General view of aeroplane. The first picture shows it in 1995 just
prior to first flight. Fitted with a CAM 100 (Honda Civic conversion - not
to be recommended) and KIS Mk 1 noseleg.
By 1998 it had an IO 240 engine with fixed pitch wooden prop and
'Netherthorpe' noseleg
Cowling showing air and oil cooler intake. Note the non-standard
noseleg. The original Mk 1 noseleg bent twice on landing but only enough
to allow the aeroplane to be taxied off the runway. I fly from a 475 yard
uneven grass runway. I did obtain a Mk 2 KIS noseleg but never fitted it
(recent correspondence on the net suggests it may have been the correct decision)
preferring instead to have a custom made oleo (the 'Netherthorpe' noseleg
- the name of the field from which I fly - it appears on only one other
aeroplane, a Smyth Sidewinder which also flies from Netherthorpe) The new
noseleg adds 20lb over and above the weight of Mk 2 KIS noseleg. It has now
flown for one season with only one problem - shimmy is controlled by a motorcycle
shimmy damper - this was placed just above the exhaust and got so hot it
was ineffective. One landing produced so much shimmy that the fairing broke
up. The problem has been cured by a different damper and ducted cold air.
The latest change from the photo above is the fitting of an MT electrical
constant speed prop. This has made all the difference to take off from a
short field when fully loaded. It has also made landings more controllable.
Empty weight is now 981 lbs. That includes a 9lb lead weight right at the
back of the fuselage to correct CoG.
The oil filler tube, which fouled the engine mount has been realigned
and lengthened with piece of exhaust pipe. The oil filter also fouled the
engine mount and had to be mounted remotely on the firewall.
The throttle control is on the top of the engine - control cable can
be seen crossing the air plenum chamber. The throttle lever fouled the under
surface of the cowling. I could find no way of re-routing the cable and hence
the need for the 'power-bulge' on the upper cowling.
The white 'scat' tube is cold air to the shimmy damper. The oil/air
separator is mounted on the firewall just at the curve of the white tube.
The blue AN fitting just behind the baffle is on a fuel flow transducer
with a fuel pressure transducer mounted on the firewall at the very right
edge of the picture.
The air filter and oil cooler are mounted together under the
propeller.
On the right side of the air box is a spring loaded alternate air
supply.