Weighed My Plane

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Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
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Tralika
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Location: Wasilla Alaska

Weighed My Plane

Post by Tralika »

I weighed my Highlander yesterday. 759 lbs.
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John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
bluemax
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Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Newark, Ohio

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by bluemax »

Hey John,
That cowling looks pretty good. . . . Is that the one from Viking? After looking at mine in its unfinished state, I didn't think it would look that good finished and in place. Good job!
Max Rentz
Newark, Ohio
FredHoffman
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Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by FredHoffman »

Plane looks great. What did you use as the reference for level? Still a level across the headtubes?

Fred
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Tralika
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Location: Wasilla Alaska

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by Tralika »

Yes, I used the head rack tubes to check for level. My garage is too small to deploy the wings inside so I had to weigh the plane outside on my gravel driveway. I used two pieces of plywood to support the scales. I leveled the two pieces of plywood first by scraping down into the gravel surface and a 6ft straight edge between the two. I rolled the main gear onto the plywood, then jacked up each wheel, put a scale under it and lowered the wheel onto the scale. Then I lifted the tail and leveled from front to rear. It was easier than I expected.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
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BucF16
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Location: Alexandria, Ohio

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by BucF16 »

John,
That is outstanding. May I ask, what scales did you use? Did you obtain them from an EAA chapter, rent, or buy them?
Thanks in advance!
Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
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Tralika
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Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:49 pm
Location: Wasilla Alaska

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by Tralika »

I used a set of Tanner Racing Scales owned by the Anchorage EAA chapter. Very easy to use. One of the local EAA members uses the scales at his helicopter company so he pays to have them re-calibrated/certified every year. The chapter has a very nice engine hoist that I used as well. I know you can rent scales but I've never done it.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
av8rps
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Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by av8rps »

Looks great John! Is it Viking or Rotax powered?

Also, what is a Highlander Extreme? I keep seeing that term but don't know what it means...
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danerazz
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Location: Bangor

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by danerazz »

There was a beefed up highlander option I think was called “Alaska mod” that had beefed up fuselage tubes in the tail, and I think a larger tail. There was talk on here of a “Highlander extreme” but I think it was more a collection of mods one or two guys did. As I recall this was largely pre-superstol.

The extreme gear is the heavy gear option for the standard highlander. It is taller and heavier, and uses 3 instead of 2 mounting points on each side of the fuselage. It also has 3 “legs” on each side. It is listed as an option on the just website.
Dane

Paralysis by analysis
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957DK
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Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:39 am
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by 957DK »

Hey Dane,
You are correct, there was an Alaska mod Highlander.

The Alaska mod kit comes with:
The extreme gear as standard.
The corner tubes on the fuselage are the next size up in tubing diameter from the firewall to the tail.
Not sure but I believe they strengthened the area around the gear attach points.
The tail feathers are the same on all Highlanders.

My plane is the Alaska mod, serial #268. I got a deal from Just for buying a fuselage someone else ordered then backed out that had been sitting at the factory for a while. I tried to keep my build light (of course) but it ended up weighing in at 750#. I don't think they made very many of the Alaska mod kits.

Dan Kretchmer
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SuperFly
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Location: Flanagan, IL
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Re: Weighed My Plane

Post by SuperFly »

I cant remember whom I was speaking with, but one of the factory guys once told me there were only 4 or 5 Alaskan mod Highlanders built. (mine being one of them) my kit is #263.

It actually caused me a bit of grief when installing my TW shock when I converted to the SS, as the longeron tubes are larger in diameter (as someone pointed out), so as the tubes converged toward the rear of the fuselage, it closed the gap between them sooner than a standard version. Thus changing the position of my shock so as to have clearance. I know I wrote about it on my website when I was building. Also I screwed up when doing that portion, so it compounded the problem.
I wont bore you with the details, but if you are trying to get to sleep and counting sheep isn't working, it is on my website for all to read.
Best,
Ben Schneider
Highlander #263 converted to SuperSTOL
N45FT Now Flying!
http://www.stolairplane.com
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