Finally!!!! I’ve been scouring the Internet for high altitude STOL flying info. I’m working on plan for a 900’ runway at 10,500’ up in Park County. You are quite possibly helping me realize my crazy dream might actually be possible! Thank you and keep the videos coming!
Love your airplane and what you have done to it. Scenery is magnificent. I lived near Durango for 8 years and flew that area. Your videos bring back great memories. Thanks!
Absolutely beautiful Todd! You keep upping your video game with every post! Color was absolutely fantastic out there this trip. I love how that even when you approach things a bit on the edge like this landing, you do so in a safe and measured way and then take time to explain the process. Helps all of us who are perhaps a little less methodical think about things in a better way. Great video.
Great perspective man! Down to earth while high in the sky. Keep it up. I like that you have the skills to build, fix and fly at an exceptional level. Please keep the inspiration coming.
Sweet Area! Very High and I LOVE the Deep Valleys! Guess soon you may have to carry some Ski's huh! I don't watch much you tube any more my friend, being as there are SO MANY AD's! But I try to get to yours as soon as I can.. GREAT WORK my friend... be safe up and out there!!
I just discover you channel and is completly awesome!! I really enjoy this video, because you tell your thoughs, ideas and feeling. Thanks to share it!
its interesting you can tell the altitude is high just by listening to your breathing. Its sounds like you'd been jogging and as well it should you are on the cusp of O2 supplement. cool video!! Your a lucky guy!
Yea I hiked down that hill and moved some rocks and then back up and about died!!10-11-12k not too bad, up there you can feel it when doing anything but sitting or standing!
Wow, Todd, that's just awesome. It's hard to imagine you found a place long and level enough to land at 13,500' in Colorado. Most of the time when you find a place that high it's a peak with a name! Or maybe a narrow ridge. I agree, that's probably not a record you can beat simply because there is nowhere else you could possibly land that's higher.
Agreed. If there was a flat spot that was long, it wouldn't be too big a deal to go higher, especially being turbocharged. But as you pointed out.. not jus the altitude, it's the fact that up that high, your potential spots are few and far between and short and steep and rough lol!
Its very impressive that little plane can take off at that altitude!! It was definitely turning some RPM's but aside from hearing the rev it looked like it handled it great!!
Beautiful S-7S, sounds AMAZING, nice editing. I've got a mostly stock S-7S, still a fun airplane of course but I'm hoping to get bush gear/tires next, and maybe more HP down the road, although at my elevations, 100hp has been more than capable. Take care
Thanks Robert! Elevation really does hamper performance, your are right, at low elevations 100hp flys well. When you add a little weight/drag from the bush gear setup (totally worth it!) you might want a big of extra power to get that up. Even just a big bore setup will really wake these motors up and still keep it simple and affordable. Most of them tend to use some oil... Edge is working on a new style piston that uses rotax rings (rotax pistons don't use oil, and their rings are special). We'll see if that works out to eliminate oil usage, if so that would be the ticket! I ran a zipper kit on my last plane, and it would use 1/2 quart or so in 25 hrs, but ran really strong!!
@@GravityKnightFlying Yes I've looked into the zipper big bore kits, definitely keeping that in mind. Thanks for the info about oil consumption - something I didn't know about with the kit. You're right, my stock engine hardly burns any oil with about ~750 hours on the engine. Take care.
Wow small world!!!! The windy app said it would be calm over there today... not quite... but as you said, nice and short! Found a couple new places to play today... that’s pretty wild you were there!?
Awesome plane, awesome scenery. A turbo certainly helps with power levels at high altitude! Badass plane, wonder what the max altitude is with an oxygen supply!
I did a lot of experimenting on my previous big bore. Some good oils out there that meet the JASO MA spec for the gearbox on the rotax. Currently I think the Redline 10w50w motorcycle oil is one of the best, loaded up with zinc, and a decent splash of moly. I wouldn't run full 50w, as the sport4 they call for is 10w40. But maybe a half to one quart mixed in in the summertime if not using avgas. The sport4 is pretty good oil, so I always use 75%+ that and maybe put in a bit of some zinc additives and such for a bit extra, or a little full synthetic like above when running around the house on non leaded fuel. I'm kind of an oil dork and spend a lot of time reading oil analysis reports and bobistheoilguy forum posts lol!
Todd, great videos and especially this one. My wife’s watching too and wants you to add locations like that structure at the top of the cliff a couple of minutes into the video. We’re near Montrose and would like to fly to some of your neat spots. Thanks, Ray
Hey that spot on the cliff is bridal veil falls east of Telluride.. absolutely awesome to see from the air and much more breathtaking than on video. It's in a fairly tight box canyon so just keep that in mind if you go in there, but really a site to see!
You didn't give us the DA but guessing a Altimeter Setting, temp and Dew Point you were at about 16000' density altitude and able to accelerate up hill and fly well short of the edge. WOW!!
I live at 7k, so I'd like to tell you I'm used to it! And from a flying aspect, I do fine up high sitting there.. but after walking that LZ a time or two looking for rocks and such... I was feeling it!!! So I hear you on that...
Awesome video! Great views out there and really like how you go through explaining how and why you did it the way you did. Also would love to see the build part of the mods too, was hoping to see more on and how you did the new flap handle and made it work. You mentioned also that you are tall and did some modifications to make it more comfortable, I’m 6’4 and building an s7 right now so curious if you just moved the seat back?
Hey Joe. I did move the seat back id say around 3/4" or so. Also leaned the seat back some by shimming the pieces that rivet to the bottom of the seal and go over the chromoly where the pins go through. (I re-riveted those pieces further forward as well to move the seat back a little). I had to cut the stick down in the rear because it would hit the seat when im sitting in it with full forward stick. Ultimately, I just cut the stock off, and removed the throttle, and brake functions from the rudders as well. Mine is a 14+ kit built in 17, so it had most of the recent updates but did not have the easily removable stick that the new ones have. Anyway, these mods did help being 6'4" as well. I still would like the seat to be leaned back a bit more, seems a little too straight up when I'm just cruising a long.. but definitely one of the more comfortable planes for a big guy!
With the extra flaps settings you briefly mentioned the flaps zero setting is higher. I have seen Piperstrel motor gliders actually have a negative setting for cruise to reduce drag. Did you notice it made much difference in cruise speed and handling, stall stability. I'm guessing you are doing multiple mods at a time and its hard to pin point improves attributed to each mod. I have an S6s and was tempted to give it a bit of negative flap. I wouldnt do it with out talking to Randy first. I'd be concerned it may move the centre of lift/pressure and load one strut more and one less. I'm guessing it may make the inboard section even earlier. Awesome video, good mix of mods, safety, technique, dicesion making, flying and epic scenery makes it interesting to watch.
Thanks Airhead! I can't really say it made much difference. In fact, interestingly enough, because it pushes on the trim pieces, it doesn't quite rest fully "up" when flying... but if I push the flap handle down, I can force it up a bit more.. I've been doings some testing while cruising along and I can't say that extra push makes any difference at all! Now it's possible that because it's already up a bit more than stock, that helps a little bit.. but the extra beyond that seems pointless! The extra notches do provide a slightly lower stall, and slightly more drag as expected. At least the 3rd notch does.. the 4th doesnt seem to change stall, just a touch of extra drag. Which all makes sense. Nothing drastic. Though I've seen new low numbers when stalling. Stalls are still very docile, generally no wing drop, just dumps the nose (tail stalls I believe). Wouldn't have minded a little more drag from it, but every little bit counts! Good mod overall, being over where it's easy to reach now. The plane could use larger more extensive flaps in general, but still quite capable.
@@GravityKnightFlying thanks for the lengthy reply. Do you have VGs on top of cockpit. I've seen those South Africans TH-cam "About to Stall" They test putting VGs on roof of a kitfox variant, it helped maintain clean airflow onto the tail section at high AoA. Which I think gave them more elevator and rudder authority into the stall. I'd be worried with my low hrs doing this as I think the elevator stalling is a bit of a safety sort of. I guess could be said it might also help maintain control to avoid stall untill touch down. Would be awesome to see u put a CSU on. I have CSU but only 80hp and I fly from sea level. Althought when I flew my plane home half way across Australia I cruised at 9500ft mostly to avoid turbulence. Was hot days aswell.
@@SKYHILLMIKE interesting info!! thanks for sharing! I may give this a try I have some extra stol speed vgs laying around. A few at a time to ease into testing it. If it works, this would be a huge help as I run out of tail authority unless I have some weight in the back at high AoA and low 3 point speeds. Thanks for sharing. The CS prop would sure be a nice addition with the large altitude changes around here!
@@GravityKnightFlying th-cam.com/video/IRNPM7A54Yk/w-d-xo.html About2stall VGs on cockpit video. Be interest difference on tandem cockpit versus side by side althought I'm guessing difference in width is less than 50% more like 75%. It makes sense to me to put them on top of cockpit to maintain clean airflow to the tail. I've even thought I may only put them above cockpit. I have the large wing on my S6s so compared to your old s6s with 116 wing I have alot of area 155sqft I think. Sometimes I wish I had a 116 wing for speed and turbulence but I guess big wing gets me more STOL. I'm at sea level in Australia but temps range from 5 deg Celsius to 42 deg. So DA can get up to 3000ft at sea level. And I only have 80hp. Thanks again for sharing. I will start sharing but I haven't wanted the distraction and have had the time while setting up our little airfield and modifying planing.
Loving your videos, have them on while working in lockdown! Really interested in your thoughts on tandem vs side-by-side, as I'm looking at Rans kits and completely split on the decision.
Thanks Matthew! ... for flying, tandem all the way! It's awesome being in the center, seeing out both sides etc. If just feels more like you are apart of the plane, its an extension of you in a way. Even my passengers have really enjoyed the backseat and said the view is great.. they like seeing out both sides as well. However.... cargo room the side by sides are way larger on all the current RANS models. And that is a concern when going camping or bring a passenger and trying to take enough gear for two people etc. When it's just me, no problem.. can bring all kinds of crap.. but with a passenger it's a very real challenge, and has actually prevented some longer camping trips from even being possible.. So it depends on what you are doing mostly I'd say. If I could come up with a belly pod for the 7 - it would be the best for everything. Also.. some passengers don't like sitting in the back.. like I said, so far, none of mine have minded it at all... But that doesn't mean everyone is ok with it of course.
@@GravityKnightFlying Thanks for the response, very informative! Yeah I'm thinking it's like the motorbike vs passenger car argument. One's seriously fun and you feel part of the machine, the other's practical for camping and transporting cargo etc as you mention. Just watched your S-21 video with the two engines. Might have to fly the two planes Outbound and S-7, to figure it out. That'll probably guide me.
I really like your videos with you showing all the mods you do to your plane. I do have a question though. Since you do a lot of back country flying by yourself, do you carry any survival gear? If so, what do you carry? I watched a Trent Palmer video where he showed what he carried with him and it seemed to be awfully minimalistic. Would be interested in seeing a video of what you carry
I should do a video like that, good suggestion Greg. Typically I change the loadout to meet the mission of course. On a day like that, I brought a little extra. (Extra cloths, plenty of water, some snacks, a blanket, an emergency mylar tent. Tools, tie downs and that sort of stuff, also a pistol, couple flashlights, and possible the most important piece I have a Garmin InReach for all out emergencies. I carry a lighter, and matches as well and a few other odds and ends I'm probably forgetting. Some days I'll drop out a few of those things but protection, tools, extra cloths and water etc. stuff always rides around in the plane. Every pound hurts, but in the 7, tail weight is a good thing when solo, especially when landing and braking.. which makes it easier to load it up.
Good idea Pete. I opted for a garmin inreach for emergency use. It has the ability to press one button and they send a chopper to come get you, but also has satellite txt messaging so you can also get help if say you are broke down, but not injured or in need of medical attention etc. super cool device with a ton of battery life.
@@flyingmaniac3827 Yes. We were flying over a body of water and he asked me if ever went water skieing and I said not in a plane. He dropped it down till we were barely skidding the tires over the water. There was a huge rooster tail . It was a great experience. It helped that I am a pilot also so I knew the difficulty of this maneuver. After that he sent me to the TH-cam channel. This was so unbelievable that he could put it down on the side a a very steep mountain .
Steve is incredible. Watching his videos 8 or so years ago when I was low time really shifted my interest in what type of flying I wanted to focus on. Guy will always be a legend in my book!
At the time (this was 1.5 years ago), I wasn't aware of anyone else trying to land super high. I have wanted to do it for a few years being that I live and fly at high altitude, and it's very challenging. I guess it may have become an unofficial challenge now 👍 😏 I haven't found anything higher that would be legal to land on, so I hope the record stands 😂😂
@@GravityKnightFlying quick question how did you get to where you are now being able to do bush plane adventures, i think I want to do something similar
Cost and nose weight are a bummer... sure would be so nice to have though! Its a challenge to tune the boost to keep the rpms where you want them across different altitudes!
How's the smoke been down there? It's been consistently bad up in the Denver area making it hard to get out into the mountains for the past couple of months. Looks relatively clear in the video!
Hey Ryan! good to hear from you! We have had hit and miss smoke down this way. Was bad for a few days or so at a time, but has been mostly flyable. I noticed If I keep south more so, it's not terrible. Sorry to hear you are getting blanketed up that way!
I’ve been asking around and I would like to get your opinion. The plane you fly would appear to be to small for me as far as carrying enough fuel for a long trip while carrying xtra cargo, camping gear, clothes etc. and still land off runways. I don’t have a pilot license yet but I am working on one. I’m thinking about getting a Maule MX7-180 for landing in back country, not like you did landing high up on a mountain I’m sure that’s going to take me hundreds of hours to get there. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
The maule is a good load hauler for sure. Also check out the bearhawk patrol I believe it is (2 seat tandem). The cub variants are nice as well. The cubs will land and take off shorter than the maule, but the maule has them on speed a little I believe. Mine runs out of room for enough cargo for 2 people for more than a couple days. I think the sweet spot for a 2 person plane would be a useful load up in the 800lb range. Mine is more like 550-600 and that is just a little low.
@@GravityKnightFlying Thanks for replying. The useful load range information was very helpful. And if you don’t mind I have another question. What do you think about ForeFlight with Sentry or is Garmin the way to go? Also, how many hours did it take to get the skill set you have? Thanks in advance for your reply.
@@Robert-py8um I use a couple of free iOS apps, but none of them are as good as Foreflight or Garmin. I like Garmin for an actual physical device, and foreflight if you are going the app/tablet route. The free one I use is called FltPlan Go. No bad for free, but not foreflight. I rented for the first 100hrs. Started doing some off-airport type stuff at around 200 hrs I think? First plane it took 50-75 to get a good feel for it. At 100 I was comfortable. Couple hundred in I was doing some pretty "advanced" stuff. I want to say I'm up around 1000 now. It came pretty fast for me, I was able to take lessons a couple times of week and that prevents you from doing the 2 steps forward 1 step back kind of thing. I solo'd at 6 or 7 hrs because of that. Some guys it takes long as they can't put in the time as often, or of course the money (I had sold a project car and had the money to hit it hard). Definitely not a race! Once I started wanting to do this kind of flying, I got on the forums, FB pages, and youtube and started soaking up all the info I could get, so that when I started learning myself I didn't do anything to stupid. I'm a DIY'er at heart, and it looks like I figured this stuff out without help, but that isn't quite accurate. There are some great resources out there for backcountry and off-airport flying. Steve Henry was a big one for me... backcountrypilot.org and places like that have good content. The trick is to always be pushing it a little, so you are advancing, but not to push it so hard as to wad it up! can be a tough balance to find!
Quite a few (this one for sure). This spot was too rocky for a nosewheel, even with the 22's I wouldn't try it. Also the high altitudes would be too much for just a big bore unless the wind had died down and a downhill take off was achievable. That 6 with the 22's was very capable for a nosewheel plane! But this spot, and some of the other spots in some recent videos (BLM paradise video for one) I would have steered clear of. A lot of other spots off camera as well - playing in pastures and stuff like that locally. Some of them would have been doable in the 6, but would require much more checking before landing, dragging the wheels etc. With the 29's and tailwheel, it's easier and quicker to check a spot is suitable. And the extra power makes it easier to abort at the last second if something doesn't look good. Good Question btw!
I appreciate the feed back. I've got an 801 Zenith but am thinking I'd like to make the transition to tail dragger. I've had lots of people give me the line that what ive got will go anywhere a tail dragger will. I've already experienced a broken nose gear and didnt know if that has made me extra sensative to that. I love your channel btw. Perfect mix of on the ground and in the air.
I think living at 7k has helped with this. I have one of those expensive clip on your finger do-dads that measures your oxygen level. My numbers stay real good up through those altitudes. I have an oxygen system I borrowed when going higher and doing some 18k climb testing. I've been told, living up high is the reason I don't have trouble with high altitudes (certainly not a pinnacle of being in great cardio shape).
should be around 135-140hp max at my elevation (7k ground level). up high like that it was a little less - probably 125-130hp. Edge says you can turn it up to 155hp max.
Only 10k subs. Gotta learn to play the TH-cam rhythms, as in algo. Start by cutting out clips from your vids and make shorts, upload at least every two days.
@@youtubecreator950 I’m just so sorry I didn’t consult with you on which comments I’m allowed to like on my youtube channel.. btw, It’s borderline creepy that you are paying such close attention to which comments I heart.
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.83[2/2] ประสบการณ์ขนหัวลุกจากตำนานวงการผี!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T_kFecQw7Ds/mqdefault.jpg)
Wow what a view, what a flight!
Your channel is one of the best aviation channels on TH-cam. The flying, builds, mods, and educational. All epic!
thank you very much!
Thanks for the great video and your time. What awsome scenery you have to fly around just stunning!!!!
Great videos. Beautiful plane. Awesome scenery. Thanks for letting me live vicariously thru you.
thanks Pete!
This is awesome! Love everything about it! Look at all those landings around that high spot
Hey Thanks Kevin!! 👍
Finally!!!! I’ve been scouring the Internet for high altitude STOL flying info. I’m working on plan for a 900’ runway at 10,500’ up in Park County. You are quite possibly helping me realize my crazy dream might actually be possible! Thank you and keep the videos coming!
right on Steven!!!!
Excellent video! Great explanation of all the factors involved in an epic landing & takeoff. Thank you.
thank you Jim
Awesome scenery! Great editing. Thanks!
Love your airplane and what you have done to it. Scenery is magnificent. I lived near Durango for 8 years and flew that area. Your videos bring back great memories. Thanks!
Thanks Jim!! That’s a great area.. really liked Pagosa Springs though I haven’t stopped there for years.
@@GravityKnightFlying I worked sometimes in Telluride too. Another nice spot. I would love to do the kind of flying you do. Keep those videos coming!
Awesome video, spectacular scenery! My favorite TH-cam aviation channel.
thanks!!!
Absolutely beautiful Todd! You keep upping your video game with every post! Color was absolutely fantastic out there this trip.
I love how that even when you approach things a bit on the edge like this landing, you do so in a safe and measured way and then take time to explain the process. Helps all of us who are perhaps a little less methodical think about things in a better way. Great video.
appreciate that Randy!
Great video
Wow! Very impressive.
Beautiful scenery!
*WOW* Describes the sound of the new exhaust.
🛩️🏁💯👍🏻
Epic, you've surpassed yourself (again!) Good to see your Edge mods working for you. Some really beautiful shots in there!
Great perspective man! Down to earth while high in the sky. Keep it up. I like that you have the skills to build, fix and fly at an exceptional level. Please keep the inspiration coming.
Thoroughly enjoying your experiences and observations on your piloting skills. Keep 'em coming! 👍
thanks Leonard 👍
@@GravityKnightFlying got to say it's one of the BEST sounding Aircraft I've heard on TH-cam too. 👌
Amazing mission, and a very nicely put together video.
thank you James!!
this is some good power to get out of a tight spot not that you want to get into one but never the less, beautiful place too, thanks for sharing.
awesome!!! Great video, great to see you back in the air.
thank you my friend
Sweet Area! Very High and I LOVE the Deep Valleys! Guess soon you may have to carry some Ski's huh! I don't watch much you tube any more my friend, being as there are SO MANY AD's! But I try to get to yours as soon as I can.. GREAT WORK my friend... be safe up and out there!!
thanks Tom!! appreciate that man
Nice one, you are the brightest bush pilot on TH-cam 🙂
I just discover you channel and is completly awesome!! I really enjoy this video, because you tell your thoughs, ideas and feeling. Thanks to share it!
its interesting you can tell the altitude is high just by listening to your breathing. Its sounds like you'd been jogging and as well it should you are on the cusp of O2 supplement. cool video!! Your a lucky guy!
Yea I hiked down that hill and moved some rocks and then back up and about died!!10-11-12k not too bad, up there you can feel it when doing anything but sitting or standing!
Congrats...living the dream.
Wow, Todd, that's just awesome. It's hard to imagine you found a place long and level enough to land at 13,500' in Colorado. Most of the time when you find a place that high it's a peak with a name! Or maybe a narrow ridge. I agree, that's probably not a record you can beat simply because there is nowhere else you could possibly land that's higher.
Agreed. If there was a flat spot that was long, it wouldn't be too big a deal to go higher, especially being turbocharged. But as you pointed out.. not jus the altitude, it's the fact that up that high, your potential spots are few and far between and short and steep and rough lol!
@@GravityKnightFlying How about the parking lot on top of Pikes Peak? Take off on the road heading down.
Its very impressive that little plane can take off at that altitude!! It was definitely turning some RPM's but aside from hearing the rev it looked like it handled it great!!
Cool video. I grew up in Colorado.
HELL YEAH BROTHER!!!! got yourself a sub came from ole Cleeter McSkeeter
Thank you!!!! 👍🏼
Beautiful S-7S, sounds AMAZING, nice editing. I've got a mostly stock S-7S, still a fun airplane of course but I'm hoping to get bush gear/tires next, and maybe more HP down the road, although at my elevations, 100hp has been more than capable. Take care
Thanks Robert! Elevation really does hamper performance, your are right, at low elevations 100hp flys well. When you add a little weight/drag from the bush gear setup (totally worth it!) you might want a big of extra power to get that up. Even just a big bore setup will really wake these motors up and still keep it simple and affordable. Most of them tend to use some oil... Edge is working on a new style piston that uses rotax rings (rotax pistons don't use oil, and their rings are special). We'll see if that works out to eliminate oil usage, if so that would be the ticket! I ran a zipper kit on my last plane, and it would use 1/2 quart or so in 25 hrs, but ran really strong!!
@@GravityKnightFlying Yes I've looked into the zipper big bore kits, definitely keeping that in mind. Thanks for the info about oil consumption - something I didn't know about with the kit. You're right, my stock engine hardly burns any oil with about ~750 hours on the engine. Take care.
Awesome video.
Was just watching ya flying Poncha pass. Nice short landings in this wind! Nov1
Wow small world!!!! The windy app said it would be calm over there today... not quite... but as you said, nice and short! Found a couple new places to play today... that’s pretty wild you were there!?
Awesome plane, awesome scenery. A turbo certainly helps with power levels at high altitude! Badass plane, wonder what the max altitude is with an oxygen supply!
Sweet site!
Ah ha! I seen some dirt bike oil, 10w50?
Awesome as always Todd
I did a lot of experimenting on my previous big bore. Some good oils out there that meet the JASO MA spec for the gearbox on the rotax. Currently I think the Redline 10w50w motorcycle oil is one of the best, loaded up with zinc, and a decent splash of moly. I wouldn't run full 50w, as the sport4 they call for is 10w40. But maybe a half to one quart mixed in in the summertime if not using avgas. The sport4 is pretty good oil, so I always use 75%+ that and maybe put in a bit of some zinc additives and such for a bit extra, or a little full synthetic like above when running around the house on non leaded fuel. I'm kind of an oil dork and spend a lot of time reading oil analysis reports and bobistheoilguy forum posts lol!
Todd, great videos and especially this one. My wife’s watching too and wants you to add locations like that structure at the top of the cliff a couple of minutes into the video. We’re near Montrose and would like to fly to some of your neat spots. Thanks, Ray
Hey that spot on the cliff is bridal veil falls east of Telluride.. absolutely awesome to see from the air and much more breathtaking than on video. It's in a fairly tight box canyon so just keep that in mind if you go in there, but really a site to see!
Awesome flying. Would like to get out there and fly with you some day. Look forward to more of your flying. Tom upstate NY
You didn't give us the DA but guessing a Altimeter Setting, temp and Dew Point you were at about 16000' density altitude and able to accelerate up hill and fly well short of the edge. WOW!!
Sweet! 👍👍👍 I know I'm wheezy and coughing while hiking at 5300', can't imagine 13,5k!
I live at 7k, so I'd like to tell you I'm used to it! And from a flying aspect, I do fine up high sitting there.. but after walking that LZ a time or two looking for rocks and such... I was feeling it!!! So I hear you on that...
Awesome video! Great views out there and really like how you go through explaining how and why you did it the way you did. Also would love to see the build part of the mods too, was hoping to see more on and how you did the new flap handle and made it work. You mentioned also that you are tall and did some modifications to make it more comfortable, I’m 6’4 and building an s7 right now so curious if you just moved the seat back?
Hey Joe. I did move the seat back id say around 3/4" or so. Also leaned the seat back some by shimming the pieces that rivet to the bottom of the seal and go over the chromoly where the pins go through. (I re-riveted those pieces further forward as well to move the seat back a little). I had to cut the stick down in the rear because it would hit the seat when im sitting in it with full forward stick. Ultimately, I just cut the stock off, and removed the throttle, and brake functions from the rudders as well. Mine is a 14+ kit built in 17, so it had most of the recent updates but did not have the easily removable stick that the new ones have. Anyway, these mods did help being 6'4" as well. I still would like the seat to be leaned back a bit more, seems a little too straight up when I'm just cruising a long.. but definitely one of the more comfortable planes for a big guy!
Great stuff.... AGAIN! Love the videos. You running 29’s?
thanks, yes sir, 29's
With the extra flaps settings you briefly mentioned the flaps zero setting is higher. I have seen Piperstrel motor gliders actually have a negative setting for cruise to reduce drag. Did you notice it made much difference in cruise speed and handling, stall stability. I'm guessing you are doing multiple mods at a time and its hard to pin point improves attributed to each mod. I have an S6s and was tempted to give it a bit of negative flap. I wouldnt do it with out talking to Randy first. I'd be concerned it may move the centre of lift/pressure and load one strut more and one less.
I'm guessing it may make the inboard section even earlier.
Awesome video, good mix of mods, safety, technique, dicesion making, flying and epic scenery makes it interesting to watch.
Thanks Airhead! I can't really say it made much difference. In fact, interestingly enough, because it pushes on the trim pieces, it doesn't quite rest fully "up" when flying... but if I push the flap handle down, I can force it up a bit more.. I've been doings some testing while cruising along and I can't say that extra push makes any difference at all! Now it's possible that because it's already up a bit more than stock, that helps a little bit.. but the extra beyond that seems pointless! The extra notches do provide a slightly lower stall, and slightly more drag as expected. At least the 3rd notch does.. the 4th doesnt seem to change stall, just a touch of extra drag. Which all makes sense. Nothing drastic. Though I've seen new low numbers when stalling. Stalls are still very docile, generally no wing drop, just dumps the nose (tail stalls I believe). Wouldn't have minded a little more drag from it, but every little bit counts! Good mod overall, being over where it's easy to reach now. The plane could use larger more extensive flaps in general, but still quite capable.
@@GravityKnightFlying thanks for the lengthy reply.
Do you have VGs on top of cockpit. I've seen those South Africans TH-cam "About to Stall" They test putting VGs on roof of a kitfox variant, it helped maintain clean airflow onto the tail section at high AoA. Which I think gave them more elevator and rudder authority into the stall. I'd be worried with my low hrs doing this as I think the elevator stalling is a bit of a safety sort of. I guess could be said it might also help maintain control to avoid stall untill touch down.
Would be awesome to see u put a CSU on. I have CSU but only 80hp and I fly from sea level. Althought when I flew my plane home half way across Australia I cruised at 9500ft mostly to avoid turbulence. Was hot days aswell.
@@SKYHILLMIKE interesting info!! thanks for sharing! I may give this a try I have some extra stol speed vgs laying around. A few at a time to ease into testing it. If it works, this would be a huge help as I run out of tail authority unless I have some weight in the back at high AoA and low 3 point speeds. Thanks for sharing. The CS prop would sure be a nice addition with the large altitude changes around here!
@@GravityKnightFlying th-cam.com/video/IRNPM7A54Yk/w-d-xo.html
About2stall VGs on cockpit video. Be interest difference on tandem cockpit versus side by side althought I'm guessing difference in width is less than 50% more like 75%. It makes sense to me to put them on top of cockpit to maintain clean airflow to the tail. I've even thought I may only put them above cockpit. I have the large wing on my S6s so compared to your old s6s with 116 wing I have alot of area 155sqft I think. Sometimes I wish I had a 116 wing for speed and turbulence but I guess big wing gets me more STOL. I'm at sea level in Australia but temps range from 5 deg Celsius to 42 deg. So DA can get up to 3000ft at sea level. And I only have 80hp. Thanks again for sharing. I will start sharing but I haven't wanted the distraction and have had the time while setting up our little airfield and modifying planing.
Loving your videos, have them on while working in lockdown! Really interested in your thoughts on tandem vs side-by-side, as I'm looking at Rans kits and completely split on the decision.
Thanks Matthew! ... for flying, tandem all the way! It's awesome being in the center, seeing out both sides etc. If just feels more like you are apart of the plane, its an extension of you in a way. Even my passengers have really enjoyed the backseat and said the view is great.. they like seeing out both sides as well. However.... cargo room the side by sides are way larger on all the current RANS models. And that is a concern when going camping or bring a passenger and trying to take enough gear for two people etc. When it's just me, no problem.. can bring all kinds of crap.. but with a passenger it's a very real challenge, and has actually prevented some longer camping trips from even being possible.. So it depends on what you are doing mostly I'd say. If I could come up with a belly pod for the 7 - it would be the best for everything. Also.. some passengers don't like sitting in the back.. like I said, so far, none of mine have minded it at all... But that doesn't mean everyone is ok with it of course.
@@GravityKnightFlying Thanks for the response, very informative! Yeah I'm thinking it's like the motorbike vs passenger car argument. One's seriously fun and you feel part of the machine, the other's practical for camping and transporting cargo etc as you mention. Just watched your S-21 video with the two engines. Might have to fly the two planes Outbound and S-7, to figure it out. That'll probably guide me.
I really like your videos with you showing all the mods you do to your plane. I do have a question though. Since you do a lot of back country flying by yourself, do you carry any survival gear? If so, what do you carry? I watched a Trent Palmer video where he showed what he carried with him and it seemed to be awfully minimalistic. Would be interested in seeing a video of what you carry
I should do a video like that, good suggestion Greg. Typically I change the loadout to meet the mission of course. On a day like that, I brought a little extra. (Extra cloths, plenty of water, some snacks, a blanket, an emergency mylar tent. Tools, tie downs and that sort of stuff, also a pistol, couple flashlights, and possible the most important piece I have a Garmin InReach for all out emergencies. I carry a lighter, and matches as well and a few other odds and ends I'm probably forgetting. Some days I'll drop out a few of those things but protection, tools, extra cloths and water etc. stuff always rides around in the plane. Every pound hurts, but in the 7, tail weight is a good thing when solo, especially when landing and braking.. which makes it easier to load it up.
Hi Todd.that's awesome..and how about your new EDGE engin working?
That thing sounds mean coming up off of idle!!
Thanks Vinny! I love it, this new turbo whistles like crazy!
Yeah, into the wind, over the edge.. Plenty of altitude to trade for airspeed! awesome! rather you than me though!
Todd, How about a satalite phone in the plane? Just in case!
Pete
Good idea Pete. I opted for a garmin inreach for emergency use. It has the ability to press one button and they send a chopper to come get you, but also has satellite txt messaging so you can also get help if say you are broke down, but not injured or in need of medical attention etc. super cool device with a ton of battery life.
The pilot lives here in my town. But go to TH-cam and search for Dead Stick Take Off. He a great pilot to fly with.
it's Steve Henry guy's a legend in my book with his Highlander modified and Apex engine.
@@flyingmaniac3827 Yes. We were flying over a body of water and he asked me if ever went water skieing and I said not in a plane. He dropped it down till we were barely skidding the tires over the water. There was a huge rooster tail . It was a great experience. It helped that I am a pilot also so I knew the difficulty of this maneuver. After that he sent me to the TH-cam channel. This was so unbelievable that he could put it down on the side a a very steep mountain .
Steve is incredible. Watching his videos 8 or so years ago when I was low time really shifted my interest in what type of flying I wanted to focus on. Guy will always be a legend in my book!
Lol good competition between pilot TH-camrs trying I land as high as possible
At the time (this was 1.5 years ago), I wasn't aware of anyone else trying to land super high. I have wanted to do it for a few years being that I live and fly at high altitude, and it's very challenging. I guess it may have become an unofficial challenge now 👍 😏 I haven't found anything higher that would be legal to land on, so I hope the record stands 😂😂
@@GravityKnightFlying it probably will my archer 3 service limit is 15000 so it’s crazy you landed 2000 below that to me I couldn’t imagine it hahaha
@@GravityKnightFlying quick question how did you get to where you are now being able to do bush plane adventures, i think I want to do something similar
Is a constant speed prop on the horizon for you? That would give you the best of all worlds. But the cost would be high. Cheers from Winnipeg.
Cost and nose weight are a bummer... sure would be so nice to have though! Its a challenge to tune the boost to keep the rpms where you want them across different altitudes!
How's the smoke been down there? It's been consistently bad up in the Denver area making it hard to get out into the mountains for the past couple of months. Looks relatively clear in the video!
Hey Ryan! good to hear from you! We have had hit and miss smoke down this way. Was bad for a few days or so at a time, but has been mostly flyable. I noticed If I keep south more so, it's not terrible. Sorry to hear you are getting blanketed up that way!
I’ve been asking around and I would like to get your opinion. The plane you fly would appear to be to small for me as far as carrying enough fuel for a long trip while carrying xtra cargo, camping gear, clothes etc. and still land off runways. I don’t have a pilot license yet but I am working on one. I’m thinking about getting a Maule MX7-180 for landing in back country, not like you did landing high up on a mountain I’m sure that’s going to take me hundreds of hours to get there. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
The maule is a good load hauler for sure. Also check out the bearhawk patrol I believe it is (2 seat tandem). The cub variants are nice as well. The cubs will land and take off shorter than the maule, but the maule has them on speed a little I believe. Mine runs out of room for enough cargo for 2 people for more than a couple days. I think the sweet spot for a 2 person plane would be a useful load up in the 800lb range. Mine is more like 550-600 and that is just a little low.
@@GravityKnightFlying Thanks for replying. The useful load range information was very helpful. And if you don’t mind I have another question. What do you think about ForeFlight with Sentry or is Garmin the way to go? Also, how many hours did it take to get the skill set you have? Thanks in advance for your reply.
@@Robert-py8um I use a couple of free iOS apps, but none of them are as good as Foreflight or Garmin. I like Garmin for an actual physical device, and foreflight if you are going the app/tablet route. The free one I use is called FltPlan Go. No bad for free, but not foreflight. I rented for the first 100hrs. Started doing some off-airport type stuff at around 200 hrs I think? First plane it took 50-75 to get a good feel for it. At 100 I was comfortable. Couple hundred in I was doing some pretty "advanced" stuff. I want to say I'm up around 1000 now. It came pretty fast for me, I was able to take lessons a couple times of week and that prevents you from doing the 2 steps forward 1 step back kind of thing. I solo'd at 6 or 7 hrs because of that. Some guys it takes long as they can't put in the time as often, or of course the money (I had sold a project car and had the money to hit it hard). Definitely not a race! Once I started wanting to do this kind of flying, I got on the forums, FB pages, and youtube and started soaking up all the info I could get, so that when I started learning myself I didn't do anything to stupid. I'm a DIY'er at heart, and it looks like I figured this stuff out without help, but that isn't quite accurate. There are some great resources out there for backcountry and off-airport flying. Steve Henry was a big one for me... backcountrypilot.org and places like that have good content. The trick is to always be pushing it a little, so you are advancing, but not to push it so hard as to wad it up! can be a tough balance to find!
Dude, I fly a Kitfox out of KBDU, we should go fly.
Have you landed in places with this new plane where you never would have tried with the old rans 6?
Quite a few (this one for sure). This spot was too rocky for a nosewheel, even with the 22's I wouldn't try it. Also the high altitudes would be too much for just a big bore unless the wind had died down and a downhill take off was achievable. That 6 with the 22's was very capable for a nosewheel plane! But this spot, and some of the other spots in some recent videos (BLM paradise video for one) I would have steered clear of. A lot of other spots off camera as well - playing in pastures and stuff like that locally. Some of them would have been doable in the 6, but would require much more checking before landing, dragging the wheels etc. With the 29's and tailwheel, it's easier and quicker to check a spot is suitable. And the extra power makes it easier to abort at the last second if something doesn't look good. Good Question btw!
I appreciate the feed back. I've got an 801 Zenith but am thinking I'd like to make the transition to tail dragger. I've had lots of people give me the line that what ive got will go anywhere a tail dragger will. I've already experienced a broken nose gear and didnt know if that has made me extra sensative to that. I love your channel btw. Perfect mix of on the ground and in the air.
First time here and subscribed. Sooo cool to have your own little plane and fly around... land chill and then be on your way 😌
Hey guy ! What about hypoxia at that altitude ?
I think living at 7k has helped with this. I have one of those expensive clip on your finger do-dads that measures your oxygen level. My numbers stay real good up through those altitudes. I have an oxygen system I borrowed when going higher and doing some 18k climb testing. I've been told, living up high is the reason I don't have trouble with high altitudes (certainly not a pinnacle of being in great cardio shape).
We really do know what you look like. Show more of the surrounding area.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW , what is the power of the engine ?????
should be around 135-140hp max at my elevation (7k ground level). up high like that it was a little less - probably 125-130hp. Edge says you can turn it up to 155hp max.
Only 10k subs. Gotta learn to play the TH-cam rhythms, as in algo. Start by cutting out clips from your vids and make shorts, upload at least every two days.
I NOTICE YOU ONLY REPLY AND GIVE LIKES TO YOU'RE NARRATIVE. FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS OUT EHHH, BUSH PILOT MYSELF CANADA....
I guess I'm a little confused as to what you mean
@@GravityKnightFlying THERE'S NO GUESS WORK , YOU ONLY GIVE HEARTS UP TO THOSE THAT APPEASE YOU......
@@youtubecreator950 I’m just so sorry I didn’t consult with you on which comments I’m allowed to like on my youtube channel.. btw, It’s borderline creepy that you are paying such close attention to which comments I heart.
@@GravityKnightFlying I spent 14yrs in the army as a army PSYOP's trainer so no not hard at all'''''''''''