Badland Part 103 Pilots and Builders Forum

Not much to report on actual testing progress, but still much going on.

Taxi/Crow-hop progress on-hold as my helpers/camera-men are off to college. However, I did just finish a modification to my trailer to add a tail-wheel ramp. No I can unload/load the beast by myself with the wings folded. So, I hope to get back to the Caddo Mills airstrip to resume testing soon, Alas, unless I can find someone at the field to Shanghi into camera work, I won't have many pictures to post ... until the semester is over in December.

I am also making progress on the Satter Homestead Aerodrome and Aircraft factory. I finally found an excavator to level the strip and add a culvert to correct the neighbor's Farm Pond leakage/drainage problem.(About 40% more than my budget ... bite the bullet.)

JPG pix load problems. Fixed last time by rebooting and reconnecting to the forum. I'll give that a try again.

Kurt, have you considered a camera mount at the outboard end of one of the struts, perhaps? A bit of a hassle, I suppose, unless you have a remote way to turn the camera on and off...

Looking into camera mounts. However, weather has again postponed any testing work. WE hope to get out to the field on Election Day. (Voted early 1st day in crazy Red Texas.)

Tried starting the engine with the beast tied down on the trailer after sitting a couple of weeks. Thank goodness for the aerosol starter fluid. My primer bulb is a little over-sized for the engine and tends to flood the carb.

Question and comments:

I have the nice bubble cowl on my A/C which, alas, covers the Polini choke. Does anyone have a method for running a actuator cable to the choke lever from the cockpit?

As I stated earlier in this Build Log, the motorcycle battery delivered with the Polini 303 seems much too weak to start the beast. I replaced mine with a higher AmpHr battery that charges up to almost 14 volts, but discharges rather rapidly doing startups. So I keep it on a trickle charger while in the hangar.

When I built my panel I mounted the starter button on the starboard side near the power switches, breakers, indicator lights, and volt meter. However after static engine testing and early taxi tests, I would move the starter switch to the port side (same as the side-mounted throttle quadrant. When I stand outside the cabin I have to reach across to depress the starter (right hand) and try to work the throttle with my left. Hitting the carb with a shot of starter fluid with this configuration is difficult.

Hi Kurt - I bought the remote choke actuator from Polini Parts so I could run a cable up to my panel.

https://poliniparts.com/product/flush-a ... -thor-303/
I bought the cable off of Amazon and modified it to serve my purposes. As I recall I had to lengthen the sheath (using a piece of hose as a sleeve and some extra sheathing from an old bicycle cable). This is what I ended up with. It took some doing but it works well - the choke stays put when pulled out and closes completely when pushed back in.

LA F2 Flyer wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2024 1:56 pm I bought the cable off of Amazon and modified it to serve my purposes. As I recall I had to lengthen the sheath (using a piece of hose as a sleeve and some extra sheathing from an old bicycle cable). This is what I ended up with. It took some doing but it works well - the choke stays put when pulled out and closes completely when pushed back in.

Funny, just thinking - sheathing from an old bicycle cable - sounds like the Wright Brother's method from their bicycle shop! UL's are really kin to first flight with the Wright Flyer.

And, looking good Kurt.

Todd

Ha! I hadn't even thought of that...very true!