Meeting: 7:00 PM,                                 Sept 5, 2006 Tuesday
Place: Chapter Hanger (2G2)

Inside this Issue:

www.eaa.org

Wood, Glue, Rivets & Dreams

I decided to investigate working a little with titanium (Ti). The project was to replace 2 pieces of 5/8" OD 4130 steel tubing approximately 7" long with Ti. Why? Well the main landing gear on the Long-ez that is attached with these and in several cases they have actually bent or broken causing wheel vibration at the very least. Another issue is the steel tubing has been known to rust. The other option was to purchase stainless steel however that would have cost $35. I managed to get 2 pieces of 12" aircraft grade titanium bar Ti6AL/4V (6 % Aluminum, 4 % vanadium) for $11. I approached 2 machine shops and they both indicated they could not do it. (read - thought I was nuts) So the experiment began. To drill a 3/8" hole 7" long requires a lathe and preferably one with cooling fluid. Most people think Ti is very hard. Well it is actually softer than stainless, but has a serious machining problem. It does not dissipate heat well and will work harding very quickly if you let the bit dwell. A positive feed is essential and run the lathe at the slowest speed possible. I found that the location of the drill bit could be several hundred degrees while only 4 inches away it was cold. If it gets too hot, it can catch fire and cannot be extinguished with water. So starting with a 1/4" drill I proceeded to nibble away at it. I had to stop every 1/4" or so and remove and cool the bit as the chips will bond to the drill, cause extensive friction heating and jam the bit if they get too hot. It is recommended to use a 112 degree angle cobolt or carbide tipped bits. Well the high speed steel (HSS) bits worked just fine. Do not attempt to use those titanium plated (gold colored) bits as they will bond to the chips and disintegrate in seconds. After one attempt with bits of drill going orbital and almost having the TI catching fire I stuck to the HSS. I used a lot of machining oil and water to manually cool and lubricate as the lathe was not so equipped and incrementally increased the diameter of the drill bit. Finally after over 4 hours the job was complete. So now the gear mounts have a wall thickness of .125". The originals were .049 and required steel end bushings. Final weight is about the same. Ti is 60% of the weight of steel, but has a modulus (stiffness) of 30 % less, so it will require a larger OD or thicker wall to achieve the same rigidity as steel. And they will never corrode. Wear safety gear and have fun with your project - Don

International Notam

INTERNATIONAL NOTAM MAKES THINGS SIMPLER FOR GA PILOTS
If you’re flying across a U.S. border, the rules just got a bit simpler. Wednesday afternoon 23rd, the FAA issued a new notam governing national security procedures for international flights to and from the United States. Simply put, it requires that any U.S.-registered aircraft with a takeoff gross weight of 100,309 pounds or less that crosses a U.S. border be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan, squawk an ATC-assigned transponder code over a Mode C or Mode S transponder, maintain two-way radio contact with U.S. air traffic control, and comply with all U.S. Customs requirements. There’s no longer the need for a waiver to fly to and from selected countries and no different rules for some gateway countries. Aircraft up to the size of a Gulfstream 550 are included. See AOPA Online.

Engine Beat
An ethanol-powered car has achieved the best fuel efficiency at the just-concluded Shell Eco-marathon 2006. The car, engineered by students from the Lycee La Joliverie (France) also took the “Climate Friendly” prize for producing the least greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

The winning car completed seven laps of the Nogaro circuit in southwest France, with an energy consumption equivalent to 2,885 km/liter of gasoline: .0347 liters/100km or 6,779 mpg US.

The car bested a field of entrants using many types of energy: biofuels, gasoline, diesel, hydrogen and solar. The top eight finishers all broke the 2,000km/liter mark.

The performance of the ethanol team has shown that hydrogen powered vehicles are not the only solution to the Shell Eco-marathon challenge for energy efficiency. The fact that so many fuel types are represented in the top teams is a great sign of the wide range of alternative energies which could play a part in the future of transportation.
—Vincent Tertois, technical director for the Shell Eco-marathon

In second place came the hydrogen-powered ESSTIN-Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy team (France), followed by the hydrogen-powered Polytech Nantes-La Joliverie team (France).

Polytech Nantes-Joliverie had been locked in a battle with German team Hochschule Offenburg and ESSTIN to achieve the best ranking for a hydrogen car. At the close of the circuit on Sunday, Hochschule Offenburg found themselves in fourth position with a fuel consumption of 2,614km/l.

STEVE FOSSETT SOARS TO 50K FEET
Just say the name Steve Fossett, a longtime AOPA member, in any news story, and it probably means a new aeronautical record has been set. Fossett, 62, and former NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson, 74, unofficially broke the world absolute altitude record for a glider on August 29 by surfing mountain waves to 50,671 feet over Argentina. The men wore spacesuits in the unpressurized glider, named Perlan (an extensively modified German-built DG-505 glider), equipped with foot heaters and hand muffs to ward off the -70-degree-F temperatures. "This record is special," Fossett said in a statement on his Web site. "We have made attempts in New Zealand, USA, and Argentina over a period of five years—so this is a hard-won success." This is Fossett's 116th official world record spanning five sports: balloons, airplanes, sailboats, airships, and gliders. Fossett told ePilot that he wants to donate the glider to a museum. While Fossett plans to move on to other projects, he said Enevoldson wants to design and build a glider and take it to 100,000 feet. For more on wave soaring and the Perlan Project, see the story from AOPA Pilot.

JOY OF FLIGHT: AN OCTOGENARIAN EARNS HIS WINGS
Many postpone their dreams of learning to fly until they have raised a family or retired from a successful career. AOPA regularly receives comments from members in their 80s, and even 90s, who are just learning how to fly. But whether the person is 81 or 17, the magic of flight still brings out that inner child. Read how Jack Geaslin discovered the joy of flight and joined the ranks of more than 600,000 pilots when he was 81, in "Am I the Oldest, Youngest Pilot?", the latest installment of the Joy of Flight.

Events

UPCOMING FLYING DESTINATIONS:
Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland National Airshow takes place September 2 through 4 at Burke Lakefront (BKL). Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Shockwave Jet Truck, U.S. Army Golden Knights, Spanish Saeta Jet, American barnstormer Walt Pierce, World War II warbirds, and numerous military demonstrations and flybys. Contact 216/781-0747, or visit the Web site.

Airpark Family Picnic

On September 16, the Airpark will be holding it's annual picnic. Everyone is invited to attend. I was asked to pass on the word to all of our Chapter members.
There will be lots of local entertainment, including some of our own Chapter members. If you would like to take part in the entertainment (Song, Instrument, Dance or other) contact Walter Dunn at 264 5388. Also there will be lots of things for the family to do and enjoy.

They are asking for a RSVP and a $5.00 donation to help cover some of the food and refreshment expenses. Also if you would like to bring your favorite covered dish it will be most appreciated.

The picnic starts at 2:00 PM on Saturday.

Sept 15 - 17 Wings Weekend
Beaver County Airport (BVI)

SHORT FINAL (Avweb)

I was in the pattern at KSRQ shooting a bunch of touch and goes in a Piper Cherokee. The tower called with my next landing clearance. The conversation went something like this...

Tower: Warrior 12345, cleared touch and go, runway 22.

Me: Cherokee 12345, cleared touch and go, runway 22.

Tower: Cessna 12345, roger. Winds 240 at 5.

Me: 12345 is a Piper Cherokee, sir. Roger Wind.

Tower: Warrior 12345, copy.

[pause]
Me: ...Whatever.

Tower: (Laughter)

PROP BUSTERS CLUB
If you are interested in some real affordable flying, contact Dick Hawkins (Prop Buster President)
or Tom Cucarese (Treasurer) 740 266-9305 for details on becoming a Prop Buster Member.
The airplane is a Cessna 150 and is based at the Jefferson County Airpark.
What does it cost to belong:
Initiation Fee $250.00
Dues: $200.00 a year
Aircraft Flying Rate: Per Hour $40.00 wet.
Your Flying Insurance is included in with your membership to the Flying Club.
So if you’re looking for very affordable flying, this is the group for you.

Paul Barone towing our Cessna 150 with the tractor.

Chapter Dues
Membership form
This is a reminder,, if you haven't paid your 2006 Dues this will be your last newsletter. If you forgotten, just send it in to Cathy Cucarese, come to the meeting to catch up. If you are on the web just use the handy dandy web form. We have a lot of neat things planned for the Chapter for the upcoming year. It would be a shame to miss out.