Matronics Email Lists

I learned of this AD last year and installed the brackets. It's a fairly easy job. I had to adjust the location of my BRS parachute a little because the new brackets interfered with the clamps that he ...

Those are reportedly all-up weights with radiator and coolant. The 532 block is lighter than the 503 but the radiators make up the difference.

This reference shows they both weigh 100#

https://rotaxrick.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/rotaxdecision.pdf

I just received the parts and am in the process of installing them. The parts do the same job as that welded brace on your plane, so you should be good, assuming that both bellcranks have a similar br ...

Great video. I found myself leaning over in my chair on some of those turns!

I don't know if I'd trust my old Rotax 377 enough to follow that route or not. My fun factor goes way down when I don't ...

I measured 290 pounds static with a Rotax 377 turning a 66" Warp Drive prop. There was a slight amount of tailwind that day, so I suspect that number is slightly inflated, but I'm sure it produce ...

Herb -
Looks like I'm going to be selling my Firestar. I own it jointly with a friend and he's getting out of flying. I've got another airplane so this one will be surplus. I haven't listed it anywh ...

Brian Carpenter has come up with a great way to make gap seals from foam pool noodles. He pulls the noodles through a heated die.

https://electricmotorglider.com/2017/07/15/57-80-10-large-gap-seal/ ...

Richard -

Congratulations on the successful first flight. I had about 100 hours on 277 engines before I went to Kawasaki, mainly to avoid vibration that was tearing up my airframe. The 277 is a rea ...

That junk looks a lot like what you might see in the bottom of a float bowl that's been sitting for a few years. I'd toss that tank and get a new one. Just as old gas turns to varnish, old plastic get ...

I put a pin on this map yesterday in Corning California and it's disappeared today. Anybody know what's causing that? Is it possible for anyone who logs in to just delete pins off the map?

At the risk of boring you all, here's a link to a couple of videos on the development of my chase cam.

https://youtu.be/Sq9gI2upNBI
https://youtu.be/egd30HslaSY

Here's one with some detailed ...

One more thing to consider about the vibration. That wood airframe on the mini-max likely soaks up a whole lot more vibration than the chrome-moly cage on the kolb.

I found the IVO to be a good m ...

Are those JATO bottles on either side of the tail rack? I bet that would would really help when passing semi-trucks on an uphill grade. Maybe you could mount them on the Kolb to help that 277 on a hot ...

I don't think the mounts get stiff with age. The 277 is just a vibrating little beast. You can use softer mounts but it will decrease your thrust measurably. I tried three different grades of mount wh ...

The Ducati ignition system has a small inductive 'trigger' mounted behind the flywheel. There are no breaker points.

The snowmobile engines had a Ducati electronic ignition with a single two-lead coil and a 'black box' that could be mounted in various places. It's a good system. I believe it has an electronic advanc ...

I'm toying around with an original design for an ultralight and wondering if anyone knows what the welded forward fuselage for a Firefly (or Firestar) weighs? I'm coming up with a weight of about 33 p ...

When you ran out of juice, did it permanently kill the battery, or were you able to keep using it?

I've been running one (a Shorai) for almost 3 years now and it's been great. I never put a charger on it. Even after 6 weeks of sitting, the starter spins just like I flew it the day before.

I'm i ...