Sabre/Pacer GT Trike Update

The new trike has been performing flawlessly. The last extension of the mast put the base tube in the perfect position for comfortable flying. I found the perfect hang position to be 1/8" back of the stock position. It is trimmed to cruise comfortably at about 4100 rpms. So far the Rotax 503 has run without any issues and the trike climbs at over 1000' per minute on full throttle.

Up to now I have been doing a lot of test flying and have been staying within glide distance of the airport. It is about time to do my first cross country in this trike, most likely a short hop from Creswell to Cottage Grove airport and back.

Once again the hangar is getting full. I currently have 3 trikes, a N3 Pup project and a paramotor stuffed in there. Something has got to go...but not the new trike, it is here to stay!

She Flies!

Update:  The mast has been extended by an additional 7" putting the base tube at the perfect control height!

After a lot of work the Sabre/Northwing Pacer GT trike was finally ready for flight testing.  After mounting the new Tennessee prop, breaking in the Rotax 503, making adjustments to brakes, throttle pedals, instruments, etc., it was time to take the airplane out on the runway.

After making four successful crow hops I was convinced that the wing would indeed fly.  Although the Pacer GT definitely flies faster than my last bird, takeoff and landing characteristics seem to be quite straight forward and predictable.

So...it was time to take out it around the pattern.  After several times around it came evident that the wing was flying too fast making me have to push out too much.  In other words I needed to move the hang position back a bit.  I made a 1/2" move back and it seemed to fly much better.  However, another concern was the amount of rake of the mast. It did not seem to be enough making the trike land a little too flat.

I went back to the hangar and adjusted the Sabre chassis geometry to provide more rake.  This however created another problem in that the control bar base tube was now too low.  After a lot of head scratching I finally determined that the only way to resolve this was to make the mast even longer. I had already added 8" to the mast length, and now I am going to have to increase it by another 6-7".

And so the saga continues!

Covid 19 Slowing Down...Super Trike Speeding Up!

It looks like the Covid 19 virus lockdown is finally starting to slow down and various states are starting the slow process of reopening.  Thank goodness for that.  In the mean time my trike build is progessing rapidly.

Here is a short list of the recent work:

2.58:1, B gear box mounted on the engine
New hand throttle installed and foot throttle rebuilt
New throttle mixer installed
New foot brake fabricated and installed
Instruments mounted and wired in
Electrical connections and engine probes installed
New fuel primer installed and fuel lines finalized

There are just a few final details that should be wrapped up in the next week or so and then it will be on to testing!

The Covid-19 Trike Build

I will always remember this trike as the one that I was building during the Covid-19 novel virus outbreak.  What a crazy unprecedented time this is, filled with unpredictability, panic and anxiety.  Hopefully, this will soon pass and we will all move on!  In any case, what better way to reduce the current stress than to work on a new airplane?

So the new Northwing Pacer GT has been setup and mounted on the Sabre trike chassis.  The wing is beautiful, 80% double surfaced and streamlined for performance.  It is going to be great to fly.  However, the mast of the Sabre was too short for the new wing so I had to fabricate a 12" mast extension out of 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" telescoping steel which fit snuggly over the 2" x 2" aluminum mast.

After mounting the wing I turned to the engine mount.  It was necessary to fabricate new mounting bars which I made out of 3/8" x 2", 6061 aluminum that I cut, drilled and painted.  It turned out great and the Rotax 503 is now comfortably sitting on the Sabre trike chassis.
To mount the engine I found it necessary to remove the fuel tank.  I took the opportunity to clean the tank inside and out and it is back on again.

Next, I will be moving on to mounting the fuel pump, carbs and running the fuel lines. Need to keep moving forward!

Picking Up The Pace!

Or should I say "Pacer"?  I am building a new Rotax 503 based trike.  It all started when I found a really pristine DCDI 503 down in Medford at a great price. The 503 has historically been my favorite engine for trikes, powerful and reliable. After finding the engine I started looking for a chassis and quickly came up with an engine less Sabre in good condition up near Albany.

The only thing missing was a wing. I wanted a topless wing for sliding into the hangar and also wanted something fast for XC as well. I wasn't able to come up with anything decent on the used market so I ended up buying a brand new Pacer GT from Kamron at Northwing. After a long drive up and back to Chelan, the beautiful wing is now safely back in my hangar. Photos will be posted soon.

Let the magic begin!

Nothwing Trike is for Sale! $4500 *SOLD*

I have had a lot of great flights in the past months and am reluctantly putting the ATF/Stratus up for sale.  The engine runs great and the wing flies beautifully.  However, as usual I am working on a new project and will eventually need the space.  I will keep flying it until sold.  Come and get it!

Test Flying the Stratus

After the Quicksilver left the hangar I wasted no time putting the new trike together. One issue I had is that the new wing is kingposted and will not clear the hangar door. To resolve this I bought a small dolly. When collapsed, both the control bar and front wheel of the trike sit on the dolly allowing me to easily roll it in and out of the hangar. Works great.

After thoroughly inspecting everything I went to flight testing.  I began with high speed taxis down the runway and quickly progressed to crow hops. Finally, on a low wind early morning I committed to taking her around the pattern.

I am still working on takeoff timing, trying to find the proper mix of wing attitude, thrust, etc., for the perfect transition into the air. However, when the trike finally pops off it climbs like a rocket, and flies and lands very smoothly.

Before I fly the trike again I want to change the oil mix. The previous owner was running a petroleum based oil at a mix of 40:1.  I intend to switch to Amsoil Interceptor synthetic and run it at 50:1. Going from 40:1 to 50:1 will require some rejetting of the carb. At 50:1 the mix will be relatively richer, so I will need to lean out the carb a little for smooth running. Some people make the mistake thinking that more oil is richer and less is leaner. This is not true. When we are discussing lean vrs rich we are talking about air and fuel, not oil and fuel. For instance, adding more oil makes less fuel available for the relative amount of air, making the air to fuel ratio leaner. Decreasing the amount of oil has the opposite effect making the ratio richer.