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Author Topic: Homebuilts draw me again  (Read 1546 times)

Offline Chairboy

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Homebuilts draw me again
« Reply #45 on: November 29, 2005, 07:37:17 PM »
Thanks, appreciate it.  I was an SQA Engineer, developed test tools and stuff like that.  My best bet will probably be to find another position with my company, I was let go because, as part of a re-org, they got rid of a bunch of remote employees today.  I was technically based out of Santa Monca, CA, and remote employees just aren't part of the plan right now.  

I heard that 40-50 other people at my company lost their jobs today, so christmas will be fun for plenty of software folks this year.

Gonna stay positive.  I have skills, and gotta take care of the family.
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Offline Maverick

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Homebuilts draw me again
« Reply #46 on: November 29, 2005, 07:56:56 PM »
Chairboy

I am truly sorry to hear your situation. I hope that it reverses quickly. The timing is pretty damn crappy for the company to do that.:mad:
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Offline Chairboy

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« Reply #47 on: November 29, 2005, 08:07:06 PM »
There's never really a GOOD time for it, afaict.

I'll find something.  Always opportunities for people who search.
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Offline midnight Target

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« Reply #48 on: November 29, 2005, 08:54:26 PM »
Sorry to hear this Chair, good luck.

I have some contacts in Oregon, if you want to become trailer trash.
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Offline crowMAW

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« Reply #49 on: November 29, 2005, 08:59:40 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Chairboy
No joy, searched all fatal accidents for experimental aircraft in FL in the 1980s and didn't find it.  I'll search again and widen the net tonight after work.  Thanks!

Hmmm...I recall I was in college at the time, so it would have either been in Florida (home) or Texas (school).  And it had to have been between 1981 and 1985.  I recall that the folks at the FBO acted like I was the stupidest person in the world to go up in the thing...the local A&P commented that you never know how well a homebuilt was constructed unless you build it yourself...which is a comment that has stuck with me my entire aviation career.  When the guy went down, the FBO ramp rats told me about the accident and that part of the wing had snapped.  They said I had been really lucky that the structual failure hadn't happened when I was in the plane.  It was a pretty sobering thought.

Anyway...sorry to hear about your layoff.  Hopefully some thing will come up quickly.
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Offline Maverick

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« Reply #50 on: November 29, 2005, 09:10:32 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by midnight Target
Sorry to hear this Chair, good luck.

I have some contacts in Oregon, if you want to become trailer trash.


Hey not all folks in trailers are trailer trash. Some of us are trailer refuse! It's a higher class of trailer folks.
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Offline Chairboy

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« Reply #51 on: November 29, 2005, 09:15:39 PM »
I actually have an old motorhome, I trailerdom might be in my future!

I think I may have found the crash:
Quote
NTSB Identification: FTW82FPD13
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 20, 1982 in ROANOKE, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/20/1983
Aircraft: VARIEZE , registration: N111CH
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious.

ABOUT 5 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT INITIATED A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS OVER THE AIRPORT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THE RIGHT WINGLET SEPARATED. A WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S SPEED WAS ABOUT 200 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE ROLLED INVERTED AND CRASHED. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE WINGLET WAS NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE DESIGNER'S PLANS. SPECIFICALLY, THE PLANS CALLED FOR AN 8-PLY FIBERGLASS BUILD-UP ON THE OUTSIDE RADIUS FROM THE LOWER WING TO THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF THE WINGLET. FIBERGLASS BUILD-UP WAS NOT INCORPORTED. THE DESIGNER ESTIMATED THAT IT HAD LESS THAN 1/20 OF THE DESIGN STRENGTH. AT HIGH SPEED, WITH ZERO SIDE SLIP, THERE IS AN INWARD AERODYNAMIC (BENDING) LOAD ON THE WINGLET THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO A 15 DEG SIDE SLIP AT LOW SPEED. THIS WINGLET HAD FAILED INWARD. ALSO, A NUMBER OF OTHER DEVIATIONS FROM THE DESIGNERS PLANS WERE NOTED.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
WING,WINGLET..FAILURE,TOTAL
INADEQUATE QUALITY CONTROL..MANUFACTURER


Contributing Factors

WING,WINGLET..SEPARATION

Index for Jun1982 | Index of months
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Offline Chairboy

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« Reply #52 on: December 29, 2005, 01:41:11 AM »
It's been about a month, and after the initial surprise of being unemployed, I've started to think about this again, now in terms of "when not working, this is a project I can just hack away at".  

I haven't pulled the trigger to get the plans yet, but I'm eyeing my garage for space to put a 10x12 level table for building the various jigs, and I've read just about every build log online for this plane.  

Has anyone else here built a composite plane before?
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Offline Golfer

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« Reply #53 on: December 29, 2005, 02:31:28 AM »
get yourself a good mask to wear.  Whiff the wrong chemicals in the wrong dosage and you'll be in the hospital.

I've got the rudder to a Loehle 5151 Mustang...that's wood, epoxy and shrinkwrap.  I was excited about those until I saw the video and found out they were lawnmower kites :(  There's a company in Akron (They might actually be at Cuyahoga Co.) that is manufacturing a 3/4 P-51 that actually sounds like an airplane.  It's tailwheel and it's aluminum.  Non-toxic too!
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