Over on the Flyer list a query about a syndicate for a Pulsar has led to
this posting ...
>Date: 02 Oct 96 05:01:01 EDT
From: Alan Jackson <100663.3267@compuserve.com>
>Subject: Re: FLYER: Homebuild syndicate
>
>
><< Has he considered the Europa - and is he aware of the Europa e-mail
>list (more details to be found at
><http://www.avnet.co.uk/europa/index.html>)? >>
>
>Yes and yes.
>
>Now brace yourselves for some personal observations ....!
>
>The major problem (as I/we see it) with the Europa is what we consider
>to be an archaic process for building the flying surfaces. It is
>undoubtedly suitable for one-off designs but (as I see it) hardly the
>best way of delivering a kit. The lay-up process results is a great deal
>(hundreds of hours) of boring, tedious, dusty and repetitive work.
>
>Much of this is avoided by builders of what amounts to 'Airfix' kits,
>such as the Jabiru, KIS, Pulsar and others. I can't help thinking that,
>with so many Europa kits delivered, it isn't time for one with
>pre-formed surfaces. This was poo-pooed on the Europa list when I
>suggested it earlier this year. I don't know that the finished result is
>any better than, for example, the Pulsar in which the wings consist of
>foam ribs glued to the spar then covered with pre-formed, sheets of
>fibre-glass.
>
>I lurked on the Europa list for several months and was struck by the
>multitude of hints, tricks and minor mods. that builders needed to
>resort to. The sheer number of these did not fill me with the belief
>that the build process and design was well thought out, quite the
>reverse. Pulsar (and Starlite) builders I have talked to express delight
>at the clarity of the manuals, simplicity of design and remarkably small
>number of problem areas they encountered that need ingenuity to overcome.
>
>I also can't help thinking that the Europa kit package, crude as it is,
>especially compared to the Jabiru (which requires NO surface finishing),
>is somewhat over-priced. TRI-R were selling KIS 2-seat 'Airfix' kits (not
>just a pair of hull 'buckets' and pre-cut slabs of foam) at the PFA
>rally for less than L12k. The Jabiru kit (including instruments,
>excluding engine) runs out at L13k.
>
>Finally, I've heard rumours that the Europa is substantially more
>difficult to land than people have been led to believe, a typical
>problem being broken out-riggers.
>
>Alan Jackson
>Tailored Information
>http://www.datatext.co.uk/it
This comment about the wing construction seems to be in line with what a
number of US people have been saying. Any progress over there from those
who have been investigating alternative wing construction methods?
cheers
Rowland
... that's Rowland with a 'w' ...
|