Hi Fred
Looks like a nice going!
Flying an Europa closer to aft CG is desirable. As Andy pointed out in a fax
some
time ago moving aft limit forward an inch over 1370 lb gross is probably a
good idea.
Here's what I did in an attempt to get aft weight but have that weight at least
be doing something useful:
I am shooting for closer to aft with my 914, intercooler, Airmaster, SD20S on
accessory
pad XS Mono, with short and long wings.
I chose to mount battery aft which I calculated using Eric Jones #4CCA and no
question it nets out to less weight compared to front mounting and putting lead
on tail. It also allowed me to use a battery switch and all sorts of other
electrial
stuff installed in headrest/s:
http://www.europaowners.org/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=30502
http://www.europaowners.org/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=30683
http://www.europaowners.org/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=30710
Added a rollbar where shoulder harness attaches thus headrests not called upon
for structural integrity:
http://www.europaowners.org/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=27386
Took about 15% load off stabilator to mass balance weight by adding lead to
front
of stabilators, it nets to 3 lbs of lead, but I get to remove .8 lbs from mass
balance weight, thus all up weight will be increased by 2.2 lbs, but it is
a fairly aft 2.2 lbs
Also in rudder area I added some weight by adding an extra hinge, gave the two
lower hinge area a bias 2 BID layup, added a set of outriggers to tailwheel
spring
(help torsional loading, hopeful not break fuse before things bend), added
turnbuckles for tailwheel drive, added a Graham ripoff tailwheel stop, and
fabricated
some trapezoid spacers to better distribute load of thimbles to tailwheel
horn:
http://www.europaowners.org/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=27732
If it ends up I am a bit tailheavy, no problem. Did you ever see the Vans higher
number (think LSA) with Rotax? It has pitot coming out of center of spinner
(prop shaft is hollow on 91Xs. I will bet it could be used for a rapid firepaint
ball machine gun using Soldier of Fortune style rapid fire cheap and inexpensive
BB guns that if you install a stainless barrel they are devastating on 150PSI
(came with a freon can that did not provide much pressure for too long
and thin wall aluminium barrel that blew apart at 65PSI). Anyway when chasing
other Europas it would be more fun if you filled paintballs instead with paint,
bird droppings!
Have fun
Ron Parigoris
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=286939#286939
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