I put the climb Catto prop back on for a few hours, and cleared a 8500' high ridge behind my place that always gets in the way when I head east, (Afton/ridge landings/breakfast) without any s turns or orbits. Just up and over Usually, always actually, it takes 3 to 6 orbits to squeak over it , so yeah it's doing it's job. Much better performance with the Catto and the BigBore working together. The Zipper mod is using less oil also, I guess it's broken in, 167 hrs now. Not bad for regular car gas, E 10 no less.

I'm waiting for my pure gas wholesaler to drop below 3 bucks per gallon before I fill my bulk tank, $3.12 last time I checked. So I am screwing around with hit or miss refueling and forgot to get some last time I was in town. I had plenty to get to Afton but wanted to play around on the way back, so I took the bike and trailer and got a bit over 10 gallons in Afton, on the way to the cafe. $3.30 per gallon, mostly because I wanted to try the trailer out again. It worked perfect and is effortless once up to speed. The travois type design acts like a 5 th wheel trailer and tows great. I use the ferry tank's transfer pump to get the gas into the mains, 5 gallons takes about 5 minutes, no spilling or heavy lifting, simple. I saved over 25 bucks by not buying avgas, plus don't have to deal with the unwanted lead, so breakfast was free! The exercise doesn't hurt either. My CHT's were running 156-160 degrees, oil just right at 185. Any such thing as too cool of CHT, or is the cooler the better?

Landing this 8500' ridge line was routine, other then knowing a big storm was coming in, and with it lot's of snow maybe so I made sure not to screw up as the plane would have had to winter over. I can land this site on the skis, but there is not enough room to turn around, so my last visit there until spring.

What are the specs on your two fixed pitch props (Catto & Prince)? What speeds/RPMare you seeing?

Lets hear all of the tech-test details… Please?

What I call the climb prop is 76 D x 46". the "cruise" prop is 76 D x 50".. The first gives me a static at my field elevation of 5400' of...... about 5400 rpm or a bit less. Flat out it will reach 6200 rpm. The latter prop has a static much less, around 5 K, and it barely reaches 5800. The obvious sweet spot would seem to be a 76 x 48, but what do I know. Speeds are meaningless (100+ top) as we have different airplanes and drag profiles, calling each a cruise or climb prop pretty much sums it up? I could live with either, though going on a very long XC I'd prefer the 50", local boonie bashing the 46" gets the job done better, again, from what I have seen so far, a 48" seems obvious. Last I heard from Craig he was thinking about going to 80" with a lesser pitch of course. I do have 3" extended gear and 29's, so have the grd clearance to spare, for your bird a 76" may be optimum.

The Prince I had first was also (and Prince and Catto reached these numbers independently) a 76 x 46. While it also had a very low static, it still kicked butt on takeoff and also cruised great. The next one (due in two weeks, I was told almost a month ago, after awaiting a couple months with no word, gotta be patient ) will have the static cranked up a couple hundred rpm.

I had a crane job today near the gas station I buy bulk pure gas from a couple times a year, so I took the 300 gallon tank I use to ferry fuel along with me. This year for the first time they had REGULAR pure mo gas, they used to just offer premium. this was perfect timing for me, as now, since the mod, regular is all I need and use. $3.17 a gallon. Once back at the crane yard 50 miles away, I lifted the tank into the one ton and drove home, from there I gravity feed it down into the hangar's stationary tank, which has a electric pump with auto shut off.

All it took was a combined weight of 49,000 lbs (both trucks) and another 1800 lbs for the fuel and tank and misc., all hauled 1,000' vert up to it's "final resting place". Quite a contrast from pedaling the bike a couple days earlierand coming back with 10 gallons.

Ronnie Smith has put his big-bore conversions on hold as there has been an issue with a cracked piston skirt. I am wondering if its the same Zipper parts?

I don't believe they are the same Pistons. No issues with the Zipper piston skirts.

gbflyer wrote:Ronnie Smith has put his big-bore conversions on hold as there has been an issue with a cracked piston skirt. I am wondering if its the same Zipper parts?

I'll call Wayne tomorrow. Don't like the sound of that.

Doubtful, Hal in Nevada is not part of, in any way shape or form, Lonnie's operation back east. Or versa vice.

FWIW: Hal found a cracked ring, cracked in such a way as to be a non issue, when we tore my great running stock 912S down. He replaced it with a new one before I sold them. It didn't use oil and had plenty of power, and no way of telling how long it had been that way, stuff happens, point being.

I flew an hour today in 12 degree temps, 1500+ ROC, like flying at sea level! The cold dense air changes the mixture, my EGT's were much higher then normal, even NOT using the Leaner. At one point my CHT's were 135, and the EGT's were 1485. A slight throttle change (this was mid range) richened things up, down to where (for whatever reason, I seem to like them at 1425) they usually are. I believe this indicates I could drop my mid range needle one notch. Then again, it's still well below the Rotax stated max temp, and before I had a EGT gauge I flew in cold weather with probably similar temps.

Be good to know what you learn. We are in the queue at Ronnies place for one. He's got the engine, apparently waiting to see what the piston manufacturer finds when they get it.

Just wanted to make it crystal clear that cracked ring was in the original stock Rotax, and was only discovered when swapping out to the Zipper mod. Hal seemed to think it was no big deal, something about the way it was cracked, a real gradual angle, something like that.

Courier Guy, what percent blend is the bio diesel at the station you filled at? I used up to 50% home made biodiesel that I made from french fry grease in my 2006 VW Jetta.
P S the aluminum wheels on the truck look good too!!!

I didn't need or buy any diesel at that station Marty, and failed to note the exact blend. While fueling that big tank, several cars pulled up and then gave me a dirty look as they noticed I had both sides of that pump tied up, sorry about that......

Yeah, I just upgraded to all aluminum wheels on the Manitex/Sterling, and three new tires while I was at it, that and a qt. of Rustoleum and the old girl is looking pretty sharp. I've found it pays to have a decent looking rig, first impressions count when you pull up to do a job for a new customer. Now I just need to find a better looking dog, since he goes along on most jobs

courier guy wrote: Now I just need to find a better looking dog, since he goes along on most jobs

The dog looks fine, it's you that needs the work.........

courierguy wrote::shock:

A remarkably similar continence.

Hahaha!

Tell more flying stories, CG!

Hey Courier Guy...you have a PM. Wayne says he's still looking for a newer case for my engine at my request. Should I worry about that?

Dan

Hello All,

From what I have read here it seems the zipper is the the way to go.

Can someone help by giving me Wayne Flemington contact email address.

Thanks.

Wayne's contact info is [email protected]. 951-255-9144

Poen wrote:Hello All,

From what I have read here it seems the zipper is the the way to go.

Can someone help by giving me Wayne Flemington contact email address.

Thanks.

Wow! A Rotax is the best thing that could ever happen to a Sonex. Wayne is building my engine now......or looking for the core I prefer is more like it.