Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 18 December 2024

The forecast was uninspiring; low cloud, misly in the morning, and heavy rain in the afternoon with the wind building from the southwest.  Added to that the airfield was very wet.

The hangar doors were still shut when I arrived and I found the Wednesday Wavers drinking tea in the club house with a single light on from the solar set.  That gloom seemed to set the scene and it took a while to get our enthusiasm but then we set to with a vengeance.  Poor weather be dammed!

The Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, led trainees Neal and Geoff through an altimeter lecture while I colour-coded the Puchacz's rear Air Speed Indicator.  Sounds easy applying coloured tape to the glass face of an ASI.  But when the rear instrument panel forms part of the canopy it's not so easy.

Gavin tries to remember what flying the Puchacz from the back is like!

A colour-coded ASI (the instrument on the far left)

A team retrieved the old Red Land Rover Discovery from behind the glider rack and took it on its final journey to Saunder's scrapyard.  A useful job that netted us more that £250 in scrap value.

Out near the road Mike Bennett led a determined team repairing the fence to the left of the entrance, replacing fence posts, and tensioning the fencing wire as required.  

Peter and I worked on CCY's trailer which Richard Roberts had started converting to be able to take a single seat K-8 or a K-13 that it was designed for.  The wing spar rests were fettled and secured.  We felt quite pleased with ourselves but there was more to come later.

Colin arrived and needed help with the Puchacz to rotate the fuselage to allow him access to the undercarriage as part of its annual inspection.  This proved more challenging than anticipated.  Turning the Puchacz's fuselage with its huge fin is a challenge.  So initially Colin accessed the main wheel, and its hydraulic brake system, from underneath and then the team laid the fuselage on its side.

The Puchacz before it was rolled onto its side. For the concerned reader plenty of soft sofa cushions were used!

The main wheel of the Puchacz.  Thankfully fitted with a standard tyre and tapered wheel bearings that could be easily adjusted as part of the annual maintenance.

DB beavered away in the hangar making strops for winch launching, only to be interrupted by the derigging of GDK and the rigging of FXB.  It was time for FXB to spread its wings after the package of work that "Colin's Padowan", Adam, had completed on the fin post and other areas.

We took the opportunity to weigh FXB's wings as we intend to check the Weight and Balance of our K-8s carefully before our juniors start flying them, which is going to be quite soon.

Hangar partially emptied.  FXB's wing removed from CCY's trailer and ready for weighing.

The battery box arrangements in the K-13s were reviewed.  Neal undertook to make a 3D-printed battery box so that the K-13s have the same simple battery securing arrangements.  He also measured up for a small stop to be fitted to the the canopy frame of the Astir CS77 to make opening and closing it easier.

The derigged GDK replaced the wings of FXB in CCY's trailer.  A little bit of work saw GDK's wings, fuselage and tail plane secured in the trailer.

A waiting of Wavers ready to move GDK's fuselage into the trailer

Gently does it

Meanwhile FXB was carefully taped after rigging, the instrument panel fitted, a fresh battery installed, the electrics and ASI were checked correct before fitting the canopy.  Thanks to John Allan, Dave, Steve Fletcher, and our resident doctor Robin, who breathed life in to the ASI and declared FXB alive and ready to fly!

The gap in the hard standing alongside the clubhouse  allowed us to move John Osment's trailer containing his newly acquired Standard Cirrus into position.  This will allow John, and son David, a chance to effect repairs to the underside of the trailer.

Little and large.  A Standard Cirrus and a T-21 trailer.

A late lunch and various wavers tried their hand at the simulator.  Opinions varied as to the effectiveness of the recent improvements.  What is not in debate is that the short cut keyboard and Victor's idea of 3D-printed instruments driven by stepper motors will make it more usable.  For those of us in the varifocal stage of life it will give us a chance to actually read the instruments.  Useful when instructing!

As a final job for the day we then moved the trailer alongside the fence as it was deemed too wet on the field to take it to the east end.  A good call as during lunch we realised that we hadn't fitted the canopy  and by now the rain was hammering down.  A job for Saturday then.

With that the Wavers started to dissipate into the heavy rain.  More jobs are planned for Saturday on the Puchacz and other gliders.

Gavin Short