Ken's RAF stabilizer mod
Bob Barbanes
little grass strip where I'd heard some radio activity on the scanner earlier
in the morning. I get there and find a humongous crowd and bunches of
homebuilt and ultralight airplanes flying (including a nice example of the
SeaRey amphib that I am GOING to build). Anyway, also in the pattern is a gold
RAF 2000 gyro owned by a local guy, Bill Strickland. But what's this?? The
tail looks different than I'm used to. Bill is now flying the RAF with a
horizontal stabilizer!
After he landed, there was the customary crowd around him, asking questions and
poking and prodding all over the ship. I have to admit, the RAF is a nice
product. I heard Bill tell someone that he's flown it about 180 hours in the
last year and a half. That's a LOT of flying for a gyro (and Bill owns a
couple of other gyros besides).
When the crowd thinned, I asked where Bill got the horizontal stab? Did he
design/build it himself? "Nah, I got it from Ken out in Sandy Aigeaux," he
said, (pronouncing it correctly, BTW). So I asked him if it made any kind of
noticeable difference in the flight characteristics. The look on Bill's face
gave me the answer before he spoke a word. "Has it ever!" he gushed. "Around
here, we get a lot of up and downdrafts. The horizontal stabilizer evens all
of that out. I fly with a LOT more confidence now." He was obviously very
pleased with the installation. And Bill also confirmed what Ken mentioned,
that the RAF actually IS faster with the stab installed.
And you know what? The RAF just looks better with the stab! Previously, the
back end of the ship looked naked, unfinished. The design of the stab, which
mimics the curvature of the vertical stabilzer, gives the tail symmetry, making
it look the way our mind thinks a tail SHOULD look, for whatever that's worth.
I have flown stabilizer-less RAF's, and was not impressed with their flying
qualities, especially in pitch. Time constraints prevented me from flying with
Bill to sample his. Perhaps soon. But anecdotally, I can say that Ken
Janulewicz seems to have come up with a tremendous improvement to an
already-good design. Bill Strickland is one mighty happy customer.
Bob -gyro tyro- Barbanes
Pepsicola, FL
"The dignity of the craft is that it creates a fellowship."
Antoine de St. Exupery
Doug Marker
It is really good to hear real life comments from field. I like to believe RAF has
got the message loud and clear.
An excellent machine & a good company that should stay in business and grow. Their
anti-stab attitude had
the potential to cripple them and may still do if they don't pick up on the cues
from such comments.
Cheers Doug
kensan...@my-deja.com
This is the last one though, I can't afford anymore payouts for kind
words. Actually, everyone has been happy that has flown theirs. In
fact I have a pic of Bill's ship and 2 others on my web page. The
basic design was given to me and I took it to a couple guys that
modified and refined it and built a great mold (all at great cost to
me!), and they did a nice job of making it structurally sound, easy to
install and a real quality product. There are some copycats starting
to show up that leave a bit to be desired in my and some other's
opinions....2 pieces, no carrythrough spar, no struts and just held
onto each side of the keel by 5 bolts and nuts through a glass flange
that takes all the shear loads along with the 90 degree angle......but
it is cheaper. I guess they don't believe that aeronautic, structural
basics apply anymore.
Ken J. - Sandie Eggeauxe
kensan...@msn.com
http://www.geocities.com/kenj_sandyeggo/KensWebPage.html
In article <20000528114124...@ng-fy1.aol.com>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Bob Barbanes
>O.K., O.K., what's your damn mailing address again for the 20 bucks?
>This is the last one though, I can't afford anymore payouts for kind
>words.
No charge, my man. Glad to see something so positive get distributed through
the fleet so quickly. I mean, here at PHI, I think we still have some 407's
that don't have all the latest and greatest mods, and they're certified
aircraft!
Good job on it, Ken.
Bob
Matthew
your stab today. I flew to Salmon Arm in the interior of BC to track down
an ELT. Saw an incredibly nice looking RAF 2000, without an h-stab. Told
the guys there about ken someone in San Diego that makes a good one. They
thought the owner was looking at adding one.
Maybe you'll get a call. Doubt it with the sketchy info I had, but weirder
things have happened.
Matthew.
kensan...@my-deja.com wrote in message <8gv7lv$c3g$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
>O.K., O.K., what's your damn mailing address again for the 20 bucks?
>This is the last one though, I can't afford anymore payouts for kind
Ken Sandy Eggo
Just kidding about the gratuities. I know that no one here would ever
accept one anyway........right. Surprisingly, I have received phone
calls inquiring about the stab from all over Canada, the U.S., one
radio-phone call from the Yukon and even a phone call from Japan. I
get e-mails from all over the world. What did we do before the
Internet? Most gyro-heads belong to the PRA and I have an ad there
and had an extensive article about the stab published a couple months
ago. Thanks for putting in the word.
Ken J. - San-D-A-Go
http://www.geocities.com/kenj_sandyeggo/KensWebPage.html
In article <vCHY4.68022$au2.7...@news1.rdc1.bc.home.com>, "Matthew"
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
Ken Sandy Eggo
I think the main thing you will notice is updraft reactions of the
ship. If you catch a good one, at least 600+ fpm, you'll find the nose
of the cabin will shoot skyward, especially solo, and I don't think
anyone that's honest likes it. I flew about 75 hours in mine before I
installed the proto stab, and everytime it did it, it would scare the
bejeebers out of me...it just wasn't natural to feel like you're going
over on your back and have that sense of loss of control. You have to
immediately cut power and apply back stick pressure until the nose
comes back down. With a stab the ship just levitates and one of the
most popular feedback comments I get is that the pilot doesn't have to
"fly the throttle" constantly anymore. Not to mention the inefficiency
of throttling back at every up or down draft to about 40 m.p.h.
Because the nose is no longer bobbling all over the place, you'll find
your speeds will increase. I think that a part of this is also due to
the pilot starting to relax and be less concerned about nose ballooning
and letting off some of that stick pressure that a lot of us were
holding in anticipation of that next draft. After the stab is on,
you'll notice that landings are easier without nearly as many
ballooning incidents just prior to touchdown. All in all, you made a
good decision. In fact, we just added many upgrades and yours is now
obsolete and needs to be thrown away. Just send another check and I'll
get a new improved one off to you. (I better say that "This last part
is a joke and none of the stabs are obsolete" or my mail box will be
full of inquiries and flames tomorrow.)
Robert Frischer
I can't believe that you are offereing such a good deal. My new check is in
the mail.
--
Robert Frischer, rfri...@iname.com
"Ken Sandy Eggo" <kensan...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:01d9cd66...@usw-ex0107-050.remarq.com...
Doug Marker
Its not San Diego - its Than Di Aegoe (thorry I lithp)
Ken will never forgive you unless you get it just right.
(for those who don't lithp - its Sahn Di-Yegau - ot for our Japanese friends
Sar nn dee air goh
Cheers - Doug
Matthew wrote:
> Not looking for any gratuities, just thought I'd mention I put in a word for
> your stab today. I flew to Salmon Arm in the interior of BC to track down
> an ELT. Saw an incredibly nice looking RAF 2000, without an h-stab. Told
> the guys there about ken someone in San Diego that makes a good one. They
> thought the owner was looking at adding one.
>
> Maybe you'll get a call. Doubt it with the sketchy info I had, but weirder
> things have happened.
>
> Matthew.
>
> kensan...@my-deja.com wrote in message <8gv7lv$c3g$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
> >O.K., O.K., what's your damn mailing address again for the 20 bucks?
> >This is the last one though, I can't afford anymore payouts for kind
> >words. Actually, everyone has been happy that has flown theirs. In
> >fact I have a pic of Bill's ship and 2 others on my web page. The
> >basic design was given to me and I took it to a couple guys that
> >modified and refined it and built a great mold (all at great cost to
> >me!), and they did a nice job of making it structurally sound, easy to
> >install and a real quality product. There are some copycats starting
> >to show up that leave a bit to be desired in my and some other's
> >opinions....2 pieces, no carrythrough spar, no struts and just held
> >onto each side of the keel by 5 bolts and nuts through a glass flange
> >that takes all the shear loads along with the 90 degree angle......but
> >it is cheaper. I guess they don't believe that aeronautic, structural
> >basics apply anymore.
> >
George Moore
George
Bob Barbanes
> Alright now Mr Barbanes, as I recall, about a year ago you were
>considering building a Gyro yourself, if memory serves me correctly, and
>RAF was one of your choices. So when are you going to join in on the
>fun ?
Man, George! Decisions, decisions. I would love to build/own a gyro and yes,
the RAF would be a strong contender. But I already own an airplane, over which
right this very minute I am agonizing whether to sell or not.
HOWEVER, the next two years are probably taken up with our union contract
negotiations, and there will likely be little time to build anything. So I
might just as well keep the airplane to use as a tension-reliever after a hard
day of negotiations.
We shall see...
Bob
George Moore
George
Rod Buck
George Moore <GER...@webtv.net> writes
> Army AH-64 Instructor / Pilot who
>is also a Gyro CFI with his Mazda Rotary powered Tandem Air Command,
>that has been totally rebuilt from the ground up,
- my ears pricked up at this - I've often wondered why more gyros don't
use the MaZDA endine from the RX7 - light, smooth, little vibration, and
POWERFUL!
Any more info? Links?
- Rod Buck