GRASS ROOTS FLYING WITH LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINES JOHN BEESWAX

Alistair Sutherlands immaculate FRED Mk II, G-ORAS, drew admiring looks and appreciation at the 2010 LAA Rally, Sywell (Photo: Nigel Hitchman)

LONG DISTANCE FRED

During a remarkable flight with a round trip distance of more than 800nm, Alistair Sutherland waved the flag for all Clutton FRED (Flying Runabout Experimental Design) builders when he flew his superbly built yellow-and-racinggreen example to the LAA Rally at Sywell two years ago. On that sunny occasion, Alistair was proud to join his Highland Strut colleagues at Scotlands Corner on Sywells cherished turf and review his epic flight south from the aircrafts airstrip base at Tain, north of Inverness. Not noted for its in-flight sophistication or superior cruising speed, the Clutton FREDs claim to fame is its ability to have its wings folded flat alongside the fuselage and be road towable on the sturdy undercarriage to a nearby meadow for local flying. This facility has great appeal to anyone wishing to save money on costly hangarage. Alistair built his FRED Series 2 from Eric Cluttons excellent set of plans at his home workshop at Edderton, near Tain, and registered it G-ORAS in 2004. Most of his flying had been in the local area above the beautiful countryside around Inverness. The VW 1,834cc engine gives it a cruising speed of 55 to 60kt, says Alistair, but its fuel uplift is restricted due to mtow so range is very limited. With these limitations in mind, he planned the long journey to Sywell with landings at Perth, Eshott, Breighton and Sywell. The first sector to Perth went very well with good flying conditions over the Cairngorms and Grampian Mountains. The VW, with its twin, chain-driven Lucas magnetos, purred along at 60kt as Perth and the lower ground came into sight. After refuelling, Alistair flew to Eshott in Northumberland. It was now towards evening and a shallow blanket of fog had formed over the airfield. Knowing something of the local area, he carried out a 180 turn to head back to an airstrip he had seen adjacent to the A1 main road. However, to his relief, he heard from another aircraft that the fog had cleared and he returned to land at Eshott. After he had refuelled the aircraft, his mobile phone rang. Fortuitously, it was an old chum who owned an airstrip five miles west of Eshott and who had heard his arrival on the r/t. He invited Alistair to stay the night at his place and so, losing no time, the VW was restarted and Alistair flew the short distance to Tony Grahams strip for a comfortable nights rest. The following day, the weather was fine and the flights south to Breighton and then to Sywell went well. The FREDs comparatively slow progress meant it was late on the Friday afternoon before Alistair could meet with his colleagues from the Highland Strut but

Worries about the addition of ethanol in automotive fuels have been highlighted by a leading overhauler in the US (Photo: Alan Chalkley)

28 LIGHT AVIATION OCTOBER 2012

OVER THE HEDGE >

The gorgeous Wagabond that Alistair ew in for this years LAA Rally (Photo: Alan Chalkley)

at least he could don his kilt and celebrate their safe arrival in traditional Scottish style. Alistairs arrival at the LAA Rally was significant for its encouragement to other builders and pilots of Clutton FRED aircraft. His perseverance demonstrated that the aircraft, fitted with a reliable VW engine, is capable of the occasional long crosscountry adventure provided that regular refuelling stops are factored into the flight plan. His success has even spurred other LAA members to buy Eric Cluttons plans and start building their own FRED. Incidentally, Sywell wasnt the first Rally that Alistair had flown to. Thirty years earlier he flew to the PFA Rally at Cranfield with his newly-built Evans VP-1, registered G-BFAS. It too, was powered by a VW engine rebuilt by Alistair. Again, it took him two days to fly south from Tain and he arrived at dusk on the Friday evening. I could see the car headlights on the motorway, he recalled, but the best news was that I was welcomed by David Faulkner-Bryant the then Chairman of the PFA. After tying the Evans down, he took me to the pub and ordered a huge supper for me! We have been great friends ever since. Alistair still owns his old Evans VP-I. It still remains a joy to fly locally, he says with a smile. Fast forward to 2012 this year Alistair flew down in his Wag-Aero Wagabond G-WAGA not a great deal faster perhaps, but the two-seat enclosed cabin was at least comfier and roomier, plus he enjoyed a good tailwind all the way down.

DOUBTS ABOUT MOGAS

Doubts about the wisdom of using mogas in light aircraft have been expressed in the USA by a leading authority on the old Stromberg carburettors. Bob Kachergius of Uni-Tech Air Management Systems, Inc is a specialist in the overhaul of the Stromberg NA-S3 carburettors that are fitted to many of the Continental engines that power vintage Piper, Aeronca and Luscombe aircraft of the classic post-war period. Writing in the Cub Clubs magazine Cub Clues, Bob draws readers attention to the fact that, in the USA, the percentage of ethanol (ethyl alcohol) in automotive fuels is very poorly regulated. He points out that the absorption of moisture by the ethanol changes the fuels consistency and can cause internal varnishing. As an approved overhauler of these old carburettors, he sees the effects of the corrosion inducing properties of ethanol. Many of the carburettors I get in for

overhaul, he writes in the newsletter, have severely corroded lower float bowls from using auto fuel with ethanol and end up being unairworthy. Another problem is the increase in the fuels specific gravity. The specific gravity (SG) of avgas is between 0.680 and 0.720 with the carburettor jets and fuel delivery set up for this value. The specific gravity of ethanol is 0.815 and that of water 1.0. Thus auto fuel can reach an SG of 0.770, which means that it is around 10% heavier ings of his than avgas. mpleted w e newly co ait the nal coats of ys th Fluids flow through an orifice (jet) at a y) land surve ey aw Brian Gow 00 Menestrel II. Th (Photo: Alan Chalkle certain velocity predicated on the weight em HN7 Nicollier to nish th of the fluid and the size of the orifice, he rate dope colour buty explains. If you have a heavier weight fuel flowing through the same size jet, it will flow slower and thus LEANER. When auto fuel is used, the engine will run our first models and watched their noses dip when quite a bit leaner than when avgas is used. The they had reached their stalling angle-of-attack? We carburettor main jet cannot be arbitrarily changed. had soon learned to trim for the best glide angle. Its size is specified in the factory data and overhaul Today, with the quick-build kit invasion, completion manuals, and is set based on the specific gravity of of a new wing has been almost relegated to the final avgas as a standard. Running on a leaner mixture will assembly stage and the fitment of the all-important increase engine oil and exhaust gas temperatures electronic flight instrument systems. But make no causing premature valve jobs and cylinder repairs. mistake, despite sophisticated stall-warning devices, Concluding his advice, he states, Being penny wise a healthy appreciation of a wings characteristics is just and dollar foolish is really very costly in the long run. as important today as it was in the past. For more information on Stromberg NA-S3 Hooray then for a brand-new wing, lovingly carburettors, Bob Kachergius can be contacted at constructed from wood and built from plans a slow uni-tech@earthlink.net process that has taken more than a few years. Each component, be it a rib or the large precision-made jig to build the carefully laminated 27ft-span wing-spar, CHEER FOR NEW WINGS has been carefully and accurately assembled. There was a time in the early days of the PFA when The culmination of all this work is a beautiful completion of a new set of homebuilt wings was the smooth set of wings that are covered and doped subject of wide jubilation among the growing band through to silver and await the final coats of glossy of members. There being no quick-build kits in those colour coats to finish them. Their proud owner and days, one knew that each rib, each metal fitting and builder is Brian Gowland and the wings are just one each spar had been painstakingly put together (just part of his exquisitely built Nicollier HN700 Menestrel as plans-built aircraft are still constructed today). II, G-CCDS. Many of us who fell in love with aeroplanes when From boyhood, Brian has been an avid we were kids built model aircraft and gliders. We aeromodeller and he has won many prizes in that learned to admire their graceful wings as they field of aviation during his lifetime. Now all of his skills caressed the air through which they moved. Later, and energies are focussed on the completion of his when we learned to fly, we looked out at the wings Menestrel and we celebrate with him the conclusion that supported us with an appreciation of the air of his new and beautifully built set of wings, which flowing over them. We had a good understanding of will be admired by many at future LAA fly-ins. stalling and spinning, for had we not mis-trimmed

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