Aerocomp 6 / 7

[db774425]

I am building an Aerocomp 6/7 with a TIO-540-AE2A. Anyone else building any Aerocomps?

[TIM]

HI, I AM ALSO WORKING ON A COMP AIR 6, I AM RUNNING A IO-470. HAVE YOU DONE ANY TEST FLIGHTS? THANKS

[bptonner]

N82BT is a Compair 6 wide-body, with "fat" wings. Continental IO-520D, brand new, with custom stainless exhaust. My kit was an early one (1997), so I designed a custom push-pull control system, gear leg fairings, cowling, seats, baggage door, etc. etc. Some of these things are now part of the kits being sold.

I upgraded the tailwheel and the main gear wheels (Scott for the tail, and 800x600 tires for the main gear). The larger main wheel tires improved the landing characteristics. The original tires didn't last long (less than 50 hours).

Flying characteristics have met my expectations. It is very stable in flight. Cruise with the fat wings and 75% power is around 158MPH. I do not yet have the fairings on the struts, and I still have some work to do with the fit of the doors.

Take off with the 300HP engine is fun.

The aileron control forces are high, but with push-pull tubes throughout, there is no slop, so it is not tiring to fly. I am probably going to change the linkage arm ratios, since as it is now set up, there is much more aileron deflection than is necessary. I will add lateral trim at the first annual, since with the high fuel load and baggage load range, it is easy to get a "heavy wing" that can be tiring. The longitudinal trim is very sensitive. This is the only control characteristic that requires some caution. The plane can move into a shallow dive, from cruise trim, if you have your head down looking at a map for too long. I haven't tried out gross loading with aft passengers and baggage, so this characteristic may change with different loading.

I had my 9th grade son up for his first flight the other day. It was his first time at the controls of an airplane, and he was able to fly straight and level, and make 360 turns, after 5 minutes of "instruction." So, it's not a hard plane to fly.

Just passed about 50 hours. We'll be going to Oshkosh this summer.
-Brian Tonner

[db774425]

I have been looking to contact you. I saw an article on you in "Airport journal" December 2004 and also on the Aerocomp Builders Site. Also I heard of someone down your way that had plans for a screw jack in the tail for stabilizer - is that you by any chance? I am also trying to get together a list of other Aerocomp builders so there is a little shareing of info. I would love to talk to you my home phone number is 410-392-5283 and cell is 443-466-5800 and email is [email protected] .

My project is still in the early stages. I got the Aerocomp 6 that I am building as a 7 for a posible turbine later. 191 wing - 1' taper vs. the 176 with the 2' taper. It is technically a Acro sport 7, high gross, high performance, and 4600 pound gross. The engine is a TIO-540-AE2A twin turbo, twin intercooler, twin vacume, twin alternator, 350 H.P. of a Pa-46-350P Malibu.

Other than a VERY marginal builders manual that doesn't get any updates have you found any major pitfalls in the project or anything you would have done differently? Any suggestions, info or photos would be greatly appreciated.

Tim is flying his in Oregon. I was looking at his about 2 years ago when it was for sale. He is looking at new or different seats and putting an autopilot in also.

Hope to talk to you soon.

Dale

[TIM]

I PLAN TO FLY MY COMPAIR 6 FROM OREGON. I SHOULD HAVE ALL THE MODS DONE BY THEN..SEE YOU THIS SUMMER.
TIM

[Jim]

Not much going on in the CA4 area, so I'll post here.  I purchased a "completed" Comp Monster HP a couple months ago and just flew it on Sunday.  Rather exciting flight.  Very high elevator pitch forces and large pitch changes with engine power changes (pitch up w/power; pitch down when reducing power).  It has a new PZL Franklin 220HP & Hartzell constant speed 2-blade prop.  Required constand right rudder, heavy right rudder during climb.  That was the good news.  Engine quit for about 3 seconds after a landing turned touch & go after climbing out straight ahead to about 350-400'.  :oops:  It came back after I retarded the throttle a bit.  That was fortunate because I had nowhere to land except in trees, and both wing tanks were already on and header/aux tank was empty.

This airplane does not run the wing tanks into the "header" tank, so it is really an aux tank.  Before the next flight I will change it to a header tank and put a low fuel warning light 1/3 down in the header.  Will also install a parallel elec boost pump inside the cabin at the firewall.  Will use check valves and use parallel system.   If I can't reduce stick forces a better way (e.g. changing engine mounting, etc.), I will put in 4" stick extension like Tim has in OR.

Encourage folks to call or email me to share info.  Jim Dunn, [email protected], 208-777-2663.  Coeur d'Alene Idaho.

Thanks again Tim.

[Jim]

I have had this CA4HP almost a year and finally flew it for just the 2nd time last week.  The plane did need some work after my first flight in it in June 2005, but I was mostly building my hangar so didn't have time to work on it.  

I did replumb the aux tank into a header tank and install a low fuel light (with press-to-test) and electric boost pump.  It works very well and gives me piece of mind knowing I have 10+ gallons warning before flameout.  When I started, the header tank vent line routed down under the pilot's seat then up the column behind the pilot's left shoulder.  While testing the mod I discovered that with wing tanks off drawing only from the header tank, after draining 1 gal of fuel near the gascolator,  the flow would slow to a trickle after about 1 gal flowed out of the header tank, then STOP after about 1.5 gal.  As a result I rerouted the header vent line straight up the left column immediately to the left of the winshield.  I believe this is what the later AeroComp construction manuals called for.  

My CA4HP has a 220 HP Franklin in it (new, PZL, 6-cyl).  On the first flight I think only one of my cylinder head temp gages worked.  I fixed them and on this flight 3 of the 4 CHT gages I have showed over readline.  Front L was 90 deg F over redline, FR 10 over, LR 60 degrees over, RR 20 degrees under redline.  My airplane currently has a K+N Filter over the carb intake, drawing air directly from the engine compartment.  It also has a 2.5" diameter inlet in the bottom of the cowling, and about 4x5" opening in front of each front cylinder.  I am going to essentially put a straight duct from the carb to the cowling carb intake to keep the ram air from pressurizing the bottom part of the cowling.  I believe this is what is preventing cooling air from flowing over the fins so it is running VERY HOT.  I will make this mode before flying again.

Still pitches up with power and requires way too much R rudder on climb.  I am going to shim the engine right 1/4" and see how it does.  I expect to make this mode before flying again.

After the 1st flight I increased the mechanical advantage of the stick (elevator) by moving the elevator pushrod cable attach point down about 1 inch (closer to the point of rotation), and angled the stick forward about 4" inches at the top from where it was.  This greatly improved (reduced) elevator forces.  While they were still high, I was able to flare with one hand instead of it requiring two (very unsafe!

It appears the original manufacturer installed the horizontal stabilizer in the wrong position.  It is mounted with too much angle of incidence.  I have asked the folks in OR for a quote to move it, but they seemed to think I should just put an 80# sack of cement in the rear baggage compartment when flying solo.  It seems this problem is VERY common on early Aerocomp aircraft.  One of the OR guys said one CA7 kit they received had the 2 horiz stab spar locations marked in the wrong location.  As a result, they need the cement ballast while flying solo.  He said it is OK with 2 in the front, and even better with folks in the back.  

I had considered increasing trim tab throw but the OR folks thought 40 degrees was the max it should be.

I also discovered that the Cessna 182/206/210 Cleveland brakes are rubbing the inside of the 850-6 tires I have on.  It appears tire manufactures say this is OK so long as cord is not showing.  Alaskan Bush folks in Oregon said it may have the wrong rotor on it which would be an easy fix.  If the rotor is OK, he has spacers I can put on to solve the problem.  The scoring is getting worse.  I may be ble to fly a couple more landings without a fix, but I definitely need to fix this soon.  I expect to make this mode before flying again.

Prop governor functioned well, but the mechanical limit is still set to 2900+ rpm (max should be 2800).

Jim Dunn 4/25/2006

[[email protected]]

Mine is:

CA-6 Standard width, Straight wing, Tricycle gear, IO-520-A, 80" 3 blade McCauley.

Anybody out there want to compare notes????

[db774425]

Has anyone came up with a list of builders, builders websites, or anyway we can talk to other builders to compare notes and for those of us building to get timely information on our projects. This is about the only place to chat but not a whole lot of info. Any one interested in my contact info - [email protected] 4103925283 Home. Im in MD and got 600 hours into it CA6/7 TIO-540-AE2A fuel tanks not closed. and STILL working on Fuselage. 2 years taken off for school. Frustrating that it almost seems that aerocomp seems to be giving up on older series aerocomps.