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Q&A - Safety Alert and SAIB - Zodiac XL / CH 650
Replied Nov. 17, 2009
Q&A - Safety Alert and SAIB - Zodiac XL / CH 650
Replied Nov. 16, 2009
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Comment Wall (16 comments)
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Thank you for your comments. It is nice to know that not everyone thinks I am the Devil Incarnate because I have doubts about the XL design.
I don't think there is a wind tunnel big enough to take a full size Zodiac. Many years ago I saw a very large wind tunnel that was "Stolen" from the Germans after World War II. It was moved to Johnson space flight center in Alabama. While it was big enough to walk around in (and made me feel very small) it wouldn't hold a full sized light plane. Also, it was designed to work in the trans-sonic speed range - just under mach 1.
I gather the FAA engineers have prescribed a path to proving the current design is adequate. I don't really understand it, but I am not an aviation engineer either.
Paul
My own XL has been collecting dust in the back of my hangar since April. I feel there is a good chance the problems can be resolved, but it will take some effort and professional analysis to get there.
I just heard my upgrade kit is in shipment and should be here Friday. Before seeing the FAA report my plan was to install it and enter phase I testing. Now I am not so sure. I certainly won't enter phase II (carrying passengers and flying long distances) until I feel more confident in the design.
Paul
Camas, WA
Ed
It shows up on Yahoo OK for me. I wonder if Yahoo has subsidiary servers or whatever for down under and there is a delay in updating from the US (or wherever they are) servers?
Anyway, the link is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZBAG/message/1686
I'd be happy to respond if you have questions.
Terry
This is a first for me. I'm not much of a social networker, and you are one of my first friends on Aero Zenith. Just by chance, an hour ago I had a phone conversation with another Australian. I must say that I've very impressed with airplane building ethic of Australians. I need an energy transplant.
I got an email that you left a comment on my wall. I tried to find my wall and could not. Fortunately, I looked again at the email, and it had a link to my wall. Earlier today I posted a message on the ZBAG forum with my personal thoughts regarding the cause of the accidents. Rather than repeat that here, you might take a look there.
Good luck with your airplane. It's a beaut!
Terry
Ed
Like I said the design is a constant. How we build fly and maintain are the variables. So what are we addressing? The design not the variables. It doesn't add up for me.
Try this web address:
www.cleavelandtool.com
Ed
When it arrives, you form the curve of the center track by bending and trial fitting to the OUTSIDE of the bubble until it fits nicely. Then you clean the underside of the bubble along the centerline and stick the track in place with the 2-sided mounting tape supplied. I used two strips of blue painter's tape on the outside of the bubble as a guide.
You can have the entire shade positioned ahead of the rear canopy bow as I did or split the track to extend fore and aft of that bow as you see fit. It extends and retracts with one hand very easily. Mr. Koger has designed a very nice product. You'll need to bend the lateral ribs to conform to the canopy contour but that's simple as well.
The accidents have my full and rapt attention too. I just came to the conclusion that a few guys who I trust and respect had accumulated 300 - 500 hours without incident. The Zenith factory demo has over 1,000 hours likewise. The designer still has no reluctance to fly in or allow his sons to fly in the design without the mods. The extensive investigation produced a vague conclusion about "coupling of design and operational factors" leading to the accidents. Now if I know several guys who are flying a lot without failures and there is an operational factor; where is the variable? These are all planes of the same design... only the operation varies. That's enough for me to continue flying mine and to be forewarned not to horse it around. I guess they'll carve that on my tombstone, huh?
Ed
Ed
I too tried posting questions on the mod blogs but Sebastien refused to answer my questions without me emailing them directly to him. Alternatively, Matheiu Heintz has a Q&A forum going and is answering questions thoroughly, even mine. Here is the link, http://www.zenith.aero/forum/topics/qa-safety-alert-and-saib?id=2606393%3ATopic%3A37327&page=7#comments
Top question by the way. I look forward to the answer.
Phill
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