fin offset etc.

[Geert Frank]

Hi Everyone and a belated Happy Year 2000! I halved the fin offset recommended by the factory. Result: no need for large rudder inputs take-off or landing, but ball off center in cruise, that is if you don't do something. Remember we are talking a Subaru Legacy with three bladed Warp Drive prop on my Rebel. I got the hot water, but no heater. Any of you automotive conversion people have a good but if possible simple solution for a cabin heater? Since I am writing anyway, hereby another comment: I have gone paranoid about the landing gear bolt info on the site here, I have Mr. Mohr's bushings installed and have found no sign of any problems YET. To be sure not quite a hundred hours, only landplane use, but rough terrain and the occasional hard landing. The man in Holland flying his Rebel with spring gear has had some serious tracking problems take-off and landing, he even ground looped the machine with the usual serious damage. Is that a problem with the spring gear, i.e. do you really have to check the tracking of the wheels? I am asking because I never gave that a second thought on my conventional gear machine. The only problem I had was with the original pedals, which gave my Rebel a turning radius on the ground of a Lockheed L-1011. Keith Kinden's pedal mod cured that problem. What is the website address of this "other" Rebel website people keep referring to? Or is that an impolite question? Finally, I also think Murphy the factory is far too quiet about service problems, they hear about, but we do not. I am sure it has to do with this liability law suit paranoia. As far as aid when asked for and not always gouging the customer, Murphy has been first class. Especially when compared to the people that manufacture the Glastar kit. My buddy in France finished his, but what agony and each time he turned around they wanted more money. Faxes and telephone calls go unanswered and there are some aerodynamic questions in regards to wing incidence and what can happen if you over trim the elevators. Maybe I am lucky, but I never even use that electric trim on my Rebel. That little green light is always on. Should I worry? I think not. The Glastar has the same puny trimtab, but it killed two people my buddy tells me! Then this brandnew very expensive Continental engine (IO-240B) he installed. Two serious A.D.'s pertaining to an oil return channel that had been omitted. Nice! I read nothing about that in the US aviation magazines. Must be the colored page front or rearcover ad for roughly $ 20,000 advertising income. He is not a complainer, but when I get done listening to his tales of woe, Murphy does not come out so bad! Geert Frank N83MR

[Wayne G. O'Shea]

Geert, Is that half of the original 1/2 inch, or half of the new 3/4"???? Thus 1/4" offset or 3/8" offset!

I wouldn't loose any sleep over your gear. Most that I have had to repair (or know about) have all been damaged in the first 30 (usually less than 15) hours of flight due to PILOT ERROR and you have made it well past the 30 hour mark!!!!! Just use a scissor jack once in awhile and take the weight off the gear by lifting at the wishbone. Give all the pivot points a good pull/wiggle and try to force the legs (pivot bolts) up and down to see if anything is wearing. The rear pickup is fine until you hit something the tire can't get over and the force will drive the gear attach fitting up or back into the floor. I was being nice to the new owner of the AULA I recently sold and just repaired, by leaving out the fact that they stood it on it's nose against that last field rock!!!! Didn't break the 2 blade GSC wood prop though, so it stood up nice and slow! They had shut the engine down and the prop was nice enough to stop straight up and down. It actually stuck a blade into the ground and rested on the one blade, so no damage to the cowling, etc. and amazingly no damage to the prop.

I will try to get my web page designer to add the pictures of this recent repair (so it is here for future reference, but hoping no one needs to refer to it), to the repair section of our website when he is in a good mood and being nice to his DAD! My 15, now 16 year old son designed and maintains our web site.

Blue skies,
Wayne G. O'Shea
www.irishfield.on.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: Geert Frank <storchpilot@mediaone.net (storchpilot@mediaone.net)>
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com (murphy-rebel@dcsol.com) <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com (murphy-rebel@dcsol.com)>
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 9:27 AM
Subject: fin offset etc.


Hi Everyone and a belated Happy Year 2000! I halved the fin offset recommended by the factory. Result: no need for large rudder inputs take-off or landing, but ball off center in cruise, that is if you don't do something. Remember we are talking a Subaru Legacy with three bladed Warp Drive prop on my Rebel. I got the hot water, but no heater. Any of you automotive conversion people have a good but if possible simple solution for a cabin heater? Since I am writing anyway, hereby another comment: I have gone paranoid about the landing gear bolt info on the site here, I have Mr. Mohr's bushings installed and have found no sign of any problems YET. To be sure not quite a hundred hours, only landplane use, but rough terrain and the occasional hard landing. The man in Holland flying his Rebel with spring gear has had some serious tracking problems take-off and landing, he even ground looped the machine with the usual serious damage. Is that a problem with the spring gear, i.e. do you really have to check the tracking of the wheels? I am asking because I never gave that a second thought on my conventional gear machine. The only problem I had was with the original pedals, which gave my Rebel a turning radius on the ground of a Lockheed L-1011. Keith Kinden's pedal mod cured that problem. What is the website address of this "other" Rebel website people keep referring to? Or is that an impolite question? Finally, I also think Murphy the factory is far too quiet about service problems, they hear about, but we do not. I am sure it has to do with this liability law suit paranoia. As far as aid when asked for and not always gouging the customer, Murphy has been first class. Especially when compared to the people that manufacture the Glastar kit. My buddy in France finished his, but what agony and each time he turned around they wanted more money. Faxes and telephone calls go unanswered and there are some aerodynamic questions in regards to wing incidence and what can happen if you over trim the elevators. Maybe I am lucky, but I never even use that electric trim on my Rebel. That little green light is always on. Should I worry? I think not. The Glastar has the same puny trimtab, but it killed two people my buddy tells me! Then this brandnew very expensive Continental engine (IO-240B) he installed. Two serious A.D.'s pertaining to an oil return channel that had been omitted. Nice! I read nothing about that in the US aviation magazines. Must be the colored page front or rearcover ad for roughly $ 20,000 advertising income. He is not a complainer, but when I get done listening to his tales of woe, Murphy does not come out so bad! Geert Frank N83MR