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EAA CHAPTER 983 January 2011

This issue: Flying the New LSX

NTSB Recommends Mandating Shoulder Harnesses

January 12, 2011 —The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Tuesday recommended that the FAA require aircraft without shoulder harnesses be retrofitted to include them. Aircraft currently equipped with shoulder harnesses would be required to be modified if the seat restraint system is incorrectly installed. The Board made the recommendations after a three-year study concluded that correctly installed shoulder harness/lap belt combinations provide significantly greater protection in general aviation (GA) accidents than a lap belt alone. The Board adopted six recommendations, which also included a revision of restraint systems certification standards. Read more

The NTSB based its conclusion on an analysis of more than 37,000 GA accidents, finding that the risk of fatal or serious injury was 50 percent higher when an occupant was only restrained by a lap belt as compared to the combination lap belt and shoulder harness.

The NTSB recommended that the FAA further study the feasibility of requiring airbag-equipped aircraft. Currently, more than 30 aircraft manufacturers offer airbags as standard or optional equipment. Airbags were first approved for use in the pilot and co-pilot seats in GA aircraft in 2003. Today nearly 18,000 airbag-equipped seats are installed in more than 7,000 of the 224,000 GA aircraft in the U.S., according to the NTSB.

NTSB recommendations are non-binding; only the FAA has the authority to mandate such action through federal rulemaking process. Reprinted from EAA News

Coming AttractionIs the Icon a viable project? A dreamy new

seaplane in its proposed final form would be the

answer to every sport pilot’s dream. The shape

has proven air and water-worthy; now, comes

the big test: can the mechanism really work as

envisioned?

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Safety Corner

This airshow demonstration ended in a spot landing of the unwanted kind for pilot Mike Newman. A last-moment steep dive at the ground surprised spectators. Even more surprising, that Newman, a 35 year old former race car driver, crawled on his hands and knees from the shattered wreck, and is now expected to make a full recovery. Click here for the full story, and more amazing stop-action photography.

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Young Eagles, Courtesy of Chapter 983

Kudos to all of those

who participated in our chapter’s Young Eagle

flying. To volunteer, contact Karen Tucker.

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Member Flight TestMeeting Progressive Aerodyne’s New LSX

Kerry Richter is not just your ordinary pilot. The scion of Orlando’s Progressive Aerodyne, makers of the fabled SeaRey, has some 8,000 hours of demonstrating various versions of the machine. Years back, the Richter family and its partners produced a variety of ultralights, culminating in the successful Buccaneer. A rift within the company led to a split, and rival firms then produced what have been coined “advanced ultralights” through the late 1980’s. Aero Adventure, on one side of Orlando, cranked out Dacron-covered models that didn’t stray too far from their ultralight roots: a diminutive 328 pound single-seat flying boat, and then a series of moderately successful two-seat variants known collectively as the Aventura II. Its elevators are moved with a single rigid cable, clamped to the empennage; similarly, the rudder and ailerons lacked redundancy. The Aventura’s front office is also reminiscent of ultralights, with zippered side curtains. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the Richters endeavored to make an aircraft more in line with the design of general aviation lightplanes. They named the company Progressive Aerodyne (PA). The PA SeaRey kept aluminum tube innards like the Aventura, but traded the Dacron for Stits Polyfiber; controls are redundant, and the SeaRey sports twin sliding canopies. Like the curtains, split canopies provide two independent escape routes in the event of dunking. Elevators have independent controls via push-tubes. For roll, older models have twin cables linking the sticks to a bellcrank that drives a vertical torque tube connected to independent pushrods; owner-modifications led to the latest pure pushrod

setup. The rudder is cabled just like any other light aircraft. Neither fleet has had a structural failure, but an elevator hinge anchored with a too-short AN4 bolt by a ‘Rey owner-builder did let loose years ago, giving the pilot a chance to apply his superior skills and recover with one elevator fluttering and twisting in the slipstream like a kite tail.

The SeaRey was immediately much more popular, among the two. PA boasts nearly three times as many planes in the air nowadays, with the number poised to explode as the firm plunges into the embryonic Chinese private aircraft market. Additionally, SeaRey owners and builders have an unprecedented support network, with two huge websites in which company personnel actively participate. No other Experimental amphibian has this type of owner community. Lately, having consolidated its operations into a single large manufacturing facility in nearby Tavares, Progressive Aerodyne has begun hiring retired owners; no better people to comprise its staff than those who’ve been devotees from the start.

The transition has come just in time, as PA has unveiled its LSX, a reengineered SeaRey built to satisfy FAA requirements for Light Sport (LSA) production. The LSA is slated for approval this summer; for now, buyers can only buy the plane as a kit, ergo the LSX. Build time is estimated at 400 hours.

During a recent Orlando family vacation, I had an extra day to devote to the folks at Tavares. My mission: to see and fly the new LSX. Plus, I wanted the folks at PA to give me their opinion concerning retrofitting a “Classic” SeaRey with LSX features.

Not a good idea, says Kerry Richter, who developed the classic. While it looks nearly identical, the new plane has a larger wing and dihedral horizontal stabs that are mounted higher than on the older aircraft. While the surfaces could be retrofitted, no one knows the effect they’d have on the Classic’s structure.

Those of you who’ve glimpsed the front office of a ‘Rey know that it’s not going to win any beauty contests: it’s a collection of aluminum tubing partially

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concealed with nylon side pockets. While the all the plumbing is still in the new model, upholstery hides all but the tubular flight controls mounting structure. So, settling into the leather and carpet dominated sports car-like confines of the LSX feel more like being in any other general aviation machine. The windshield is smaller, or so it seems. Illusory, of course: more real estate on the panel tends to shrink the proportional size of the windscreen. Less like a Bell, more like a Cessna. The cockpit feels deeper, narrower than in the Classic. In fact, the cabin is still wider than most GA cabins. Nonetheless, seaplanes shouldn’t even feel cozy. Finding yourself inverted underwater in an amphib is a rarity, but it happens. That’s why the FAA devotes a whole Advisory Circular, AC 91-69A, to keeping passengers safe during seaplane operations.

To those not familiar with SeaReys, the new design is identical to the old. But, its dimensions and innards are completely different from what is now referred to as the SeaRey Classic. Kerry is quick to point out that the wing is larger, with a deeper chordline. From the start, the plane has lots of wing for the weight and overall size of the bird; now, there is even more. And, then there’s the tail: horizontal stabilizers are also larger, and mounted higher above the water. Gone is the moving stabilizer trim system, replaced by a spring unit mounted behind the passenger seat. Both wing and tail surfaces have added structure.

Like many SeaRey owners, I’m all about weight. I mean, at a takeoff gross limit of 1,370 pounds and average empty weight in the mid-nine hundreds, law-abiding owners have to say no to a lot of people. My own plane can accept a 210 lb. passenger with an hour or so of fuel in addition to VFR reserves.

Kerry and I climbed aboard, and I couldn’t help but notice he outweighs me by at least forty pounds. So, with 18 gallons of gas, we were bumping up against the new LSA limit for these planes of 1,430 lbs.

That would have rendered my own nimble solo lake toy a lethargic, lumbering pig; heavy on the controls, and climbing out at 300-400 feet per minute. No such conversion takes place, with a laden LSX. Controls remain constant throughout its weight range, and there is power to spare.

A video playback of the takeoff revealed that we were in the air in less than 20 seconds; he set a climbout attitude that put our heels on the horizon. I didn’t glimpse the VSI, but I’ll guess we were scaring the heck out of 2,000 feet per minute.

With the powerful turbo’d Rotax 914 spinning a Warp Drive 3-bladed prop, the LSX is gets into the air fast and climbs quickly. Vortex generators on the deeper wing allow slower climb speeds than the classic version: while the original model would cleanly stall at 48 mph with two aboard, the LSX easily does standard-rate turns at the same speed.

After barely a minute of climb, Kerry pulled the nose farther to 25-30 degrees, pulled both feet off the rudder pedals, and brought the stick to his navel. This is where the classic

would roll, rotate, and plunge. The LSX happily mushed with not five degrees of bank, and accelerated to a shallow descent. Next, Kerry did the same thing with power on; an invitation for turtling into a (possibly inverted) spin, if I ever saw one. Again, the plane flew itself out of the maneuver, as if taunting, Is that ALL you’ve got?!

Okay, now comes the part you won’t believe until you watch the accompanying video here. For legal reasons, I’d never say we did a 500’ pitchover to 45 degrees nose-low and 3G pull-up onto the water, or an equally low-level barrel roll to base; but, I’ll confess to performing sheer AND torsional structural testing on behalf of Fruit of the Loom™.

My pulse rate was returning to normal, as we motored

the gear down underwater and slowly climbed the boat ramp, dripping. It was almost too good to be true: a seaplane with Skyhawk manners and Pitts handling, all for half the price of most LSA offerings.

I’m sold on the design, to say the least. Yes, it would be nice to dispense with aluminum tubing altogether, but such planes with amphibian capability can’t be built for less than $150,000. With a basic kit price of $32,900, the SeaRey will ring in at well under $80,000 unless a builder gets carried away. It’s worth noting that the Rotax 914 costs as much as the kit itself; a Honda Fit power train adapted to the plane is currently in the test phase. The Honda option will cost $16,000 less and possibly afford better reliability. It produces 117 horsepower, compared to the Rotax’ 115 horsepower.

Anyone interested in this plane can go to Progressive Aerodyne’s website at www.searey.com. Demo rides are cheap, and each comes with a factory tour. By far, it’s the coolest ride in all of Orlando!

Andy

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Classified AdsFor Sale By Members

1990 Campbell Super Cub, half-interest for sale. 160hp TTSN 1064, 137SMO, full electric, transponder, encoder, 720 radio, nav and landing lights, Husky seats. Licensed Experimental with PMA wings, Cleveland brakes, and is basically a PA-18 replica. TOGW is 1750. Hangared at

Abrasives and things for sale ALLNEW! Sander belts by 3M, 3” and 4” in 18, 21 3/4, 24 and 36”. Various grits, $3 each. Bench grinder wire and grinding wheels for $5. Cutoff and grinding discs for and and table units, $1.50. Clear vinyl tubing, from 1/4 to 1 1/2” and $.15 per foot. Woodcutting bandsaw blades in 57 & 59 1/2” for $5. Several 6” 2 jaw steel gear pullers, $5 each. Damon Berry 817 573-3444

Exxon Elite aircraft oil. I am now a distributor. $58 for a 12 qt case. Top-rated for both wear and corrosion protection. Profits donated to the Dennis N. Polen Educational Foundation. Dick Keyt 817 279-7590 flykeyts@charter.net

1962 C182E For Sale - 5777 TT, 1260 SMOH, Horton STOL, new leather interior, Tom Lewis 817-573-4388

FOR SALE F.8L Falco TTAF 275/SMOH 275 Italian design: looks great, flies fast, based at 0TX1. Plans-built by willard Hofler with excellent quality construction. IO-320-B1A , 8.5 gph at 155 kts aerobatic design loads, GPS, NavCom, autopilot, leather interior. No damage history, vacuum pump replaced at 252 hrs. N89WH is a terrific plane and fun to fly. REDUCED $79K Roy Henderson 206

For Sale: 6 Bedroom/4+ bath home, on the runway at Pecan Plantation. 40'x50' hangar with bathroom, bi-fold door. 34' gunite pool & spa. Screened porch. Office, fireplace, central vac. Over 4000 sq ft. now reduced to $378,000. billorcutt@aol.com (817) 578-4280

KR2 still in the unopened original box. It needs an engine. Asking $2,500. Mrs. Robert Bargo, 1125 Yearsly Drive, Dover, DE 19902 302 674-2437

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Feb 12 Icon Aircraft The Sharper Image version of LSA amphibs

comes to Pecan.

Pecan Plantation (0TX1)

Mar 12 Stein Air A great builder’s resource. Pecan Plantation (0TX1)

Apr 9 Bear Aircraft Radial, 360hp, tandem warbird for the modern

era. Wear your old flightsuit for this one!

Pecan Plantation (0TX1)

May 14 Sheetmetal Basics Chapter member Shawn Scott talks

metal.

Pecan Plantation (0TX1)

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Chapter Projects

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ADVERTISERSPatrick Wallace, MBA, CFP(817)870-1244 www.higherstrata.com

[10]

Buy this space

Contact Ed Brown

Chapter 983

Buy this space

Contact Ed Brown

Chapter 983

[11]

[12]

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Project

Updates NeededSend narrative and photos to

ndshane@gmail.com or USPS

mail to 9625 Air Park Drive,

Granbury, Texas 76049

Do you have

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