My wife prefers riding in the back too. She absolutely loves NOT spending all day driving somewhere when it takes 3-5 hours to get to our typical x-country destinations. I always plan the first stop about an hour out which usually happens to be some rural airport with cheap fuel.
RADIO CALLS...when you're making radio calls, make the whole radio call in your mind before you push the button. Things will go a lot smoother that way. Secondly, I have a LongEZ with a GU canard, and you can make the GU canard less affected by rain by using various devices like VG's. My GU canard actually pitches UP ever so slightly when I enter rain. But it sure took a lot of trial and error to get it to do that.
Suggest the following test of rudder control in (especially) swept wing airplanes - practise first at altitude and at various speeds. Center and hold ailerons neutral. Apply rudder and observe subsequent roll - left rudder = left roll, right rudder = right roll. After determining the effectiveness of controlling roll with only rudder inputs at various speeds and angles of attack, try it in the traffic pattern downwind to touchdown. Uncomfortable at first, but a big gain in pilot confidence and flying skills.
At around 28:15 you discuss the canard airfoils. The Defiant had its own canard airfoil that was not a GU or Roncz (John was his first name). The Varieze and Long-EZ both used the GU canard to start, and then the Roncz was developed to deal with the contamination issues of the GU, which was originally a laminar flow glider airfoil. The Roncz is slightly less laminar, but does not have the separation and loss of laminar flow issues with contamination. About 1/4 - 1/3 of Long-EZs have Roncz canards. There were a couple of VEs built with Roncz canards as well, but no design was released for them. The COZY III had a GU canard, but a few with Roncz canards were built (and are still flying). The COZY MKIV had the Roncz canard from the get-go.
at 9:15 or so you talk about nose gear doors. While you're correct that they do little for speed (maybe a few tenths of a kt., if that), they're NOT just for aesthetics. If implemented well to mate closely with the nose strut cover, they substantially reduce air infiltration into the cabin through the nose strut/gear openings. So in cold weather, they can be very useful. And they're fairly simple to implement, if you've been following Joe Polenek's installation on the COZY mailing list (mostly copying what I did, but better).
That's a good point, most of the air infiltration in my plane comes in around the elevator torque tubes. I've got some neoprene and adhesive closed-cell foam sealing up the nose gear openings pretty well.
if not constant speed propeller, maybe automatic variable pitch propeller (low rpm coarse pitch, high rpm fine pitch) is an option? less mass, you don't have governor. THE biggest drawback is long time to increase RPM, basically you recognize/hate that only on go-around, situation.
True. Typically you would want the prop flat for maximum speed, and coincidentally, you would usually do that on short final when you have the runway made as it also provides the most drag. So the prop should already be in the correct configuration in theory). Even the in-flight adjustable props are still pretty expensive, though.
At 10:00 or so you discuss a boat tail lower cowl - I'd recommend looking at Mike Roe's implementation on his COZY MIV - he claimed that he picked up 3 - 5 kts. (IIRC) with his boat tail mod, which is very nice. And, of course, Klaus Savier's boat tail on his Long-EZ. When some round tuits fall in my lap, I'll be doing a boat tail on my plane, too.
Les Laidlaw did one on his Cozy, and I got a good look at another Long EZ this year at Rough River who had just redone his lower cowl into a boat tail as well and gained 4 kts. I'll have to look to see what Mike did with his.
At around 33:40 you discuss LOP ops and speeds. Without knowing what prop you have, what fuel flow you're using, what DA you're at, and whether or not you've calibrated your airspeed, the #'s you give out don't mean a whole lot - I've seen planes that are off by 10 KIAS (when indicating 150 KIAS, they're actually at 140 KIAS), which is an even larger TAS error at altitude (which then, of course, leads to incorrect wind indications). So you really need to calibrate your airspeed and then indicate FF, DA and RPM in order to be able to compare TAS with other aircraft.
In your C/S prop discussion, I will agree that you get essentially nothing on the top end, however, those folks with GOOD C/S props (there are lousy ones) pick up substantial take-off and climb performance improvements, due to better efficiency of the prop as well as being able to turn the engine 200 - 300 RPM faster to get more power. I do not recommend C/S props for COZYs unless you're going to be operating out of short runways heavy on a regular basis, due to the weight, cost and complexity reasons.
I was actually going to mention that - I definitely wouldn't mind shaving a few hundred feet off my takeoff roll thanks to running my engine up to full speed - but not at the financial and weight cost that it would bring.
At 32:00 you discuss slips. I suggest you check your rudder and aileron throw for full book deflections. With a full deflection slip, you can drop a COZY MKIV like a rock - it's NOT just a small difference. I demonstrate this for people all the time. You can generate > 2,000 fpm decent rates in a straight ahead slip, and substantially more than that in an aggressive slipping turn with some G's.
I did check all control surface throws when I first got the plane, when I did an intensive inspection to match everything to the plans, and they definitely are correct. But I definitely don't come down at over 2000 fpm in a (1G) slip without gaining speed.
Thank you for all the info. (I am shopping for my first plane). The 'hair' question cracked me up. I was next expecting: "Did you pick up any cruise speed after cutting your hair?"
I was thinking, I'm sure he did Q&A a couple of months ago and this is 44mins! I stuck with it though & it was a (another!) good video. I'm intrigued about how the wings disconnect backwards as opposed to spanwise. It looks like there are overlapping spars in the strake and the wing and they are bolted to each other in parallel in that short spanwise section of the wing/strake join. Is that what's happening?
You guys ask a lot of questions! :) And you're correct, there are parallel overlapping sections in the center spar and the section containing the wing hardpoints, which are then bolted together. Those bolts are then held in shear when the wing flexes upwards.
I think there is a certified version of xplane that you can log as sim hours. Not sure of any setup requirements other than the software license though.
Rotax on 100LL --- spark plug change is double, oil change is double, Gear Box required to be MAJOR Overhauled every 600 hours (vs 2000 on zero ethanol zero lead mogas). Rotax says to use 100LL only as last resort (they prefer use of normal premium mogas (E10) before using 100LL). BTW, as a rule, only northern tier states (and California) carry MoGas (or UL94 or G1000) on their airports. //// Side query: which version of XPlane do you use and how does it run? I have a 14 year old Gateway and XPlane 11 works ok, but -12 will NOT [insufficient power/resources to meet requirements] ////
Are vortex generators (I hope that's the correct term) used on Cozys to reduce stall speed? If so would that allow for a lower approach speed and allow you to land on a shorter runway? Great videos. I am a student pilot, but already hooked on Cozys - your fault 😊
They can be used...but you'd be wise to put them on both the main wing AND the canard. You want to make sure that the canard always still stalls before the main wing.
Hi you mentioned that you use Garmin Pilot as your EFB. I was wondering if you knew that Garmin had an alternative free EFB called FltPlan and Go and if you have every tried and compared? Thank you for your videos. Very helpful.
I actually have FltPlan.com on my phone - it's a pretty scaled down version and has nowhere near as many features, but if you're an occasional flyer it might work for you!
"Any traffic in the area, please advise" yeah imagine that everyone who heard that actually responded! The radio would be constantly blocked by people unnecessarily broadcasting their existence, location and intentions, and no useful message would ever get through!
It's always a concern. You get constant nicks and scratches in your prop. To the point where you almost have to have a prop fund, because you know that over time you're going to need to replace it. Just a fact of life with a pusher prop.
COLD Weather -n- Wires....... lmao, it gets tough handing electrical connections in cold arse'd weather. I was Heating A/C guy back in the day but we didn't go home during those times, in fact that's when I had to, "GiT~R~Done" ! But I do not blame you one bit, I'd wait for above 32degrees/freezing if I were you. peace
Very kool in your use of a Flight Software to keep, "Your head in the game" referring to instrument flying skills. IDKnow you could hook an IPAD up into the simulation but I'd think lots of pilots would wish to do this just to sharpen skills?
Yes, if hanger space was heated/cooled(some probably are), you'd really start paying more money.... lol, but with half this Nation in a colder winter climate I do imagine there's a lot of talk & just like the Pole Barns in the North or big metal workshops of the south for car enthusiasts, they have the same issues. Heat it or beat it.... ty Sir
Thx for a good laugh with the wife story. I keep trying to impress mine with my toys but she just says “you know I’m not really into ” 😂
Oh yeah, I've heard that more than once! :)
great vid thx for shoutout, was a very funny segment!
My wife prefers riding in the back too. She absolutely loves NOT spending all day driving somewhere when it takes 3-5 hours to get to our typical x-country destinations. I always plan the first stop about an hour out which usually happens to be some rural airport with cheap fuel.
RADIO CALLS...when you're making radio calls, make the whole radio call in your mind before you push the button. Things will go a lot smoother that way. Secondly, I have a LongEZ with a GU canard, and you can make the GU canard less affected by rain by using various devices like VG's. My GU canard actually pitches UP ever so slightly when I enter rain. But it sure took a lot of trial and error to get it to do that.
Suggest the following test of rudder control in (especially) swept wing airplanes - practise first at altitude and at various speeds. Center and hold ailerons neutral. Apply rudder and observe subsequent roll - left rudder = left roll, right rudder = right roll. After determining the effectiveness of controlling roll with only rudder inputs at various speeds and angles of attack, try it in the traffic pattern downwind to touchdown. Uncomfortable at first, but a big gain in pilot confidence and flying skills.
At around 28:15 you discuss the canard airfoils. The Defiant had its own canard airfoil that was not a GU or Roncz (John was his first name). The Varieze and Long-EZ both used the GU canard to start, and then the Roncz was developed to deal with the contamination issues of the GU, which was originally a laminar flow glider airfoil. The Roncz is slightly less laminar, but does not have the separation and loss of laminar flow issues with contamination. About 1/4 - 1/3 of Long-EZs have Roncz canards. There were a couple of VEs built with Roncz canards as well, but no design was released for them. The COZY III had a GU canard, but a few with Roncz canards were built (and are still flying). The COZY MKIV had the Roncz canard from the get-go.
I was thinking at the time "I think his name was John" but I wasn't 100% sure so I didn't say it. :)
at 9:15 or so you talk about nose gear doors. While you're correct that they do little for speed (maybe a few tenths of a kt., if that), they're NOT just for aesthetics. If implemented well to mate closely with the nose strut cover, they substantially reduce air infiltration into the cabin through the nose strut/gear openings. So in cold weather, they can be very useful. And they're fairly simple to implement, if you've been following Joe Polenek's installation on the COZY mailing list (mostly copying what I did, but better).
That's a good point, most of the air infiltration in my plane comes in around the elevator torque tubes. I've got some neoprene and adhesive closed-cell foam sealing up the nose gear openings pretty well.
if not constant speed propeller, maybe automatic variable pitch propeller (low rpm coarse pitch, high rpm fine pitch) is an option? less mass, you don't have governor.
THE biggest drawback is long time to increase RPM, basically you recognize/hate that only on go-around, situation.
True. Typically you would want the prop flat for maximum speed, and coincidentally, you would usually do that on short final when you have the runway made as it also provides the most drag. So the prop should already be in the correct configuration in theory). Even the in-flight adjustable props are still pretty expensive, though.
At 10:00 or so you discuss a boat tail lower cowl - I'd recommend looking at Mike Roe's implementation on his COZY MIV - he claimed that he picked up 3 - 5 kts. (IIRC) with his boat tail mod, which is very nice. And, of course, Klaus Savier's boat tail on his Long-EZ. When some round tuits fall in my lap, I'll be doing a boat tail on my plane, too.
Les Laidlaw did one on his Cozy, and I got a good look at another Long EZ this year at Rough River who had just redone his lower cowl into a boat tail as well and gained 4 kts. I'll have to look to see what Mike did with his.
At around 33:40 you discuss LOP ops and speeds. Without knowing what prop you have, what fuel flow you're using, what DA you're at, and whether or not you've calibrated your airspeed, the #'s you give out don't mean a whole lot - I've seen planes that are off by 10 KIAS (when indicating 150 KIAS, they're actually at 140 KIAS), which is an even larger TAS error at altitude (which then, of course, leads to incorrect wind indications). So you really need to calibrate your airspeed and then indicate FF, DA and RPM in order to be able to compare TAS with other aircraft.
For sure, and I know you love your CAS vs IAS. I do still need to go out and do a test series to derive my CAS numbers.
In your C/S prop discussion, I will agree that you get essentially nothing on the top end, however, those folks with GOOD C/S props (there are lousy ones) pick up substantial take-off and climb performance improvements, due to better efficiency of the prop as well as being able to turn the engine 200 - 300 RPM faster to get more power. I do not recommend C/S props for COZYs unless you're going to be operating out of short runways heavy on a regular basis, due to the weight, cost and complexity reasons.
I was actually going to mention that - I definitely wouldn't mind shaving a few hundred feet off my takeoff roll thanks to running my engine up to full speed - but not at the financial and weight cost that it would bring.
At 32:00 you discuss slips. I suggest you check your rudder and aileron throw for full book deflections. With a full deflection slip, you can drop a COZY MKIV like a rock - it's NOT just a small difference. I demonstrate this for people all the time. You can generate > 2,000 fpm decent rates in a straight ahead slip, and substantially more than that in an aggressive slipping turn with some G's.
I did check all control surface throws when I first got the plane, when I did an intensive inspection to match everything to the plans, and they definitely are correct. But I definitely don't come down at over 2000 fpm in a (1G) slip without gaining speed.
Thanks... Excellent video 👍 ✈.
Thanks I always enjoy you question videos
Cozy to -12 --- major step DOWN!
Thank you for all the info. (I am shopping for my first plane). The 'hair' question cracked me up. I was next expecting: "Did you pick up any cruise speed after cutting your hair?"
I was thinking, I'm sure he did Q&A a couple of months ago and this is 44mins!
I stuck with it though & it was a (another!) good video.
I'm intrigued about how the wings disconnect backwards as opposed to spanwise. It looks like there are overlapping spars in the strake and the wing and they are bolted to each other in parallel in that short spanwise section of the wing/strake join. Is that what's happening?
You guys ask a lot of questions! :) And you're correct, there are parallel overlapping sections in the center spar and the section containing the wing hardpoints, which are then bolted together. Those bolts are then held in shear when the wing flexes upwards.
Awesome!
Good stuff 👍🏿
I think there is a certified version of xplane that you can log as sim hours. Not sure of any setup requirements other than the software license though.
Another great video! Loved watching it as always.
Rotax on 100LL --- spark plug change is double, oil change is double, Gear Box required to be MAJOR Overhauled every 600 hours (vs 2000 on zero ethanol zero lead mogas). Rotax says to use 100LL only as last resort (they prefer use of normal premium mogas (E10) before using 100LL). BTW, as a rule, only northern tier states (and California) carry MoGas (or UL94 or G1000) on their airports. //// Side query: which version of XPlane do you use and how does it run? I have a 14 year old Gateway and XPlane 11 works ok, but -12 will NOT [insufficient power/resources to meet requirements] ////
Are vortex generators (I hope that's the correct term) used on Cozys to reduce stall speed? If so would that allow for a lower approach speed and allow you to land on a shorter runway?
Great videos. I am a student pilot, but already hooked on Cozys - your fault 😊
They can be used...but you'd be wise to put them on both the main wing AND the canard. You want to make sure that the canard always still stalls before the main wing.
Hi you mentioned that you use Garmin Pilot as your EFB. I was wondering if you knew that Garmin had an alternative free EFB called FltPlan and Go and if you have every tried and compared? Thank you for your videos. Very helpful.
I actually have FltPlan.com on my phone - it's a pretty scaled down version and has nowhere near as many features, but if you're an occasional flyer it might work for you!
- How do you go to pick up an airplane ? Doesn't the airplane pick you up ? 🤣
"Any traffic in the area, please advise" yeah imagine that everyone who heard that actually responded! The radio would be constantly blocked by people unnecessarily broadcasting their existence, location and intentions, and no useful message would ever get through!
How much FOD have you seen on the propeller over the years? Is it a concern to you?
It's always a concern. You get constant nicks and scratches in your prop. To the point where you almost have to have a prop fund, because you know that over time you're going to need to replace it. Just a fact of life with a pusher prop.
COLD Weather -n- Wires....... lmao, it gets tough handing electrical connections in cold arse'd weather. I was Heating A/C guy
back in the day but we didn't go home during those times, in fact that's when I had to, "GiT~R~Done" ! But I do not blame you
one bit, I'd wait for above 32degrees/freezing if I were you. peace
Very kool in your use of a Flight Software to keep, "Your head in the game" referring to instrument flying skills. IDKnow
you could hook an IPAD up into the simulation but I'd think lots of pilots would wish to do this just to sharpen skills?
I'm pretty sure many do...I know it's talked about in pilot communities a fair bit.
Yes, if hanger space was heated/cooled(some probably are), you'd really start paying more money.... lol, but with
half this Nation in a colder winter climate I do imagine there's a lot of talk & just like the Pole Barns in the North or
big metal workshops of the south for car enthusiasts, they have the same issues. Heat it or beat it.... ty Sir
Hey Scott, sent you a messenger post if you get a chance to find it and respond. Much appreciation!