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THE CANARD PUSHER

Note! Price increase for the Canard PusherNewsletter. This is due to the higher costsof the paper, printing and builder support.This is our first increase since CPH 1 in 1974.

If you are building a VariViggen from 1st Editionplans you must have newsletter 1 through 22. Ifyou are building a VariViggen from 2nd Editionplans you must have newsletter 18 through 22.If you are building a VariEze from the 1st Editionplans you must have newsletters 10 through 22.If you are building a VariEze from the 2nd Editionplans you must have newsletter 16 through 22.A current subscription for future issues is mandatoryfor bUilders, as this is the only formal meansto distribute mandatory changes. Reproductionand redistribution of this newsletter is approvedand encouraged. --

The RAF hangar is located on the west end of theflight line attheMojave Airport, f10jave, Ca.,approximately 80 miles north of Los Angeles. Youare welcome to come by and see our aircraft orto bring in any parts for our comments. We arenormally open from 9:00 to 12:00 and 2:00 to 5:00on Monday through Saturday.

If you are planning a trip to see us, please callfirst to assure that someone will be here to assistyou, since occasionally we are gone to fly-ins.

'lIhen it'~n'!Jto RAF 'always , send a starnped;'"!elf-"" '"addressed envelope along if you have questions.If you are making an order, its best to keepit separate from a request for an answer to a builderquestion. Mark the outside of your enve1Qpe "builderquestions". This will speed your reply.

know how long we would orbit to wait our turn inthe airshow the Defiant made a refueling stop atLaramie Wy while the Long-EZ, not wanting to wearthe tires unnecessarily, orbited over-head. Wearrived at Oshkosh after 9.9 hours flying time(Long-EZ) and found we had to orbit about an hourfor our slot in,the airshow. Mike Me1vill, who flewout two days before, joined us in the orbit andwe did our three ship routine before the largestcrowds ever at Oshkosh. Average speed for the Defiant/Long-EZ on the trip was 180 mph including the ,Laramiestop (189 mph stop not included). The Defiant burned11.2 gal/hour, Long-EZ 5.4 gal/hour. Average tailwindwas about 10 knots.

All three of our aircraft flew numerous times duringthe week in the airshow, fly by pattern and demos.One afternoon EZ pilots literally saturated the fly­by pattern with VariEzes. The Long-EZ flew, afterthe non-stop from Mojave, two airshows, a demo,a trip to Fond du Lac and a practice LBF lap andstill had two hours of Mojave fuel remaining!

It was certainly exciting to see 41 VariEzes atOshkosh. However, the icing on the cake was whenthe Grand Champion Custom Built award went to agorgeous Canadian VariEze built by Norman Ross.See the October 1979 Sport Aviation magazine foran excellent article on Norm's airplane writtenby Jack Cox. Incidentally Norm also won the GrandChampion prize at the Tullahoma F1yin in Tennessee.

The following are those who attended the1979 Oshkosh event:

N79RA Dick Rutan Ca (Long-EZ)N78RA Burt Rutan Ca (Defiant)N27MS Mike Me1vill Ca (variViggen)N111EZ Jeff Rose Tn (VariEze)N76WJ J &WMelville CaN66EZ Bob Voughan TnN20VE J.L. Murphy FlN77LF L. Foster CaN240EZ George Scott GaN2NP Nat Puffer MnN752EZ Steve Stuff WaN34EE Stan Hill CaN2280K John Neils,,,--" MtGCMEZ, Eric Taada CanadaN7EJ E.Freeman CoN22809 Ray Cull en OrN51WC MStockton KsN37840 Fred Keller AlsakaN18VL V. Larson CoN770DY D. Yoakam FlN7WC W. Curd MoN91CL C. Langerud TxN57EZ B. McKean TxN837 B. Duarte TxN27RG R.Ganzer CaN26JW J. Wright MoN4ZZ Ken Swain CaN90331 Bryan Giesler CoN9113A W. Brin CaN79PJ Phil Supan CaN301RW R.Woodall Ma

,N123EZ B.Muirhead CoN13CF C. Cottle W.VaN25TB Tom Bradford KyN84ST Ken Forest CaGCVEZ Norm Ross CanadaN747TC Ted Cassity MoN37S River Stone S.C.N575JW * J.Wagner MiN17DR * R. Williams MoN5WZ * E. Wie1an MnN41G1 G. Laurenzo R. 1. ~N808CM * Cal Molinea MiN48EZ Ray Richards Oh* These pilots did not register

at Oshkosh.

LBF RACE 1980 - We are ,planning a VariEze classwithin the LBF competition. (see October 1979 SportAviation). The VariEze is not designed as a raceaircraft and is thus not competive enough to winthe LFB. However, a class for just VariEzes, withits own seperate award/prize would be appropriate,competative and fun. We are suggesting that EZ'senter under the single place rules rather than two­place so they do not exceed gross weight limits.They would thus compete with each other for a prizeawarded to the best three category (L,B &F) performancefor an EZ. See page 23 December 1978 issue of SportAviation for complete race rules .

$6.75$8.75$1.50

OCTOBER 1979

J1y, Oct) by

OSHKOSH 1979 - All of us at RAF flew to Oshkoshthis year and had an enjoyab1e.trip. We t~ok twonew aircraft - Long-EZ and Deflant, also Mlke andSally's VariViggen plus a Grumman Tiger. Due toaH"off the cuff" comment to Jack Cox last springwe found ourselves commited to a non-stop Mojave­Oshkosh flight with the Long-EZ - Defiant. We werealso scheduled to fly in the opening day airsho~

so why not take off from Mojave to do it? Afterall, theres no arrival trafic at airshow time !So opening day we fueled up the airplanes, putthree people plus baggage in the Defiant and too~

off on our 1780 mile trip. The flight was beautlfu1 ­excellent weather and good winds. Because we didn't

C.P2'2.

coMpOSITE WORKSHOP - VARIEZE, VARIVIGGEN &QUICKIEA construction - composite seminar will be held atRAF, Building 13, Mojave Airport, Mojave, Ca93501 on November 24th. 1979. Since constructionmethods are similar, we are doing this jointlywith Quickie Aircraft Inc. There will be flightdemonstrations of the Quickie. EZ, Long-EZ, VariViggenand Defiant, between 10 am and 11am. Lunch willbe arranged from 11 to 12:30 and the workshopwill run from 12:30 to 5 pm. Builders are encouragedto bring parts, particularly if you have a partthat you are unsure of, bring it so that it maybe inspected, or used to educate other builders.Mojave Airport is a two hour drive north of LosAngeles on Highway 14: 25 miles on the 3350 radialfrom Palmdale Vortac. Bring folding chairs ifyou can, wrap up warm, it can be chilly at Mojavein November.

NO 22.

Published quarterly (Jan, Apr,RUTAN AIRCRAFT FACTORYBldg 13, Mojave Airport,Mojave, Ca 93501(805)824-2645U.S.,& Canadian subscriptionsOverseas (AIRMAIL)Back Issues

RAF Acitivity since the July newsletter has includeddevelopmental tests on the Long-EZ. f1yins to Oshkoshand Columbia and builder/flyer support. The Defiantprogram is inactive, awaiting financing.

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The following is a list of those EZs that have flownsince CP #21. If you know of someone who shouldbe on this list, contact us so they are includedshould an emergency safety advisory be necessary.

VARIEZE FlYIN, GAINSVlllE, GA - The "Real" GeorgeScott of Cumming, Ga, organized a flyin over theweekend of 20th &21st October and had six VariEzesfly in. Three wards were given,Bob Woodall - the Longest distance award.Robert Vaugn - The best overall and the best interior.Jeff Rose - the spot landing contest.

We are looking forward to a lot of VariEze participationnext year so start planning now. The only rules(besides the lBF rules) is that the structuralmaterials and external shape/size of the aip1ane beper VariEze plans. Cleanup items like wheel pants.fairings, etc are legal. Any engine is legal. Weare working on a sponsor for the prize money andwill report on this in CP 23 or 24.

Larry and Janet lombard - "just a short note inappreciation for the follow-up on the fuel contam.problem. Fortunately, our EZ shows a clean billof health.

We flew the trek to Alaska via A1can and had a wonderfulvaction. We stayed with Tom Kuffels, Fred Kellersand fished a lot. Those folks up thereare Greatpeople. We flew the 2600 plus mile trip (one way)on about $100 fuel and averaged 155.8 mph. Ourlongest leg was 770 miles at 4.45 hour and (withone hour reserve) Janet didn't show too many signsof fatigue. We were a tad over gross though - - ­about 1130 for take off, really makes that C-85grunt. We had many requests for buzz jobs by Canadian

-towers·..... -anCft!fey·wanted it ·in trght·over-· _.the ramp, not out over the runway.... very curiouspeople about the EZ. Thanks again".

Dick Woods/Bobbi Cohen - "EM Chapter 62 held theirannual flyin at Hollister, Ca on July 13 1979. Eachgal was asked to bring a cake for the dessert partof the Saturday night banquet. We've got so manyVariEze's under construction in the chapter that Bobbidecided to contribute one of her own - an ediblevariety. The folks in charge of the dinner decidedit looked too good to cut, so thay planned to awardit to the Grand Champion of the show - Larry Lombard'sbeautiful VariEze! Rather fitting, don't youthink. (And we all did get to eat the cake finallyon Sunday at a cook-out at Reid-Hillview airp.ort).Her~ a photo of the vanilla "VariEze". (f"'3").

Otto Schimmel - "Enclosed are pictures of firstflight which Dick Rutan flew in June 1979 at Mojave,Ca. N9036G, VariEze was built by George Gilmer,age 73 years young. Three years total time at SantaPaula airport, Ca. Total cost was about $3600.George made al most every part. Wing fittings,wheel and brake system, throttle quadrant etc. Headvises all builders, if Burt gives a measurementor method there is a reason. He believes that inall his years the VariEze and plans are the bestthere is. George started flying in 1929. But hadone big thrill when Mike gave hima ride in hisVariViggen" .

and we proceeded north on our way to Paco, Washington.Flying over country like Me. Shasta and Crater lakewas certainly a thrilling experience. We spentthe week with relatives in Pasco - giVing ridesto the nephews and to a very nice hangar owner whogave us~corner of his hangar for the week - youknow how we can squeeze in. We participated inthe Blue Skies fly-in the following week-end anddid a few fly-bys for the spectators. The Shupesand Hamlins stopped for Saturday evening and thenwere off Sunday on their way to a Canadian vacation.Sunday morning we headed for Mariposa and then onhome Monday.

The trip put 18 hours plus on our Eze which is thelongest single trip we have had in our airplaneand loved every minute. Perfect weather and perfectEze performance made for a fun and inexpensive trip.We have total of 131 hours on the Eze now and arelooking forward to many more enjoyable excursions".

The "Real" George Scott - "Interesting problem flyinga VariEze cross country - I was east bound level .at 5500 ft. Another aircraft appears to the rightalso east bound at the same flight level on a paththat will cross slightly behind us. He thinks weare going backwards and since the aircraft to theright has the right of way he turns to the rightto pass behind us! I'd sure like to hear his versionof what he thought he saw and the evasive maneuverthat followed!"

Houston Tx3 Rivers MiMiddletown OhTemple City CaSanta Barbara Calondon KyGoleta CaTracy CaBe11view WaAdelphi MdTok Alaskalouisville KyWaynesburg PaRosewell N.MSan Deigo CaNew Fairfield CnHuntsville A1Waukegan Illeavenworth KsChampaign 11Mesa Az

AustraliaN.Ridgevi11e OhBrookshire Txless Summit MeDowners Grove Illa Mirada Ca

EnglandTracy CaOrlando F1.l itt1eto.n_--.C.o _Buena Park CaFresno CaWilkesboroug NC

VARIEZE HOSPITALITY CLUB FlYIN - A total of 18Airplanes flew into Co1u~bia, Ca over a two dayperiod, 20 & 21 of October. Unfortunately it rainedSaturday, but was perfect all day Sunday. The EZfrom the fartherest south was from Chino, unfortunatelynone .of the guys from San Diego made it, due tobad weather. In fact, if weather had not been aproblem, there was a potential of around 30 VariEzesflying in. The Defiant, VariViggen and long-EZflew in from Mojave. Don Shupe made up a few awards,Ed Hamlin - for Best builder support.les Faus - for giving the most back-seat check­out rides and most hours (100 and 475 hr. t.t.).Bruce &Bonnie Tifft - for Super Flyin coordinators.Dick Rutan - for a "Reluctant" Aerobatic Instructor.Everyone had a great time and all were in favorof doing it again soon. Probably January or Febuary,time and place, not decided.

Bill EnglishTerry BrokawDavid Morganlee RoanStan HillJ.ChestnutH.SteinhoffR. JohnstonBill StammBob WoodallG.BowmanJohn CollanElsworth HamelTed MartinBruce EvansDon NearyCliff WinterJim TrombinoJim langleyRoger KlemmJoe lawyerJeff DanesGreg Co1nMPerryK.JeffersJ.SteichenF. FergusD.FreemanE. Pruett,T. GehresDave WenenEdra-Parker--D. MartinRay Eby

VARIEZE OPERAtOR EXPERIENCE - we recieved manyfavorable comments about this section of Newsletter21, so we will plan to make it a regular column.Bruce and Bonnie Tifft - "Here's a fun trip foru Eze owner. You leave on Friday - spend Fridaynight and half Saturday at the Hollister Flyin withaeven other Ezes. Then we 1eft wi th three otherEzes (Hamlins, Shupes and les Faus) and flew toAuburn for lunch. We spent the night at the Hamlins.late Sunday afternoon we flew over to Mendocinobut found it was fogged in - so we proceeded toNapa for a late lunch (San Francisco area).

Early Monday morning, the Shupes left for los Angeles

Wilma Melville - possibly the only woman VariEze pilot,Wilma Dasche-Melvil1e, has completed her 100thhour in the airplane which she and her husba~d

John built over a period of It years. A P.E.teacher from the Torrance, Ca school distl'ict,she included the EM Oshkosh fly-in in her sch~riule.Note: John built the EZ with Wilma's help, buthe is not a pilot and is thus confined to theback seat!

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1977Winter and Spring: Ouch! What labor pains! It

takes 6 months for the whole egg to arriveSummer an~ Autumn: We are hatching. Every spare

mlnute we are hatching.

Helma Hamel - "last Ma~ after I heard lIlY husbandEllsworth groan over the changes in the lastnewsletter I made up the enclosed "poem". Iwanted to send it to you, but Ells thought itwas too corny. Well, I just mailed to you theannouncement of Ell's first flight in VariEzeN235EH and I decided to mail the "poem" too.You still might get a smile out of all that corn.It was a tremendously scary and exhilaratingmoment, when Ells started climbing. There isnothing in my life that can compare to the shudderand thrill I felt, not even the birth of ourfirst child.First the annoucement ­

She Fl ies.

St. feter'. Le~ent

1st.. 'Tt.r .book bt. balod h••d .nd .erdeb.d bi. grizsl.d beards

don 1. know wb.t to ....k. ot tbh; it I. po.iti"aly weird.Kacb ninety day. a ...onatroua ...o.n tIoat. upward to tbe akil.A .ound .0 wo.begon••nd .ad, tb••ng.l. wipe tb.ir .y... 'It .tart. to wild around L. A., and by tb•••eond d.yIt .ebo•••nd r.".rb.rat •• aero••. tb. U. S. A.1 .train to glean trClD. .11 tbh din ~rl on. r....Ung word~t what tb. voic•• cl_or tor •••• tr..k1.h .nd abll.lrd. 'Tb.y wail.d ot 'wo", g.....', .b7i1k.d ot ·cutt.· until I plug d .ar.Tb.y bowl.d tor 'rod .nd.· and .ucb .tutt, .nd now it'. ·l.ndf"ng ~.r•• ••I bear .om. t.llow i. to bl..... , .0lD.••irborne de ••rt cbi.t,A rell d••igning eo-.nd-.o, wbo tbriv•• on .11 tbil grief.HI tinker., toy••nd t~bul.t •• and .....11. ot ga.olin••H. rule•• beckroOlD. prlnting pr•••, .n inat.nt-gloOlD. ...acbine.Ii.....11. a 111.1.1. qu.rterly, 1.11. 'oure. of .11 di.tr..1P'rOlll dellrt bide-out to the world, it'. c.lled TH! IXlCMSU.Y fRli:SS.And every In who read. hil new. will inltantly be ch.nged.So e grow ~role, .o...e .norl Ind lnort, 10lD.. end up quite d....nged.So e yells The ripper .trike••gain~· So.... throw epoxy fitlso e .obs 'By Jove it'. VariMard.· So e drown their grief in·SchlitZ.I yearn to zap thlt .eound...l now. I' c.rt.in of applou,".But .tr.ng. enough .o...e heavenly holt hi". rallied to hi. c.Ula.The ~ito Ext.n.ion ServicI cllilD.l, beo.u.e thi. fellow clredA doz.n ... en, who bad been marked for reoping, bave been Iplr.d.Tb. ob.rub. ple.d th. poignont tact, tbot he' ••n .CI be fli ••Can I tbink ill of .ny ....n who ....cb.. for the Ikielf' •Tb.y'"e leen hi. Wing.; they call hilD. kin; tblt .vey....e I edlD.it,lOr tlyer••r•• noble breed, a joy, and full of grit. 'I. h. a r~gu. or lily wbit.f I only vi.h I knew.I baar be • looking tbr n.w field••nd br.ndnew thing. to do.H••ay. _ thi. cap.r 1••".......tunn.d, bi. b.... IIn••• 1 deplore ­H. just d••ign.d • b.tt.r Wing tor ...y own .ng.l corp••

Now the Poem -

A dream, a.wish, and a gigantic setof "How-to" plans.We take lessons, place our order with thestork and ready the nest.

Sunmer:

Spring:

Autumn:

Spring:Summer:

We have to keep the egg warm through theharsh Pa. winter, so we build an incubator.Still hatching.There she is: a complete bird, ugly, greenand blotchy, but her wings are in the rightplace.We care for and feed an insatiable bird.She sure can swallow the dough.

Her nervous system is maturing,. her reflexeslook good.The great metamorphosis: The blotchy greenfledgeling changes to coal black, then toshining white. But Dr. Rutan orderscorrective surgery for her and all of herspecies.She is whole again, and she has a voiceafter some hiccoughs and sputtering shepurrs.

AUGUST 13 She is flexing her wings, she isai rborne.

IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE I IPS-VARIEZE N253EH!

Autumn:

1979Winter:

1978Winter:

1976Sunmer:

LONG-EZ N79RA UPDATE - Today the Long-EZ has 102.4hours, a new set of wings with different winglets,and longer ailerons. The standard VariEze wingsdid not work well and were abandoned after Oshkosh.We burned the midnight oil and designed and builta new rear wing system. The 23-degree L.E. sweep,Eppler airfoil, and wing attachments are similarto the Defiant. Improved foam core jigging andglass layup methods were developed. The 42% increasein wing area was made with very little weight increase.The wing spar and center section spar overlap andare connected with three bolts in shear that allowan EZ wing incidence change with shim washers.We are very satisfied so far with the performance.We have excellent stall characteristics with awide departure margin. We don't anticipate everneeding wing cuffs. The aircraft is very stableat full aft cg. This cg limit is reached witha Lycoming 0-235 with starter, alternator andfuel pumps and a 125 lb pilot - no ballast. Theapproach and landing speeds are 5-6 knots lowerthan a VariEze. Deck angle is low enough thatthe over-the-nose-visibility is excellent at touchdown with full aft stickl Useful load is increasedover a VariEze, resulting in a single-place rangeof 1400 miles and two-place range of 800 miles.However, we're still not finished. At the new lowertakeoff and landing speeds the rhino rudder effectivenessis inadequate which may force us to revert to theconventional winglet-mounted rudders (I seesome of you smiling).

We are so encouraged with the new wings and overallflying qualities that we have applied to attempta world class-closed course distance record thisfall. Please understand the Lon!rEz is not finished ­its still in flight test and more things could change.But we are very close to a design freeze. Completedetails on the Long-EZ and plans will be in CP 23.Please wait further questions till then - we needto get the work done!

TECHNICAL CORNER - We will plan to make the T~hnicalCorner a regular feature of the Newsletter.

VariEze materials tested to support Space Shuttle ­NASA's Dryden Test Center recently flew an F-15fighter with a wing addition constructed of threepound urethane foam skinned with four plies BID/Epoxy.These wing additions were subsequently covered withspace shuttle tiles, to test their ability to withstandloads expected during reentry. The bare BID/foamadditions were flown to 1.5 times the max expecteddynamic pressure of the shuttle - 1100 lb per squarefoot, at 1.4 mach, 660 mph indicated speed. Thisisa dynamic pressure of nine times that of a VariEzeat red-line speed I

The equivalent flat-plate drag area of an entireVariEze is less than 1.5 square feet, or roughlyspeaking, an EZ has the same drag as a square flatboard 14 inches on a side. With this small amountof total drag, adding drag-producing additions willhave a large effect on the aircraft's performance.For example, a cross-over exhaust system will slowthe cruise speed by 10-15 mph, due to the drag producedby the blunt bumps required on the cowling. Thisincrement has been verified by everyone who hasmade this exhaust change. The bumps also causeturbulence that increases prop noise.

Moisture change - moisture on a wing from rain willeffect its lift. This effect is small on a conventionalaircraft, ie, the Grumman Tiger descends 500 fpmif untrimmed entering a rain shower, but is easilytrimmmed out. A Canard aircraft generally has amuch larger trim change in rain because its highlifting wings are located far apart. We do notfully understand the reasons for this, but the followingcharacteristics exist for most VariEzes: if a trimmed

cp ~o. 22

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EZ enters light moisture or light rain it will climb.requiring about 1/2 lb to 1 lb push to maintainlevel flight. In heavy rain, most EZs trim nosedown, requiring a mild aft stick pressure to flylevel. The trim change varies with speed, beingbarely perceptable at 70 knots and higher as speedis increased. One EZ flyer reported a heavy aftforce required (15 to 20 lb) when making a 150-knot (172 mph) descent through a heavy rainshower.

We often hear the following comment from EZ pilotswho have just flown their airplanes, " my speedis low, lset the power for 2650 rpm (75% power)and only get 166 mph true". You are not at 75%power, just because you have set the rpm for thatpower on the Cessnas you are used to flying. Remember,the EZ has very wide speed range for a fixed-pitchprop. To get adequate take off performance, theEZ has to turn high rpm at 75% cruise. Refer tothe following chart for a clean 0-200 EZ with Ted'sprop and wheel. pants. At 8000 ft and 2650 rpm youare generating only 49% power ( a good economy cruise).To get 75% pwr at 8000 ft you have to use fullthrottle and turn 2990 rpm at a TAS of 193 mph •.We generally do not cruise at 75% - we prefer 60%or less to conserve fuel and reduce the noise level.60% gives a TAS of 178 mph and fuelflow of onlyabout five gal/hour at peak EGT. Static rpm - ifyou have a static rpm of less than 2450, with the0-200 or 0-235 engine, you will have poor takeoffperformance, due either to too much prop or a sickengine.Be sure your tach is calibrated. The hand held~eath kit thumb tach works well. Can even be usedln flight, just point it back from inside thecockpit

'li';()

q!?iA-VI lEO~')

{)Jf--;C

lEDIl-1:

FLYING HINTS - Check your aileron hinges for .wear (particularly the inboard hinges) and lubricatewith a dry graphite lube. Some builders havereported wear that stopped when lubricated.Clarence Langerud reports solving his enginecool ing problem. He added a 5" long 2" wide stripof .032 alum to the front baffle and bent a 1/2"radj~s on the center and aft baffles (see dwg)

For those who fly in rain and have had prop tipdamage, Bruce Tifft of B &T Props has develope~a wood prop with a hard rubber or urethane leadlngedge, that has proved impervious to damage atfull throttle in very heavy rain. Note thatB &T Props address was printed incorrectlyin CP #21 and should be - B &T Props8746 Ventura Ave., Ventura, Ca 93001(805 )649-2721

George Scott suggests a neat way to improve yourproficiency before flying your VariEze. Georgeused a Cessna 172, sat in the right seat, reclinedthe seat to simulate the seating position ofthe EZ, then go out and practice some high speedtaxi, runway flights and landings. Do take asafety pilot with you in the left seat!

c..P~ 2'2.. ~ 1

FLIGHT SAFETY BULLETIN - A VariEze experienced aforced landing due to engine failure caused bycollapse of the induction hoze. The owner hadnot safetied the wire and cord as per the instructionsand drawing (Sect II A page 14 - 1st Edition,Section IIA page 17 2nd Edition, Section IICpage 13). If these are not safetied the cordcan unwind, allOWing the wire to twist and lieflat. Inspect your induction hozes. If theyare not safetied, ground your aircraft untilcorrected. This bulletin was included in ourfuel compatibility questionaire.

Flight Research Inc, reports a service failureof the strut support tab of their VariEze R/Hmuffler. Their recommendations:1. Inspect attachement tab regularly2. If tab has failed, weld on larger and heavier

gauge tab prior to next flight.3. If no certified welder is available, send

R.H. exha~unit to Flight Research Inc.,.for free repair.

BUILDER HINTS - Engine baffling - Lyc 0-235.When you cut your baffle material out accordingto Section IIC errors exist leaving the aluminumpieces short in some areas. Leave the Bafflesabout 1" toolarge, then trim to fit cowl. Leavei" gap between the edge of the aluminum baffl e .and the cowl ing on trim before install ing the Ni:.bet".

John Harris recommends a large farrier's horse shoehoof rasp for shaping foam, roughing glass etc.We have found an excellent substitute for sand paperin the form of a Oisston Abrader (course R401C)available at most hardware stores. Aircraft Spruce isnow stocking the 401C. It is a long-life abrasivetool that's excellent for shaping curved fiberglassedges.We recently tried a new product that is a big timesaver. It is an acceptable substitute for dry microin the finnishing process. Stitts micro-putty(MP 1100) available from: Aircraft Spruce and Wicks.This is a polyester - based material similar toBondo, but 1/3 the weight, cures in a few minutesand works and sands· similar to dry micro. -_... .Caution: do not use on blue foam.Steve Briggs found an excellent method of settingwing incidence. While wings are still in the jig,on the table (both root and tip water lines level)bondo a Stanley line Leveller (available at mosthardware stores @approx. $1.60 each) to the outboardedge andparaleJ to the buttline of you WA-1-1 wingfitting. Check that the root and tip water linesare level and that the Stanley is level before removingwing from jig. Use this level later to adjust wingto center spaT (replaces the bondoed board, fromCP #12 page 8).A finger tip saver when .finishing featherfillthrough final color coat, use a sponge with sandingmaterial bonded to it, sold at hardware stores asQuicksand/Auto Wetdry, Meduim/course.Nat Puffer sends this idea to check your epoxy balancefor accuracy. Simply put 20 nails in the hardner cupand 100 nails in the resin cup, or for the newSafe-T-Poxy system, 43 nails and 100 nails. Natsays it works great. .

For those of you having difficulty drilling the8 holes in each wing fitting, F.J. Wells recommendsa Stanley drill Guide # 04-413 glued to the WA 1fitting with beads of hot melt glue. Producesexcellent, perpendicular holes.Jake Bach reports that he modified his Michael'sEngineering ratio pump per CP 21 and got 39-100instead of the desired 43-100. He then switchedthe pivot from the left to right (hardner pistongreatest distance from pivot) and that put himright on the money. We don't know why his pumpis different than ours, but we caution you tobe sure to check your ratio if you modify yourpump - pump into two cups and check on a balancescale.Don Yoakam reports that if you update from oldto new style Rosehan brakes, be aware that toe-in may change. The backing plates are rough castingsand may not attach in the same position.Sam Cochran made a carb heat valve using two Campbellsoup cans covered with two plys of B.I.O. Hishas over 100 hours with no wear or defects.

Shorting Roll Trim

Tw? momentary DPST sWit~hes(m1cro BA2061) .

The fuel tank vent can be covered in a steep climband result in some venting of fuel. To avoid this(new construction only) position the vent tube15" forward of its position shown. Enter the tankat the plans-position then rout the tube forward ­this avoids conflict with canopy latches.

.. .Solution to "backoff" of roll trim servo. SomeEZ flyers have experienced their roll trim tabbeing forced toward neutral due to air10ads inflight at high speed. Garth Shearing, Canada,a VariEze builder has pointed out that the servocannot be backed up if it is shorted across themotor terminals. Yes, I didn't believe it either,but ifs true - try it! The following circuit canbe used, which requires two DPST switches - onefor left trim, one for right. This wiring willprovide a short for the motor at idle, lockingit in position and provides protection from both~~r;being operated at the same time.

•SAFE-T-POXY - We have been using Safe-T-Poxy extensivelyhere at RAF over the past 6 months. The new Long-EZ wings use Safe-T-Poxy. During this period the temp'swere warm 80° -100°, and the epoxy worked beautifully.However, lately with temps dropping down into 60 to70° the Safe-T-Poxy wets slowly. This can be solvedby placing a light bulb under the ratio pump to getthe temp of both the resin and hardner up around 80to goo.When mixing micro balloons with Safe-T-Poxy, only 3MB23, SOO (available from Wicks and Aircraft Spruce)glass balloons should be used. If you use Quarts Q­cell balloons, due to alkaline, the cure will bedelayed, depending on temp as much as two or threedays. Although it does ultimately cure, and is structurallyok, this much delay, particularly in finnishing isnot acceptable.Safe-T-Poxy is now available from both Wicks and AircraftSpruce, and is excellent in all respects. All physicalproperties are equal to or exceed those of RAEF andS. Safe-T:Poxy particu1~r1y exce11s in fuel compatibilityand low mOl sture absorptton. We continue to recievereports that safe-T-Poxy has definitely solved thehealth problems of many people that are allergic tonormal epoxies.

RoTORWAv RW-100 UPDATE - Our latest informationis that the prototype engine has been taken outof the VariEze and an aggressive test cell developmentrun is underway. We are encouraged to hear thattheir advertising blitz has been put on the backshelf and the major effort is now on engineeringdevelopment. We are also gratified to hear thatthe cam/valve overlap has been changed to allowhand proping. Without starter and ring gear theweight may be within VariEze limits. We are encouragedthat the development is continuing and the performance

. and rel iabil ity will be determined. A new 100 hpaircraft engine is certainly needed. We wishB.J.Shramm all the success in his effort. We willcontinue to monitor this program and will test anengine when appropriate.

HIGH COST.O~ ENGINES - We have been hearing a lot. of comp1a1~lng about the high cost of engines. True

. ~-~~~.-. ---. a new eng1nes" cost is approaching ridicu10us- '.,.~ut, if you can find a partially run out engin~1t can be more of a bargain. The Long-EZ has aLycoming 0-235 that had 1400 hours and it cost us$150~. It was installed without modification orrepa1r. The Lycoming has a 2000 hour TBO so wecan e~pe:t ~OO hours flying on this engine (3-4years).When 1t 1S run-out" - 2000 hours in 1982 it willstill be wort~ what it cost us. Thus, its trulya low operat1ng cost engine (zero $)! This newsletter1isl$a 400 hour C90 at $2800. If you run it out(1200 hour left) then sell it for $1500 you havespent $1.08 per hour for engine. If you buy anew or newly over-hauled engine at the high goingcost, and sell it for run out cost, you will spend$2 to $3.per engine hour. Remember the majorityof you w1~1 take years to put a few hundred hours?n an eng1ne. So, consider a 1/2 or 3/4 runout _1tS sti~l a bargain. Run an add in Trade-a-plane(Crossv111e, Tn 38555), it works!

ROMEBOfLT PROPELLER - We have just reviewed thepl~ns for a home built VariEze propeller by LarryWe1shaar and have tested a homebui1t prop builtfrom his plans. The plans are a true manufacturingmanual, very detailed. The 32 page photo-illustrateddocument contains a full size drawing and stationtemplates and a considerable amount of technicalinformation from cutting down the tree to the finishedbalancing. With these plans I believe anyone couldbuild an excellent prop. But what about performance?We have in the past used Teds 56 x 76 prop as the st~ndardbecause it gave about the best performance of anywe have tested. Again we were impressed for wefound Larry's prop to be every bit as good as Ted'sand possibly a slight bit better in cruise. Thesample prop was quiet and smooth and seemed toscavenge the engine cooling air better, as the climbCHTs were down 20 - 30 of.

We are happy to give Larry our wholehearted endorsementand congratulations for an outstanding set of plansA real bargain at $17.SO, they may be purchased .from: Larry Weishaar,

1924 No 6th Street,Springfield, III 62702(217) 544-6086

VDO 310-909VOO 323-701VDO 240-701

VDO 332-044VDO 240-024

VOO 331-011VDO 240-024

VOO 370-022

VOO 350-044VDO 360-004VOO 240-023

207VOO 310-014VOO 323-057VDO 240-023

PART I~

Oil Pressure 0-150 psi **Oil Pressure senderOil Pressure wiring kit

Cy1 Head Temp 100-600°FCyl Head Temp senderCy1 Head Temp wiring kit

Volt Meter 8-16 voltsVolt Meter wiring kit

Engine Hour MeterEngind Hour Meter wiring kit

12V Chronograph (clock)

** This gage ca~ wired to include a low pressurewarning light. We have this in Long-EZ.

c? 22 f>5 S

GOOD NEWSMany of the VariEze operators have experiencedinaccuracies in the designated engine instrumentsparticu1ari1y the Tach. Because of this, onthe recommendation of Jim Proctor of Shady Cove,Oregon, we installed a complet1y different lineof instrumentation in the Long-EZ. This newinstrumentation has performed very satisfactorily.We feel these are superior to what have beenrecommended before. Example-this new Tach runsindenendent1y of the magneto switch, using avery small sender that screws right on to theengine tach drive. This small sender will runtwo tachs. We were impressed with its accuracyand reliability. Our calibration of all thesegages proved them to be accurate. (However,any instrument should be calibrated prior touse) •The Vendors are on line and this new instrumentationis being stocked by Aircraft Spruce and WicksAircraft Supply. Specific gages should be orderedas follows:GAGECarr Electronic TachometerCarr Electronic TachometerSender (includes adapter kit)Oil Temp. 120 - 300°FOi 1 Temp SenderOil Temp Wiring Kit

FOR SALEBecause of an engine change, I have an unused Cassidyprop 58" x 67" suitable for a Lye. 0-235 with anSAE n flange 4 3/8" bolt circle diameter.

Dewey Stra1ey ,488 Fairfield Ave.,Gretna, La 70053

DISTRIBUTOR REPORTAircraft Spruce and Wicks.Both report VariEze kit and materials are allin stock. Partial or complete kit orders arebeing processed within a few days. Customerscan pick up a .complete kit with a one week notice.Both distributors currently stock RAEF, RAESand SAFE-T-EPOXY.

Ken Brock Manufacturing .

Ken has been doing an excellent job· in stockingadequate quantities of the EZ components allowingprompt delivery. Ken now has a good stock ofEZ prop extensions, axles, wing fittings, weldedparts, crank nose gear assemblies, spinners,etc. Ken's spinner is a completed item, nota kit. It requires only the prop cutouts toinstall.

Lye.

Lye.

0-235 for sale.W.E. Clark,116 West University PkwyBalto, Md 21210(301)889-5092

0-235-CI for sale $2200Al Kramer,Sal Val AviationVan Nuys Airport,Van Nuys, Ca.

The Airplane Factory.

EZ canopies and Viggen canopies are in stockand being shipped promptly. TAF offers a i­price replacement should you break your canopyfor any reason in the first three years.

Fiberglass Parts.The vendor for the VariEze fiberglass parts notifiedus last July that he was modifying his businessoperation and would discontinue manufacturingthe nose and main gear~arts, but would supplythem until we could locate another source. Atthat time we decided that, since tooling forthe main gear was wearing out, we would not arrangefor the new manufacturer to produce this sameitem. Instead, we are develo~ing a new gear,which' is 40% stronger and made with an improvedprocess. This gear is designed specifically forthe Long-EZ, which has a gross weight 24% heavierthan a VariEze. We plan to have~ this newgear produced by the new vendor, and 'use it onboth the EZ and long-EZ. It is three to four 'lb heavier than an EZ gear. We have also developedan improved main gear attachment design whichis now being tested on the long-EZ. Once the tests.are done.and. the new gear is in -production' wewill make the gear (and gear attach design) standardfor both the Long-Ez and new-construction VariEze.

last month the fiberglass vendor informed ushe would no longer produce any of the VariEzeparts, after clearing his present backlog. Weare busy setting up the details for a new vendorto produce the cowlings, nose gear cover, andnose wheel box. Unfortunately, due to time delaysin transfer of our tooling ( the old vendor needsto finish his backlog), there will be delaysin the availability of these parts. We are takingthis opportunity to address some improvementsin cowling shape to reduce aerodynamic drag andimprove cooling. We should have coll1'lete details

on the new parts in CP #23. Availability of allthe new fiberglass parts is expected by midDecember. Contact us after that date if you areneeding parts before CP #23. We regret that thiscondition will result in delays for some of you.However, once these parts are in production theyshould be off-the-shelf, a considerable improvementover past availability.

In setting up the production and distributionof fiberglass parts with the new vendors, wewant to be sure to have an arrangement that providesgood service to VariEze customers. We wouldappreciate hearing feedback from those who havedealt with the old vendor so we can assess ifany improvements are needed in the areas of pricing,availibility, customer service, etc. Pleaselet us hear from you.

Dan Lee has found some small (1.15" dial volt metersand ammeners, to check solar panel charging.

100 c Volt meter 0-15 DCV - approx $30100 c ammeter 0-500 DC MA - approx $26.50

Available from - International. Instruments88 Marsh Hill Road,Orange, Cn 06477(203)795-4711

Lye. 0-235-l2C complete with mags, carb, starterand alternator and fuel pump. 460 hrs. T.T. sincenew. Cranshaft flange bent .008" - $2900

Bill Aronson - (805)256-2200

Oavid Turansky, - - -David has an excellent C.P.433 Herkimer Street, II i'ldex , CP 10 to CPBuffalo, N.Y. 14213 21 for $3.00

Continental C-90-16l400hr since new, $2800Dick Rutan at RAF (805)824-2645

Both Wicks and Aircraft Spruce are now stockingtwo excellent canopy seals. One, K-Strip is shapedf2?9 (Wick's Part Ii 44-57240) works great, and., the other , P strip shaped r::::;;/!iJ

also works very well. These are sold by the footand although ..they have an adhesive backi "g•.youmay need to supplement this with RTV or silicone.

Posters. RAF has a beautiful poster of our three~rmation - Defiant, VariEze and VariViggen(see back cover of this newsletter). This photowas shot by Budd Davisson. The poster is color,18~' x 23" and quality suitable for framing. Theyare available for $2.75 each or two for $5 at RAF.Add $1 if ordering by mail to cover mailing tubeand 1st'class postage. Specify plain or autographed.

Defiant Film. Ferde Grofe's Defiant film has recievedsome excellent reviews. General Aviation News ­"Defia'llt is one of those., rare short documentaryfilms which left us wanting more" - - "delightfulfilm experience". If interested in purchase orrental send SASE to A.V. Library, 18139 CoastlineDr, Malibu, Ca 90265

Survi va1 KitRay and Nova Cullen (see CP 21 Page 2)1116 6th Street, Tillamook, Or 97141, have developedan excellent accessory for the VariEze. It isa custom light weight survival kit designed todouble as an additional thigh support for therear seat. These are well done and we plan toinstall one in our uirplanes. Contact them forprice and availability.

Out of the 64 returned survey questionaires,52 had no problem at all, 10 reported a traceof gummy substance on the float/mixture needlevalve. Several mentioned this could cause thevalve to stick, this is becoming a common problemwith many other aluminum-tank airplanes using100LL. One reported a gummy substance in thebowl like Nats. We will be analysing this sample.Our conclusion is that the RAEFs and the Safe­T-Poxy when properly mixed should not deterioratewhen exposed to aviation fuel. However, as aprecaution we are recommending routine carb bowlinspection. If you are a VariEze flyer and didnot recieve our survey on the fuel contaminationinspection/questionaire,. then we don't know youare flying. Write to us giving your N number,name, address, and date of first flight. Wewill send you the survey and add you to a confidentiallist. This list will be used only to mail youany urgent flight safety information.

It must be noted that this may not guarantee totaldeparture resistance. This may vary from oneairplane to another, due to expected tolerancesin things like wing1et leading edge finish andshape, fuselage shape etc. Also, even at 1.ainch rudder travel, Dick was able to induce a

departure by learning an unusual and aggressivecombination of control inputs: full left aileron,full left rudder at 300 bank, then at 1000 bankabrupt full right rudder. When this was donea departure was possible (not probable) eventhough the rudder was limited to 1.8 inches.

The important thing to note is that, even thoughthis design is not as susceptible to 10ss-of­control as a conventional aircraft it shouldnot result in over-confidence on the part ofthe operator. Assume your aircraft is susceptibleto departure until proven resistant during yourstall tests with lots of altitude and a parachute.Refer to the plans-changes section of this newsletterfor a caution note to be added to your ownersmanual and for instructions on rigging ruddersto two inches.

FUEL/FIBERGLASS COMPATABILTY - This year atOshkosh, Nat Puffer had a partial power losson take off and safely aborted. The cause wasfound to be a large amount of orange gummy resilduein the carburetor. Our concern was that theremight be fuel/epoxy incompatabi1ty, possiblydue to the high-aeromatic automotive fuel hewas using. In August we prepared and sent toall known VariEze flyers a detailed inspectionprocedure and survey questionaire, to determineany trends. Applied Plastics (APCO) also conductedan aggressive accelerated ageing evaluation todetermine if the aromatics used in high octanelow lead fuel will deteriorate the epoxy.Results: APCO, RAES &RAEF showed a very slightamount of material extracted from the epoxy butwell within acceptable limits. Under normalconditions such as the way VariEzes are usedit would take years of exposure to extract evena trace. The newSafe-T-Poxy even under rigoroustest conditions was essentially unaffected.Jim Tome ran some tests at a major midwest labfound that the aeromatics in automotive and someaviation fuel 100LL will craze and leach outthe hardner in a hardner-rich Lambert layup andthis is probably what happened to Nat. Jim alsofound that the fuel additive "canned heat" andMEK can dissolve the new Safe-T-Poxy. The problemsare with the aeromatics the oil companies areusing more and more of. This is explained morein our fuel compatabi1ity AD letter.

VARIEZE lOSS-Of-CONTROLWe have just completed another series of flight testson N4EZ to test its departure (loss-of-control)resistance. What prompted this is reports fromtwo VariEze pilots in Texas that they experienceda partial or full snap roll at about ao knots.These.occurred below pattern altitude and fortunatelythe p110ts managed to recover in time to avoidan accident. The maneuver was described as follows:Full aileron and partial rudder steady sideslip,then full rudder was app ied which caused theairpl~ne ~o yaw excessively and abruptly roll,exper1enc1ng negative g. Recovery with neutralcontrol was prompt, but several hundred feetof altitude was lost.

The most surprising thing about these incidentsto us was that control was lost at such a high

. speed - 30 knots above stall. Reinspection ofour stall/spin test data and the NASA tests indicatedno susceptibility to departure.

We then initiated a new test program to investigatethis. Dick performed full rudder sideslip withN4EZ at all speeds and experienced no departures.Consentrating on the aO-knot speed range he thenaggrevated the yaw with abrupt rudder inputswhile in a rolled attitude. On one of thesehe experienced a departure - a roll off in thedirection of the slip. He then tried to repeatthe maneuver and could not get a departure inover 20 attempts. We then adjusted the aileronand rudder rigging, moved the cg aft, and repeatedthe tests. Dick found that by learning a specifictechnique he could cause a departure nearly everytime, if speed were above 75 knots and an excessivesideslip angle were generated. The departuregenerally consisted of an uncontrolled roll awayfrom the rudder input direction. Recovery withneutral controls was prompt. However, on severalof the maneuvers the yaw angle was extreme atdeparture causing a massive stall of the wingletsand blanking of the upstream wing. The airplanethen yawed past 45 degrees, abruptly rolled,and entered a 1 to 2 turn inverted incipientspin. The airplane always promptly recoveredwith neutral controls. If aileron or rudderwere applied for recovery it could cause a further"snap" departure and delay recovery. Altitudeloss on the worst of these maneuvers was as muchas 1500 ft.

Why did we not find this departure.when we d~dthe orgina1 tests and the tests w1th cuf~s 1n1978 (CP #19)? The most probable reason 1S thatmost of those test were done at high angle ofattack (full aft stick) which was thought tobe the worst case. However, we have found thatat lower ang~of-attack ie, aD knots, the rudderscan generate more sideslip than at high angle­of-attack, and thus can be powerful enough tostall the winglets in an accelerated yaw maneuver.

We were then faced with a decision on what todo: (1) caution pilots that the airplane canbe departed when using excessive yaw inputs or(2) fix the airplane to improve its departureresistance. Since we feel strongly that gooddeparture resistance is an important asset anddesign goal for the VariEze, we set out to attack# (2).

We have always known that the EZ has more rudderpower than needed for normal maneuvers - a.fu11aileron steady sideslip at low speeds requ1re~

only 60% of the available rudder to hold head1ng.The available travel is 3! inches, measured atthe top of the rudders trailing edge. We thenlimited the rudders travel on N4EZ in variousincrements, 3", 2.6", 2.3" and 1.8". At eachincrement we flew tests to determine departuresusceptability and the necessary rudder authorityfor crosswind landings.

As expected, the departure susceptabi1ity r~ducedas rudder travel was limited. After extenslvetesting and evaluation by three pil~ts we haveN4EZ's rudder now rigged for a two-lnc~ full .. .travel. With this rigging, the fo110Wlng characterlst1csexist: crosswind landings up to a componentof 24 knots are possible without tire scrub.The aircraft is not susceptible to departureduring any normal maneuver. Thus, we are no~ .recommending a mandatory rigging change to llmltthe rudders to two-inches of travel. ~ 22 p!?> 7

MEO Sect IPage 17-U--- - 2" thick top foam- piece­

12.S" should be IS"MEO Sect III

page 2 112 wire can be 118

Add the following paragraph"CAUTION - Avoid aggravatedfull-rUdder, cross control side­slips at low altitude. TheVariEze 1s departure-free atfull-aft-stick stall speed. However,at higher speeds the rudders becomemore effective and a large enoughsideslip angle can be generated tostall a winglet. If winglet stalloccurs at the same time a roll rateis being generated in the oppositedirection eg, full right rudderand full left aileron, the aircraftcan depart controlled flight.Departure is evident by anuncontrolled yaw and roll. Recoveryis normally prompt when controls areneutralized, however if yaw isextreme, the aircraft may rotate forseveral seconds and experiencenegative g. Use neutral controlsuntil recovered (rotation stops).Total altitude loss in an extremedeparture can be as much as 1S00 ft".

Add the follOWing under fuelsystems - " do not use fueladditives (such as fuel deicer)unless their compatabi1ity withfiberglass/epoxy has beenverified.

Sect IVPage 7

VARIVIGGEN NEWS - by Mike Me1vi11I flew N27MS to Oshkosh this year and had a supertrip, flew in formation all the way there andback with a 180hp Grumman Tiger, piloted by Sally.The Viggen had to be flown at quite a low powersettings in order to stay with the Tiger, atground speeds around 140 knots (162mph). I onlyburned 7.8 gph average for the whole trip. Notbad for 180 hp.We flew from Mojave via Las Vegas Nv, Provo Ut,Scottsbluff Nb-,Roc/lester-+lrt-to~m.-- The---­Viggen joined up with the,Oefiant and Long-EZfor several airshows during the week. From OshkoshSally and I flew (Tiger and Viggen) to Indianato visit family and then via Coffeyville Ks,Tucumcari NM, Abq NM, to Mojave. It was a mostenjoyable trip. I put 37 hours on the Viggen,-she now has 366 hours and apart from adding 2quarts of oil she required no maintainance.The only new Viggen flying since CP 21 is a FrenchVariViggen, built as a flying test bed for theMicroturbo jet engine. This very beautiful aircraftis powered by two of the diminutive jet engines(same as BDS-jet) located one above the other.The aircraft has only flown a few times, butreportedly is quite fast.Unfortunately, since CP 21 there have been twoVariViggen accidents, see page of this newsletter.Although causes are not known for sure, pilotproficiency still appears to be a problem. Youmust be current and sharp in several airplanesbefore attempting a first test flight in anynew airplane. Do follow the owners manual tothe letter. Do not omit the high speed taxi,and runway flights. If possible, get a checkoutin a Viggen with an experienced Viggen pilot.All of you are spending several years and severalthousands of dollars; don't throw it all awaywith careless flight testing.I have a hunch that several Viggens are almost­fight ready. When you are, give us a call, wewill be glad to help you with your test programor provide a Viggen checkout.I have only heard from a few Viggen bUilders,one Berti1 Forner of Stockholm, Sweden, (seephoto) reports good progress and has the basicairframe comp1ete,and is working on landinggear and control system. Russ MacMillan of AbbotsfordB.C. Canada, reports that he is progressing slowlybut surely, as do Frank Stites of Wayland Maand a couple of builders in Texas.

MAN-GRD Sect IV

page 19

MEO

AN 960-4 should beAN 960-416 (2 places)

Rout vent 1ines1S"forward within tank

6S 1b fuselage weightshould be 72 lb.

Under power plant add "inspectinduction hozes for correctsafety of wire and cord".Perform this inspection beforenext flight.

Rudder travel - Mandatory changebefore ne)tf fli ght. Reduce ruddertravel from 3.S" to 2.0". Thiscan be done by cuttin9 the cableand inserting both ends into anicopress sleeve to shorten thelength. Make fine adjustmentwith the fitting on the top of themaster cylinder. The riggingcheck takes two people - one in thethe cockpit pushing full rudderpedal deflection and onemeasuring at the top of the rudderwhile applying a mild aft air10ad(about 3-S pounds) on the ruddertrailing edge.

Sect IPage 11-4

Sect IVPage 30

MEO

igl t sa ety.Category DefinitionMAN-GRD Mandatory, ground the aircraft

Do not fly until the change isbeen accomplished.

MAN-XXHR Mandatory, accomplish the change a'next convienient maintenanceinterval or within XX flight hourswhichever comes first.

DES Desired - strongly recommended butnot requiring grounding of theaircraft.

OPT Optional - does not effect flightsafety

OBS Obsoleted by a later change.

MEO Minor error or ommission

MEO CP fl20Page S

VARIEZE PLANS CHANGESWe at RAF, of course, cannot enforce a mandatorychange, as FAA can on a type~certified aircraft.The regulations allowing amateur-built experimentalaircraft recognize that the homebuilder is theaircraft manufacturer and, that the aircraft doesnot need to conform to certification requirements.This allows experimentation by the homebuilder,giving him the freedom to dev~lop new ideas. ~AAachieves their goal of providlng adequate publlCsafety by restricting the homebuilder to unpopulatedareas and to solo flight until his aircraft isproven safe.It is the hombui1der's responsibility to maintain,inspect and modify his aircraft as he desires.However, we at RAF feel that part of our job isto provide information to the homebuilder in theform of recommendations that, in our opinion, arerequired for him to achieve a satisfactory levelof f1 h f

DES Sect IIPage 21-4

MAN-GRD Sect I

Page 19-12Sect IVPage 28

MAN­GRD

MAN-GRD - Sect IVPage 37.

Correct the CP 21 addition to read" before first flightclean and flush all screens, both carb and gasco1ator.Remove and clean out carb finger strainer and carb floatbowl. Check for a g~ substance on the needle valve.Repeat this inspection each 2S hours for the first 100 hr.and SO hrs there after".

• •VIGGEN BUILDING TIPS - When rigging your ailerons,be sure to set all belcranks at the fuselagestations shown on page 40 (ist Edition) and pages46 &47 (2nd Edition). Clamp AB4's and AB8'sat the angles shown. The fabricate Ab1's toAB10's to fit. This must be done correctly.It is possible for stick to lock over centerif the be1cranks are rigged at the wrong angles.EXHAUSTS - The standard VariViggen exhaust systemmust be tied together and to the crankcase, inorder to reduce the possiblity of the pipes cracking.This has been in service on N27MS for 120 hourswith no sign of a problem. See sketch.

ACCIDENTSSince the last newsletter there have been two VariViggenand four VariEze major accidents.An Ohio VariViggen crashed just after making a towerf1yb~: to check an unsafe gear. Ground witness (pilot)reported an object fell off the engine then the enginesputtered and quit. The aircraft rolled sharply leftnose pitched up and the aircraft struck the groundin a high rate of sink. The pilot was fatally injured.Apparently the pilot tried to make a turn back to therunway but due to low altitude/airspeed the aircraftdeveloped a high rate of sink and crashed before theturn could be completed.A Michigan VariViggen crashed when the builder/pilotover-controlled in pitch just after his first takeoff in the aircraft. The aircraft was totallydestroyed, but luckily the pilot survived with veryminor injuries. The initial flights were flown bya qualified test pilot and he reported the aircraftwas stable in all three axes and flew "practicallyhands off". A11 though the apportun i ty for a checkout was available, the builder/pilot did not takeadvantage of it.An Arizona VariEze crashed just after take off on itsinitial flight. The aircraft was destroyed and thebuilder/pilot received major injuries. We have requestedbut not yet recieved, more details on this accident.A Florida VariEze crashed when the canopy came openjust after take off. The pilot was attempting a 180·turn back to the airport when the aircraft pitcheddown rolled left and contacted the ground. Theaircraft was destroyed,the pilot recieved seriousinjuries.A Missouri VariEze lost power just after take off andrecieved major damage in the ensuing off field landing.The owner/pilot and his new bride were not injured.The engine failure was determined to be water in thefuel.A Colorado VariEze crashed during landing approachwhen another aircraft pulled out in front of him fortake off. The aircraft was totally destroyed, thepilot recieved very serious injuries. We have requestedbut not yet recieved details on the accident.

The Michigan VariViggen accident was apparently precipitatedby the pitch trim change with power change. An experiencedpilot made the first few flights on this Viggen andreported it to be "hands off" in all three axes, withgood flying qualities.Without the invaluable benfit of a check out, the bui1der/pilot made his first take off and was "surprised bythe sudden rotation and immediately reduced power".Of course, due to the high thrust line, this causedthe airplane to pitch up even more. He then slowly

..added power, but was probably slow enough to be sinkingat this point, and the added power, pitched the nosedown, only aggravating the situation. At this pointthe airplane was diving towards the ground, and ashe put it, was as though at the bottom of a loop, andhe smoothly applied back pressure to pullout, contactingthe ground, wings level, but with enough force to virtuallydestroy the aircraft.Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, but neverthe·less, he has lost a very beautifu11 airplane, thathe worked four years to build.The pitch trim change with power on the Viggen is notexteme, nor abrupt, and is easily controlled. A lowproficiency pilot can easily learn to compensate withthe stick to maintain the proper attitude. However,on at least two instances we feel it has contributedto a serious accident with pilots who used abrupt powerchanges the very first time they were airborne andwithout the benefit of a checkout (see CP #12).What can we learn from this? Where possible, get atleast a back seat check ride from an experienced Viggenpilot, with emphasis on the pitch trim change withabrupt power changes. Particularly at slow speed,and, above all avoid abrupt power changes at low speeduntil your proficiency allows.Let me describe a normal take off in my Viggen N27MSSet half to full reflex (depending on condition, firstflight only half) line up on the runway, smoothly applyfull throttle with the stick held all the way back.(full aft stick). The airplane will accelerate to55 - 60 mph and then the canard will begin to fly.As I feel the nose slowly rotate, I smoothly bringthe stick forward to pin the nose at the attitude Iwant for climb. A few seconds later the mains breakground and I get the gear on the way up and run thereflex down to cruise position.

Now, if I maintained the stick all the way backall that would happen, would be a rapid rotllt.ion withthe steepest climb you could immagine, provided theengine was running at full ~ower, you would climb,but only at 300-500 fpm (depending on gross wt anddensity altitude). This is not a smart thing to do,even though it can be done in the Viggen, because theabrupt loss of an engine would leave you in a trickyposition. Immediate forward stick would probably savethe day, but you would have to be sharp!When we look at the Viggen program so far, obviouslywe have a problem•. This appears to be pilot proficiencyand prepardness. Read the owners manual and this articleover and over. In all cases where pilots were experiencedthey had no trouble with the airplane at all. Howeverin two cases now we have seen pilots lose their Viggenson the first lift off in a pitch change with powerchange. While this has never been a factor for us,it apparently still is a significant factor for a lowtime, low proficiency pilot. In order to emphasizethis, re-read the complete writeup on test preparation,pilot preparation and test procedure in CP #12 Page11. Also, if your Viggen is ready to fly, come toMojave to take advantage of our offer to allow youto gain some proficiency in N27MS before you beginyour testing.

VIGGEN PLANS CHANGESOwners Manual additions:Placards

CAUTION! Trim changes with power­forward stick required whenpower is reduced.(CP #13 page 9).

Minimum and maximum pilot weights must be placardedfor the fron seat e.g.

Min. Pilot wt 130 1bs.Max. Pilot wt 210 lbs.

'~That'snot fair! You got to work tbe one that ca.me through yesterday!"

PRfVRE PM..OT

<t'

Norm Ross' EZ at RAF,on his way to Tullahoma.

The new Long-EZ - note the-­wide-chord low sweep wingwith long ailerons.~

This comparison shows the 43%more wing area over the VariEze.Canard and elevator are identical.

Ken Brock, with some ofhis stock of axles &Drop extensions.

The Ken Brock nose gearcrank assembly. Steel parts

,are cad-plated.

Norm Ross &Jerry Finigan'sEZ and Grand Champion trophy.

The new Long-EZ on its fi rst fl i ght .

Bertil Fo~~er, Sweden, has hisVariViggen ready for cover - maybehe can get a formation photo with aSaab Viggen!

Wing fittings are shipped assembled.'

Bobbi Cohen's Van i 11 a Va ri Eze ..

George Gilmor's EZ getting her first,flightby Dick Rutan. Mike Mel vi 11 providing chase.

Ells Hamel with his new EZ

We regret that this problem will result in youraircraft being grounded until replacement, but we mustrecommend that you immediatel remove your seat beltassemblies both sides, not t e shoulder harness straps)and send them to EON for replacement. Do not send themto the VariEze distributor, send direct to

EON Corporation2425 San Fernando Road,Los Angeles, Ca 90065

Your replacement will be either a previous-designbuckle without cap edges or an improved cap-overbuckle with side shields.

the probleiil and presented it to the president of EONDr.Cross. Dr. Cross agrees that the buckles aredefective and infact, was already working with FAA on arecall due to ina dequate tongue engagement. EONhas agreed to replace all belts at no charge to thecustomer.

VariEze pilots bull session at Oshkoshunder the shade of the Defiant.

Urethane foam/BID.epoxy additionson NASA F-15 Eagle.

FLASH - This following section was added just as thisnewsletter went to press:VARIEZE SEAT BELTS RECALLED

When Johnny Murphy called with information about theaccident in Florida, he reported that the pilot'sseat belt had come open on impact. The FAA investigatoralso checked some other VariEzes in the areaand found that with a little amount of manipulationthe buckles would pop open. We went out to checkour airplanes and "GASP" much to our shock oursal so "popped" open, so easily in fact that wegrounded our aircraft and will not fly one moreflight with that style buckle.

The buckle is the series E 8000 made by EON Corp(see tag on nylon strap). This buckle is identifiedby its "cap-over" design in which the releaseis acitvated from either end by the cap. Thecap extends over the sides and in the closed position'its edges are flush with the bottom of the buckle. (seephoto and sketch). The problem is th~t when theoccupant is thrown forward,parts of hIS body, belt, .clothing, objects in pockets etc, can be pressed a~alnstthese edges of the cap and force them forward. ThlSreleases the belt. To demons1r.:ate this to yourself grabthe straps of the belt and pull the assembly firmly intoyour lap when your body is bent over the buckle.

Our origiona1 thought was to install a·e "-channel underthe buckle base that would provide a shield on the sidesso the cap is not forced open in a crash. Howeve~, weare not seat belt designers and feel that a solutlon andreplacement is the responsibility of the seat beltmanufacturer. (EON). We set up a test demonstration of

c...p 22 'f>!f 'I..

THE TEST PROGRAM•. The VariEze test progrMl was probably_the most-extens'fve"and succeSSful ever conducted ona hanebullt. It included basic flight tests for flyingqualities, perfonnance and systems, spin and dive testto FAR part 23 requirements, static load tests andlanding gear drop tests exceeding part 23 criteria.environmental/thermal t.sts on structural ...terials/components. manUfacturing methods testing. and manyothers.

THE HlJlE8UILDER SUPPORT. Th. manufacturing manualh a literal education in using the materials and isa detailed st.p-by-step gUide to construction usingan illustrated format not conmon in aircraft plans.The Rutan newsletter. liThe Canard Pusher". publishedsince mid 1974, updates plans, provides building hints,etc. Complete owners manual provides all necessaryinformation for safe initial testing and for normaland emergency operations. 700 mi

850 mi70 mphgOO ft22.2' 153.6,212.5' /13,2

Range ~ Max CruiseRange @ Econ CruiseLanding SpeedLanding DistanceWing Span/AreaCanard Span/Area

gOO .ft1600 fpn195 mph165 mph570 lb1050 1b

Take OffClimbMax CruiseEcon Crui seEmpty Wei ghtGross Weight

VARIEZE OOClJlENTAIOH is available ill six sections.

SECTICJl I - I'lI\HUFACTURING MANUAL - This is the complete.ducation manual for composite materials and methods,also. the cOOlplete plans and construction manual forthe entire VariEze except engine installation .. Themanual consists of a 153-page, bound 11" x 17" ·bookplus nine larger full size drawings. It includes168 photos, ov.r 800 drawings and illustrations, andover 65,000 words. The builder is led, step-by-stepthrough the entire construction of the airplane. Themanual identifies sources for all materials and allprefabricated components. NASAI>approved.

SECTICJl II - ENGINE INSTALLATION - This is a setof drawings ·and construction Alanual for the completeengine installation including mount. bafflesinstrumentaion. electricals. fuel, exhaa;t and inductionsystems, carb heat box and muff, cowling Installation.prop and spinner.SECTION IIA - Continental A65, C85, C90. 0-200SECTION IIC - Lycaning 0-225 - No accessories.

SECTIOH III - RECTRlCAL - This is an optional(not required) set of drawings and installation instructionsfor electrical system.

SECTION IV - OlflERS MANUAL - This is an operationshandbook and checklists, including normal and emergencyoperation, detailed flying qualities and performancecharts. IMfnteneance, maiden fl ight procedure, andpilot checkout, .tc.

SECTION V - FINISHING THE COII'OSITE AIRCRAFT- appliesnot only to a VariEze. but to other epoxy/cCllr4lOslteaircraft. Includes fill ing/contouring/priming/U. V.barrier/ color and trim. '

SECTICJl VI - LAHDING 8RAKE - Canplet. full size drawingsfor an optional drag device. The brake dramaticallyincreases the airplane's glide angle and decelerationin the flare. Without the brake the airplane is limitedto runways at least 2400-ft long. With it, runwaysdown to 1800-ft long can be used with appropriatepilot proficiency.

SPECS AND PERFORMANCE WITH 100-HP CONTINENTAL, FIXED­PITCH PROP @ GROSS WEIGHT

Air Mal1Overseas·

Pric., inclUdingfirst-class mailU. S. and Canada

TOllAY'S HOMEBUILT WITH TOMORROW'S TECHNOLOGY

THE AIRPLAHE. Th. VariEz. is a SIIal1, high-perlo nc.hanebuilt sportp1an.. It can b. built frOOl raw t.rialscosting approximately $3500(1.55 .ngin.) in about 1200man-hours or fran prefab parts and materials, costi~g

approxiamtely $5000 in about 800 man-hours (about ~,ghtmonths spare time work). Its structure is a sandw~chof high-strength fiberglass, using low-density, ng,dfoam as core material. The structure is fabricateddirectly over the shaped core, thus expensive toolsand molds are not required. CClIr4losite-sandwich structureoffers the following advantages over conventional woodor metal: Tess construction time requiring less skills,improved corrosion resistance. fn.,roved contour stability.better surface durability, dramatic reduction in hardwareand number of parts easier to inspect,and repair. TheVariEze uses the ~11 four cylind.r Continental. lhelycoming 0-235 without starter or altema~or can als?be used. The airplane has exceptional c11mb and crulSeperformance. It can carry two people 700 miles at185 mph on less than 22 gallons of fuel. Frontseatpassengers up to 6 1 4 11 and 220 lb and backseat passengersup to 6'2" and 220 lb. can b. accommodat.d plus a modestamount of baggage in a suitcase. The airplane doesnot have full dual controls, but does have a backseatcontrol stick. Due to its small size (only 67-sq. ft.wing area) it is not the airplan. for installing extraequipment for IFR, night flying, .tc. It can handlea simple electrical system with a single NAV COM andgyro instrument. These can even be powered with asolar panel, thus eliminating the heavy alternator.The VariEze is recOlTl11ended for day-VFR operation only.Due to its relatively high landing speed (70 mph)and small tires, it is acceptable only for smooth,hard-surface runways. Its stability and overall flyingqualities are superb. Once tri",""d, it will hold attitudeand level flight "hands-offll even in turbulence. Trimchanges due to power, gear retraction. or landing brakeare all v.ry small. Its unique aerodynamic designallows it to be flown with full aft-stick, at lessthan 50 knots. without a stall departure or loss ofcontrol, and without altitude loss. The VariEze usesthe latest aerodynamic features: NASA wing1ets, bothwings cruise at best LID, basic arrangement providesstall safety, stiff structure provides accurate contourmaintenance, basic system's dESIgn eliminates or combinescomplex control SyStelhS, which saves weight, cost andbuilding time while increasing reliability and loweringmaintenance.

Check items desired

VariEze info kit includes Icurrent issue of IICanard

56.00~ newsletter 55.00

"Canard Pusher" newsletterpublished quarterly. One-

58.75year suscription 56.75

o Section I $139.00 $153.00

o Section IIA $ 19.00 $ 21.00

o Section IIC $ 21.50 $ 23.50

o Section III $ 8.00 $ 9.5O

() Section IV $ 8.00 $ 9.50

O 3" tri-colored jacketpatch

Add 6% if Calif res-iden t - news1ett.r is nottaxable.

SPECS AHD PERFORMANCE WITH 75-HP CONTINENTAL

145 mph550 lb950 lb

WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY410 Pine,Highland, 11 62249(618)654-7447Catalog $2

Econ CruiseEmpty WeightGross W.ight

1200 ft900 fpm172 mph

Take OffClimbMax Cruise

THE AIRPLANE FACTDRY, 7l11A 8randtvi sta, Dayton, Oh45424 (513)845-9872 or 233-7754 - Canopy. Send SASE

THE FOLLOWING ARE RAF-AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS OF VARIEZEI'lI\TERIALS AHD COMPONENTS. COHTACT THE DISTRI8UTORSAT THE ADDRESSES SHOWN FOR THEIR CATALOGUES AHD DESCRIPTIONOF ITEMS

ALL RAW MATERIALS.AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY CO201 W. Truslow Ave. Bx 424,Fullerton, Ca 92632(714)870-7551Catalog $3

KEN 8ROCK MANUFACTURING. 11852 Western Ave. Stanton.Ca 9068O (714)898-4366: Prefabricated cOOIponents _wing attach assembly. nosegear machined parts, controlsystem components, fuel caps, engine mount. rudderpedals. Catalog costs $2.

$ 8.00

$ 11.00

$ 1.95

7.00

o Section VI

In section V

[9utan

rl1'rcr.ttJ).ctory

IIUILDING 13, MOJAVE AIRPORT

MOJAVE, CAlIFORNIA 93501

TELEPHONE 18051 824·26045

........VARIVICCEN

Perfonnance with Take Off150-hp, fixed- C1 imbpitch prop, gross Cruiseweight. Full Aft StickStandard VariViggen Landing

StandardVariViggen-Special-WinVariViggen-

850 ft800 fpm150 mph49 mph

500 ft

SpecificationsStandard VariViggen

Canard Span/AreaWing Span/AreaEmpty Wei ghtGross Wei ght

8ft/18. 3ft~19ft/119ft950 1b1700 1b

Performance with 150-hp. C1 imb 1000fpmSpecial Perfonnance Wing Cruise 158mph

Specifiactions Wing Span Area 23.7ft/125ftSpecial Performance Wing Gross Weight 1700 1b

STALL/SPIN SAFETYThe VariViggen's safe flying qualities have been thesubject of technical presentations for E • SAE, AOPA,AND AIM. It will not stall or "mush irl' like the cOlllllOlldelta. At full aft stick (43kts) it will still climb500 fpm rollover 50 degrees per second without rudderco-ordination, and make buffet-free turns. The prototypereceived the Qmi Aviation safety trophy at Oshkosh'73 and the outstanding new design award at Oshkosh '74.

VARIVIGGEN TECHINICAL REPORT - Complete tech reportdescribing the VariViggen two-place sportplane. Includesspecifications, pilot report, dimensions, 3-view, stabilityand perfomance flight test data, construction cost,description of car-top wind tunnel, 8" x 10" glossy photoand current issue of newsletter.Price - $10.00 first class mail, $11.50 Air Mail overseas.

VARIVIGGEN ()llfiERS MANUAL - C0IIlP1ete operational handbookincluding normal and emergency procedures, loading,operational record keeping. This manual is a IIJJstfor those close to first flight.Price - $6.00 first class mail, $7.50 Air IIlIIl overseas.

"CANARO PUSHER" SUBSCRIPTION - A newsletter designedwith the builder In mind. Emphasis on distributingto all builders as many ideas, improvements, buildingtips, photographs, and flight reports as pOSSible. Detailsmandatory, desirable, and optional changes to plansand to owners manual. A newsletter subscription and-back Issues starting with CPtlg are mandatory for thosewith VariViggens under construction. Identifies newmaterial SOurces as they become known. Publ Ished quarterly.Prl~e - $6.75 per year first class mail.$8.75 per year air mall overseas. Back issues, $1.50 each.

VARIVIGGEN PLANS - SECOND EDITION. This is an updated,revised set of very complete drawings and constructionmanual consisting of a bound 11" x 17" book, containingmany photographs, hints and instructions based on actualbuilders experience over the part several years. Itcovers the entire airplane, including the engine installationfuel system, and not only covers the original standardwing in both allJTlinum and foam an fiberglass composite,but it also includes the composite S.P. wing, ailerons,and rudders. The manual Identifies sources for allrequired materials and all available prefabricatedpa rts and components.Price - $165.00 first class mail, $177.00 Airmail overseas.

VARIVIGGEN R/C MODEL PLANS - Complete construction plansfor the 18% - size radio controlled model airplane-built and flown to evaluate VariViggen spin characteristics.Deisigne<! for 4-channe1 proportional radio equipmentand engine in the .35 to .65 cu inch size. 555-sqwing area. All balsa or foant/balsa construction. Amaneuverable flying model with outstanding roll rate.Also shown are modifications reqUired for a control-1ine model )70-ft lines, .19 to .45-cu inch engines)Price - $475 first class mail, $5.50 air mail overseas.

PROVEN DESIGNComplete f1 ight test program conp1eted; 600 hoiJrs onprototype with very little maintenance. Won the StanDzik trophy for design contribution, Oshkosh 72.

EXCELLENT UTILITYComfortable tandeln cockpits, three-suitcase baggagearea, and an adequate cruise speed provide unusualutility for a homebui1t airplane. Its unusual designturns routine travel into "fun trips". Gas serviceand other airport services have been better too! Takeit home; it's road-towable with outer panels removed.

UIlC()lPLICATED ClYlTRlJCTIlYl.The basic structure requires few special tools andcan be built in a simple jig. The few parts that havedouble-curvature are available in fiberglass, readyto install. All machined parts are also available,as well as other prefab parts.

EASY TO FLYDespite its unique appearance, the VariViggen has nounusual or pi lot-demanding flight characteri sties.It is easier to handle than conventional aircraft,particularly in gusty crosswind conditions.

lllE FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTORS MARKET VARIVIGGEN PARTS.

AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY CO. 201 W. TruslowBox 424, Fullerton, Ca 92632 (714)870-7551VariViggen spruce kit, plywood kit, hardware,alllllinum and fiberglass. Catalog cost $3.

KEN BROCK MFG. 11852 Wes tern Ave., Stanton,Ca 90680. (714)898-4366.VariViggen prefabricated components: all machinedparts. Catalog costs $2.

lllE AIRPLANE FACTORY, 7111-A Brandtvista Ave.,Dayton, Ohio 45424. (513)845-9872VariViggen plexiglass canopy

BILL CAMPBELL Box 253 Phelan, Ca 92371VariViQQen brackets and fittings.

IlalNm EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT INC., 955 Grace StElgin, III 60120 (312)741-2223VariViggen molded fiberglass parts.

GOOGEN BROlllERS, 706 Martin, Bay City, Mi 48707VariViggen 105/206 expoxy and 403 fibers for woodconstruction.

GEORGE EVANS 4102 Twining, Riverside, Ca 92509VariViggen welded nose and main landing gear.1-1/4" sq. steel tube.

JESSE WRIGHT (VariViggen builder)7221 S. Colorado Ct. Littleton, Co 80122(303)771-5140VariViggen prefab wood parts. Send 5()¢ for list.

muta"

mlrcraft

(iactoryBUILDING 13. MOJAVE AIRPORT

MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA 93501

TELEPHONE 1805) 824-2645

Rutan Aircraft FactoryBuilding 13, Mojave AirportMojave, CA 93501

first class mail

TO:

The number which appears on your label before or after your name,is the last newsletter issue which you will receive and requiresyou to renew to receive the next issue. If your label has a 22on it, then #22 is your last issue and you need to renew.NOTE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE INCREASE.PLEASE STATE THAT YOU ARE A REN~WAL!!