inadequate for inflight retraction loads with the nosegear door installed, particularly when using the Ford window motor. It is necessary to gear the motor similar to the maingear motor installation to provide adequate retraction torque. Ratio required is between 3:1 and 5:1. The following gears, available from Boston gears (check your local Yellow Pages), will work well: Boston No. P. Dia Hole Price (1971 Catalog) NA11B 0.6 5/16 $1.95 Mount to motor NA50 2.5 3.8 $7.50 Mount on NG6 Be sure to test the power of your retraction by pulling 15 lb aft at the nosewheel with a fish scale while the gear is being retracted. The following quote and photo from Mike Melville further clarifies the installation: "I am delighted to report that my nose gear retracts effortlessly in about 10 seconds even with a constant 15 lb aft pull. Pulling the pin and swinging the gearmotor away from the gear allows the nosegear to freefall down and lock. It works perfectly and I could not be more pleased. Also, when I lowered the gear ratio, I did not move the spool NG1, but I lowered the gear motor downward until the small gear engaged the bottom of the large gear. This worked out well, as nothing now protrudes up into the canard." I understand it is possible to find a gear which will mesh directly with the gear provided on the Ford or Dodge unit. This eliminates the need to adapt a small gear to the motor. Don't ask where to find this gear though, as I have no source and those who have found one scrounged them at surplus outlets. MAIN GEAR - Plans call out a 1:4 reduction for MG43 gears. This should be increased to between 1:6 and 1:9. The following Boston gears will fit and work well, providing a 7.3 ratio: Boston No. P. Dia Hole 1971 Price NA11B 0.6 5/16 $1.95 Mount to motor NA80 4.0 1/2 $9.40 Mount on MG41 VVN4, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- NB series gears can be substituted for the NA series on either nose or main gears. The following quote and photo further clarifies Mike Melville's excellent installation: (Photo on page 3) "The view of the motor assy shows it temporarily clamped in position with 2 "C" clamps. I used a 12-tooth gear on the motor and 97-tooth gear on MG41. It retracts in 12 seconds and is not affected at all by pulling 10 lb outward on each gear (during retraction). My wife says I am like a kid with a new toy!! I have not had the courage to drop the main gear all the way from the top (emergency extension system) as I am afraid it will break something! It is probable that my MG6's will snap solid into place (down lock) when I do let it freefall. I will try this after I get the bottom skin on." As I remember, I waited to skin the bottom also, before testing the emergency freefall system. MG6 (MG5 Lugs) have always snapped into the locked position during emergency freefall testing. Depending on your gear motor and gears selected, you may have to modify the shaft in the gear motor and provide a shaft bearing on the outside of the gear. The following sketch shows Mike Melville's modification: **SKETCH OMITTED** Of course, if gears are available which would mesh directly with the gear on the Ford or Dodge motors and provide 4:1 ratio for nose gear and 8:1 ratio for main gear, the installation would be greatly simplified. If anyone knows of a source of these size gears, let RAF know and we will print it in a future newsletter. MAIN GEAR DOWNLOCK ADJUSTMENT The plans do not show any adjustment on the snubbing of the gear in the downlocked position. I have noticed a slight amount of freeplay in N27VV's right gear after 400 hours that is not serious enough to require attention but I am recommending that you include an adjustable wedge that can slide sideways to provide downlock snub adjustment. The MG4 beams sold by RAF were machined shorter than the plans due to an error, but these will now fit well when used with the downlock adjustment. If you are making your own MG4 beams, make them approximately 1/4" short on the end so they will fit with the downlock adjustment. To provide the best downlock geometry with the adjustment installed and the shorter MG4 beams, move the pivot for the MG5 lugs outward (toward the wing tips) about .15" to B.L.34.15. This move is not absolutely required, though, if you have already located the pivot at B.L.34, the downlock will function with a thicker wedge on the downlock adjustment, and the gear total motion to the extended position will be closer to 92 degrees than the 97 degrees shown on the plans and the main gear extended position will be inboard of the B.L.40 position shown in the plans and should result in more even tire wear than on N27VV (I now have to reverse the tires during the wear cycle since they wear more on the inboard side). The sketches show the geometry of the downlock adjustment and the new position of MG4 and MG5 in the locked condition. **SKETCHES OMITTED** BUILDING TIPS You don't need to weld the caps on NG13 with the nutplates riveted inside. You can drill two 5/8" holes on the front or back near the ends and install the nutplates, or a locknut, after welding. The following are the Lycoming-listed dry weights for the engines recommended for VariViggens: 0-235-242 lb, 0-320-273 lb, I0320-292 lb, and 0-360-285 lb. Vernon Williams has ordered a ground-adjustable wood prop from Bernhard Warnke, Box 50762, Tucson, Az. 85705. This appears to be a good way to have the safety and light weight of a wood prop and also have the flexibility of the adjustable feature. (See March 75, "Sport Aviation" for article.) We are presently working with Sensenich in the development of a wood prop for VariViggens that is similar to the wood props they developed about two years ago for the Thorp T-18 homebuilt. More details after flight testing when this one is available. The Fafnir number for the 5/16" belcrank bearing is BC5W11. The following sketch shows the position of the skin scarf joints on the fuselage and inboard wing of N27VV. 50"x50" birch plywood was used. Grain was 'forward-aft' except for the large piece on the inboard wing which is parallel to the leading edge. **SKETCH OMITTED** VVN4, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOPPING - The following companies have excellent spruce kits for the VariViggen. They include all spruce cut to the sizes shown on plans page 4. I can vouch for their excellent quality. Write them for prices and availability. Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, Box 424, Fullerton, Ca 92632; Aircraft Materials Co., 850 E. San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, Ca 94070. Some builders have had problems locating the very important decimal steel tape measure, suggested in Newsletter #1. Bill Riddell (SN 50) reports that he has access to a large number of the 61-112 rulers and any builder can send him a check for $6.50 which includes postage and he will send a ruler. Bill Riddell, 4575 Shadesview Dr., Pensacola, Fl 32504. Lloyd Toll, Box 303, Hazen, Ar 72064 does excellent alum welding and is equipped to build fuel tanks for VariViggens. He has a lot of fuel tank experience. Write him for quote. The following company has a stock of aluminum at 1970 prices, 50cents/lb!: McGowan Company, Inc., 560 E. Maitland, Ontario, Ca. NEW PRODUCTS FROM RAF Add the following items to your RAF Catalog. Prices and availability as indicated. V-CSP - We have a limited number (5 ship sets) of the LS-806 pulleys in stock now. These are the 2-bearing pulley used in the primary control system (10 places) and fit the brackets drawn in the plans. They are new and equal or better quality than the best AN220 pulley. Price is $3.75 each if picked up here. Add 25 cents for each pulley ordered to cover packaging and postal/UPS shipping charge if you want them shipped. V-INRIBS - This is a package of birch plywood pieces with all the inboard wing ribs (except WR46) drawn on them (full size of course!). The homebuilder saws along the lines with a saber saw or band saw to fabricate the ribs (eliminates scaling up plans). A 2-inch overlap is drawn on the longer ribs for the homebuilder to scarf together. Price $78.00. Availability JUN 20. Add $5 for packaging if not picked up at RAF. Shipped freight collect. V-BKHDS - This is a package of birch plywood pieces with F20, F32, F41, F51, F63, F70, F91, F103, F111, F121, F137, and F152 drawn on them. Eliminates scaling up the plans; builder cuts along lines to fabricate bulkheads. Price $169.00. Availability JUN 5. Add $5 for packaging if not picked up at RAF. Shipped freight collect. This package also includes WR46 inboard wing ribs. 3/8" ply is marine fir AA grade. V-CMAN1 - VariViggen Construction Manual (part 1) - See description elsewhere in this newsletter. Availability, 15 June '75. Price $18.50 including first class mail, or $20.50 for air mail Overseas. VARIVIGGEN COMPONENTS All machined parts are in stock in adequate supply except V-WAA which we are down to two ship sets and it will be about six weeks until we get more. We can sell the eight tapered pins separately if you want to fabricate your own straps and buy the heat-treated, cad-plated taper pins. Note that they are tapered 3/4" per foot rather than the taper shown in the plans. Thus, a standard pipe taper reamer can be used to taper your straps (before heat treat of course!). Price for the eight pins alone is $37.00 including packaging. Some builders have asked why NGSA is so expensive. The following is a list of the operations required to build it, which gives you an idea of why the cost is so high: Cut three 4130 steel tubes to length and face ends, machine plug to close tolerance for shrink fit in tube, shrink fit plug and tube, fabricate 'U'-shaped part which fits the Scott assembly, weld assembly of five parts (weld backs up the shrink fit to assure no leakage), heat treat, grind strut, hard chrome, re-grind strut, mask strut, cadplate lower end, bake assembly for surface embrittlement. I've had the entire nosegear assembly from the parts in the first 25 ship sets on N27VV for the last 50 flight hours and have had no problems at all with any of the parts. Do not order backup rings for the nosegear installation. The strut is designed as a low pressure assembly and provides excellent sealing with the o-ring alone with no requirement for backup rings. We will still supply the O-ring set and scraper to complete the nosegear assembly. If you are building your own nosegear parts, machine the o-ring groove to fit the o-ring only and do not use backup rings. Installation instructions are included with all RAF-supplied machined parts. All fiberglass parts have been in stock since March 5th. Installation instructions included with all fiberglass parts include drawings detailing the installation of landing light, all doors, engine cooling baffling, engine induction system, exhaust system, cowling exhaust shields, carb-heat system cabin heat system. Note that unlike conventional baffling, VariViggen cowling installation results in the magnetos and fuel pump running in cold air rather than air heated by the engine cylinders. This extends magneto life and eliminates vapor lock. Instead of my description of fiberglass parts, I'm including a quote from a letter from Mike Melville (SN 115). "What can I say, Wow! Much to my delight, my fiberglass parts arrived today, in perfect condition and beautifully packed. The shipping charge was very reasonable and the quality of the parts is outa-sight!! I could not be more pleased. I expected them to be good, but this is really professional quality. Just super! I also received my "Flying" magazine and was pleased to see the article about the Viggen. I think it is an excellent article and the photos are great. The new cowling looks good in the last photo. I love mine, the finish is unbelievable. The instructions are worth their weight in gold as well." The new nosecone design eliminates the F26 metal ring by providing a joggle which allows bonding the plexiglass dome on flush without a ridge on the outside. Our packaging cost for the set of all fiberglass parts is $20.00. If you pick up these parts here at the Mojave Airport you can save $20.00. VVN4, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Exhaust System. Note squashed ends and multiple lower outlet holes. Complete exhaust system installation instructions are supplied with cowlings. RAF-Supplied Machined Parts RAF-Supplied Nose Cone on Jim Canis's Fuselage F27 - Visor New Cowling from Front RAF-Supplied F28. Note air outlet and recess for fuel servicing door. New Cowling from Rear VARIEZE The VariEze, a prototype aircraft built at RAF since Newsletter #3, is nearing completion. First flight should be before June 1st. This aircraft is being built as a research project to evaluate the feasibility of a high-aspect ratio (eleven, on wing and canard) canard configuration for optimum cruise performance. This aircraft may be offered in plans and kit form if it proves to have good flying qualities and safety and when we have completed all flight tests, including spin, flutter, environmental, and reliability tests. In the mean time, we hope to use it to capture most of the important speed and distance records in the under 500 kg weight class. Releasable specs are shown in the following. Please don't ask us for any more information than is shown here as all other information must be withheld pending completion of the appropriate development and testing. When it's available, further information will be in "Sport Aviation" magazine and in "VariViggen News." Construction - Fiberglass/Foam composite, no structural wood or metal Wing Area - 49 Square Feet Wing Span - 24 Ft Canard Area - 14 Square Feet Canard Span - 12 ft Gross Weight - 870 lb Empty Weight - 380 lb (VFR) Two-Place Wing Loading 13.8 PSF Pwr - Volkswagen or Franklin 60 Direct drive, prop mounted on engine Elevons on canard, no control surfaces on wing Fixed main gear - airfoil-shaped, molded fiberglass strut. Retractable nose gear - ball/screw assembly allows retraction/extension on the ground with crew in the airplane. Thus, the airplane "kneels" and parks on its nose. Directional stability provided by Whitcomb 'winglets' with single-action rudder/speedbrake surfaces. Only about 25% of the number of parts as in a conventional structure/configuration. Structural method allows maintenance of exact surface contour for even severe flight loads. Flight surfaces are being contoured to within .003" per 2" surface waviness. All performance estimates are being withheld - I refuse to claim estimates that I myself don't believe, and since this is now just a research project, I cannot answer any questions pertaining to it. Sorry. **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** VariEze Wind-Tunnel Model VariEze Prototype. Butt's dad, George, is holding wing. VariEze Prototype in Front of RAF Headquarters. VVN4, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Stewart received this letter and sketch from a friend: "Dear Jerry, Have uncovered an obvious mistake in the design of the sportplane you are building. The rudders are supposed to be attached to the elevators - not the wings. (The designer was celebrating April first when he drew the plans.) Shifting the rudders to the rear (as shown) will also greatly improve forward visibility and will keep the plane from spinning wildly during flight. If you're in doubt about which way it goes - I suggest you start from the middle of the runway when you start your take-off run. Above all - remember to land just before the fuel gauge reaches full. (If the same guy designed your parachute, - you're in real trouble!)" **SKETCH OMITTED** FLASH! World's first VariViggen gear-up landing. The newsletter was held up to include the details of my first gear-up landing. It occurred during the air-show at the Corona regional EAA Flyin, May 4. N27VV gave airshow demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday for the flyin. On Sunday, I had completed the airshow demo, all except the landing; when I moved the gear handle down, I heard a different noise and noted that although I had electrical power to the main gear (transit light on) the mains did not come down. The failure was later determined to be the spring that connects to MG24 uplock arm. The spring had apparently been knicked with pliers when forming the hook on one end in 1970 when the spring was installed. Five years later, during the airshow demo, the spring broke. Without this spring, the right main gear remained locked up. After several passes over the crowd, for inspection of gear position and some radio discussion with those on the ground on whether or not to land in an adjacent grass field, I decided to land on the main hard surface runway with the nose gear down. This was taking the risk that the nose gear would not fail and thus reduce the damage. I made a "full-stall"-type landing with engine and switches off and after a short roll/slide, I got out to inspect the damage. Damage was limited to one skid (VS1 extension with small wheel) a small scrape on one wing tip -(only one rivet damaged) and partial collapse of my centerline fuel tank. The tank remained attached firmly on its mount and did not leak. The nose gear took the 'slap down' load well with no damage. About 20 volunteers lifted the aircraft up while I scampered underneath to manually free the uplock and to lock the gear down. I then taxied back to a hangar, inspected the aircraft, elected to pin the main gear down and locked for the flight home and within 1 1/2 hours of the gear-up landing, I took off and flew it back to Mojave where I was greeted by 60-knot surface winds. Landing and taxi-in were uneventful despite the fact that at the time, two other aircraft were being jerked from their tiedowns and suffered wind damage much greater than my earlier gear-up landing! I learned a bit from this experience: 1. Inspect uplocks during preflight and use appropriate quality control during their installation. 2. If faced with a main gear-up landing, pull the main gear circuit breaker, extend the nose gear and make a landing with the nose quite high (full flare) on a hard surface. This landing is really not more difficult than a conventional landing and you can expect very little damage. 3. Gear-up landings on VariViggens are far safer than on conventional aircraft where one of the first things to get damaged is the carb and fuel line and the possibility of a fire exists. 4. Note that the emergency extension free-fall system backs up an electrical failure and a mechanical failure of the electrical motor and gear box, but does not extend the gear with a jammed uplock. I do not recommend a design change of any type since the gear has had nearly 1000 satisfactory cycles during all types of weather and flight conditions. Any change now would be starting at zero experience with a resulting increase in risk. 5. Gearup landings have a very positive appeal from a marketing standpoint. It emphasizes how rugged the structure is (to survive with only minor damage) since we immediately received seven orders for plans from people who saw the landing! VVN4, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN NEWS No. 5 July 75 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY JAN, APL, JLY, OCT by Rutan Aircraft Factory Burt & Carolyn Rutan Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport P.O. Box 656, Mojave, Ca 93501 (805) 824-2645 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/year OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $5.75/year BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each **SKETCH OMITTED** VVN5, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS NEWSLETTER is being written in the last few days of hustling around, completing all the preparations for Oshkosh '75. The last few months we have really been busy with our new airplane's first flight only eight weeks ago and the new SP wings for the VariViggen being flown only a week ago. So, I hope you excuse us if the newsletter is a little short and somewhat disorganized. We need a name for the newsletter! Now that the newsletter is being expanded to include the VariEze as well as VariViggen, our old name is no longer good. Please send in your suggestions, possibly a name using the word canard? VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WINGS The new all-glass special performance wings for the VariViggen (see Newsletter #3) were flown for the first time on July 16. The performance improvement has been as expected: rate of climb at sea level, 1600-lb weight, is just over 1000 fpm! For rate of climb at altitude, add about 150 fpm to the curve shown in the VariViggen Technical Report. Cruise performance is higher, also. With the new wings and the new RAF-supplied cowling, the cruise speed at 8000 feet is 159 mph using the 0-320 engine at 75% power. The SP wings were flown both clean and with winglets. The winglets add directional stability, help the rate of climb at low speeds, and have no effect on the cruise speed. What are winglets? Winglets are two vertical fins on each wing tip. They were designed by Dr. Whitcomb from NASA who previously developed the transonic area rule principle and the supercritical and GA(W) airfoils. VariEze, N7EZ, was the first aircraft to fly with winglets although hundreds of hours of windtunnel tests were previously conducted by NASA. The lower surface winglet extends from the leading edge back to 33% of the tip chord. This surface is cambered inward and is inclined 30 degrees out from vertical. The upper surface winglet extends from 33% of the tip chord aft. This surface is cambered outward and is inclined 15 degrees out from vertical. Winglets are optimized to unwind the tip vortex to the greatest extent possible. This reduces induced drag, resulting in a 6% fuel saving. In addition, the local incidence of the surfaces are inclined to produce forward thrust which offsets the parasite drag of the vertical fins. This is possible due to the high amount of lateral flow near a wing tip. **SKETCH OMITTED** The SP wings hold 18 gal of aux fuel, which increases max range to near 600 miles. This fuel is pumped into the normal fuselage tank by an electric pump. The tanks have flush caps and are filled individually. The weight of the new wings are about the same as the old, metal wings. The tiedown points have been moved to near the tip to allow more convenient attachment of the most common tiedown systems. The SP wings use the same WA3 straps which are used on the metal wings. These bolt to a stub wood spar which is only two ft long. The rest of the spar is unidirectional fiberglass. The entire skin, trailing edge spar, and ailerons are glass/foam composite. No ribs are used. The SP wings were built in about 110 man-hours which is only 1/3 the time needed for the aluminum wings. Finishing time to obtain a first-class surface contour added about 30 man-hours. A large number of photos were taken during the new wing construction for use in the SP wing plans. The plans will also show many details to educate the builder in the methods of structural fiberglass application. The plans will also include drawings of a foam/glass rudder. Thus, all the sheet-metal structure will be removed from the aircraft. Flight tests have shown only a one-mph cruise speed change with reflex position, thus reflex control probably will not be required for a VariViggen with SP wings. I need to do more flight testing with the new wings before I decide on this for sure, but it looks as though we may recommend a fixed reflex and lengthening the nose gear about 2" to allow a slower nosewheel lift-off speed without the aid of up reflex. Rate of climb does not seem to change with reflex position when using the SP wing. All modifications required and details will be included with the plans. The wings will be "service tested" on the Oshkosh trip. We will start work on the construction drawings when we return. I expect plans availability by October. We do not plan to stock the foam, since it is readily available from other suppliers. We will have the unidirectional fiberglass though, since it is not readily available in partial rolls. We will not stock the Shell epon epoxy resin, but we will refer you to several retail suppliers. VVN5, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE ON WOOD ADHESIVES - I have received two separate reports from builders who have had poor results from the epibond resin recommended in the plans. Apparently the supplier has been sending out resin which is out of shelf-life or otherwise unsatisfactory. Until this is resolved, I recommend the use of only the epoxies shown in previous newsletters, rather than epibond. VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES - I can't really believe it, but since newsletter #4, I have received no notices of errors or improvements in the plans! Is everyone asleep or have we finally weeded out most of the corrections? There are important plans changes in the last four newsletters. VariViggen builders who do not have these, should purchase the back issues ($1 each; no charge for Newsletter # 1). VARIVIGGEN FUEL TANKS AND ENGINE MOUNTS - Vernon Williams (s/n 189) has made five fuselage fuel tanks and will have them on display and for sale ($175.) at Oshkosh. The tanks are excellent quality and include the filler neck and finger strainer. He has also produced dynafocal- type engine mount for his VariViggen and may be talked into making one for yours. Contact him directly - #4 Southmont Circle, Little Rock, Ar 72209. VARIVIGGEN KICK-IN STEP - VariViggen prototype, N27VV, has been equipped with a kick-in step to allow front cockpit boarding without the ladder. This was a relatively simple modification requiring only about three man-hours. The following sketch is self-explanatory. The shorter-legged pilot may want to move the step up about three inches to easily allow his leg to swing over the side. **SKETCHES OMITTED** VARIVIGGEN INBOARD WING RIBS AND BULKHEAD KITS - Our apology to those who ordered these items at the availability date noted in Newsletter 4 and then waited over six weeks for delivery. Our supplier was unable to meet his initial estimate and when the first kits were inspected, several changes were required. All back orders should have been shipped by 22 July. The bulkhead kits also include F5, F7, F8, F9, and F18 pieces, as well as excess plywood. VARIVIGGEN CONSTRUCTION MANUAL - Part One of the construction manual has been in stock since June 26. The manual with its many photos is proving to be very beneficial, particularly to the first-time builder. Part One does include landing gear construction, but is not as detailed in this area as it should be. More landing gear construction information will be included in Part Two. The construction manual will not cover the outboard wings, since these will be well photo documented and the procedure will be detailed in the SP wing plans. NEW PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM RAF - VariEze Information Kit - includes approximately 4000-word description, 14 photos, and one 8"x10" glossy, all specifications, performance charts, homebuilt program, etc. $5. - includes first class mail ($6.00 Overseas). VariEze Embroidered Jacket Patch - Tri-colored; VariEze planform - $1.95 each. BUILDING TIPS - If your wood pieces do not fit perfectly for gluing, merely mix asbestos fibers (available from Gougeon Brothers, 706 Martin St., Bay City, Mi 48706) in to thicken the epoxy, so it will not run out of the gap. Structural joints can be made with gaps as great as 1/16" and non-structural "fill-ins" can be done up to 1/2". SHOPPING - Partz Corp., 1232 W. Main, Owosso, Mi 48867, (517) 725-8565 will anodize approximately 100 small alum. fittings for $15.00. Suggest certified mail, return receipt requested, if you mail your parts to them. LOOK FOR ANOTHER VARIVIGGEN ARTICLE in "Science and Mechanics" magazine - on the newsstand after September 30. The following is the schedule of forums at Oshkosh '75 by Burt Rutan: Design Forum - Friday VariEze - Saturday VariViggen - Sunday VVN5, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE COMPLETES 95-HR FLYING - TO BE OFFERED AS A HOMEBUILT IN 1976 The VariEze prototype, N7EZ, has been logging a lot of flight time for such a new prototype. It made its first flight on 21 May 75 (almost exactly three years after the VariViggen prototype). The initial test program was completed on 8 July and the area restrictions were lifted. Since then it has been flown to the Hollister fly-in here in California, and on a 1000-mile round trip to Tucson, Arizona. The back seat has been fitted with a temporary long-range fuel tank for the distance record attempts. Dick Rutan, Burt's brother, plans to fly N7EZ nonstop from Mojave, Ca to Oshkosh, Wi on 1 Aug 75. Then, within the next week, an official FAI/NAA closed-course distance record attempt will be made. Look for an article and the VariEze on the cover of the September issue of "Air Progress." The VariEze was designed for maximum cruise economy. It can demonstrate 70 mi/gal with 30% power at 135 mph; at maximum cruise speed with 75% power, 48 mi/gal can be obtained at 185 mph. Climb performance for the Volkswagen-powered two place is 1200 fpm at 880-lb gross weight (two people, 1000-mi range), and 1800 fpm at single-place weight of 625 lb. The aircraft can carry two 6-ft, 4-in people and two specially designed suitcases. The name, VariEze (pronounced, "Very easy"), refers to the aircraft's ease of construction: The prototype was built entirely from fiberglass in composite form using rigid foam as core material, and simplicity was the key in structural/system design. This fall, the VariEze prototype will be making assaults on the following FAI World Records in the under 500-kg (1102-lb) weight class: RECORD NOW HELD BY CURRENT RECORD ESTIMATED VARIEZE CAPABILITY Distance Kaarlo Heinonen In A Finland 1767 Mi 4400 Mi Straight Line HK-1 Distance Ed Lesher In A USA 1554 Mi 4400 Mi Closed Circuit Teal Speed For Ed Lesher 2000 km USA 142 mph 185 mph Circuit Teal Speed For Ed Lesher 1000 km USA 169 mph 235 mph Circuit Teal (Turbo Charged) Several changes were made during the initial test program. The pitching moment of the main wing was too great, which transferred too much load to the canard. This was temporarily corrected with metal tabs taped to the wing trailing edge and later permanently corrected by a change in the main wing airfoil. The original canard configuration may have been susceptible to flutter. A modified canard with distributed, overbalance weights has corrected this. The canard uses the GA(W) airfoil which has not performed as well as had been expected. Its chord is only 14 inches, thus at stall, the Reynolds Number is only 500,000. The GA(W) airfoil has very poor lift below 750,000 Reynolds number. This results in a higher than desired stall speed (55 to 60 kt) and poor roll rate below 70 kt. I have located data for an airfoil designed for high lift at the low Reynolds number. After Oshkosh I plan to build another canard for N7EZ using this new airfoil. It will have a low trailing edge camber, thus the external trim tabs will not be required. We plan to market construction drawings and components for the VariEze in the spring of 1976. Tooling will be constructed this winter for the production of homebuilt components (canopy, cowling, forward seat/bulkhead, main wing spars and centersection spar, molded glass landing gear, and machined parts). The first parts from the tooling will be used to build another VariEze here at RAF. This will absolutely prove the tooling accuracy. This construction project will be photo documented and those photos will be used in the construction plans. We have received very few builder's suggestions since Newsletter 4. If you have found a "better way" to do something, let us know and we'll pass it on to other builders. Also, if you have questions about the VariEze which are not in the information package or here, send them in and we will answer them in the next newsletter. NEWSLETTER RENEWAL - When your newsletter subscription has expired, a notice will be placed in with your last issue. SEE YOU AT OSHKOSH! VVN5, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **SKETCHES AND PHOTOS OF VARIEZE OMITTED** VVN5, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Dynafocal engine mount by Vernon Williams Fuel tank by Vernon Williams SP wing on N27VV VVN5, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 6 OCT 75 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN & VARIEZE PROGRAMS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY JAN, APL, JLY, OCT BY Rutan Aircraft Factory Burt & Carolyn Rutan Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport P.O. Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-2645 Art Work by Gary Morris NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/year OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.25/year BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each **SKETCHES OF VARIEZE AND VARIVIGGEN OMITTED** THE NEWSLETTER NAME, formerly "VariViggen News," has now changed. The suggestion of "Tail Pusher" was sent in and we modified it to "Canard Pusher." A special thanks to that person, whose name we don't have, and who gave us the idea. Ken Ashdown's suggestion of "Canard Line" ran a close second to being picked for the newsletter name. We received many, good suggestions - thanks to all who contributed. The following list are a few of those which we thought would make interesting reading: The Canard Line, The Canardian Club, Vari New-Z, Canard Time News, The Vari Forum, VariUnique Aircraft News, Canard Capers, Canard Contrails, Glass Backwards News, Vari Vignette, The Canard Rumor, Canard Disclosure, Canard Gas Line, Canard Trend, Canard Courier, The Backward Flyer, The Canard Leader, On the Nose, Canard Tales, Canard Forward. The new name should last for some time now, until we come up with an aircraft without a canard! RAF ACTIVITY has been brisk since the July newsletter. More tests have been completed on the new SP wings for the VariViggen. Carolyn and I flew the VariViggen to Oshkosh, including a trip to Kentucky on the way back to California. My brother, Air Force Lt/Col Dick Rutan, flew the VariEze to Oshkosh. His attempt to make the 1800-mile trip non-stop was cut short 300 miles from Oshkosh when he made a precautionary stop due to rising oil temperature. He made the 1500-mile leg in eight hours, 50 minutes for an average ground speed of 170 mph. Engine oil problems aborted a Saturday attempt to set a distance record, and the engine was changed over night. On the last day, August 4, of the EAA convention at Oshkosh, Dick set a new World's record for closed-course distance. He flew a total of 13 hours, 8 minutes; covered an official distance of 1638 miles - actual distance was about 1660 miles. Average power setting for the flight was approximately 40 to 50% power. The 1700-cc VW engine used 38.4 gallons of fuel. Dick had an uneventful flight back to his home in Tucson, Arizona the day after the record flight: he averaged about 155 mph on his trip home at approximately 60% power, and obtained approximately 53 mpg at 10,000-ft altitude. I understand that a detailed story of the VariEze's activity at Oshkosh will appear in the October issue of "Sport Aviation." So enough said - read your magazine. Carolyn and I gave the VariViggen SP wings a real shakedown by taking the Denver - Las Vegas route home, instead of the Albuquerque course normally selected in the summer due to the high altitude. The VariViggen performed well at the required density altitude of 16,000 ft crossing the Continental Divide. True air speeds as high as 159 mph were obtained at a cruising altitude of 7500 feet. After returning from Oshkosh the VariViggen and VariEze logbooks showed 550 and 130 hours, respectively. The VariViggen did not fly as much at Oshkosh this year as it has in the past due to our time constraints with the VariEze record attempts. However, rides were given to Jack Cox of "Sport Aviation" and Don Dwiggins of "Plane & Pilot" magazines. We were extremely pleased to be presented the "Outstanding New Design" trophy for the VariEze. This is the same award garnered by the VariViggen in 1974. This year RAF had a booth to display plans and components for the VariViggen and to answer questions about our up- coming VariEze program. George Mead has joined us this month. He is a capable engineer with extensive practical light-plane experience. He will be helping on both the VariViggen and VariEze programs. Many of you met Gary Morris at Oshkosh - he is as much an artist (he did the art work for the masthead) as a craftsman in fiberglass work. (Another big accomplishment was Gary having his hair cut!) FLASH - It's now official; VariEze World's distance record has now been certified and registered in the list of official F.A.I. Records CP06, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE PROGRESS REPORT - The most important news is that we have definitely solved the deficient low-speed roll rate and have lowered the stall speed by eight knots. I really wasn't too confident that the new canard with its new airfoil and elevon would make enough difference in roll rate at low speed. Before the new canard was ready for flight tests, I had made a detailed design study of a control system which included conventional ailerons on the rear wing. Those drawings are now in the trash can: we are keeping the canard elevons, the clean wing, and the super simple control system. The aerodynamic improvement with the new low-Reynolds number airfoil and slotted elevon is the most dramatic change I have seen occur without a major planform revision. Not only did the maximum lift increase by over 50%, the slope of the lift curve was increased by 30% changing the once "nose heavy" feel and high stick forces to a too-sensitive condition. I subsequently reduced the new canard's area and revised its elevon balance point to obtain what I now feel are near optimum. The new canard does not have the external trim tabs on the elevons. With the old canard the aircraft would exhibit a nose-down stall break at 58 to 60 knots. With the new canard the aircraft can be flown at full aft stick at 52 knots and at a much greater angle of attack. Also with the old canard, roll-rate capability degraded below 80 knots and rudder control was needed for adequate roll below 70 knots. The new canard elevons result in roll performance very similar or better than the average light plane. A 60-degree bank change can be accomplished in less than three seconds even below 60 knots and roll control is adequate even at 52 knots. I have landed the airplane several times in the relaxed cruise position, with my feet in front of the rudder pedals. The overall maneuverability has been greatly enhanced. I don't yet know if the VariEze will have the same low susceptibility to stall/spin as the VariViggen. It is possible but I won't know until all tests are completed. I do not plan spin tests on the prototype, N7EZ. The homebuilt prototype will be equipped with the appropriate instrumentation and recovery devise and a complete spin-test program will be flown before the construction plans are released. The initial printing of the VariEze information kit stated that the aircraft was capable of 70 mpg at the economy cruise speed. This was based on flight test data at 10,000-feet altitude in which we obtained 61 mpg without a mixture control. Using standard corrections it was calculated that the carburetor was full rich and that 70.5 mpg would be obtained once a mixture control was installed and leaned to best mixture at 10,000 feet. It was later found that the carburetor was already jetted too lean and thus, only about 62 mpg can be obtained. The following table now appears in the information kit and shows the current estimates for a homebuilt VariEze. **VARIEZE PERFORMANCE TABLES OMITTED** CP06, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE HOMEBUILT PROTOTYPE Many people have asked why we are building a second airplane; why not just sell plans for N7EZ? First of all, N7EZ was built without any tooling. Tooling will be required to build the following parts for the homebuilt kits: wing quick disconnects, cowling, main and nose landing gear, and canopy. We are building an airplane from the first parts to come from the tools; thus it will be assured that the parts will fit properly. Secondly, N7EZ was designed around the lightest (140-1) version of the VW engine, to maximize the amount of fuel which could be carried for distance records. It has become obvious to me that many people will insist on heavy accessories and will want to adapt the Continental series aircraft engines which can weigh as much as 197 pounds even without starter and with a a light alternator. This heavy an installation would not be practical for N7EZ. When comparing engine price based on 1200 flight hours, the price of the aircraft engine becomes quite competitive with the lower cost, less durable VW conversions. My own experience, though quite limited (N7EZ now has 160 flight hours since first flight last May), points to the advisability of paying the higher initial costs for a definitely reliable powerplant. This is not to conclude that the VW cannot be converted and operated reliably by an experienced individual using aircraft-quality components and proper installation practice. There are available, however, conversion components and built-up engines which are not thoroughly proven and are not up to accepted aircraft reliability standards. For this reason I am making relatively major design changes which will allow installation of engines weighing as much as 198 pounds, and thus, make it possible to adapt Continental aircraft engines. The homebuilt prototype will have a Continental 0-200B engine (100 hp) which I estimate will climb nearly 2500 fpm and cruise 210 mph at 75% power. The C-90, C-85, C-75, and C-65 Continental engines will also be ideal. The empty weight of the 0-200-powered aircraft will be about 480 lb, gross, about 980. A 1700 cc to 2100 cc VW conversion can also be adapted. Empty weight of the VW-powered aircraft will be about 430 lb, gross, about 880 lb. The additional wing area and stronger landing gear needed to provide for the heavier engine will compromise the cruise speed of a VW-powered aircraft, but by only four to seven knots. Do not write us at this time for advise on the VW engine. We will not be in a position to make any recommendations until the plans are available. I plan to keep flying N7EZ as much as possible to gain more experience with the VW installation. After some modifications we will make an assault on the straight-line distance record with a San Francisco to Miami flight (2600+ miles, including extensive night flying), possibly this fall/winter. Additional changes being incorporated in the homebuilt prototype include 1. shallower fuselage and taller canopy to improve downward visibility over the side 2. roll-over structure 3. longer nose and locations of instrument panel further forward to allow knees to be placed forward after sitting down 4. more room in the back seat and more baggage room 5. instrument panel which can house NAV COM, transponder, eight 3- inch instruments plus all engine instruments. This allows IFR equipment without need for the expensive miniature primary instruments. 6. revised side-stick control configuration which greatly improves human factors and further simplifies control system (don't call - we cannot release details yet). 7. fuel capacity increased to 20+ gallons 8. increased aspect ratio on canard 9. improved nosegear retraction mechanism (N7EZ's nose gear retracted during landing rollout at Oshkosh probably due to inadequate down-lock indication - damage was minor.) 10. larger maingear tires and improved brakes (N7EZ had difficulty taxiing through the larger ruts off the runway at Oshkosh). 11. elimination of plywood formers - these are being replaced with glassed high-density PVC foam, thus saving 4-lb weight and eliminating any possibility of deterioration 12. further simplification of the fuel system 13. use of special resins in landing gear to eliminate slight tendency to creep 14. further simplification of the structure and about a 5% reduction in the number of parts. We are confident that the airplane can be constructed in 400 to 700 man-hours from to-be-available components and materials. The wing-disconnect system will not be as shown in the VariEze information kit. We found that production of the three-piece glass spars would be too expensive. In the interest of keeping kit price as low as possible we are using a machined assembly at each wing attach point. Half of the assembly is installed on the wing during wing construction. The other half is installed on the center spar during its layup. Removal of each wing for trailering will involve removal of two bolts, each holding two large taper pins. Removal of the canard is by two shear bolts reached through the cockpit rather than by the two external tension bolts previously used on N7EZ. While the larger main tires will improve rough field operation, it is not yet known whether routine operation from other than smooth surfaces will be advised. I will have an answer on this by the time the plans are available. I do not plan, though to compromise the efficient high- speed cruise to provide rough/soft field capability. VARIEZE TO BE OFFERED AS COMPLETE KIT The VariEze info kit explains that RAF will make available the machined parts and several components such as landing gear, canopy, cowling, and wing fittings. We are, however, now working with several companies to supply portions of all the materials required. The selection of these companies is being based primarily on their delivery history - for example the company which will be authorized by us and supported by us from an engineering standpoint to supply the foam kit, will be the one which we think will be most likely to provide prompt, quality delivery of the foam. We must work directly with them, since it is essential that the proper type and amount be used and that they respond immediately to any engineering changes. CP06, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- It would be unwise for RAF, itself, to expand to produce the entire kit, since it would take years to attain the efficiency of established companies in a variety of parts and materials. The fiberglass cloth, previously available only from Europe will be woven in the U.S.A. and distributed by a company equipped to deliver. When the customer receives VariEze plans, he will be referred to specific U.S. companies, authorized by us and who have our engineering support, to purchase the following kits or individual items: 1. machined parts, 2. foam kit which consists of three types in five different densities, 3. glass, epoxy, flox, and microballoons, 4. hardware, 5. landing gear, 6. canopy, 7. cowling, 8. finishing materials. It may seem awkward to deal with three or four companies to obtain a complete VariEze kit, but this is not the case, since each is selected for its record of capable and prompt delivery service. Each company selected will not only receive our continuous engineering support but must live up to our contractual delivery schedules. Only two of the eight kit areas have been specifically selected at this time. If you are a good, established company, currently handling any of these type items, and would like to supply kits, please contact us. BUYER BEWARE - Buying the wrong fiberglass, epoxy, etc., can be the same as using conduit to build a steel-tube airplane instead of 4130. Remember, the years of testing and flight experience of glass aircraft points to a very important fact: You must use the correct materials. True, it is possible that another product could do the job, but to verify this would mean starting from zero with tests for strength, workability, weight, compatibility, exposure to environment, etc. Since we do not want to take years more to develop the structure, we must insist that the builder use the products we will specify in the plans. Do not buy any product now. We have already had companies indicating that their products can be used on VariEze construction without having even a grasp of the structural requirements! QUESTIONS/ANSWERS ABOUT THE VARIEZE The following are some answers to questions asked about the VariEze. If you have further questions, write them down and send them in and we will answer them in the next newsletter. Do not visit RAF expecting to see N7EZ or anything related to the VariEze. We have been working at low efficiency recently because of the flood of visitors. N7EZ is shown only when it is out of the hangar, flying - otherwise we have to keep it locked up so we can work. We cannot answer questions individually which aren't answered here or in the VariEze information kit. This policy will change as soon as we have the plans on the market - after that time, you will be welcomed to come up for a flight demo/ride, structural demo, construction methods demo, etc. We just can't afford to demonstrate something we aren't currently selling. 1. Isn't the small cockpit cramped? No, in fact the seat has been very carefully engineered for long term comfort. Dick found more discomfort with four hours in a Cherokee than 13 1/2 hours in the VariEze. I've spent as much as seven hours per day in it without even wanting to get out to stretch after landing. The comfort is obtained by a combination of the high thigh support, lumbar support, and correct height of arm rests, which relieves the back. The variety of foot/leg positions and ability to trim hands-off for long time periods, also adds to comfort. 2. Is cockpit heat required? No, due to the excellent insulation provided by the composite structure, the canopy will even keep the feet warm. Cold night flying is generally rare enough to not justify a heat system. 3. What is the glide ratio? At idle power (close to zero thrust) and 72-knots airspeed, glide ratio is 18.8. 4. Are dual controls planned? No. Again, I do not plan to compromise the design simplicity to do a mission other than that of efficient cruise. Learn to fly in an airplane which was designed as a trainer. Dual controls would triple the number of parts in the control system and eliminate one suit case. Also, controls could be jammed when flying solo with baggage in the back seat. Currently there is nothing in the back seat which moves (except Carolyn). Four pilots have been successfully checked out in N7EZ - none of them had side- stick experience.) 5. Is the VariEze an aerobatic airplane? No, providing for that capability would mean compromising the design goal of best efficiency at high-speed cruise. However, it does appear that the basic aerobatic maneuvers will be satisfactory. By the time the plans are available, I will list any allowed maneuvers and limitations. CP06, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN WEIGHT AND BALANCE METHOD Since several VariViggen builder's are getting close to first-flight time and will be needing to do an accurate weight and balance, the following is provided to add some details not shown in the plans: Materials Required - Three scales, two must be capable of weighing up to 500 lb, the other can be a bathroom scale - although I've seen someone do a reasonable job with five bathroom scales, placing a board (weight of board subtracted later) between pairs of two for each main wheel. (Borrow the scales!) Assure that the scales are accurate - test each with a known weight in the expected range. Caution on low cost bathroom scales - you may have to make a board to distribute the load to prevent warping the table, which will give an inaccurate weighing. You will also need a level, plumb bob, 12-ft tape measure, and chalk line. The average VariViggen will need nose ballast to sit comfortably on its three gear in a level attitude. Place a known weight at a known fuselage station - 50 lb in the front seat at F.S.60, for example. Level the aircraft, using a carpenter's level on the flat bottom of the wing. Adjust it down by bleeding the air from the nosegear strut or up by placing a block under the nose tire. Now take the plumb bob and mark a point on the floor corresponding to each maingear axle centerline and both sides of the nosegear axle centerline. Use the plumb bob to mark a line on the floor corresponding to a known fuselage station - the most convenient is F.S.19.75, holding the plumb in line with the joint of the nose cone and the forward edge of F20. Now move the aircraft and make chalk lines on the floor as shown between the mainwheel reaction points, the nosegear points, and the two F.S. 19.75 points. Measure the distance between F.S.19.75 and the nosegear and maingear action points, for example 8.05 in and 110.15 in making the nose gear at F.S.27.8 and the main gear at F.S.129.9. **SKETCH OMITTED** Now, get the help of a couple of friends to lift the wing tip while you slip the scale under each main wheel, one at a time, and a scale under the nose wheel. Recheck level attitude and read the scales - tap them to be sure friction is not effecting the readings. Remove the aircraft and record tare weight - chocks, boards, etc. Now setup the following table - be sure to state status of equipment. Note that ballast weight and moment are subtracted. LOCATION GROSS TARE NET ARM MOMENT RT MAIN 481 +2 479 129.9 62,222 LT MAIN 497 +3 494 129.9 64,170 NOSE 12 +1 11 27.8 306 SUBTRACT BALLAST -50 60 -3,000 TOTAL EMPTY WT 934 123,698 EMPTY CG = 123,698/934 = 132.44 You now know the empty weight and empty cg and are ready to calculate your weight and cg for your first flight. Assume you weigh 175 lb, your parachute weighs 18 lb, and you will carry 25 gallons (150 lb at F.S.137) fuel. Make up the following table: DATE 25 SEP 73 VARIVIGGEN N15VV S/N 394 FUEL DRAINED TO UNUSABLE OIL 6 QT NARCO XYZ RADIO BASIC INSTRUMENTS WEIGHT ARM MOMENT EMPTY AIRCRAFT 934 132.44 123,698 PILOT 175 62 10,850 CHUTE 18 64 1,152 FUEL 150 137 20,550 TOTAL 1277 156,250 cg= 156250/1277 = 122.36 Now, checking on page 3 of the plans, a cg of 122.36 is within the envelope suggested - so follow the maiden flight procedure in newsletter #2 and happy flying. CP06, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WING The new composite outer wing panel for the VariViggen has been flown about 80 hours now. The performance figures stated in newsletter #5 are accurate and the structural durability is excellent. We are now working with various suppliers for foam, epoxy, and glass, so there should be no problem obtaining any of the materials. The SP wing plans will be available the first week of November, but we won't know the price of the plans until October 22. Those who need the plans before the January newsletter can contact us after the above date to receive further information. Complete details will be in newsletter #7 for those who won't need them before January. The special unidirectional fiberglass which is being woven for us, will be available by mid December. Those who will need it before then can contact us and we can supply a substitute from our stock. Please don't unless you absolutely need it right away, since we're not presently equipped for a large volume. The price will be much lower after the manufacturer weaves the large order. Should your VariViggen have the SP wing? The decision is yours. Personally, I like the extra climb, cruise performance, and lower rate of sink, but the roll rate is lower and the stall margin is less. Tuft tests have shown some stalling of a small amount of the SP wing near the tip at less than 47 knots - this is very close to the minimum attainable speed. This tip airfoil separation results in a slight buffet and "wander" in pitch and roll when near and at full aft stick. Full aft stick can be maintained with power for level flight (or greater) without any stall break or roll-off, and roll control at full aft stick is good. However, the aircraft doesn't have as solid a 'feel' as the standard wing below 50 knots. Accelerated stalls (in a turn) are smooth and solid with power settings of 2100 rpm or more. Accelerated stalls with less power do result in some bucking and slight wing rock. In one instance, George Mead experienced a 1/2 snap roll as he was pulling up from a dive and rolling. This occurred during simulated air combat with the VariEze. I haven't done a complete spin program with the SP wing, so I don't know if it could be spun. This brings up another point: Someone mentioned to me at Oshkosh that he was flying his radio-controlled model VariViggen (I assume with the standard wing), and he experienced a spin which was entered when the engine quit in a turn and was not recovered. This is baffling to me, since my spin test model would not spin, regardless of the control or throttle inputs. At least 75 spin attempts were made. Also the full-size aircraft can maintain full spin controls indefinitely without spin entry. In fact, for airshows I have done a pass by the crowd many times with full rudder and full aft stick at low altitude. I asked the gentleman, who's name I don't have, to send me a complete report of the models configuration, incidences, cg, and control deflections, but I haven't heard from him yet. Now back to your decision. While the SP stall margin is less, the airplane is still quite resistant to stall during normal flight maneuvers, is very maneuverable at low speed, and quite safe. I strongly recommend the SP wing for those installing 125-hp engines or those with 150-hp engines who plan to routinely operate near gross weight, from short fields, or at high density altitudes. The additional stability provided by the winglets also improves high-speed flying qualities. If you don't plan to operate heavily loaded and like the fighter-like roll rate and extra stall margin, then select the standard wing. In newsletter #5, I passed on to you some preliminary thoughts regarding reflex and nosegear length with the SP wing. First, concerning the nosegear length, I do not recommend lengthening the gear to obtain lower rotation speed. The maingear position (F.S.129.8) is already moved approximately 1 1/2" forward of that on N27VV to lower the rotation speed and lessen the load on the nose gear on rough fields. I think that lengthening the nose gear would make the airplane too difficult to handle when sitting on the ground without someone seated in the cockpit. It would take more load to hold the nose down before getting in and would make that first step too high. I do recommend that you retain the variable reflex with the SP wing. You will find the up-reflex helpful to obtain minimum ground run for short fields and having the reflex down or neutral adds more stall margin for the aft wing. If you are a nut for simplicity and aren't planning short field operations, you can disregard the reflex. Merely rig the neutral-aileron position of the AB8 belcrank to the zero reflex position shown on page 40 of the plans. The SP wing plans will show you the correct reflex of the aileron. VOR ANTENNAE LENGTH Someone told me that the 14-inch length VOR antennae should be 16.6"; another said 26" but it depends on the balun, or coax loop. I have the system shown on the plans on N27VV and I get excellent accuracy and about 80-mile range. Is there an antennae expert out there who would like to write a blurb on homebuilt VOR antennaes for a future newsletter?? VARIVIGGEN BUILDING TIPS Fit of F41 Bulkhead to F27 Visor - A previous newsletter suggested that you leave excess plywood on the top of F41 to fit it to the RAF- supplied F27 fiberglass visor. The following drawing shows the F41 contour required to fit F27: **SKETCH OMITTED** CP06, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wayne Koch reports that the gear on the Ford window-motor assembly is a 9-tooth, 12-pitch 14 1/2-degree gear, and that the extra gear shown in newsletter #4 can be eliminated. This is true only of the Ford, not the Dodge motor. A Boston #ND30 will mesh directly with the Ford motor and provide the correct ratio for the nose gear. For the main gear use a Boston # ND64. Unfortunately the 12-pitch gears aren't available in a light narrow flange variety, however, the 3/4-inch flange can be turned down to save room and weight. The following drawing shows how the 5.5" dia. main gear can be mounted to clear the aileron cable. Photos will be available with the 2nd part of the construction manual. **SKETCH OMITTED** Be sure to follow the order shown on the plans when rigging the main gear. First, adjust pushrod MG6 to obtain correct down lock action. Then retract gear and position the correct over center position of MG5, adjusting the uplock action with the uplock turnbuckle. Then drill MG14 into MG12 and install bolts through MG14. Extend gear and accept the extended position. The following are tips sent in by Jim Cavis concerning the main gear. "When welding pivot on MG16, put a bolt through it so it will keep its shape. After making and drilling MG16, use it as a guide to drill through spars. Cable can slip on MG42 unless it is passed through spool like on nose gear. Once this is done, you can't get the cable and MG42 through the holes in the ribs. I made my cables up in three sections, so motor and MG42 can be removed without removing MG9 pulleys." **SKETCHES OMITTED** "I used a 5/8"x.125 steel tube for MG36. I tapped the end and used a fabroid 77330 rod end threaded into the end in place of the Heim HF-5C (plans page 47)." Jim also made an acceptable substitution to the MG20 bracket. Instead of bolting to WR46 rib and the spar, he just bent up two aluminum angles (top and bottom of pulley) and bolted them to the spar. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Bulkhead Assembly - Remember, if you are assembling the bulkheads from several parts rather than cutting them out in one piece (to save plywood) you don't have to make scarf joints - just overlap the pieces, giving at least 3 square inches of overlap at each joint. This applies to the bulkheads sold by RAF. The bulkheads are sized to provide sufficient glueing area to the skin and are much stronger than they need to be for all other loads. Inclined Bulkheads - Use a plumb bob from the bulkhead tops to the jig to check incline. This assures an accurate slant. If the F121 bulkhead is not slanted enough, the F28 tank cover may not fit. If this is the case, you can knock the bulkhead loose from the stringers and move it back, provided you haven't already skinned the fuselage sides. Maingear Rigging - If you move the pivot for MG5 and MG9 pulley to B.L.34.15 as suggested in newsletter #4 (when using RAF-supplied MG4) you may have to bend the uplock belcrank (MG29) outboard more and cut away a portion of rib 36.5A for clearance. CP06, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN GEAR-UP LANDING SAGA #2 & #3 On our way to Oshkosh this year, Carolyn and I again were faced with having to land N27VV with the main gear retracted. We landed on a hard surface runway with the nose gear extended. We got the prop stopped before touchdown and slid out on the rear skids and nose gear. Again, the nose gear took the load with no damage; all damage was limited to the two aft skids and a non-critical scrape on the aileron control arms. Inspection revealed the problem to be the same uplock spring which caused the gear to remain locked up three months earlier at the Corona flyin (see newsletter #4). We were on our way that afternoon again, after pinning the main gear down, and flew the remainder of the trip to Oshkosh with the main gear down. The next day at Oshkosh we repaired the skids and rerigged the main gear to put it back in operation. This time the uplock springs loop had somehow slipped out of the bracket rather than failing like it had at Corona. The spring loop was returned to the bracket, this time twisting it backwards so its own torsion wouldn't tend to remove it. I feel quite embarrassed by having this spring fail - twice! After all, a spring is something to trust, like gravity. I am recommending that you install a simple addition which consists of adding a branch to the existing emergency extension cable. The present emergency extension cable removes the electric motor from the system, allowing the uplock return springs to push the gear overcenter so it can freefall down; this only backs up a failure of the electrical motor, and cannot extend the gear if the uplock springs fail or if the uplock would jam. By simply adding cables to the existing emergency cable and routing them to the top of the uplock belcranks, the emergency handle would not only remove the motor, but would pull the uplocks out and force the gear overcenter and on its way down. Thus, the emergency handle overrides a spring failure and any jam of the gear. The following drawings show how this is done: Rig the cables so the motor is removed first, then a further pull of the handle forces the uplocks out and the gear down. **SKETCH OMITTED** Gearup landing #3 - This one is of no real concern to builders, since it does not involve a problem which can occur with your aircraft, since an obvious design improvement was incorporated into the plans before they were first released. The failure allowed the MG5 bolt to slip past the MG29 bolt during gear retraction. As such, the microswitch on MG29 was not activated and the gear motor continued to run, jamming the gear way over center and failing the cable. This failure occurred on the third flight of the day at the EAA Western flyin at Tulare, California; with Bob Eldridge in the back seat, I had taken off to compete in the spot landing contest. Since there was a lot of activity on the runway at Tulare, we decided to fly to another airport about 20 miles away to do our gear-up landing there. The landing on the nose gear and aft skids was uneventful (routine?), the gear was fixed and we flew back to Tulare to compete in the spot landing contest. NOW - I don't expect to hear from any more of the VariEze fans about wanting to retract the main gear! Surface Finish - There are many acceptable ways to apply finish over the external wood skin. The following is the procedure used on N27VV: The wood is sanded with 80 or 100-grit sandpaper on a hard block, taking care to level areas around skin splices. Mix up a mixture of epoxy and microballoons (available from Gougeon Brother) and trowel into low places, fill gaps around joints, and form a 1/2" radius at the wing-fuselage and wing-vertical stab junctions. When dry, sand again. Apply the lightest available ceconite (available from Stitts); I think its 1.7-oz weight. Shrink down smooth and apply two or three coats of dope to fill the weave. Be sure to run the ceconite around easily- damaged areas like trailing edges. Sand when dry with 220 grit. Apply two coats of lacquer primer/surfacer (Dupont or eq), wet sanding after each coat with 320 grit. Finish by spraying on your favorite color Dupont Dulux enamel. Finish internal wood surfaces with epoxy as shown in the plans. The glass SP wings are finished differently. Finishing details will be supplied with the plans. Remember if you use the glass SP wings, they (like all glass sailplanes) must be painted white. This keeps the glass resin below 120 degrees even in the hot sun and prevents it from losing its stiffness. An alternative is to use a high temperature phenolic resin in constructing the wings, but that can triple the resin cost. (For the same reason all VariEze aircraft will be all white, with a limited amount of trim color.) We are testing a polyester white finish which can be sanded and buffed the next day after spraying. More details on this later. If anyone has wood aircraft finishing suggestions, send them in for future newsletters. CP06, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES Be sure to incorporate these revisions into your plans now. Location PL - Plans TR - Tech Report NL - Previous Newsletters CAT - Catalog Category of Change MEO - Minor error or omission OPT - Optional improvement DES - Desirous change - does not effect flight safety but should be incorporated to improve aircraft or correct a fault MAN - Mandatory change - must be incorporated as safety of flight is affected Category Location Change MEO PL pg 52 Nosegear door attaches to F32, not F20. MEO PL pg 14 View BB (from page 13) should not show C6 on the aft side of the forward spar. C6 is not required on the aft side outboard of B.L.24. See top view. MEO PL pg 13 The four bolts which attach canard spars to bulkheads are at W.L.22.85, not W.L..85. Be sure to epoxy, as well as bolt the canard to the bulkheads. MEO PL pg 25 SPAR D - The solid line drawn between the W1 gussets on the left should be erased - its presence indicates a spar web which isn't there. MEO PL pg 37 F.S. of trim pivot is 35.6, not 135.6. MEO PL pg 4 Aluminum tube - RM1 is fabricated from an aluminum bar, not from standard tube stock. Erase it from the tube bill of materials. MEO PL pg 25 Spar F butts to WS28, not to WS29. MEO PL pg 38 SA1 square tube forward end is at F.S.54.2, not F.S.154.2 MEO PL pg 51 Upper left of page, MG20 center of pulley is at W.L.5.0. MEO PL pg 41 Faded words to left of brake master cylinder read "1/4" bulkhead fitting through F31- AN833-4D". MAN PL Chapter 19 Add the modification shown in this newsletter to expand the capabilities of the emergency maingear emergency extension system. SHOPPING If you are having trouble finding the DOAN#31-2014 rubber shocks, it may help to know that they are also listed as American Parts #2-2014 or Borg Warner #31-2014 or Anchor #31-2014. I understand that a substitute for the Stanley 61-112 is a Lufkin # C9212-X. This is available at most surveying supply houses or through Robert Lamishaw - Lamco Enterprises, 3660 Wilshire, L.A., Ca. 90010. Also Francis Falejczyk, 7881 Seneca St., East Aurora, N.Y. 14052 says he has decimal 12-foot chrome cload tapes for $5 - postage included. Be sure you get one graduated in inches and decimals (10th & 100ths) of an inch. I've seen some rules graduated in decimals of feet - these are worthless to you. We're still recommending Gougeon's west system epoxy as one of the most economical and convenient adhesives. The tests I am running with this epoxy are most encouraging. An added advantage is its low toxicity - it doesn't effect the skin as much as most others. Be sure to add the 401 short fibers to increase viscosity to fill gaps greater than 1/32". The following order will go a long way and the mixer pumps save a lot of time weighing out each batch: 105 Resin 1 gal $19.35 206 Hardener 1 qt 5.00 401 Shortfibers1 lb 1.90 Mini pumps 1 set 2.75 Applicators 3 doz 3.00 Order from Gougeon Brothers, 706 Martin St., Bay City, Mi. 48706. Jesse Wright S/N 91, is now manufacturing a kit of parts for the canard and elevators. The kit includes the following parts - routed to final shape and tapered where required: C-6, ER, ER1, E4, E6, C11, E5, CR1, CR and CRT1 - a total of 75 parts in all. I have inspected the kit and found it to be of excellent quality, using birch plywood. The kit does not include the spruce spars - those are in the spruce kit already available from Aircraft Spruce & Specialties, Fullerton, Ca. 92632. With these kits available, the homebuilder has only to assemble completed pieces, with little fitting or shaping required. Do not order the canard kit from RAF. Contact Jesse Wright directly at 7221 S. Colorado Ct., Littleton, Co. 80122 (303) 711-5140. His price is $116.00, which includes all packaging and shipping, anywhere within U.S.A. or Canada. Jesse will also have a complete kit of manufactured (routed parts to final shape) bulkheads available by November 15th. Contact him after that date for price and availability. We have not been satisfied with the service provided by the vendor of the drawn bulkhead kit now shown in the RAF catalog. Once the routed parts are available from Mr. Wright and have been approved by us, we will discontinue the drawn bulkhead kit. The routed bulkheads will save the homebuilder a considerable amount of work and guarantee him accurate, splinter-free edges. Mr. Wright plans to offer routed inboard wing ribs by mid December. Good news for those who have asked us to make MG14 maingear legs available, George Evans, 4102 Twining, Riverside, Ca. 92509 has already made three shipsets for local VariViggen builders. They are of first-rate quality, welded of 4130 steel, heat treated, cadmium plated, and baked. The lower tube is honed for a perfect fit on the MG30 trunions. All tabs are welded in place and the uplock bolt hole is drilled/ tapped (see plans page 48). We are working with Mr. Evans on this item, but will not handle this in the RAF catalog; call (714-683- 3963) or write Mr. Evans directly to order. He will also make available the MG32 trailing arm aluminum bars and the welded steel NG25/NG26/NG24/NG23/NG27 assembly. VariViggen angle-of-attack system, fully assembled with or without meter, all components assembled to back of meter on printed circuit board - write Allen Vaughn (S/N 348), 1915 Florida St., Huntington Beach, Ca. 92648, or call (714)-536-8122, for price and availability. CP06, Page 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Carrol Holzworth's (SN2) VariViggen with vertical fins in place & RAF fiberglass parts. VariViggen exhaust system in jig ready for welding. Beginning the takeoff roll for the World's record flight. Carolyn, Dick, Burt, & Prof. Ed Lesher getting N7EZ ready for the record attempt (note fuel tank in back seat). N7EZ arrives at Oshkosh. N7EZ & Ed Lesher's Teal - the Teal was the previous distance-record holder. Dick climbing out after 14 hours in the cockpit & Harold Best-Devereaux removing the barograph. Dick on N27VV planning the "VariEze" trip home. CP06, Page 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER No. 7 JAN 76 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE PROGRAMS (very vig-in) (very easy) RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Burt & Carolyn Rutan JAN, APL, JLY, OCT Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport P. O. Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/year OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.25/year BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each RAF ACTIVITY since the October newsletter has been primarily the construction of the VariEze homebuilt prototype. This aircraft (N4EZ) is the Continental-powered aircraft that we are basing the plans on. See "Canard Pusher" number 6 for a complete description of the differences between the two prototypes. Construction of N4EZ was started on 15 October 1976. It is now (14 January 1976) being primered and finished. Yet to be completed are the cowling, instrument installation and hooking up the engine controls. It should be flying by the first week in February. Assuming that all flight tests go as expected, including spin tests and dive tests to 240 kt, and no large delays are encountered, we expect to have the plans and construction manuals on the market in April or May. Most likely, our April "Canard Pusher" will be the first announcement of plans availability. VariEze static load tests conducted recently include the canard, winglet attach, elevon brackets, monocoque wing section, and several component tests. All results confirm the high safety factors previously claimed. We plan to static test an entire wing and attachment as soon as we can find something strong enough to mount it on! Both the VariViggen and VariEze have been flying extensively over the last few months. N7EZ now has 220 hours; N27VV, about 570. Pilots checked out for solo in the VariEze include Peter Garrison, Tom Jewett, Peter Lert, George Mead, Jerry Slocum, Tom Poberezny, Dick and Burt Rutan. Approximately 75 people have been given backseat rides. Both the VariViggen and VariEze have been relatively maintenance-free over the last several months. Since November, we have been giving weekly demos of our aircraft. Every Saturday from noon to 2 P.M. we roll the airplanes out of the hangar, discuss their features, give flight demos and rides in the VariViggen and VariEze. The demos start in our building - 100 yd southeast of the tower building on Mojave airport. We plan to continue giving these demos at least until the VariEze is on the market (April or May 1976). Until then, do not expect to see the VariEze at any other time of the week. Showing it on an individual basis has taken a large part of our time and has delayed the program. After it is on the market, come by at any time! **PHOTOGRAPHS OF VARIEZE, VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE CANARD OMITTED** CP07, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- We still have not seen any VariViggen projects appear in the "Sport Aviation" "What Our Members Are Building" page. Come on guys - send Jack Cox a photo and description of your project. THE VARIVIGGEN OWNER'S MANUAL has been finished at last! It will be available for mailing in mid February. The owner's manual is a complete operational handbook for the plans built VariViggen including normal and emergency procedures, loading graphs, operations checklists, complete performance information for standard and SP wings, 150 and 180 hp. Also included are an expanded flight test section, maintenance checklists, record keeping section and much previously unpublished operational info. The manual is in a handy 5-in by 8-in size so that it will fit in the cockpit map pocket. The owner's manual will cost $6.00 including first class postage (within U.S.A.). This manual is a must for those close to first flight. NEW VOR AND COM ANTENNAS AVAILABLE We have been working with a group of electronic wizards on the development of a set of antennas for the VariEze and the results have been excellent. These units are 'zero drag,' immersed-type, antennas, specifically designed for composite or wooden aircraft. The performance of these units is equal to the very expensive broad band antennas. While designed primarily for the VariEze, these antennas are excellent for the Viggen as well. We've received a number of comments on the VariViggen plans VOR antenna, most indicating that we don't show the 'optimum' antenna. This is true, but don't rip your canard apart if it's already installed. The plans antenna works well, but if you want the best possible antenna, there are other ways to go. Frank Stites of Stites Engineering Company, Wayland, Mass. has been kind enough to run a series of tests on antenna efficiency for us. He found that the antenna shown in the VariViggen plans received between 65 and 70 percent of the available signal. Extending the plans antenna arms by 2.45 inches (14.15 to 16.6) improves its reception to between 78 and 85 percent of the available signal. Our new antenna receives between 83 and 92 percent of the signal. There are antenna designs which will capture about 98% of the signal, but they don't fit into our aircraft very well. For those of you who are radio buffs, the VSWR ratios of these antennas are plans antenna (14.15 long) VSWR 3.2 to 4.2, plans antenna extended to 16.6-in length VSWR 2.2 to 2.8, H.C. 100 (new) VSWR 2.5 to 1.7. The new antennas are available now directly from the manufacturer (not RAF). You canard pushers (RAF customers) will get a $10 price break on each of the NAV and COM antennas from normal retail prices. These antennas require no balun (it's internal). You guys who just can't wait to have a VariEze part in your garage, can get these antennas early and you Viggen builders will find them very good antennas (see installation sketch below). Order directly from H.C. Communications, P.O. Bx 2047, Canoga Park, Ca. 91306. The prices are HC100 (NAV) $28.50 (normally $38.50), HC200 (COM) $26.50 (normally $36.50). All that you need is a B.N.C. connector on the end of your antenna lead. California residents don't forget to add 6% for tax. H.C. Communications promises delivery within 14 days of receipt of your order. **SKETCH OF HC COM ANTENNA INSTALLATION IN VARIVIGGEN OMITTED** Should you have questions which you want answered directly, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for our reply. VARIVIGGEN FIBERGLASS PARTS RAF has been handling the cowling, tank cover, nose cone, plexiglass dome, and visor for a year now with excellent results. These parts have been manufactured by a firm next door here in Mojave, so delivery has been excellent. This firm has decided to discontinue manufacturing those parts for us, and we're changing to another very capable firm. Unfortunately, our new manufacturer isn't right next door and to avoid any delay in delivery, we will be sending you directly to them with parts orders. We feel that this arrangement will get parts to you the quickest and most economical way. We do have a few ship-sets left here at RAF for those of you on the west coast who want to stop by and pick them up. We aren't equipped to pack or mail these few remaining sets. Send your new orders to Monnett Experimental Aircraft, Inc., 410 Adams St., Elgin, Il. 60120. There may be initially a small delay until Monnett gets production going on our tooling, but this should only take several weeks. The parts involved are F23, F27, F25, F28 and V-COWL. CP07, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE UPDATE Each newsletter we try to answer the questions sent in the past three months which haven't been previously answered in newsletters or the information kit. If we miss your favorite this time, write and ask again. Cost: We look at the airframe cost two ways, the cheapest and the easiest. The biggest single factor is the engine; you can scare up a zero-since-major A-65 Continental for $700 if you're a good scrounger ($1500 if you aren't) or spring for a new $4000 0-200 from Teledyne. If you buy only the raw materials, no machined parts, weld your own engine mount, etc., you can probably pump out an airframe with instruments for about $1300. On the other hand, if you buy all prefabricated parts that will be available, landing gear struts, machined nose gear parts, main gear axles, engine mount, stick assembly, wing attach fittings, fuel caps, nose gear retract motor, spinner, finished rudder pedals, canopy, cowling, etc., you can invest about $2400. There will be a lot of happy combinations in between these two extremes. Engines: Don't buy one yet. We'll make our recommendations after we've flown N4EZ. We plan to solve all the installation problems with the small Continentals and then proceed to the VW installation. No, Fred, you can't use an 0-320 Lycoming in your Eze, not even an 0-235, because they're too heavy. The Eze is basically a 60 to 80-hp airplane; The 100-hp Continental 0-200 without starter and a light alternator is the maximum. We are using an 0-200 only so that we can qualify the heaviest and most powerful installation and insure its safety. If the engine you're thinking of weighs more than 200 lb, forget it! Heavy Pilots: 210 lb is considered top. You could fly with lead in the tail, but it's bad practice and severely compromises the design. The VariViggen is more tolerant of you heavies. You tall troops can relax, though; 6 ft, 4 in fits just fine. Anybody over 6 ft, 6 in will have to raise the canopy, which is a VariEze job if done during construction. EAA: You guys who aren't members, should be. If you aren't a member yet, borrow your friend's January "Sport Aviation" and read the 10-page Eze article. It's a more comprehensive article than any of those previously published, particularly in regards to the structure. Registration Numbers: The FAA assigns these, not RAF; contact your local GADO for the application procedure. Record Flights: These take time and gobble money. We have delayed the coast-to-coast attempt until after plans are out. Wives: Due to your dress making skills, your participation in VariEze construction can be much more than in conventional construction. In fact, you will probably be responsible for about 20% of the effort, cutting the glass cloth. Cloth cutting needs to be done on a clean table with a good pair of scissors. Your skill in this area is probably better than hubby's and we're sure he will appreciate the help. Mods and Goodies: Don't ask about dual controls, inertial navigation systems, lighting, heaters, starters, inverted fuel systems, ad infinitum, until the basic airplane is finished, thoroughly tested, and you have plans and parts in your hot little hands. We will develop many of these, but only after the basic configuration is completed. Foam: All foams (kit includes three types, five different densities) will be available in the correct odd ball type and sizes from our distributors, as soon as the plans are out. Epoxy: Our education is improving all the time. The Shell epon epoxy that we had been using is late 1950's technology. We are working with some more modern materials that have better peel strength and will tolerate higher heat without softening. These advances make for a stronger airplane and allow a choice of colors where the older resins commanded a basically white airplane. We have a bunch of testing to do on this resin yet, before we release details, but if all goes well, you can have that chartreuse airplane after all. In recent weeks, we've had the opportunity to discuss at length our structure with the advanced composite materials department of a major aerospace firm. These guys spend about three to four million dollars a year on composite research. We were very much pleased to find that these true experts in composite structures had only complementary comments for our approach. This group has also been very helpful in recommending primers for complete protection of the foam and resin from ultra violet radiation. Misc. Performance: No, you can't hit the prop when you flare to land or rotate to take off. Altitude performance is excellent; even a normally aspirated engine will take the airplane higher than the pilot's lungs can go without oxygen. No, there isn't any pitch trim change with throttle. If you cycle the throttle from idle to full suddenly, all you get is acceleration with zero pitch or yaw. Specifications Continental Continental 1800cc 0-200 A-65 Volks. Span-Ft. - Wing/Canard 22.3/13.2 22.3/13.2 22.3/13.2 Area-square feet Wing 53.6 53.6 53.6 Canard 13.7 13.7 13.7 Total Area 67.3 67.3 67.3 Road Towing Width - Ft. 5.7 5.7 5.7 Empty Weight - Lbs. 490 458 440 Useful Load - Lbs. 490 417 410 Gross Weight - Lbs. 980 875 850 Wing Loading - Lb./Square Ft 14.6 13.0 12.6 Power Loading - Lb./HP 9.8 13.5 13.7 Design "g" +-6 +-6 +-6 Fuel - Gal. 20 20* 20* Performance at Gross Weight Take Off Distance - Ft. 750 980 1050 Rate of Climb S/L - FPM 1800 900 900 Max. Cruise Speed (75%) - KT/MPH 181/208 156/179 152/175 Range at 75% Power - Miles 700 850* 870* Economy Cruise Speed - KT/MPH 126/145 109/125 109/125 Range at Economy Cruise - Miles 1100 1200* 1200* Stall Speed - KT/MPH 52/60 49/56 48/55 Landing Distance - Ft. 800 700 650 Performance Single Place, 2 Hr. Fuel Take Off Distance - Ft. 550 780 800 Rate of Climb S/L - FPM 2600 1600 1500 Stall Speed - KT/MPH 44/50 42/48 42/48 * For a crew weight of 300 lbs. total. Fuel and range is reduced for heavier people CP07, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Cabin Noise: The cabin noise level in 7EZ is lower than most light airplanes; however we plan to improve this even more on 4EZ with the addition of a muffler. Pusher Engines: As you engine experts know, the Continental 0-200 (100 hp), C85 and C90 engines have a special crankshaft for an FAA-approved pusher installation. These special cranks are rare and expensive. We don't believe that these special parts are necessary for the VariEze. The difference between the "pusher" 0-200 B and the tractor 0-200 A is a reinforced flange to take the high static thrust loads that you find in amphibian type or other slow aircraft. The 0-200, C85, C90, C75, A80, A75 and A65 crankshafts are almost identical (not interchangeable) and the A65 engine is approved as a pusher without modification. Because of the fixed-pitch prop, designed for 200-mph cruise, the thrust loads on the 100-hp 0-200 A are lower than they are on the 65-hp A65 in a "normal" installation. It is possible that you might have to plug an oil passage in your crank case for improved lubrication. We are testing this on 4EZ and will include our findings and recommendations in the plans and later newsletters. **GRAPHS OMITTED** Dealers: We've had a number of inquiries from individuals wanting to be "dealers" or "retailers" of plans, parts, etc. Our current situation is that we are under contract with several very reputable firms for the exclusive manufacturing and retailing of Eze materials and components. These contracts are in effect for two years as exclusive agreements. After this initial period, we will address expansion to a larger dealer network. In the meanwhile, we suggest that overseas customers wishing to save on import costs, make volume orders. Building Skill: Many of you have expressed concern about the skill required to build the VariEze. If you can chew gum and walk a straight line simultaneously, you won't have any trouble at all. For those who have trouble with this, we will be holding seminars and demonstrations around the U.S. after the plans are out. Seriously, the skill required to make a good, safe structure is less than that required for sheet metal, wood, or welding. Forget any experience you may have had with fiberglass using standard industrial weaves or boat cloth. The special weave cloth used on the VariEze requires only about one-half the time to lay up as you may be used to, and the low resin amount required to wet out the cloth results in a significant weight savings. The VariEze plans are much more than just drawings: they are a very detailed "education" and step-by-step construction procedure description. We even plan to tell you how many man-hours you should spend in each step. This allows the builder to compare his performance with a norm and will allow him to tell, at any time, how much work he has yet to do. Tools: We have also received many inquiries about the tools required to build the Eze. Most tools are of the common tool box variety: screw driver, wrenches, saws, hammers, etc. This is a short list of the special tools: hot wire saw (homemade using safety wire and an auto battery charger), moto tool dremel or weller home shop hand grinder, X-acto knife, epoxy ratio pumps or balance, tongue depressors, surform file, scissors and butcher knife. A band saw (wood and aluminum cutting), small sander and a drill press are nice but not required. Starter: OK, you guys who insist on installing an electric starter, look at what you're doing to your airplane. First, you add a 16-lb starter to your engine, then add a 25-lb battery in the nose to balance and power it, then add six pounds of cable to connect the two (both ways - You can't ground to glass and foam). Presto, you've added 40 pounds of empty weight that does nothing except in the first five seconds of a flight. A small seven-lb battery gives you everything you need for avionics and lights. For the privilege of pushing a button once each flight, you have reduced your useful load carrying ability by 10%. Look at it this way, your starter equipped airplane will go 330 miles less with the same takeoff weight as my hand-propped model. CP07, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES Be sure to incorporate these revisions into your plans now. Location PL - Plans TR - Tech Report NL - Previous Newsletters CAT - Catalog Category of Change MEO - Minor error or omission OPT - Optional improvement DES - Desirous change; does not effect flight safety but should be incorporated to improve aircraft or correct a fault. MAN - Mandatory change; must be incorporated as safety of flight is affected. Category Location Change MEO PL pg 41, RP1 sketch - Tube size pg 57 5/16x.035 not 5/16x.063 for AN4 bolt. MEO PL pg 40 Change AB belcrank rivets to -15 not -9 as shown. MEO PL pg 30 Aft end of OW2 sq. tube should be welded closed or filled with a phenolic block. MEO PL pg 15 C1 is under size to mate with CR. Either file CR5 down to match C1 or make C1 over size to match CR. MEO PL pg 47 16.7 dim should be 16.2 on MG14 detail. SP WING PLANS As we mentioned in newsletter six, the special performance wing plans are ready for mailing. The plans price of $39.50 (Calif. residents add $2.37 tax) includes plans and a very complete construction manual with instructions so detailed, that they may insult your ingenuity! The plans include full-size rib lofts, composite rudder, and winglets. The construction manual includes photos. A number of builders have asked us if the composite structure of the SP wing can be used on the standard wing. We don't recommend anything for you that we haven't flown ourselves, but, we don't see any reason why the information in the SP plans, together with the lofts and information in chapters 3 and 10 of the standard plans couldn't be used to build a set of composite panels for the standard airplane. The composite wing would be a stronger wing than the metal wing. Since the ailerons on the standard wing are larger than the SP ailerons, the hinges for a composite standard wing should be 10 inches long instead of 6 inches long. The addition of winglets to the standard wing should also improve it's performance, more so, than the SP wing because of the lower aspect ratio. Since we had the SP plans printed, we have developed an optional aileron (or rudder) hinge stiffener plate which replaces the plywood parts and screws with a sheet metal angle as shown in the sketch. This method makes the aileron (rudder) to wing (stab) fit up much easier. To install, remove a 1/8" gap of foam, 1-in deep adjacent to the skin, bend the .020 alum AA7 angle to fit flush along the foam face and against the hinge. Hold in place while drilling holes through the skin, hinge, and AA7 for rivets. This can be done on both sides at once with the aileron in place on the wing. Use clecos to hold the hinges while drilling. Remove the hinge and AA7, fill the gap with flox and install the hinge (one side at a time with the hinge pin removed) using pop rivets. The glass skin on the vertical face should be applied now to give a wet bond with the flox used to mount the hinge. **SKETCHES OMITTED** VARIVIGGEN BUILDING TIPS Jim Cavis moved his MG9 pulleys outboard 0.15" as suggested in newsletter 4 to use the shorter MG4 beams supplied by RAF. With the new location for the pulley, Jim found it to be advisable to bend the uplock belcrank inboard and put the bolt on the outside (see photo). The photo also shows the fairlead pulley on the aileron cable to provide additional clearance with the gear parts. If you have the short MG4 beams, you may find that its easier to weld a strip of steel on the end to extend them to the plans dimension rather than move MG9. Jim also cut a 2-1/4" dia hole in F152 above the MGMA to aid in the installation of the MG42 spool and so he can see the MG42 spool in action. He reports the entire gear is now complete and operation is satisfactory. It is possible to get the cables forward of the spar instead of in the close quarters behind F152. I did this on N27VV with pulleys as shown in the sketch. You can use this method if you wish to have better access to the cables and turnbuckles. I don't think the extra complexity of pulleys and brackets is worth it though. Jim reports it took six people and a case of beer to turn his Viggen over after skinning the bottom: sounds like an overkill to me! CP07, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **SKETCH OMITTED** Orv Winfield reports that auto parts stores carry what they call a "tank valve" - a tire valve with metal 1/8" pipe thread. This should work fine on the nosegear strut. He paid 56 cents for his. Several builders have reported difficulty with warping when welding NG15 to NG13. This can be avoided by welding a small ring of .063 steel to the tube and bolting on NG15 with six #8-32 screws (see sketch). **SKETCH OMITTED** When cutting WR25 it is not necessary to cut the notches for Spar H and I. Spar H and I do not have to pass through WR25; adequate support is provided by WR24.9 ribs. Thus, fitting the notches is not necessary. Landing gear motor assemblies - The accompanying photos show the assembly used by Pastor Bruce Jenkins. He hinged the motor (a Ford part number DOAZ-5723395-A) from the opposite side and supported it with a 'u' channel fit to the motor housing. It mounts firmly over the F30 fitting on the left side. The large plate is .125 alum. The large gear is a Boston ND64. He used a similar setup on the nose gear with a Boston ND30. These gears mesh directly with the Ford unit. Ken Guscott went one step further and built a rigid box to house the large gear providing bearing support on both sides. He also uses a relatively complex system to provide lateral disengagement for emergency extension. While a bit on the complex and heavy side, his system is well engineered and should provide excellent operation. He has made up a full-size drawing of the system and will distribute it to other builders at a nominal cost for reproduction. He also has a drawing for his homebuilt nose gear designed around a surplus shock strut. His address: 12 Richards Road, Lynnfield, Mass. 01940. VariViggen Hydraulic Brake Line Routing: As shown on plans page 41, flexible line runs from the master cylinders to a bulkhead fitting through F31. Half hard (5052-1/2H) 1/4 O.D. aluminum line is run from this fitting inside the nosegear box through F32 aft along the side (inside) the tunnel. The aluminum line is routed aft to Spar B then outboard along the front face of Spar B to another bulkhead fitting mounted on WR46. Route the aluminum line through Spar B at B.L.45 and W.L.3. From the WR46 fitting a flexible line is run aft about 6" then looped forward and down the shock strut to the brake. This leaves a loop of flex line outboard of the gear door cutout. Check for chafing of the brake lines during gear retraction. **SKETCH OMITTED** Asbestos fiber that we at one time recommended as an epoxy thickener has been identified as a possible health hazard if you breathe the dust. We no longer use it at RAF and don't recommend that you do either. As a non-toxic substitute, we recommend flocked cotton fiber (Gougeon Brothers 403 fiber). The following sketch shows the battery location first used in N27VV. Note that the long dimension is positioned fore-aft to give room for the nose gear in the retracted position. I later moved the battery to between F70 and F91 after adding other equipment and finding that I didn't need the nose weight. Each builder should mount his battery after the first weighing to determine the optimum position for his aircraft. **SKETCH OMITTED** VariViggen builders now total 440. Those of you with a VariViggen aircraft serial number will find enclosed with this newsletter, an update to the builders list. f you can't find the 1/2" sq alum tube for the canopy, substitute 1/2x.049 2024 T3 or 6061 T6 round tube and use larger corner gussets and three extra rivets into the tube at the corners. CP07, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOPPING We've heard reports that some suppliers have charged nearly twice the going or promised price on items which were ordered. We suggest that you get a price quote and a promised delivery before ordering anything from an unfamiliar source. Ken Brock Mfg., 11852 Western Ave., Stanton, Ca. 90680 is manufacturing the light weight fuel cap assembly for the SP wings and they are available now. Ken has a beautiful illustrated catalog for $1.00, unfortunately the fuel caps were too late to be included. Bill Campbell, S/N 325, Bx 253, Phelan, Ca. 92371, phone 714 249-6218, is manufacturing the following parts for VariViggen builders: C8, C9, C12, C14, C16, C18, C19, C21, C15, EC3, EC5, E6, F29, F30, WF45, WA1, R11, AA3, SA4, SA5, SA8, SA9, SP5, PA5, PB2, PD2, AB2, AB3, AB4, AB8, AB12, AM2, RB2, RB3, PF2, PC2, EM2, NG11, NG16, NG17, NG19, NG21, MG8, MG9, MG10, MG20, MG22, MG24, MG29, and a 30-gallon fuel tank that fits in to the standard space. For prices and availability, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to Bill. Having these completed parts can really speed up your construction project. Flight Test Assistance - We are planning to provide a pre-first flight inspection and initial flight test assistance service for our builders. This would involve us visiting your flight test area, giving your aircraft a very complete inspection and rigging check, prior to first flight and either flying your first flight or checking you out in N27VV to improve your proficiency for your first flight. Providing flight test assistance in expanding the flight envelope of your airplane would also be very beneficial in assuring flight safety. This service will only be provided to those who are building the airplane without major modifications from the plans, and flight envelope expansion on your aircraft will be limited to the envelope shown in the aircraft operating limitations, plans page 3. We will provide this service to the first three builders who complete their aircraft, free of charge except for transportation costs. National Scientific Co., P.O. Box 901, Melbourne, Fl. 32901 is offering a kit for a capacitance fuel gauging system that promises to be lighter and more accurate than the float type gauge. The FG15 kit price is $43.40. Pastor Bruce Jenkins, S/N 177, Rt 1, Eagle, Mi. 48822 has two Continental 0-200 B engines with accessories, currently undergoing chrome major, for sale. These engines will be available for delivery in mid March. A certified check or money order for $2150 will hold one for you. Australian and New Zealand builders, who need a certified epoxy, contact Consolidated Chemicals LTD, New Zealand for information on their product "epiglue." Gougeon Brothers, 706 Martin St., Bay City, Mi. 48706 has a hand cream for epoxy workers that enables you to clean up with soap and water only. You can order this barrier skin cream (ply no. 9) for $2.60 a one-lb jar. We've heard from several builders that G & J Aircraft and Industrial Metals, 1115 S. Sultana, Ontario, Ca. 91761 has good prices on hardware and metals. George Evans, 4102 Twining, Riverside, Ca. 92509 is pumping out welded assemblies for VariViggen builders. George has added the NG25/26/24/23/27 assembly with an adjustable NG27 to his stock and they are available now. George also has MG14's, MG32's, and EM1 weldments. You guys who have had trouble finding 1-1/4-in square tubing just write to George; he has 1000 ft of it fresh from the mill. George has also become a distributor for the Scott tailwheel ass'y and he's offering them below retail for VariViggen builders ($186.). All of George's products that we've seen, have been of excellent quality and workmanship. Vernon Williams, S/N 189, 4 Southmont Cir., Little Rock, Ark. 72209, reports that he still has a fuel tank for sale of the type he had at Oshkosh. Those of you that are still having trouble locating materials, should get an Aircraft Spruce & Specialty catalog. This outfit provides excellent service and has a very complete "in stock" line of everything from plywood to hardware and instruments. One builder noted that their precut VariViggen spruce kit (certified spruce) was cheaper than buying spruce from his local lumber yard. Their address is Bx 424, Fullerton, Ca. 92632. Catalog cost of $2.00 is refundable on first order. Jesse Wright, S/N 91, is in production with his canard kit, having delivered the first half-dozen or so. Jesse is also manufacturing a bulkhead kit. If you're interested, write directly to Jesse Wright, 7221 S. Colorado Ct., Littleton, Co. 80122. His canard kit is priced at $116 including packing and shipping (in the U.S.A.). We listed Jesse's phone number incorrectly in newsletter 6; it is 303 771-5140, not 711- 5140 as shown. RAF is no longer handling the VariViggen bulkhead and rib kits. We do have a couple of sets here that we can sell at a discount to anyone who would like to pick them up at Mojave - we're no longer equipped to ship them. If you still want the bulkheads and ribs drawn on plywood, (not routed out like Jesse Wright's kit) you can order them from Aircraft Materials Co., 850 E. San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, Ca. 94070. Write them for price. CP07, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Bruce Jenkens' maingear motor assembly with gearing. VariViggen radio-controlled model built by Bob Constance, Tempe, AZ. Bill Campbell's shop looks like an assembly line. He's building two! New communications & navigation antennas from H. C. Communications. Jim Cavis' maingear actuator assy. Jim Cavis' fuselage gets a half-roll after skinning. CP07, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 8 APR 76 RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport JAN, APL, JLY, OCT PO Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-2645 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE PROGRAMS (very vig-in) (very easy) NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/yr OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.50/yr BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** N4EZ with 3rd generation inlet airscoop. Scoop has since been made smaller. Hand propping is VariEze and requires no chocks or tiedowns. Rubber bumper on nose is better than a chock. Ground handling is VariEze. Panel on prototype - see text for other layouts. Note the stick and throttle quadrant - these will be offered as "ready to bolt in" parts. RAF ACTIVITY since our January newsletter (no. 7) has been hot and heavy. We've spent considerable time refining our composite construction methods (VariEasier), conducting structural tests, and flight testing the Continental-powered VariEze, N4EZ. In addition to supporting our VariViggen builders and writing the Viggen owners manual, we've been burning the midnight oil releasing VariEze manufactured items and materials for production and working on the Eze plans. Regrettably, we've also spent a full third of our time answering letters and telephone calls from people requesting a personal Eze program update. We know that you folks are excited about the program and we really appreciate the interest, but please save your dime so that we can get the job done! Once we have the plans done, we'll gladly answer all of your questions. Until that time, we must ask you to leave us alone so that we can work. Preparation of the manufacturing manual for the Eze homebuilder is a very big job. It can be completed by late May if we can reduce the interruptions. You are welcome to visit us from noon to 2 P.M. any Saturday for our weekly demo, but don't come during the rest of the week. We cannot show you the airplanes during the week. CP08, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- In the last few weeks during the Saturday afternoon demos, we have been giving composite construction demonstrations. We will continue these construction demos to give our Saturday afternoon visitors a first-hand look at the method used in VariEze construction. Flight demonstrations will not always be given on the Saturday demos since we plan to take the VariEze and VariViggen to several flyins this summer, including Corona, Watsonville, and Oshkosh. We will plan to have a construction demo set up though for any Saturday visitors. VARIEZE DEVELOPMENT FLIGHT TESTS - The prototype for the homebuilt program (N4EZ) made its first flight on March 15. As of this writing (15 April) it has logged 35 flight hours. The test program has progressed very well to date, the aircraft being in flight-ready status essentially all the time. There have been a number of changes required as a result of the tests. These are all covered in the following: Flying Qualities - The aircraft initially had poor harmony between the pitch and roll forces - pitch too light and roll too heavy. We made two gearing changes in the control system (different length arms) to tailor the forces to what is now considered optimum. Pitch forces are now about three to four lb per g, which is just about right for a side stick control. Roll rate without rudder is slower than the average light plane, but when coordinated with rudder, the roll rate is more than adequate at all speeds. Hands-off stability is better than the average light plane. Trimmed up, it will hold altitude and heading, even in turbulence, without touching the controls. I recently flew a 3-1/2 hour flight, while touching the controls only for about 10 minutes - take off and landing. Turns were made by leaning in the cockpit and the aircraft held altitude between 10,500 and 11,000 feet for three hours. Dynamic damping is dead beat in pitch and roll and one-overshoot in yaw at all speeds. The phugoid damps in one cycle, which is quite good for a clean, fast aircraft. There is no pitch or yaw trim change due to power changes. There is a roll trim change, and we have verified this to be due to direct engine torque, not aerodynamic effects. It was not significant on the VW powered aircraft, since the torque is low on the 60-hp, high rpm engine. The difference of roll trim from full power climb to idle descent is enough to be a nuisance, so we added roll trim to the aircraft. This is a small tab (1 1/2"x10") at the wing tip, actuated by a model airplane servo. This "separate surface" trim is preferable to elevon trim since it does not effect elevon authority and is a handy inflight adjustment for any wing twist tolerances. Stalls in the VariEze can best be described as 'boring.' The design of the two wings are such that the aircraft is self-limiting to about 14- deg angle of attack. The technical reasons for this are beyond the scope of this discussion, but the result to the pilot is as shown in the accompanying graph. A normal relationship of elevator position required to hold airspeed (or CL) exists up to about 12 degrees angle of attack, which corresponds to about 52 knots or CL=1.5. This is also about the angle of attack of maximum CL of the canard surface. As the stick is brought further aft from the 52-knot position, the pilot notes four things: 1. It takes a lot more stick motion to get just a little slower speed and full aft stick is reached in a nice stable flight condition at 48 knots (CL=1.66). 2. There is an occasional mild pitch bucking motion below 50 knots, but no g-break, yaw, nor roll motions. 3. Power required to fly level is not greatly increased (I was climbing at 14,000 ft, 48 kt, and 1/3 throttle!). 4. Roll control with the ailerons begins to degrade below 52 knots, however the airplane is VariEze to fly with the rudders at any speed, including full aft stick (48 kt). At 48 kt the airplane cannot be rolled with the elevons (somewhat like a Cub near stall). **GRAPHS OMITTED** Tuft tests show excellent attached flow on the vertical fins at all speeds, and some trailing edge local turbulence near the wing tips and canard below 50 knots. Accelerated stalls are similar. We don't know yet if the VariEze will spin, but we do know an even more important fact: it is much less susceptible to inadvertent spins than the common light plane. The independent rudders move a total of about 50 degrees which makes them effective as speed brakes. If you're high on final approach, the rudders can be extended to add about 200-ft-per- minute rate of sink. The overall flying qualities can best be described as "comfortable." Certainly not aerobatic, due to the low roll rate, but excellent for its primary mission: travel from point A to point B with little fuel used, and at a high cruise speed. Performance - The following performance data are from flight tests with N4EZ. They are based on a plans-built aircraft with wheel pants. All data are for a fixed-pitch cruise prop except for the 65-hp engine - we are recommending a climb prop for the 65-hp installation to improve take-off performance, at a 10-kt cruise penalty - this is why the 65-hp take-off and climb performance is the same as the 75-hp data. **GRAPH OMITTED** CP08, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **VARIEZE PERFORMANCE GRAPHS OMITTED** MISC VARIEZE DEVELOPMENT ITEMS Cooling - N4EZ overheated on its first flight. The original cowl inlet was designed more for low cost production than for pressure recovery. We instrumented the high and low pressure plenums and built a large, ugly scoop for the bottom. This gave more than adequate cooling, but resulted in a five-kt drag penalty. We then built the 65 square inch inlet shown on the pictures in this newsletter. It gave a 3-kt speed increase and still cooled as well. Since the pictures were taken we have reduced the inlet to about 42 square inches and have found this to be optimum for the 100-hp engine. Cruise temperatures are oil=170 degrees F, cylinder head=360 degrees F, both well in the green. Concerning the inlet, different inlet areas will be required for the different hp engines. To keep the cowling price low, we plan to offer the basic shape and have the homebuilder build up a foam/glass lip as shown, to match his engine size. We now also know that the outlet area is too large and that some more performance can be gained by a better cowl/spinner fit. However, we feel that it is much more important to get the plans our first, rather than spending the next two weeks going after four more knots speed. Therefore, we are not going to change the outlet until after the plans are out. This means that the cowlings will not be available until about two months after the plans are out. This will assure you of an optimum cowl, without us delaying the plans. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Engine Installation - All aspects of the Continental engine installation have worked out excellent. The simple homebuilt carb heat box is mounted on the airframe, free from engine vibration. It mounts on an automotive-type air filter which is much more effective than the average aircraft filter. Induction system losses and mixture distribution is equal to the best systems we've seen. The carb heat muff is a very simple two-piece, easily built part that provides a 90 degrees F temperature rise using only the left exhaust system. This leaves the right side available for a simple cabin heat system. However, as long as the aircraft is flown day-VFR, a heater is not required - the canopy traps radiant heat that is held by the foam- insulated fuselage structure. We are using a low cost exhaust system with a homemade glass-pack muffler. The lightweight muffler removes most of the engine noise, the remaining noise being mostly from the propeller. The VariEze cockpit noise level at cruise is about like a late model Cessna, allowing conversation at a normal voice level. Absolutely no indication of any problem has been seen with the pusher thrust bearing, using the tractor engine (see newsletter 7). Crank end play shows no wear and case temperatures are normal. Pitch Trim - Pitch trim initially was done by a handle that operated a spring, connected to the stick. After we changed the pitch gearing, the trim loads were increased such that it was difficult to precisely trim the aircraft. We then changed the handle to a 1.5-diameter knob that the pilot turns for pitch trim. The result is a precise trim system that has fewer parts and is easier to build. The obsolete handle is in the panel photo in this newsletter ( pg 1). Nose Gear Retraction - An important design feature of the VariEze is its retractable nose gear with capability powerful enough to raise and lower the nose on the ground with the pilot and passenger aboard. This allows the aircraft to be parked in a very stable attitude on the ground, "chocked" for starting the engine and allowing easy pilot entry and exit without a ladder. Development of this feature, however, has been a very difficult and frustrating experience. N7EZ had a simple- concept system as shown in the sketch, using a recirculating-ball screw assembly to provide low friction. The system allowed the pilot to crank himself and a passenger up and down, (33 turns) but if he let go of the handle in the process, it would spin wildly around and let the nose down hard. **SKETCHES OMITTED** CP08, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- I didn't like the system, primarily because the ball screw assembly was expensive. We used the same concept on N4EZ, but replaced the ball screw with a lower cost Acme screw threaded rod, hoping that the extra friction would solve the spin problem. We found that even with a 45- turn gearing, the system would bind up under load, requiring a heavy two-handed effort to crank the nose up with the pilot in. We installed an electric auto window motor which works okay, but takes 35 seconds for gear retraction, requires an electric system in the airplane, and costs over $50 just for the motor. This, of course, was not the most satisfactory approach. Sometimes it is best to back off and look at the forest instead of the trees - I did, and realized the basic problem was that the hand is very inefficient in turning a small crank with the arm in line with its axis of rotation. The most efficient manual capability is an aft pull of the arm, using the biceps muscle. We found a low cost jack-type mechanism that can be installed and easily rigged to allow gear extension/retraction with 10 pulls of a D-ring handle mounted on the instrument panel. This should allow a much faster, easier to build, much lower cost gear transit system. We are now installing this system on the VW-powered prototype, N7EZ, for testing. Incorporating this change will, of course, cause some delay but that's what our type of business is about. If we knew exactly how everything would work, we wouldn't even have to do flight testing! Static Test Wing - Our static load test wing is completed and will undergo proof-load tests soon. After proof load testing the wing will be given to another organization for fatigue testing. The glass layups on this wing were done by an aviation writer who had no previous fiberglass experience. He was curious if he could do the work and we wanted a first-hand look at how well a beginner followed our wing plans. His work looked fine to us and he was pleased with the ease of construction. VARIEZE WORK AREA AND TOOLS Shop Size - Of course, a nice roomy 20'x30' work shop is ideal, but a VariEze can be built in an area as small as a single-car garage (10'x18'). The new epoxies used are less toxic and have less odor than contemporary ones, but we still strongly recommend a well ventilated work area. If you are considering a stuffy basement, rig up a small ventilation fan to move out fumes during the glass layups. The temperature of the shop must be maintained between 60 degrees and 90 degrees F during the glass work, 75 +-5 degrees being ideal. Table to Jig Wings and Canard - This is any relatively flat surface at least 10 ft long x 2 ft wide. Any larger than 4 ft by 12 ft will just get in the way. The sketch shows the one we built and it works fine. The box design makes it stiff in torsion. Don't get carried away with surface finish: you will be gluing jig blocks to it with Bondo and chiseling them off several times. Set it up with the top 34 to 39 inches above the floor. **SKETCH OMITTED** Tools - There are certain tools required to build a VariEze. Three lists are provided here. The first one is the absolute minimum required, sacrificing efficiency; the second is a recommended list for a good compromise of cost and work efficiency; the third is a list for the "Cadillac" of shops, where ease of construction is more important than money. Don't call us now asking how to find the odd-ball items. These will be available where you buy VariEze raw materials. 1. Basic Minimum: Common household butcher knife, coping saw, pliers, 1/4' drive socket set, set of small open end wrenches, 1" putty knife, hacksaw, screwdrivers, box of single-edge razor blades, 24" carpenters level, carpenters square, 3-ft straight-edge, 12-ft steel tape, 1/4" drill, roll of gray duct tape, box of 1" and 2" paint brushes, several 6" plastic squeegees, scissors, wire brush, pop rivet puller. 2. Recommended (in addition to #1): Dremel-type miniature high speed hand grinder (set no. 261 is okay), 1" and 1/2" chisels, small set of X-acto knives and razor saw, stipple roller, 100-deg. countersink, 6" steel ruler, 6" to 9" disc-type hand sander, saber saw, Stanley surform plane, square and half-round files, several 6" C-clamps, vacuum cleaner. 3. First class shop (in addition to #2): Drill press, bench mounted belt sander, 18-inch band saw, epoxy ratio pump, 90 degrees drill adapter, air compressor with blow nozzle. 4. Items used only occasionally and can be borrowed: Nicopress sleeve swage tool, 12-volt battery charger for hot wire cutter, one dozen 1/8" clecos. VARIEZE MATERIALS - It still looks like the materials cost (less engine) for the Eze will be about $1300 for those willing to build everything. If you buy all prefab parts that will be available (landing gear, axles, engine mount, rudder pedals, stick assembly, elevon pivots, wing attach fittings, fuel caps, canopy, cowling, etc.) the cost, including all raw materials and instruments, should be about $2600. You can pick any number between these values, depending on how much you want to build. Our distributors are already stocking most of the items. The manufacturers have already built several hundred of many of the prefab parts. We expect that all raw materials, tools and prefab parts (except cowling) will be available in quantity when we release plans. We will identify all distributors in newsletter 9 and in the plans. VARIEZE PLANS - We really don't like to call them plans - a better description would be manufacturing manual. They include a 30-page educational section that gives you a very complete introduction to the materials and detailed methods used to build the VariEze. The plans themselves are not just engineering drawings, but a very complete step- by-step manual showing each operation required. If you're curious about the format, find one of your wife's Simplicity dress patterns and look at the instruction sheet that comes with the pattern. We have found that this format of words, photos, and sketches, to supplement the normal drawings, is a very effective approach. Each major job is detailed and in each step you are told how many man-hours should be required. The basic plans will consist of about 150, 11"x17" sheets, plus some larger full-size drawings. The plans will be offered in several sections: Section I - Composite structures education, construction manual and drawings on entire aircraft except engine installation and optional electric/avionics systems. Section IIA - Continental Engine installation. Complete instructions and drawings for 65 to 100-hp Continental engine installation: baffling, fuel system, mounting, exhaust system, carb heat system, engine instrumentation, cowling installation, propeller and spinner and engine operating specifications. Section IIB - Same as IIA except for aircraft conversion of the Volkswagen engine. Section IIC - Same as IIA except for alternate engine. CP08, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Section III - Electrical/avionics: drawings, specifications and installation instructions for optional electrical system, night lighting systems, avionics and antennas, and instrumentation associated with electrical system. Section IV - Owners manual: flight and maintenance manual for the VariEze similar to the VariViggen owners manual. Includes normal and emergency procedures, loading graphs, operation checklists, detailed flying qualifies descriptions, performance charts, maiden flight test procedures, pilot checkout procedures, maintenance checklists and a record keeping section. So, if you want to build a basic VFR VariEze with a Continental A-75, and without electrical system, you will need sections I and IIA and then section IV before your aircraft is ready to fly. If you insist on loading your aircraft up with avionics and lighting, you can get section III. Section IIB should be available as soon as the VW engine installation is completely proven out, possibly within three months after section I is released. If you want to use a VW conversion, you can get section I, start building your aircraft and then get section IIB when its ready. Section IIC is being pursued now, because it is obvious that the supply of used 4-cylinder Continental engines will be quite short within about two years. As these engines start getting scarce it will be important to have an alternate engine to keep the VariEze program alive. There are actually four different engines now being considered, all in the 80 to 90 hp range, light weight, and relatively low cost. These are being developed by other organizations; RAF does not plan to undertake engine development. But, don't get excited about getting these real soon. Aircraft engine development is a very big and expensive job and, while I have every hope of getting an alternate engine soon, I think it will be about a year until one of these "new" engines proves adequate. Do not contact us to consider any engine you may have in mind, unless it has at least 800 hours of reliable flying time. Now for the big question - when will the plans be ready?? They are now more than half written and laid out. We have been, and will be, working days, evenings and weekends on the plans. We think they will be done in late May. The new nose gear extension system may delay this, but we don't think by much. Due to our policy of not selling anything we don't have, we cannot let you order plans at this time. We do have a plan to notify all subscribers of "The Canard Pusher" when they are available: as soon as we take sections I and IIA of the VariEze plans to the printers for printing and binding, we will immediately write newsletter 9, in it giving all information for ordering the plans. Thus, "Canard Pusher" no. 9 may be published in early June, giving you firsthand notice of plans availability. So, please do not call or write asking when they will be available; we will notify you as they go to the printers. Initially, we do not plan a large promotional campaign to advertise VariEze plans. We want to wait until a few months after the plans are on the market to be sure the distributors are keeping up with demand on the raw materials and prefab parts. Our announcement of plans availability in newsletter 9 and in "Sport Aviation" is our only planned initial promotion. CONSTRUCTION SEMINARS/AIRSHOWS - Due to the uncertainty of exactly when the plans will be finished, we cannot schedule specific seminars now. Newsletter 9 will announce any seminars we can schedule by then. We do plan a daily construction demonstration in the synthetics workshop at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin EAA convention. VariEze forums at Oshkosh this year have been scheduled for Monday, August 2 and Thursday, August 5. A VariViggen forum will be Wednesday, August 4. We plan to have the VariEze and VariViggen at the Corona, Ca. (1 & 2 May) and Watsonville, Ca. (29 & 30 May) flyins. VARIEZE QUESTIONS ATC Radar - I'm not sure why, but the VariEze is picked up on Air Traffic Control's radar similar to light planes built from metal. Ultra Violet Protection - While glass needs no protection, the epoxy and foams do require an UV barrier to protect against long term degradation in sunlight. A UV barrier is sprayed on before final color paint. All finishing materials required and methods to get that "competition sailplane" contoured finish we put on our airplanes, will be published in a booklet "Finishing the Composite Homebuilt Airplane." This booklet will be available this summer - it is applicable to any aircraft with an epoxy/fabric exterior. Very Low Temperatures - Several people have asked how the structure withstands the low ambient temperatures common to the North. I think this concern stems from thermal stress failures that have occurred on another homebuilt that has a relatively weak surface skin and a highly insulated main spar. The VariEze structure bears no resemblance to that structure - spar caps and skin being at the surface minimizes thermal stress. The glass/epoxy matrix actually has improved physical properties at low temperatures. These same materials are used in structural areas of military aircraft whose high altitude envelopes requires them to be qualified to below minus 70 deg. F. Instrument Panel Room - The accompanying sketch shows three different instrument panel layouts. The first one is what we recommend for the VariEze - a low cost, lightweight panel for high performance day VFR utility. A com radio is needed to get any cross-country utility now days, but the rest is bare bones, giving more leg room. The other two layouts show the capability to stuff different type equipment in, for those who like to gaze at clocks. **SKETCHES OF INSTRUMENT PANEL LAYOUTS OMITTED** CP08, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Closure Inspections - When does FAA inspect the structure? The glass is applied over a solid foam core - thus there is nothing to inspect before skinning. All joints and all structure is inspectable from the outside, and must be done after the structure is built but before it is painted. You will be given specific inspection criteria in the plans. In addition, since not every FAA inspector is familiar with composite structures, we plan to supply recommended inspection criteria to all FAA regional offices and to the foreign agencies. Suitcase Size: Two suitcases, size as in sketch, fit into the back seat area on the sides up against the front seat. When empty, they take up little room. When full, they take up some of the lateral (sideways) leg room of the back seater. These suitcases will be available in completed form from VariEze distributors. In addition the Eze has two map cases (under front seat thigh support and in roll-over structure) and baggage areas behind the rear seat and in the center section spar. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Prop Sizes - We have tested four different propellers, including a three-blade. We plan to test at least two more before we finalize the prop specification. 80-Octane Gas Availability - Continental engines offer a conversion to all the 65 to 100-hp engines that allow continuous use of 100 octane low lead gas. This kit can be installed at top overhaul. Foreign Country Homebuilt Approval - We have received requests for assistance from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and England to provide the engineering documentation required to gain approval for amateur building. We intend to supply all these requests for stress data and static test documentation, but we must wait until after the plans are out. Other Questions?? Each newsletter we try to answer the questions sent to us which have not been answered in previous newsletters or the information kit. If your question needs and deserves an immediate reply, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. VARIVIGGEN PROJECT REPORTS - Only three projects reported since January. Let's hear from the rest of you! **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Mike Melvill's mount & firewall. Note the cabin heat control box at the bottom. Mike Melvill's, SN 115, 1st class cockpit! Note engine instruments in lower center, radios at right console. Any fighter pilot should feel right at home! This VariViggen being built near Toulouse, France will be powered by two Microturbo jet engines (200-lb thrust each). It is being built in co-operation with the engine manufacturer as a flight test article for engine development. Expected take off and climb will be similar to a 150-hp VariViggen. Cruise should be about 190 mph: range, only 250 miles on 50 gallons! N31VV, by Jim Cavis, SN31: All work done except canopy and outer wings. Glass/foam composite rudder and engine mount on Jim Cavis's VariViggen. The dynafocal mount is available for $180 from Star-fire Aviation, 4225 S. 37th, Phoenix, Az. 85006 CP08, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN BUILDER TIPS Those of you with dynafocal mounts may find an interference with the cowling at the mount point. The following method is an easy way to put a streamlined "blister" on the cowl anywhere you need more room. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Tension on the aileron control cables should not be real tight. Proper tension is only 10 to 15 lb. Adjust the turnbuckles to take out the slack, then tighten about two turns for a light snub - exact tension is not critical. You may want to carve the center notch on F20 up higher than shown on the plans to allow the nose gear to go further up and hold more securely in the up position. The Gougeon Brothers brochure recommends three coats of epoxy to protect wood surfaces. This is for boats! Three coats are too heavy for your airplane. Paint one full coat to interior surfaces. Finish the exterior as shown in newsletter 6. We understand from Jim Saunders, SN 396, that some manufacturers of wood props are hesitant to build a wood prop for a 180-hp Lycoming unless the builder supplies a spacer to provide a larger bolt radius for the prop. While it is completely satisfactory for the 150-hp Lycoming, they are concerned about the bearing strength of the wood on the short lugs used on the 180-hp engines. This may or may not be a problem. If anyone knows of any problems with a 180-hp wood prop, let us know. Actually, the primary torque-transmitting surface is friction between the flange face and the prop face. If you don't believe this, run your engine with loose bolts so all the torque is on the lugs - they will fail within a few minutes running. Just kidding, of course, about doing this - Never run an engine unless you're sure the bolts are properly torqued. After installing a new prop, retorque after the first run and each 10 hours until it sets in well. Recheck torque each 100 hours. Proper torque for a prop (with a hub depth of 4" and 3/8" bolts) is obtained after the bolts take out all slack and are then turned one more full turn. This provides the correct percentage squash of the hub. If you're using a 180 hp engine, contact your prop manufacturer about prop installation. VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES Plans page 11 and construction manual page 10 - Install F3 before F5. VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WING The VariViggen owners manual gives a detailed discussion of the performance and flying qualities differences between the standard and SP wings. If you can't decide which wing you want to use, check your owners manual. Jim Cavis is building the standard shape wings with the glass/foam composite SP structural method. RAF is working with Jim on the design details of this modification and on sizing winglets for the standard wing. The results will be passed along in following newsletters or the 2nd half of the construction manual. Jim has finished the glass/foam rudders. His report: "Construction was done in two days, mostly waiting for one side to cure so the other could be skinned. I really had fun with the new method of yours - put me on the list for some EZ plans!" BUILDING TIPS FOR THE SP WINGS The best way to leak-check your fuel tanks is to plug the vent and hook a standard altimeter to the feed line. Suck or blow a 3000-ft pressure difference and check that it can hold pressure for 24 hours. Do this before cutting the tank cap hole. The two yellow sheets of the SP plans are printed on card stock paper. This is so they can be tacked to your shop wall for easy reference for the glassing methods. We feel the stippling action (step 6 on the yellow sheets) needs more emphasis since, on a given layup, about 1/2 of the time is spent stippling. Add the following words: Where multiple plies are required, the first plies may be laid up overly wet and the excess resin brought up by squeegeeing and stippling to help wet out the middle plies. The final plies are ambitiously stippled instead of adding a lot of resin. "When in doubt - stipple." Don't hesitate to stipple after squeegeeing. If you use care to not apply too much excess resin, you can do the entire layup with stippling and no squeegeeing. When bonding the large blocks of foam with wet micro it is possible that the insulation of the foam will not let the epoxy heat escape and an exotherm can occur down in the middle of the joint. This exotherm can be hot enough to melt the foam locally and weaken the joint. We have formulated a special long pot life epoxy for the VariEze to avoid this problem. This epoxy will be on the market when the EZ plans are out. In the mean time, if you are joining large blue foam blocks using Shell epon/teta or Gougeon 105/206, you should do the bond at an ambient temperature of 65 degrees or less. This will prevent the exotherm. SHOPPING See the back page of this newsletter for VariViggen parts and materials. Note that RAF no longer handles any parts. You are referred directly to the manufacturer for the VariViggen machined parts. We, of course, will continue to help builders on installation problems with parts obtained from RAF distributors. Pistol grips with switches - R. Williams tells me these are available at Goff Aircraft, 8131 E. 40th, Denver, Co 80207, but their price ($38.50) is much higher than you need to pay, if they are still available on the surplus market. Anyone know where these can be found? The following sketches of the VariViggen exhaust system and heat muff have been previously included with the cowl installation instructions. **SKETCH OMITTED** CP08, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER NO 9 JULY 76 RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport JAN, APL, JLY, OCT PO Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-2645 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE PROGRAMS (very vig-in) (very easy) NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/yr OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.50/yr BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each RAF ACTIVITY since newsletter 8 has, again, been hot and heavy. All flight tests and ground tests for the VariEze were completed on May 20. The massive job of preparing and laying out the VariEze manufacturing manual was done on a six to seven-day week, 10 to 16-hour day schedule. The basic manual (section one) was delivered to the printer on June 15. We are currently on the same type of busy schedule, trying to complete the owners manual (section four) and the Continental engines installation (section IIA), before we leave for the 1976 EAA convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Because of our high work load now on these items, we must ask you to continue to observe our "Saturday only" policy as far as visiting RAF to see the VariEze, at least until after Oshkosh. We will be closed for the Oshkosh trip from July 23 until August 13. Any mail orders received at RAF after July 22 cannot be processed until after August 13 and, of course, there will be no Saturday demo on July 24, July 31, or August 7. SATURDAY DEMOS - Since November, we have had the weekly open house at RAF every Saturday, starting at noon. These demos start with a briefing at our building (100 yards S.E. of the tower building on the Mojave airport), a question/answer period, then a flight demonstration of the VariEze, followed by a brief structural demo in which we build a portion of the airplane to show the composite sandwich methods. The demos run from two to four hours. In the 31 weeks we've been doing this, the VariEze has flown and given rides on all but two occasions: once due to rain and once when we had taken the airplane to an airshow. We have never canceled a flight demo due to an airplane problem or due to the severe wind gusts that occasionally ground most light aircraft at Mojave. We will probably continue to give the Saturday demo after we return from Oshkosh, and will probably extend it to provide more time for the structural demo. Be sure to call ahead to confirm that the demo will be given, since we will be scheduling composite structure seminars in other cities and may be gone on some weekends. If you would like to host a seminar, please wait until after Oshkosh, then contact us. We'll include a seminar schedule in the October newsletter. We do plan a daily construction demonstration in the synthetics workshop at Oshkosh for VariEze builders. VariEze forums at Oshkosh this year have been scheduled for Monday, August 2, and Thursday, August 5. A VariViggen forum will be Wednesday, August 4. . VARIEZE FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM - N4EZ, our Continental-powered prototype, has undergone one of the smoothest prototype test programs we have seen. In only two months and one week (March 15 was first flight, tests were completed by May 20), the aircraft completed an 85-hour test program which included development of the engine installation, all other systems, flying qualities optimization (all cg's, all weights), performance determination (with several propellers), dive tests, spin tests, and environmental qualifications (110 degrees ramp temperature, 16,000-ft altitude cold soak, taxi/take off/landing in wind gusts to 45 knots). No major problems were encountered during the tests. Modifications made as a result of the tests included nose gear retraction/extension system redesign, addition of roll trim (VariEzes now have three-axis trim), addition of a parking brake, modification of air inlet configuration to optimize cooling, simplification of exhaust system, and optimization of pitch and roll control system ratios. It is interesting to note that throughout the complete test program of N4EZ and N7EZ, there has been no structural rework or modification required. This involves two airplanes, over 13 months testing, and 350 flight hours. This is quite unusual; generally a prototype of a new design (even a conventional structure) will indicate a few marginal or weak areas that need local beef up/redesign/adding fasteners, etc., sometime during its tests. With the VariEze, we have used new materials, initially unfamiliar to us, and new construction methods, etc., but have found them to be so durable in service, that no failures or degradation was found that required redesign. . SPIN TESTS - FAR 23 certification criteria require aircraft to meet certain spin recovery requirements in order to receive a type certificate. This is not required for a homebuilt and many homebuilts have not been through any formal spin testing program at all.. CP09, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- One primary reason the VariEze was designed as a canard configuration was to reduce the susceptibility to departure from controlled flight and unintentional spins. Conventional aircraft are so poor in this respect that stall/spin is the most common, fatal accident cause. A contributing reason is the FAR regulations, themselves. They are very specific in spin recovery requirements (after a one-turn spin, non- aerobatic aircraft must recover within one additional turn, with recovery controls applied), but only loosely subjective with respect to spin susceptibility. If specific resistance to departure and spin were required, as it now is for military aircraft (MILS-8369 1), few general aviation aircraft could qualify, making a lot less traffic for VariEzes! The VariEze is designed such that the canard reaches its maximum lift at an angle of attack several degrees below that for maximum lift of the main wing. Above the maximum lift angle of attack for the canard (14 to 15 degrees), the loss of canard lift produces a strong nose-down moment. The result is that the aircraft limits itself to 15 degrees and cannot be forced above that angle, regardless of cg. The aircraft also is designed to have excellent directional stability, dihedral effect, and rudder control at and above 15 degrees angle of attack, thus the airplane is not susceptible to the inadvertent departure and spin common to most conventional aircraft. The normal operational range of angle of attack is one degree (high speed cruise) to 10 degrees (flare to land at 55 knots). Angle of attack values above 10 degrees are not required for any normal operation, but were tested to assure the safety and recoverability, if the pilot inadvertently exceeds 10 degrees. The pilot for our spin tests was Peter Lert, an experienced pilot, who makes his living as an aviation writer for "Air Progress" magazine, and who is light enough (135 lb) to allow aft-cg testing. The following is a summary of the results of the high angle of attack testing. The VariEze owners manual will have complete details. The VariEze's "stall" consists of any one of the following, in order of prevalence: 1. Stabilized flight (climb, level, or descent, depending on power setting) at full aft stick at about 48 knots. Below 51 knots there is a very definite increase in the aft stick force, such that the pilot has to pull noticeably harder on the stick to get below 51 knots. Below 51 knots, the aileron control degrades, but rudders still provide excellent turn control, even at full aft stick. 2. Occasionally, particularly at forward cg, the airplane will oscillate mildly in pitch after full aft stick is reached. This is a mild "bucking" of a very low amplitude, one to two degrees and about one-half to one "bucks" per second. If the full aft stick is relieved slightly, the bucking stops. 3. Occasionally, particularly at aft cg, the airplane will exhibit an uncommanded Dutch roll, a rocking back and forth of the wings in roll. The rock, if it exists, will be mild and sometimes divergent, reaching a large roll (30 degrees bank) by about the fourth or fifth cycle. The "wing rock" can be stopped immediately by relaxing off the full aft stick stop, or by using the rudders to counter the rolling motion. At any time during the "stall," power can be set at any position, or slammed to full or idle, without effecting the stall characteristics. There is a small roll trim change due to power and a very slight pitch trim change; neither effect the aircraft's controllability at sustained full aft stick. At no time did the aircraft experience a departure from controlled flight. Accelerated stalls to three-g and steep pullups to 60-degrees pitch (min speed, 35 knots) were done at full aft stick without any departure tendency. Intentional spins were attempted by holding full aft stick and using full rudder, with all combinations of aileron control, and at all cg positions. These controls were held through 360 degrees of rotation. Full aft stick and full rudder results in a lazy spiral which ends up in a steep rolling dive at 3+ g and 110 knots. At any time, the spiral can be immediately stopped by removing rudder control and a completely straight-forward recovery can be made. That maneuver is not a spin, since at no time is the aircraft departed from controlled flight. If the above maneuver is done at aft cg, the rotation rate is higher, so the lazy spiral is more of a slow snap roll. However, even at aft cg the recovery is immediate when controls are neutralized. OTHER FLIGHT TEST RESULTS - N4EZ has demonstrated take off and landings in crosswind components as high as 20 knots and satisfactory taxi (all quadrants), take off, and landing in gusty winds to 45 knots. N4EZ has also flown through very heavy turbulence in a rotor cloud under a triple lenticular in which g excursions went from -1 to +3.5 g. The red line speed has been opened to 262 true/220 mph indicated, a comfortable margin (exceeds FAR part 23 requirements) even for the largest engine (100 hp) which can cruise as high as 200 true/176 indicated (at 7500 ft). Damping of all controls at the dive speed is excellent and similar to low speed. If, at a later date, we have a requirement to extend the red line to higher speeds, we will do so. CP09, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ENGINES - Cooling on the 0-200 has been excellent. Ground cooling is better than most factory-builts. At a recent flying, we had to sit in a long line on a hot ramp awaiting take off for over 30 minutes. Many of the factory-builts had to shut down to avoid over heating, but N4EZ's temperatures stayed under the normal values for cruise. The 0- 200 Continental engine has been trouble-free, requiring no modifications, adjustments, or unusual maintenance. This has not been true of our VW installation on N7EZ. We have flown the VW VariEze a total of about 280 hours (two different engines), which is a lot of flying for one year for a VW homebuilt. We have had its cowling off an average of once per five flights, though, making minor carburetor adjustments, trying to find oil leaks, adjusting or repairing valves, cleaning plugs, checking the magneto coupling, tightening loose bolts, etc., etc. The VW-powered VariEze has never had an inflight power failure, but it has twice had to be landed within a few minutes or it would have had a failure: once due to low oil pressure, another time due to an impending failure of the prop hub/extension. We have conducted an informal survey and found that our VW experience is quite similar to others, who have high time on VW aircraft conversions. For this reason, and because of the high cost of operating these engines, we are not preparing the section IIB, VW engine installation, at the present time. This section should be made available by October as we gain some more reliability experience with the engines and after the results of some further tests. Those of you who plan to use a VW do not have to delay your project. The engine installation is done during chapter 23 (of 25 chapters) of section I. All items involving changes due to engine installation are in section IIA or IIB. If you can't find an engine or haven't decided which type you plan to use, we suggest you get only section I and go ahead and start building. Chances are, you will find the right engine at the right price before you get to chapter 23. Frankly, when we went shopping for an 0-200, we couldn't find one. We let several people know we were looking, then all of a sudden several weeks later, we had our choice of four 0-200's! When searching through "Trade-A-Plane" for engines, don't look only at the engine section. Quite often you can buy a wind damaged Champ or Cessna-150 with a lot of time left on the engine for less than a used engine! We get a lot of questions concerning the availability and cost of engines. We, of course, are not in the business of engine distribution, however, to give you an idea of the current market, we have made up the following table, based on available prices from vendors, "Trade-A-Plane," and magazine ads. Cost per hour is basic engine cost, not including fuel and oil. ENGINE 1 2 3 4 5 TIME AVAILABLE OUTRIGHT VALUE COST ENGINE TILL NEXT OVERHAUL COST OF TO COST PER (REGULAR USE - FOR ENGINE OWNER HOUR OF 300 HR/YR) ENGINE AFTER ( 2 - 3 ) FLYING RUNOUT A65/A75 OSMOH 1200 hr $1300 $ 400 $ 900 $0.75 A65/A75 half- 600 hr $ 800 $ 400 $ 400 $0.66 runout C85/C90 OSMOH 1200 hr $1900 $ 700 $1200 $1.00 C85/C90 half- 600 hr $1300 $ 700 $ 600 $1.00 runout New 0-200 1800 hr $4700 $1600 $3100 $1.72 0-200 OSMOH 1600 hr $3000 $1200 $1800 $1.13 0-200 half- 800 hr $2300 $1200 $1100 $1.38 runout Top of line 800 hr? $2600 $ 800 $1800 $2.25 VW conversion "Low cost" 100 to $1300 $ 200 $1100 $2.20 VW conversion 600 hr? PROPS - We have tested several propeller types and studied several others. Fortunately, the best prop has been the lightest and lowest cost - a fixed-pitch, all wood, two-blade, with plastic leading edge for rain erosion protection. These are available through several vendors. The owners manual (section IV) and section II will specify prop sizes, specifications and recommended vendors for all recommended engines. The three-bladed prop tested, resulted in less take off, climb, and cruise performance, as compared to the two-bladed props. We do not plan to request our distributors to stock propellers. The reason for this is due to the large number of engine sizes available, and different prop extension configurations; it is better for the customer to deal directly with the prop manufacturer. Those of you who are in a rush to be flying a VariEze as soon as possible, may not want to wait for section II to put in an order for a prop, since props are one of the hardest things to get without waiting several months. Thus, we are providing sizes and manufacturers for the 0-200 props we've tested. These are listed below. Other prop manufacturers may also be able to provide adequate props. Refer to the owners manual for prop sizes on other than the 0-200 engine. Teds Custom Props Bill Cassidy 9917 Airport Way 4652 Montview Blvd. Snohomish, Wa. 98290 Denver, Co. 80207 56" dia 70" pitch 58" dia 67" pitch VariEze SAE#1 flange VariEze SAE#1 flange CP09, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum speeds for the above props is identical. The Ted's prop provides a small edge in take off and climb. This is backwards from what you would think considering the diameter and pitch values, the blade design being considerably different on the two props. NOSE GEAR RETRACTION - We told you in newsletter 8, that we were making a major change to the system that retracts and extends the nose gear, to incorporate a jacking mechanism to give the pilot a better capability of raising and lowering the nose for nose-down, parking with the pilot aboard. This system was built and installed in N7EZ, however, like the four other mechanisms used before, it was not satisfactory. It did allow the pilot to jack the aircraft up to level after entry, but the work required for him to do this (600 ft-lb) was still objectionable. The spring systems (needed to pull the strut up in flight) and the reversing system made the complete package too complicated and time consuming to build and maintain. We found that we had more complexity in the nose gear retraction system than in the entire pitch, roll, and yaw control systems combined! This was completely against the design concept of the airplane. After, again, backing off and taking a look at the problem, we found that it is considerably easier to lift the airplane's nose up from the nose-down parked position, lock the gear down, then enter the airplane by climbing over the side, like we do on the VariViggen, using a kick- in step in the fuselage side. This allows a very simple, lightweight pushrod system to work the gear up and down, and allows an instant- acting inflight retraction/extension. The design and installation of this new system in N7EZ took only one day. It consists of a single pushrod to the gear strut from a knob at the instrument panel. The pushrod is bolted to a block which slides in guides such that it locks up or down by locking the knob in its lowered position. We have been very pleased with the new system; it has required no maintenance and appears to be one that will not give problems, due to its simplicity. Retraction of the gear in flight consists of moving the knob out of its lock, raising it and pulling aft 6", then locking it in its lowered position (one smooth motion). Retraction/extension forces are only about 5 lb since airloads balance the gravity loads. Ground operation of the gear for nose down parking works as follows: back seater and suitcases go in while the nose is down. Manual engine starting is done while nose down on the rubber bumper (no chocks or tiedowns are required for manual start by yourself). The pilot then walks to the side of the cockpit, unlocks the gear knob, and raises the airplane to a level attitude. This is easily done by grabbing the leading edge of the canard and lifting (requires only about 30 lb, even with the backseater in). The pilot then locks the knob and uses the kick-in step to climb in. We have modified the yaw trim system to also provide a parking brake to keep the airplane from rolling (while the pilot climbs in) if the airplane is parked on a downhill slope. The new nose gear system now compliments, rather than distracts from, the overall design philosophy of simplicity and low maintenance. VARIEZE STRUCTURE - To certify an aircraft for production, FAA requires the manufacturer to load the flying surfaces to 150% of design limit load. After that loading, it is acceptable for the surface to be damaged beyond repair, but it must be in a condition to allow a safe landing. To demonstrate the structural adequacy of the VariEze's wing and attachment, we had someone, who had no previous fiberglass construction experience, build a wing from our plans. We mounted that wing in a test fixture and loaded it over 200% of design limit load. The wing had absolutely no damage, not even the transverse matrix cracking that occurs with composites at about 2/3 ultimate load! Just for kicks, we rounded up eight people and had them all stand on the wing - that was as many as could crowd onto the wing, but resulted in much less load than the formal test done with lead shot bags. Structurally, the Eze has some very important advantages over conventional metal or wood: greater redundancy, less susceptible to catastrophic failure due to fatigue, less susceptible to corrosion or deterioration, higher safety factors, easier to inspect and repair and less susceptible to surface damage. With proper ultra violet protection (as shown in VariEze section V), the composite structure should outlast metal or wood in any type environment. Do not compare the VariEze's glass/foam/glass sandwich structure to the method used on the KR-series, WAR-series, etc. The VariEze structure does not use foam to transmit primary/secondary loads, does not mix materials in a manner to result in thermal stresses, does not mix structural materials with highly different modulus of elasticity, does not seal off internal void areas where moisture can collect, does not have any bare foam surfaces that can flex and fatigue the foam, does not use a low modulus skin that results in high foam stresses, does not use inadequate skin close-outs at trailing edges and joints, etc. If you are not familiar with the structural techniques used in advanced composite sandwich design, you are in for some real surprises when you see the VariEze manufacturing manual. Don't expect the structure to even remotely resemble anything you have seen in any homebuilt aircraft! You are going to be building sandwich panels, joints, local reinforcements, attachments, spars, compound curves, etc., very similar to those used by large manufacturers for new military fighters and portions of new airliners. The methods to fabricate the parts are quite different though, since you will be doing the work without special equipment and tooling. CP09, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE PLANS - You will find a sheet enclosed with this newsletter that describes the five-section package of VariEze documentation that is now being made available. Section I, the manufacturing manual (composite education, complete plans and construction manual for the VariEze, except for engine installation), is the major bulk of the documentation. This section was delivered to our printer on June 15 and should be back, ready to mail out by about July 1. We have completed the draft of section IV, the owners manual, and will have it printed and ready to mail by about July 10. We are also making a strong attempt to complete section IIA (Continental engines installation) during July. Hopefully, it will be completed before we leave to attend the EAA convention at Oshkosh. If it's not done by then, it will not be ready to deliver until late August. Section III (avionics and lighting) and section V (finishing) will not be completed until September. Section IIB (Volkswagen engines installation) should be completed by October. PRICING PHILOSOPHY - VARIEZE PLANS - We think that its of some interest to discuss the items considered in determining the price to charge the homebuilder for his set of plans. Plans prices for other homebuilts vary from just a few dollars over printing/handling costs, to several hundred dollars. Designers who sell plans for a small amount over direct costs, in order to sell thousands of sets of plans, generally find that they have sold the customer only the stack of paper, but not the service of assisting him to assure his success in completing his project. Often, designers will put an extremely high price on a set of plans and will thus receive about the same income, but have a lot fewer customers to assist. Sometimes a designer will do this to quickly recover development costs, without planning a long-term support program. The VariEze plans have been priced to compliment our entire program of supporting each homebuilder's project to assure his success, and to provide a return on our investment in development costs within the next two years. About $50 of each set of plans sold, goes directly towards paying back the $100,000+ required to develop the design. We are both quite fortunate that that the airplane was developed, to a complete homebuilt program, for this relatively small sum of money. If any major problems would have been encountered, such as engine/prop compatibility/reliability, or spin characteristics, or structural failures, etc., the development costs could have been considerably higher. It is not uncommon for a new design to require three or four times or even 30 times that amount by the time it successfully completes the testing we have finished on the VariEze. It is not unusual for a new design, particularly one with marginal structure or systems, to end up costing so much for development that it is never satisfactorily completed. This is why it is impossible to market an aircraft before its development is completed. You may note that the VariEze plans are higher cost than some of the other small, simple-airplane plans. However, considering the fact that they include a complete education of the materials and structural methods, and are a fully illustrated step-by-step manufacturing manual, they are actually quite inexpensive; for example, when compared on a page-for-page, word-for-word, photo-for-photo, or drawing-for-drawing basis, the VariEze plans cost less than one-third the price of the KR2 plans. VARIEZE MATERIALS/COMPONENTS DISTRIBUTION - Okay, this is it; the big secret is out! The distributors we have been working with for the last nine months on the VariEze program are listed on the last page of this newsletter. Included in the list are the general items of the bill of materials that they stock. Unless you are in a big rush, wait to get your plans before contacting the distributor. Your plans has the complete bill of materials with each item specified as to its use and availability. Both the major raw materials distributors (Aircraft Spruce and Wicks) are presently preparing new catalogs, which list the specific VariEze materials. These catalogs will be available from them in early July. We have been indicating to you in recent months that the distribution system will be able to supply all materials and components on very short notice, because of their stocking items ahead of time. They have done an excellent job in this respect, but the apparent initial demand for the VariEze may have exceeded our expectations. Certain items and materials may initially be in short supply and some delays are now anticipated. If you are planning to build your aircraft in a rush over the next few months, we suggest that you get your orders in immediately for the following items. These are the greatest potential 'bottle- neck' items that we can foresee at this time. Foams (manufacturer's recent specification revisions have delayed early high volume stocking), wing attach/quick-disconnect fittings (Brock), and landing gear struts (Jiran). FOREIGN customers who are interested in making volume purchases to minimize import duties and shipping costs should contact the distributors directly for volume purchasing information. The distributors are equipped to handle this type of order. VARIEZE QUESTIONS/ANSWERS - Thanks so much for those of you that have had the patience to wait for the newsletter to get your questions answered. If you have a question you need answered right away, state it, with room for our answer, and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Q. My wife is 6 ft, 5" tall - can she fit in the back seat? A. The front seat allows "stretch out" comfort (feet in front of the rudder pedals if you desire) for pilots to 6'7" and 210 lb. Back seat is comfortable for pilots' passengers up to 6'5" and 220 lb. In fact, those of you who were at the Watsonville flyin, may have seen a 6'9", 210 lb man get in the back seat, with the two full suitcases. His comment - "relatively comfortable." Even he was not pressed up against the canopy. Q. Can one person remove/install the wings and canard? A. Yes, the specific procedure is in the owners manual. It takes one tool and about two minutes per wing/canard. Instead of trailering, we suggest you remove one wing and store your aircraft under the wing of a Cessna in a T-hangar or in an unused corner of a larger hangar. In this way the availability and high cost of hangars can be avoided and the big job of tieing down on a trailer is avoided. Q. What percent of construction work requires more than one person at a time? A. Required, about 15%; desired, about 50% Q. Can a 197-lb, 160-horse power engine be used in a VariEze? A. No. Q. Will you offer dual controls? A. We plan to develop dual controls later, possibly this winter. It's not as easy as one might think. It will greatly complicate the control system and may eliminate one suitcase. The Eze is easy to fly and pilots can be checked out safely if they follow the owners manual procedure. Its hands-off flying qualities lowers the need for backseat controls for pilot fatigue relief. Q. Is an intercom necessary? A. No, pilot and passenger can easily converse in a normal level of conversation at cruise power settings. CP09, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. How does a composite aircraft behave in a fire? A. First of all, the VariEze's susceptibility to an airframe fire is far less than the average light plane. The flow of air through the engine area is aft and up, so an engine-area fire is drawn away from the airframe, rather than being impinged upon the firewall as in conventional installations. Also, the fire which results from a crash is generally due to oil or fuel being ignited by sparks from steel on rock, etc. The Eze's fuel tank durability and fuel line routing is a plus factor. The lack of steel items that can cause a fire's ignition source, is also an advantage. Now, if a fire does exist, the rate at which burning progresses in the glass/foam/glass sandwich structure, ranks between an all-metal airplane and a wood or fabric airplane. Q. Minimum size door in the shop to hatch a finished VariEze? A. If you leave the main gear off until after the airplane gets out of your shop, a 30-inchx68-inch door or window is enough. Q. How do you air-start a VariEze without electric start? A. Due to the high pitch of the prop, the engine windmills at all speeds down to about 60 knots. Q. Cabin heat? A. Drawings for cabin heat are included in section II, however, due to canopy radiant heating and the excellent insulation of the sandwich structure, cabin heat is not needed for day-VFR, even at cold outside temperatures. Q. CAN I get color photos of the VariEze? A. RAF has none for sale, however, Jim Jeffries Productions, Inc., has been up taking photos of N4EZ and has expressed an interest in making a color photo set available for sale. Contact him at Box 14, Santa Paula, Ca. 93060, for details. Q. I have a 900-ft grass strip out back. Should I build a VariEze to operate out of it - it's a little rutted in the winter. A. No. Buy a Cub or build a Volksplane. Lift off speed and landing speed of a VariEze is 55 to 60 knots (63 to 69 mph), which takes it out of the "backyard patch" category. We have increased the tire size from the prototype Eze to help its rough field capability, but the 55-knot touch down is definitely not recommended for your pasture. The best rule is this: "If you would operate an American Aviation Yankee from your field, it's okay for a VariEze." SOME PERSPECTIVES ON ENGINE DEVELOPMENT - We are probably going to hear a lot of anguished cries from would-be engine developers, but we are taking a hard line on "other" engines in the VariEze. We have had many calls and letters from people wanting to install all kinds of converted boat, snowmobile, auto, turbocharged trash compactor, etc., engines in a VariEze. Also, there is an interest in all kinds of unproven modifications to the VW (fuel injection, turbocharged, electronic ignition, etc.). Frankly, we're scared stiff by this. Aircraft engine development is a very risky, horribly frustrating, and enormously expensive business. Please don't kid yourself into thinking that you can do a successful engine development program in order to save money! Please don't kid yourself and think your new engine conversion isn't going to fail a few times during initial flight testing. Even a professionally trained, educated, and experienced engineering organization with a barrel of money, can't do these things, so don't try it in your garage. More over, don't believe anybody who says he can do it for you, unless he can show you excellent maintenance records taken during hundreds of hours of flying with the engine. We are very much afraid that if a lot of homebuilders start trying to develop new engines on homebuilt airplanes, that EAA's accident record will look horrible. When that happens, look out for the FAA to really clamp down on homebuilding. We have gotten warning indications that this situation is already bad and getting worse. Doing engine development on an amateurbuilt airplane hurts everyone of us by further endangering the lenient rules that we now have. Please don't do it. This isn't to say that some very good engines aren't hiding out there, waiting to be developed for aircraft use. We wish the best of luck to those who have the funding, ability, and ambition to do the job well. Doing an engine development job well, implies that you have the professional ethics not to endanger the hard won privileges of others. Now, if you have an engine, it looks good to you, and you really want to prove it out for aircraft use, here's what you do: fly it. There is no substitute for flight experience. Not in a homebuilt, though!! Get yourself a Cub or Champ that is a very forgiving airplane, easy to land safely in a pasture. You are going to make several emergency landings, so plan on it. If things really get bad and you have to plant your test vehicle in the trees, then for FAA it's just another Cub that crashes, not a homebuilt. Also, you can buy another Cub and get your test program rolling again, quickly. If you had used a homebuilt, you would have to build another airplane instead of getting on with your engine development work. Once you get your new engine working like you think it should, fly the pants off it, maintain detailed maintenance records, and find out just how well it really holds up over a full overhaul period. Find out how much it really costs you to fly each hour, considering initial cost, operating costs, maintenance, replacement, and everything else. We once participated in a "low cost" engine program where the initial engine cost was less than 10% of the 100-hp Continental, but taken hour-for-hour of service, the cheap engine costs more than eight times as much! Remember, an aircraft engine is the very definition of dependability and reliability. An aircraft engine must tolerate abuse and still keep pumping along. Right now there is a promising looking engine powering a Cub that is being considered for section IIC of the VariEze manufacturing manual. The gentleman behind this effort was originally going to do his development testing in a homebuilt Cassutt racer. Fortunately we were able to talk him into using the Cub. During the initial flights, at least four precautionary landings had to be made (this is perfectly normal in initial flight testing new engines). In the Cub, it was no sweat; in the Cassutt (high wing loading, fast on landing, high rate of descent), it might have meant a broken airplane, possible injury to the pilot, and another statistic to hurt our EAA safety record. These fellows are to be congratulated on a very sensible, professional, and ethical test approach. Now we just hope that they are successful, so we can have an alternative to the Continental, but even if they aren't, they will have helped to preserve the good name of EAA and the freedoms we now have. CP09, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN ACTIVITY - The VariViggen portion of this newsletter is quite short. We haven't heard much from you VariViggen builders lately, and no one has noted any plans corrections since newsletter 8. I guess you are all busy building! I understand that at least three VariViggens are nearly completed and we hope to have some firstflight reports in newsletter no. 10. Let's hear from you!! Ken Guscott (S/N 129) has a VariViggen construction article in the June 76, "Sport Aviation" magazine. N27VV has undergone no modifications or maintenance since the last newsletter. It has only flown about 25 hours in the last three months, mostly for chase during the VariEze spin tests and for cross-country trips. Those of you who may be close to finishing your airplanes, be sure you have the VariViggen owners manual. It has very important operational data, amendments to the operating limitations and a specific recommended procedure for the conduct of your initial flights. VARIVIGGEN PROJECT REPORTS - Doug Dennis, SN 421, reports that he has one rudder, his canard and both elevators ready for skinning. Doug is assembling his fuselage jig and frames now. Sounds like a good start; hang in there! Doug is 15 years old, by the way! John Poehner, SN 156, fuselage and inboard wing about ready for skinning. Harold Reiss, SN 267, has his fuselage skinned on the sides and the aircraft is ready to turn over for bottom skinning. The instrument panel, wiring, nose and main gear, controls, seats, carpeting, etc., are installed. He started his Viggen 13 months ago. Jim Cavis, SN 31, has his aircraft completed and painted except for outboard wing panels and canopy. VARIVIGGEN BUILDERS' HINTS - Harold Reiss, SN 267, is using an "A" frame made of 2x4 lumber which bolts through the four engine mount bolt holes in the firewall. He uses this to support the fuselage while it's inverted to skin the bottom, rather than using saw horses under the spar. Harold also reports that he used five, 16" door springs for each of the main gear helper springs, stretched to about 24". Wayne Wilkins, SN 208, has an interesting method for making WR25 in three pieces so that spar E can be assembled completely off of the airplane (see photo). More on the prop situation for the 180-hp Lycoming (see newsletter 8) - There is an excellent article on this subject in the June issue of "Sport Aviation." Note that while insufficient driving area is available in the studs, the friction face provides ample safety factors even for the 180-hp engine. Those using the 180-hp engine and a wood prop should carefully follow the recommended procedure for torquing and checking the tightness of the prop bolts at the intervals indicated in newsletter 8. Clarification - The MG37 tube on MG14 is open at the top, not welded over (plans page 47 & 48). Bob Tate, 4800 Mayfair Drive Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (405) 946-7839 Wants to purchase a partially-built VariViggen. Contact him. VARIVIGGEN SP WING BUILDERS - To avoid the exotherm noted in newsletter 8, and to obtain the benefits of increased fatigue strength and low toxicity, it is recommended that you use the long pot-life epoxy developed for the VariEze. This is RAES epoxy (four or five one-gallon kits are required). This epoxy is available from Aircraft Spruce or Wicks; see last page of this newsletter. VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES Mandatory Change Plans page 43 - The fuel system drawing (pg 43) shows the fuel valve located slightly above the level of the bottom of the tank. Revise this drawing as shown in the accompanying sketch. The fuel lines should run continually downhill to the strainer, then continually uphill to the carburetor. If there are loops that can trap air, the amount of unusable fuel will be increased, particularly during a steep nose-down descent. Add the following note to page 12 of your VariViggen owners manual: "NOTE: If a sustained steep descent is made when the fuel level is less than six gallons, a temporary fuel starvation may occur. This is characterized by a surging of the engine. If this occurs, level out and slow up (nose up, 70 mph if necessary). Normal fuel flow will resume and the engine will begin operating normally." **SKETCHES OMITTED** CP09, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Wayne Wilkins S/N 208. Note the 2" x 3" doubler used to join front & rear halves of W.R. 25 rib. John Poehner at "work" on the instrument panel. John added a detent-type handle to the manual pitch trim system. John Poehner's VariViggen just ready to come out of the jig. "Informal" static test of the VariEze's wing - anyone care to join us? CP09, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIEZE SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIEZE TWO-PLACE SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED THE STORY For the last 12 months, we have refrained from promotional activities and marketing on the VariEze to concentrate totally on its development and setting up materials and components distribution. In this short time, we have 1. flown a full 350 flight-hour test program on two prototypes, one Continental and one VW-powered, 2. completed full structural qualification testing, 3. prepared a manual for the amateur builder to educate him in the structural materials and to guide him through construction, 4. set up a materials distribution system through established, competent distributors. THE TEST PROGRAM The VariEze test program was probably the most extensive and successful ever conducted on a homebuilt. It included basic flight tests for flying qualities, performance and systems, spin and dive tests to FAR part 23 requirements, static load tests and landing gear drop tests exceeding part 23 criteria, environmental/thermal tests on structural materials/components, manufacturing methods testing, and many others. THE RESULTS The VariEze has superb flying qualities for its primary mission - comfortable travel. It has excellent hands-off stability even in turbulence. It is unusually safe at low speeds, can be flown with full aft stick (47 kt) without being susceptible to departure or spin, regardless of attitude or power. Performance is also superb - cruise up to 200 mph and climb up to 1700 fpm at gross weight with the larger engines. THE MISSION: PRACTICAL UTILITY Although quite compact outside, the VariEze provides unusual comfort for up to 6-ft, 7-in, 210-lb pilots and 6-ft, 5-in, 220-lb passengers, plus two medium-size suitcases and four small baggage areas. The 24- gallon fuel load allows up to 1000-mile range at economy cruise. High altitude climb is excellent, for flying over turbulence, mountain ranges, and for satisfactory high-density altitude take offs. THE DESIGN The VariEze uses the latest aerodynamic features: NASA winglets, both wings cruise at best L/D, basic arrangement provides stall safety, stiff structure provides accurate contour maintenance, basic systems design eliminates or combines complex control systems, which saves weight, cost and building time while increasing reliability and lowering maintenance. THE STRUCTURE New composite sandwich structure offers the following advantages over conventional wood or metal: less construction time requiring less skills, improved corrosion resistance, longer life, improved contour stability, better surface durability, dramatic reduction in hardware and number of parts, easier to inspect and repair. THE HOMEBUILDER SUPPORT The manufacturing manual is a literal education in using the materials and is a detailed step-by-step guide to construction using an illustrated format not common in aircraft plans. The Rutan newsletter, "The Canard Pusher," published since mid 1974, updates plans, provides building hints, etc. Complete owners manual provides all necessary information for safe initial testing and for normal and emergency operations. Construction seminars are provided at RAF and elsewhere. THE AVAILABLE HOMEBUILT Established, competent distributors have stocked materials and components before the aircraft was marketed. All raw materials are now available plus many prefabricated items including canopy, landing gear, wing quick-disconnect fittings, cowling, all machined items, rudder pedals, engine mounts, suitcases and upholstery. If you choose to purchase all prefab parts, you can build your VariEze in about 500 man- hours - really! VariEze documentation is available in five sections. SECTION I - MANUFACTURING MANUAL - This is the complete education manual for composite materials and methods, also, the complete plans and construction manual for the entire VariEze except engine installation. The manual consists of a 153-page, bound, 11"x17" book plus nine larger full-size drawings. It includes 168 photos, over 800 drawings and illustrations, and over 65,000 words! The builder is led, step-by-step through the entire construction of the airplane. The manual identifies sources for all materials and all prefabricated components. SECTION II - ENGINE INSTALLATION - This is a set of drawings and construction manual for the complete engine installation including mount, baffles, instrumentation, electricals, fuel, exhaust and induction systems, carb heat box and muff, cowling installation, prop and spinner. SECTION IIA - Continental A65, A75, C85, C90, 0-200 SECTION IIB - VW engines (avail. Oct '76) SECTION III - ELECTRICAL - This is an optional (not required) set of drawings and installation instructions for electrical system, avionics, landing and position lights, antennas, starter. Avail Sept. 76 SECTION IV - OWNERS MANUAL - This is an operational handbook and checklists, including normal and emergency operation, detailed flying qualities and performance charts, maintenance, maiden flight procedure, pilot checkout, etc. SECTION V - FINISHING THE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT - Applies not only to a VariEze, but to other epoxy/composite aircraft. Includes filling/contouring/priming/U.V. barrier/color and trim. Avail Sept 76 Specs & performance with 100-hp Continental.fixed-pitch prop.@ gross weight Take Off 800 ft Climb 1700 fpm Max Cruise 200 mph Econ Cruise 165 mph Range @ Max Cruise 720 mi Range @ Econ Cruise 980 mi Min Speed (full aft stick) 49 kt Landing 900 ft Canard Span/Area 12.5'/13 square feet Wing Span/Area 22.2'/53.6 square feet Empty Weight 520 lb Gross Weight 1050 lb Specs & performance with 75-hp Continental Take Off 950 ft Climb 950 fpm Max Cruise 178 mph Econ Cruise 145 mph Empty Weight 490 lb Gross Weight 950 lb Price, including Check items desired: First class mail Air mail U S and Canada Overseas* VariEze info kit, includes current issue of "Canard $5.00 $6.00 Pusher" newsletter "Canard Pusher' newsletter, published quarterly. One- $4.75 $6.50 year subscription Section I $94.00 $108.00 Section IIA or $19.00 $21.00 Section IIB Section III $8.00 $9.50 Section IV $8.00 $9.50 Section V $7.00 $8.00 Calif. residence add 6% tax on all items except newsletter * U.S. funds only CP09, Page 09 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIVIGGEN SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIVIGGEN TWO + TWO SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED** Performance with Take off 850 ft 150-hp, fixed- Climb 800 fpm pitch prop, gross Cruise 150 mph weight. Full Aft stick 49 mph Standard VariViggen Landing 500 ft Performance with 150-hp. Climb 1000 fpm Special Performance Wings Cruise 158 mph Specifications Canard Span/Area 8 ft/18.3 square feet Standard VariViggen Wing Span/Area 19 ft/119 square feet Empty Weight 950 lb Gross Weight 1700 lb Specifications Wing Span/Area 23.7 ft/125 square feet Special Performance Wing Gross Weight 1700 lb PROVEN DESIGN Complete flight test program completed; 600 hours on prototype with very little maintenance. Won the Stan Dzik trophy for design contribution, Oshkosh '72. STALL/SPIN SAFETY The VariViggen's safe flying qualities have been the subject of technical presentations for EAA, SAE, AOPA, & AIAA. It will not stall or "mush in" like the common delta. At full aft stick (43 kts) it will still climb 500 fpm, roll over 50 degrees per second without rudder co- ordination, and make buffet-free turns. The prototype received the Omni Aviation safety trophy at Oshkosh '73, and the outstanding new design award at Oshkosh '74. EXCELLENT UTILITY Comfortable tandem cockpits, three-suitcase baggage area, and an adequate cruise speed provide unusual utility for a homebuilt airplane. Its unusual design turns routine travel into "fun trips." Gas service and other airport services have been better, too! Take it home; it's road-towable with outer panels removed. UNCOMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION The basic structure requires few special tools and can be built in a simple jig. The few parts that have double-curvature are available in fiberglass, ready to install. All machined parts are also available, as well as other prefab parts. EASY TO FLY Despite its unique appearance, the VariViggen has no unusual or pilot- demanding flight characteristics. It is easier to handle than conventional aircraft, particularly in gusty crosswind conditions. VARIVIGGEN TECHNICAL REPORT - Complete tech report describing the VariViggen two-place sportplane. Includes specifications, pilot report, dimensions, 3-view, stability and performance flight test data, construction cost, description of car-top wind tunnel, 8"x10" glossy photo and current issue of newsletter. Price: $10.00 first class mail, $11.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN OWNERS MANUAL - Complete operational handbook including normal and emergency procedures, loading, operational record keeping. This manual is a must for those close to first flight. Price: $6.00 first class mail, $7.50 air mail overseas. "CANARD PUSHER" SUBSCRIPTION - A newsletter designed with the builder in mind. Emphasis on distributing to all builders as many ideas, improvements, building tips, photographs, & flight reports as possible. Details mandatory, desirable, & optional changes to plans & to owners manual. A newsletter subscription and all back issues are mandatory for those with VariViggens under construction. Identifies new material sources as they become known. Published quarterly. Price: $4.75 per year first class mail, $6.50 air mail overseas. Back issues: $1.00 each VARIVIGGEN PLANS - NASAD approved in "AA" category. Sixty-one sheets, completely detailed. Also included are builder's handbook information, step-by-step construction guide, complete bill of materials, flight operating limitations, parts lists. Section breakdown: 1. Introduction, 2. Operating Limitations, 3. Bill of Materials, 4. External Geometry (Lofting), 5. Building Tips, 6. Construction Order & Methods, 7. Canard & Elevator, 8. Fuselage, 9. Inboard Wing, 10. Verticals & Rudders, 11. Outboard Wings, 12. Cockpit & Seats, 13. Canopies, 14. Flight Control System, 15. Fuel System, 16. Angle-of- Attack System, 17. Engine Mount, 18. Cooling & Cowling, 19. Landing Gear, 20. Gear Doors, 21. Electrical System, 22. Parts List. Also included are the tech report & photo described. Price: $53.00 first class mail, $59.00 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE (SP) WING/RUDDER PLANS - Construction drawings and assembly manual for glass composite outer wing panels and rudders. These are optional wings, replacing the aluminum surfaces shown in the VariViggen plans. The SP wings are easier to build and provide increased climb and cruise performance. They also have fuel tanks which increase range to over 600 miles. Price: $39.50 first class mail, $41.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN R/C MODEL PLANS - Complete construction plans for the 18%- size radio-controlled model airplane built & flown to evaluate VariViggen spin characteristics. Designed for 4-channel proportional radio equipment & engine in the .35 to .65-cu. inch size. 555-sq inch wing area. All balsa or foam/balsa construction. A maneuverable flying model with outstanding roll rate. Also shown are modifications required for a control-line model (70-ft lines, .19 to .45-cu inch engines). Price: $4.75 first class mail, $5.50 air mail overseas. CP09, Page 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The following are RAF-authorized distributors of materials and components. Items indicated have been developed under RAF approval and are recommended for VariViggen or VariEze aircraft. Contact the distributors at the address shown for his catalog and description of items. Indicate to him that you are a VariViggen or VariEze builder. AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY CO. WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY 201 W. Truslow Ave. 1100 5th Street Box 424 OR Highland, Il. 62249 Fullerton, Ca. 92632 (618) 654-2191 (714) 870-7551 Catalog cost $2 - Refundable at first order. VariEze materials: epoxies, foams, fiberglass, filler materials, wood, metals, all hardware, specialized tools, skin barrier cream, seat belt/shoulder harness sets, wheels & brakes & custom upholstery/suitcases. VariViggen materials: spruce kit, plywood kit, hardware, aluminum & fiberglass. KEN BROCK MANUFACTURING Catalog cost $1 - Refundable at 11852 Western Ave. first purchase. Stanton, Ca. 96080 (714) 898-4366 VariEze prefabricated components: wing attach/quick disconnect assemblies, nose gear machined parts, control system components, fuel cap assemblies, welded engine mounts, welded stick assembly, welded rudder pedals, wheels & brakes. VariViggen prefabricated components: all machined parts. FRED JIRAN GLIDER REPAIR Write for brochure. Building 6, Mojave Airport Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-4558 VariEze prefabricated components: Molded S-glass main gear and nose gear struts, nose gear strut cover, nose gear box. COWLEY ENTERPRISES Write for brochure. P.O. Box 14 Santa Paula, Ca. 93060 (805) 525-5829 VariEze plexiglass canopy - Light bronze tint or clear. H. C. COMMUNICATIONS Write for brochure. Box 2047 Canoga Park, Ca. 91306 VariEze and VariViggen custom COM & NAV VHF antennas. MONNETT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, INC. Ask about VariViggen parts. 955 Grace St. Elgin, Il. 60120 (312) 741-2223 VariEze - None VariViggen - All molded fiberglass parts GOUGEON BROTHERS Write for brochure. 706 Martin St. Bay City, Mi. 48706 VariEze - None VariViggen - 105/206 epoxy and 403 fibers for wood construction. GEORGE EVANS Contact him for list 4102 Twining Riverside, Ca. 92509 VariEze - None VariViggen - welded nose and main landing gear, 1-1/4" sq. steel tube. BILL CAMPBELL (VariViggen builder) Contact him for list. Box 253 Phelan, Ca. 92371 VariEze - None VariViggen - Prefab brackets and fittings. JESSE WRIGHT Contact him for list. 7221 S. Colorado Ct. Littleton, Co. 80122 VariEze - none VariViggen - prefab wood parts. CP09, Page 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER NO. 10 OCT 76 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, OCTOBER by RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY BOX 656 MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA 93501 Newsletter Subscription $4.75/year Overseas $6.50/year Back issues $1.00 each RAF ACTIVITY since the last newsletter has included a wide range of projects. The VariEze plans (Section I) were put on the market in early July. Demand for the plans far exceeded our expectations and at times our ability to keep up with orders. Apologies to those who had to wait several weeks for plans. Both the VariViggen and VariEze homebuilt prototypes flew to Oshkosh this year for the EAA convention. Both the VariEze and VariViggen performed in many of the evening airshows during the convention. Oshkosh was a busy nine-day event for us. Each day we had a 'builders only' discussion session at both the VariViggen and the VariEze. In addition we conducted a daily two-hour construction seminar in the work shop and three forums. We are hoping to have home-built VariViggens and EZE'S at Oshkosh '77 to take a little of the heat off of the prototypes! Our summer has been a fast one. The Section I orders, builder support trips, etc. has really kept us at a gallop. Those of you who have ordered Sections IIA, III, and V know that they are not available yet, partly due to the summer's hectic pace and partly due to distractions. We had to do some additional flight test work on the fuel system in preparation for Section IIA. We also completed the detail design of a research airplane for N.A.S.A. utilizing VariEze technology. The N.A.S.A. airplane is a small, one-pilot test vehicle that is intended to test the handling characteristics of a future (1990's) yawed-wing airliner. We are currently proof reading Section IIA and it will go to press shortly. With allowance for printing holdups Section IIA should be available by the first of November; Sections III and V should follow in mid-November. The VariEze distributors appear to be gaining on their back-log of orders now that the materials pipeline is filling. Aircraft Spruce and Wicks have indicated that the basic materials are now being shipped with-in four to eight weeks of order. Check with them directly for a current lead time. Ken Brock advises us that he is shipping wing fittings and has most of the nose gear parts available now. Those items which Ken doesn't have available yet are not shown on his brochures; he will notify you when they are ready. We have firmed up our construction seminar schedule for the fall. These seminars are really just for builders and those who have at least studied the education chapter. Don't encourage a group that is just idly curious to attend; this just crowds the seminars and makes it hard for active builders to get their questions answered. If you plan to attend a seminar and have questionable or defective parts, be sure to bring them along. Swallow your pride and let other builders profit from your mistakes. October 9 and 10 Highland, Illinois Contact: Wicks Organ Company 1100 - 5th Street Highland, Illinois 62249 October 23 Mojave California at RAF October 30 and 31 Boston, Massachusetts Contact: Dale Findlay Aero Sport Inc. Minuteman Field Box Borough Road Stow, Massachusetts 01775 (617) 897-6021 November 6 - 14 England and France Contact: Harold Best - Devereux. 13 Stonehills House Welwyn Garden City Herts, England November 21 Austin, Texas Contact: Bob Wahrmund EAA Chapter 187 Route 1 Box 119B Round Rock, Texas 78664 November 28 Mojave, California at RAF noon - 6:00 December 5 Sacramento, California Contact: Ed Hamlin 8377 Seeno Avenue Roseville, California 95678 December 18 Atlanta, Georgia Contact: John Griffin, Sr. 420 Northland Road Mableton, Georgia 30059 December 19 Daytona Beach, Florida Contact: William Cook 130 North Highland Avenue Daytona Beach, Florida 32014 If you want to attend any of these seminars send the contact a postcard and tell him how many in your party. If you want a reply, send a S.A.S.E. We have heard from a couple of clubs that have been formed by VariEze builders for mutual support. One group in Minnesota is so big that they have become a special interest EAA chapter! The club idea is a good one, in that builders can better aid each other in construction problems. We have received N.A.S.A.D. approval, class one (average amateur), for the VariEze plans. If you want to stop by RAF and visit, give us a call first and make sure we are home. We are not able to show the prototypes on an individual basis yet. If you want to see the airplane please plan to attend one of the seminars in Mojave or hold off until after January. We will be in a different building after January and will have a showroom/hangar where you can see the airplanes. We are a mile from our aircraft now which makes showing them individually an awkward thing to do. MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION In the initial rush for materials that followed our release of Section I last June, the distributors were completely swamped. Frankly there were a whole bunch more ready-to-start builders than we ever dreamed of and the result was almost immediate exhaustion of available materials. In the wake of the delays which followed we have received a few complaints from builders who have had to wait six to ten weeks for materials from our distributors and we feel that we owe everybody a brief explanation of how the present distribution system came to be. RAF is a very small company with no desire to expand into distribution or manufacture of materials or components. When we originally started planning to market plans for the VariEze we were not going to be referring customers to any specific source for materials, since all materials were to be available in just about any reasonable-size city. We were going to build the airplane with a common industrial weave of glass cloth, with a popular Shell laminating epoxy system and with any type urethane foams, available at any well stocked building-supply outlet. We would thus be able to give the specifications in the plans and let the homebuilder find his own source of materials. When we started building N7EZ (then called the mini-Viggen) we ran into some problems. The glass layups were quite difficult in many areas and looked beyond the capability of many all-thumbs builders who would want to build one, and there was a large weight variance due to workmanship. Thanks to Fred Jiran, the glass sailplane wizard, we found a solution: specially designed weaves of glass cloth that took most of the work out of the layups, resulted in far less weight variation, and fewer man- hours than the materials we had been using. We then realized that not only would the materials be easy to work with, but also construction would be much quicker than working with conventional wood or metal. It was then that the name 'VariEze' was adopted. This, of course, threw a wrench into our plans to not market materials, since the cloth was available only in Europe and required a large special order to get it made here. We then decided to invest in a special order, sell the cloth to the homebuilder, and let him scrounge the remaining material wherever he could. Next, we ran into several problems with the epoxy. Its toxicity was quite high (SPI-4), mix ratio at 12 percent was very critical and we were certain we would need two pot lives due to the exotherm damage we found on our high temperature insulated tests. Thus, due to the high ventilation and skin protection requirements and uncertainty of local availability of the required hardener systems, the viability of the project was in doubt. About that time we met with several composite engineers working in the advanced composite development department of a large aerospace corporation. We had a meeting at their facility and described the entire VariEze structure to them and discussed with them the epoxy problems we were experiencing. They were anxious to not only solve our problems but also to suggest that recent developments of elastomeric - modified epoxy systems would greatly add to the fatigue life and peel strengths in our structure. We initially tried a commercially available system but found the work-ability poor due to higher viscosity and the pot life still not optimum. What followed was a long series of testing numerous variations, attempting to optimize the formulation of the epoxy system. Building components for N4EZ (the homebuilt prototype), samples for strength, environmental and exotherm tests, gave us a good basis to evaluate the system for not only physical properties but also for work-ability. The result was a system that was not only less toxic (SPI - 2) but also had considerably better fatigue and peel strengths (data are shown in an article in the July issue of "Sport Aviation"). Since marketing glass and epoxy was beyond the scope of materials distribution we were interested in, we decided to have a couple of established distributors stock the epoxy. Then came the bad news. Yes, formulators would be happy to formulate the epoxy system but the retail price would be almost $35.00-per-gallon kit, almost twice the retail price of the original Shell system and adding $200.00 to the price of the airplane. We then decided to have the distributors stock both the Shell and the new system (now designated RAE) and give the homebuilder his choice, noting that certain aspects of the construction methods and the physical properties would suffer with the lower cost material. One of the composite design engineers who had helped develop the formulation, offered to do the production formulation himself, to reduce costs over the large packaging companies and to protect his proprietary rights on the formula. We were then able to get the retail distributors to lower the normal markup for the epoxy and get the retail price down to $24.75 per-gallon kit, which would add only $85.00 over the price of the low-cost system per airplane. Thus, rather than go thru the expensive process of determining and qualifying the required hardeners for the low cost resin to obtain the correct pot life times, we decided to not delay the program and to have the distributors supply only RAE. At that time there were other individuals offering to supply builders with various materials and were sending samples for our "approval". We learned two things from this experience: (1) It is very time consuming and expensive to do all tests required to gain confidence in a given structural material and (2) there is a very wide range of quality and acceptability in many of the materials, particularly the foams. Now that we had just solved the glass and epoxy problem we had a foam problem. We were concerned that the homebuilder would be sold inadequate foams, totally in good faith, by outlets who did not understand the importance of the proper physical characteristics CP10, Page 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- and of quality control. The only way we could assure the homebuilder of getting the right materials was to specify it to the distributors and follow-up to assure quality control. The foams also presented an availability problem, since only one plant in the United States manufactures the blue foam in the correct cell size and in large enough blocks. The PVC foam must be imported from Europe and is quite expensive (typical retail price for the blue and green is 50 - 60cents/bd foot; PVC is generally much higher). With our mind at ease that the homebuilder would be able to get satisfactory structural materials, the distributors wanted to also make up a hardware and metals kit, to allow builders to avoid the hassle of rounding up the numerous other items. We felt this was a good idea but insisted that they retail any item individually. Prices - as you may know, we had estimated that raw materials cost for a VariEze (less engine) would be about $1,400.00 and about $2,700.00 if you elected to buy a lot of the items prefab. We then set the plans price at five percent of the prefab kit price. The materials/prefab parts price estimates were too low due to several reasons: (1) availability problems noted earlier, (2) handling/packaging costs of the many small items, (3) stampeding inflation of these type materials and (4) our obsolete price lists. Every item ended up costing more than our estimate, except the landing gear struts and they went up fifteen percent last month. As a result, the current price for raw materials from the distributors is about $2,200.00 and about $3,400.00 if you elect to get as much as possible prefabricated. Plans price is now four percent of the prefab kit price. You can still build an EZ, for a materials cost of about $1,700.00 if you don't count tools, upholstery, and if you do a reasonable amount of scrounging for items like instruments, wheels, hardware, etc. Almost daily we hear from individuals who have found A - 75 and C-85 engines for $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 with lots of hours remaining. So the $3,000.00 airplane is not impossible, just improbable! We have about $5,800.00 in N4EZ, including the 0-200 and a NavCom. VARIEZE PARTS WEIGHTS The following are average weights for items constructed from the VariEze plans: CANARD (chapter 4) 16.7 lb. Both elevons with weights 6.3 lb. Each wing with fitting 34.0 lb. TEST DATA The following flight test data from VariEze N4EZ are presented for those interested. We will attempt to have a tidbit of this type in every newsletter **GRAPH OMITTED** VARIEZE CONSTRUCTION HINTS In general, builder's acceptance of the construction methods has been excellent. We have received very little feed-back from anyone who felt that the building skill requirements were too high. Construction problems have been in two categories: (1) failure to follow or read the instructions in the plans, (2) errors or unclear areas in the plans. Category No. (1) will always be with us and can be avoided by following all the information in the plans carefully. Category No. (2) plans errors, are being cleared up due to the excellent feedback we receive from builders who contact us to suggest improvements. Problem: The hot wire variable control shown in the plans is not only expensive, but has been discontinued by the supplier. The hot wire control can be any power source (AC or DC) capable of six amps (for .041 wire) or four amps (for .032 wire) and adjustable from about ten to eighteen volts. The following information lists several low cost units, and one which works great that you can build for about one dollar! (1) Anderson Engineering Co. This is an excellent 2216 Foggy Bottom Road control with an easily Florissant, MO 63031 adjustable current up to Kit # AS - 1 $17.99 eight amps. (2) Most model train transformers are capable of powering a hot wire of .025 or .032 dia. stainless steel. (3) A G.E. # OI - 61 ULO light dimmer (600 watt) control (about $5.00 in electrical supply houses) will power a .032 dia. hot wire. The control is quite sensitive and uses very small adjustments in the lower range of the dimmers range. (4) The following schematic is all that is required to heat a hot wire using normal 115 - Volt house current. **SKETCH OMITTED** Of course, a 30-foot hot wire is a little hard to handle, and the 115 Volt can give you a good jolt. So using the same principle you can make up the control as follows, using a 1 x 12 board, some wire (made from an extension cord), some nails, .032 stainless safety wire and an alligator clip. The wire is strung across 50 nails as shown, positioned up above the wood board. The alligator clip is adjustable from the 15th to the 25th nail to control wire temperature. Cover the 1st through 15th nails to avoid shock. The wire is hottest with the clip moved closest to the 15th nail. Be sure the wires are not touching the board. This system demands about 400 watts. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Regardless of what control you are using, be sure to set the temperature as instructed in the plans, one-inch cut every four to six seconds with very light pressure. CP10, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The paper mixing cups can be reused, even with a large amount of hardened epoxy in them - just be sure to balance your scale to level before adding epoxy and hardener. If you need to estimate the thickness of glass buildup for a particular layup, use the following values: BID = 0.013 inches-per-ply. UND = 0.009. When mounting the template drawings for the wing foam cores, use a straightedge to assure that the level lines are straight. If you line them up referring only to the vertical lines, it is easy to get the rib crooked. A good spray paper adhesive like 3M-76 prevents the wrinkling caused by waterbase glues. Some builders have noted the full size center section spar pattern is about 0.1" shorter than the length indicated by the B.L. numbers. This is caused by an inaccuracy in the reproduction process and is small enough to be ignored. When tacking the large blocks together for the wing cores, some builders have had the five-minute leak down in the joint far enough to hang up the hot wire. This can be avoided by laying a stick of wood across the joint and applying the five-minute to the stick, well away from the foam joint. Be sure you are checking the temperature of your immediate work area with a thermometer. If you want to slow the cure a little, a fan directed at the part will help. Important! Some builders have indicated that they inadvertently drilled into the tapped metal insert for the canard lift tabs. We have given them the following instructions to install nuts on the inserts. Also, if you are not positive that you have good full threads on your inserts you should follow this procedure, which can be done even if the canard is completed. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Note: The correction in the next section adds nutplates on the insert. If you have not installed the canard inserts yet (chapter 4, step 2), use the following procedure: line up the insert with the lift tab. Clamp together and drill the three 1/4-inch holes. Mark the inserts and tabs (top, front, right) so they don't get flipped over or reversed. Mount a K1000-4 nutplate behind each hole. Fill the nutplate and hole in the insert with silicone rubber (GE or Dow silicone bathtub caulk). This keeps epoxy and micro out of the threads when the insert is installed. Let the silicone dry 24 hours before installing the inserts. Now install the inserts as shown in the plans. After the step 2 cure, follow this procedure to drill the glass pad: make a stop for your 1/4-inch drill to avoid the possibility of the drill slipping into the nutplate. Drill the center hole only. Install the center bolt and lift tab. Carefully line up the tab and using the tab as a drill guide, drill the other holes. Remove the bolt, prepare both surfaces for bond and install the three bolts and tab with wet flox. The bolts will push the silicone back on installation. The best quality holes in the glass pad can be obtained if the step 2 cure is allowed to cure two to three days before drilling. An alternate method is to use the plans procedure, but substitute 1/4-inch steel for the 1/8 inch aluminum inserts. When routing the holes for the VECS3 brackets do not gouge into the spar cap. The bolts must be removed to install the VECS3's. One builder routed the hole forward to allow the VECS3's to rotate into the notch, and in doing so, removed 1/3 of the spar cap! He had to replace his spar cap, full span. Be sure the elevon slot in the canard is correct and true before skinning the canard bottom. Warps or high places may limit up-elevon travel. When slicing the cross-fibers during the spar folding layup, use a new sharp razor blade. Make a light pass over the fold with the blade held as shown. Then use your brush to stipple the bubble down. Do not stroke the brush on the surface, all stippling is done as a vertical stab at the surface. This vertical stabbing motion is the majority of work in building an EZ. Brushing on resin builds up weight. Adding a little resin in a vertical stabbing motion is much better. If proper stippling is done, very little, if any, squeegeeing is needed. **SKETCH OMITTED** Shelf life of RAE is two years unopened or one year after opening container. Both are for storage at room temperature out of sunlight. Do not store urethane foam in sunlight. Do not be concerned that the elevon template is thicker than the elevon core. This accounts for the normal reduction in core size due to 'burn down' in the hot wire cutting. Excess can be trimmed before skinning. Check the fit of the CS2 brackets before glassing the bottom. They must line up well to allow the elevon to rotate smoothly without binding or stressing the VECS3 brackets. We understand there is a wide range in sensitivities of bubbles in levels, ie., 1/2-bubble in one level may be twice the angle as 1/2- bubble in another. Be as precise as possible in setting wing twist and relative incidence. The relative incidence measured at the mid-span point must be within 0.1 inch over the length of a two-foot level. Do not reverse the level when checking right to left wings - this allows level inaccuracies to effect relative incidences. There is no room to be sloppy here; the twist and incidence of the wings must be set accurately. A couple builders have reported that the glass build up on the wing fittings has been too high, such that even without the tolerance pads, the last ply is higher than the WA8 tongue (page 6 - 8). This is due to one or both of the following: (1) Inadequate stippling/squeegeeing on the pad/ spar/skin layup causing an overly wet, thick layup. (2) The Brock wing fittings have a WA3 tongue which is about .015 undersize due to a machining operation. This is equal to one ply of BID. Thus, we recommend that if you are using the Brock fittings, you reduce the pad by one ply and carefully squeegee during the layup. If you do come up high, do not cut away the skin, it must be continuous under the wing fitting. Make an aluminum spacer from some aluminum sheet and install it between WA3 and WA1 to fill the gap caused by a high layup. A high layup due to excess epoxy can be lowered by applying pressure on the top plate if the layup has not started to cure. This is possible if the layup is done below 75 degrees f and with enough people so it can be completed within three hours. Never attempt any layup below 60 degrees f, since the higher viscosity of the resin will make it more difficult to wet out the cloth. A good quality layup is difficult to achieve below 65 degrees f. A preferred method to potting the electrical wires in the wings is to install a conduit, then push the wires thru later when needed. The conduit can be thin-wall alum or plastic tube, 1/4 or 5/16 dia. Only two #18 wires are required per wing, since strobes should be mounted on the fuselage (one on top behind canopy and one on the bottom near the nose wheelwell). Formica scraps or masonite make excellent material for templates. Do not over tighten fasteners. Correct torque valves are #10 = 20 in lb., 1/4 = 60 in lb., 5/16 = 100 in lb. Drill a small hole through two 1-inch lengths of 1/2-inch diameter dowel and thread them onto the hot wire. This allows you to grab the wire immediately adjacent to the template for better control during hot wire cutting. Remember, the wire must be as tight as possible and speed must be slow around the leading edge to avoid lag undercuts. A leading edge undercut as much as 1/8 inch is acceptable and can be trued up with a long sanding block after the core is jigged. Never make a glass layup over a core that is not straight and smooth. The glass panel cannot take the loads if it has bumps, depressions, steps, etc., in excess of the allowable values. Always check your core shape and size with the section drawings in the plans to assure they are formed and aligned properly before laying glass over them. The main gear leg as received from Jiran looks twisted. This is due to the combination of the forward sweep and camber angle. If you want to check the toe-in before mounting the gear, set it upright with the end leading edges 4 inches forward of the center leading edge. Check the toe-in on a horizontal plane. It should be slightly toed in, but not more than 2 degrees. Adjustments can be made with a coarse sanding block before mounting the axles. Make the final adjustment after the gear is mounted. Microspheres can be put in a large spice shaker for convenient dispensing. The trim required to adapt the Cleveland brake to the strut is shown in the following sketch: **SKETCH OMITTED** CP10, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The dimension shown should be checked on the canopy when jigging it to the blocks on the fuselage (top of Page 22-2). Adjust the forward blocks if required, to attain the 12-inch height shown. In no case should this dimension be less than 11.5 inch. This would impair forward/downward visibility during climb and landing. This dimension cannot be determined by measuring the canopy as received from Cowley. The canopy is blown into a frame that is 20 inches wide at the front and 19 inch wide at the rear. The canopy is then bent inward to a smaller width when it rests on the blocks. This causes its height to increase in the center. Do not attempt to bend the canopy in until it is trimmed as shown in chapter 22. **SKETCH OMITTED** Refer to the following drawings for installation of the kick-in step. Refer to the Owners Manual for details on use of the step. First, cut a 4-1/2" long by 3-1/4" high hole in the fuselage side just above the lower longeron and just aft or forward of the seat belt mount. Fit the side pieces (16-1b PVC) and top piece (1/4" ply) into place after removing enough foam. A short piece of piano hinge is bolted to the plywood insert and riveted (1/8" pop rivets) to the door. A small compression spring, (attached on each end to the door and to an aluminum bracket with safety wire) closes the door when your foot is removed. **SKETCHES OMITTED** The following is a simple way to check the pot life of your epoxy and give you a feeling for the importance of mixing batches of epoxy only as you need them. Be sure your resin and hardener are at 75 deg F. Mix about 5 oz of epoxy, stir well and leave the cup undisturbed at 75 deg F. Be sure you use the supplied 8 oz cup. The fast epoxy should exotherm, reaching a solid block in about 30 to 40 minutes. Slow epoxy should be solid in about 60 to 90 minutes. WING FITTINGS - Before you bond the fitting permanently to your wing- spar foam core (chapter 6, step 3), trial fit the whole wing foam core (with the fitting) in the jig. The fitting should fit flush with the inboard edge of the foam core. Check the positioning of the spar core carefully and make sure that the spar trough top and bottom is deep enough to accommodate the spar cap layup. Use the section views of the completed wing on pages 6-18 through 6-21. Make sure that the fitting is on the spar foam core straight and not cocked off to one side vertically or horizontally. Exotherm foam damage - care must be taken to avoid heavy buildups of epoxy/micro down inside a joint that is insulated by foam, such as on the assembly of the wing cores and on the winglet mounting. The gap to be filled by micro when assembling any foam cores should not be thicker than 1/16 inch. If you try to fill a gap greater than 0.1 inch you will be adding excessive weight and, more important, the large mass of epoxy-micro, insulated by the foam, can exotherm. Heat resulting from exotherm can be as high as 450 degrees F, which will melt away the foam locally and destroy the joint. On the winglet attachment (chapter 24, step 3), wait about an hour before doing the last paragraph on page 24- 2. This allows the inside layup to partially cure before installing the extra micro and green block. Feel the inside layup before installing the block to assure it did not get hot due to exotherm. Any time an exotherm is suspected, by an expansion of the epoxy at the surface or by the epoxy at the surface getting hot during cure, the joint must be inspected for exotherm damage. It is good practice to not only keep the gaps small, but to do large block assembly below 70 degrees F. Always use RAES on core assembly or any large-mass potting; it was specifically formulated to eliminate an exotherm. Do not substitute RAEF. The photo shows a comparison of F and S joints. Note the form damage caused by the exotherm deep in the F joint. **PHOTO OMITTED** WORKMANSHIP AND QUALITY CONTROL In section I we gave you detailed information on specific defects that you may find in your work and how to repair them if necessary. We went into details there and don't need to repeat them here, but it does seem appropriate to make a few comments of a more general nature on workmanship. There is no substitute for good workmanship, and no excuse for poor workmanship. We've made an effort at making the materials and techniques as easy as possible for the beginner to do well, but nothing as complex as an airplane will ever be completely idiot-proof. All of you will make some minor mistakes in the process of building your airplane and this is perfectly normal. There are also, unfortunately, a few of you who will make serious mistakes and lots of them. All of you must remember that you are your only quality control and nobody else can do it for you. If you have questionable parts you are burdened with the decision to scrap them or use them. If you are lucky enough to have another builder nearby let him look your project over and respect his opinion of your workmanship. If you find that another builder in your area is doing poor work, please have the courage to tell him so. If we help police each other our safety record will improve and we'll be able to preserve our lenient rules. Sometimes it is hard for us to admit to ourselves that an expensive part is really junk and a second opinion may help us to decide. Remember, a wrinkle, depression, or bump in the layup which is greater than 1/16 inch high (or low) and which is more than 20% of the chord length or 20% of the spar chord is not acceptable and requires repair. A depression can generally be repaired by filling with flox to level and laying over the entire depression the amount of glass that is underneath, lapping outside the depression a distance equal to one inch per ply. Be sure you don't layup a depression or bump in the thick main spar caps. The transition of the spar caps into the wing fittings must be smooth and without joggles. The above applies only to the flying surfaces. The fuselage and fuel tanks can have relatively large depressions or bumps without effecting structural safety. Be aware during the finishing process that you are sanding on your structure. If a bump or corner exists it is very easy to sand through more than one ply. Removal of more than one ply in the following areas requires repair: wing, canard, winglet (more than 20% of chord) and center section spar corners or shear web (be especially careful sanding near the wing fittings). VARIEZE PLANS CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS We've got a lot of corrections this issue, because there are already several people who have built most of the airplane from original-- edition plans, all since the last newsletter. Most of you already have most of these changes since they were sent back with license agreements and included with shipments of materials from the distributors. Several of you will also be working with original--edition plans for the last half of the project between now and January when the next newsletter is due. So, keep your eyes open for errors/omissions in the plans and keep us informed if you find them. Those of you who are working on the second-half (chapter 15 on) between now and January should send us a self-addressed stamped envelope. If we find important changes before January we will make copies, stuff your envelopes and send them out immediately. Be sure to mark "PLANS CHANGES" on the outside of your S.A.S.E. Do not send the envelope unless you are actually working past chapter 15. Now - grab a pencil and make the following corrections in your plans. PAGE/ITEM 5-4, Step 6 Clarification - The notch in the canard to accept the mass balance weight consists of removing the bottom skin and the foam. Do not remove the top skin. 9 - 2, BKHD 16.5 dimension should be 18.1. If you have already made it 16.5, do not reject it. The space can be filled with a 3-ply BID tape after chapter 11. CP10, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 - 5, Balance check 20 to 30 should be 10 to 25 deg. 16 - 1, Bracket 1.75 dimension can be revised to 1.6 to allow this part to be fabricated from the 2 inch angle supplied by Aircraft Spruce and Wicks. 16 - 1, Belcrank Lower hole should be # 12 drill. If you have already drilled it out to 1/4 inch, use a 1/4 inch bolt when mounting the cable in chapter 19. 17 - 1, F.S. F.S. 2.0 should be F.S. 2.15. 17 - 8, View AA VECS 13 should be NG 13. 4 - 3, 4 - 16, Inserts Install nutplates, three per insert over holes drilled in place with lift tabs, see 'building hints' in this newsletter. 2 - 2, Hardware Add six K1000-3 nutplates and 12 AN426 - AD3-5 rivets. 2 - 3, Chapter 10 9.6 should be 0.6. 5 - 6, VECS2 Only one of the two aft rivets are required. See page 5 - 5. 5 - 3, Center Trailing - edge micro fill is incorrectly shown on the top of the elevon. Should be on bottom as shown on the top of the page. Ditto for page 5 - 6. 5 - 5, 5 - 6, Weights CS11 lead weight size is 0.6 x 0.8 x 2.0. CS10 is full size as shown, 0.8 wide. 6 - 11, 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 AN 525 - 416R - 16 should be AN 525 - 416R - 14. If you have received - 16 screws from Aircraft Spruce and Wicks, return them for -14 screws. 16 - 2, Page nos. The missing page numbers refer to the drawings on this page (16-2). 7 - 1, 7 - 2 Winglet Clarification: The dimensions at the top of page 7 - 1 are to rough out a block to use for the winglet. Trim the block to the dimensions in the center of the page and on page 7 - 2 to obtain the correct winglet size. 103 deg should be 103.7 deg. 6 - 16, Template D The notch which extends from talking number 11 to about 6.2 should extend another 1/2 inch to talking number 5.2. This allows the wing fitting to slide in another 1/2 inch to its correct position on the wing. **SKETCH OMITTED** 2 - 2, 2 - 3, UND Add eight yards to the total amount of UND required. Most of the shortage was due to an error in the chapter 4 estimate. 3 - 9, Step 6 'Resin' should be 'epoxy'. Also page three - ten step 7, and page three - seventeen. Plain resin is never used for anything. 2 - 2, Nuts 'AN 316 - 3' should be 'AN 315 - 3'. Distributors made this correction before shipping any hardware. 2 - 2, Tubing List shows two pieces, seven feet long for 1 1/4-inch tube. To avoid large cut-off waste, distributors are shipping one piece 66 inches long and one piece 84 inches long. 2 - 2, Foam Urethane green foam (Uthane 200) is no longer being produced. Distributors are now stocking Uthane 190 or Uthane 210 which is a light tan foam. Do not substitute trymer or 9005. 6 - 5, Pads The 4" x 6" pads should be 2-1/2" x 6". The pads on 6 - 7 and 6 - 11 are correct. They can extend beyond the fitting. The sketches on page 6 - 4 do not appear to show the wing fitting at its 25-degree angle. This is shown correctly in the sketches and photos on page 6 - 5. 8 - 5, Pads '22 plies' should be '40 plies' and '25 plies' should be '46 plies'. 6 - 8, Spar cap Clarification: The photo at the top shows the cap extending out onto the outboard core farther than it actually does. The photo was taken for the top layup (step 8), in which the cap is longer. 7 - 3, R4 Angle Substitute the following pattern for the R4 angles. Two are bent up, two are bent down. **SKETCH OMITTED** 22 - 4, Top sketch Arrow from 'plexiglass' is incorrect. 5 - 5, CS3/CS11 The CS11 weight interferes with the CS3 bracket before full trailing-edge down travel on the right elevon; either mount the CS11 weight out further on CS12, or take your Dremmel and grind some material from CS3 and CS11 to allow full travel. The CS11 weight should strike the bottom of the canard about the same time as the CS10 weight strikes the top skin inside its cut out. Owners Manual Owners Manual page 40, top. Add 'recheck torque of prop bolts after first run, after 10 hours and each 50 hours thereafter'. Also the table on page 33 (sample weight and balance data) is incorrect. Substitute the following. The most desirable empty cg position is at F.S. 110. ITEM GROSS TARE NET ARM MOMENT RT M. 275 0 275 108.0 29,700 LT M. 276 0 276 108.0 29,808 NOSE 8 -1 7 17.0 119 BALLAST -25 -25 40.0 -1000 TOTAL 533 110.0 58,627 1 - 1, 1st paragraph Some early sets of plans omitted page count. Add 153 and 9. 5 - 6, CS2 Material call-out omitted. This is not a VariEze part to make. If you want to homebuild it, use the full size drawing on page 5 - 6. The pivot with bushing must be 0.1 to 0.15 forward of the centerline of the elevon tube when the bottom of the elevon is level. The flange is 0.6 wide. Use 2024-0 0.63 thick and heat treat to T3. When mounting CS2 to the tube a washer may be required under the nut on the one that does not sit on the canard glass skins. 3 - 11, Glass taper Slope of taper shown as 2-1/2 inches per ply should be 1-inch per ply (2 1/2 c.m.). 5 - 6, CS12, CS 3 Material callout omitted. Fabricate from .125 thick 2024-T3, Full size pattern shown. 2 - 2, MISC Nyloseal tubing (46 ft,) should be 3/16" x .025 Polypenco Nylaflow tubing (46 ft.) 20 - 2, YT 3 The drawing shows this piece 1.7" long on one leg. Revise the drawing to 1.5" so the piece can be made from the supplied extrusion angle. **SKETCH OMITTED** CP10, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-17, Wing Fittings Material callouts omitted. All material except WA4 is 2024-T3. WA3 tongue is 3/8 inch plate, milled .003 thinner than WA5 to provide clearance. WA2 and WA1 plates are 1/8 thick. WA6 plates are 0.063 thick. WA7 tubes are 1X.035. Overall height to outside of WA1 plates is 6.0 inch. Scale other dimensions. WA4 pins are 4130 heat treat to 120KSI. Taper is 10 degree included angle. Top pins are drilled 1/4 inch. Bottom pins are tapped 1/4 X 28. The #10-32 tapped holes in WA3 should be only .35 deep. Use bottoming tap. Long bolt may have to be -51 length depending on tolerance accumulation, or an SAE grade 8 bolt can be substituted which has a longer thread length. 5-6, Tip Fairing The small cosmetic fairing at each canard tip is not shown on the plans. This fairing is attached to the canard and fills the one-inch void outboard of the elevons. Shape is not critical, just be sure it doesn't rub on the elevons. See sketch below. **SKETCHES OMITTED** 21-4, Step 6 While your composite fuel tanks are less susceptible to condensation than a metal tank, they can still be contaminated with water from the fuel truck. The low point water drain (section IIA) will drain water only if the aircraft is in a level attitude. Since the airplane parks nose down it is recommended that drains be installed in the forward tip of the tanks as shown. It is preferred to install them during step 6, however, they can be installed (without rivets) after the tanks are closed out. **SKETCH OMITTED** After inside layup cures, remove foam and install 1.5" dia 1/8" thick aluminum plate with wet flox and four pop rivets. Glass 1 ply BID over rivets. Drill and tap 1/8-27 NPT. Plug to avoid contaminating tank. Glass outside as shown. One builder interpreted the cross-hatched lines on the five shear web plies on page 4-4, as being individual strips of cloth! The shear web is, of course, five pieces sized as shown; the cross-hatched lines just verify fiber orientation. A5 Gearmount The landing gear mount extrusions are shown with incorrect separation between pairs. Both pairs (per side) should be separated 0.625 (5/8 inch). When installing the extrusions on page 10-5 (step 4), bolt the individual pairs together with a 5/8 inch spacer between them before drilling them into the fuselage sides, to assure alignment for the gear bolt holes. When installing the gear on the fuselage (page 18-3) if there is space left over in front or back of the tabs, fill this with an AN 970-4 washer or an aluminum shim. **SKETCH OMITTED** 8-2 Spar size Due to the spar front and back pattern being slightly oversize and to the possibility of growth in height in assembly of the center-section spar, its thickness should be checked after step 2. This is necessary to assure fit to the fuselage longerons and to the engine mount. Locate B.L. 7.5 on either side of the centerline. The height top to bottom should be 8.2 inches at B.L. 7.5. Sand the top and bottom surfaces equally to attain the 8.2 dimension, fairing smoothly into the outside contour at about B.L. 23. Don't make waves, gouges, or notches in the foam to assure that the spar caps will be laid up straight. **SKETCH OMITTED** 10-2 Longerons The distance between the bottom of the top longeron and the top of the short longeron is 8.5 inch. This is not clearly shown on page 10-2, but can be determined from A5. **SKETCH OMITTED** We have been advised by FAA that our registration numbers must be horizontal, not vertical as they have been. The numbers will have to get smaller to stay on the winglet but I guess that's ok. Strike the reference to vertical format on page 1 - 5 of section I. PUBLICATIONS There is an excellent VariEze article in the November "Private Pilot" magazine, which covers some previously unpublished information on the program. The October "Sport Aviation" has some VariEze photos and a writeup on our Oshkosh trip. "Sport Aviation" is the official magazine of EAA, and can only be obtained through membership with EAA: Experimental Aircraft Ass., Inc., PO Bx 229, Hales Corners, Wi 53130. CP10, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-1 and 6-2, Step 1 Step 1, wing foam core cutting has several obvious errors - VariEze wings sweep aft not forward! Replace step 1 with the revision shown here. You will cut 4 cores in the following sequence: RT OTBD, LT OTBD, RT INBD, and LT INBD. Each of the large blocks has one left and one right core. On page 6-12 through 6-15 are patterns for A, B, and C. The flip sides are X, Y, and Z, respectively. STEP 1 HOT WIRE CUTTING THE WING FOAM CORES This step will take about two hours. You need an assistant for hot wire cutting. First make the three airfoil templates A, B, C and the two spar templates D, shown on pages 6-12 thru 6-16 from plywood or sheet metal. While you're doing woodwork, make the three jig blocks E, F, and G shown on pages 6-12 thru 6-15 from 1/4 plywood. Lay two of the 9x18x67 blue foam blocks out on your work bench and nail together as shown. Remember that templates X, Y, and Z are the flip sides of A, B, and C. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Carefully hot wire trim the blocks to the dimensions shown. Position the templates for the outboard right wing core as shown. Careful positioning is required so that enough foam is left for the inboard wing and winglet cores. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Cut the core. Go slowly around the leading edge: pause at the marks. Don't rush the wire. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Pull the templates off and set the whole block aside. Get the other blocks, assemble, and trim them as shown. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Align and level templates Y and C as shown ( Y is the flip side of B, Z is the flip side of C ). Cut the left outboard foam core. Now, modify template B and Y by carving out the spar trough as marked on the template. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Flip the foam block over and position template A and Y as shown. Cut the inboard right foam core. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Now, set the finished cores and remaining foam block aside and put the first foam block back on the table. Locate the X and B templates as shown. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Now, cut the inboard left-hand core. Go slowly around the leading edge, pause where indicated. Before you remove the foam cores from the block, mark the waterline on each with a ball-point pen. **SKETCHES OMITTED** Don't throw the remaining block of foam away. Store it for use in chapter 7. NOTE: Check vertical placement of templates to allow cores to be cut out of the block without interference. CP10, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPOSITE STRUCTURE The photos show what's left of a sample we took to Oshkosh as a comparison between our composite and a typical all- aluminum structure. The sample consists of an all-aluminum wing, which was originally built for the canard of the Mini-Viggen (this aircraft was never completed). On the end of its stub spar we built a glass/foam/glass structure with core, spar and skin similar to the VariEze canard. We designed the composite side to be equal in weight; it came out only slightly heavier. At Oshkosh we placed a block of foam under each wingtip and asked people to walk on the combined structure. The metal wing failed at mid-span the second day. The structure was walked on during the remaining part of the show and then shipped via motor freight to California with only a cardboard cover. As you can see in the photo the metal wing has severe permanent damage in its skin surface, trailing edge spar and ribs. Under load its contour looks more like a wrinkled paper bag than an airfoil. The composite side is undamaged. Even the Texas boots on the trailing edge did not cause failure or distortion of contour. Of course, we do not recommend you walk on your aircraft wing. **PHOTOS OMITTED** A breakdown of the sandwich core in an area on the side of the fuselage on N4EZ occurred and was noticed on the trip to Oshkosh. At first we thought it was a skin delamination, since it looked like the skin had pulled away from the foam over an area of about 3" X 6" on the fuselage side adjacent to the throttle. Closer inspection revealed that the foam had deteriorated in the local area, rather than the skin pulling away. This was in an area where the foam was only about 0.1 inch thick due to the inside contouring around the throttle. So, with only a thin core in this area, the sandwich was not rigid. If you pushed hard on it it could flex, and thus over-stress and deteriorate the urethane foam. This area was repaired on-the-spot by drilling a hole at the top and bottom of the effected area and injecting epoxy in the bottom, allowing air to escape out the top hole until the void was full. This stiffened the originally flexible area and made it much stronger than before. The minimum core thickness on the plans over a wide enough area to allow flexing is 0.3 inch, so unless you beat on the skins you should not experience this problem. If you have overcontoured the inside skin such that you have a thin core over a wide area you can remove all foam over a small area as shown, before glassing the outsides, to relieve foam stresses due to flexing loads. This technique is already used in the plans in two areas (section A-A, B-B, page 12-2). **SKETCH OMITTED** The Blue foam and PVC foams, due to their inherent elasticity are not as susceptible to fatigue as the urethane. We do not recommend any changes due to this experience, since they should not occur in an area or in a fashion to cause any dangerous structural weakness. Just don't beat on your airplane like we do to show its durability. Keep your eye out for any deterioration, which is detectable by skin flexibility or contour variances, and repair by injecting epoxy. A glue gun, available at any model hobby shop is ideal for this purpose. Above all, do not make substitutions in foam types. There are urethane foams on the market with only 1/2 the fatigue strength of the EZ Foam. We get an occasional question on how the structure will behave at extremely low temperatures! The answer is we frankly do not know, but based on available information we do not expect cold temperature problems. The coldest N4EZ and N7EZ has been is minus 15 degrees C (in flight at altitude). The glass sailplane people are not aware of any cold-related problems. The flying surfaces, with all load-carrying structure at the surface are not as susceptible to thermal stress due to rapid temperature changes as are many other designs. According to materials specifications and the guidelines in the "Advanced Composite Design Guide" the structure should experience no adverse effects to below - 50 degrees F. There are several EZ's being built in Alaska. Any information they can add will be published in the "Canard Pusher." If you are concerned about a different environment (cold, humid, salty, etc.) in your area or anything unusual, you should conduct the appropriate tests to satisfy yourself of the adequacy of the product. It is, of course, impossible for us to provide all the answers, but we do our best to expose the airplane to as much testing as possible and have, and will continue to, publish any problems encountered and their solutions. We have had a number of requests for loading data from individuals wanting to proof-load their surfaces, and from those seeking Foreign approval for the design. The accompanying data are the limit spanwise loads (5-g) and are for the worst-case cg conditions, aft cg for the wing and forward cg for the canard. Also shown is a convenient way to proof-load your canard, using a foam block and some friends. Don't do this by merely hanging it from the lift tabs. It must be supported (as on the fuselage) at the trailing edge to keep from bending the tabs. Also shown is our test of the complete wing and fitting, loaded to twice limit loading with shot bags. This load is equal to twelve 170- lb people. While demonstrating limit loads can give you a great deal of confidence, it should in no way be a reason to accept a part with poor workmanship. **GRAPH AND SKETCH OMITTED** FAA COMPOSITE STRUCTURE INSPECTION We have reprinted the inspection criteria that was distributed to the FAA GADO's, EMDO's and AEDO's in this newsletter for your information and in case your local inspector missed out on the distribution. You should contact your local inspector before you actually build much of your airplane. The sequence of inspections and at what items he wants to see are his own choice. Some of you early birds may find that you have the Feds looking over your shoulder pretty often until they get up to speed on the construction sequence. See page 14 of this newsletter. In some places the local FAA inspectors have asked to see the wing shear web before assembly of the wing foam core. We don't recommend this because if the shear web layup is allowed to cure before assembly of the foam core it must be sanded dull for bonding later. The sanding process may damage the surface plies of glass, result in an inferior part to one wet bonded. If your local inspector insists on seeing the wing shear web, try to have him there to inspect it wet. If you can't arrange this, add an additional BID shear web ply full length on the fore and aft faces to be sanded after cure. Be super cautious that your shear web box isn't bowed while it cures. CP10, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- FOREIGN BUILDERS There is quite a bit of interest in the VariEze around the world and we have a few words of caution for potential overseas builders. Government regulations and limitations on homebuilts vary quite a bit from country to country. Please check with your local authorities before ordering plans, since we can't refund plans orders if you find out later that the VariEze is not approved for construction in your country or that materials are prohibitively costly or unavailable. The shipping costs to some areas of the world are over $1300, making the costs prohibitive for many potential builders. We are looking into the availability of acceptable substitute materials. We have found that the foams are not available at all in some countries. One builder in Germany has reported success in substituting Rohacell for the 2 lb/cubic feet blue styrene foam, however, it's high moisture absorption makes it suspect. If you are searching for substitutes do not accept any material which has lower strength or other physical properties than the recommended materials shown as follows: Blue Styrene: Dow Chemical Co. Brand F.B. Styrofoam, 2 +- 0.2 lb/cubic feet density, cell size 1.4 to 2.4 mm. Green Urethane: Upjohn Chemical Co. U-Thane 200 or U-Thane 210 or U-Thane 190 Ridgid P.V.C.: Conticell equivalent densities are available in Europe. ENGINES 0-200-A Pusher installation in N4EZ has a total of about 150- flight hours to date. There has been no measurable increase in crankshaft end play which would reflect thrust bearing wear. Everything looks good for the 0-200-A on the VariEze aircraft. Do not conclude from this that the 'A' model engine is suitable in other pusher aircraft. Look at your owners manual for the technical discussion on thrust loading. A.C. BOYLE, chapter 40 Designee, and A & P rated mechanic has been kind enough to offer some suggestions to those of you who are overhauling or servicing small Continental engines. If you are overhauling an A-65, convert it to A-75. The conversion is covered by Continental service bulletin M47-16, revised 9/25/68. Install the 100 octane valve conversion when overhauling any of the small Continentals. Pistons, rings, valves, valve guides, rocker arm bushings, rocker arm pivot pins, and bosses on the cylinder heads should all meet new tolerances not service limits if you expect to get the full TBO. Never have crankshaft grinding done by an automotive shop. Stick with an FAA approved regrind shop. The bearing journals on aircraft crankshafts have specific requirements that auto machine shops generally don't have the equipment to meet. If you want to convert to slick 4000 series magnetos use slick kit #M2640 which gives the mags and hardware. Continental part #36066 drive gears are used with these magnetos. Have your inspection (Magnaflux & Zyglo) and machine work (grinding and plating) done by a competent aircraft machine shop. Don't take chances with amateurs. If you plan to store your newly overhauled engine over 90 days don't test run it until you're ready to put it in service. The combustion products from the run-in will cause corrosion internally. If long-term storage is planned, oil all internal surfaces on assembly, plug all openings (breather, oil pressure port, intake, and exhaust openings), and install desiccant spark plugs. Follow the service manual's recommended run-in procedure. Regarding the use of 100LL fuel in the low compression small continentals. If adequate (100 octane) valves are installed, plugs cleaned every 100 hr., and oil changed every 25 to 30 hours, no appreciable degradation of engine dependability should be experienced as a result of 100LL use. VW ENGINES We have been talking to a number of "high time" VW flyers over the last few months and the story we hear is generally one of woe and poverty. The message that we get, even from successful bug operators, isn't very enthusiastic. One high timer (800 hour) said that there were probably ten other guys who had suffered failures with VW's for each successful operator. He is using a Continental C-85 in his VariEze. Another bug operator we talked to said that in the 240 hours he was able to operate before failure, his VW cost him more dollars than a brand new 0-200 would have (at that time $3800), and he spent an hour with the cowling off for every hour he spent flying. The thing that scares us is that both of these gents are very competent engine mechanics with plenty of troubleshooting experience and a trained ear for problems before they get serious. On the other hand, we talked to a group of small-bore VW operators (36- 50 hp) who had excellent service in motor gliders with very little hassle. Unfortunately the 36 to 50-hp engines, are too small to power a VariEze. Our present conclusion has to be that we can't encourage the use of VW conversions in the VariEze yet. We say yet because a number of development programs are underway and eventually the big-bore bug may become an aircraft power plant, but don't hold your breath waiting. If we were to recommend a VW installation currently, we would expect to see a lot of unhappy builders, a high percentage of maintenance troubles, excessive costs, and possibly some accidents. Beyond basic engine durability the VW converters are faced with devising and supporting a service bulletin and airworthiness directive (AD) system to support the operator. Frankly, Continental and Lycoming would not have the success record that they do without the customer support effort in service and overhaul manuals, AD's, and service bulletins. We do understand that the Limbach engine does have a functioning AD system and is one of the more reliable VW's around. Unfortunately, these engines are more expensive and harder to get than the Continentals. There are some of you who are qualified mechanics, experienced with both VW and aircraft engines, and you know that you can operate a VW engine safely and reliably. If you want to build your VariEze without waiting for section IIB and a full development program, you can use section IIA as a guide and develop your own installation details. Efforts to develop and refine the big bore VW's are underway. One of the manufacturers will work on an Eze installation after demonstrating several hundred hours service in a Champ. We will monitor their efforts. If they prove successful and if they can provide adequate customer service, then we will publish section IIB. The earliest that this could happen is the summer of '77. We regret that IIB can't be published now but to do so would be an injustice to you, to EAA, and the accident record might jeopardize our lenient FAA rules. We will not accept orders for section IIB until a successful installation is developed. The VW installation we have in VariEze N7EZ does not have adequate reliability. This is not to infer that the VW does not have its place in sport aviation. Its use can be justified in a low wingloading airplane such as a Volksplane or Pixie for recreational utility, and where a forced landing can always be successfully done. Those applications generally involve less than 50 flight hours per year and thus the cost per year for the first few years is quite economical. LYCOMING ENGINES We've received a lot of flack over our selection of the Continental engines for the VariEze since most models have been out of production for years. The most common question is "How about the Lycoming engines?" and this is your answer: They are too heavy. The 0-290, 0- 320, 0-340, and 0-360 engines are totally out of the question. The 0-235 models could be used only with some strict limitations. The normally equipped 0-235 is 242 pounds which is much too heavy both structurally and from C.G. considerations. If the 0-235 is stripped (mags and carburetor only remaining) its weight can be reduced to 211 pounds which is marginal but can be lived with (as is the Continental 0-200 with alternator but no starter); the 0-235 has some advantages in lower cost, and it is available in a 100 octane-burning version. We haven't flown an 0-235 installation and it may not work out successfully, so don't rush out and sell your Continentals. Even if the 0-235 works ok, you would be restricted to no electrical system. A Vari-Eze program on the 0-235 is underway and it could become section IIC, but the earliest that this could happen would be next summer. The 0-235 produces too much horsepower and would have to be limited to lower cruise power settings. If you're unhappy about the available engines as we are, speak out! Write to your Congressmen (to Lycoming and Continental) and tell them to get on the stick and produce an 80 hp, 160 pound, under $3000 engine. The technology is available and if enough interest is generated, maybe we'll get some action. Get your friends to write and show the manufacturers how big the market is. VARIABLE PITCH PROPELLERS We haven't gotten too many requests for variable pitch/constant speed/adjustable props from our builders which is a tribute to their good sense and intelligence. However, for those few who have asked about them this is why we are down on them: safety, cost, weight, and maintenance. First, it is a very definite risk to install a variable pitch prop on a pusher aircraft. The development of a variable pusher prop for the VariEze could easily run hundreds of thousands of dollars and still be a failure. The cost of a proven variable prop, even if one were available would be over a thousand dollars each. The lightest controllable prop would weight about 25 pounds which would create a CG problem requiring ballast, further increasing the weight growth. The maintenance and upkeep required on a variable prop is unbelievable. Look through the FAA airworthiness directives for propellers, and you'll see what we mean. Even if you have money to burn, a fulltime mechanic on salary, and are a hairy-chested test pilot type anyway, you won't gain anything with your fancy prop. The added weight will limit your useful load. Even for gross-weight operation, the VariEze requires a larger airport for landing than for takeoff. Climb is excellent even with a fixed pitch prop. Thus a variable pitch prop would not increase utility. TIGER VS. VARIEZE Since I haven't flown anything but experimental types lately I wanted to fly another lightplane to get a comparison with the VariEze. So, last month I jumped in the Continental 0-200A-powered VariEze and flew to an airport in which I could rent a Grumman American Tiger, the 'hot rod' of the fixed gear lightplanes. I flew the 180-hp Tiger about 1 1/2 hours, including 5 landings, then flew the VariEze home; my impressions follow: Both airplanes taxied well, the Eze being easier to taxi in a direct crosswind. Both track well in the takeoff roll, the Tiger has higher stick forces required to rotate but both were easy to settle into climb attitude. The Eze rolled about 200 feet farther before lift-off but accelerated to climb speed faster. At the test conditions of 5000 feet altitude and 90 degrees F temperature the Eze had twice the Tiger's rate of climb (1200 fpm vs. 600 fpm). In level flight at the altitudes tested, the VariEze was about 30 to 35 mph faster than the Tiger at full throttle. The VariEze is a more comfortable airplane to fly even though cabin volume is much less. The Tiger had to be constantly flown to keep it level in the light to moderate turbulence, whereas, the Eze could be flown hands-off using an occasional rudder input or trim adjustment. I CP10, Page 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- had a tired back after flying the Tiger and wanted to get out and stretch. The reclined seat with thigh supports, armrests, and lumbar support in the Eze caused no discomfort. Cockpit noise levels were about equal. The Eze's ventilation was better. The Tiger had a mild torque-effect requiring some rudder at the climb speed and the rudder requirement increased as speed was slowed to stall. Stall was preceded by ample natural stall warning and consisted of mild pitch bucking followed by dropping of the left wing. The Eze had no noticeable torque effect with speed and the increased stick force gradient at about 51 knots was ample warning that speed was low. At full aft stick the Eze could be flown and maneuvered without tendency to depart or drop a wing, even though the angle-of-attack was excessive and totally blocked forward visibility. Cruise visibility of the Tiger was better than the Eze, particularly forward over the nose. Both airplanes have good pattern visibility, but the Eze's forward/downward blockage hindered a good look at obstacles during final approach. The Tiger was easier to land than the VariEze due to several factors. If the Tiger was high on final, reduction of power could produce a high sink rate and salvage the approach. The flaps were quite effective but there was a significant pitch trim change for the first 15 degrees deflection. On the other hand, if the Eze were high on final, airspeed would increase in order to get down, even with power reduced to idle. Approach speeds used in the turbulent flight conditions were - Tiger 75-80 mph, Eze 80-85 mph. The Tiger could be flared up to the numbers and when power was brought back it would immediately settle on the runway consistently where I wanted it and I could stop repeatedly within the first 1400 feet of the runway with moderate braking, one required only about 900 feet. Touchdown scatter was considerably more on the Eze. The airplane does not lose speed or settle significantly when power is reduced; it merely flies down the runway with speed bleeding off slowly. Bringing the nose up to the horizon for touchdown resulted in a touchdown speed of about 65 mph, which was about 5 mph faster than the Tiger. Once I was able to put the Eze on the numbers, but more often touchdown occurred 400 to 500 feet down the runway, once about 1000 feet when the approach was about 10 mph fast. The Tiger with its larger tires gave a smoother rollout and braking was more effective, particularly when flaps were raised during rollout. My general impression was that a comfortable runway length for landing the Eze was almost twice as long as that required for the Tiger, when all factors were considered. On the landing I overshot, I didn't get the Eze stopped until about 2400 feet down the runway. In summary, the VariEze definitely has the edge in range, economy, cruise comfort, and performance. The Tiger with four seats, more baggage, and IFR instrumentation certainly has more utility. Its better ability to operate from short fields also increases its utility over a VariEze. The Tiger carries twice the number of people, but the VariEze can get 2.2 times the miles-per-gallon. With the VariEze you should plan on using a minimum of 3500-foot fields for your initial landings and after your proficiency builds up you can work yourself down to as low as 2400-foot runways. Refer to the Owners Manual for specific ground roll and obstacle clearance distances. The excessive runway requirements of the VariEze could be reduced if a drag device were deployed to dirty up the landing configuration. We do plan to test one after we get the remaining plan's sections out. Do not ask about the progress of this item, we work much faster when we don't have to respond to questions! Yes, we are designing it to be retrofittable. No, we don't know how much it will help, or even if it will be successful. N7EZ DAMAGED The Volkswagen-powered prototype aircraft that served as a forerunner to the VariEze was damaged last July in a landing incident. While this aircraft is considerably different than the homebuilt VariEze (N4EZ), its structure is somewhat similar. Thus, the results of the crash durability of this airplane are of interest to VariEze builders. The airplane was landed in a soft dirt incline, approximately 400 feet short of the runway. The main gear failed aft at touchdown (N7EZ's gear sweeps aft, not forward as on N4EZ, and is quite weak for drag loads). The right wingtip drug into the soft dirt, yawing the airplane as it left the ground in a nose-high attitude. The yaw coupled to roll and the aircraft struck the end of the concrete runway at 60-degrees bank and about 30-degrees nose-down pitch. First ground contact was the tip of the right canard. Rather than failing the canard, it was removed from the fuselage, taking some of the bulkhead with it. The canard then tumbled down the ramp, damaging the elevon trailing-edge skin. Damage to the canard was limited to a 3 inch by 6 inch area where it first struck the concrete. With the exception of the easily repaired area at the tip, the entire canard structure is undamaged. A metal or wood equivalent structure, striking concrete at that angle at 65 knots, would have been destroyed. Next ground contact was the nose of the airplane and the wingtip simultaneously, with the aircraft still at 60-degrees bank and 30- degrees nose-down. Wingtip damage was limited to the lower winglet surface. The nose took the major impact energy and resulted in a buckling of the structure around the fuselage under the canard mount, as the entire nose section moved back about one inch (see photos). The airplane then slid down the runway about 200 feet on the nose gear and wingtips. The bottom of the rudders, prop, and both lower wingtips were damaged in the slide. The nose gear pushrod (NG10) buckled between NG1 and NG13. The landing gear strut was not damaged. All structure not noted above was not damaged. The upper winglets, winglet attachments, wings, wing fittings, spar, fuel tanks, fuselage, cockpit, canopy, etc., were not shifted in any way. The engine did not shift, and there were no fuel leaks. The pilot received no injuries even though he had forgotten to put on his shoulder harness. It is quite disappointing, of course, to have the aircraft damaged, but was encouraging to obtain impact survivability data that is very favorable to the structure. This was an area that was somewhat unknown. Many of the all-glass sailplanes have a history of shattering the fuselage structure in a crash. Apparently the sandwich of glass/foam/glass used throughout the VariEze provides energy absorption, limits the damage to local buckling, and provides good pilot protection. VARIEZE QUESTIONS/ANSWERS We still get an occasional letter asking a question, but without a self-addressed, stamped envelope enclosed. We will assume that if a SASE is not enclosed, the writer does not want his question answered until the next newsletter; so, if you want prompt reply, send the SASE. Questions about availability cost and delivery of items handled by a distributor should be sent directly to them, not RAF. The distributor can process your questions faster if you send them a SASE too. Question - Is any of the material and hardware on page 2 - 1 duplicated on page 2 - 2? Answer - No. If you homebuild the prefab parts you will need to get the materials and hardware separately. Question - By experimenting, I have found that RAEF behaves similar to RAES if it is mixed six to one ratio. Is this o.k.? Answer - No! Never change specified ratios on epoxy. Never do anything contrary to the education section of the plans without getting complete justification. Question - I plan to put a starter, vacuum pump, alternator, complete electrical system, complete IFR instrumentation and lighting in my Eze. Where do I put the ADF antenna? Answer - First of all, we do not recommend that you plan for IFR utility on any homebuilt. Get out your FAR part 91 and see that an experimental airplane can operate "VFR, day only, unless otherwise specifically authorized by the Administrator" (part 91.42). Some local FAA authorities will approve IFR or night capability, but many require specific approval for each flight. The important thing is that FAA can prohibit homebuilt IFR merely by discontinuing the 'specific authorizations', not by having to change a regulation. I feel this will happen the first time a homebuilt has an IFR accident, particularly in a TCA. So, it is foolish to tie up a lot of money in IFR equipment that you may not be able to use. If you must have IFR utility, we recommend you use a type-certified aircraft. Remember, a homebuilt aircraft must be built and flown for "education and recreation only." The current United States rules are the most lenient in the world and were written to accommodate local recreational flying only. I think the best way to keep our rules is to not try to over- extend their intent and to do our recreational flying as safely as possible. Night-flying a high wing-loading single-engine airplane is not considered safe practice. Secondly, you are loading up the wrong airplane. The VariEze has only 67 square feet of wing area and is thus effected much more by weight growth than a Cub or Flybaby, which has twice the wing area. You will be much happier with your VariEze's flying qualities, performance and safety if you operate it as light as possible. The maximum engine weight is 215 lb., which does not allow use of the starter and generator on all of the Continental engines. Basic and accessory weights for all the Continental engines are shown in section IIA. Due to fuel system requirements you cannot use the engine-driven vacuum pump. If you must use a vacuum instrument, you must use a venturi to drive it. Remember, due to the aircraft's small size it is not adaptable to heavy installations. The 215 lb. value is an absolute maximum. The 170 lb, A - 75 is preferred, and was the design point. The A - 75 is probably the best engine for the VariEze. Now, back to your original question, the best place to put the ADF antenna is on a Type-Certified airplane. Question - I am learning aerobatics. What maneuvers and entry speeds do I use for the VariEze? Answer - You are using the wrong airplane. The VariEze was not designed for aerobatics and thus an aerobatic test program has not been done. To clear you for aerobatics, I would have to conduct a complete series of tests including inverted maneuvers, tailslides, 6-turn spins, expansion of structural maneuvers, etc. I do not plan these tests because I have no requirement or intention to clear aerobatics. CP10, Page 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Furthermore, the introduction of an all-composite structure to homebuilding is a big enough step in itself, considering the wide variety in workmanship. It would be unwise to introduce a new-type structure in an aerobatic airplane, particularly one in which inexperienced aerobatic pilots would operate. This is not to infer that an all-composite airplane has no future in aerobatics. I just think it is wise to gain several years experience in a non-aerobatic airplane first. Do not exceed the placards/limitations in the owners manual. If you are considering aerobatics, do them only in an aircraft approved for them. Question - I am a Ham radio operator. Can you set up a frequency and time for Hams to discuss VariEze? Answer - Ivan Whitehouse, Goldendale Wash, reports they are using 3900 khz at 8:30 P.M. Tuesday nights. Question - Is it possible to hit the wingtip on the ground during landing? Answer - Yes. It happened to N4EZ once. I was making an approach to Dalhart Texas on the way to Oshkosh on a gusty afternoon. On short final the airplane had a very large turbulence upset. I recovered to level flight and continued the approach. In the flare for landing I encountered another large gust which drove a wing tip into the ground and gave me a very hard touch down. The landing was quite hard and due to the shock and noise I thought I may have broken the prop or gear. I taxied in and found that both lower winglets had struck the ground. Everything else was o.k. One of the lower winglets had been shortened about 1/2 inch and was split on one side. The other had been ground off about 1/4 inch. Repair was easily done with some 5-minute and a spray can of paint. Question - I have enclosed a sketch showing my solution to hooking up a dual control setup on my VariEze so I can make it easier to check-out my friends. Will it work o.k.? Answer - No. Dual controls for the VariEze are not as simple as just rigging a mechanism to the back seat. First of all, we are concerned that with dual controls many will be attempting to use the airplane as a trainer, checking out people who do not meet the qualifications shown in the Owners Manual. This goes for any homebuilt - get your basic proficiency in Type-Certified training aircraft. Do not risk EAA's safety record by learning flying skills in a homebuilt. A very large percentage of homebuilt accidents can be traced to a lack of basic pilot proficiency. Second, the VariEze's roll rate due to rudder is higher than that due to aileron, thus it is important that the back seat instructor has good rudder control. The back seating is arranged such that the passenger's foot sits flat on the inclined floor, making it difficult to provide good rudder pedal control for a tall instructor. Back seat controls would require a major structural addition to the fuselage and would eliminate one suitcase. When we do provide back seat controls we plan to also incorporate rear wing ailerons to improve the roll flying qualities, since if we're going to complicate the control system that much, we might as well go all the way! The rear wing aileron addition is a very major change that affects wing stiffness and would require extensive flutter qualification. Do not build a VariEze if you require dual controls (with the assumption that they could be worked out). They may not work. Do not ask how the dual development is working out. If it is successful details will be provided immediately. Question - I plan on notching into the wing to make the roll trim tab flush. Is this o.k.? Answer - No. Do not modify the wing. Changing its stiffness would require extensive flutter qualification. Question - On chapter 6 step 9, which fasteners do you prefer? Answer - The AN 525's are highly desired since the precision countersink operation is not required. Performance loss with the external screw heads is less than 1/2-mph speed. Question - I know my VariEze elevons should go trailing-edge-up 27 degrees, but I got something crooked & mine hit the canard at only 25 degrees. Do I have to start over? Answer - No. 27 is preferred, but you can accept as low as 24 degrees. If less than 24 degrees is obtained you will have to adjust CS3. Do not adjust CS2. The position of CS2 relative to the elevon is important to provide the correct stick forces. Question - Can I get a list of those in my city who are building a VariEze? Answer - We don't have a geographic list, but you can find other builders by speaking up at your next local EAA chapter meeting. Question - I understand from an article by Glenn Sievert in the October "Sport Aviation" that Dynel fabric has better flexural strength, but less tensile strength than glass. I have some Dynel left over from another project. Can I substitute it for glass? Answer - No. Mr. Sievert's "comparison" of Dynel and glass tensile strength which shows glass 2.6 times as strong as Dynel is very misleading. He has selected equal cloth weights, but in fact, due to Dynel's thickness and "burlap" consistency, it results in a lamina that is 3.5 times as thick as the 100-gram cloth per ply, and proportionately heavier. In a correct comparison (in lb/square inch tensile strength) the epoxy/glass lamina is over ten times as strong as an epoxy/Dynel lamina. The foam core in his tension sample cannot be assumed to carry its share of the ultimate tensile strength due to the greatly different modulus of elasticity; ie., the foam will not be highly stressed until after lamina failure. His "flexural ultimate" test is not really a test of the lamina flexural strength, because due to his test setup, the compressive allowable stress of the foam core was reached long before approaching tensile/compressive allowables in the lamina. In fact that his .014 thick Dynel lamina spread the foam compression load over a larger area than the .004 thick glass lamina, resulted in a higher foam core buckling load for the Dynel. The Federal Test Method used could be done on a multi-ply lamina of Dynel or glass without the core and would result in the correct values of flexural ultimate for the material in which glass is again over ten times the strength of Dynel. If Dynel were used for the VariEze spar caps the caps would have to be over one-inch thick where the glass caps are only 0.1 inches thick. AMATEUR DESIGNERS Composite structure, as we have said many times, is not adaptable to amateur design practice. The simplified (sometimes eyeball) design methods that have evolved through the years of experience with steel tube, simple wood, and aluminum structure do not exist for composite structures. The structural composite is the baby of all aircraft structures and it will need the years of service experience that the older materials have had to mature before the common practice and "thumb rules" for amateur design evolve. Remember, steel, aluminum, and wood have had 40 to 70 years to mature as aircraft structural materials. Composites have scarcely even flown as primary structures. The best qualified engineers in the field are still arguing among themselves about the design criteria for composites, and if the true experts are still not set on the best approaches, the amateur shouldn't even try. If you aren't a well-qualified structural designer with a good composites background, don't even consider the use of composites in an original design of your own! Unfortunately, a few foolhardy individuals have already attempted to use composite structures in aircraft without adequate knowledge and the results have been catastrophic. In mid-July the prototype of a foam/dynel/epoxy airplane had a catastrophic in-flight structural failure. The impact killed the pilot/designer/builder but fortunately nobody else. The FAA's post crash investigation revealed errors in both design and workmanship that would give a competent composites engineer prematurely gray hair. Specifically, the full depth foam leading edge (about 30% of chord) was not structurally attached to the spar and incapable of transmitting shear loads to the spar. The only thing holding the first 30% of chord to the wing spar was the dynel/epoxy skin, and the skins had been virtually sanded through in pursuit of a nice exterior finish. SHOPPING The following individuals or companies have contacted us indicating that they have Continental engines for sale. We cannot endorse them since we haven't seen the engines, but we are referring you engine hunters to them as a possible source. J.W. Duff Aircraft Co. - all types: A65-0-200 8131 3 40th Denver, Co 80207 (303) 399-6010 Champion Aero Serv. - A65's 801 Airport Rd. Springdale, Ar 72764 (501) 756-1760 Nathan Puffer - 0-200A, 875-hr SMOH 2182 N Payne St Paul, Mn 55117 (612) 776-1145 Wes Winter - new 0-200A 6910 N Stardust Cir. Tucson, Az 85718 (602) 297-4125 Ray Phillips - four runout A-75's/$450 each 291 San Bernabe Dr. Monterey, Ca 93940 Radio Systems Technology now has a build-it-yourself VHF 2-channel (Heath kit style) radio for about $200. Looks like a real good way to keep operating out of your local airport after FAA moves their tower in. Contact them at Box 23233, San Diego, Ca. 92123. George Evans and Bill Campbell now have VariViggen fuel tanks. The photo shows some of the VariViggen metal parts from Bill Campbell (next page). Spraylat is no longer available in small quantities at the address in chapter 22. Contact Cowley for Spraylat. Rich Steck (Eze S/N 662) has made up a handy logbook to serve as a complete diary of the VariEze construction to keep track of your materials and building times. It also helps organize FAA papers, changes and includes a guest register. He will sell you a copy for $3.50. Contact him at 536 16th Ave, N.E., St. Petersburg, Fl 33704. Jerry Trump (VV S/N 313) has new Ford window-lift motors for $47 each, in shipset quantities. Also, LS-806 pulleys for $2.75. Contact him at 322 N Mountain, Monrovia, Ca 91016. Jacket patches are not shown in the RAF product sheet. They are three inches high, three-color and consist of a shield outline with a planview of the airplane. Specify VariEze or VariViggen. They are $1.95 each. I understand that Moorabbin Aircraft Spares, Box 68, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia, has in stock many of the materials and hardware items for you Australian VariViggen builders. Jesse Wright (see distributor's list) has made up a comprehensive list of parts and description with the prefab VariViggen wood parts he sells. Those VariViggen builders who are just now starting construction should send him 50 cents for his list. Prefab parts can save a lot of work. CP10, Page 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIVIGGEN ACTIVITY N27VV made its annual flight to Oshkosh again this summer. The VariViggen prototype has flown to the EAA convention the last 5 years. It has undergone no modifications since the last newsletter. Flying time since newsletter No. 9 was only about 40 hours. No recurrence of last years landing gear problems have been experienced. The 0-320 Lycoming now has about 2000 hours since major, the entire run without problems or unusual maintenance. We did encounter a fuel problem on the way back from Oshkosh. The engine surging during descent that had occasionally been noticed (see newsletter No. 9) started to get worse. When the fuel starvation started to occur in level flight we knew something was wrong! Closer inspection revealed that the fuel screen in the gascolater was clogged with a green substance that appears to be the sloshing compound used in the fuel tank. There had been no breakdown of the sloshing compound (an approved zinc chromate type) over the previous 4 years. The airplane has just recently started to use 100LL fuel occasionally, so possibly a compatibility problem exists. We don't really know, but we are sure going to check our fuel filters more often. After cleaning the screen there has been no recurrence of the surging, even in steep descents. About 15 of those building the VariViggen got rides this year at Oshkosh. VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES S.P. WING PLANS Note caution on epoxy exotherm discussed in the VariEze section of this newsletter. Page 27- 1.75 dimension should be 3.5. Plans pg 5 AN4-21A (18) should be AN4-22A (46) Plans pg 26 AN4-21A should be AN4-22A. Plans pg 42 Some builders have found that RB2 interferes with WS30. Before drilling in RB3 check this and move inboard if required. Plans pg 53 The wiring diagram results in the three green lights going off when there is weight on the gear (squat switch) (Harold Reiss I owe you a Coke!) While this is not standard practice it is actually a good system since the squat switch is checked on each flight and the "three green" indication on the ground can be checked by flipping the "squat-override" switch. Harold Reiss (s/n 267) Harold has finished everything but the outboard wings and canopy. He is using composite wings and rudders. He suggests stiffening the V2 channel when using the composite rudders, since they do not use full- span hinges and some local flexing can occur. Refer to the accompanying sketch. **SKETCH OMITTED** VARIVIGGEN PROJECT REPORTS Jim Cavis (s/n 31) The two photos show (1) the front half of the two piece canopy. Sure gives his Viggen a better look than N27VV. (2) Jim's standard wing using composite construction. Note the shorter aileron span. The aileron will be balanced similar to those on the S.P. wing. If this configuration works, Jim plans to provide construction details in the second part of the construction manual, which may be available sometime this winter. By the way, Part 1 of the VariViggen Construction Manual was inadvertently omitted from the product sheet included in this newsletter. It is available from RAF at $18.50 ($20.50 overseas). Maybe we can get Jim to also show construction details on that pretty 2-piece canopy. **PHOTOS OMITTED** Charles Allen (s/n 27) Charles moved the main gear retraction motor assembly forward 5 inches to provide better cable access (as suggested in newsletter No. 7). He built a new bulkhead in front of F152 and tied it into the WR12 ribs with gussets. The photo shows the installation of the motor gears and extra pulleys. He plans to provide turnbuckle access through an inspection door on the bottom skin. He used Boston chain on the nose gear and used the NG1 spool as an idler to adjust cable slack. **PHOTO OMITTED** Jack Rosen (s/n 402) Jack has eliminated the gears on the nose gear system by a two-stage #25 Boston chain drive. The upper sprocket mounts on the AN5 bolt through the belcrank bearing shown on the plans. The upper and center axles mount to a reinforcing plate on F31 that consists of 1/4 inch ply and 1/8 inch aluminum. The 5/16 inch belcrank bearing on the center pivot is adjustable to adjust both chains. Boston sprocket numbers are shown on the photo. **PHOTO OMITTED** Harold Reiss' instrument panel layout. **PHOTO OMITTED** Metal parts from Bill Campbell (see shopping) **PHOTO OMITTED** CP10, Page 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Design ultimate load on VECS 3 and attachment. The static load produced no failure, so we tried a dynamic test load. VECS3 shows no indication of loosening after 5 or 6 good bashes, so we tried wrenching it out with pliers, and failed CS3 first. Static load testing the winglet to wing joint. Phil Testa receiving the first set of EZE plans on June 26. Phil Testa's EZE project in early September! T. Bailey, (EZ S/N 138) constructed the handy roll-around unit for building his EZ shown in the photo. Note the handy storage and valves for easy dispensing and the electric drill for mixing. What'a ya mean, your EZE is shinier than mine? Static loading a production gear leg. Oshkosh workshop. Sometimes it was hard to get your questions answered. 3:40-3:00-5 tire mounted on the Cleveland 5" wheel. Comparing the 4:10-3:50-5 and 3:40-3:00-5. This bizarre contraption is the roving impregnating machine designed and built by Fred Jiran for VariEze landing gear production. No Martian. One of Fred's troops cleaning up a main gear leg before delivery. CP10, Page 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The following information has been distributed to all FAA offices responsible for homebuilt inspections and to those foreign inspecting authorities requesting it: AMATEUR-BUILT VARIEZE INSPECTION CRITERIA 1.0 Scope This document has been prepared to assist inspection personnel by providing recommended acceptance criteria and acceptable repair practices for the VariEze amateur-built composite sandwich structure. 2.0 Background Information 2.1 Design Criteria The materials, methods, and practices employed by the amateur builder in the construction of the VariEze type are new to light aircraft construction and may be unfamiliar to the inspection personnel involved with the licensing of amateur-built aircraft. Structural design criteria for the VariEze exceed F.A.R. part 23 requirements. In-house component testing of the primary flight structure has been conducted to 200% of design limits. Detail documentation of test data is on file at Rutan Aircraft Factory. The aircraft is considered to be a utility category aircraft. VariEze builders are being supplied with a complete owner's manual which specifies all placards, operating limitations, normal & emergency operations, flying qualities, maintenance specifications, inspection procedures, & initial flight test procedures. 2.2 Structural Approach The basic structure throughout the design is a composite sandwich of load bearing fiberglass skins separated by a light-weight foam core. While the materials and processes are tailored to the amateur builder, the structural layout is very similar to the honeycomb composite structures utilized in military and transport type aircraft and fiberglass sailplanes. Loads are carried by Epoxy/"E"-type fiberglass lamina. Foams of various types and densities are employed as a form (upon which the load bearing material is shaped) and as local buckling support. In no instance are foams used to transmit primary loads, as is the case in some other amateur-built designs. 2.3 Inspection Techniques The transparent nature of the fiberglass/epoxy material allows for visual inspection of primary structure from the outside prior to finishing. Defects in the structure, as described in paragraph 3.0, are readily visible even in the deepest laminate. 2.4 Inspection Sequencing The external visual inspection capability provided by the materials allow inspection of all primary structures at any point before finishing. All primary structures are at the surface, eliminating the requirement for "pre-cover" or "closure" inspections. Opaque filler materials are used throughout the airplane in finishing. and inspection must take place before any areas are obscured. Some areas may have opaque materials applied to one surface where the structure is inspectable from the opposite side (wing trailing edge for example). 3.0 Defects 3.1 Voids Interlaminar voids in a new layup may be due to small air bubbles trapped between plies during the layup. These void areas look white and are distinctly visible even deep in a cured layup. Interlaminary voids up to 1 inch in diameter do not require repair, as long as they do not consist of more than 5% of the surface area. Interlaminar voids (air bubbles) up to 2 inches in diameter are acceptable when repaired as follows: A small hole is drilled into the void and epoxy is injected into the void area. Small voids such as this may occupy up to 5% of the laminate surface area. Voids greater than 2 inches in diameter should be repaired as shown in paragraph 4. 3.2 Lean Areas Areas where the epoxy/glass matrix is incomplete because of inadequate wetting of the cloth with epoxy (lean areas) are speckled whitish in appearance. The fully wetted laminate will have a consistent transparent greenish appearance. Epoxy lean areas are acceptable, as long as the white speckled area is less than 10% of the surface area. White-to-green ratios greater than 10% require rejection or repair as shown in paragraph 4. 3.3 Rich Areas Resin richness primarily adds weight to the laminate. While some degradation of physical properties does occur, a overly wet (rich) layup is not grounds for rejection. 3.4 Inclusions Bristle paint brushes are used throughout the layup process. As a brush begins to deteriorate it will shed some bristles into the laminate. The bristle inclusions, up to 20 bristles per square foot, are not cause for rejection. Occasional inclusion of small woodchips or other small foreign objects is not grounds for rejection. 3.5 Fiber disruption In all instances, it is good practice to have the glass fibers lying flat and without wrinkles. Major wrinkles or bumps along more than 2 inches of chord are cause for rejection in the wings, canard, and winglets, particularly on the upper surfaces (compression side). Disruptions greater than 2 inches require repairs per paragraph 4. **SKETCHES OMITTED** 3.6 Finishing Damage Damage to the external structure by sanding in preparation for surface fill and paint can occur. Occasional sanding through the weave of the first skin ply is not grounds for rejection. Sanding through areas greater than 2 inches in diameter completely through the first ply or any damage to interior plies must be repaired in accordance with paragraph 4. A damp rag passed over the sanded surface will make the plies show up to determine how many plies have been sanded away. 3.7 Service Damage Damage to the glass structure will be evidenced by cracked paint, or "brooming" of glass fibers. Both of these indicators are clearly visible. If either type of indication is present the paint and filler should be sanded away, bare laminate inspected, and repairs made per paragraph 4 as required. Where surface damage has occurred it is also likely that local foam crushing has been inflicted. 3.8 Delaminations Delamination of glass/epoxy lap joints is evidenced by physical separation of plies. These defects are easily visible and easily repaired. The leading and trailing edges of flying surfaces (wing, canard, winglets) should be free of delaminations. 3.9 Multiple Defects Where multiple types of small defects occur in a laminate (voids, fiber dislocations, and lean areas for example). They should not exceed a total of 10% of the surface area of the laminate, or 20% of the wing chord at any one spanwise position. 4.0 Repairs There are seldom single defects so massive that a major component must be scrapped. The repair procedures described here may be applied throughout the VariEze and VariViggen SP composite sandwich structures. 4.1 Small Void Repairs Voids up to 2 inches in diameter may be repaired by drilling a small hole into the void and injecting the void full of epoxy. A vent hole opposite the injection point is required to allow air to escape. 4.2 Large Defects Excessively large voids, lean areas, finishing damage, fiber disruptions, major fiber wrinkles, or service damage may be repaired using this procedure. Remove the rejected or damaged area by sanding or grinding and taper the glass laminate on a slope of approximately 2 1/2 cm per ply in all directions. The plies are visible as the sanding is done. The tapered glass edges and surrounding two inches of glass surface must be sanded completely dull. Damaged underlying foam should be removed and the void filled with a dry microsphere/epoxy mixture or a replacement foam piece. The damaged area is then laminated over using the same type and orientation of glass plies removed, each ply lapping onto the undamaged glass at least one inch. The whole repair area is covered with an additional bidirectional glass ply. **SKETCHES OMITTED** 4.3 Delaminations A delaminated joint should be spread, the mating surfaces sanded dull, gap filled with flox (epoxy/flocked cotton mixture), then clamped shut while it cures. 5.0 Materials Since a wide range of similar appearing materials exists which exhibit substantial differences in physical (structural) properties, Rutan Aircraft Factory has established a distribution system to provide the amateur builder with proven acceptable materials. RAF strongly discourages the substitution of materials. Homebuilder substitutions for the basic structural materials constitutes major structural modification to the VariEze design, and could adversely effect flight safety. 6.0 Applicability These acceptance criteria are different from and, in some cases, much looser than for similar structures found in sailplanes and other contemporary composite structures. These criteria apply only to the VariEze and VariViggen structures. Design safety factors in excess of three enable somewhat relaxed acceptability criteria compared to other similar structures. CP10, Page 14 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIEZE SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIEZE TWO-PLACE SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED THE STORY For the last 12 months, we have refrained from promotional activities and marketing on the VariEze to concentrate totally on its development and setting up materials and components distribution. In this short time, we have 1. flown a full 350 flight-hour test program on two prototypes, one Continental and one VW-powered, 2. completed full structural qualification testing, 3. prepared a manual for the amateur builder to educate him in the structural materials and to guide him through construction, 4. set up a materials distribution system through established, competent distributors. THE TEST PROGRAM The VariEze test program was probably the most extensive and successful ever conducted on a homebuilt. It included basic flight tests for flying qualities, performance and systems, spin and dive tests to FAR part 23 requirements, static load tests and landing gear drop tests exceeding part 23 criteria, environmental/thermal tests on structural materials/components, manufacturing methods testing, and many others. THE RESULTS The VariEze has superb flying qualities for its primary mission - comfortable travel. It has excellent hands-off stability even in turbulence. It is unusually safe at low speeds, can be flown with full aft stick (47 kt) without being susceptible to departure or spin, regardless of attitude or power. Performance is also superb - cruise up to 200 mph and climb up to 1700 fpm at gross weight with the larger engines. THE MISSION: PRACTICAL UTILITY Although quite compact outside, the VariEze provides unusual comfort for up to 6-ft, 7-in, 210-lb pilots and 6-ft, 5-in, 220-lb passengers, plus two medium-size suitcases and four small baggage areas. The 24- gallon fuel load allows up to 1000-mile range at economy cruise. High altitude climb is excellent, for flying over turbulence, mountain ranges, and for satisfactory high-density altitude take offs. THE DESIGN The VariEze uses the latest aerodynamic features: NASA winglets, both wings cruise at best L/D, basic arrangement provides stall safety, stiff structure provides accurate contour maintenance, basic systems design eliminates or combines complex control systems, which saves weight, cost and building time while increasing reliability and lowering maintenance. THE STRUCTURE New composite sandwich structure offers the following advantages over conventional wood or metal: less construction time requiring less skills, improved corrosion resistance, longer life, improved contour stability, better surface durability, dramatic reduction in hardware and number of parts, easier to inspect and repair. THE HOMEBUILDER SUPPORT The manufacturing manual is a literal education in using the materials and is a detailed step-by-step guide to construction using an illustrated format not common in aircraft plans. The Rutan newsletter, "The Canard Pusher," published since mid 1974, updates plans, provides building hints, etc. Complete owners manual provides all necessary information for safe initial testing and for normal and emergency operations. Construction seminars are provided at RAF and elsewhere. THE AVAILABLE HOMEBUILT Established, competent distributors have stocked materials and components before the aircraft was marketed. All raw materials are now available plus many prefabricated items including canopy, landing gear, wing quick-disconnect fittings, cowling, all machined items, rudder pedals, engine mounts, suitcases and upholstery. If you choose to purchase all prefab parts, you can build your VariEze in about 500 man- hours - really! VariEze documentation is available in five sections. SECTION I - MANUFACTURING MANUAL - This is the complete education manual for composite materials and methods, also, the complete plans and construction manual for the entire VariEze except engine installation. The manual consists of a 153-page, bound, 11"x17" book plus nine larger full-size drawings. It includes 168 photos, over 800 drawings and illustrations, and over 65,000 words! The builder is led, step-by-step through the entire construction of the airplane. The manual identifies sources for all materials and all prefabricated components. SECTION II - ENGINE INSTALLATION - This is a set of drawings and construction manual for the complete engine installation including mount, baffles, instrumentation, electricals, fuel, exhaust and induction systems, carb heat box and muff, cowling installation, prop and spinner. SECTION IIA - Continental A65, A75, C85, C90, 0-200 SECTION IIB - VW engines (avail. Oct '76) SECTION III - ELECTRICAL - This is an optional (not required) set of drawings and installation instructions for electrical system, avionics, landing and position lights, antennas, starter. Avail Sept. 76 SECTION IV - OWNERS MANUAL - This is an operational handbook and checklists, including normal and emergency operation, detailed flying qualities and performance charts, maintenance, maiden flight procedure, pilot checkout, etc. SECTION V - FINISHING THE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT - Applies not only to a VariEze, but to other epoxy/composite aircraft. Includes filling/contouring/priming/U.V. barrier/color and trim. Avail Sept 76 Specs & performance with 100-hp Continental.fixed-pitch prop.@ gross weight Take Off 800 ft Climb 1700 fpm Max Cruise 200 mph Econ Cruise 165 mph Range @ Max Cruise 720 mi Range @ Econ Cruise 980 mi Min Speed (full aft stick) 49 kt Landing 900 ft Canard Span/Area 12.5'/13 square feet Wing Span/Area 22.2'/53.6 square feet Empty Weight 520 lb Gross Weight 1050 lb Specs & performance with 75-hp Continental Take Off 950 ft Climb 950 fpm Max Cruise 178 mph Econ Cruise 145 mph Empty Weight 490 lb Gross Weight 950 lb Price, including Check items desired: First class mail Air mail U S and Canada Overseas* VariEze info kit, includes current issue of "Canard $5.00 $6.00 Pusher" newsletter "Canard Pusher' newsletter, published quarterly. One- $4.75 $6.50 year subscription Section I $94.00 $108.00 Section IIA or $19.00 $21.00 Section IIB Section III $8.00 $9.50 Section IV $8.00 $9.50 Section V $7.00 $8.00 Calif. residence add 6% tax on all items except newsletter * U.S. funds only CP10, Page 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIVIGGEN SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIVIGGEN TWO + TWO SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED** Performance with Take off 850 ft 150-hp, fixed- Climb 800 fpm pitch prop, gross Cruise 150 mph weight. Full Aft stick 49 mph Standard VariViggen Landing 500 ft Performance with 150-hp. Climb 1000 fpm Special Performance Wings Cruise 158 mph Specifications Canard Span/Area 8 ft/18.3 square feet Standard VariViggen Wing Span/Area 19 ft/119 square feet Empty Weight 950 lb Gross Weight 1700 lb Specifications Wing Span/Area 23.7 ft/125 square feet Special Performance Wing Gross Weight 1700 lb PROVEN DESIGN Complete flight test program completed; 600 hours on prototype with very little maintenance. Won the Stan Dzik trophy for design contribution, Oshkosh '72. STALL/SPIN SAFETY The VariViggen's safe flying qualities have been the subject of technical presentations for EAA, SAE, AOPA, & AIAA. It will not stall or "mush in" like the common delta. At full aft stick (43 kts) it will still climb 500 fpm, roll over 50 degrees per second without rudder co- ordination, and make buffet-free turns. The prototype received the Omni Aviation safety trophy at Oshkosh '73, and the outstanding new design award at Oshkosh '74. EXCELLENT UTILITY Comfortable tandem cockpits, three-suitcase baggage area, and an adequate cruise speed provide unusual utility for a homebuilt airplane. Its unusual design turns routine travel into "fun trips." Gas service and other airport services have been better, too! Take it home; it's road-towable with outer panels removed. UNCOMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION The basic structure requires few special tools and can be built in a simple jig. The few parts that have double-curvature are available in fiberglass, ready to install. All machined parts are also available, as well as other prefab parts. EASY TO FLY Despite its unique appearance, the VariViggen has no unusual or pilot- demanding flight characteristics. It is easier to handle than conventional aircraft, particularly in gusty crosswind conditions. VARIVIGGEN TECHNICAL REPORT - Complete tech report describing the VariViggen two-place sportplane. Includes specifications, pilot report, dimensions, 3-view, stability and performance flight test data, construction cost, description of car-top wind tunnel, 8"x10" glossy photo and current issue of newsletter. Price: $10.00 first class mail, $11.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN OWNERS MANUAL - Complete operational handbook including normal and emergency procedures, loading, operational record keeping. This manual is a must for those close to first flight. Price: $6.00 first class mail, $7.50 air mail overseas. "CANARD PUSHER" SUBSCRIPTION - A newsletter designed with the builder in mind. Emphasis on distributing to all builders as many ideas, improvements, building tips, photographs, & flight reports as possible. Details mandatory, desirable, & optional changes to plans & to owners manual. A newsletter subscription and all back issues are mandatory for those with VariViggens under construction. Identifies new material sources as they become known. Published quarterly. Price: $4.75 per year first class mail, $6.50 air mail overseas. Back issues: $1.00 each VARIVIGGEN PLANS - NASAD approved in "AA" category. Sixty-one sheets, completely detailed. Also included are builder's handbook information, step-by-step construction guide, complete bill of materials, flight operating limitations, parts lists. Section breakdown: 1. Introduction, 2. Operating Limitations, 3. Bill of Materials, 4. External Geometry (Lofting), 5. Building Tips, 6. Construction Order & Methods, 7. Canard & Elevator, 8. Fuselage, 9. Inboard Wing, 10. Verticals & Rudders, 11. Outboard Wings, 12. Cockpit & Seats, 13. Canopies, 14. Flight Control System, 15. Fuel System, 16. Angle-of- Attack System, 17. Engine Mount, 18. Cooling & Cowling, 19. Landing Gear, 20. Gear Doors, 21. Electrical System, 22. Parts List. Also included are the tech report & photo described. Price: $53.00 first class mail, $59.00 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE (SP) WING/RUDDER PLANS - Construction drawings and assembly manual for glass composite outer wing panels and rudders. These are optional wings, replacing the aluminum surfaces shown in the VariViggen plans. The SP wings are easier to build and provide increased climb and cruise performance. They also have fuel tanks which increase range to over 600 miles. Price: $39.50 first class mail, $41.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN R/C MODEL PLANS - Complete construction plans for the 18%- size radio-controlled model airplane built & flown to evaluate VariViggen spin characteristics. Designed for 4-channel proportional radio equipment & engine in the .35 to .65-cu. inch size. 555-sq inch wing area. All balsa or foam/balsa construction. A maneuverable flying model with outstanding roll rate. Also shown are modifications required for a control-line model (70-ft lines, .19 to .45-cu inch engines). Price: $4.75 first class mail, $5.50 air mail overseas. CP10, Page 16 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The following are RAF-authorized distributors of materials and components. Items indicated have been developed under RAF approval and are recommended for VariViggen or VariEze aircraft. Contact the distributors at the address shown for his catalog and description of items. Indicate to him that you are a VariViggen or VariEze builder. AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY CO. WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY 201 W. Truslow Ave. 1100 5th Street Box 424 OR Highland, Il. 62249 Fullerton, Ca. 92632 (618) 654-2191 (714) 870-7551 Catalog cost $2 - Refundable at first order. VariEze materials: epoxies, foams, fiberglass, filler materials, wood, metals, all hardware, specialized tools, skin barrier cream, seat belt/shoulder harness sets, wheels & brakes & custom upholstery/suitcases. VariViggen materials: spruce kit, plywood kit, hardware, aluminum & fiberglass. KEN BROCK MANUFACTURING Catalog cost $1 - Refundable at 11852 Western Ave. first purchase. Stanton, Ca. 96080 (714) 898-4366 VariEze prefabricated components: wing attach/quick disconnect assemblies, nose gear machined parts, control system components, fuel cap assemblies, welded engine mounts, welded stick assembly, welded rudder pedals, wheels & brakes. VariViggen prefabricated components: all machined parts. FRED JIRAN GLIDER REPAIR Write for brochure. Building 6, Mojave Airport Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-4558 VariEze prefabricated components: Molded S-glass main gear and nose gear struts, nose gear strut cover, nose gear box. COWLEY ENTERPRISES Write for brochure. P.O. Box 14 Santa Paula, Ca. 93060 (805) 525-5829 VariEze plexiglass canopy - Light bronze tint or clear. H. C. COMMUNICATIONS Write for brochure. Box 2047 Canoga Park, Ca. 91306 VariEze and VariViggen custom COM & NAV VHF antennas. MONNETT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, INC. Ask about VariViggen parts. 955 Grace St. Elgin, Il. 60120 (312) 741-2223 VariEze - None VariViggen - All molded fiberglass parts GOUGEON BROTHERS Write for brochure. 706 Martin St. Bay City, Mi. 48706 VariEze - None VariViggen - 105/206 epoxy and 403 fibers for wood construction. GEORGE EVANS Contact him for list 4102 Twining Riverside, Ca. 92509 VariEze - None VariViggen - welded nose and main landing gear, 1-1/4" sq. steel tube. BILL CAMPBELL (VariViggen builder) Contact him for list. Box 253 Phelan, Ca. 92371 VariEze - None VariViggen - Prefab brackets and fittings. JESSE WRIGHT Contact him for list. 7221 S. Colorado Ct. Littleton, Co. 80122 VariEze - none VariViggen - prefab wood parts. CP10, Page 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER No 11 Jan 77 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE PROGRAMS (very vig-in) (very easy) NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/yr OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.50/yr BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport JAN, APL, JLY, OCT PO Box 656, Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-2645 RAF ACTIVITY Since October has been concentrated in several areas. All remaining sections of the VariEze plans were completed and backorders filled. We brought N4EZ (0-200-powered VariEze) into the shop for the first time since it was built and made some modifications. The plan's-configuration, manual nosegear system was installed (it had earlier been tested on N7EZ), the stiffer main gear was installed, a new fuel system incorporated, a landing airbrake fitted, and Cleveland main wheels were installed. All those modifications have been flight tested with very satisfactory results. The landing brake makes the airplane easier to land and makes short runways more acceptable. We found that we had been using an incorrect combination of Gerdes brake cylinders and Rosenhan brakes. Rosenhan brakes have a smaller cylinder and must be used with Rosenhan master cylinders (1/2-inch cylinder dia.) for good brake effectiveness. The original main landing gear strut on N4EZ was a wider tread and was more flexible, which allowed the airplane to ride quite low with reduced wingtip clearance. The strut was redesigned back in May before drop tests and before Jiran produced the homebuilt gears. The new gear, now installed on N4EZ, raises the airplane about four inches in the back, improving wingtip clearance without compromising taxi handling. Recent flight tests with N4EZ have included more stall tests to evaluate any effects due to the landing brake, and ?????? to several small airports to evaluate runway requirements. There were several things about the VariEze fuel system we were not completely satisfied with: first, the need for a pump to backup the normal operation of the header tank; second, the possibility of foaming the fuel in the vibrating header tank mounted on the engine; and third, the inaccurate indication of the last few usable gallons of fuel. The new system, which is detailed in this newsletter, solves all these problems and increases effective fuel head to the carburetor, since the header tank is removed. The only disadvantage of the new system is that Burt Rutan is now stuck with several hundred header tanks and fuel valves. Some of our time has also been spent on further design work of the NASA AD-1, a small, all composite (foam and glass) research aircraft, using the skewed-wing concept. The AD-1 is a 15%-size manned, flying model of a Boeing-designed transonic airliner. **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** New landing airbrake on N4EZ Cleveland Brake Installation on N4EZ - It probably would be a good idea to rotate the brake up a little higher than this to allow clearance with a flat tire. The VariEze construction seminars have been very successful. Since October we have conducted ten seminars around the world with over 2000 people attending! Hopefully those 2000 will share their experiences with others and the need for long-distance education will begin to taper off. We plan to conduct only four additional seminars, the dates and contacts follow. If you are building or going to build a VariEze, be sure to attend one. February 5 Snohomish, Washington Contact: G. Carter Miller 4912 Senic Terrace Yakima, Wa. 98908 February 18 and 19 Denver, Colorado Contact: Bill Cassidy 4652 Montview Blvd. Denver, Co. 80207 March 27 Anderson, Indiana Contact: Mike Melvill P.O. Box 561 Frankton, In. 46044 April 2 St. Paul, Minnesota Contact: George B. Wilson 2924 108th Lane NW Coon Rapids, Mn 55433 Please contact the people organizing each seminar a week or two in advance of the seminar date. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. They will send you a flyer describing the seminar. The seminars held this fall had two to three times as many people attend, as had contacted the organizers! The more the better but it helps to know that you're coming! N27VV, the VariViggen prototype, has done a little local flying and attended the Chapter 49 Fly-In breakfast but that is all. N7EZ is still dormant but will be prepared for some serious distance record attempts. Its distance capability in class C-1A is about 3300 miles. Every day we get a few calls asking if any homebuilders are flying yet. The answer is no, not yet, but soon. The Wicks Organ Company airplane, the Cowley's airplane, and half-a-dozen other builders may fly before this newsletter reaches you. It looks like Oshkosh 77 may be a big year for the VariEze. The coming two or three months should see the first flights of a couple of VariViggens as well. CP11, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWSLETTER BACK ISSUES For those of your who are new readers of the "Canard Pusher" and wonder what has transpired in the past, there are now a grand total of eleven issues in print. The first six are concerned with the VariViggen exclusively. Issues seven through eleven contain VariEze and VariViggen information. If you are going to build a VariViggen you will need all eleven issues to update your plans. If you are a VariEze builder you need this issue (#11) and the October 1976 issue (#10) for plans update. If you have very recently purchased plans (after February 1, 1977) a yellow sheet of changes may be bound into your manufacturing manual. If you have the yellow change sheet included, you only need newsletter #11 and on, to keep your plans current. If you sell your plans to someone else, please pass this information along with the plans. FOREIGN BUILDERS A package of VariEze engineering documentation has been mailed to the regulating governmental agencies of the countries listed below as an aid to homebuilders seeking permission to build. If your country is not listed and documentation is required to obtain permission to build the VariEze, have the cognizant office in your equivalent to our F.A.A. contact us on their stationery requesting a copy. Documentation has already been sent to the following nations. Australia Canada Republic of South Africa West Germany (BRD) Belgium Great Britain Iceland France VARIEZE LANDING BRAKE SUCCESSFUL A drag device has been developed on N4EZ to improve its previously poor short-field performance. The landing drag device was developed because the VariEze had to be approached at a low flight-path angle and used excessive runway in the flare due to its slow deceleration. The landing brake is not a speed brake for high speed deceleration. It automatically closes above ninty-five knots to prevent overstress. As you can see in the photo, it is a very large belly-board positioned to avoid any pitch trim change. It hinges at a position just aft of the front seat bulkhead. A spring snubs it up in the closed position and provides sufficient down load in the open position that the pilot can deploy the brake with only a ten-pound force on the handle. The landing brake handle is located on the left console. The handle is immediately aft of the throttle with the speed brake closed and moves up and aft to open. In the open position the handle interferes with the pilot's arm enough to remind him that it's down, so he doesn't forget it for takeoff. Climb performance is adequate with it down, but engine cooling would suffer. There are no locks on the handle. The pilot merely moves the handle and the brake remains in the selected position (open or closed). Now for the good news. The landing brake makes a dramatic improvement in the airplanes landing performance. Approach angles as high as seven and one-half degrees are possible with the engine at idle (about like a Cessna 150 with one-half flaps). Forward visibility is improved because the approach can be flown faster (eighty to eighty-five knots) without severely compromising landing distance. Speed bleed-off in the flare is relatively rapid, similar to most lightplanes. Touch down scatter is considerably less than without the brake. Thus, it is much easier to "put it down on the numbers." VariEzes were previously restricted to runways greater than 2400 feet. The landing brake allows a pilot with appropriate proficiency to routinely use airports with runways less than 1800 feet. The speed brake results in a mild buffet, similar to that with full flaps in some other lightplanes. There is no pitch, roll, or yaw trim due to brake deployment. Other than the noticeable buffet, the stall characteristics are not changed. The airplane is easier to fly the approach and to land with the speed brake deployed. While the brake does improve the short field performance we still strongly recommend that you adhere to the field length restrictions in the owner's manual for your initial testing. We are planning to prepare drawings for the speed brake and should have them completed before newsletter twelve. If you want to install a landing brake in your VariEze do not change anything in Section I. The brake is just as easy to install as a retrofit, as it is during initial construction. Please do not ask for the drawings before newsletter twelve; they will be available at that time. VARIEZE PROPELLER EXTENSIONS Now that Section IIA is out, we have received a number of requests for a recommended source of prop extensions. Suitable extensions are available from Ken Brock Manufacturing, Ted's Custom Props (9917 Airport Way, Snohomish, Wa. 98290), and Bill Cassidy (4652 Montview Blvd., Denver, Co. 80207). Contact them for details. We mentioned earlier that we had used the standard Cessna 150 extension. We understand that Cessna has a newer extension out now and that it isn't suitable for a wooden prop. A wooden prop must be very accurately centered using a centering hole in the prop which mates with a centering boss on the extension or engine drive flange. The drive lugs and mounting bolts are not suitable for centering the prop. The newer Cessna extensions may also be short on surface area against the prop hub for use with wood props. We modified the older Cessna extension by adding a centering boss to it. If you have any questions about using an extension, call your prop manufacturer for his opinion. The insert that we used to adapt the older solid type of Cessna extension looks like this: **SKETCHES OMITTED** This adaption is for a flanged crankshaft. Anyone using a tapered shaft (S.A.E.O) should specify this when ordering an extension, since these engines require a different part. VARIEZE ENGINES The Continental 0-200A installed in N4EZ has 200 hours on it now and the crankshaft end-play measures exactly what it did on installation (.0105). We continue to believe that there will be no problem with the A-model engine installed on the VariEze. The total maintenance to date on the 0-200 has been an oil change each fifty hours. Two engines under consideration for an eventual Section IIC are being installed in VariEze airframes now. One builder is working on a stripped Lycoming 0-235 installation and another group has a Honda Civic installation ready for initial testing. No data is yet available on the success of either installation but we are hopeful of good results from one or both within the year. Let's hope that both of these groups have the resources to pursue their projects to a successful completion, but please don't bug us with requests for advance information on their progress! We understand that the Revmaster folks are continuing their development work on a good VW installation for the VariEze but we haven't heard from them lately. CP11, Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE CONSTRUCTION HINTS Every time we turn around it seems like we discover a little better, faster, or easier way to build a VariEze. The hints in this section are a collection from our seminars and from the inputs you builders have made. Some of the information is new and some is clarification of items people seem to have trouble with. Basic Glass Working Techniques Paint Roller - Tracy Saylor has suggested using a thin paint roller, cut to a three inch width to help wet out the cloth. We've been using one and are pleased with the results. Do not dip the roller in epoxy; use your brush to apply epoxy to the general area where required, then use the roller to wet out the cloth and distribute the epoxy evenly over the surface. The three-inch roller width is great for working down in the canard spar trough and other tight spots. Rollers can be cleaned in acetone or M.E.K. a time or two before you throw them away. Bristle Stipple Roller - The giant pipe cleaner supplied by Aircraft Spruce and Wicks is a stipple roller. Those of you who haven't figured out how to use it on your own can look at the cartoon "wetin' it out" on page 3-17 and on page 18-2 in the photos. You build your own handle from some aluminum or steel sheet scraps. Dry Lay-Ups - The finished parts that we have seen at seminars have generally been very good. The general tendency, however, has been to make parts a little dry. You guys are taking our emphasis on stippling and "not wet" a bit too zealously. Be sure your lay-ups are not too dry (with small white flecks of unwetted glass visible). When you think you are finished with a lay up, DON'T QUIT. Take your portable light and very carefully inspect the lay-up while it's still wet. A cured lay-up that is too dry must be rejected. Also, before you leave a lay-up to let it cure, get a second opinion. Have the wife come out and inspect it while it's still wet and fixable. The structural quality control criteria in section I, section V, and newsletter 10 are maximum allowable defects. Anything worse and the part must be repaired or rejected. Your structural parts in general should be much better than these criteria. Do not assume that the plans do all your thinking for you. Check all sections, photos, drawings, etc., on each step. Be sure you have no bumps, depressions, or joggles on the surfaces in a spanwise direction on all structural parts. We have been informed of two instances where epoxy has been found to be too viscous - one or two bottles in a given shipment being more viscous than the others. If your epoxy is thick like honey, return it to the distributor for replacement. Also, if any separation occurs in your hardener, shake well and warm the bottle (80 degrees); if any settling still occurs, return the hardener for replacement. Lighting - We've found that the source of many problems has been poor lighting in the shop area. If you can't see well you can't do good work. A lot of generally well done parts have bubbles, dry areas, or wrinkles just because the builder didn't have good enough light to see them! Flox Corners - Paint a light coat of pure epoxy inside before troweling in the flox. This improves the bond of the flox with the dry glass. Slurry - Don't be skimpy with the micro slurry over foam before you lay up glass. An incompletely slurried foam surface will allow little pockets of air to remain between the first ply of glass and the foam. The porous glass/foam interface can result in a premature breakdown of the foam-to-glass bond, and reduced surface durability. This is particularly important with urethane foam. Micro Fills - If you fill a foam ding or nail hole with dry micro before laying glass over the surface, the micro will be soft during the lay-up and hard stippling will push the dry micro out of position. Avoid stippling ambitiously directly over a fresh micro fill with your brush. The paint roller is useful in these areas because it will bridge across the fill area and help wet the cloth without disturbing the micro. Shop Temperature - In Section I we gave a maximum temperature range for glass laminating of sixty-five to ninty-five degrees Fahrenheit. The desirable shop temperature is about seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. It's winter and a lot of you are trying to work at the minimum temperature of sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. A major lay-up done at sixty-five degrees can take nearly twice as long to do as it does at seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, because of the additional stippling time required to wet out the cloth. "Peel Ply" - The bulk of sanding on cured glass surfaces in preparation for glass-to-glass bonding can be avoided by using a "peel" ply. A peel ply is a layer of dacron fabric which is laminated into a lay-up as though it were simply an extra ply of glass. The peel coat wets out with epoxy just like the glass cloth does and cures along with the rest of the lay-up. The dacron peel ply doesn't adhere structurally to the glass and can be peeled away from the cured glass very easily (about like masking tape). The removal of the peel ply leaves a surface which is ready for glass-to-glass bonding without sanding. Here's an example of how to use the peel ply: in Chapter eight, Step six, lay up the top side pads, sparcap, and shear web just as the instructions on page 8-6 describe, then laminate one ply of dacron cloth over the front and back faces (shear web) of the spar. Let the assembly cure. When you are ready to lay up the bottom side, simply peel the dacron ply off on the fore and aft faces, leaving a surface which is ready for bonding. The peel ply is never left in the finished part; it is always removed as preparation for the next lay-up. The peel ply can be used handily on the canard shear-web, leading and trailing edge glass lap joints of all aerofoil surfaces, wing shear web, center section spar, and wing tip/winglet root skins. The material for use as peel ply is 2.7 ounce/yard dacron polyester fabric. Both Wicks and Aircraft Spruce have the material or you may find Stits Polyfiber D-103 available at your local aircraft recovering shop. The dacron material is available in yardage and in conveniently-sized tapes. Foam Core Assembly Joining Foam Blocks - First paint a thin coat of epoxy (no micro) on the joining foam surfaces. Second, trowel a wedge of dry micro on the center of one surface. Third, squeeze the joining surfaces together, wiggling them back and forth, to obtain a thin micro joint less than one-sixteenth-inch thick. It is desirable to have the micro low in the joint about three-eights to one-half inch (not to get squeeze-out). The low joint is filled with micro before glass is laid over the joint, allowing a wet bond between the micro and the glass. You will occasionally get some squeeze-out even trying not to, so just wipe the joint low with a mixing stick. Do not try to fill large voids with micro; you are taking a chance of getting exotherm damage. If you have a void larger than about 0.1 inch, fill it with a sliver of foam with micro on each side, rather than solid micro. Alignment - If your foam core is cockeyed when you glass it, your airplane will be cockeyed too and probably fly that way. Get your foam cores assembled correctly. Use lots of nails to hold it straight while the micro cures. Check the depth of the spar notch and be sure that it's correct, top and bottom. Wing and canard foam cores should be assembled vertically as shown in the photos on page 6-6, nailed together firmly, and the depth of both spar notches checked before placing it in the jig blocks. Weight - Micro is heavy and costs a lot more than foam scraps. Use a foam block to fill the big gap around the wing fitting nuts instead of the large micro fill shown on page 6-18 (inside the wing root). Even a rough fitting foam block will be much lighter. The interior foam face is given a one-ply BID protective covering. General Hints/Clarifications Page 6-5 - The seventh ply of BID, fifty- three inches by twelve inches, is used for the wing root and mid spar ribs shown on the top of page 6-6, same step. CP11, Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wing Jig Blocks - Jig block "F" may need to be shimmed slightly to get the leading and trailing edges straight. Jig block "E" must be notched slightly to allow the wing fitting to nest properly. Wings - Above all else, both wings must have the same twist and be set at the same incidence. Brakes - Use Rosenhan master cylinders with Rosenhan brakes. The Gerdes or Rosenhan master cylinders can be used with Cleveland brakes. Do not match Cleveland or Gerdes master cylinders with Rosenhan brakes. --Ed Hamlin reports that a Dremel #428 wire brush works beautifully for cleaning the residual foam and micro off of the canard, wing and winglet trailing edge overlaps in preparation for the top skin lay-ups. --Builders wishing to use enamel or acrylic enamels may want to use Dupont 3011S enamel primer surfacer in place of the 70S lacquer primer surfacer. 3011S provides the same ultra violet barrier that 70S does (see section V). --Be sure you have at least the overlap shown at the trailing edge for the top and bottom skins (0.4 inch on canard; 0.5 inch on wing and winglet). Be sure the overlap area is sanded well before top skin layup. --Do not pressure-check the fuel tanks before installation of the outside skin, unless a low pressure (five hundred feet) is used. (Page 21-6). --Elevons must be free of friction. --Use a lubricant on the mating surfaces of the wing fittings and NG13 guides (Lubriplate, Molycoat or eq.). --When mounting NG6 and NG15 to NG1, layup a two-ply BID patch between NG1 and the castings. Mount wet, with flox filling any voids. --One builder moved his canopy forward two inches from the position shown on the plans to obtain more room for the pilot to lean forward in flight. (This is being done on Jirans prefab canopy frames. --The NG6 casting supplied by Ken Brock is narrower than is shown on page 17-3, a change dictated by production tooling. Nothing is changed because of this; Brock is simply including two spacers to center NG6 in the airplane. NG7 should be 2.75 inches long. --Don't be concerned if you find it necessary to grind some of the MG-1 landing gear leg away to set the proper toe-in. A little grinding is normal and up to one-fourth inch of the gear leg thickness can be removed without structural concern. The mains should have about one degree toe-in. --The basic bill of materials doesn't include the eight AN4-15A bolts and MS21042-4 nuts required for installation of the Cleveland axles. We have now flown Cleveland brakes and are happy to confirm that they provide excellent braking effectiveness. --The sketch at the top of page 18-2 has confused some builders. The seventeen-inch dimension is correct, and the gear leg sweeps forward as the three-view drawing on the back cover shows. Hot Wire Controls - The simple wire-and-nails voltage control shown in newsletter #10 can be hazardous if improperly used. Do not use it if the floor is damp. And, be sure you have the correct end to ground. Careless operation could ruin your whole day! The schematic shown below is another possibility for a good hot wire control. This one cannot shock you. **SKETCH OMITTED** URETHANE FOAM DETERIORATION Newsletter #10 reported on the urethane deterioration in the fuselage side on N4EZ and its repair. Since then airplane has had some rugged use including large temperature cycles. Recent inspection revealed that there has been no further deterioration. The repair is sound and there appears to be no cause for concern in this area. N4EZ has had some urethane foam damage in another area. This is in the center of the fuselage floor from F.S. 80 to F.S. 95. As shown in the sketch this occurs only in the center where the floor surface is convex and where high concentrated loads are applied when a heavy backseater with hard soled shoes puts all his weight in one local area. The glass skin is not damaged but the foam is locally deteriorated under the glass. This was repaired by gluing a piece of nine-millimeter, six- pound PVC (red) foam on top with wet micro. The PVC is heat formed (three hundred degree oven or heat gun) to hold its shape and weighted in place. After cure, layup two plies BID over the PVC. This provides a very durable surface. The PVC piece is fifteen inches long and ten inches wide. It is recommended that you install this piece in your airplane to prevent damage. It is not required over the entire floor. The concave surfaces spread the load out and no damage occurs. If you have no six-pound PVC you can substitute balsa wood. **SKETCHES OMITTED** VARIEZES HAVE MODERN CABIN HEAT SYSTEM Those of you northern die-hards that still think the VariEze needs an exhaust-powered cabin heat system should go to the library and look up a book on solar heating systems. You will find that the VariEze fuselage is strikingly similar to a well-designed solar heat collecter- -a urethane foam box, diffused surfaces inside, glazed on top with plexiglass. It is well ventilated for summer cooling but with the vent closed and a good canopy seal you can maintain seventy degrees Fahrenheit inside temperature, with an outside air temperature of ten degrees Fahrenheit! This heating system, of course, does not work at night, but good fighter pilots fly in the daytime and love at night. QUESTIONS/ANSWERS We continue to be asked questions about our opinion of systems or configurations different from those who have tested and recommend on the Viggen or Eze. Please remember that if we haven't built or tested a given aerodynamic configuration, engine installation, avionics system, etc., our answer must be that we "don't know." We will continue to support builders by helping them with any problems or questions they have, relative to the basic airplane and systems as shown on our plans, but we cannot serve as a clearing house or consulting service for items different from those in which we are familiar, particularly different engine systems and avionics. Remember, your letters can be promptly answered only if you provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If the S.A.S.E. is not included, we will answer your question in the next newsletter. Q. I want to keep my VariEze as simple as possible and plan to eliminate the roll and yaw trim. Is ground-adjustable trim okay? A. We appreciate your desire to keep it simple, but do not eliminate inflight trim. The VariEze is a real pleasure fly in-trim or hands-off (which requires three-axis trim) but is quite a nuisance when out of trim, particularly in roll. We consider the ability to adjust roll trim with major power changes a mandatory item. CP11, Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I haven't been able to get to one of the demos--when can I see the VariEze? A. We have not been showing it on an individual basis since this requires locking up, traveling a mile and opening the T-hangar. The response has been so great that this would take all our time. This situation will be resolved by about the end of February since we will be moving into a hangar on the flight line so you can come in anytime and inspect the airplane. Q. I don't want to build an airplane that is still undergoing changes. When are you going to freeze the design and stop making changes? A. We are more interested in the research and development aspects of aircraft than in marketing/promotion. Trying different things to improve an airplane is where our expertise lies. We expect to continue to use the VariEze as a research test bed for a long time, experimenting with several interesting concepts and may be making changes ten years from now. Q. I'm just about ready to make the first flight in my VariEze. What words of wisdom do you have to the "about to be" test pilot? A. The best thing we can tell you is to read your owners manual very carefully and follow exactly all the information and limitations shown. The VariEze is a very stable airplane but has lower stick forces than the average lightplane. So, get some time in a Yankee or other "sensitive" airplane. Also, remember that your rudders are a more powerful roll control than the elevons, and if your new airplane is crooked you may need rudder to keep things upright. In fact, you should fly the airplane primarily with rudder, since if there is anything that takes getting used to on the VariEze it is the tendency to input pitch when trying to use only aileron. So, if you use the stick only for pitch and the rudder to turn, things will seem easier, particularly if your proficiency is not good. Also, remember to keep the airplane in trim by adjusting pitch, roll and yaw trim. When in trim the airplane will hold speed and level flight even in turbulence without pilot effort. This will make your initial flights much more comfortable than fighting an out-of-trim condition. On final approach, set up roll and yaw trim for coordinated level flight, then the rest of the landing is VariEze indeed. Too many people do a professional job of building their airplane then lose everything because they do a non-professional job of flight testing. If something is not quite right--fix it before you fly. Be sure your pilot proficiency is sharp and current. IMPROVED VARIEZE FUEL SYSTEM We have recently tested a new fuel system in N4EZ that offers some significant advantages over that currently shown in Section IIA of the plans. The following schematic shows the system. Note that the pump and the small header tank on the vacuum pump pad are both eliminated. **SKETCH OMITTED** The fuselage tank is filled when the aircraft is fueled-- it has its own cap (same cap as on wings). The fuel system is operated as follows: The fuselage tank is normally used only for starting the engine with the nose down. The wings are selected after the nose is up and the pilot gets in. If the flight is planned so that the descent is done with less than two gallons in each wing, the pilot selects the fuselage tank for the descent and landing. Regardless of the flight planning, the pilot can use all the wing fuel in level flight or climb (There is less than 0.1 gallon unusable). He can use all but one gallon per wing in a normal descent and all but two gallons per wing in a steep descent. All fuselage fuel can be used in any attitude. Addition of the selectable fuselage tank gives the pilot a much more accurate indication of his last few gallons fuel, thus increasing range and decreasing his concern of exact usable fuel state when fuel is low. It also gives redundant backup for things like fuel vent blockage, loss of fuel cap, etc. It does require fuel management though, but not more so than with the pump. The fuel selector is designed to mildly interfere with the pilots wrist to remind him not to take off with the fuselage selected, thus depleting descent fuel first. The selector handle is positioned left for wings, up for fuselage, and right for off. The selector valve is operated directly with a torque tube running forward. The torque tube is easy to install even with the side consoles in place. The torque tube has a mild curve which positions it against the fuselage side from F.S. 70 to F.S. 90, thus it does not interfere with the suitcase. Route holes in bulkheads as required The system low point is provided with a drain adjacent to the selector valve. The drain is installed by drilling a five-sixteenth inch hole in the AN910-2D coupling and tapping with a 1/8-27 N.P.T. tapered pipe tap. The fuselage tank is located forward of the firewall over the wing spar. The fuselage tank in N4EZ (see photo) is fiberglass. The front and back sides are three-eight inch urethane (or PVC) foam with one ply BID on the inside. The top, bottom-and sides are two plies BID, laid up flat like the practice piece on page 3-13 of Section I. The pieces are assembled with epoxy, then the corners are rounded and two plies BID are laid over all the outside (overly wet layup to avoid leaks). The sight gauge, vent, cap, strainer, and fuel outlet are made similar to the wing tanks. The tank was bonded to the spar on the bottom with wet micro and a block of six-pound PVC foam and bonded to the roof at the top (around fuel cap) with a ring of PVC and wet micro. While this looks like it will work okay, it's probably a better idea to fabricate some metal straps and bolt the tank to the firewall. If your tank interferes with the canopy brace bar, move the bar forward. A welded aluminum tank could be substituted if desired, or better yet, maybe we can talk Ken Brock into making a rotary-molded one like the original header tank. One builder has told us that the Bendix-Strongberg carburetor will function satisfactorily with a very low fuel head and should work well with this new fuel system. We have not tested the Bendix carburetor so we have to leave verification of this up to you. Some of you may not like the idea of a fuel tank within the confines of the cockpit. This is, however, a fairly common practice for many lightplanes. We feel that the advantages of more reliable fuel flow near zero fuel level, outweighs any disadvantages and thus recommend that you install this new system in your VariEze. Detail drawings on page 6. Make the following changes to your Owners Manual, Section IV. Check List Engine start--add "select fuselage tank" before "mixture rich." Before takeoff--add "wings" after "valve on. Descent--omit "if low fuel refill header tank each six minutes." Add "select fuselage tank if wings are less than two gallons each." CP11, Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **NUMEROUS SKETCHES, TEXT AND TABLES OF NEW VARIEZE FUEL SYSTEM OMITTED** CP10, Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- OWNERS MANUAL CHANGES, CONT: Page seven- Omit entire section. Add "The fuel Fuel System system consists of two wing tanks and a small fuselage tank, all equipped with visual sight gauges. A three-way selector is located on the pilot's right console. The selector is positioned left to select wing fuel, up to select fuselage fuel, and right to off. The wings hold about twenty-four gallons total, all is usable for climb or level flight. One to two gallons per tank are not usable for steep descents. The fuselage tank holds about 2.5 gallons, all is usable in all normal attitudes. Drains are provided at the wing tanks and at the fuel valve (system low point). The wing tanks are vented together to maintain equal tank fuel levels." Page fifteen- Omit last paragraph. Add "If a long Descent normal descent is made with less than one gallon of fuel in each wing tank, fuel starvation may occur. Fuel flow can be regained by selecting the fuselage tank or by reducing descent angle. Starvation can occur during long steep descents with two gallons per wing tank. Because of this possibility, the fuselage tank should be selected for all descents and landings, with less than two gallons per wing tank. Page thirty-two- Omit sentence on safeting fuel valve. Appendix I Under weight and balance add "check aft cg limit with full fuselage fuel." Page twenty-two- Omit all of the top paragraph after Engine Failure "fuel starvation." Add "select fuselage tank. If wing fuel starvation occurred during descent, the wings may have one to two gallons of fuel that is still usable during level flight or climb." VARIEZE PLANS CHANGES We are still getting a large volume of questions from builders over the phone and by mail that are answered in the plans or in newsletter #10. Read everything thoroughly before you start bugging us! Transcribe all plans changes into your plans--don't try to memorize them. Page Number Changes 5-6 A few builders have had problems getting enough elevon travel. We now recommend that you modify the elevon location template--jig block "B" as shown in the sketch. This will give enough travel even if your canard is not quite straight. **SKETCH OMITTED** 6-21 The Radio Shack switch is not a spring-to-center type. A Micro switch #8A-2041 should be used. 7-1 The four UND skin plies are considerably oversize as shown (fifty-five inches by thirty inches) and may be reduced to fifty inches long and twenty inches wide at root. 17-3 1.15" should be 1.25" (NG6) 7-2 The middle sketch at the top of the page should look like this. **SKETCH OMITTED** Use the drawing at the bottom of 7-2 to cut the winglet planform, not the info at the top of page 7-1. 8-7 Add these instructions to the end of Step 8: Before mounting the fuel tanks, round the edges of the wing fitting plates and layup a three-inch strip of UND wrapped twice around the centersection spar as shown. This provides a glass surface for the cowling lip layup (see Section IIA), stiffens the spar end, and safeties the wing fitting screws. **SKETCHES OMITTED** 15-1 The two 5.4 by 2.7 inch pieces of medium density PVC foam should be 5.4 by 3.2 rough to allow for matching the contour of the seat back. **SKETCH OMITTED** 17-5,2-2 & 2-3 (One each) AN5-37A bolt should be AN5-40A. The 37A is adequate if your pad was not laid on too wet. (Two each) AN4-36A bolts should be AN4-40A. (Eight each) AN509-10R-9 should be AN509-10R-14. 20-2 #38 drill should be #42 21-6 3000 feet should be 1500 feet. 22-8 You may want longer canopy hinge screws than the 509-10R-6's shown if your canopy frame is thicker than the prototype N4EZ. Get as much grip as possible. 22-7 Blank should read "See page 25-1." 22-8 AN509-10R-12 should be AN509-10R-10. Section IV Add the following notes: Owners Manual Page 48 Subtract one hundred feet from the ground roll if landing brake is used. Also: Subtract four hundred feet from the landing distance over a fifty foot obstacle if the landing brake is used. Section IIA B.L. of lower mount points should Page 5 be B.L. 5.25, not 5.5. Section IIA All three weatherhead fittings Page 10 should be drilled out to an inside diameter of .281 (9/32) to increase fuel flow. Also: AN42B-4 should be AN42-7A. (These do not apply to the new fuel system). Section IIA Continental #53627 should be #530627. Page 13 Also: AN844 should be AN884. CP11, Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE PLANS CHANGES, CONT. Canard Pusher #10 K1000-3 should be K1000-4. Page 5 Page 6 Top right-hand corner, 10-5 should be 10-3. Section IIA Omit Step four and Step twelve. Modify Step five as shown in this newsletter. Omit photo of valve on page twenty. Substitute fuel system shown in this newsletter. Do the fuel flow checks in Step twelve for the wing and fuselage fuel. STRUCTURAL TESTING We have conducted another VariEze static load test since newsletter 10. A homebuilder brought his canard to our shop to show the problems he had in construction. He knew that the canard did not meet the quality control criteria (a large depression in the spar at B.L.42, many dry areas, and inadequate skin overlap at the trailing edge) so he had rejected it. He left the canard with us so we could use it to show others how not to do the work. We decided to load it to destruction to determine its actual strength. The canard was mounted in a fixture (see photo) that mounted it by the lift tabs and trailing-edge pins similar to the normal mounting on a VariEze fuselage. Test results showed that the strength of the canard was considerably reduced due to the construction errors, but the canard was still strong enough to meet FAR 23 (failure above 150% of limit). Failure occurred at the depression in the top spar. **SKETCH OMITTED** Another builder showed up at a workshop with a test fixture he had constructed. His eyeball engineering had told him that the canard lift tab was too weak, so he built a 2-ft span of a canard complete with lift tab built to the plans. The canard section was supported at the tips and he applied 2200 lb to the single lift tab - no failure occurred. Needless to say he is no longer worried about lift tab strength! HAM RADIO OPERATORS Ivan Whitehouse (Goldendale, Washington), K7ATX, reports about twelve hams have joined the "VariEze" net. He reports poor luck with the Tuesday evening net and says that they will try Thursdays at seven a.m. on 3900 Khz. ED HAMLIN WANTS YOU! Ed Hamlin (8377 Seeno Ave, Roseville Ca 95678) was the host of the Sacramento VariEze seminar. He is organizing a "squadron" - a club for EZ builders in central/northern Calif. Purpose is to work together to help each other with building and flying problems and to promote Sport Aviation. If you are interested, send him a S.A.S.E. for his newsletter. Ed has done real first-class work on his half-completed VariEze. NEW FUEL SYSTEM IN N4EZ - SEE PAGE 5 AND 6. **PHOTOS OMITTED** Minnesota already has a VariEze club. Contact George Wilson 2924 108 th Lane NW Coon Rapids MN 55433 VARI EZE DISTRIBUTOR STATUS JIRAN - Producing 4 main gear per day and 3 cowlings. Current backlog approximately 9 weeks. COWLEY - Shipment within two weeks BROCK - Most items available for immediate shipment. Wing fittings, engine mounts, and nose gear castings backlogged about 2 months. AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & WICKS ORGAN - most items avail. immediately; a few long lead items make full shipset deliveries about 1 to 2 months. On the average, two complete shipsets per day have been delivered to homebuilders in the first 5 months of the VariEze program. This is an excellent record, unsurpassed by any other homebuilt kit supplier. THIS IS FROM A RECENT PRESS RELEASE FROM NASA! COMPOSITE MATERIALS. During the coming fiscal year NASA plans on intensive effort to reduce the weight and labor-intensive areas on today's production aircraft, with particular emphasis on composite materials (plastics, etc.). At this point all agree that composite materials are hopelessly expensive for aircraft use - both in actual dollars and also because (again) they raise the specter of enormous product liability insurance cost. NASA is coordinating its research with that of others in the "consumer item" fields (principally auto manufacturers) to try to bring costs down and technology up. NASA admits there is much still unknown and expects that it will be a 6-7 year effort before results appear in the tie-down areas. The next generation of business jet may have winglets too. The new Gulfstream III will make its first flight in 1978. **PHOTO OMITTED** CP11, Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIEZE BUILDER REPORTS You guys don't write much but we do get a few pictures. **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** Nat Puffer's canard, elevons and center section foam core. Cy Mehling's (Doylestown, Pennsylvania) airplane as of early December. Photo taken 3 months after receipt of kit. Tom Kuffel's (Anchorage, Alaska) first knife trim... at three a.m.! That's loyalty! Nat Puffer's wings and center section spar completed and aligned. Anybody recognize the thing hanging from the roof? Puffer's rudders ready for the bottom rib. K. Kuffel - the First hot wire cut. Dr. Wagner's fuel tank going together. Hans Steinhoff (Goleta, California) has the right idea on weight--his wings and canard had to be tied down! (Well... it's a nice idea anyway.) Dr. John Wagner shaping his canopy frame. A.G. Ebel's airplane after four months work. December 8, 1976. VariEze S/N 124's canard doubling as a park bench. This is not recommended. That much weight concentrated on a sharp saw horse can damage the structure. If you do this, place a foam block on the sawhorse first. Cy Mehling's airplane in October. WHO'S BUILDING The best way to find VariViggen or VariEze builders in your area, is to attend your local EAA meeting and ask who is building. If you're building a VariViggen or VariEze, clip out the card below, fill in, and mail to EAA, PO Bx 229, Hales Corners, Wi. 53130, attn: A/C Records Dept CP11, Page 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------- VARI EZE REFERENCE DIMENSIONS This sketch gives a summary of fuselage stations and butt lines which are easily checked on the completed airplane. All of this information is in the plans but some of it you have to hunt for. The points marked by the asterisk (*) should be checked during final weight and balance and the real values recorded in your airframe log (Drop plumb-bob to lines on floor). **SKETCHES OMITTED** VARIVIGGEN PLANS CHANGES Page Change VariViggen Plans Top of WS 28 should be 3.1 not 3.0 Page 5 as shown. SP Wing Plans AA-3 should be two required-1/4 inch Page 14 2024-T3 aluminum 1.0 by 12.4. SP Wing Plans Under wood--two pieces 1.0 by 1.5 by Page 13 24 should be four pieces. VARIVIGGEN BUILDER REPORTS Ken Guscott, S/N 129, reports that he has the fuselage and inboard wing complete and ready for cover. Ken says that he's disappointed that more VariViggen builders haven't been sending information in for the newsletter. We agree. What are you guys up to?! Jim Cavis reports that his airplane is ready for first flight, paint and all. He is mounting the canopy plexiglass now and as soon as he finishes we'll have a genuine flight report for you to read. Jim has the standard wing plan form on his airplane but built it from foam and glass. He plans to fly it in standard configuration and later add winglets. This should be interesting. **PHOTOGRAPHS OMITTED. PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW** The Stow, Mass. construction seminar. Photos courtesy of Charles Douette. Ken Guscott's front cockpit layout. Note the electric trim & reflex. Cuscott's fuselage and wing ready for skins Ken Guscott's chain drive nose gear retraction mechanism. CP11, Page 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT ADDITION TO NEWSLETTER 11 - SIMPLE SPOILERS AID ROLL CONTROL AFTER NEWSLETTER 11 had gone to press we invited Peter Garrison, an aviation writer for "Flying" magazine, to fly N4EZ. He flew it several times and was pleased with the improvements due to the speed brake; however, he expressed concern that the airplane may be a "handful" for a low-proficiency pilot, due to its relatively sluggish roll rate and due to a tendency to pitch nose-down with aileron inputs. These comments caused us concern, and a little surprise, since we hadn't really been aware of a significant pitch change with aileron. We flew the airplane again and noted that, yes, indeed there is an objectionable nose-down pitch change, but only for large aileron inputs. Apparently we generally use only small aileron inputs and a lot of rudder when needed for high roll rates and, being accustomed to flying the airplane in this manner, we were not of the opinion that the airplane was difficult to maneuver. Trying to put ourselves in the place of a low-proficiency pilot on his first VariEze flight where he may be flying an airplane out-of-trim and might be unable to roll at all, if he is using a lot of opposite rudder, led to the conclusion that Peter was right; the airplane does need to be improved to make it safe for some pilots. We have always been reluctant to put rear-wing ailerons on the VariEze due to the control system complexity, the need to hookup controls for wing removal, and the addition of a new possible flutter mode. What we needed was some additional roll rate, a slight nose-up pitch change with roll deflection, and perhaps some proverse yaw. We rigged up a small spoiler on the cowling just aft of the centersection spar, and found that its deflection almost exactly canceled the nose-down pitch and made the roll rate higher. Addition of this spoiler made the roll response more crisp and made the VariEze feel more like a conventional airplane. It was a little hard for us to believe that this small spoiler, mounted that far inboard, was really making that much difference; so we invited Peter up again to fly our modification. He was skeptical because of the small size and placement of the spoilers, but after his flight, which included maneuvering at all speeds and several landings, he agreed that all pitch change due to roll was gone and that roll control was more like a conventional aircraft. When asked if the aircraft was safer for the low proficiency pilot, he replied, "Definitely." We agree, and are therefore recommending the simple spoiler system shown below as a mandatory addition to your VariEze. The spoilers have a negligible effect on cruise speed. They are far enough from the leading edge to be included in the boundary layer. There are no changes to the current control system. The elevons still work normally; the spoilers are merely an addition. A bracket (CS18) is bolted on the stick using the existing bolt. Cables (in nyloflo conduits) are routed aft along the fuselage side (no interference with the suitcase) and through the centersection spar. These cables rotate tubes which directly deploy the flat-plate spoilers, through four slots in the top cowl. One light spring per spoiler holds them down against the cowl. CS18 is offset such that only a very minor slack exists in one cable when the opposite spoiler is fully deployed. The complete system was designed to be easily installed in a completed airplane. It was built and installed in N4EZ in one day. The front half of the pilot's armrest was removed for access and reinstalled with flox after spoiler installation. Note that the armrest side must be hollowed locally to provide clearance with CS18. No turnbuckles were used. The cable Nicopress sleeves were swaged as accurately as possible, then final adjustment was made by moving the CS19 block up and down. The spoilers are rigged to start moving up just as the stick moves away from neutral and to reach full deflection (about 50 degrees with no airload) at full roll control. Spoiler rigging is effected only slightly by fore-aft stick motion (pitch control). Be sure it's hooked up so the left spoiler deflects when the stick goes left (the cables cross under the rear armrest). The cables are routed on both sides of the front seatbelt attachment. The spoilers are plates of .063 2024T3 aluminum. At neutral, they sit flat on top of the cowling. They are attached to a weldment with two AN525-10R6 screws per spoiler. Cowling removal requires removing the four screws, or the cowling can be slotted forward to allow removal without disturbing the spoilers. The weldment consists of 1/2-inch dia. steel tubes with pivots and brackets. The right side has two hinges: one at B.L.8.4R where the cable attaches and the other between the two spoiler mounting tabs (CS24's). The left side has three hinges: one between the CS24 tabs, one at B.L.131, and one at the cable attach point. Because of the spar dihedral, a universal joint is required at B.L.12L Four hinge brackets (.063 alum formed angle) are bolted to the centersection spar (CS20 and three CS21). They are mounted wet with flox and the excess flox squeeze-out prevents rotation should the metal bond fail, thus only one mounting bolt is required. These brackets are drilled in last, with the entire assembly bolted together, to allow adjustment so the spoilers sit flat on top of the cowl. A small steel spacer, the same as that used at the bottom of the rudder pedal (VECS13), is used at each of the five hinge points. The 1/4" OD spacer is clamped to the aluminum brackets by the AN3 bolts and the steel brackets rotate on them One spring is used per spoiler. It is installed as shown using an AN100-3 thimble through one of the CS24 brackets. The spring is sewn to the thimble and to the bottom cowl flange with two loops of .041 safety wire. Adjust for a very light snub in the neutral position. The spring is a C-133 type (Century Spring Corp., L.A.). We found it at the local hardware store. You can substitute any spring with a spring rate of about two pounds per inch deflection. Do not substitute a heavy spring like a screen-door type. Full-size patterns are shown, to be used to make the required brackets. When the brackets are welded to the tubes be sure to align them as shown. Install the Nyloflo conduits as follows: first sand their surface dull for bonding, string them into the airplane as shown. Bond them to the spar and armrest in the rear (flox/5-min); let cure. Pull them tight at the front to straighten them, tape to the side between FS65 and 95 and bond every eight inches with a blob of flox/5-min. Glue the forward block (CS19) to the side, floor, and armrest, potting the formed curve in the tube with a lot of 5-min/flox. CS19 is glued in last, so its vertical position can be adjusted to final-adjust cable rigging. With the Nyloflow tubes mounted straight, very little cable friction will exist. Do not use Nyloseal tube. OWNERS MANUAL ADDITIONS ADD THE FOLLOWING to page 7 of your owners manual: "small spoilers located on the centersection of the aft wing are used to augment the roll control." INSERT the following to replace the landing gear speed data on page 17 of your Owners Manual- "Don't extend gear above 100 kt(115 mph) - at higher speeds the airloads make it hard to extend. Gear can be down or can be retracted at speeds up to 140 kt(163 mph) ADDITIONAL NEW ITEMS THE PLANS AND PREVIOUS newsletters indicated that it may be acceptable to use larger tires on the main gear of the VariEze. This may not be so. Cowley's VariEze has experienced a severe fore-aft resonance (vibration fore-aft) of the wheel when taxiing at a medium speed (about 15-20 mph). This may be due in part to a high spot or grabbing of the brake disc (his disc thickness was not uniform), but it may also be caused by resonance excited due to the larger (and heavier tire). This vibration at 20 mph is sometimes evident on N4EZ with the 3.40x3x5 tires but it is only mild and intermittent. It does not occur at higher or lower speeds. CHECK YOUR DISC THICKNESS! One builder brought in a canard/elevon assembly in which he thought his elevon up-travel was only 21 deg, instead of the required 24 degrees. On closer inspection we found that the trailing edge of his canard was a bit high, making his elevon template read -3 degrees when the elevon was at zero, and thus his elevon travel was adequate (24 deg). If you suspect that your elevon degree template is giving the wrong information, place jig block B, page 5-6 under your canard to line up zero elevon deflection, then check that the elevon degree template reads zero. Peter Garrison landing N4EZ. Note new spoilers & landing brake. **PHOTO OMITTED** CP11, Page A1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **SKETCHES OF VARIEZE SPOILER SYSTEM OMITTED** CP11, Page A2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **SKETCHES OF VARIEZE SPOILER SYSTEM OMITTED** CP11, Page A3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **SKETCHES OF VARIEZE SPOILER SYSTEM OMITTED** CP11, Page A4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIEZE SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIEZE TWO-PLACE SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED THE STORY For the last 12 months, we have refrained from promotional activities and marketing on the VariEze to concentrate totally on its development and setting up materials and components distribution. In this short time, we have 1. flown a full 350 flight-hour test program on two prototypes, one Continental and one VW-powered, 2. completed full structural qualification testing, 3. prepared a manual for the amateur builder to educate him in the structural materials and to guide him through construction, 4. set up a materials distribution system through established, competent distributors. THE TEST PROGRAM The VariEze test program was probably the most extensive and successful ever conducted on a homebuilt. It included basic flight tests for flying qualities, performance and systems, spin and dive tests to FAR part 23 requirements, static load tests and landing gear drop tests exceeding part 23 criteria, environmental/thermal tests on structural materials/components, manufacturing methods testing, and many others. THE RESULTS The VariEze has superb flying qualities for its primary mission - comfortable travel. It has excellent hands-off stability even in turbulence. It is unusually safe at low speeds, can be flown with full aft stick (47 kt) without being susceptible to departure or spin, regardless of attitude or power. Performance is also superb - cruise up to 200 mph and climb up to 1700 fpm at gross weight with the larger engines. THE MISSION: PRACTICAL UTILITY Although quite compact outside, the VariEze provides unusual comfort for up to 6-ft, 7-in, 210-lb pilots and 6-ft, 5-in, 220-lb passengers, plus two medium-size suitcases and four small baggage areas. The 24- gallon fuel load allows up to 1000-mile range at economy cruise. High altitude climb is excellent, for flying over turbulence, mountain ranges, and for satisfactory high-density altitude take offs. THE DESIGN The VariEze uses the latest aerodynamic features: NASA winglets, both wings cruise at best L/D, basic arrangement provides stall safety, stiff structure provides accurate contour maintenance, basic systems design eliminates or combines complex control systems, which saves weight, cost and building time while increasing reliability and lowering maintenance. THE STRUCTURE New composite sandwich structure offers the following advantages over conventional wood or metal: less construction time requiring less skills, improved corrosion resistance, longer life, improved contour stability, better surface durability, dramatic reduction in hardware and number of parts, easier to inspect and repair. THE HOMEBUILDER SUPPORT The manufacturing manual is a literal education in using the materials and is a detailed step-by-step guide to construction using an illustrated format not common in aircraft plans. The Rutan newsletter, "The Canard Pusher," published since mid 1974, updates plans, provides building hints, etc. Complete owners manual provides all necessary information for safe initial testing and for normal and emergency operations. Construction seminars are provided at RAF and elsewhere. THE AVAILABLE HOMEBUILT Established, competent distributors have stocked materials and components before the aircraft was marketed. All raw materials are now available plus many prefabricated items including canopy, landing gear, wing quick-disconnect fittings, cowling, all machined items, rudder pedals, engine mounts, suitcases and upholstery. If you choose to purchase all prefab parts, you can build your VariEze in about 500 man- hours - really! VariEze documentation is available in five sections. SECTION I - MANUFACTURING MANUAL - This is the complete education manual for composite materials and methods, also, the complete plans and construction manual for the entire VariEze except engine installation. The manual consists of a 153-page, bound, 11"x17" book plus nine larger full-size drawings. It includes 168 photos, over 800 drawings and illustrations, and over 65,000 words! The builder is led, step-by-step through the entire construction of the airplane. The manual identifies sources for all materials and all prefabricated components. SECTION II - ENGINE INSTALLATION - This is a set of drawings and construction manual for the complete engine installation including mount, baffles, instrumentation, electricals, fuel, exhaust and induction systems, carb heat box and muff, cowling installation, prop and spinner. SECTION IIA - Continental A65, A75, C85, C90, 0-200 SECTION IIB - VW engines (avail. Oct '76) SECTION III - ELECTRICAL - This is an optional (not required) set of drawings and installation instructions for electrical system, avionics, landing and position lights, antennas, starter. Avail Sept. 76 SECTION IV - OWNERS MANUAL - This is an operational handbook and checklists, including normal and emergency operation, detailed flying qualities and performance charts, maintenance, maiden flight procedure, pilot checkout, etc. SECTION V - FINISHING THE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT - Applies not only to a VariEze, but to other epoxy/composite aircraft. Includes filling/contouring/priming/U.V. barrier/color and trim. Avail Sept 76 Specs & performance with 100-hp Continental.fixed-pitch prop.@ gross weight Take Off 800 ft Climb 1700 fpm Max Cruise 200 mph Econ Cruise 165 mph Range @ Max Cruise 720 mi Range @ Econ Cruise 980 mi Min Speed (full aft stick) 49 kt Landing 900 ft Canard Span/Area 12.5'/13 square feet Wing Span/Area 22.2'/53.6 square feet Empty Weight 520 lb Gross Weight 1050 lb Specs & performance with 75-hp Continental Take Off 950 ft Climb 950 fpm Max Cruise 178 mph Econ Cruise 145 mph Empty Weight 490 lb Gross Weight 950 lb Price, including Check items desired: First class mail Air mail U S and Canada Overseas* VariEze info kit, includes current issue of "Canard $5.00 $6.00 Pusher" newsletter "Canard Pusher' newsletter, published quarterly. One- $4.75 $6.50 year subscription Section I $94.00 $108.00 Section IIA or $19.00 $21.00 Section IIB Section III $8.00 $9.50 Section IV $8.00 $9.50 Section V $7.00 $8.00 Calif. residence add 6% tax on all items except newsletter * U.S. funds only CP11, Page 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------- **BELOW IS VARIVIGGEN SALES BROCHURE** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE VARIVIGGEN TWO + TWO SPORTPLANE **PHOTOS OMITTED** Performance with Take off 850 ft 150-hp, fixed- Climb 800 fpm pitch prop, gross Cruise 150 mph weight. Full Aft stick 49 mph Standard VariViggen Landing 500 ft Performance with 150-hp. Climb 1000 fpm Special Performance Wings Cruise 158 mph Specifications Canard Span/Area 8 ft/18.3 square feet Standard VariViggen Wing Span/Area 19 ft/119 square feet Empty Weight 950 lb Gross Weight 1700 lb Specifications Wing Span/Area 23.7 ft/125 square feet Special Performance Wing Gross Weight 1700 lb PROVEN DESIGN Complete flight test program completed; 600 hours on prototype with very little maintenance. Won the Stan Dzik trophy for design contribution, Oshkosh '72. STALL/SPIN SAFETY The VariViggen's safe flying qualities have been the subject of technical presentations for EAA, SAE, AOPA, & AIAA. It will not stall or "mush in" like the common delta. At full aft stick (43 kts) it will still climb 500 fpm, roll over 50 degrees per second without rudder co- ordination, and make buffet-free turns. The prototype received the Omni Aviation safety trophy at Oshkosh '73, and the outstanding new design award at Oshkosh '74. EXCELLENT UTILITY Comfortable tandem cockpits, three-suitcase baggage area, and an adequate cruise speed provide unusual utility for a homebuilt airplane. Its unusual design turns routine travel into "fun trips." Gas service and other airport services have been better, too! Take it home; it's road-towable with outer panels removed. UNCOMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION The basic structure requires few special tools and can be built in a simple jig. The few parts that have double-curvature are available in fiberglass, ready to install. All machined parts are also available, as well as other prefab parts. EASY TO FLY Despite its unique appearance, the VariViggen has no unusual or pilot- demanding flight characteristics. It is easier to handle than conventional aircraft, particularly in gusty crosswind conditions. VARIVIGGEN TECHNICAL REPORT - Complete tech report describing the VariViggen two-place sportplane. Includes specifications, pilot report, dimensions, 3-view, stability and performance flight test data, construction cost, description of car-top wind tunnel, 8"x10" glossy photo and current issue of newsletter. Price: $10.00 first class mail, $11.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN OWNERS MANUAL - Complete operational handbook including normal and emergency procedures, loading, operational record keeping. This manual is a must for those close to first flight. Price: $6.00 first class mail, $7.50 air mail overseas. "CANARD PUSHER" SUBSCRIPTION - A newsletter designed with the builder in mind. Emphasis on distributing to all builders as many ideas, improvements, building tips, photographs, & flight reports as possible. Details mandatory, desirable, & optional changes to plans & to owners manual. A newsletter subscription and all back issues are mandatory for those with VariViggens under construction. Identifies new material sources as they become known. Published quarterly. Price: $4.75 per year first class mail, $6.50 air mail overseas. Back issues: $1.00 each VARIVIGGEN PLANS - NASAD approved in "AA" category. Sixty-one sheets, completely detailed. Also included are builder's handbook information, step-by-step construction guide, complete bill of materials, flight operating limitations, parts lists. Section breakdown: 1. Introduction, 2. Operating Limitations, 3. Bill of Materials, 4. External Geometry (Lofting), 5. Building Tips, 6. Construction Order & Methods, 7. Canard & Elevator, 8. Fuselage, 9. Inboard Wing, 10. Verticals & Rudders, 11. Outboard Wings, 12. Cockpit & Seats, 13. Canopies, 14. Flight Control System, 15. Fuel System, 16. Angle-of- Attack System, 17. Engine Mount, 18. Cooling & Cowling, 19. Landing Gear, 20. Gear Doors, 21. Electrical System, 22. Parts List. Also included are the tech report & photo described. Price: $53.00 first class mail, $59.00 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE (SP) WING/RUDDER PLANS - Construction drawings and assembly manual for glass composite outer wing panels and rudders. These are optional wings, replacing the aluminum surfaces shown in the VariViggen plans. The SP wings are easier to build and provide increased climb and cruise performance. They also have fuel tanks which increase range to over 600 miles. Price: $39.50 first class mail, $41.50 air mail overseas. VARIVIGGEN R/C MODEL PLANS - Complete construction plans for the 18%- size radio-controlled model airplane built & flown to evaluate VariViggen spin characteristics. Designed for 4-channel proportional radio equipment & engine in the .35 to .65-cu. inch size. 555-sq inch wing area. All balsa or foam/balsa construction. A maneuverable flying model with outstanding roll rate. Also shown are modifications required for a control-line model (70-ft lines, .19 to .45-cu inch engines). Price: $4.75 first class mail, $5.50 air mail overseas. CP11, Page 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The following are RAF-authorized distributors of materials and components. Items indicated have been developed under RAF approval and are recommended for VariViggen or VariEze aircraft. Contact the distributors at the address shown for his catalog and description of items. Indicate to him that you are a VariViggen or VariEze builder. AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY CO. WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY 201 W. Truslow Ave. 1100 5th Street Box 424 OR Highland, Il. 62249 Fullerton, Ca. 92632 (618) 654-2191 (714) 870-7551 Catalog cost $2 - Refundable at first order. VariEze materials: epoxies, foams, fiberglass, filler materials, wood, metals, all hardware, specialized tools, skin barrier cream, seat belt/shoulder harness sets, wheels & brakes & custom upholstery/suitcases. VariViggen materials: spruce kit, plywood kit, hardware, aluminum & fiberglass. KEN BROCK MANUFACTURING Catalog cost $1 - Refundable at 11852 Western Ave. first purchase. Stanton, Ca. 96080 (714) 898-4366 VariEze prefabricated components: wing attach/quick disconnect assemblies, nose gear machined parts, control system components, fuel cap assemblies, welded engine mounts, welded stick assembly, welded rudder pedals, wheels & brakes. VariViggen prefabricated components: all machined parts. FRED JIRAN GLIDER REPAIR Write for brochure. Building 6, Mojave Airport Mojave, Ca. 93501 (805) 824-4558 VariEze prefabricated components: Molded S-glass main gear and nose gear struts, nose gear strut cover, nose gear box. COWLEY ENTERPRISES Write for brochure. P.O. Box 14 Santa Paula, Ca. 93060 (805) 525-5829 VariEze plexiglass canopy - Light bronze tint or clear. H. C. COMMUNICATIONS Write for brochure. Box 2047 Canoga Park, Ca. 91306 VariEze and VariViggen custom COM & NAV VHF antennas. MONNETT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, INC. Ask about VariViggen parts. 955 Grace St. Elgin, Il. 60120 (312) 741-2223 VariEze - None VariViggen - All molded fiberglass parts GOUGEON BROTHERS Write for brochure. 706 Martin St. Bay City, Mi. 48706 VariEze - None VariViggen - 105/206 epoxy and 403 fibers for wood construction. GEORGE EVANS Contact him for list 4102 Twining Riverside, Ca. 92509 VariEze - None VariViggen - welded nose and main landing gear, 1-1/4" sq. steel tube. BILL CAMPBELL (VariViggen builder) Contact him for list. Box 253 Phelan, Ca. 92371 VariEze - None VariViggen - Prefab brackets and fittings. JESSE WRIGHT Contact him for list. 7221 S. Colorado Ct. Littleton, Co. 80122 VariEze - none VariViggen - prefab wood parts. CP11, Page 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CANARD PUSHER No 12 Apr 77 NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN AND VARIEZE PROGRAMS (very vig-in) (very easy) NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4.75/yr OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION - $6.50/yr BACK ISSUES - $1.00 each RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Bldg. 13, Mojave Airport JAN, APL, JLY, OCT P.O. Box 656, Mojave, CA 93501 (805)-824-2645 RAF ACTIVITY since the January Newsletter has included homebuilders support, construction workshops, more design work for NASA, and a move. The landing brake plans were completed in February--They are VariEze Section VI ($10, $11 overseas). They consist of five 18" x 24" sheets, all full-size drawings. N4EZ, our VariEze homebuilt prototype, has been flying extensively over the last few months, including several long trips: 2000 miles for the Seattle workshop and nearly 3000 miles for the trip which included the Denver workshop. With the exception of some exhaust system cracks the airplane has been maintenance-free. Rides or checkouts have been given to several writers for "Flying" and "Aviation Consumer" magazines. Both plan articles soon. The VariEze has appeared in the following magazines lately: Plane and Pilot, Sport Planes, Sport Flying. We have completed the last of our out-of-town composite construction workshops. These have proven to be very beneficial in disseminating the techniques of foam/glass construction. Cities in which the workshops were given are listed. Oshkosh, Wis. Highland, Ill. Boston, Mass. Van Nuys, Ca. London, England Paris, France Austin, Tex. Sacramento, Ca. Atlanta, Ga. Daytona Beach, Fla. Snohomish, Wash. Denver, Colo. Anderson, Ind. St. Paul, Minn. We will also continue to have an occasional workshop and flight demo here at Mojave to assist builders with construction questions. The next scheduled demos at Mojave are noon to 2 p.m. on May 14 and on June 11. We also plan to fly N4EZ to the Watsonville Flyin May 28 and to the Chino Flyin April 30. RAF has finally made the move to our new building on the flightline at Mojave and the airplanes are on display for visitors to stop by and see. Our regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. We are closed to visitors Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Builders who have pressing problems may be able to catch us by phone on our closed days, but we may be out in the shop with epoxy up to our armpits, so try and call Wednesday through Saturday if you can. The VariViggen homebuilt program has suffered a tragic beginning. Jim Cavis was seriously injured when an accident occurred during his initial tests. A report on this accident is included in this Newsletter. The VariEze homebuilt program has started on a more positive note with four homebuilt airplanes now flying, and many more soon to fly. However, the VariEze record so far has not been good. One ended up being run through a snowbank removing all three gear and damaging the propeller when it veered off the runway on its first lift-off. Factors contributing to this included a gusty crosswind, one brake being stronger than the other due to a modification, and incorrect rigging of stops in the elevon control system. That airplane has been repaired and is now flying successfully. We are concerned about the safety of many of you who will be conducting your flight tests, since we have observed an almost appalling lack of good judgment of many who have and are doing test work. Some have had a complete disregard of the limitations and procedures in the Owners Manual and have overlooked important things like weight and balance, rigging of controls, etc. It seems unbelievable that anyone can spend so much work building an airplane, then be so sloppy when it comes to flying it. We have also noted that many builders are not familiar with many of the changes and additions in previous Newsletters. Be sure you copy all info from Newsletter #10, #11, and #12 completely into your plans and Owners Manual. A lot of this information is very important to you! A large portion of this newsletter is devoted to preaching and emphasizing the importance of quality control, careful conduct of your test program, and of following known limitations. **PHOTO OF WICK'S ORGAN COMPANY'S 101MW OMITTED** WEIGHT AND BALANCE AND INITIAL TESTING The "lead" builders of both the VariViggen and the VariEze have begun to roll airplanes out of their garages and into hangars. RAF has been trying to keep tabs on these early birds and one alarming deficiency has been common to many: inadequate and inaccurate weight and balance. Now hear this all of you homebuilders: A slipshod weight and balance can kill you. The final weight and balance that you do on your airplane before flight testing begins is just as important as installing the wing attachment bolts. Use the weight and balance methods shown in your Owners Manuals! A variation of "Murphy's Law" says that anything which can be misunderstood or ignored will be. Our weight and balance instructions are no exception. The first principle of a good weight and balance is to assume nothing. For example, you can't just assume that the nose and main gear stations are exactly as shown in the Owners Manual. It wouldn't be unusual to find that your main gear axle centerlines are as much as 0.5 inch or more off of the target of F.S. 108.0. A small variation in gear location won't adversely affect the way your airplane flies, but it could lead you to believe that your center of gravity is forward (or aft) of its true location by quite a bit! The same principle applies to temporary ballast weights used to keep the airplanes nose firmly on the scales. You may find it more convenient to put your ballast weight in a different place than we show in the Owners Manual which is ok. But, when you make your calculations use the weight and fuselage station where you put the weight, and not our sample! Also do a weight and balance with the pilot in the airplane to check your calculations. Do not ignore the pilot weight placard in the Owners Manual. Be sure to check the dimensions shown on Page 10 of Newsletter #11 while you are checking gear reaction points. Those builders who have convinced themselves that the world will stop turning if they don't have alternators, vacuum pumps, or starters on their airplanes will probably discover that the airplane is 1) overweight and 2) aft CG. If you discover this condition in your airplane you only have two options, you can remove the garbage that is causing the aft CG condition and help your weight at the same time, or you can add permanent ballast in the nose to get your CG where it belongs and make your overweight airplane even heavier. Not really much of a choice. If you can't part with your heavy accessories, you will be tempted to ballast just enough to get to the aft CG limit and you will be asking for trouble. We have established a limited "first flight" area on the allowable weight versus fuselage station graph in the Owners Manual. Your initial flight testing must begin within this area. The first flight box is expanded slowly and carefully as you and your airplane gain experience. You can't start your flying at the most aft (or most forward) CG that we recommended for fully proficient pilots and proven airplanes and expect to be safe! Don't compromise safety for the sake of a few unnecessary gadgets! Read and follow all information available to you. You are building a high performance airplane, not a toy. As you begin your testing be sure to give someone else besides the test pilot the responsibility to check that the airplane is ready, the Owners Manual procedures are being followed, and all limitations are met. He should also have the authority to make the "go", "no-go" decision and do the test planning. Test pilots have too much else to think about to be able to make correct decisions on these things. CP12, Page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Already we have seen people doing some really foolish things like flying without side consoles (the right one provides pitch stops!), doing initial testing in crosswinds of almost the full capability of the airplane (Owners Manual specifies zero for initial tests), testing on shorter runways than specified, etc. Unless you stay within recommended limits your chances of success are quite low. When you get to the hangar with your new airplane take it easy, and do a thorough job of your initial systems checks, weight and balance, etc. This is not the time to hurry. "Homebuilderitis" effects us all and you will lust to see your airplane fly, fast! Don't talk yourself into doing something stupid just to please your ego; finish building the airplane before you try to fly it! WEIGHT CONTROL In view of the non-stop preaching done by RAF in our newsletters, plans, over the telephone, and in person, it is a little difficult for us to understand why some homebuilders are still happily ruining their airplanes by making them overweight. The VariEze is also VariSmall and it doesn't have a great deal of wing area. Adding a little weight to your airplane is like carrying another passenger in a Cessna 172! The worst weight offenders are still the gadgeteers. Starters, generators, alternators, vacuum pumps, radios, gyro instruments, dual controls, etc., etc. One group of builders added dual 720-channel NAV/Coms, Dual VOR/ILS indicators, dual glide slopes, an annunciator panel, D.M.E., marker beacon, transponder, encoding altimeter, artificial horizon, directional gyro, rate of climb, turn and bank, starter wiring, nightlights, CHT and EGT, a 25-pound battery, and an alternator to power it all. Aside from the $14,000 expense, the airplane is 140 pounds overweight! Unfortunately, this equipment was also on an aircraft finished with over 11 gallons of Featherfil and 6 gallons of white paint (N4EZ has 5 quarts and 1.3 gallons respectively). This airplane is so heavy that a normal pilot can't even operate within the "first flight" limits shown in the Owners Manual. All of the gadgetry in this Vari-Heavy belongs in a 747, not in a little homebuilt! This airplane is now a single-place. It can happen to you, too, if you lose appreciation for weight control. N4EZ started life with an 11-pound alternator on the engine and had to have 10 pounds of lead in the nose to balance properly. We really thought that the alternator was necessary to power our little NAV/COM on long trips. Well, we were wrong. The voltage regulator burned out on a trip to Seattle and since we were too busy to fix it right away, we charged up the little 12 Amp-hour motorcycle battery and flew another 3000 miles. Controlled airspace, radio navigation, and weather reports, we used the radio as much as ever and the battery was still strong when the trip was over. Obviously, once home, we ripped the alternator off, took the lead out of the nose, and put the voltage regulator on a polished mahogany plaque. That little voltage regulator helped us take 21 lbs. off of N4EZ's empty weight! You hard core gadgeteers should spend your efforts finding things that can be taken out to save weight, not hunting for space to add expensive and heavy grozmos! The second major weight offender is the finishing nut. We have heard stories of builders who use Bondo on airplanes for finishing. Bondo weighs 12 pounds per gallon. Dry micro only weighs 3 pounds per gallon. We hear reports of gallons of Featherfil being used where quarts should do. ARRGH! If you wonder why we are getting gray hair, it's because you can wipe out weeks of design refinement and weight saving efforts with a stroke of your Bondo paddle! Read and use Section V carefully and conscientiously. Don't ruin your airplane trying to make it into a sculpture! A Cessna 150 leaves the paint and finish shop only 13 pounds heavier than it went in, and it has more than twice the surface area of VariEze. N4EZ's finish weighs 18 pounds and we think that's too heavy. If you add over 20 pounds to your Eze in finishing, you have done yourself a disservice. There has been some confusion about what to expect for the empty weight of your VariEze. The values shown in the Owners Manual are for a basic airplane without any extra equipment, no electrical system, and minimum weight finish. The average homebuilt VariEze with an 0-200 engine, with the basic electrical system (Section III) and with an average finish job will weigh approximately 600 pounds, empty. This goes the same for a VariViggen, too. While the empty weight is given as 950