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EDITORIAL
The Loss of a Great Friend
By Pat Panzera, Editor
Whereas this editorial should be a report on the CAFE Green Flight
Challenge as promised last month, it is with a heavy heart that I
instead dedicate this issue of Experimenter to our good friend
and propeller guru Paul Lipps who lost his brief battle with lung
cancer earlier this month. For those who may not know who this
remarkable and unforgettable individual is, we offer the following
series of articles previously printed in CONTACT! Magazine from
July 2004 through December 2010, and include some Experimenter
articles published during that same period. In short, Paul's
unorthodox perspective led him to look at propellers a little
differently than most and to design a prop that defies logic at first
glance, with performance numbers that are equally unbelievable. But
once the design rationale is understood, we would have to wonder why
all propellers aren't designed in this manner. Designer of Light Speed
Engineering's Plasma Ignition Systems, Paul wasn't only a creative
thinker, but also a likeable, compassionate gentleman. The
experimental aviation family needs more people like Paul Lipps; he
leaves a void that will be difficult to fill.
Leave
a comment |
Paul Lipps presenting a propeller forum at the 2005 Alternative Engine
Round-Up |
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PAUL'S PICK
The Average Sport Flyer
In 1959 Paul wrote about one of the biggest foils of the aviation
enthusiast that still holds true today: economics.
"We in this phase of aviation often
hear the statement, 'They [the manufacturers] should build a
$1,000 or $2,000 airplane. They would sell them like hot cakes.'
But would they? Not at least to the average sport flyer; otherwise the
Trade-A-Plane listings of aircraft would certainly be lacking
secondhand aircraft in the $1,000 or $2,000 bracket. I would like to
clarify the statement average sport flyer." Read
Paul's Pick
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PROJECT PATROL
Dave Conrad's
Tailwind W10
How does one fly with a tailwind 100 percent of the time? When flying
a Tailwind! That's a question and answer proposed by EAA Homebuilders
Community Manager Chad Jensen in his first in a series of articles
dubbed Project Patrol. For his first report he chose a project that's
close to his heart - one he's already somewhat biased toward - the
Wittman Tailwind W-10. Read
more and view the gallery
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We Need Your
Help!
Experimenter is about you, the homebuilder. Whether you are
building or flying an experimental aircraft, we need your story! If
you don't think you have a story worth sharing, this
short video may help. While not every plane or project can be
highlighted in the pages of Sport Aviation, your fellow readers
still want to see your accomplishments, including any tips you may
have to share, or tools you may have created along the way. All we
need is 500-1500 words, 5-10 photos and a brief description or caption
for each one. If you would like to write more, it is encouraged, and
don't be surprised if we contact you to ask more about your project.
The best stories come from you. And please remember to take
our survey when you are done with this issue of Experimenter.
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SPECIAL SECTION
A Tribute to Paul Lipps
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The
ELIPPSE Propeller
Paul Lipps read Modern Propeller and Duct Design,
where he learned about Peter Talbot's "Prop
Performance" computer program - all of which led to
him designing an elliptically shaped propeller. Learn the
hows and whys of the enhanced performance he's getting
with just such a propeller on his Lancair 235, as well as
some propeller myths Paul seeks to put to rest. Read
more |
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Tom
Aberle's Phantom
In most cases it takes a team effort to break new
ground in any field, and air racing is no exception. The
requirements of adequate funding, enlightened engineering,
meticulous preparation, and skillful piloting must be
brought together to form an alliance that can compete
effectively, let alone win the National Championship. This
story is about one such group, put together by Tom Aberle
of Fallbrook, California. Read
more |
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Paul
Lipps' Lancair 235
We've already read about Paul's revolutionary propeller in
the pages of the February
issue of Experimenter, so now we'd like to
showcase the balance of his plane. He started with the
wings and left almost no area of the plane untouched,
making some very interesting and thoughtful modifications.
Read
more |
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How
Fast Are You Really Going?
Here I am toolin' along in my Fast-Glaster behind that
big ol' TIO-540, lookin' at those two multi-function
displays (MFD): 280 knots and 322 mph! Hot dog! And I just
came from the avionics shop where the avionics tech worked
his magic on my pitot-static system while I fed numbers
into the computer from my laptop, so I know what it says
is true. Read
more |
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How
to...
Prop Balancing
Here's the incredibly sensitive prop static
balance device that Jeff Jeter designed and made for me.
When correctly adjusted, it will show an out-of-balance
indication when a No. 4 washer is placed at the tip of a
63-inch-diameter prop. Read
more |
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The
ELIPPSE Propeller Proves a Winner Once More
Paul Lipps has been featured in past issues of
Experimenter. His unusual propeller designs are becoming
as legendary as they are controversial. Biplane builder
and Reno racer Tom Aberle has become quite a believer as
Paul's propeller designs have allowed him to bolt on an
almost embarrassing amount of additional speed, and this
year's numbers at the Reno National Championship Air Races
are no exception. Read
more |
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CVT
PSRU?
Continuously variable transmission propeller speed reduction units
– what do you think?
The following article is merely a discussion on the potential of
utilizing the technology used in the continuously variable transmission
found on some all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and a small number of
automobiles. The idea is similar to a constant speed propeller except
the engine speed (and horsepower) is increased, or otherwise variable,
with the prop speed staying relatively constant. Some may already see a
flaw in this concept. However, read the article and share your thoughts
at EAA Forums. Read more |
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Zenith Aircraft
Company's 20th Annual Open Hangar Day
...and Builder Fly-In Gathering
The gang at Zenith Aircraft recently held its 20th annual Open
Hangar Day and Builder Fly-In Gathering at the kit manufacturing
factory in Mexico, Missouri. On September 17, 2011, despite some rain
and unexpected cold weather, the company had a wonderful event,
proving once again that it's about the people and the planes, and not
the weather! Read more
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WHAT
OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING
EAA President Rod Hightower Visits My Titan T-51 Project
I was lucky enough to have met EAA President Rod Hightower and have
him visit my Titan T-51 Mustang project. Our local FBO in Medina, Ohio,
was the site of one of Rod's tour stops this year. Gary Baker, president
of EAA Chapter 846 in Wadsworth, Ohio, put out the red carpet for the
event. It seems Gary and Rod have known each other for a few years. Rod
came to town a few hours early and had some time to kill, so Gary took
him out to show him his project: an RV-6 he has been working on for a
number of years. As luck would have it, Gary rents a building from me;
it was a perfect chance to have Rod look at what I'm building only 100
feet from Gary's RV-6: my T-51. Read more
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COPPERSTATE Readies
for 39th Annual Event
Organizers and volunteers for the COPPERSTATE Fly-In &
Aviation Expo are making final preparations for the 39th annual event
at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport in Casa Grande, Arizona.
COPPERSTATE 2011 (October 20-22) promises to be filled with
outstanding aircraft - flying and on display - informative forums,
presentations, and workshops, and plenty of the latest aviation
products in the exhibit tent. Read
more
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Graves: LightSquared
Plan Will Cost Billions, Harm Safety
October 13 - Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), an EAA member, pilot, and
chairman of the House Small Business Committee, emerged with a dire
warning following a full committee hearing this month on the proposed
LightSquared broadband project and its potential interference with GPS
signals. Read
more
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Duct Tape Mythbusters
The Discovery series Mythbusters tests the theory in this week's
episode as to whether a plane can be repaired to airworthiness with duct
tape. It stems from a 2009 incident in Alaska where a bear tore through
a Super Cub (pun coincidental) as it was looking for fresh bait unwisely
left inside the plane. That PA-18 was repaired with the duct tape and
flown out. Mythbusters airs next Wednesday, October 19, at 9 p.m.
EDT, 8 p.m. Central. Watch
the trailer
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Experimental Fatal
Accidents Exceed FAA Not to Exceed Level for 2011
The FAA set a Not to Exceed (NTE) level of 70 fatal experimental
aircraft accidents for the fiscal year 2011 that ended on September 30.
Unfortunately, that did not happen as the year ended with 73 fatal
accidents, up from 65 the year before. The FAA number includes all
subcategories of experimental aircraft including amateur-built (AB),
E-LSA, racing, exhibition, R&D, and market survey. Read
more
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e-Go
Appeals to the Inner Pilot
If Sigmund Freud were to build a fast, fun aircraft, he might have
called it the e-Go. In 2007 Gioto Castelli and Tony Bishop entered and
won a Light Aircraft Association design contest to produce cheap,
easy-to-build, and state-of-the-art aircraft that fit into the United
Kingdom's new Single Seat De-regulated Rules (SSDR) category. E-Go went
for state-of-the-art and now its single-seat composite canard pusher
prototype, which also fits experimental, LSA, and ELA standards, is
nearing completion with an expected first flight next spring. Read
more
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Members
React to Medical Exemption Proposal
As expected, the EAA/AOPA proposal to allow driver's license medical
certification by those who fly recreationally under certain guidelines
has drawn a considerable number of questions and reactions from EAA
members and other aviators. The exemption process would include a
required online aeromedical education component that EAA and AOPA
believe would enhance aviation safety and knowledge of aviation medical
factors. Read
more
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Ed
Fisher To Be Inducted to Homebuilders Hall of Fame
Ed Fisher, an EAA member since the late 1960s, grew up in an EAA
family, and by age 12 he was helping his mom and dad build airplanes at
Birdland, the family airstrip in Thompson, Ohio. Ed's first completed
homebuilt was Sonerai 1 Blueberry, which he started in high
school, and was to be the first of 18 homebuilts he completed. His first
"original" design was the Zippy Sport, which placed third in
the 1983 Western Flyer/EAA ARV design contest. Read more
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EAA
Seeks New Member Services Manager
Are you a passionate EAA member who is actively engaged in general
aviation? Do you have a background in customer service? EAA is seeking a
full-time manager for our membership services department that will help
transform EAA's Member Services team into a first-class group that can
provide knowledge, expertise, and exceptional service to create
meaningful experiences for our members. Read
more
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Build
Your Own Aircraft - EAA SportAir Workshops Can Show You How!
Take hold of your dream of building your own aircraft! Learn the
skills and techniques required at EAA SportAir Workshops. These two-day
workshops take place all over the U.S. and cover a variety of
aircraft-building topics. You could master the basics of aircraft sheet
metal, discover how to weld, figure out how to fabric cover airplanes,
gain confidence with composites, excel in electrical systems - and more!
You'll receive hands-on training and guidance from the experts at EAA.
We provide the facility and all the tools and materials, so the only
thing you need to show up with is a desire to learn! To find a workshop
near you, or to register for a workshop, click
here.
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| GREEN
FLIGHT CHALLENGE WRAP-UP
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EAA's
Green Flight Challenge Coverage:
Experimenter Editor Pat Panzera spent the week at the CAFE event
and reported on it daily. Watch for a full report in the next issue of Experimenter.
But for now, we present the following articles reprinted from EAA's e-Hotline
e-newsletter:
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Pipistrel
Taurus G4 Wins Green Flight Challenge
Team Pipistrel along with partners at Penn State won the NASA Green
Flight Challenge sponsored by Google that concluded earlier this month.
Team Pipistrel, flying the Taurus G4, was able to achieve an efficiency
rating of 403.5 passenger miles per gallon. The second-place finisher
e-Genius achieved 375.8 passenger miles per gallon, which is far more
than the 200-mile standard required for the contest. In announcing the
prize, Joe Parrish of NASA said the competition aircraft are five to 10
times more efficient than normal aircraft, emphasizing that existing
aircraft could not achieve this efficiency and "innovation was
required." Read
more
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e-Genius
Named Quietest Aircraft at GFC
e-Genius was named the "quietest aircraft" at the Green
Flight Challenge sponsored by Google held earlier this month. The
two-seat electric airplane whispered the best amongst the four
competitors, where noise levels ranged from a minimum of 56 dBA to a
maximum of 72 dBA. By comparison, the takeoff noise of a turbo-fan
aircraft at a similar distance is 110 dBA, more than 16 times louder. Read
more
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Looking for more coverage of light-sport aircraft, trikes, and
ultralights? Check out the pages of EAA's Light
Plane World. The following articles are features found in the
recent issue and are typical of what you can expect from every issue.
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A
Very Special Eipper GT400
If you saw Rick Pierson's Eipper GT400 Special at a fly-in somewhere,
you might think it's merely a very beautiful version of this well-known
design. Calling it a "Special" is an understatement once you
begin to explore the extensive changes and improvements in the airplane.
He worked very hard to reduce drag and to save weight to the point of
using thin washers and thin stop nuts wherever feasible. The resulting
performance of the aircraft is indeed extra special. Read
more
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Sport
Pilot Instruction Petition Available for Public Comment
The FAA has officially published the petition for rulemaking from
the EAA, AOPA, NAFI, and GAMA that would allow sport pilot instruction
hours to count toward higher certificates and ratings, and the public
comment period is now open. In an interview September 6 with Roy
Beisswenger on Powered Sport Flying Radio, EAA's Government &
Advocacy Specialist David Oord said he believes the long delay was due
to a technical oversight, and he explained why the change is important. Read
more
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David
Sykes' Epic Flight Completed
British paraplegic pilot Dave Sykes has completed an
11,714-nautical-mile solo flight from York, England, to Sydney,
Australia, in an open-cockpit, weight-shift-control P&M Aviation
Quik. The trip, which began April 28, took four months and crossed over
more than 18 countries. Dave doesn't have the use of his legs, so all
takeoffs and landings were flown with one hand while the other hand was
used to control a modified ground steering lever. Read
more
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Q&A
Got a
question? Send it to us at Experimenter@eaa.org.
Whether you're building, restoring, or just an
enthusiast, we want to know what has you
stumped.
Q. I was
able to come to Oshkosh for the EAA convention this summer, and heard
some great speakers at the forums I attended. Is there any way to get
recordings of the forums?
A. Recordings of
the AirVenture forums are done by Dave Yeoman, a volunteer, for
historical records. Dave has been recording the forum presentations for
more than 30 years, and the recordings are available
here.
Read more Q&As
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AVIATION GLOSSARY
Confused
by a strange aeronautical term? EAA's online
Aviation Glossary can help.
BATHTUB CURVE -
The term "bathtub curve" (as in graphing a chart) is widely
used in reliability engineering. It describes a particular form of the
hazard function which comprises three parts:
- The first part is a
decreasing failure rate, known as early failures.
- The second part is
a constant failure rate, known as random failures.
- The third part is
an increasing failure rate, known as wear-out failures.
The bathtub curve is
generated by mapping the decreasing rate of early "infant
mortality" failures when first introduced, the steady rate of
random failures during its "useful life," and finally the
increasing rate of wear-out failures as the product exceeds its design
lifetime. The resulting shape of the plotted graph resembles the cross
section of a typical bathtub, hence the name "bathtub curve."
More
glossary terms
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Beginning of the Corvair Engine Conversion
Sport Aviation, March 1962
Pietenpol Corvair Conversion
By Bernard H. Pietenpol
Many of us who are
avid fans of experimental aviation are familiar with the work that
Bernard H. Pietenpol did with converting the Chevrolet Corvair engine
for experimental aviation, specifically in his Pietenpol Air Camper. But
what many may not know is that Bernard first flew the Corvair by
installing a factory-new 1960 145-cubic-inch 80-hp Corvair engine in a
Piper J-3 Cub. Read
the article
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Cozy
Close-up: New Camera Mount Yields Amazing Video
Always looking for that unusual and different angle to shoot video
from, Cozy Mk.IV pilot Ken Murphy has given us another one. This time,
Ken's video partner Bruce Sturgill mounted an HD camera on a short boom
protruding from the nose of his aircraft, looking aft, giving amazing,
rock-stable HD video. From this angle, the viewer enjoys an exceptional
point of view, one you're not likely to experience in a typical flying
day. Read
more and watch the video
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A
Visit to Scaled Composites
Poking around the famous Mojave Airport, home of Burt Rutan's Scaled
Composites, one is liable to find just about anything involving
cutting-edge experimental aviation and potentially rare vintage
aircraft. And if you're lucky enough, you might get to take a flight in
one. Read more
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Flying
Around the World in Long-EZ
On September 11, 2010, Linda and Patrick Elliott took off in their
Long-EZ with no intention of flying around the world. "We said we'd
see how far we can get," Linda said. That sentiment has taken the
couple from Surrey, England, nearly two-thirds around the world, to
their arrival in Wisconsin for the start of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011.
Read
more
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Thermalling
in a Taylorcraft
Taping the altimeter, an old sailplane trick, YouTube member "popsdory"
shows us that it's entirely possible to gain altitude in small aircraft
with the propeller stopped and that energy management is key to a
textbook dead-stick landing. Best viewed full screen. Watch
the video
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Aerotow
of a Yando Goat Ultralight Sailplane by a Trike
Alan Beavis of Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia soars above it all
in his Yando Goat ultralight sailplane, getting his altitude from a
friendly trike towplane. Watch
the video
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HOMEBUILDER GALLERY OF
THE MONTH
Chris May's Baby Ace
In the October issue of EAA Sport Aviation, we met Chris May who
found out over the course of restoring a Corben Baby Ace that he really
likes bringing airplanes back to life. When he bought his Baby Ace, he
found the wings were built like "high-quality furniture"
despite their dirty and dusty outside appearance. But there was a second
challenge: how to rebuild this aircraft while keeping it flying at the
same time. View
the gallery
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WEBINARS
Avoiding
the Base-to-Final Turn Accident
With the FAA and EAA's
recent emphasis on reducing fatal accidents in the experimental
category, this webinar will examine a common type of accident that is
very preventable. Gordon Penner will provide simple and clear
explanations of the elements leading up to a base-to-final stall/spin
accident, how to recognize and stop these elements, and the true nature
of stalls and spins that most pilots haven't been taught.
All webinars begin at 7
p.m. CDT unless otherwise noted. To find out more about upcoming EAA Webinars
and to register, visit the webinars
page.
EAA gratefully
acknowledges the support of Aircraft
Spruce and Specialty Co. for their generous
sponsorship of our webinar programs.
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From the Experimenter
Online Community
The following discussions can be found in the NEW! EAA Forums:
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Can
you help?
Join
the discussion!
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SURVEY
Please
review and rate
this issue of Experimenter and its articles.
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