Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Supporting Owners, Builders and Pilots of the Thorp T-18 and its variants.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:18 pm

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 33 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
SHIPCHIEF
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:12 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:05 pm
Posts: 471
Location: USA
Here is a pic of the weighing. I weighed it 3 times, tail low, tail high and perfectly level. even a 1/4 bubble off on a carpenter's level is a couple of pounds tail weight.


Attachments:
DSCF1079.JPG
DSCF1079.JPG [ 2.18 MiB | Viewed 11577 times ]

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE
Top
 Profile  
 
dickwolff
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:11 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:40 pm
Posts: 498
Images: 6
Location: Canada
I hate to post yet another starter related post in this W&B thread, but I am curious if anyone is running the Toyota (Corolla?) starter that was all the rage years ago. I'm sure there is at least one NL article showing how to build a bracket for said starter.

I'd like to shed some pounds too, but I am way to cheap to go with a Skytech.

d

BTW - Nice looking airplane, Scott. See you at OSH.


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
James Grahn
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:22 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:16 pm
Posts: 1434
Images: 0
Location: USA
Beautiful bird, Scott. As far as CG is concerned, as long as you are in the window, I wouldn't worry about it. The end result will be more or less baggage allowable. The Thorp has a pretty large window. So you should be able to move components to help your baggage situation.
Cubes


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Ryan Allen
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:30 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:10 pm
Posts: 1105
Images: 0
Location: Louisiana
dickwolff wrote:
I hate to post yet another starter related post in this W&B thread, but I am curious if anyone is running the Toyota (Corolla?) starter that was all the rage years ago. I'm sure there is at least one NL article showing how to build a bracket for said starter.

I'd like to shed some pounds too, but I am way to cheap to go with a Skytech.

d

BTW - Nice looking airplane, Scott. See you at OSH.



I had a nissan starter on my other engine. I still have the bracket. Its heavy and ugly.


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Bill Williams
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:57 am 
Several years ago I made up a couple of mounts (NL) from aluminuum and used the Nippon starter, it worked well but seemed to have a short life span, the local auto parts would warranty it. I think I gave my last one to David Read
Watch Ebay for starters for sale. Don't pay a high price ($25 is a fair price) for the Skytec starter as most are not airworthy but the castings are usable. Purchase a Ford Mustang starter from the auto parts store, transfer the motor and solenoid from the new starter to the skytec, put the old parts back together and return the core. You will have a skytec starter for less than a 100 bucks.
A carpenters level is not accurate enough to level a plane, use a plummers level. Compare the two and you will see that the plummers level has a straight glass as compared to the bent glass of a carpenters.


Top
  
 
bfinney
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:56 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:24 pm
Posts: 501
Images: 6
Location: Yelm, WA USA
Bob Nuckolls has an article for a starter adapter on his AeroElectric Connection site
http://www.aeroelectric.com/Reference_Docs/Starters/Lycoming_Starter_Adapter.pdf
this is for a Nippondenso starter from a '75-'80 Toyota Corrola.

enjoy

_________________
Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
jrevens
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:00 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:13 pm
Posts: 789
Location: USA
Bill Williams wrote:
Several years ago I made up a couple of mounts (NL) from aluminuum and used the Nippon starter, it worked well but seemed to have a short life span, the local auto parts would warranty it. I think I gave my last one to David Read
Watch Ebay for starters for sale. Don't pay a high price ($25 is a fair price) for the Skytec starter as most are not airworthy but the castings are usable. Purchase a Ford Mustang starter from the auto parts store, transfer the motor and solenoid from the new starter to the skytec, put the old parts back together and return the core. You will have a skytec starter for less than a 100 bucks.
A carpenters level is not accurate enough to level a plane, use a plummers level. Compare the two and you will see that the plummers level has a straight glass as compared to the bent glass of a carpenters.


That sounds like a great tip about the SkyTec starters, Bill... thanks!

_________________
John Evens
Arvada, Colorado

T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE


Top
 Profile  
 
david read
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:25 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:21 pm
Posts: 225
Location: USA
Bill that starter worked great for 562 hours and I intend to use it for several more as soon as I get DR back in the air later this year. I made the mount out of steel, your idea sounds like a weight saver.


Top
 Profile  
 
jtwigg
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:33 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Posts: 192
Images: 0
Is there a weight and balance Excel file on the new forum? I once saw that the old forum had one but couldn’t download it. Thanks in advance!

_________________
John Twigg N12055 SN.79 Pittsburgh, PA (KFWQ)


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 6:53 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
Here is one: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=7998&p=17238&hilit=Weight#p17238

Double check any numbers already on it.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
pmandel
PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 12:42 pm 
Jr. Member
Jr. Member

Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2019 8:00 pm
Posts: 92
Resurrecting an old thread here -- and claiming ignorance since I have never built a thang, much less an airplane -- I do want to weigh my Thorp just to double check everything. Costs me nothing but a couple hours of time to borrow scales and weigh 'er up, will give me peace of mind knowing everything is up to snuff. But...I have no idea what or where WL42 is (I'm told that's what needs to be level for weighing). Someone care to enlighten me? Pleeze make it as simple as possible for me, I'm just a flight instructor, not a builder. Photo(s) would help. Huge thanks in advance!

_________________
Philip Mandel
N118BC
S/N 957
Beaverton OR


Top
 Profile  
 
fytrplt
PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:20 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:07 pm
Posts: 1140
Images: 2
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA
Image

WL 42 is the top of the 3/4" angle that runs the length of the fuselage. Best way is to lay the level on the reinforcing strip by the cockpit. Before you ask, the leading edge of the wing is 55" back from the datum.

Be careful. When the plane is level on the main gear, the tail gets really light. Have fun!

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:50 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
On mine, the wing leading edge is the datum.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
James Grahn
PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:57 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:16 pm
Posts: 1434
Images: 0
Location: USA
You can make the datum whatever you like. The plans have it at the crank flange.
Cubes


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:34 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
I haven’t seen that particular drawing. Mine was in front of the spinner when I got it. I like points that are fixed and easy to measure from like many factory built airplanes use so I moved the datum when I put it on the scales a few years back.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 33 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

[ Time : 0.163s | 17 Queries | GZIP : On ]