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RE: Europa-List: MG Airbrake question

Subject: RE: Europa-List: MG Airbrake question
From: Karl Heindl <kheindl@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:16:09

Hi Bud=2C
Thanks for your input again. It will be interesting to see what Europa will
 come up with. I especially like your attachments.At the moment I am still 
learning to fly this thing properly=2C and approach/landing without any air
brake. I am getting very close to the adjacent cornfield=2C then the fence
=2C and I am still touching down way too far down the runway. When a goarou
nd is called for=2C I just open the throttle a little bit and I am off agai
n. No flaps=2C prop or trim to worry about.I don't really have the official
 approval (Special CofA) yet to fly the motorglider=2C but hope to get it s
oon.On the airbrake issue=2C I am going to start with putting in a couple o
f holes in each airbrake=2C drilled horizontally in the max open position
=2C and re-enforced with a ring of flox.As you said=2C in the worst case it
 is easy to fill them in again or put tape over it.
Karl


From: budyerly@msn.com
Subject: Re: Europa-List: MG Airbrake question
Date: Sat=2C 28 Aug 2010 20:48:51 -0400


Karl=2C
I normally get 57 degrees and can tweak 60 but usually don't bother for the

last 3 degrees.
See the notes from my shop instructions attached.
I have not minded the pull effort=2C as they stay at 50% for landing 
normally.  Above 85 knots it is a heck of a pull past 50%.  John 
Bolyard and I have discussed putting holes in his airbrake trailing edge to

decrease the deployment effort (as in the Dauntless) or lengthening the 
leading edge and fitting holes to prevent rapid pressure build up or they w
ill 
flop wildly open.  Unfortunately it will be manual research and trial 
and error on my part until the factory planes are finished and 
tested... NASA=2C or NACA more accurately=2C and the Air Ministry documents

(see one example above in .pdf)  are far and few between on air brake 
analysis as dive or airbrake research was proprietary data of manufacturers
 who 
used hydraulics to move their airbrake.  Our airbrake is a copy of a 
Slingsby design which was quite successful=2C but something went wrong in t
he 
translation.  

Just a note to the others=2C the MG wings (about 34 sets) were sold only by

the original company to the US/North American market ( I think the last set

was produced in 2004) but unable to be flown in Europe until 
recently.  Today=2C Europa is ready to begin new MG 
wing production certified under JAR-VLA and CS 22 requirements which make 
them stronger and saleable world wide.  It took Dave Stanbridge to make 
this happen.  Now the factory has two MGs being constructed and will be 
evaluated for these kind of fixes.  First a computerized aerodynamic 
evaluation was made=2C followed by a detailed structural test=2C currently

the rigging and building is being evaluated=2C which will be followed by 
flight test and airbrake fixes will surely follow.

Doesn't help your situation now I'm afraid.  The airbrakes are not 
dangerous as is but are very inconvenient to use without pumping up the 
muscles.  You can tell a MG pilot by the size of his right bicep.

I know we all are going as fast as time and money permit.

Bud

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Karl Heindl 
  To: europa-list@matronics.com 
  Sent: Saturday=2C August 28=2C 2010 6:50 
  PM
  Subject: Europa-List: MG Airbrake 
  question


Hi motorglider guys.  


  Has anyone made any changes to their airbrakes ? I find they requires a 
  lot of force to hold them in the fully open position. The air pressure on
 the 
  bottom half far exceeds that on the top.
  Because of that it is also impossible to get the maximum deflection of 60

  degrees. I mounted an angle indicator=2C and it shows about 45-50=2C whic
h 
  severely degrades their performance.
  I don't understand why nothing was ever done about this. They have been 
  producing these wings for about 11 years now.
  The obvious solution to me is to reduce the area of the bottom half=2C 
  either by putting in holes=2C or trimming back the trailing edge.
  These brakes are not really necessary with the engine running=2C but are

  essential when I get to making dead stick landings.


  Karl


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