THe eANARD plJ§RER

NEWS OF THE VARIVIGGEN (very vig-in) and VARIEZE (very easy)

, NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION - $4. 75!yearOVERSEAS AIRMAIL - $6.50!yearBACK ISSUES - $1.00 each

NO. 14 OCT. 77

MIKE MELVILL DURING FIRST FLIGHT J

If you are building a VariViggen you must bave news­letter 1 through 14.

If you are building a VariEze you must have news­letter 10 through 14.

The "CANARD PUSHER" is published quarterly; Jan••Apl •• July. and Oct by

Rt11'AN AIRCRAFT FACTORYBLDG. 13. MOJAVE AIRPORTMOJAVE. CA. 93501(805) 824-2645

Reproduction and redistribution of this newsletteris approved and encouraged.

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JIM CAVIS IN N31VVBEFORE ACCIDENT

SOME VERY SATISFYING events have occurred since tbelast newsletter. First flights of two VariViggensand about ten VariEzes have occurred during thelast three months. Tbe EAAconvention at Oshkosh.Wi. bad five VariEzes and one VariViggen attend.eacb being flown in from out-of-state. plus a staticdisplay of a nearly completed VariEze. RAF gaveabout 30 rides to builders during the show. Lang­horn Bond. new FAA administrator got a ride in N4EZand a demo of its atall resistance.

Last December the prototype VariViggen. N27VV.was promised to the EAA museum at Hales Corners. Wi.The day after the Oshkosh convention N27VV was flownto Bales Corners with Ray Hegy in his Chuparosa onour wing. We landed. taxiied to the museum and leftboth airplanes to the care of the very able EAA mu­seum personnel. It~ a little heartbreaking to leavea perfectly good airplane in a museum. N27VV hasgiven us some very satisfying flying experiences.She was flown to the annual Oshkosh flyin six yearsin a row. She took us on many a vacation trip loadedwith baggage. She performed low level maneuveringdemos at over 25 airshows. and was flown for a fea­ture film. "Death Race 2000." It is quite fittingthat N27VV be preserved at this facility in theyears to come. as the future will recognize ,it asa forerunner of some significant develoRments ingeneral aviation. Some of these developments arecurrently under construction at RAF and-lnay enterthe general aviation market within the next fouryears.

The events of Oshkosh 77 will not be coveredhere. since they are aptly described by Jack Coxin the October EAA magazine. "Sport Aviation."Be sure to read that issue; it has the first arti­cle to be published by a VariEze ~omebuilder!flyer.

•

COME ON LEE - FLYING AN EZ ISNOT THAT MUCH FUN ~

!Z's at Osbkosb - left to rigbt, C-SS­powered H20VE fLown froa Cape Canaveral,Fl by Johnny & son, Steve Murphy; Lyc0-235-powered N6SSEZ flown from Bo8tonKa bY,Ware Fuller & Dale Findley; 0- '200-powered N4EZ flown from Mojave, Caby Burt & Carolyn Rutan; 0-200-poweredN10lMW flown from St Louis, Mo by GeorgeGibbons; and C-90-powered N1WX flownfrom West Orange, NJ by Diane &LeeHerron.

SHOT OF WING & WINGLET AT l2,500-FT O­VER NH - MOST OF OUR OSHKOSH TRIP WASFLOWN ABOVE 11,000 FT AT 50% POWER ATABOUT 1.75 MPH TRUE AND 37 MPG.

THREE EZ'S TAKE OFF TO JOINTHE FLYBY PATTERN

DISCUSSING THENEXT FLYBY

SPIRIT OF ST LOUISFRAMED BY NIWX

DR. LUTZ, GETTING HISRIDE IN N27VV

LINED UP FOR ENGINE START FORA 4-SHIP FORMATION DEMO ON THE"HISTORY OF FLIGHT" AIRSHOW.

Cp /VO I~ ~Glje 2,.

N4EZ WITH LOAD FOR OSHKOSH TRIP. CREWWEIGHT 310 LB. BAGGAGE INCLUDED 3 SUIT­CASES PLUS MISC ITEMS STOWED IN THE SPARAND RE4R BAGGAGE AREA - 52.LB TOTAL.

LEFT TO RIGHT-JOHNNY MURPHYGEORGE GIBBONS, BURT, DALE'FINDLEY, & LEE HERRON.

ALL EYES WERE ON THE FLYBY PAT_TERN AS SOME EZ RIDERS ENJOYTHEMSELVES.

An SP wing - the all-composite (gla88 &foam) outer panel that has been flownon N27VV for the last 2-1/2 years i8now mounted a8 a picnic table in frontof RAF. The sun & blowing sand environ­ment of Mojave i8 excellent to deter­mine, at an accelerated rate, the ef­fect8 of ultra-violet radiation expo­8ure on the comp08ite structure. Aportion of the wing i8 painted withNull-V.

'.

The following is the first fli~ht report froma VariViggen homebuilder, Mike Melv1ll. We areof course pleased to find that his performance isexceeding that in the "Owners Manual:" Wally Warner's(Orland Park, I1 60462) VariViggen f])w first flightonly three days after Mike's. Mike's Viggen has thestandard wing shape in glass and foam. Wally'shas the SP wings. Both have 180-hp 0-360 Lycomings.

Sincerely,Mike N27MSSer#1l5

P.O. Box 561Frankton, In.

460449-27-77

Dear Carolyn &: Burt,Well, we finally got there! At 11.'0 AM 9­

22-77 I took off from the Anderson MunicipalAirport, and everything behaved as it should.I stayed up for about 45 minutes, did not retractthe gear and made a perfect landing. -y-can not describe the feeling, it was abso­lutely fantastic. Thank you so much for afabulous flying machine! Later the sameday I climbed to 5,500 and retracted thegear ani checked it out generally. Asof today, I have 13.2 hours on it with noproblems. At 7,500 in level flight, shetrues out at 170 mph. at 2700 rpm. I havea 70x70 "Ted" prop, but for an 0-360 eventhat is not enough,as it will over revat low altitude. At 3500 ft she will indi­cate 165 mph at 2700 rpm, but this is notfull throttle. Initial climb solo is 1500f/min. At 5000' solo she makes a steady1000 ft/min. All systems operate perfectly,reflex, electric trim, and gear are reallyfirst class and I am very satisfied. Myradios (TERRA 360 com &: 200 NAV) are reallyoutstanding, and the tower at Anderson saysI have the best transmission of any radio inthe area. I can not say enough about theairplane. She really is a hell of a finecraft. I love it.

empty,'W't'~·-1-2521bs­

empty cg 132.78main tank holds 24.7 galswings hold 6.5 each - 13 gals total

So far I have flown it at l25"cg, 124,123, &: 122. It handles well in all planesso far. Yesterday I loaded 170 Ibs in thep~ssenger seat and could hardly tell anyd1fference. It takes 16 minutes to trans­fer 13 gals from the wings to the mains.Cyl head temp runs between 375 &: 425, oiltemp 1650 , ground handling is excellent,brakes are very good. Rotation with fullthro~tl~ occurs wi~h.full aft stick at 70~ph.1nd1cated. In1t1al climb at 85 mphlnd1cated for gear retraction, then trimmeddown to 120 mph. for good cooling gives1000 ft/min. R.O.C. Canard stalls at 60mph indicated (airspeed may not be accuratea~ slow speed).will climb with canard stal­l1ng &: unstal11ng, and is fully control­lable. Side slips well.

I' Actually it flies just about likeyou~ • I must say I really get a heck Ofa k1Ck outof flying it. I will enclosesome picutres. I painted it Off-white withdark green trim.

Sally sends her best regards. Thankyou again for making it possible.

FEATURE MOVIE TO USE VARIEZESFerde Grofe Films, inconjunctknwith the designersof the speci~ effects and robots in STAR WARS,is planning a new film, CENTURION'ONE. This is aGalactic Western where the setting is a hostile. planetand instead of a horse the cowboys fly VariEzes.Studio sets will be used for many of the shots wherethe EZs will appear to hover, but real VariEzeswill be used for flying photos. A .lot of the flyingfilming will be done in the California Desert withas many as 10 VariEzes. Two EZs will be neededfor some filming in some remote areas, includingSouth America, Alaska, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Anyone interested in flying their own VariEzein this film? Contact Ferde Grofe Films, 18139West Coastline Drive, Malibu, Ca. 90265

BUILDERS' CLUBS - Northeast VariEze/VariViggenbuilders Paul J. Dexter, 133 Hayden st., Orange,Mass. 01364, would like to form a regional associa­tion to help each other with buildini!flying activi­ties.

Lee Herron, Box 357, West Orange, NJ 07052, isan EAA designee and is willing to help others withcomposite construction. Lee's VariEze appears else­where in this newsletter.

The Minnesota VariEze club is still thelargest and most active. Contact George Wilson,2924 108th m1, Coon Rapids, Mn 55433. RAF wants tothank the following members of the MVEC for theirhelp running our booth at Oshkosh this yearl VicBerggren, Chet Ellingson, John Novy, Nat Puffer,Jim Tome, Chuck Weitzel, Ed Wieland, George Wilson,and R. \'loodall.

Colorado VariEze squadron is now active. Con­tact .squadron commander Lynn Miller,7325 Tabor,Arvada, Co 80005. (303) 421-2261

Other clubs now active include Ohio (BillPrintz, RR2, Belle Center, Oh 43310), southernCalif (Al Coha, 5173 Leo st, San Diego, Ca 92115),central Calif (RAF Squadron I, Ed Hamlin, 8377Seeno, Roseville, Ca 95678).

If you are interested in forming a builder'sclub, contact RAF so we can mention it in a futureissue of "Canard Pusher. II

ONE MORE WORKSHOPWe are scheduling one more composite workman­

ship workshop. It will be an all day constructi?nseminar and will include flight demos - all Var1Ezeand VariViggen builders are welcome - bring your air­plane or uncompleted part of your airplane. If youhave a part in which you are unsure of its workman­ship or acceptability, bring it so we can inspectit or use.it as an educational sample for others.This is not a pUblic openhouse, only builders areinvited.--rt will be held at RAF, near the westend of the flight line at Mojave Airport, Mojave, Ca.(2-hr drive, north of Los An~s on Highway 14),on Sunday, December 18, 1977.

DID YOU KNOW?That the long-sought Krammer Prize for man­

powered aircraft was recently won by a southernCalifornia group using a Canard Pusher-type aircraft.

That the new models of the Lear jet will useWhitc omb winglets.

That USAF will test winglets next year ona KC-135 tanker.

That NASA is considering new research to investigatethe improved stall/spin characteristics offered bythe loaded. canarlL,concept. A...s-too-y of the CurtissAscender XP55 an aircraft plagued by bad stallcharacteristi~s, shows that if it had been modifiedto a loaded, high lift, high aspect-ratio canardconfiguration, it would have had excellent stallCharacteristics.

That Bill Lear got a set of VariEze plans abouta year ago. That Bill Lear ha~ ~us~ announced heplans to produce an all-compos1te clr.plane.

That RAF is about out of the first printingof the VariEze "Owners ManUal" and it is being com­pletely updated to show all revisions, current per­formance, fuel system, ailerons and landing brake.It will be available in November - ask for 2ndedition of "Owners Manual."

~OUIV\ O"-J0?t:>m F-WOB~l£-

The two Pazmany PL4A's at Oshkosh this yearwere powered by Continentals, even though the designand prototype were intended for the VW.Two other new VW-powered'aircraft were at Oshkosh.One trailered in, another had an engine failure inroute. The Sonnerai's appear to be having adequatereliability using VW's up to l700cc, but above that

, (for adequate power for a VariEze) even they admitthat reliability is in question.

TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE - Some EZ fliers who found takeoffdistances were too long have found they could obtainthe "Owners Manual' distances after assuring theymet .the following. ,

1. Brakes should not drag - align the nosewheel once on the runway before the takeoffroll so you don't have to ride a brake.

2. Tire pressure should be at least 55 psiluse 70 psi on the 4-ply tires.

3. Lift off at 60 kt (69 mph) at 900-lb grossweight and 66 kt (76 mph) at 1050-grossweight. Raise the nose early but onlyslightly I iLe. don't raise it high untilthe above speeds.

4. Be sure you are getting the correct staticrpm. Minimum is 2200 for the 0-200, 2100for A75 or CBS, and 1900 for the A65.

5. The "Owners Manual" data are for the Ted'sprop. While the Cassady prop is more effi­cient at cruise, it extends takeoff about20%.

VARIEZE WEIGHT - A lot of the builders are losing sightof the fact that the airplane was designed for the

il A75 engine which weights 170 lbs and without addi-tional equipment. It is stretching things .to installthe 0-200 ItSS electrical system (195-lb engine weight).It is really stretching things, compromising usefulload and making the airplane tail heavy if you in­stall the 0-200 with alternator or the strippedLye 0..-.235 (210 _to_2l5;.lb ,engine~,,-~tgh~l~_.XQuwUJ=--. _probably be happier w~ th overall performance andutility of a 75 horsepower, 540-lb empty airplanethan with a 100 or 108 horsepower, 650-lb emptyairplane.

Some have commented that, "Oh, I only weigh'160 lb," or, "I plan to fly solo all the time, soI don't mind an extra 50-lb empty weight." Thisis foolish - the VariEze should always be flownas light as possible, not always be flown at grossweight. I put in enough fuel for the mission re­quired. I fill up N4EZ 2!llX when I need the range.If you only weigh 160 lb, are flying solo, andhave

, a light airplane') than you can enjoy some real bene­fi ts - spectacular climb; 10¥er approach speed; short­er takeoff and lan.ding; easier on structure, landing

I,gear and brakes; easier to ground handle; much more

fun to fly, etc.Do not install !y:!.y. extras until you know what

,your TInil"weight is going to be and if you canaccept it. The cause for many of the overweightplanes is exc essive fi liers, primers, and paintin the finishing process. If you can, weigh yourplane before and after finishing. and let us knowthe data. We know of some finishes as light as 12 '

, lb., others as heavy as 85 lb!, Bud Bryan's 0-200-powered EZ is now 570-lb emp-ty after removal of alternatorl his is the lightest100-hp EZ I know of - a good goal to shoot for. Youshould consider an empty weight over 620 as total-

VW ENGINES FOR. VARIEZE Ix unacc!ptable.We still do not have any encouragement to report We nave had several questions (particularly

aa yet, except tbat a serious development program is from those who have ruined their useful load witha heavy empty weight) about what happens if you try

still planned by Revmaster. Results of their tests to fly~ gross. This is not something to be takenwill be published here when available. ,Looking at lightly, s~nce the number "1050-lb" is literally ,other programs though does not provide encouragement. used over 1,000 times in the structural design,It seems that reliable engine experience is the ex- performance calculations, structural dynamics, etc.ception rather than the rule. Fred Keller again flew I havecperated N4EZ over gross on about 20 flights,a VW-powered aircraft from Alalka to Oshkosh this inclUding our trip this year t~ Oshkosh in whichear but even after several years of development, we had full fuel. on several fl~ghts and 52-lb baggage

Yh' t vn~ d Hi i Im trail red in (see photo). This was a useful load of 529-lb andt e proto ype ~ an n p were e • '

G-F> ~O, '-<\ p~S e.. ~

LYCOMING 0-235 FOR VARIEZEGood news - development of the stripped 0-235

is proceeding well and availability of section IICexpected in late November. The 0-235 Lye develop­ment is not being conducted at RAF. Air Sport, Inc.,Minuteman Field, Boxborough Road, Stow, Mass. 01775,phone (617) 897-6021 is doing all installation de-

__velopment, all flight tes ts, _and will be providingall homebuilder support concerning the Lycoming.RAF will sell the section IIC drawings at $21. 50($23.50 for Air Mail over aeaa) startin,in lateNovember. Profits from sales of IIC will go to AirSport. All homebuilders questions concerning IICinformation should be directed to Air Sport.

The Air Sport EZ now has nearly 100-hours fly­ing time and is very close to completion of requiredflight tests. Cooling, induction, controls, fuelsystem, exbaust, mounting and cowling have been es­sentially debugged. The Air Sport EZ is flying witha Jiran prototype Lycoming cowling. The Lyc cowlingis to be available from Jiran by late November (sameprice as Continental cowl) •

Section IIC will include installation of allmodels of the Lycoming 0-235. The following stipu­Lations must be adbered to: Slick mags must beused. Ring gear, alternator, starter and vaccuumpump must be removed. The Lye is mounted closer tothe firewall than the Continental, thus, the balanceof the airplane is the same as witb an ' 0-200with alternator.

Performance with the 0-235 is essentially thesame as with the 0-200. Rate of climb will increaaeabout 13% and cruise sbould be four to five mph more.

VARIEZE CONTINENTAL ENGINE - installation in N4EZhas been flown about 53 hours since CP# 13-. Theinstallation continues to be trouble free. Duringthe Oshkosh trip we found thatitisrather susceptibleto carb ice, similar to a Cessna 150. The carb icedup three times, each time carb heat was adequate toclear the ice. We found it advisable to cruise withbeat on when in moist air conditions, cruising at50% power.

If you are losing more than 1/8 qt oil per hourout the breather, install an oil aeparator aa shownbelow. Thia can be homemade by welding enda andtubes into a 4-1ncb length of 2-iDcb dia aluminumtube. Several commercial separators are also avail­able.

The' following list is all the instrumentationin N4EZ. This allo\'TS me tony anywhere I w~t to go,excludes me only from the handful of large urp~rtsat the hub of the TCA's and provides adequate referenc­es to penetrate a cloud deck if in an emergency andcaught on top. &f:I. equipment in additil.m to thislist should be avo~ded, as it does not ~ncrease theutility at all, since night or IFR is not recommended.

airspeed EGTaltitude CHTrate-of-climb RPMcompass (wet) o~l p.electric turn/bank (stand by) o~l t.Escort 110 nav/com

a groBB~eight of 1116 lb. Based on our operationaldata and a re-lookat the structural considerationswe can approve operation up to 1110 lb, but only un­der the following limitationsl

1. At least 90-hp engine2. Taxi and takeoff only on BlDOoth, hard

surface. Use 65-ps~ tire-pressure on mains I75 psi if 4-ply tires are used.

3. Maximum weight for landing limited to 10.50lb.

4. Maneuvers limited to normal category +4g,-lg. No intentierW. abrupt maneuvers.

5. Add 300 feet to gross weight takeoff dis­tance, liftoff at 70 knots (80 mph), climbat 85 knots (98 mph). .

6. Pilot proficiency - at least 50 landi~ ~nVariEze before attempting overgross opera­tion.

7. High gross weight should not be consideredfor routine operation, since the chancesof surviving an off-airport forced landingdiminish rapidly as weight is increased.

FllIGHT TESTINGWe recently observed someone taking his airplane

to red-line speed for the first time at low altitude.Opening any airplanes envelope, be it a homebuilt orthe 10.000th Cessna 150. is a risky fligbt test thatsbould be done carefully. The~ time you do stallsor open up the higb speed area, do it at h!sh alti­~ and wearing a paracbute.

VARIEZE PITCH SENSITIVITY- I have flown seven VariEzesand thus have been able to compare variances in flyingqualities. In general most have been more sensitiveor more diUicult to fly in pitch than N4EZ. We haveinvestigated why the average EZ does not feel as"solid" in pitch as N4EZ and have identified. thefollowing oauses- be sure to check~ of them onyour airplane.

(1) Control system friction- the systemmus~be smooth and friction-free. If yours ~s

binding or rubbing, fix i t ~'f0,,-~l':S ..(2) Elevator dimensions - check these dimensions

on your elevator, measured with the bottomof the elevator level. The airplane willbe more sensitive if A is too large orif B is too small.

( 3)

~-J • r- B =3,'~ I--A =O.SS

Aftcg - Those with the big engines withal temato rs , or those wi th light pilotsare finding that their airplanes are tailheavy. A tail heavy ariplane needs tobe ballasted with nose weight to obtaina proper cg. To avoid adding a.lot ofdead wei~ht, it is tempting to fly the

..

airplane near the aft cg 11m!t. This isol onoe the pilot is proficient but aft c9makes an airplane more sensitive and moredifficult to fly. Thus, we recommend thatyou initially fly at mid to forward cg,ie,in 'the forward part of the first flightbek.

(4) Trim authority - The airplane is easierto fly when in trim. To be sure Y<lU haveenough trim for low and high speeds, checkthe following and adjust trim springsaccordingly~ With trim set at full aft(cable wound up to the nicopress sleeve)am stick held neutral. the force at thestick grip should be about three to four­lb aft. With trim set at full forward(cable unwound) and stick held neutral,the force at the stick grip should be aboutone to two-lb forward.

Those of you who do have the heavier enginesand alternators are finding that the nose weightneeded to get the cg forward is cutt!ng into youruseful l~ad , already reduced with the heavy engine.If this were a conventional airplane there wouldn'tbe much y 00 .could do, short of .1Il0vinp: th~_ e~ine

or wing. But, since the VariEze has two w~dely

separated, lifting wings, the allowable cg rangecan be shifted by shortening or lengtl'll!lll'i the canard.Thus a "tailheavy" airplane Can be made to fly "nose­heavy" merely by saving off canard span, making nochange to ac tual cg. This can be done only up toa point, where directional stability is lost as cgis moved aft. 'We have tested the flying qualitiesand confirmed that the canard/elevator is free fromflutter at two canard spans - 150" as shown in theplans and 142" which'is obtained by sawing 4" offeach tip. If 4" is sawed off each canard ti~ (142­span) you can move the allowable cg range aft 1.2inches. ']his is equal to adding 15-lb weight in thenose at F.S. 5.

Let~ look at a couple of examples to see whatthis canard trim can do for you. Assume you weigh170 lb and you are using an 0-200 with alternatorand a small battery. When you do your weight andbalance you find you will need 30-lb baDast in thenose to get to the nose heavy condition ,(preferredfor low pitch sensitiv~ty) for first flight. Thenlater you can remove 1/2 the ballast, but will haveto carry 151b of lead in the nose for the life ofthe airplane. If you trim the canard you will findthat you only need 15-lb ballast to get to the forwardcg you need for first flight. Then, when. you arecomfortable with the stick forces you can removeall ballast and have the best useful load anda mid to aft cg. ." Thus, trimming (he canardhas increased y.ou.r ~sefu.~_ lo~d by 15 lb.

As another examp~e, let's assume you have builtanEZ with the engine it was designed for, the A75Continental. When you do your weight and balanceyou determine the allowable pilot-weight range is125 lb to 240 lb. You, yourself, only weigh 130lb. You note then, that you will always be flyinga sensitive airplane (near aft cg limit) unless youcarry ballast. You also note that you don't haveany friends that want to fly your 'airplane that weighover 210 lb. Thus, you decide to trim your canard.With the allowable cg range back 1.2 inches you re­calculate your allowable pilot range as 95 lb to210 lb. Now, you can fly a "mid" cg range withoutadding ballast, and your 90-lb wife can fly withless ballast.

In sUmmary, the canard trim to 142-inch spanlowers the allowa~pilotweights about 30 lb. Ifthe airplane were originally. designed for the 0-200with alternator the canard would have been about142 inch span. Do not trim the canard to less than142 inches, in hopes of using further aft cg (aftof 102.2) to balance a heavy Lycoming and a light pilotDirectional stability may degrade aft .of 102.2and the canard has not been tested for flutter atless span.

The best time to decide if you want to trim

•

1."7 TO 2.0

WloE t=l-----~--fSince I have been alerted to the failures in

this area I have been keeping a close look at thetabs on N4EZ. The forward tabs are difficult tosee, so I made a 3-inch diameter hole in the rearseat bulkhead immediatly in front of each tab, toallow inspection. I recommend that you make theseholes in your airplane. They do not show, sincethey are covered by the back seat cushion. Usea pin router or hole saw.

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Do not make the layup wider that 2 inches. Awide layup will. stiffen the--gear locaily and canresult in the strut peeling away due to bending loads.

If your gear is already mounted, use the followingprocedure. saw off the bottom cover from the rearseat', b.ack about 12". Remove the gear. Pee.l off the15-ply outside layup pad (chisel and hammer.) Complete.lyremove the foam tab. Layup about 6 plus on the faceof the inside pad, butting them against the gearleg. Trim the strut as required for a smooth .comerwithout a joggle. Layup the 25 and S-ply outsidelayup as shown above.

Be sure to check that you have the correct 0.6­inch edge distance all around the tab. Cy Mehling'stabs were only 0.33"at the point of failure.

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The modification doeB two things. First itadds additional material to the "tabs and second, itallows the inside and outside pads to bond. directlyto each other, preventing the relative motion allowedby the previous foam tab. Here's the method fororiginal construction. make the tabs as shown onpage lS-l from 1/4" plywood, not foam. Instead ofthe two 3/16" spacers,make the spacers in-betweenthe tabs 1/4" thick and the oultside spacers l/S"thick, otherwise follow step 2 exactly. Modify step 3as follows 1 make only the inside layup, using 22plies Bin. Clamp lightly (too much pressure willdrive out too much resin) and allow to cure. Usingthe tab a8 a guide, drill~h the inside pad andtrim the edges even with the tab. Now complete1~

remove the tab and .sand the faces of the inside ayupdull. Do not be concerened if you have to remove

. a little of the gear strut to fair into the trimmedtab. Apply the outside pad layup using 25 plies allaround and an additional 8 plies on each .side thatjust lap over the leading and trailing edges.Clamp lightly and cure. C.ontinue, following step 4.This will now result in a solid glass tab in the 5/S"

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VARIEZE LANDING GEAR- We are asking all of you tomake a change to the main gear mounting tabs.

This change is not based on any problem with N4EZnor any drop test result. N4EZ now has about 500landings, some of them at gross weight and a fewof them quite hard. There has been no deteriorationof the gear or a:ttachments, so it is a bit confusingto us to learn that 3 or 4 of the homebuilt Ezsnow flying have had failures. One was a completefailure of the tab that allowed Cy MehlingtJ gearto rotate forward, dropping his airplane on itsbelly while taxiing. Others were discovered beforethey completely failed. In one case the bolt orspacer had worked in the tab enough to allow theinside and ouside pad layups ( p~e lS-2) to moverelative to each other, thus partJ.ally peeling thetabs from the strut and making the strut loose.Because these failures are apparently not isolatedcases but are affecting a large percentage of thebuilders we recommend that you update your gearto the configuration shown below before yOU taxi ortakeoff.

your canard is when you have done your final wei~htand balance and have calculated your allowable pJ.10tweight range and compared it to your weight. However,if you know you are going to use an 0-200 or Lycoming0-235 ~ your weight is less than lS0 1b, go aheadand tr~it now, before your paint job. Same goesfor'even the-a75 engine if your weight is less than150 lb.

The canard can be trimmed easily without muchdisruption of the paint job. Refer to the sketch.Using a hacksaw or coping saw, saw off 4 inches fromthe tip of each elevator. Now saw a 4-inch sectionfrom the canard as shown so the tip can be gluedback on (wet micro) and no recontouring of the tipwill be needed.

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VARIEZE FUEL SYSTEMIt has been determined that, due to a vendor

error, some of the fuel cap O-rings in the Brockcaps are of the wrong material. They will 8wellwhen wet with fuel and make the cap difficult toinstall. To check ~ours, soak your cap in fuel.If the 0'- ring swens enough so it doesn't fit the

ring properly, return your O-rings to Brock forreplacement.

It is possible to place the.main fueltank drain fittings (CP # 10 pg. 6) in the tanksuch that they do not drain . the low point duringnose down parking. This can allow water to remainafter draining. Refer to the sketch and build aledge infront of the fitting (if necessary) suchthat the drain is at the lowest point. The ledgecan be urethane foam with one wet ply of BID.

The fuel shut-off valve, when received hashigh friction. This is reduced when wet with fuel,Slosh your valve with fuel before installation toremove any grease and to verify that it does notbind excessively. The torque tUbe, installed asper newsletter tt, has a gentle curve from frontto rear and is supported at the rear stick area.Some builders have found that one of the followingmethods improved torque tube operation and install·

a"1on. ~ r .:V=AL:=Vt::z:::::E::::::::::::::::::::~

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When installing the fuel system be sure all:omponents are placed exactly as shown on the draw­.ngs. Be sure the tee sits flat on the floor and;he note on the bottom of CP 11. page 6 is followed.)0 not vent the fuselage tank to the same vent as;he wings. With separate vents you have redundan­:y in case the fuel vent gets 'clogged.

CP 13 alluded to the possibility that the Ben­lix carb will not work (pg 1). Johnny Murphy now~eports his problem was a totally bl?cke~ vent, andInce cleared, the fuel system operat~on ~s excellentlith the Bendix carbo Johnny discovered the blockrent only after a forced landing in which he had to'lide 10 miles to an airport., Do not modify the fuel valve's design fea-;ure that causes it to interfere with the pilot'srrist when the fuselage tank is selected. AlreadyIne VariEze has had a forced landing when the pilot~an the fus elage tank empty during touch and go' s.'his would not have happened had he done at leastine of the following correct things I build the~ve handle to plans, read the checklist, selectthe other tank when engine fails.

Remember, the fuselage tank is only requiredto extend your range by allowing full use of thetwo gallons of unusable wing fUeI'"Tunusable in~xtended descents). Unless you are stretching your;ange over 700 miles you never need to select thefuselage tank.. You will find that you rarely usefuselage fuel,but it is extremely useful to be ableto completely use !l! wing fuel when needed due toleadwinds or weather. The fuselage tank also pro­,ides redundancy. If the cause of an engine fail·lre is unknown, immedi,ately select your other fuel;upply.

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Several builders have had various problems withthe Rosenhan wheels/brakes. If they are not keptin adjustment they can allow the piston to move toofar out and result in O-ring failure. They mustbe adjusted as follows I turn the adjustment nutuntil the wheel will not rotate by hand. Back off1/4 turn OnlK' Check adjustment often. Use onlYthe red MIL 5606B aircraft fluid. Aircraft Sprucehas it by the quart. I have been discussing thehomebuilders' experiences with Fred Ros.enhari,.manufacturer of the wheels. He informs me thathe now has a . direct-puck actuation brake pad(like Cle.v-eland) in the prototype stage. If it issuccessful it should increase the effectivenessof braking and eliminate need for adjustment. Itis being designed to retrofit on the currentRosenhan wheels. We will keep you posted on theprogress of this item.. When you drill the holes to join NG10 and theNGll block, NPl0 must be fully in·the lock notch inthe instrument panel. If this hole is drilled withN9J;O to the left in the slot}the NGl1 will not befully engaged in NG13 with NG10 locked, This canresult in NG10 popping out of its lock and the nosegear retracting. This happened 3 times to DaleFindlay on his trip to Oshkosh. Our e~erience hasbeen that as l~ng as NGll is snubbed finlly intoNG13 on both sides with NG10 in the lock, the nosegear has a very positive down lock. Be sure thatthe knob has the full one inch of snub (page 17-10)The weakest link in the nose gear is ·the NG10 pushrodwhich will buckle between NG11 and NG9 if an overloadoccurs.

Peter Krauus modified the NG10 lock with asYstem that is more complex but eliminates the needfor NG10 to move sideways and provides a more positivelock. The mod involves making the s10t in the instrumen'panel a straight line. A bracket is added thatsnaps over NG10 when snubbed d,cwn. The pi~otmust push the bracket out.of the way to retract or exteruthe gear.

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s££ c. f>.#:11

While on the subject' of gear strength, a reminderis' in order to check that the nose gear strut isinstalled properly. If· this is done wrong its' strengthis as low as 1/10 and will barely support the airplane.' sweight for taxil

C.Olt~Ec..T

VARIEZE EXHAUST SYSTEM - As you know from CP13. the four-post exhaust system had to be shortenedto avoLd vibration failures. CP 13 instructedyou to shorten your system but did not have a drawingshowing all details. The drping below showswhat the system looks like after shortening. Note thatit must fit rather tight on the intake manifold toallow adequate cowling clearance. If you have anoriginal;. length system from mild steel, saw outa portion of the horizontal length and take it toa welder to get it welded - most auto muffler shopscan do an adequate weld on mild steel tube.

The quiet muffler system mentioned in CP 13has been flown on N4EZ. It is very quiet, weighsabout ~ lb, but presently robs too much engine power.The manufacturer is now' modifying it to lessen thepower loss. Installation of the two-can mufflersystem requires "bumps" to be added to the lowercowl (see 6t<ETl:8). It is similar to a Cessna 150in external configuration. but has far superior sounddea~ qualities. We hope to have its developmentcompleted in time for it to be available when CP15 is published.

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The 0.3" dialenlion should be 0.75.This relults in the lower winglet beingcanted outward about 300 from verticalto lower dihedral effect and reducewing rock at low speeds.

NOTE: Stall characteristics have been found tovary from airplane to airplane. Most Izel and Vig­genl are not susceptable to departure and can beflown tr~ed at full aft stick. Some do e~hibit

more ving rock than otherl. Peter Krauss reportsthat his Eze cannot be flown at full aft stick;that at about 60 mph one wing drops abruptly. Thisis probably due to incorrect ving tvilt, as Peter'sairplane has required a relatively large trial tabon the wing. Be sure to determine your airplane'sstall.characteristics at altitude and with a para­chute.

Section Ipage 24-4

The ZigZag hotwire telllPh.tefor template Y and B has theZigZag misplaced too far forward.Move the ABCDEFGHIJK ZigZaglines back 0.2" toward thetrailing edge.Drill a 1/4" hole in the lowpoint of the air inlet hoseto drain fuel for a floodedstart. (low point with gearretracted) •Modify main gear tabs as shownin this newsletter.Replace cg chart with tho!!e onpage 6 of this newsletter.

Add the followi~ dimensionto all four landJ.ng gearextrusion drawingsl

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pg. 18-2Section

VARIEZE PLANS CHANGES- Be sure to copy these intoplans. _Section I. A3

Section IIA,. Pg. 13

Owners Manualpage 28

Aileron AddendumPage 5

- ... -/'

2.3.4.

A flour sifter is excellent for getting any lumpsout of micro. Keep micro bag closed to avoid mois­ture.

A key to a good glass layup is preparation.Copy the check list below and Dost in your shop:

BEFORE ANY GLASS LAYUP1. Tools cleaned & available

squeegee cups & sticksbrush scissorsroller ply 9 or gl~ves

Workbench cleanGlAss cut & ro lledSurface to be glassed -

correct shape & smooth contoursanded dulldust olown or vaccuumed off

5. Temperature of room and epoxy 70 to 800 F

If you want to reverse the canard tab bolts toallow forward removal (CP #13, pg 5), install thenutplates on the back of F22 as follows: rivet thengtplates .to a 1.S-inch dia. piece of .125-inch thickaluminum. Bond the alum washer to F22 and overlaywith one-ply BID to secure it.

Pieces of BID cut at 450 are easily distortedif picked up incorrectly and will not fit the partwithout a lot of cloth movement in place. To avoidthis, ,roll the piece up while it's still on the flatcutting table, carry it carefully to avoid stretch­ing, then roll it onto the part.

One builder reports his fuel gauge is not read­able in other than ideal light. The key to goodgauge contrast is to avoid any trace of foam or microin the gauge area. Lay a strip of grey duct tapeor plastic electrical tape in the gauge area beforeglassing the~ of the fuselage. This savesthe work of sanding away all traces of foam. Re­move tape before glassing outside. Be sure no mi­cro gets on gauge. Sand both sides smooth and coatwith epoxy. .

You can generally tell the quality of a man'sworkmanship just by looking at his shop. Clean upand sweep after every step. Keep your tools organizedand clean. Dirt in or under a layup will increaseweight and decrease strength. A clean shop willreflect on your airplane, and will make constructionmore pleasant.

toponeto giveaffected

Phil .Supan - "Use a plastic garbage-can linerto keep epoxy off clothes. Cut three holes, one foryour neck and two for arms."

Problem - Dacron peel-ply material wrinkles andis difficult to stipple into place. Solution -use Dacron surface tapes, available in rolls inthe correct 2.7-oz weight (Aircraft Spruce catalogPIS 99). Apply the tape in individual strips overlarge areas. You will need about three rolls of 1"

, tape and '1. rollS of 4" tape.Dale Findlay - Dale devised a clever way to

lock the canopy from the outside by insta11ing~re­movable link between the canopy handle and the leverfor the speed brake. When the speed brake is closedfrom the outside, the canopy is secured. To openthe canopy he pries the speed brake open, which opensthe canopy handle: The link is a piece of .0632024 with two holes about 5.8" apart.

Vic and Mary Sullivan - "Any type CBa! decorator'scone can be used to apply dry micro. After hot wir­ing the ai1erm piece fromthe wing, nail it backinto place so youhave the full straight trailing VARIEZE ERRORS _ HOW TO FIXedge available to accurately jig the wing. Removeit before skinning wing." Now that the plans are esaentially debugged

Dick Cobean - "Updating plans is easy if you by CP 110 through 113, the DIOst conmon call or let-xerox the news1ettere then cut and paste the hints ter we get from builders starts with, "I goofed

. ho" '.~nd changes 1nto yoz ·plans." w can I fix it? The following are accepted prac-Some builders are still having problems drilling tice to repair common errors. Of course, it's

and tapping the steel inserts in the canard for the best to be careful and avoid the error in the firstlift tabs. We recommend ?n1y the method using the place. Remember, DIOst errors can be avoided by re-~redri11ed 1/8" aluminum 1nsert with nutp1ates installed viewing your newsletters.(see newsletter # ~o, pg. 3). . ERROR: Depression in skin or spar cap in span-

Robert Purdy- When dr1111ng the NG13 holes wise direction on wing winglet r na din NG30 plates, clamp the NG30's together, clamp • ,,0 ca r.the NG1J on and use it as a drill guide. (page 17-5) REPAIR. Sand surface dull. Layup UND plies

Cy Mehling-If Failures that occurred with the cut as shown to fill depression, fiber orienta-5 volt regulatar in the roll trim curcuit were solved tion spanwise. Add one ply BID at 450 lappingafter installing a 10 watt, 50 ohm resistor in the two inches on each side of depression. Thislead to 12 volts: This is the only case I know of repair is allowable for depressions up to 1/10here - has anyone else had to replace the regulator? inch deep.

If you have purchased a Jiran mounted canopybe sure to check its Yf.!,dth before mounting thereinforcements and 1ay1ng up the inside skin. Itmay have to be bowed inward somewhat to have adequateroom for mounting the J brackets on the left side.

When the Jiran fuel tanks are trimmed to fit thefuselage side and wing rib they may end up about0.81f aft on the fuselage as is shown on the plansThis is ok. c? ~ jJ.l f>c,l~e CJ

VARIEZE BUILDING HINrs - Thanks again to those donatingtheir ideas for this column. Be sure to note thebuilding hints from all letters into your plansso you won't forget them when you reach a particularpoint during construction. When sUbmitting a build­ing hint please inc1uce a self-addressed stamped en­velope so you can receive our comments.

Ray Mucha - "When joining canard and wing coresfirst put the templates together and drill the nailholes all in the same place. Then later when thecores are joined, a wooden Q-tip stick or roundtoothpick in a few of the nail holes will hold thecores in alinement. If

Bill Rice - Low cost syringes in Jcc, 12cc,J5cc, and 60cc used by large-animal vets, can be usedand reused to measure resin and hardener. Be sureyou check the ratio obtained on your epoxy balanceto confirm you are getting an !l.ccurate 1-to-5 byweight ratio. If

Jim Smith - "Rather than using only thetemplate to check canard incidence, a double(as shown) clamps completely over the canarda more accurate incidence check that is lessby local bumps.1f (See photo.)

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ERROR: Glassed surface feels "tacky" afterone day cure - This is generally due to 1IIprop­er lIIeasuring or mixing of epoxy (too lauchhardener).REPAIR: Raise temperature to 80 to 90 degreesfor several days. If still tacky and surfacewill not 1118ke a white mark when scratched witba sharp knife, the layup will bave to be strip­ped (peeled) off and redone. Before continuing>do a test lIIix in a cup and check its surfacefor a good white scratch mark after cure.Check resin or hardener for settling (CP #12,pg 4) •

ERROR: Due to a poor or heavy layup, eleva-tor or aileron will not ~lance to specification.REPAIR: Start over; sloppy workmanship can­not be patched on tbese parts.

ERROR: After wing wa. cOlllpleted I noticed thatshear webs were butted on sides, rather thantop and bottom.

"REPAIR: This is a very extensive repair bat,does save $ and tiae over tbe job of ca.pletelyreplacing wing. Cut skin as shown on wing hot­tom. Remove fo.. wedge. SlIDd entire shear 0web face dull and glass witb 3-ply BID at 45 •Put in new foam wedge witb wet lIIicro. Be surewedge fits well to avoid exotberm. Patch skinas shown in "bump" repair above.

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ERROR: Inadvertently sllDded throngh pliesduring finishing process.REPAIR: Determine nUlllber of plies da_ged.Repair as shown in "bump" repair above.

ERROR: Drilled out threads on one of the wingattach bolts.REPAIR: Install a nut on the bottom - dig outand replace foam from the root end.

ERROR: Air bubble caused by attempting toglass around corner without radius.REPAIR: If height of void is less than 1/10inch. drill two slll811 holes and force epoxyinto void. If bubble is large. sand awayand follow repair for "bump" above,

QUESTIONS/AN~rnRS - Your questions can be answereddirectly if you include a self-addressed, stampedenvelope.

Q- I know bare foam must be protected from sUnlightand the epoxy must have an ultra-violet barrier toprotect it from long term exposure, but is it okayto put my unpainted structure outside for a coupleof days for rigging? A- Short exposure is okey, butif it is for more than a few hours it should be cov-ered (paper or cloth is ok).

ERROR: Foam cores jigged in wrong position Q- Is there any way to check the incidence of myso that wing or canard will have joggle when winglets after the airplane is built? A- The me-glassed. thod shown below is an easy way to confirm that theREPAIR: Cut core loose and bond (wet micro) left and right winglet incidences are equal. Measurein correct osition continuing. "R'from the Vlinglet leading edge at the wing top skin

-.;;;"-';....;;...;:;,;;;";;;.;;.,,;;;..,,i;,,;;;.;;..==:~;.::;.::=.::..-~~:=::==:2: -1 to a point on the aircraft centerline (prop hub orspinner tip). Measure "B" from centerline to thewinglet trailing edge at bottom of rudder (rudderheld neutral). Check that "A" minus "B" is the samefor left and right winglets.

ERROR: Sparkplugs strike top cowling due tocowl being installed too low.REPAIR: Cut holes in cowl over sparkplugsand build bumps (CP #8, pg 7).

ERROR: Due to incomplete wetting of layupI have several pin holes in my wing fuel tank

-S~ ltwill noC'meee lealCcbeck-;- -- ' ------REPAIR: Pull a mild vaccuum (1500 ft) on thetank. Hold the vaccuum for 1/2 hour as you brush,stipple, or rub epoxy over the area with pinholes. Then vent tank to equalize pressure.Paint a coat of epoxy over effected area. Besure tank is vented during cure.

ERROR: BUmp in skin or spar cap in wing, wing­let, or canard.REPAIR: Using a hard block, sllDd b~ level.Determine number of plies in area of bump.Sand completely dull the area around bump toa radius in inches equal to number of plies atbump. Layup the same plies as effected area,being sure to observe fiber orientation. Add,one ply BID at 45 degrees as shown.

B,UM? t''' :ros9\e

.;

THE HOMEBUn.DER SUPPORT The ...nufeeturing ...nuel ia • literaledue.tion in uaing the ...terials .nd 10 a det.Ued atep-by-atepguide to con.truction using an illustrated format not cOftl'DOnin aircraft plane. The Rutan newsletter. "The Canard Pusher. II

publi.hed .inoe ..id 1974, update. pl.n., provide. buUdinghinta, etc. Complete owners manual provides all necessary in­formation for .afe initial teating and for normal and emergencyoperation••

WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY1100 5th St.Highlend, 11. 62249(618) 654-2191

Range @ Max Cruiae 700 IiiRange @ Eeon Cruiae 850 Ili.Min Speed (full aft stiok) 5S IIIphLanding Dht.nee 900 ftWing Sp.n/Are. 22.2'/S3.6ft2Canard Sp.n/Ar.. .12.5'/13ft2

kon Cruiae 145 IIIphElllpty Weight 530 lbGro.. Wei2ht 950 lb

900 ft1600 fpm195 mph165 ..ph560 lb1050 lb

1050 ft900 fp..172 "Dh

Take OffClimbMax CruieeEcon CruileEmpty WeightGrose Weight

T.ke OffClimbMax Cruiae

SPECS 60 PERFORMAIlCE WITH 75-11P CONTIllENTAL:

AIRCRAFT SPRUCE 60 SPECIALTY CO.201 W. Tru.low Ave,Bx 424, ORFl'!llerton. Ca. 92632(714) 870-7551 All Raw M.terial.

Cat.log eo.t. $2.

KEN BROGK MANUFACTURING, lIB52 We.tern Ave, Stanton, C•• 90680(714) 898-4366.Prefabricated componente: wing attach a••8Ilbl,. no••gear ..chilledparts. control Iystem component•• fuel cap•• englne mount. rudderpedall. Catalog cost. $2.

TIlE FOLLowIIIG ARE RAF-AUTHORIZED DISTRIBtrrORS OF VARIEZE MATERIALSAND COMPONENTS.. CONTACT THE DISTRIBtrrORS AT THE ADDRESSES SHOWNFOR THEIR CATALOGUES AND DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS.

SECTION IV - OWNERS MANUAL - Thia ia an oper.tional bandbookand checkli.t•• including normal and emergency operation, det.tlelflying qualities and performance charta. maint.Nlnce. maidenflight procedure. pilot checkout. etc.

SECTION I • MANUFACTURIIIG MANUAL - Thia ia the eOllplete edueationmanual for composite materiala and methode. al.o. the completeplans and construction manual for the entire VariBze except .nll,..installation. The manual consista of. l53-page, bound. ll"x17" book plu. nine l.rger full .ize dr.ving.. It inelude. l6gphotos. over 800 drawings and illultrations. and over 65,000words. The builder Is led. step-by-step through the entire con­atructlon of the airplane. The 1II&.nua1 identifiel .ource. for.11 ...teriala .nd .11 prefabrieated eOlllponent8. NIISIID""'~SECTION II - ENGIIIE INSTALLATION - Th10 ia • oat of dr.ving.and conltruction manual for the comp111te engine in.tallationinclUding mount. baffles. inetrumentation. electrica11. fuel,exhaust and induction systems. carb heat box and muff. cowliftlinltallation, prop and spinner.SECTION lIA - Continental A6S, A7S, C8S, C90, 0-300SECTION IIC -=- LY~~~~0235 - No accessories.

SECTION III - ELECTRICAL - Thlo ia .n optional (not required)set of drawingl and inatallation inatructiona for electricaleystem..

SPECS 60 PERFORMAIlCE WITH 100-1IP CONTINENTAL, FIXED-PITCHPROP @ GROSS WEIGIIT:

SECTION V - FINISHING THE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT - Applie. not onlyto a VariEze. but to other epoxy/composite aircraft. Includ••f111ing/eontouring/priming/U. V. barrier/eolor end trim.

VARIEZE DOCUI1ENTATION 10 av.U.ble in .ilI: .eetion••

SECTION VI • LANDING BRA1CE - COlIIplete full .be dra"inp for .noptional drag deviee. The br.ke dr....tio.lly iner...e. the air­plane'l glide angle and deceleration in the flare. Without thebrake the airpl.ne 10 li..1ted to runw.y••t le..t 2400-ft long.With it. runways down to laOO-ft long can be used with appropri­ate pilot proficiency.

FRED JIRAN GLIDER REPAIR, Bldg 6, Mojave Airport, Moj.ve, C. 93501(805) 824-455B.Prefabricated component.: cowling. fuel tanka. wheel panta, ..in­gear and noaegear struta, atrut cover and nosegear box.Send SASE with 3-oz posta,;te for brochure.

COh'"L£Y £~;TERPRISES, Building 170, Mojave Airport, Mojave, CA 93501(805) 824-2368. Plexiglass canopy_

H.C. COHMUNlCATIONS, Bx 2047, C.nog. P.rk, ce 91306, (213) 882-0422.Custom COM & NAV VHF antennaes.

I $9. SO$8.00

BUILDING 13, MOJAVE AIRPORT

P. O. BOX 656, ~OJAVE, CA 93501

TELEPHONE (8051 824·2645

(But.nmlrCr.ft

lI.ctory

IPriee. 1ne1udinqCheek items desired first-class mail Air Mail

U•S. and Canada OVerseas*

0 VariEze info kit, includescurrent i ••ue of "Canard $S.OO $6.00Pusher' newsletter

0"Canard Pusher" newsletter,published quarterly. One- $4.7S $6. SOyear subscription

Section I $94.00 $108.00

Section IIA $19.00 $21.00

Section IIC $21. SO $23. SO

•Section IV $8.00 $9. SO

Section V $7.00 $8.00

Section VI $10.00 $11. 00o 3" tri-colored jacket $1. 9; $1. 95DatohAdd 6\ it Ca1a res-ident - newsletter is nottaxable.

*U.5. FUNDS ONLYTOTAL

I ( ) Seotion III

TODAY'S IIOMEBUILT WITH TOMORROW'S TECHNOLOGY

'I:IlE A1IPUIIE The Vadlse ia a _11, high-perfo.-nce h....­built .portplene. It een be built froe rev _terial. eo.tingapprod_tely $2600 (Ie.. engine) in .bout 1000 ...n-hour., orfr... pref.b perta .nd _teriala, eo.ting .pproximately $4000ill about 600 ..n-hour. (about eight month, spare time work).It••trueture 1•••andwich of high-.trengtb fibergl••• , uainglaw-denaity, rigid foam al core .... t.ri.l. The structure i.fabricated directly over the shaped core, thua expensive toolland -alda are not required. Compollte-.andwlch structure of­fera the following advantages over conventional wood or metal:lei' conltructlon time requiring le•• Ikills, 1mproved corrollonrell.tane., improved contour It.billey, better SUrface dura­bility, dr....tic reduction in hardware and number of parts ••••ler to inlpect and repair. The VariEze ulea the ....11 four­cylinder Continental aircraft enginel. The 0-235 Lycoming...tripped of atarter and alternator. il now being tested and.hould be available loon. The airplane ha. exceptional cU.IIIband cruiee performance. It can carry two people 700 miles at185 mph on leea than 20 gallons of fuel. Frontseat palsenger.up to 6', ""/250 Ibe and backleat palsengerl up to 6'.5"/220lb. can be accoamodated plul a .,delt amount of baggage in twocUltom luitcalel. The airplane doel not have full dual control.,but do.1 have a backleat control stick. Due to ita Imall lize(only 67-.q.ft. ving are.) 1t 10 not the airpl.ne for in.talling

.extra equipment for IFR. night flying. etc. It can handle alimple electrical syltem with a single NAV COM and gyro inltru­aent. Theee can even be powered with. "'alar parte!. thus elim1­natinl the heavy alternator. The VariSze is reconmended forday-VFR operation only. Due to its relatively high landing speed(60 "-tnO mph) .nd ....11 tire., it 10 .eeeptable only for .llIOoth,bard-.urf.ee runw.y.. It••tabiUty .nd over.ll fly1ng queUtie.are euperb. Once trinmed, it will hold attitude and level flight"hands-off" even in turbulence. Trim changee due to power. gearretraction, or landing brake are all very small. Ita uniqueaerodynamic design aliowl it to be flown with full aft-stick.at lei. than 50 knotl, without a stall departure or lOIS of con­·trol, and without altitude 10.1. The VariEze ueee the lateataerodynamic features: NASA winglets. both wings cruise at beltL/D. basic arrangement provides Itall safety. stiff structureprovides accurate contour maintenance. basic system" deaigneliminates or combines complex control syst..... which .avesweight, COlt and building time while increa.ing reliabilityand lowering maintenance.THE TEST PROGRAM The VariEze teat progr... v•• probably theIDOlt extenlive and succeslful ever conducted on a homebuilt.It included ba.ic flight telta for flying qualities. perfol'lll&nceand .y.teme. spin and dive telte to FAR part 23 requirementa,.tatic load telts and landing gear drop testl exceeding part23 criteria, environmental/thermal testa on structural materiale/components, manufacturing methods testing. and IDAny others.

TWO + TWO SPORTPLANE

Performance with Take off 850 ft Specifications Canard Span/Area E ft/1B.) ft2150-hp.fixed- Climb BOO fpm~ VariViggen tling span/Area 19 ft/119 ft2pi tch prop, gross .Cruise 150 mph ElOllty lJp.ight 950 lbweight. Full Aft stick 49 ~h Gross Height 1700 lbstandard VariViggen Landing 500 ft

l'erformance with 150-hp. Climb 1000 fpm Specifications Wing span/Area 2).7 ft/125 ft2Special Performance Wings Cruise 15B ~h Special Performance Wing Gross Weight 1700 lb

.._,,-

.~ :.

IPROVEN DESIGN ICo~lete flight test program completed, 600 hourson prototype wi th very li ttle maintenance. \~onthe Stan Dzik trophy for design contribution,Oshkosh '72.

ISTALL/SPIN SAFETY IThe VariViggen's safe flying qualities have beenthe sUbject of technical presentations for EAA.SAE, AOPA, & AIAA. It will not stall or "mush in"like the common delta, At full aft stick (4) kts)

__ it will still climb 500 fpm, rollover 50 degrees-------per second wi'thout.-udder Clr-Urdination. and make

buffet-free turns. The prototype received theOmni Aviation safety trophy at Oshkosh '7). andthe oustanding new design award at Oshkosh '74,

IEXCELLENT UTILITY IComfortable tandem cockpits, three-suitcase baggagearea. and an adequate cruise speed provide unusualutility for a homebuilt airplane, Its unusualdesign turns routine travel into "fun trips."Gas service and other airport services have beenbetter. too! Take it home, it's road-towablewith outer panels removed,

'UNCOMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION IThe basic structure requires few special toolsand can be built in a simple jig. The few partsthat have double-curvature are available in fiber­glass, ready to inatal·I. All machined parts arealso available, as well as other prefab parts.

J EASY TO FLY IDespite its unique appearance, the VariViggen hasno unusual or pilot-demanding flight character­istics. It is easier to handle than conventionalaircraft. particularly in gusty crosswind conditione

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THE FOLLOWING DISTllIBtJrORS HAUET VAllIVICGEN PARTS:

AneRAn SPRIXE & SPECIAl.TY co. 201 w. Truslow.Box 424. Fullerton. Ca. 92632 (714) 870-7551.VarlVlggen spruce kit. plywood kit. hardware, alumi­num and fibergla8l. Catal.og COlt $2.

KEN BROCK HANUFACTU1UNC. 11852 W'ester-n Ave SUntonCa. 90680 (14) 898-43660. ••VariVigsen prefabricated component8: an macht.nedparts. Catalog costs $2.

~:z4~;~F; FACT(lRY. lll1-A 8randtvista Ave. Dayton.

VariViggen plexiglas. canopy.

MONNETT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. INC, 955 Grace St,E1g1n. n 60120 (312) 741·2223.VariVlggen molded f1ber~lass part•.

GOUGEON BRotHERS. 706 Hertin. Bay City. Hi 48706.VarlVi8gen 105/206 epoxy and 403 fibers for woodconstruction.

GEORGE EVANS. 4102 Twining. River.ide. C. 92509.VarlVlggen welded nose and _In bnding, gear, 1-1/4'1.q. steel tube.

~;:L9~~BELL (VarlV1gen builder). Box 253, Phelan.

VarlVlggen prefab brackets and fitting•.

JESSE WRIGHT (VariViggen builder). 7221 S. ColoradoCt, Uttleton, CO 80122 (303) 771-5140.VariViggen prefab wood parts. Send 50t for list.

VARIVIGGEN TECHNICAL REPORT - Co~lete tech report describingthe VariViggen two-place sportplane. Includes specifications.pilot report, dimensions. )-view. stability and performanceflight test data. construction cost. description of car-topwind tunnel. 8'l xl0 11 glossy photo and current issue of newslet-ter. •Price. $10.00 first class mail, $11.50 air mail overseas.

VARIVIGGEN OWNERS MANUAL - Complete operational handbook in­cluding normal and emergency procedures, loading, operationalrecord keeping. This manual is a must for those close to firstflight.PriceL..-$6.00 first class mail. $7...09 air. mai.l. oversrCLS.

"CANARD PUSHER" SUBSCRIPTION - A newsletter designed with thebuilder in mind. Emphasis on distributing to all buildersas many ideas, improvements. building tips, photographs. &fli~ht reports as possible. Details mandatory. desirable, &opt~onal changes to plans & to owners manual. A newsletterSUbscription and all back issues are mandatory for those withVariViggens under construction. Identifies new material sourc­es as they become known. Published quarterly.Price. $4.75 ~er year first class mail. $6.50 air mail overseas.Back issues. $1.00 each

VARIVIGGEN PLANS - HASAD approved in "AA" catagory. sixty-one sheets, completely detailed. Also included are build-er's handbook information, step-by-step construction guide,complete bill of materialS, flight operating limitations partslists. Section breakdown. 1. Introduction. 2. Operatin8 Limi­tations. ). Bill of ~aterials, 4. External Geometry (Lofting)5. Building Tips, 6. Construction Order & Methods. 7. Canard '& Elevator. 8. Fuselage, 9. Inboard l"ling, 10. Verticals & Rud­ders. 11. Outboard Wings, 12. Cockpit & Seats. 1). Canopies14. Flight Control ~ystem, 15. Fuel System, 16. Angle-of-At:tack System, 17. Engine Mount, 18. Cooling & COWling, 19.Landing Gear, 20. Gear Doors, 21. Electrical System, 22. PartsLi~t. Also included are the tech report & photo described.Pr~ce. $5).00 first class mail, $59.00 air mail overseas •

VARIVIGGEN SPECIAL PERFORlo'.ANCE (SP) WING/RUDDER PLANS - Con­structi~n drawings and assembly manual for glass compositeouter WJ.ng panels and rudders. These are optional wings, re­placing the aluminum surfaces shown in the VariViggen plans.The SP wi~gs are easier to build and provide increased climband cruise performance. They also have fuel tanks which in­crease range to over 600 miles.Price. $)9.50 first class mail. $41.50 air mail overseas.

VARIVIGGEN R/C MODEL PLANS - Complete conetruction plans forthe 18%-size radio-controlled model airplane bunt & flownto evaluate VariViggen spin characteristics, Designed for4-channel proportional radio equipment & engine in the .)5to .65-cu. inch size. 555-sq inch wing area. All balsa orfoam/balsa construction. A maneuverable flying model withoutstanding roll rate. Also shown are modifications requiredfor a control-line model (70-ft lines, .19 to ,45-cu inchengines) •Price. $4.75 first class mail, $5.50 air mail overseas.

, VARIVIGGF,l CONSTRUCTION !!ANVAL I Part 1 of aphoto-llUlitrated construction manual, writtenl:!y Jill Cavis, ~/N 31. Includes fuselage. canard.inboard wing, vertical stabs, control system,and landing gear ...l0"ll ",1 th approximately 100P~O't08. Part 1 also includes helpful sketcheson jigs and numerous building tips. The writteninformation is similar to plane chapter 5.except expanded to about 30 pages.Pr1c•• $lB.~o fir..t claes mail. $20.S0 airmail

-Q. I have built. one wing with 90-deg fiber orientationon the BID rather than the 4S,.degrees shown on theplans. Is this ok1~. Nol Fi'!>er orientati~np18.ys a very important rob1n the st1ffness and streng~h of a composite structuralcomponent. Do not modify orientation, even on a'bulkhead.Q. I have 'bolted my Cleveland wheels and brakes

. to my axles but things don't fit right. What now?A. Check t~. things - orienta.1ion of torque Vlate(CP 1) pg 6) and spacer rings. Two r1ngs pera~e must be used to not only space bearings but to provldd1rt, seals. Spacer rings are available at AircraftSpruce and Brock.

. Q. My cockpit vent onmy .Ez does not flow air below100mph. Can I fix· this?A. I have noticed this on other BZs·!· havefl~~~4EZ's does flow do~ to 60 mph•. 1 think the difference1S du.e to a change 1n slope of the canopy frJUDe.The change was maell after N4EZ was buHt to improveforward vis ibili ty. I think your vent will work atlower speeds if you carve a smooth radi·U3 on the frontand sides and raise the rear lip about 1/4 inCh.

CF> kJo 14

..

SHOPPINGWe have found another source for the epoxy layup

rollers. They can be mail ordered from IASCO,5724W 36th St, Minneapolis, Mn 55417. Ask for 1-; tex­ture roller - 99¢ each~

The diode for the Edmund solar panel (CP 13)can be· two lN4004 si11con rectifiers in parallel.We have not yet been able to get a thin solar panelproduced, but we do have someone working on it. En­ergy Saving Systems, 8800 WChester Pike, Upper Darby,Pa 19082, has a unitsimlar to Edmunds. If anyoneknows of a source for a panel at a price less than$40 per watt, please let us know.

Jim Cavia reports that he 18 working on thesecond part of the Viggen construction manual and thatrepairs to N31VV are in progress.

WANTED: Completed VariEze, all conaidered. Barclay,1109 E Broadway, Glendale, Ca 91205 (213) 241-4835.FOR SALE: Partially-complete VariEze including C-85engine. Cecil Muchmore, 7237 Via Amorita, Downey,Ca 90241 (213) 927-5802.FOR 9ALE~ VariViggim pro:teet:"'1."ct'- &-320 1;ycoming, almostall parts. Bill Lake, 1094 Madrone Way LivermoreCaM~ "

VARIEZE BILL OF MATERIALSHost builders are finding that the kit has ample.

epoxy, enough glass if you use scraps wisely, but onlyabout 1/2 the required amount of microspheres.

VARIEZE AND VARIVIGGEN RETENTION OF CANOPYAs we have mentioned several times before

canopy retention is very important. An inflightcanopy opening has resulted in the destructionof Tony Ebel's VariEze and a horrifying patternflight by Peter Krauss. Peter took off without thecanopy locked. It opened wide open at 100 mphduring the initial climb. He grabbed it, pulled itclosed on his fingers and held if while he returnedfor a good landing. Tony had a canopy latch thatwas adjusted so loose that it allowed the canopy torise and fall noticeably during flight. Tony wasflying at 6000-ft altitude and 185 mph true (165indicated) when the canopy opened. He doesn't re­member if he had bumped the latch. When it openedthe airplane immediately departed from controlledflight, yawed, pitched down past vertical did a1/4 turn spin, then pitched up. Tony grabbed thecanopy, it was pulled from his hand and the airplanerepeated the above maneuvers. This happened aboutsix times until he finally got the canopy closedwith fingers outside (Tony did not have the knobinstalled on the inaide). Once recovered to levelflight (only 800-ft altitude) he noticed that hisprop was stopped and thus he had to make a forcedlanding.* Due to a combination of almost passingout and fear of the canopy opening, he did not flare.He shoved the stick forward near impact. His ownwords follow:

''When the canopy opened, it was as if some­one th~ a handgrenade.** It realy startledme. I knew I was in trouble. The planeshuddered and shook. Then started a leftturn. It slowed down very fast •

After tbe first few wild gyrationa,spins to the left, recovering straight down.etc., I got it to stall. nose high. andtired to close the canopy. As it fell.the canopy pulled open. Tbia went on forthe 5000 ft I fell. I wish I had tried asteep right side slip. or a full power atall,while trying to close the canopy. I was in (a)tense situation, real busy, jump or close it.I did not register any other,event. Assoon as the canopy c... sbut, and I noticedthat the engine was dead, I bad a thougbtthat tbe sky was getting overcast. I hadtrouble thinking. finding a field and get-ting in position. I put tbe gear down.Then just as I landed, I thought •••wby did,the sun go down? So I sboved forward onthe stick, but the bean field was real dark.I heard the nose wheel breaking. Notbing IIOre.till after tbe wreck. So I was out, beforeI hit anytbing. Probably lack of oxygen, asmaybe I was not breathing much on the waydown•••• I knew tbe fence was just ahead.I had tried a 900 turn at about 70 ft ••had to level it just before.I landed. got450 of the turn. .

Next day I walked tbe field. It wassllOoth and solid. So the gear probably wouldbave stayed on, but I would have hit thefence.

I know now•• don't.try to knock the gearoff by pushing on the stick. If I would havebeen really alert and not passing out, Icould have landed in a circle and gotten awa,fr01ll the fence.

Spread the news that I have a goodcanard, good canopy frame and a repaira-ble left wing for sale, damaged fin and tip,good fitting."Tony's airplane dug a large hole. cartwbeeled

once, tore off the right wing and ended up inverted.Tony dug himself out and found that hiB hjaries wereminor - cuts and bruises. The airplane was extensivelydamaged. Since this was the first major overloadfailure eondition on an Eze structure, I waa quiteinterested in inspecting the IIOdes of failure. Iflew over the next day and observed the following:wing failure occurred in the spar caps, 3 to 6 incbeafrom the wing fitting - there was no damage in thefittings. winglets failed either 1n tbe wing or atthe winglet 1/2 span. The ioint did not fail. .The canard. itself, was not damaged. All seatbeltfittings were intact. The canopy plexiglass was brokenin front but the canopy frame was not damaged. Theforward fuselage back to instrument panel was totallydestroyed. The rear seat area •. f~el tanks, c/s spar,fuselage tank, etc •• were undamaged. The engine.mount, firewall and everything in engine area wereintact and not damaged. Nosegear strut and all itafittings were undamaged. The maingear tabs failed.The gear strut failed at 1/2 span.

* Wbile the prop will wincb111 down to 60 kt, oncestopped you .ust go above 120 kt to restart. Tony'sengine failed due to negative ".g" at a speed below 60kt during gyrations.** At that high speed it ia,surprisingtbat the caDOp~waa not torn off. The gyrations at that speed (abovemaneuvering speed) also should have reaulted in air­frame failure. bue none occurred.

I _ confident that inadvertent canopy opeDingcannot occur if the canopy is built and adjuated proper­ly and locked before takeOff. The handle should berigged so it must be forced bard forward to engagethe latch. Tbe latch and handle should be riggedfor preload toward each other. Thus it is tapossibleto open it by bumping the handle. It should take twohands to open. Be sure the latches engage fully inthe positions , shown on the plans. ~ install tbewarning horn that sounds if takeoff is attemptedwitbout canopy fully locked. ~ use your checkliat.Do Dot omit the canopy inside knob.

l.....

,- " •. -;'"'

VARIVIGGEN PLANS cHANGEs

NO'l'ES FR(Iof THE DtsTRIBtrrORSJesse Wright now has a VariV18gen'tail rib kit. Con­

tact him for details.Note the new address and p~ne number for Cowley, Inc.

on the enclosed flyer. All plexiglass work is now done atMojave. Send SASE for, info to them. Remember that if youdrive in or fly in to get a canopy it comes in a 96x26x14­inch box, which will not fit in a small sedan.

Jiran - all items except wheel pants will undergo abouta 101 price increase, due materials & labor inflation,

,on 1 Jan 78. Jirsn needs input from you to determinevolume of Lycoming cowlings. They will be in productionsoon. Backlog is still about two months for gear; lessfor other items. Send SASE for current delivery status.Send 35¢ postage for complete brochure.

Brock - current backlog is still six to eight weeks,but panic needs can be filled in less time. Brock's $1catalog shows photos of all available parts; many part.are available that are shown as homebuilt-only in theplans. See his ,catalog for complete list. Brock now stocksthe pin router mentioned several times in the plans, aswell as piloted countersinks. '

Aircraft Spruce & Wicks can still .upply a complete'kit for pickup if given about two days notice.

Aircraft Spruceha. recently added a few hard-to-find items not listed in catalog:

1. Instrument quick-handy template for layoutof instrument holes - all sizes $6.75 '2. 3 in 1 engine gauges - oil temp &,pres.ure +fuel pressure. 15' capillary for VariViggen $65.3. Epoxy wood sealer for VariViggen inside seal­ing,$11.75 per qt.

Pg 41

Cowl installationinstructions

Shorten FP3 0.8-inch to move ...ter~ylinder closer to pedal, to increa.ebrake effectiveness. Pedal _ust bevertical or canted~ at the topfor best brake effectiveness.Baffling must fit tight all aroundwith no large leaks, to preventoverheating.

GLASS AND POAM STAJmAN) WING FOR VAIlIVIGGENSWe have worked with several VariViggen builder.

, on an individual basis concerning how to build a stan­dard-.baped (like the metal wing) wing panel out ofglass and foam (like the SP plans). Now that a glassand foam .tandard wing i. flying, we are pas.ing thisinformation on to you here. For all details of construc­tion not shown ,here refer to the SP plans. Also,follow ,newsletter hints for VariEee concerning gla.swork.

U.. the loft. on page 8 and 9 of the plan. fortemplate. at B.L.4&, 79.5, and 114. The .tub spar is31.5" long and 18 shaped to fit the cores lesa thethickness required for glas. spar caps (.012 per plyfor 5277; .009 for 5177).Follow SP plan. for spar cap d1menaiona and all fit­tings. Follow the sketch below for aileron sieeand skin glass configuration. The best epoxy 18 ,RAES(1 gal required) for foam bonding and heavy caps andRAEF (3 gal required) for skinning. Refer 'to yourbuddy'. set of VariEze plans for additional hintl alithe gla.s work. 5277 is called BID' 5177 is calledmID. '~---... - &lll"l

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Rutan Aircraft FactoryBuilding 13, Moiave AirportMoiave, CA 93501

TO:

Hrst ,class mail

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