BD-4 NEWSLETTER # 21, Sept 1993
Roger D, Mellema
17605 SE 288 PI.
Kent, WA 98042
PH 206-631-5324
The editor of this newsletter cannot verify that the information contained herein is accurate. This newsletter is only a clearing house for the ideas and opinions sent in by various BD-4 builders/owners. Treat this information as if you overheard it during a "hangar flying" session at your local airport. rdm
It is past due to update you on all the things
that have been reported to me during the
past months. I started this newsletter a
couple of months ago and started writing
about not having fown my V-6 powered BD-4
yet. I suddenly got an inspiration and decided
to fly first and then do the newsletter.
I have done that and now have 70 hours in
the air. I have had no real emergencies yet
but I have plenty to tell you about.
The first flight went well with all temperatures
within limits and good performance. The only
negative was a disconnected radio antenna!!
Friends on the ground were disappointed.
A good friend with a Mooney flew chase and
they even got some video. A postflight check
showed everything still tight and oil-free.
The only surprise was the amount of fuel
used - way too much!
There was more vibration than expected, especially
a sudden onset right after takeoff. This
could have been a leg fairing that was not
secured as the wheelpants were left off for
the first flight. There was too much vibration
even after the fairing was secured. Part
of this was probably the engine running too
rich, but even more I suspect came from the
Javelin reduction unit. I have discovered
that several people have had this problem
- especially those with the 2 : 1 reduction.
One of the difficulties in test flight is
separating the propeller effects from engine/PSRU
effects. The vibrations caused by the propeller
are usually due to the disturbed slipstream
hitting the airframe. This gets better and
worse depending on speed, prop rpm, altitude,
etc. An auto engine installation does not
run as smooth as you might expect because
of all these masking vibrations.
It seems that several of us builders are
experiencing a problem with the rear prop
shaft spinning in the inner race of the back
bearing of the PSRUs. Some have never had
a problem and some have fixed it with better
alignment of the prop shaft to the bearings.
This problem has occurred with the both the
1.6:1 and the 2:1 PSRUs. The fit of the shaft
into the bearing should be a press-fit of
approximately 70 lbs. The rear of the prop
shaft can be turned down and a collar installed
(available in some bearing shops).
I had several people stop by my airplane
at Oshkosh and tell me that the Hueronia
Marine PSRUs have some real problems. Even
after factory rework, the top pulley comes
loose from the prop shaft only short run
times. Others said they never got their units.
The first few hours were spent figuring out
the Holley carburetor. The trouble all boiled
down to leaving the power valve in. This
valve is operated by a difference in pressure
(vacuum) between the intake manifold and
the ambient air above the carburetor. A you
might imagine, these pressures vary all over
the place in an airplane. The idea of a power
valve is all right for richening of the mixture
at full power but this valve added fuel at
too low a power. I realize that you can put
different springs on the valve but by this
lime I was longing for a pilot controlled
mixture Just like on aircraft engines. I
finally remembered that someone closed off
the power valve and had much better luck.
I did this and also found it much better.
This did make the engine run much leaner
but of course the temperature came up a lot
(1100° F to 1500+° EGT) and now the
cooling system was barely adequate. I finally
borrowed a mechanical leaning device made
by Tom McNeilly that really works. The main
jets are removed. the power valve blocked
and a rotating shaft totally controls the
fuel flow (see "Fuel Flow in the BD-4
Super Sport" below for address and cost).
I battled the cooling problems for a long
time, but continued to slowly solve the problems.
I didn't want to give up on my first radiator
core. I instrumented the engine compartment
and discovered a lot of things about cooling.
The radiator I reported on earlier (an aluminum
version of copper systems that seem to work)
was marginal. The heat transfer for a single
core thickness of 1.25 inches is phenomenal.
This is probably due to rising aluminum and
close fin spacing (20/inch). The first core
would raise the cooling air temperature 60°F,
the second about 30°F, and the third
about 10°F. The back pressure is such
that the cooling air is not forced through
fast enough to make use of the back two cores.
I had up to 18 inches of water pressure across
the radiator in cruise. I modified the radiator
to introduce fresh air to the back two cores
and found that cooling was substantially
improved. The extra space from the inlet
and exit ramp on the cowling I now have allows
a production radiator to lay down flat under
the engine.
I now have a 1991 Corvette (350 V-8) radiator
with plastic end caps installed. Now the
engine doesn't overheat even after taxing
several miles through soft sod at Oshkosh
on a 85° F day.
The Oshkosh experience was great! I was a
little hesitant to go as I still didn't get
my BD all painted and the cowling was really
a mess. It turned out that with the cowling
off the airplane really attracted a lot of
attention. There were so many people interested
in auto engine power I was kept busy all
the time and ended up with a very sore throat.
There ended up to be a lot of dead grass
around my airplane and now Jack Cox from
"Sport Aviation" and "Sportsman
Pilot" wants me to write up the whole
story of BD-4s, CAFE 400's, and V-6 auto
engine.
The auto engine forums at Oshkosh were disappointing.
Too much sleaze and salesmanship and not
enough knowledge. Several of us builders
have gotten together and will be putting
out a newsletter and will probably put on
a forum at Oshkosh next year. This is the
first time I have flown my own BD with the
long wings. It is really nice but the speed
on final has to be about 75 mph when flying
light. I am not used to going that slow and
I end up slipping on final to lose energy.
The tail dragger landings are substantially
easier than with the short wings. I find
it is also easier to do three point landings
as there is more time to play with the flare.
I really do recommend the long wings to make
the BD a more comfortable airplane.
It looks like my average speed for the whole
trip to Oshkosh was 165 mph and 19 mpg. This
included all ground running, taxiing, traffic
pattern, etc. I had almost an hour on the
ground at Oshkosh with the engine running.
I probably should start my timer when the
wheels lift off. I would guess that the average
speed would be about 182 mph if I count flight
time only. The corrected airspeed while flying
was between 175 and 185 mph.
The only engine problem encountered during
my flight to and from Oshkosh was a fluctuating
oil pressure as I was crossing the Rocky
Mountains (of course). The pressure would
go up some, vary about a bit, go back to
normal (60 psi). This continued for about
45 minutes and really made me nervous. The
oil and water temperature stayed constant
and there was no loss of power so I kept
on flying (over the freeway). I have since
checked with Ken Mitchell (Bountiful, UT)
and he occasionally has had exactly the same
problem.
I ended up flying non-stop from Sheridan,
WY to Seattle. There was still 1.2 hours
of fuel on board when I got here and the
tanks hadn't even been topped at Sheridan!
Newsletter Dues -
You are OK if you have a "= ",
"*", or "1" before your
name on the mailing label. You can also look
on the enclosed BD-4 Owner/Builder membership
roster.
Almost Accident -
I recently got word of an incident that reminded
me of something that was covered in the newsletter
some time ago. We reported a problem with
the tail-wheel spring mounting where the
side-to-side rocking movement of the spring
caused the rear of the fuselage to fatigue
and crack (newsletter 16, page 7). This rocking
of the leaf spring is caused by sideloads
to the tailwheel both during landing and
probably more due to "kicking"
the tail around to look for traffic or whatever
while taxiing.
The incident occurred when a hard touchdown
was made and the pilot considered going around.
The pilot decided he could get stopped before
the end of the runway and opted to stay put.
Later it was discovered that the stabilator
was "locked" in the up or flare
position. The hard landing had pushed the
tailwheel spring up into the fuselage so
that the stabilator push-pull tube was jammed.
I suspect that the rear of the fuselage was
fatigued which then buckled upward to bind
the stabilator tube.
If you have a taildragger please inspect
part #28. I replaced mine and then doubled
it with a piece of 4130 steel. You could
also add an angle or "U" channel
across the inside (under the stabilator tube)
at the rear attach for the tail-wheel spring.
Oshkosh Winner -
Dick Marker won the best BD-4 award this
year. He richly deserves it - a totally finished
airplane. You really have to see the engine
compartment to believe how packed with goodies
it is. It does take a bit of packing to get
in a turbo and associated equipment. Dick
recently sold his very nice fiberglass wings
and built metal wings. They are really smooth
and you should see the tiny flap and aileron
gaps!! There are also no counterbalances
showing on the ailerons. He has promised
to send me a drawing of how he did it.
On the way to Oshkosh when I was fueling
up my ugliest BD at Rapid City, I saw Dick
taxiing in and knew it world be the winner.
At least the gas boys know that not all BD's
look like mine!
BD-4 Super-Sport -
Really happy to see the great coverage Ray
Ward is getting on his Super BD. It is hard
to get coverage on something as utilitarian
as a BD-4. Ray keeps kicking and he really
made some progress.
Due to the articles in "Sport Aviation"
and "Kitplanes" Ray and I have
been getting a lot of calls about BD-4s.
Ray's phone number was not listed in the
aricle about him and the "Ray Wards"
around Houston are irritated by all the wrong
calls. One of them asked a caller "Who
the hell is this guy anyway? Is he someone
important". Hell Yes!!
Ray informed me that there some 48"
aluminum ribs being advertised in "Kitplanes"
They are only $19.95 each and are of a Goettingen
387 high-lift airfoil. Don't know if they
can be used directly but maybe we can get
this manufacturer to make our airfoil. The
manufacturer is: Hiett Aviation, Box 2361, Arizona City, AZ
85223, PH: 602-466-6470.
The price of BD-4s has been very low for
a long time now and Ray is urging everyone
to price them at what they are worth. I know
of some now that have sold in the $20,000
range. When the engine is worth $10,000 to
$14,000, the whole package should be a good
bit over $20,000. A complete original kit
with engine and CS prop went for about $7500
in 1970. With the rate of inflation this
should now be about $30,000.
Liability Problems?
Floyd Vipond called recently and then sent
information about forming a corporation in
Maryland. This may be a way to own or sell
a homebuilt and get rid of some of the liability.
The seventh article of incorporation reads
"A director of this corporation shall have
no personal liability to the corporation
or its stockholders for monetary damages
for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
provided that this provision shall not eliminate
the liability of a director (1) for any breach
of the director's duty of loyalty to the
corporation or its stockholders, (2) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which
involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (3) under Section 174 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law, or
(4) for any transaction from which the director
derived an improper personal benefit".
We all know if instances where the "veil"
of incorporation has been pierced but maybe
there is something good here. It costs $285.00
to incorporate and it can be handled very
quickly. They will also arrange for a complete
corporate kit (seal, minutes, bylaw, stock
certificates, and transfer ledger) for $49.00.
The annual fees are $125.00.
We just had a lawyer give our EAA chapter
meeting a talk about avoiding liabilty in
selling your airplane. Mark Lorbiecki really
impressed us with his experience and knowledge
of aviation law. He stated that a "Delaware
Incorporation" was not very useful.
In the establishment of a corporation there
are certain duties that the initiator is
responsible to perform or the corporation
is easily nullified. Among the many duties
are proper funding, capitalization, and insurance.
There has to be the appearance of a proper
"business" that is set up for a
purpose other than avoiding liability. Mark
also stated that "trusts" do not
work well. He said that it does help some
to sell the airplane in pieces but he thinks
that you can do just as well by handling
the sale and the contract properly. The first
rule is to keep your stupid EGO out of it.
It doesn't matter how much you love the airplane
or how carefully you documented every step
or modification, or how many pictures of
construction you have - ACT DUMB. Hide all
such supporting documentation someplace where
it can't be seized and don't ever admit having
it. it will only be useful to you to muse
over in your old age or it could possibly
help if you ever are sued.
If you are interested in the 8 page seminar
notes he handed out send $3 and an addressed
envelope.
Memorial Day -
The annual picnic went off as planned. We had many people, too much
food, and even had one airplane from Denver.
Fran Haggerty and his partner bought John
Brecher's BD a year or so ago and have really been putting
of the hours. They had fun at the picnic
giving rides and doing rapid pull-ups at
the end of the runway. An O-360 and a constant
speed are sure nice!
V-6 weight and balance
Several builders have been eager to see me
weigh my BD-4 so they can correctly position
their engines to make up for the various
fuselage extensions. I finally finished doing
it and am happy with the results. My standard
BD tail dragger with O-360 and Hartzell constant
speed prop (thick paint, light interior,
some radios, full gyro panel, NO fairings,
NO curved windshield) initially weighed 1200
lbs and had a CG of 79.36 inches. By the
time I flew the CAFE 400 it weighed 1267
lbs and had a CG of about 79.26 inches.
I now have added a V-6 (oil, coolant, NO
carb heat or ducting, NO heat riser), Javelin
reduction unit, Performance Propeller wood
prop, heavier foam cabin insulation, two
20 inch wing extensions, and a new "one-off"
cowling. The new weight is 1322 lbs and the CG is 76.375 inches. The water pump pulley on the V-6
is about 3/4 inches forward of the firewall
I had figured about 30 lbs extra for the
engine and 25 lbs for the wing extensions.
This added to the earlier weight would be
1322 lbs
I would be happier it it were down around
1200 lbs but weight savings costs money.
The empty wing loading was 1267 lbs/102 sq
ft = 12.4 lbs/sq ft. It is now 1325 lbs/115.3
sq. ft =11.5 lbs/sq ft,
The only places I can see to reduce weight
are: about 10lbs in the reduction unit, 20
lbs in cabin interior. 5 lbs in lighter fairings, and maybe 10 lbs
in the engine area.
I like the CG forward as it makes it easier
to load the rear seat and baggage compartments.
Ground handling is all right as I still had
13 lbs on the tailwheel in a level attitude
during weighing (I originally had only 30
lbs on the tail wheel). I carried a 100 lbs
sack of cement in the back seat during initial
test flights; just to make sure the stabilator
had enough power to flare for landing. It
turns out that I can easily fly without the
extra rear weight. I can feel that I am about
at the limit for forward CG and don't plan
to push it further. A heavier engine will
require adding to the fuselage length or
putting the battery in the tail.
For those of you who want to balance a longer
tail, you can follow this example of how
to adjust the
location of the engine:
Basic starting point is 1322 lbs x 76.375 inches = 100,967.75 in lbs
The CG of the rear fuselage is 196 inches
from the datum and the weight is 183 lbs.
| subtract off the fuselage | 183 lbs x 196 in = | -35,868.00 in lbs |
| = 65,099.75 in lbs | ||
| add at new location | 183 lbs x 196.00+24 in = | + 40,260.00 in lbs |
| = 105,359.75 in lbs | ||
| add new section | 25 lbs x 112.25+12 in = | +3,106.25 in lbs |
| = 108,466.00 in lbs |
The CG of the engine/drive/prop combination in my installation is about 19.5 inches forward of the firewall (50"-19.5" = station 30.5").
| subtract my engine | 465 lbs x 30.5 in = |
-14,182.50 in lbs |
|
= 94,283.50 in lbs |
We decide we want a CG of 78 inches at a weight of 1381 lbs (107,718.00 in lbs).
| find engine moment necessary | 107,718.00 - 94,283.50= | 13,434.50 in lbs |
| find engine CG for 500 lb engine | 13,434.50 in lbs / 500 lbs = | 26.87 in |
If my engine was 0.5 inches forward of firewall
(CG 30.5 from datum) yours will be 30.5 -
26.87 = 3.63 inches further forward. This
will be 3.63 + 0.5 = 4.13 inches from the
firewall.
I weighed my airplane with and without a
passenger in the various seals and found
out that Bede's assumed seat stations are
off a little compared to mine (and I have
long kegs). His assumed station for the front
seat was 94 inches -my measurement showed
91 inches. His assumed station for the back
seat was 127 itches - my measurement showed
121.5 inches. His numbers are conservative
and add to the aft CG safety margin.
Accident aftermath -
There has been some fall-out from the accident
Robert Warfield had with his V-6 powered
BD-4 in Denver, CO. Dave Blanton notified
the FAA that the accident was directly caused
by improper up stops on the stabilator. The
FAA has followed up by calling the EAA and
requesting help in determining possible design
problems and spreading the word in Sport
Aviation concerning the proper stabilator
up stop settings. The EAA asked me for comment
on the issues. I bought the airframe from
Robert and found that the CG appeared to
be very far aft. I also commented on what
I know about the handling during take-off
and landing and why I think there is no problem
with the present system. I, of course told
the EAA that James Bede is the person they
should be talking to.
I later received a copy of Jim's reply. He
did an excellent job of explaining the rationale
behind the present configuration. I think
we probably have heard the end of the FAA's
involvement. I appreciate Ben Owen's help
in coordinating the effort to get the FAA
the information that was needed.
Remember that airspeed is your friend. You
do not have to climb steeply immediately
after take-off (especially if you have 10,000
feet of runway ahead of you).
BD-4 Orientation Flight Volunteers -
My editorial in the last newsletter about
the advisability of doing your own first
flight brought quite a few responses. Reg
Lukasik (11 Deschamps Court, St. Albert,
Alb.; Canada T8N 5V7, PH: 403-959-0813) wrote
to say he world be "willing to provide
dual instruction in my aircraft (BD-4) to
new builders wishing to gain time on type,
or to evaluate the design to see if the configuration
and flight characteristics are for them".
Reg is located near Edmonton, Alberta and
is a Chief Flying Instructor and have test
flown 13 different home built designs over
the years. He is now trying to get approval
for IFR in homebuilt aircraft in Canada,
specifically the BD-4. Reg is interested
in information on any tricycle gear BD's
that have been stretched. His wife also flys
the BD and would like it to stay a tricycle.
A Roots Super Charged BD -
My daddy always told me to finish what has
been started before looking for something
else. He didn't know how many people there
are out there trying to get me into trouble.
It all started when Tim McGinnis called me
and complained about wanting more power than
the 3.8 titer Ford V-6 normally puts out
(180 - 190 hp). I assured him that 180 hp
is the right amount of power for a BD-4 but
that didn't help. I then went on about higher
compression pistons (10 : 1), and turbo-charging
for more performance at altitude. As an after
thought, I mentioned the Ford Thunderbird
Sport Coupe and it's super charged V-6. I
wasn't sure about exact power output but
did know that the engine is a variation on
the very 3.8 liter engines that we are currently
building up and using. I tried to find one
of these supercharged engines when I was
looking to buy my V-6. The salvage yards
around here told me they were impossible
to find and would cost about $7500 for a
run-out engine. I gave up at that point and
bought my 1986 V-6.
Tim called me back after a few days and had
located 8 new (< 200 miles) SC engines.
We thought of buying two of them but ended
up buying all of them at a discounted price
Tim and I each bought two of them and BD-4
builders Dave Dotson, Denns Love, Steve Craigle,
and Rick Graf each bought one.
This engine has timed port fuel injection,
hydraulic roller cam system. Roots supercharger
(will boost 20 inches to 50 in Hg at sea
level), intercooler, unique crankshaft, rods,
and pistons, distributorless ignition, cast
aluminum oil pan, and 8.2 : 1 compression.
It is all computer controlled and has "get
home" modes built-in (not sure if they
are sufficient for airplane safety). it puts
out 210 hp at only 4000 rpm (276 fl lbs)
and 156 hp at 2600 rpm (315 ft lbs). The
peak power at 5800 rpm must be around 270
hp (245 ft lbs). With a torque curve like
this (peaks at a low rpm) this engine might
work out fine with just direct drive and
a constant speed prop.
The weight of the engine with everything
on it (air conditioning, power steering,
cast exhaust, 3 heavy belt tensioners etc.
comes out to 480 lbs. I think we will be
able to get d down to < 500 lbs firewall
forward. That is about 40 lbs more than I
have now.
Steve Craigle has been pioneering the work
so far. He has deciphered the wiring diagram
and is planning to buy a Northwest Aero Products
PSRU.
These engines were taken out of 1990 Thunderbirds
so that new modular V8's could be installed
for testing.
Most people use 4000 rpm for cruise with
the regular 3.8 liter V-6. Normal cruise
power (75 %) on a 180 hp Lycoming is only
135 hp. I am afraid we will have trouble
loading up the 3.8 SC unless we find a good
variable pitch prop.
A Better Curved Windshield - Mack Weston
Mack Weston recently said me a drawing of
how he intends to put in a new curved windshield.
As you know, Mack likes to make a "better
mousetrap". He has his main gear (taildragger)
attached to the engine mount and at an angle
to the rear so the wheels are close to the
correct placement. Now he is thinking of
using 5/8 inch by 0.035 wall 4130 steel tubes
to replace the side windshield angles # 17
& 18. The tubes will go from the upper
engine mount area directly to the cabin spar
attachments. This will actually be stronger
than the angle now used as long as the tubes
tie into the engine mounts and the spar in
a way that will be able to take the tension
and compression loads. The tubes will be
in tension for the majority of the time and
of course, it is not hard to beat the compression
strength of an aluminum angle. The windshield
can now curve all the way around so it also
takes the place of the front side windows.
The windshield will now lay flatter as it
will go from 6 inches in front of the firewall
to the top of the cabin spar. The first 10
inches of the wings will have to change some
as they are now sticking out in front of
the windshield. Mack plans to taper them
back some so now his BD-4 will look more
like the Tailwind.
An Alternate Air (Vacuum) Pump -
Walt Beecher has decided to use an automobile
emissions air pump to run his gyros but he
will be using the pressure output instead
of the vacuum side as I have done. A pressure
regulator is needed instead of the vacuum
regulator normally used in airplanes.
I can see the temptation to drive the gyros
with pressure rather than vacuum as some
of the auto "smog pumps" only have
one fitting - pressure. Some of the pumps
suck air in around the pulley which makes
it harder to set a up for vacuum systems.
If you remove the pulley, you will see that
it is easy to block off the chamber that
leads to the "front" of the pump.
Then you can cut a hole in the side of the
pump and epoxy in a vacuum port fitting.
Wait has found a supplier of pressure regulators
but they are expensive. Contact him for more
information (2705 61st St, Galveston, TX
77550).
Main Gear Box Wear -
Joe Gauthier wrote that he recently found
one broken 3/16" bolt and another showing
significant signs of stress in the small
angles that attach the main gear box to the
side rails. The airplane was built to the
current Bede drawings and Design Improvements.
The airplane had 500 hours on it and had
never had abusive treatment.
This angle (LGM-14) is now specified as 2
x 2.4 6061 aluminum angle that is 1/8 inch
thick The drawing for making the part shows
the angle to be cut down to 1x1 (maybe a
carryover from the original plans). There
is one of these at the front and back of
the box and each is bolted to the side channel
with three 3/16" bolts. I leave these
angles full sized and put six bolts in each
side as shown in the drawing in NL #20. Most
of us have had more trouble with the countersunk
heads moving about in the outside of the
side channel than with actually breaking
bolts. I have broken two bolts but that was
when I built the first BD-4 according to
the original plans.
Joe confirmed that a painted, equipped BD-4
with an O-360 and CS prop weighs in at about
1265 lbs. First weigh-ins usually are about
1200 lbs
Wanted or For Sale -
Reg Lukasik wants pictures of stretched BD-4's.
Cash reward, send to: 11 Deschamps Court,
St. Albert, Alb., Canada T8N 5V7
John Hall (BD Homebuilt Sales, 2255 Orkla
Dr, Minneapolis, MN 55427 PH: 612-593-0341)
is looking for a partially completed BD-4.
Paul Breed (15 Sunshine Dr, Kinstron, NH
03848, PH: 603-642-5144) is looking for any
80% BD projects. Paul is in the engine management
system field and is thin" about experimental
aircraft related products.
If you are looking BD-4 related materials
that have been published, you might contact
John Roby, 3703 Nassau Dr., San Diego, CA
92115. I bought all of his "How To Build
Your Own Airplane" books up a couple
of years ago but he has a long list of BD
material.
Bill Boys (732 N. Highland Ave., Aurora,
IL 60506, PH: 708-844-5072) is selling his
BD-4 project. The fuselage is 90 % complete,
is stretched 20 inches, is strengthened to
accept a heavier than normal engine, no instrument
panel, has all controls. The wings are fiberglass
with fuel in the leading edge. Has curved
windshield and all plans.
Aileron/Flap gap seal material. In Newsletter
18-3, I showed how to seal the aileron and
flap gaps with plastic material. I have found
just the width needed at Boeing Surplus and
will send you 24 ft for $5.00, boxed and
postage paid. Roger Mellema
Gordon Weldon (Box 1339, Grande Prairie,
Alb, Canada, T8VOX9, PH: 403-538-1585) is
selling a Ford 3.8 L V-6. No crank, low compression
pistons, 1.6:1 Javelin reduction drive, oil
cooler, carburetor, distributor, and reground
cam. $2400
Robert Bollinger (Ph. 515-472-0598) has the
following for sale: 500 cfm Honey carb (with
electronic leaning) to a Ford V-6. it was
used 2 hours - $100.00. BD-4 landing gear
legs -$100.00. BD-4 Ford V-6 engine mount
- $100.00. BD-4 plans, new from Bode - $200.00.
Rodny Sebby (3246 N. 100 th St., Kansas City,
KS 66109) has purchased Jim Murphy's BD-4.
He is looking for a complete set of plans.
Klaus Heddergott (PO Box 2125, Mariposa,
CA 95338, PH: 209-742-6170) has the following
for sale: BD-4 original exhaust system (180
hp) used 15 minutes, $450. Genave Alpha 600
with separate OBS (360 channel, new), $375.
Bendix electric artificial horizon with solid
state Inverter (yellow tag), $250. Standard
Parts SP5400 12 volt electric Turn and Bank
(needs ball slip indicator), $90.
Michelle Mellema (17605 SE 288 PL, Kent,
WA, 98042, PH: 206-631-5324) has extended
wing tips available. 21 inch extension +
wing tip + wing tip door. Includes 0.032"
thick spar, top and bottom skins, and honeycomb
a foam ribs. Assembled except for hinging
wingtip door and 10 inches of fiberglassing
on leading and trailing edge of airfoil so
that you can make it fit your wing. You do
a little filling and sanding, pin holes,
paint, and attach to your wing and spar.
I build the box, you pay for shipping. $550.00
Also, cowlings available. A little larger
than the original Bede so that It fits over tile O-360 better. Will fit under the carburetor air box if
it is built properly. Split horizontally
and has a little larger inlet holes (an exact
Bede inlet also available). Top and sides
stiffened with foam/fiberglass We box, you
as the oil door and fit top to bottom (no
fiberglass flange). $450.00
R Mellema (206-631-5324) has a 3.8 Liter
Ford V-6 and reduction drive for sale. Modified
for aircraft use (8.7:1 compression, needs
new flywheel), homebuilt PSRU (bent some),
starter, altenator, and after market ignition.
$600.00
Javelin 1.6:1 PSRU with 35 hours on it. Lightened
10%, aligned, built-in 3 inch prop shalt
extension, balanced upper pulley, in prime
paint. $2000.00
VDO engine tachometer, used 3 hours (I decided
to go with the Rocky Mountain Instruments
engine monitor). Perfect for use with Ford
V-6. The range is from 0 to 6000 rpm. it
is 3.25 inches in diameter, has a black background,
is well damped. $80 shipped
Walter Scheibe (PO Box 7301, Warwick, RI
02887, PH: 401-737-2939) has many of the
steel parts for the BD-4 control system that
he would like to sell. They were made by
a professional tool maker and are all cadmium
plated. Walter sent me pictures of the items
available - write and ask I interested. He
will sell them all for $150.00.
David Holm (114 S. River Rd, McHenry, IL
60050, PH: 815-3444740) has a BD-4lilt for
sale.
The following people would like to purchase
a BD-4:
R. Cook, 31800 S Goodtime Rd, Molalla, OR
97038, PH: 503-233-4491
Mark McAfee, 2917 Pheasant. Gasper, WY 82604
Ed Lows, 501 Dogwood Ln, Wilmington, NC 28405,
PH: 919-452-2434
Atsushi Omae, 1825 S Woodward Ave, Suite
170, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Kurt Rieppel, 214 S Lincoln St, Kent, OH
44240, PH: 216-673-3544
David McGuire, 6439 S 82 nd E. Ave. Apt 915,
Tulsa, OK, 74133, 918-250-6444
"Homebuilt" tachometer -
BD-4 owner George Wittet (766 West Lake Dr.,
Canandaigua, NY 14424, PH: 716-394-5732)
is now selling plans and/or materials for
a liquid crystal display tachometer. This
unit is Wit for the Ford V-6 engines but
can be programmed for any engine. This unit
does not connect into the ignition system
for its rpm source but instead uses a device
to "count" the ring gear teeth
on the flex-plate (flywheel).
This tack can be built for about $120 and
also has annunciator lights to indicate safe
rpm ranges. A plans pack and builder's manual
sell for only $18.00.
The New BD-4B -
I received some correspondence from John
Hall who is now (again) heading up new business
for the BD4. He sent an updated information
pack on the "B" model which includes
history, performance figures, and 3-views.
It is desired to get the BD-4 back in business
but financing has to wait a little as the
BD-10 takes precedence. Jim Hall is handling
the BD-4 business out of Minneapolis for
now (BD Homebuilt Sales, 2255 Orkla Dr. Minneapolis,
MN 55427 PH: 612-593-0341). John was working
on a BD-4 in the past but it was sold before
it was finished. He is now looking for another
BD-4 to finish.
Propeller News -
There have been rumors about Ivo Prop working
on a 200+ hp variable pitch prop. They have
some good experience with making props so
this might be a good future source.
I made a call to Vari-prop International,
Inc. (PH: 206-921-4888 or 681-3826 in Washington
or 916-347-4010 in California) recently as
they were mentioned in Sport Aviation. This
prop development was started in England in
1978 and they spent $1.5 million on it. A
US company then bought the rights and has
continued development. The VP-2 is good to
maybe 250 hp. The hub is aluminum, the blades
are birch (by Sensenich) with rain proof
leading edges. The cost is supposed to stay
below $5000 and the total weight is 27 lbs.
The propeller is controlled by oil pressure
from a hand operated piston.
Alan Watkiss has been experimenting with
a 68", 3 Blade ground adjustable Warp
Drive prop on his O-320 A2B Lycoming. His
original prop was 74" x 60" and
allowed less than 2300 rpm at takeoff on
hot days. The Warp prop set at 14° gave
superior performance on take-off but lost
10 mph at on cruise at 2450 rpm (140 rather
than 150 mph). The rpm would now go up to
2700 rpm in cruise. Alan tried 15° but
found a decrease to the original takeof performance.
Alan is happy with the prop as it is 15 lbs
lighter and runs smoother and quieter. These
props are easily ground adjustable and cost
lass than $800.
Spoilers -
Charles Oliver (2664 Country Club Dr, Glendora,
CA 91740, PH 818-335-0941) has sold his BD-4.
it was sold to Brent Sanchez, 1141 N Poplar
Ave, Fresno. CA 93728. Ph. 209-485-0808.
Brent sent me a short video tape showing
the unique features. It is very unusual as
it is equipped with spoilers rather than
ailerons. They are actuated with the torque
tube just as the ailerons would be. They
normally lie flat along the top of the aluminum
that now fairs in the back of the wing and
lift up one at a time to spoil the lit and
add drag to the wing that you want to go
down. In this way, you have roll and drag
so that rudder input is not as important.
He has done some in-Flight experiments in
which he unhooked one aileron and did various
tests to determine how well the system would
work. He was convinced enough to build the
wings with just spoilers. It is too bad it
was never flown. The spoilers were the same
length as the ailerons and about 2.5 inches
wide. They were made of 1/16" aluminum
from what I could tell.
Charles also had done experiments with having
total differential movement of the ailerons
to get rid of adverse yaw. He had a pushrod
system for actuating the ailerons that had
a spring loaded sliding section so that neither
of the ailerons would go down much when the
other aileron moved up the normal amount.
It sounds like a good idea as long as there
is enough aileron effectiveness. This was
not flight tested either.
The Art of Controlling Your Doors -
As many of you experienced BD pilots have
found, it pays to always park your BD-4 with
the nose into the wind. Not because it is
less likely to blow away or anything so as
important as that - but to save your door
hinges. You have not had the complete BD-4
experience unless you have had a hinge ripped
off at some airport 1500 miles from home.
The doors are light and large and many of
us have not engineered a way to keep the
doors from opening all the way and slamming
against the cowling. Some people have used
a metal link that connects to the door and
slides in a groove cut in the top of the
side channels.. This does work but is very
frustrating when you are trying to get your
old sfiff legs around it to get out of the
airplane.
I still don't have a solution but Fred Hinsch
has a clever way to fix the problem after
the wind does it's damage. Once a weldment
is broken, the door skin usually has to be
removed to allow the welding needed to fix
the problem. Fred's solution allows you to
build the replacement parts in the comfort
of your home and then install them at the
airport with only a hacksaw and a battery
powered drill. The hacksaw is used to get rid of the old
hinge. Fred recommends replacing the top
hinge first as that will keep the door in
correct alignment.
[PICTURE MISSING!]]
Fred has also made a new axle for his nose
wheel which allows him to use a low bar.
Wag-aero carries one for a Cherokee ($28.50)
that has hollow ends on it that fit over
the nuts on the nosegear axle.
New Prop Reduction Drive -
There is a new reduction drive out that really
looks good. It is in the Javelin style and
uses the same belt. It weighs about 61 lbs.
and is beautifully finished right down to
the blue anodizing. The drive pulleys are
milled from aluminum billets and are pre-balanced
at the factory. AN hardware is used throughout,
The heavy duty shaft bearings are permanently
lubricated and sealed for years of smooth,
low friction operation. These units are made
by: Northwest Aero Products, 4203 "B"
St Northwest, Auburn, WA 98001, Phone: 206-852-4614.
The pricing of these units is comparable
to others on the market.
Radiator/Cooling -
Gerald Redman (1416 Daphne Dr, Willits, CA
95490. PH 707-459-9012) wrote b say that
an experienced chapter member recommended
that 5 to 6 inches of water differential
pressure (0.22 lb/in2) across the radiator
is about optimum for cooling flow.
Gerald recommends using a pare-synthetic
oil like AMSOIL 15W40 rather than a pure
synthetic like Mobil 1. This oil will avoid
ring seating problems as was discussed in
the last newsletter. Gerald has used AMSOIL
for many miles and found it to be excellent.
In testing the radiator on my V-6, there
was pressure equal to 18 inches of water
across my radiator and it still didn't cool.
This is definitely due to my having too many
cores behind each other and too many fins
per inch. I haven't checked the differential
pressure across the new radiator.
Fuel Flow in the BD-4 Super Sport -
Ray Ward is now getting around to fine tuning
his 470 hp BD-4. He monitored fuel flow and
found it to be 14 gal/hr at 175 mph (12.5
mph). This is as lean as his electronically
leaned Holley would go. Dave Blanton led
him onto Tom McNeilly who is building a device
to mechanically lean the Holleys. It has
not worked well on the V-6's but Ray discovered
what is wrong and now it works fine with
his engine. He recently got 20 mpg while
going 220 mph TAS. Ray feels that the V-8
burns a lot less fuel than the IO-540 did
at about the same speed.
The highest exhaust gas temperature he was
able to get at 8000 ft. was 1100°F, now
he can get up to 1350°F.
The mechanical leaning device is an aluminum
plate that fits between the lost bowl and
the carburetor body. Turning a lever at the
top of the plate allows more or less fuel
to the jets.
You can contact Tom McNeilly at: 14001 E.
Williams Field Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85234, PH:
602-899-7613. The price for the latest version
is $75.
Ray is now flying with a complete exhaust
system rather than the "short stacks".
He said the heat buildup in the cowling is
something to be very careful about. It tends
to char oil lines and other necessities.
Ray recommends "System 1" oil filters
- you can inspect the screen which is good
for down to 30 micron particles.
Final Fuel Filter -
The Holley carburetor installed on my V-6
does not have a fine mesh final fuel filter.
I looked around and found that Purolator
has a "Pro-Fuel" filter that you
can visually inspect. It comes with input
nipple sizes from 3/16" to 3/8".
Do not use where the fuel pressure is over
10 lb/in2. I have found these available at many local
auto parts stores.
Deja Vu -
Chip Cotton has just discovered that he now
owns the remains of my first BD-4. The last
word I had heard of it was when my ex-partner
sold it to a Dentist in Santa Barbara. Chip
has extended the fuselage by 20 inches and
is installing a Continental O-470J, 225 hp
engine and constant speed prop. He is changing
the main landing gear box to accept legs
from a Cessna 182 flat spring gear. The box
is a riveted assembly made from 0.080 inch
thick 7075-T6 sheet. The gear attachments
are also machined from 7075-T6,
The Fish Carburetor -
Robert Bollinger talked to a fellow from
Oregon who flew his homebuilt to Oshkosh
with and old/new carburetor on it. It works
more like at Ellison (or the other way around)
than most carburetors. It is very simple
and automatically leans with altitude. The
company that now makes them guarantees at
least 20% increase in mileage on trucks and
motorhomes. Dan Milltenberger, Albany, OR
Ph. 503-926-9477 is the pilot who has flown
one, Mike Brown, PO Box 25, Pleasant Hope,
MO, 65725, Ph. 417-467-2114 sells them.
Exhaust Augmenter -
John Karalukas wrote to give some information
on augmenters that was published in 1955.
.It was in "Flight" magazine from
England and concerned the DeHavilland Doves.
It was said to improve the Dove's cruising
speed by 8 to 16 mph. Its principle effect
was to smooth out the airflow around the
standard exhaust stacks which were close
to the wing leading edge. It also lowed by
half the back-pressure in line exhaust system
and is worth 3 to 4 inches of manifold pressure
at 8000 ft.
John also states that augmenters have been
used on British light aircraft for many years.
They are about 6 inches in diameter and 30
inches long.
it is hard to tell how much of this is marketeering.
I find it hard to believe that driving an
augmenter with the exhaust will lower the
exhaust back pressure. All the documentation
I have read says the opposite.
Aileron Adjustment -
it has been noted by many builders that there
is no way the ailerons can achieve the proper
differential movement using the Bode supplied
belcrank dimensions. Several builders have
revised things so they work better.
First of all ft is important that the holes
in the torque tubes be drilled correctly.
This is done by raising the aileron to the
+25° deflection point, turning the torque
tube belcrank (CS20) down till it hits the
bottom of the slot in the rear door frame,
and then drilling. The other thing that is
necessary is to change the bottom belcrank
so that the angle between the arms is 120°.
The vertical rod in the door post may now
hit the inside walls of the rear door post
when you are at maximum aileron deflection.
Few builders get the ideal 25° up and
17° down deflection of the ailerons.
Aileron/Flap Skins - William Brew
Bill Brew and his wife Ann were up to Seattle
recently and gave me some good information
to pass on to you. Bill said that he found
the ultimate place to get aileron and flap
skins made. When he got them, the rear edges
actually touched! This makes a very nice
finished surface as there will be no bulging
between the ribs. Union Aircraft, Burbank,
CA. Bill supplied his own aluminum and the
cost of bending it was about $150. ft would
be a good bit cheaper it several sets were
done at once.
BD-4 25 th Anniversary Party at Oshkosh -
Our 25th anniversary party came off very
well. Hugo Schneider did a great job of finding
facilities, planning a great feast, and organizing
entertainment. We even got to hear a first
hand report of the BD-10 flight tests from
their chief test pilot. The BD-10 flew many
times at Oshkosh. It looked good, sounded
good, and performed beautifully.
Alternate Engine Newsletter -
Tim McGinnis put out the first copy of a
new newsletter that will allow all alternate
engine builders to tell what they have discovered
and also ask questions of other builders.
Tim is very busy getting his Super Charged
BD flying and will turn over the newsletter
to Bruce Singer (620613 East 154th Terrace,
Grand View, MO 64030, PH: 816-322-6236).
Bruce's father, Bill, is building a BD-4
and will be installing a Ford V-6 in it.
Bruce has excellent computer equipment and
will be able to take data by modem, fax,
or mail. The object of the newsletter is
a clearing house for all information concerning
engine conversions. Bruce will need lots
of letters containing questions and answers
pertaining to the V-6.
Correction on Rudder Pedals - Steve Craigle
There were some errors on the article in
the last newsletter. See the attached drawing
for the correct rudder pedal dimensions.
Better Seats for the BD-4: Design by: James
Huber
In the last newsletter, I talked about the
clever, individually adjustable, for all
sized humans, sort of light weight seats
that Jim Huber designed. The nice thing about
these seats is that they not only move a
reasonable amount fore and aft, but they
also change height and seat angle. They are
designed to accommodate the Air Force standard
"large and small" human. Jim is
using the basic seat from another airplane
and just added an of the lower structure.
In the upper figure note that the lower seat
position is shown in tighter lines and I
did not show the telescoping adjuster tube.
The lower figures show the front and rear
support tubes as viewed from the rear. Ail
tubing sizes and some approximate lengths
are shown to get you started. Changes can
be made to fit the spare 4130 you might have
lying around and also to better fit your
physique.
The two 4130 tubes (0.875" and 1.5")
that the seat "posts" rotate about
go all the way across the cabin. The seats
adjust independently but must be adjusted
while on the ground. A screw jack arrangement
could be fitted for adjustment while flying.
All steel parts are 4130. Flat pieces are
0.125" thick. Hardware is all AN-4.
The most difficult part of fabrication is welding the end of the
0.5" pieces to the larger tubes. The
welding distorts the tubes and causes slag
to form on the inside. This slag has to be
removed so that the tube will slide over
the large tubes that reach across the cockpit.
If you want to lubricate (motion is negligible),
do it with something that is waxy. You don't
want it getting over upholstery and clothes.
