elsner first flight in this issue - velocity aircraft · –airplane gurus – on several...

Velocity Views13rd Quarter 2001

In this issueElsner First Flight ............1Safety Corner ...................3

Accident & IncidentReports and MaintenanceService Difficulties

Factory News ...................4Insurance issues,Brazilian wings, super-charger, Matco brakes,West Coast Fly-in

Factory KPCs ...................6Kit plans changes to keepyour manual up-to-date

Production News .............8Ordering parts,Continental Motors, MTProps, Sun n Fun, Jeffco

A&P Talk .........................10Brendan talks aboutMaintenance FARs

Maintenance Notes ........11Mike shares maintenancerelated tips

Electric Buzz ..................12Avionics & electrical tipsfrom Wayne Lanza

California Bound............13CFI Notams.....................14

Nathan’s suggestions forimproving flight safety inyour Velocity

Builder Forum ................15Tips, information & letters

Buy Sell or Trade ...........18Marketplace ....................19

Volume 27

It’s hard to believe that I’m actu-ally flying my Velocity after 4months of building —- start to finish!It all began when I visited theVelocity booth at Sun ‘n Fun andOshkosh, and was impressed withthis 4-seater, state-of-the-art, highperformance aircraft. Then cameCopperstate Fly-In in Chandler,Arizona in October of 2000 where,after a demo ride and a visit withScott Baker, I made the final decisionto build a Velocity.

After I convinced my reluctantwife, Sue, that she could help mewith this project, we left forSebastian, Florida in our motorhome. We arrived January 11th andstarted building shortly thereafter. I

decided on the Standard RG andopted for the fast-build program,hence, the fuselage and wings werealready built. I received factory assis-tance from Travis Holland for a cou-ple of months and, of course, gleanedinsight from Scott and Duane Swing–airplane gurus – on several occasions.The nice thing about being at theService Center is being able to availmyself of the expertise and knowledgeof the staff here, as well as looking atother airplanes in various stages ofc o n s t r u c t i o n .

I chose the Lycoming IO-360engine and MT-Propeller constantspeed prop. Some modifications thatI made included cutting out the sides

Continued on next page

Elsner First FlightBy Lynn Elsner from Crete, Nebraska

Lynn Elsner (left) is congratulated by Duane Swing following his first flight

Velocity Views 2 Volume 27

Elsner First Flight Storycontinued from page 1

of the keel to give more room for theseats to slide. I glassed in the pilot’sside and made a removable hatch onthe copilot’s side for inspection. Foreasier access to the back seat, Ihinged the copilot’s seat to move for-ward and up under the panel. I alsocut out space and added windows inthe lower strakes for back-seatground viewing.

Aerotronics in Billings, Montana,and Wayne Lanza of CompositeDesigns, who works here at theService Center, wired the panel. SinceI wanted a different panel, Wayne(who we renamed the WiringWizard) designed the layout of theinstruments with his panel plannerand added an imprinted overlay overthe panel. I used the XL overheadswitch panel with the same overlay.The panel turned out unique and weare happy with it.

Jeff Driscoll, whose auto interiorshop is a few miles from here, hascompleted the seats, which my wifeand I designed. He will be finishingthe interior shortly.

The Weight and Balance checkshowed the plane at 1,384 pounds.The FAA inspection with DAR JohnMurphy (pictured) went well. Ofcourse, I utilized the flight-trainingprogram here with Nate Rigaud. Hesigned me off after the 3rd flight.

After some taxi runs by ScottSwing and myself, I decided to per-form the first flight. So on May 30th I was airborne —- with Scott Swingand Scott Baker flying behind me inthe SUV for a “bird's eye view”. Theairplane needed no trim. All of thecylinder head and exhaust gas tem-peratures were within normal limits.The new NACA ducts on top of thefuselage really worked great forcooling. Everything else seemed fine.After 20 minutes of circling the air-port, I landed in a state of euphoria! I have made 4 additional flights todate (June 1) and have accumulated2.5 hours on the Hobbs. So far, I’veonly had to make some minoradjustments with the landing gearmicro switches. My last flightshowed a vertical climb of 2000fpm,and at 3,500 feet agl I was indicating170 knots at 24 squared. The onlydisappointment so far was incurringa sizeable nick in the leading edge ofthe propeller, which was picked upfrom something on the runway.

Our time in Florida at theService Center has definitely been alearning experience as well as arewarding one. We have met a lot ofnice people and made some lastingfriendships. I would like to thankScott and Duane Swing and theentire Velocity team for their assis-

Elsner’s Velocity RG flying first flight in primer over the Florida coastline nearSebastian airport.

Scott Swing (left) and Lynn Elsner cele-brate after first flight

And From a Wife’sPerspective

By Sue Elsner, Crete, Nebraska

“What do you mean we’re goingto Florida for the winter? Our winterhome is in Arizona and I havec o m m i tments there! Live in a motorhome for 5 months with 3 dogs …have you seen the size of that closet?”Countless things ran through mymind, but running away wasn’t anoption – so I did what every goodwife would do, pray first … followmy husband, and try to be interestedin his interests. One friend called itan adventure; another said it wascrazy. So off I went on the “crazyadventure”!

I had to look on a map to seewhere Sebastian, Florida was – onthe coast – not bad. I filled our motorhome with everything I thought Iwould need for 5 months. Lynn did-n’t even notice that he only had1/4th of the closet. At least ourmotor home had a slide-out, whichexpanded our living space by 41square feet – give or take a few inch-es … and every square inch counts!Living here at the Sebastian Airportwas quite peaceful and handy. Our 3Shelties had plenty of space to run

Lynn & Sue Elsner pose with FAA DARJohn Murphy during FAA inspection

tance and vital part in the building ofthis aircraft.

Flying our Velocity is a fantasticexperience and truly this pilot’sdream.

•••••


Sue and Lynn happy to be flying!

and play Frisbee. Living 20 minutesfrom the Atlantic Ocean was defi-nitely a plus. Those of us from theMidwest (for us Nebraska) don’t witness anything quite as magnifi-cent as the expanse and wonder ofthe ocean.

When Lynn started talking aboutme helping him build a Velocity (apretty strange looking airplane in myopinion), I would roll my eyes andsay to myself, “Right! I’m going tobuild an airplane – what’s next, aspace shuttle?” But one wife said itwas like a big craft project! So thatmade sense to me, doing just a littlebit at a time. So I put on my plasticgloves and mixed resin, cut fiber-glass, measured cloth, drilled holes,cut out foam with the band saw,helped design and decide on seatsand the interior (that was the mostfun) and sanded. It was actually kindof fun, and my husband was elatedthat I would actually participate in“his” project. Although I had a veryminor part in the actual building ofthis airplane, it helped me to be apart of it.

To see Lynn actually fly this air-plane now makes it all worthwhile.His hard work and accomplishmentshas resulted in a beautiful airplane.When I have my first flight in it, Iknow that I will say, “I can’t believe Ihelped build this!” Alas, this turnedout to be an exciting adventure and agood experience. We met wonderfulpeople and established lastingfriendships, ones we obviouslywould have missed had we not beenhere.

There’s only one thing that con-cerns me – what will he want to donext year?!!

•••••

Safety CornerAccident & Incident Reports,Maintenance & Service Difficulties

Don’t Forget To Let UsKnow

If you have a problem with yourairplane or any of the systems inyour airplane, especially those ofyou who are flying, we wouldappreciate contacting us here assoon as possible so we can find asolution and let all our otherbuilders/flyers know what’s goingon. We have had various calls in thepast where the caller would indicatesomething he had read on the“reflector” or heard from otherbuilders, that needed attention bythe factory. Problem is, we are notaware of what it might have beenthat needed this attention. If you seesomething that is critical for safeflight, let us know ASAP so we canlook into it and determine if we needto issue an “AD” note or a simplewarning or whatever.

Service WarningIO 540 Exhaust

We just found out that we havehad two more exhaust break off onthe 540’s. One had the finger patchwelded in place and we understandthat the exhaust broke just beyondthe finger patch. Fortunately thesafety strap held and no prop orengine compartment damage wasnoted. In the other case, the fingerreinforcement was not installed andwhen the exhaust broke, a majorpart departed the airplane and wentthrough one of those expensive M-Tprop blades. If you are flying yourXL, it is vitally important that thisarea of the exhaust be inspected on aregular basis. It is also vitally impor-tant that the retaining safety strapsbe installed and checked on a regu-lar basis. In the past, we have usedsafety wire for this safety strap. It is

now apparent that you should usesome 1/16” steel cable and connectboth ends using the nicopresssleeves. Several of our builders haveplaced a stainless steel hose clamparound the exhaust just inside thecowling and ran the 1/16” steel cablefrom this clamp to an Adel clampattached to the engine mount. Not atall a bad idea.

••••

Flight Check!Be Safe!

Velocity Service Center Inc.offers flight training forbuilders/pilots to safely learnhow to transition into flying aVelocity. Get a Flight CheckOut prior to your first flight!Flight training is availablefrom:• Nathan Rigaud, CFII• Brendan O’Riordan, CFII• Scott Baker,CFIIThe following instructorshave also been approved byAvemco Insurance:• Sam DaSilva• Mike Gunvordahl• Mack MurphrryDon’t take a chance, getchecked out prior to your firstflight. Please note that youshould be current in someother type of aircraft prior toyour Velocity check out. Thepurpose of the “flight check”program is to transition youfrom flying other aircrafttypes (like a Cessna) to acanard pusher (Velocity).


Insurance Issues

We are now into our 9th monthof working with the insurance com-panies on the compromise inspec-tion/training program. I say compro-mise because of the flight hours theinsurance companies would like tosee in your log book before insuranceis issued. I had pleaded with theexecutive VP of Avemco to wave thetotal flight time requirement if thepilot went through our training pro-gram and his airplane could beinspected prior to flight. Avemcoagreed to accept, on a trial basis, mysuggestions on a reduction in totalflight time if the above conditionswere met. A recent article in AOPAputs this into a more meaningfulcomparison. Here is what mostinsurance companies want whencomparing other general aviation air-planes to the Velocity:

A) Fixed gear (high performance) –private pilot license with 300 hourstotal time with a CFI checkout. Someinsurance companies also willrequire an instrument rating. For theVelocity SUV and the Standard FG,Avemco has agreed on 100 hourstotal pilot time and a factory check-out.

B) Retract gear (201 hp or less, com-plex) – private pilot license with 500hours total time, 100 hours retracttime, instrument rating and a CFIcheckout. There may also be therequirement of 25 hours in type. Forthe Velocity Standard RG, Avemcohas agreed on 150 hours total timewith a complex log book endorse-ment and a factory check-out.

C) Retract gear (over 201 hp, com-plex) – private pilot license with 750hours total time, instrument license,complex endorsement, 250 retracthours and 25 hours in type. For the

Velocity XL RG, Avemco has agreedon 200 hours total pilot time and afactory checkout.

As you can see, the Velocitypilots are getting a fair shake fromAvemco even though many of youhave given me fits for even suggest-ing a minimum flight time require-ment. Many of you were against anyfactory sponsored inspection pro-gram and some were also critical ofthe need for a check-out. Although itis too soon to see what the final out-come will be, it is interesting to com-pare the 9 months prior to this pro-gram to the last 9 months when thisprogram was in effect. According toAvemco, they paid out over $350,000in claims during the final 9 monthperiod prior to stopping Velocityinsurance and no claims were report-ed during the last 9 months. If thistrend continues, Avemco has agreedto look at a reduction in insurancepremiums down the road.

Brazilian Wings

We received the assistance of aretired NACA engineer in the re-design of the Brazilian winglets andhave completed the building andtesting of these new wings. The air-plane is in the final stages of comple-tion and flight testing will be com-pleted in about a month. Those ofyou who are waiting for the newwings, be patient, we are almostthere.

Supercharged Velocity XL RG

The supercharged XL is now fly-ing and we continue to accumulatedata on this installation. So far, theairplane has been up to 15,000 feetand we still can get 100% power atthis altitude. The automatic con-troller is not working and all the

power management must be doneusing manifold pressure and PSIboost to determine power. One of themajor drawbacks to this installationis that the supercharger is running allthe time and consumes about 25 to 30horsepower from the engine just torun the supercharger even though allthe pressure is being dumped over-board so as not to damage theengine. This has resulted in about a25% reduction in climb performanceat sea level. There are a couple ofways to eliminate this problem. Oneis to boost the engine at takeoff tocompensate for this loss in power.This could be accomplished usingperhaps 32” manifold pressure fortake-off and climb instead of the cus-tomary 29”. The other way would beto use an electric clutch like the airconditioner in your car to engage thesupercharger when manifold pres-sure drops to the level where 100%power is no longer available. Thiswould also require an automaticmanifold limiter to prevent engineover-boost. All these options areunder consideration and if any ofyou have experience in this type ofthing, let me know your thoughts.

Brakes

We continue to test two differentbrakes on the Velocity. We have triedthe Grove double puck system withvaried results. Certainly the brakingpower is greater than the 600 Matco’smost of you have with your kit. Thedown side has been a persistent chat-tering at speed of about 30 to 40knots. Grove has indicated a willing-ness to solve the problem, so wewait.

The new compound Matco havealso been installed on our XL and isnow presently flying with thesebrakes. These are the brakes that aremostly internal within the wheelsand accumulate heat that is trans-ferred to the gear legs through thealuminum axle. We solved this prob-lem by installing a 1/4” X 6” roundphonelic spacer between the gear legand the aluminum axle. The jury isstill out as to how much better theymay be when compared to the 600’s.

by Duane Swing


Factory NewsContinued from previous page

We will continue testing and reportour results.

And now a third option. One ofour builders, Lynn Gallup, has beenhaving a tough time making hisMatco 600 series work properly. Softbrake with not enough power to stopthe airplane. After talking to ScottSwing, Lynn made some adjustmentsbut was still unable to get a goodbrake. Lynn is quite persistent andmade a call to Matco. What they toldhim was that the new owner ofMatco was aware of the problem andhad come out with a fix for all theolder 600 series brakes. The replace-ment parts cost $255 for both sidesand Matco will allow a core return ofthe old parts of $66. This makes thetotal, with the return rebate, of $224plus any shipping cost. Lynn hasbrand new brakes and I am not sure ifthe rebate would apply for older usedparts. After Lynn tried the newreplacement parts, he reported a 100%improvement in the brake action. Ifyour having trouble with your oldMatco 600 brakes, you might givethem a call and see what they will do.The part number of the replacementparts is #CNVB-600XT-1. Matco’sphone number is 801-486-7574.

Matco told us that they will con-tinue to sell the old 600 series alongwith the new XT models. We willconvert our 600 to the new XT mod-els and test them. If they are, indeed,superior to the older 600’s, we willmake them as standard equipment inthe future. Don’t call us for replace-ment parts as this will be handleddirect by Matco.

West Coast Fly-InSeptember 2 and 3rd

For those of you out West, orEasterners who want to get away fora few days, don’t forget to sign upfor our California Wine Country fly-in. This will be held on September 2and 3rd. It is important you let usknow if you are going to be there soproper lodging and food can be pro-

vided. One of the planned activitiesis a wine country tour. Bonnie and Iare planning to be there along withNathan, Brendan and Scott Baker, sowe hope to see you in September.

West Coast Training

This is a further reminder to youWest coast people that we will haveflight training available inSacramento on September 4 and 5following the Wine Country fly-in. Ifyou’re getting ready to fly your air-plane, you will want to take advan-tage of this training session. CallBrendan or Nathan to schedule yourtime.

Factory Authorized InsuranceInspectors and CFI’s for Checkouts.

We have been working with some ofthe Velocity builders and have quali-fied several for the purpose of theinsurance inspection. Please lookover the list and contact the one near-est you if you are ready for thisinspection. The fee is a flat $400 plusany out of pocket expenses theinspector might have. Remember,this is an inspection only. It is theresponsibility of the builder to makeany changes/repairs necessary tomeet the insurance requirements. Ifthe inspector has the time, he maywant to help you with these changesbut it is not his responsibility to doso. The inspection outline is availablefor the asking. Velocity Factory –Sebastian FL, tel. 561-589-0309

The following are flight instructorswho have been approved by Avemcofor the factory checkout. It is impor-tant that you tell Avemco that youhave received the EAA FlightAdvisory Counsel as part of thischeckout.

Brendan O’Riordan – Velocity Inc. 561-568-0309

Nathan Rigaud – Velocity Inc. 561-589-0309

Sam DaSilva – Seminole FL 727-595-6384

Mike Gunvordahl – Burke SD 605-775-2952

Mack Murphrry – Dayton NV 775-246-9364

Sam, Mike and Mack would be available to instruct customers whopurchased a Velocity that alreadyhad the flight restrictions flown off.Contact them directly if you are looking for someone to conduct afirst flight.

••••

Factory Authorized Insurance InspectorsPlease make note of these individuals:

Name, Home Phone / Work Phone

Barry Gibbons – Colorado Springs CO 719-683-8659 / 719-572-8627Don Pearsall – Owasso OK 918-272-5551 / 918-474-2610Mike Pollock – Sachse TX 972-530-8400 / 972-728-2725Glenn Babcock – Tampa FL 813-677-2543 / 813-604-2637Brian Galleger – Fallbrook CA 909-461-9990 / 909-696-0160Wes Rose – Grand Rapids MI 616-772-7235 / 616-530-0255Jean Prudhomme – Boca Raton FL 954-559-4988Mack Murphrry – Dayton NV 775-246-9364

Please Take Notice:The August

Factory Open Househas been cancelled due to

conflicting schedule.The next open house will be

held on November 3rd.Thanks!


Kit PlansChanges“KPCs”

Note: Check the date at the bottom ofyour page. If it matches the “Date ofChange” shown in the KPC, your manu-al has already been corrected.

KPC 142Affects all RG aircraftManual Section 9.6.1Date of Change 6-4-01

Change the dimension for drillingthe #21 hole in the swingarm from2.125 to 2.1875. This lessens theamount of travel for the nose geardoors so that everything fits moreeasily.

KPC 143Affects all Aircraft with Molded gearbox structures. This is in place of the6 ply Triax between the gear bulk-head and firewall under the spar.Manual Section 5.3.1 to 5.3.3 Date of Change 6-4-01

The Ducts, engine bulkhead, gearbulkhead and gear boxes, (replacesthe 6 triax lay-up shown in chapter 8of the fixed gear manual and chapter9 of the RG manual) all need to be fitat the same time. There are somelocating dimples in the fuselage andengine bulkhead to locate it.

The engine bulkhead has three dim-ples in it that match three in the fuse-lage. Drill those out to 1/8” andcleco the firewall into position. Levelthe fuselage using the firewall as aguide and put the canard bulkheadinto position. The keel and ducts canbe inserted at this time to keepeverything lined up. Cleco thecanard bulkhead into position aswell as the ducts.

When everything looks right, Sandall flanges and fuselage mating sur-faces and bond in the canard bulk-head and ducts. Use rivets or clecos

by Scott Swing

to hold these down while they cure.At the back where there is not foam,you will have to use clecos.

The box structure has two holes frontand back. Drill those out to 1/2” orso they are allowed to float betweenthe gear and engine bulkheads. Sandthe flanges of the engine and gearbulkheads as well as the front andback surfaces of the box and the sur-faces of the fuselage they will be mat-ing against. Trial fit these four partsinto the fuselage and you can use acouple of long 1/4” threaded rods toconnect them. When satisfied witheverything, take them apart, applyglue to the front and rear surfaces ofthe box and put the four parts backtogether on the bench before youinsert the whole thing into the fuse-lage. Glue the flanges and outboardsides of the boxes or anything thatwill contact the fuselage. Put backinto position and cleco the enginebulkhead for alignment. Adjust theboxes and the gear bulkhead to getthe boxes and threaded rods as levelas possible then tighten the rods. Tohold everything into position, wedrill and rivet the engine and gearbulkheads to the box so they won’tmove while they cure.

Note, any flanged surface does notneed to be glassed over. Only thenon-flanged side of engine, gear andcanard bulkheads need to be glassed.This assumes that the flange has notbeen trimmed down.

KPC 144Affects all planes with the moldedbox structure (6 triax lay-up betweenthe gear and engine bulkheads)Manual Section 8.1.2Date of Change 6-4-01

A d d :Bond the bottom of the spar to the pre-molded boxes as well as the outboard3 inches of the engine bulkhead. It isnot necessary to bond the back side ofthe spar to the engine bulkhead but itwould be best to do so.

Reason: Obviously before the boxes,you glassed the 6 Triax pieces underthe spar to glue it in. When the boxes

are already done, you need to gluethem down.

KPC 145Affects all planes with the new ballbearing seat sliders.Manual Section 10.2.3Date of Change 6-4-01

The forward front seat hard pointsare centered 35” aft of the canardbulkhead.The distance off the centerline for thestandard fuselage is 6.75” and 14.25”;XL is 7.5” and 15”.The rear front seat hard points arecentered 45” aft of the canard bulk-head.The distance off the centerline for thestandard fuselage is 6.25” and 13.75”;XL is 7” and 14.

••••

by Scott Swing

New method for speed brakeinstallation:

I found it easier to cut the speedbrake out, do the hinging, clean upthe gap around the speed brake, dothe edge foam glassing, then with aslightly larger first piece of Triax,cover the hole as well as the hingelocation. This makes it easier to dothe hinging. When glassing over thehole with the Triax, I duct tape thespeed brake then use one washerunder the hinge at the fuselage toraise the speed brake a little then setthe rear of the speed brake up thesame amount then glass it. When youremove the washers it lowers thespeed brake back and gives youspace.

Different way of installingthe fixed nose gear

Last time I installed the nose


November 3rdFactory Open HouseWorkshop Schedule

Saturday November 3, 2001 - Factory’s quarterly openhouse in Sebastian Florida (X26)9:00am Coffee and donuts10:00am Workshop: TBANoon Lunch1:00pm Workshop: Building Q&A3:00pm Demo rides in the XL

Please be sure to call the factory and RSVP! Friday arrivals can book a roomat the Key West Inn at Captain Hiram’s here in Sebastian. Call 800-833-0555and mention Velocity to get a corporate rate. When you call the factory toRSVP, let us know when you plan on arriving so we can make arrange-ments for transportation, etc.

Check velocityaircraft.com for up-to-date details

We need yourinput for thisnewsletter tobe a success!• Builder Forum Input

• First Flight Photos

• First Flight Stories

• Velocity Flying Adventures

• Velocity Fly-in Suggestions

Send your photos / stories toRick Lavoie for the nextnewsletter!26 Marshview DriveSt. Augustine FL 32080USA

gear I mounted the two aluminumangles to the thick captivator (theone with the grove for the gear)before I mounted the whole assem-bly. First I preload the shock a littleby setting the nose gear down ontothe concrete and letting the weightof the plane on it. Then, usingclamps, I set the angles and the cap-tivator in the hole. One at a time Iattach the angles to the captivator. Ithen pre-drill the side holes in theangles, put the assembly down intoposition, and, using a right angledrill, start the holes into the keel. Ithen remove the assembly and finishdrilling the hole. Slide a bolt thoughto hold it and continue on. Thismethod allows you to control theholes that go into the assembly fromthe keel.

Hydraulic pump adjustments

We have had the same thinghappen with the pumps as we hadback in newsletter Volume 20. Pleasecheck your pump before you putfluid in them since it is easy to do.Again, the measurement from themachined area of the adjusting shaftto the jam nut should be about9/32”. This is the post that is underthe side of the pumped marked DNby the outlet. This is our side of thepump that brings the gear up. Anyquestions please call or E-mail.

Also, check your pressureswitches to ensure they are plumbedand wired to the proper side. Someof the switches are not marked bypressure numbers and only have apart number. According to WayneLanza, he may have switched thosethat were not labeled with the pres-sures. If you check yours and you donot have the pressure listed, the highpressure switch (plumbed to the sidemarked DN) should be 692004 (1050psi) the low pressure switch is661604 (550 psi). Since those areblade connectors, it is easy to switchthe switches if you need to.

Strake leading edge voids

Check your fuel strakes as wehave some with voids about 4” upfrom the edge. This is fixable byinjecting the void with epoxy and alittle micro. You can remove theprimer in this area to visually checkyour progress. Starting from the mid-dle, drill some 1/8” holes and plugwith rivets as you go. This is not adelamination, it is a void created inthe molding process. Do not injecttoo hard or you will make a bulge inthe surface. Be patient. Any problemslet us know.

Nose gear safety hole

Don’t forget to add a hole in theside of your keel to access or confirmthat the nose gear is down andlocked in case of an electrical failure.This hole is positioned just below thelinkage near the shock and canextend through the other side of thekeel to allow a wood dowel to checkthat the gear is locked then extend onacross to remain until safe landing.

•••••

Builder HintsContinued from previous page


Production Newsby Scott Baker

Parts is Parts …

“Hello? I’d like to order a replace-ment bearing thing for the front ofmy Velocity …”. As more and moreVelocity aircraft near completion andtake to the air, our Parts Departmentis seeing an increase in the orderingof optional and replacement parts.Velocity, Inc. has for years special-ized in the sending of entire kits, andI must confess – managing the recog-nition, inventory control and ship-ping of single parts has become quitea challenge. The situation is madedifficult for a number of reasons, butperhaps the biggest is the lack ofunique part numbers for manyVelocity parts and the fact that wehave many names that sound thesame, but apply to different aircraft.For example, the door strut that fitstoday’s Standard (gull wing) modeldoesn’t come close to matching theStandard (top door) sold in 1985.You can imagine the confusion thiscauses without reference to a partnumber or at least a full descriptionof the aircraft model.As we work to become better orga-nized, please help us to improve ourservice to you. Whenever possible,please mention the following whenordering parts:A) Model of aircraft (be sure to men-tion if you have a top door model)B) State if the aircraft is a fixed orretract gear modelC) If the part is engine related, besure to mention the make and size ofthe engine, including the horsepow-er. Many Velocity parts are not inter-changeable. For example: the coolingplenum for the IO-540 260hp is dif-

ferent from the IO-540 300hp. Also,please mention if the engine coolingsystem features the new “top down”NACA duct design or the “arm pit”scoop design.D) If you’ve done something out ofthe ordinary to the design of the air-craft, please make mention of it.Example: you might have a SUVwith an oversize nose wheel assem-bly – or installed the high perfor-mance Matco “Compound” brake.E) And lastly, when describing thepart, please – whenever possible –reference the part number. TheConstruction Manual may give someclues in this area.“Hello? I’d like to order a replace-ment Front Aileron Torque Bearing,Velocity part number VFAB-01. Ihave an Elite Standard RG aircraft”.Now, that’s better!

General News

Fastbuild Wings and Super-Fastbuild Fuselages continue to bepopular sub-assembly options. Thisyear, about 1 in 2 Velocity buyershave select one (or both) of thesetime and labor saving options. Ourin-house Fastbuild Wings depart-ment is producing 4 sets of wingsper month – which has allowed us to“chip away” at the Fastbuild Wingbacklog. A special thank you goesout to all of those who are in line toreceive Fastbuild wings; yourpatience is greatly appreciated!

Velocity becomes OEM dealer for Continental Motors

For years the good folks atContinental Motors (a TeledyneTechnologies Company) have beencourting Velocity, Inc. with theprospects of introducing their line ofpower plants into Velocity aircraft.In March, Velocity, Inc. officiallybecame an OEM dealer of factorynew Continental aircraft engines.To get the relationship off to a flyingstart, Velocity, Inc. has selected theTCM IO-550N engine as the powerplant for its new XL-RG factory

demonstrator, which is under con-struction and expected to be readyfor flight-testing later this fall.The IO-550N is also the power plantfor the Cirrus SR22 and the LancairColumbia 300. It is rated at 310-horsepower at 2700 rpm and has a recom-mended TBO of 1700 hours. The sizeand weight of the engine is compara-ble to the Lycoming IO-540 andlooks to fit nicely into the VelocityXL.

Velocity plans to offer a “firewallaft” engine package featuring thenormally aspirated IO-550N in com-bination with a hydraulic governed,3-blade propeller from MT-Propeller(details and pricing to be announcedlater).

Our present focus withContinental centers on the engine forthe XL model. Later we hope to lookat the Continental IO-360ES (210-horse power) engine for installationin the Standard and SUV models.Velocity, Inc. is introducing the IO-550N model at a selling price of$34,872 – which includesContinental’s Premium 3-YearWarrantee on Parts and Labor. Theengine comes with 12V starter, mag-netos, ignition leads, spark plugs, fuelmetering system, a 12 volt-70ampalternator, oil filter and oil cooler.

MT-Propellers Become FAACertified on Velocity Aircraft

MT-Propeller recently completedan extensive series of stress tests andanalysis of MT propeller installationson the various Velocity aircraft mod-els based at the Velocity ServiceCenter. The good news following thetests is that MT-Propeller hasincreased the recommended TBO to1,800 hours, and they have formallycertified their propellers with theFAA for installations featuringVelocity aircraft and selectedLycoming engines (see list). Thismeans that certified MT propellers,when combined with an approvedpower plant, should allow inspectorsto authorize the less restrictive 25hour Phase I fly-off restriction



Production NewsContinued from previous page

instead of the 40 hours for aircraftwith “experimental” propellers andengines.

Velocity / MT-Propeller CertificationList

MTV-9-( ) Velocity XL Lycoming IO-540:C1- Series N1- SeriesC4- Series R1- SeriesJ4- Series D4- SeriesW1-Series T4- SeriesW3- Series V4- SeriesAEIO-540-D1 Series

MTV-18-( ) Velocity Elite LycomingIO-360 & Velocity Std:A1B6 B2F6A1B6D C1C6A1D6D C1D6A3B6D C1E6A3D6D C1E6DB1F6 J1A6DLIO-360-C1E6AEIO-360-A1B6 B1G6A1E6 B2F6B1F6

MTV-7-( ) Velocity SUV Lycoming(L)IO-320A- SeriesB- SeriesC- SeriesD- SeriesE- Series

A special note to SUV applicationsfeaturing the MTV-7 propeller andLycoming IO-320 engine – The fol-lowing limitation has been estab-lished: “The RPM range below2200RPM and above 2650RPM mustnot be used for continuous opera-tion. Take off and initial climb maybe performed with up to 2700RPM”.

Velocity Becomes Dealer forCatto Propeller

Velocity, Inc. has recentlybecome a dealer for Catto Props, amanufacturer of wood, fixed-pitch

propellers featuring a unique hub(see their web site at www.catto-props.com). We recently spoke witha Velocity owner operating a Cattopropeller who reports being verypleased with the performance andquality of the Catto prop. Catto usesa sophisticated software program todesign the propeller to give optimumperformance. We hope to have CraigCatto speak at the West CoastVelocity Fly-In this September.Please call us for the very best pric-ing on Catto props.

Photo Contest

How many times has it beensaid, “Wouldn’t it be a great idea tohave more photographs of Velocityaircraft interiors, paint schemes,instrument panels, (fill in theblank)?” We at Velocity agree! Youalready have photos of factory air-craft – but how about the 200 or soVelocity aircraft that are flyingworldwide? Last quarter, theVelocity Views introduced a PhotoContest to help stimulate the cascadeof photographs that were sure topour in - and to date we’vereceived…ahhh, none. Certainlyyou’ve got some favorite Velocitypictures to share! Needless to say,this effort is going “bust” withoutyour help! Please reference ViewsVolume 26 for contest details and besure to take that camera on the nexttrip to the airport!

Sun ‘N Fun 2001 Recap

The weather was “The bestwe’ve seen in years!” and the crowdswere …where were the crowds?Despite the absolutely beautifulweather, attendance was markedlydown at this years EAA Sun ‘N Funevent, which was held at LakelandAirport, Florida. Velocity, Inc. fea-tured the SUV and several XL modelaircraft in the manufacturers displayarea. Many, many thanks go to WesRose, Jean Prudhomme, and MartyHorowitz for displaying their beauti-fully built XL-RG aircraft. All threereceived outstanding comments andreviews!

Brendan O’Riordan and NathanRigaud conducted demonstrationrides out of Winter Haven Airport,located about 15 miles fromLakeland and away from the “bee-hive” of aircraft activity surroundingSun ‘N Fun.

About 140 Velocity pilots,builders and fans attended theVelocity Dinner, which was held atthe Imperial Lakes Country Club. JimGuitteau from UPS AviationTechnologies was the featured speak-er. Jim enlightened the audience withthe latest on GPS, moving map, anddata link technology that is availableto general aviation.

Frederic Villard honoredVelocity, Inc. with the presentation ofa copy of Experimental, a French mag-azine publication highlighting ama-teur aircraft construction in Europe.The magazine featured a 14-pagewrite-up on Velocity and a historydetailing the building and flying ofVillard’s Velocity Standard RG.Congratulations to Frederic Villardfor his work in completing hisVelocity and working withExperimental to develop such a nicearticle.

9700B or not to “B”

Recently a writer to the“Reflector” Internet Velocity BuildersForum mentioned that Jeffco hadintroduced a slow hardener for theJeffco 9700 Epoxy sealant. VelocityPurchasing Agent, Paul Baribaultcontacted the technical folks at Jeffco– and reports that they had, indeed,been working a slow hardener andthat it is now available. The presenthardener (9700 part B) has about 25minutes of pot life, where the newone (3191) is around 60 minutes. Thisshould allow the additional timeneeded for connecting the top strakewhile providing the same fuel resis-tance as the present mix.

As a result, we will soon be sup-plying 9700 part “A” epoxy with“3191” hardener in our kits. Thanksfor the help and keep that informa-tion coming!

••••


A&P Talk

by Brendan O’Riordan, CFII, A&P

Maintaining your own aircraft

One of the benefits of buildingyour own airplane is that you canapply for a Repairman Certificate,which will allow you to performyour own maintenance on your air-plane. According to FAR 65.104 to beeligible for a Repairman certificateyou must be 18 years old, primarybuilder of the experimental airplane,be a citizen of the United States orlegal resident, and show to the satis-faction of the administrator that youcan determine if the aircraft is in acondition for safe flight. Now thatwe can legally maintain our own air-plane we are responsible for keepingthat airplane in a condition for safeflight. So how do we do this?

First off we can check outAdvisory Circular 65-23A. This advi-sory circular deal with certification ofrepairmen and also gives some guid-ance as to what is required of therepairmen maintaining his own air-craft. In this AC it tells us that arepairman can perform “ConditionInspections”. Now for our experi-mental airplane to remain legal wemust perform a condition inspectionon our aircraft annually and followthe scope and detail of FAR part 43Appendix D. There are two lists thatcan be used to make sure yourinspection is done to FAR 43 stan-dards. In Advisory circular 90-89Athere is a sample checklist that is notaircraft specific that will walk a per-

son through a condition inspection.Another source that would be betterfor Velocity owners is a copy of“Velocities Insurance InspectionChecklist.” This was written to covereverything needed in FAR 43Appendix D as well as specificdetails that pertain to Velocities only.Once your Condition Inspection iscomplete you will need to make sureyou put an entry into your logbook.The wording the FAA would like tosee is found in AC65-23A “I certifythat this aircraft has been inspectedon (insert date) in accordance withthe scope and detail of FAR43,Appendix D, and found to be in acondition for safe operation.” Thisentry also needs to include the air-craft total time in service, the name,signature, and certificate type andnumber of the person performing theinspection.

There are many different sourcesavailable to give the builder an ideaof how to keep his airplane in a con-dition for safe flight. Two of the mostbasic sources are the VelocityBuilders Manual and AC 43.13.1b-2b.Hopefully referencing the builders’manual seems like common sense toall of you. AC 41.13 is the advisorycircular that is written to showacceptable methods, techniques andpractices for maintaining aircraft.This book shows you how to performbasic tasks such as safety wiring, bolttorques and basic electrical wiring.This book is by far what most A&Pmechanics would refer to as their“Bible” when it comes to working onairplanes. All experimental aircraftowners who are thinking of doingthere own maintenance should haveread through both of these sourcesand should have copies on hand atall times while performing mainte-nance.

There are a few other items that arepairmen should keep up with inorder to establish a good“Maintenance History” for his air-plane. First off all maintenance per-formed on the airplane should berecorded in the appropriate logbook.It is very common for an airplanethat is a few years old to come into

our shop for general maintenanceand the only entries in there logbook are there initial sign off by theirDAR, their sign off for phase 2 oftheir operating limitations and thecouple of Condition Inspections thatthey have performed. It is impossibleto tell if this airplane has been main-tained at all or to what standards ithas been maintained to withoutrecords. When you do put a mainte-nance entry in your logbook put inthe date, time in service on the air-plane and sign your name and cer-tificate number. One other thing thatshould be mentioned is that youshould have a separate logbook foryour Airframe, Engine, andPropeller if it is a constant speed orin flight adjustable. This makes iteasy and quick to research yourmaintenance history. If, for example,you are having a problem with thecompression on a certain cylinderyou do not want to have to siftthrough listing of tire changes andpropeller maintenance in order tofind your last compression check.

The privilege to be able to doyour own maintenance comes withsome responsibilities and asRepairmen or A&P mechanics weneed to make sure we live up tothese responsibilities in order to pre-serve safe flying aircraft.

An internet link to get the abovementioned Advisory Circulars:h t t p : / / a v - i n f o . f a a . g o v / d s t / a m a t e u r /

••••

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A savings of $6,000See Page 19

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Annual / ConditionI n s p e c t i o n s

When doing a ConditionInspection usually the first thing tolook at is the paper work. First wewill start with the paperwork that isrequired to be in the aircraft while inoperation. Your AirworthinessCertificate and your Registrationmust be displayed in the cabin area.Weight and Balance and OperatingLimitations must also be on board.

Next paper work to be dealt withis the maintenance records. Thisgives the history of what has and hasnot been done to the aircraft. Onearea we need to keep track of isAirworthiness Directive (AD) com-pliance. The FAA requires a compli-ance report to show the status ofrequired AD notes, tach time on theaircraft, method of compliance andon a recurring AD the tach time ordate the next inspection is due. Manyexperimental aviation groups believethat AD compliance is not required.Here at Velocity it is our Companypolicy that all inspections done herewill require AD compliance. Mostinsurance companies will require ADcompliance or your coverage is Nulland Void. This is a quote from a cur-rent AD issued to Lycoming enginesfor the changing of the oil pump

MaintenanceNotes

by Michael J. SnyderPrivate Pilot, A&P, IA

gears “ This AD applies to eachengine identified in the precedingapplicability provision, regardless ofwhether it has been modified, alteredor repaired in the area subject to therequirements of this AD.” This tellsme that this AD needs to be compliedwith even on our altered“Experimental” engines. Besides itjust makes common sense that anowner would comply just for safetyreasons.

Many log books that we see hereat our Service Center have therequired Condition Inspection Signoff “ I certify that this aircraft hasbeen inspected in accordance withFAR part 43 appendix D and found tobe in a condition for safe operation.”This is all that is required but it is alsoa good idea to include all work that isdone i.e. tire changes, gear retrac-tions.etc. This gives you a mainte-nance history for future reference. Asfar as the inspection goes I will giveyou a copy of FAR part 43 AppendixD at the end of this article so youhave a guide as to what is required.

Once again if you do not have it Istrongly recommend you obtain acopy of AC 43.13-1b-2b. This will giveyou the information needed forinspecting and maintaining your air-craft. There is no excuse for not beingable to find a copy. Copies can beobtained from aircraft parts supplierssuch as Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.

Appendix D to Part 43- Scopeand Detail of Items (As Applicable tothe Particular Aircraft) To BeIncluded In Annual and 100-HourI n s p e c t i o n s

( a ) Each person performing an annualor 100-hour inspection shall, beforethat inspection, remove or open allnecessary inspection plates, accessdoors fairing, and cowling. He shallthoroughly clean the aircraft and air-craft engine.

( b ) Each person performing an annu-al or 100-hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) the followingcomponents of the fuselage and hullg r o u p .

Federal Aviation Regulations(1) Fabric and skin - for deteriorationdistortion other evidence of failure,and defective or insecure attachmentof fittings.(2) Systems and components - forimproper installation, apparentdefects and unsatisfactory operation.(3) Envelope, gas bags, ballast tanks,and related parts - for poor condition

(c) Each person performing an annualor 100-hours inspection shall inspect(where applicable) the followingcomponents of the cabin and cockpitg r o u p :(1) Generally - for uncleanliness andlose equipment that might foul thec o n t r o l s .(2) Seats and safety belts - for poorcondition and apparent defects.(3) Windows and windshields - fordeterioration and breakage.(4) Instruments - for poor conditions,mounting, marking, and (where prac-ticable) improper operation.(5) Flight and engine controls -improper installation and impropero p e r a t i o n .(6) Batteries - for improper installa-tion and improper charge.(7) All systems - for improper instal-lation, poor general condition, appar-ent and obvious defects, and insecuri-ty of attachment.

( c ) Each person performing an annualor 100 - hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) components of theengine and nacelle group as follows:(1) Engine section - for visual evi-dence of excessive oil, fuel, orhydraulic leaks, and sources of suchl e a k s(2) Studs and nuts - for impropertorquing and obvious defects.(3) Internal engine - for cylinder com-pression and for metal particles orforeign matter on screens and sumpdrain plugs. If there is weak cylindercompression, for improper internalcondition and improper internal con-dition and improper internal toler-a n c e s .(4) Engine mount-for cracks, loose-ness of mounting, and looseness ofengine to mount.



Today’s topic is the old adage-“He who dies with most toys,WINS!” I now direct my ramblingstowards the most useful and covetedthing in our whole being, yes I meanthe instrument panel! If money is noobject then the following is meaning-less but here’s a few things thatwe’ve seen that can really kick youhard in the wallet.

Everyone wants the newest andgreatest stuff in his aircraft; invari-ably we can and will rationalize agood reason to install that ‘Series100000 Framilizer with inverse linearcoupling and the latest in LED tech-nology’ because it has really neatblinking lights.

OK, what’s my point? Do weneed 3 - 4 displays in the panel? Ifyou’ve got the bucks and the need,perhaps dual Sierras and dual 530’smakes perfect sense. Other wise aUPS stack with an MX20 and gyroswill do the trick for about 1/3 thecost...

Individual engine instrumentsmay also be a wise choice, consider-ing that if one goes out the rest staylit, and they will probably be easierto service, wire and pay for. Yourcost for a full up, all in one enginedisplay will run any where from $3kto almost $4k. Add to this aboutanother $1k or so for wiring (labor)and you’ve got yourself a nice five

Electric Buzz...by Wayne Lanza

(5) Flexible vibration dampeners - forpoor conditions and deterioration.(6) Engine controls - for defects,improper travel, and improper safe-t y i n g .(7) Lines, hoses, and clamps - forleaks, improper condition and loose-n e s s .(8) Exhaust stacks - for cracks,defects, and improper attachment.(9) Accessories - for improper instal-lation, poor general condition,defects, and insecure attachment.(10) All systems - for improper instal-lation, poor general condition,defects, and insecure attachment.(11) Cowling - for cracks, and defects.

( d ) Each person performing an annu-al or 100-hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) the followingcomponents of the landing gearg r o u p :(1) All units - for poor condition andinsecurity of attachment.(2) Shock absorbing devices - forimproper oleo fluid level.(3) Linkages. Trusses, and members -for undue or excessive wear fatigue,and distortion.(4) Retracting and locking mechanism- for improper operation.(5) Hydraulic lines - for leakage.(6) Electrical system - for chafing andimproper operation of switches.(7) Wheels - for cracks, defects, andcondition of bearings.(8) Tires - for wear and cuts.(9) Brakes - for improper adjustment.(10) Floats and skis - for insecureattachment and obvious or apparentd e f e c t s

( e ) Each person performing an annualor 100 - hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) all components ofthe wing and center section assemblyfor poor general condition, fabric orskin deterioration, distortion, evi-dence of failure, and insecurity ofa t t a c h m e n t .

( f ) Each person performing an annualor 100-hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) all components ofthe wing and center section assembly

Maintenance NotesContinued from previous page

for poor general condition, fabric orskin deterioration, distortion, evi-dence of failure, and insecurity ofa t t a c h m e n t .

( g ) Each person performing an annu-al or 100-hour inspection shallinspect (where applicable) the fol-lowing components of the propellerg r o u p :(1) Propeller assembly - for cracks,nicks, binds, and oil leakage.(2) Bolts - for improper torquing andlack of safetying.(3) Anti-icing devices - for improperoperations and obvious defects.(4) Control mechanisms - for improp-er operation, insecure mounting, andrestricted travel.

( h ) Each person performing an annu-al or 100-hour inspection shallinspect (where applicable) the fol-lowing components of the radiog r o u p :(1) Radio and electronic equipment -for improper routing, insecuremounting, and obvious defects.(2) Wiring and conduits - for improp-er routing, insecure mounting, andobvious defects.(3) Bonding and shielding - forimproper installation and poor con-d i t i o n .(4) Antenna including trailing anten-na - for poor condition, insecuremounting, and improper operation.

(i) Each person performing an annualor 100-hour inspection shall inspect(where applicable) each installedmiscellaneous item that is not other-wise covered by this listing forimproper installation and impropero p e r a t i o n .

• • • • •

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CaliforniaFly-in UpdateSince this is the last newsletter

prior to this event, please get up-to-date information from theVelocity web site.Go to: http://velocityaircraft.comthen click on “News and Events”You will find the latest information on the “Calendar ofEvents” page.


thousand dollar engine gauge! SaySparky, anybody in there?

I do not mean to recommend ordiscourage the use of any mentionedor implied products, just to putthings into perspective. The technol-ogy available in GA today was notimagined 10 years ago, and is cheapcompared to the past. But the com-plexity of our new-found toys is alsoway out there. How much do wereally need, can we really use, andcan we really afford to install andmaintain? As the sophistication andreliability of our flight systemsadvances so does our safety andcapability. But as pilots we still needto be able to fly, if necessary, by ourwits and skill if every thing shouldjust crap out.

We have installed instrumentpanels that weigh 40-80 pounds, at acost of any where from $1k to $1.5kper pound! They look great but tendto make you look for a slot to drop inthe quarters... A lot of guys are goingsomewhat basic and allowing forfuture panel additions. This is a goodstrategy especially if you work with-in a budget, it will leave a little extrafor other important things like theengine, prop, paint, etc... Get it flyingin this life time, enjoy it and addwhat you really need later.

Consider your panel carefullyand then get a few solid quotes fromcompetent avionics shops for wiringand assembly. Shop labor can runany where from $50 to $100 per hour,be sure to get a cost break down. Youwill see labor only quotes rangingbetween $3k - $12K. Airframe wiringis yet another issue, you can do ityour self but if you lack wiring skills,seek assistance from an experiencedfriend.

•••••

Velocity’s “California Fly-in”Are you California Bound

September 2&3, 2001?

West up for Wineand Wings!

by David Karas

Imagine a perfect weekend –clear sunny CAVU skies, tempera-tures in the high 80s, you are relax-ing with a few good friends, sippingsome of the world’s finest wines andtalking about some of the world’sfinest planes. Well, mark your calen-dars and grab your friends, becausethat’s what we’re planning for theweekend of Sept. 2 & 3rd 2001. TheWest Coast Velocity Factory Fly-Inwill take place in the world famousNapa Valley, California.

We are planning on puttingtogether at least one activity whichwill allow us to take advantage ofthis magnificent region (perhapswine tasting followed by a giantReflector mud bath?) Great shop-ping, sightseeing, balloon rides, winetasting, hot springs and yes, mudbaths are all close by. For those ofyou flying in, don’t miss the spectac-ular VFR tour up the coast ofCalifornia or the San Francisco Bay

tour taking in the Golden GateBridge, Alcatraz, Sausalito andFisherman’s Wharf right throughand under SFO’s Bravo airspace.(The tower is very accommodating.)

Speakers are already being linedup and currently include Craig Cattoof Catto Propellors. The factory isplanning on flying out twoVelocities including the new XLfixed leg trainer. Demo rides will beavailable. The factory will also behosting a barbecue and there is arumor that hot dogs and hamburg-ers will be abandoned in favor ofpate’ and quiche! This should be agreat opportunity to socialize, relaxand have fun.

Stay tuned for details on hotelarrangements and location.Volunteers to help with planningand execution are appreciated.Volunteers should expect paymentin the form of gratitude and theknowledge of contributing to theVelocity community. To volunteerplease call or e-mail David Karas ;925-600-9256 or [email protected].

••••

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Thanks!


CFI Notams

by Nathan Rigaud, CFII

The Velocity RG system is morethen just putting the gear switch inthe down position and hope the gearcomes down. Do you really knowyour system and how it works?

The system that we see beingused in most Velocitys is theComposite Design pre-wired sys-tems. This is a complete system thatworks well. The components includea hydraulic pump assembly, maincontrol box, gear selector panel, nosegear micro switches, main gearmicro switches, throttle switch, andan airspeed switch.

The pump assembly is made upof the reservoir and pressure switch-es set for 550 psi for gear down, 1100psi for gear up. 5606 red hydraulicfluid is used in this system.The main control box is the brain ofthe RG system.

The gear selector panel is mount-ed on the instrument panel and hasthe gear switch (up and down),green lights for gear down, amberfor pump running and red for unsafegear. This panel also has a test but-ton and a reset button.

The nose gear and main gearmicro switches takes control of the

safe, unsafe lights. Be sure theseswitches are adjusted correctly. Wesee a lot of incorrectly mountedswitches.

The throttle micro switch islocated near the throttle arm. Thistakes care of a horn that comes on atabout 15 Hg of manifold pressure ifthe gear is not down and locked. Theairspeed switch is located in the nosethat works off of the pitot tube and isadjustable for a desired airspeed.This switch will not allow the gear toretract until that airspeed is present.

The main switch on the gearselector panel is the up and downswitch. A good habit is to make surethe switch is in the down positionbefore turning on the master. Whenthe gear switch is moved to the upposition, the pump will activate andthe amber and red lights come ontelling you the pump is running andthe gear is unsafe. As the gear comesup in the wheel wells, all lightsshould go out. When the gear isselected down, the same happens,but the two green lights should bethe only lights on when the gear isdown and locked. Remember, maxi-mum extension of the landing gear is120 knots.

The test switch provides testingof the gear lights and horn. Do not beafraid of using this and testing yoursystem. It is there for a reason. The Reset switch will bypass thepressure switches and allow you todirectly run the pump. This allowsus to put the gear down in case of apressure switch failure.

If for some reason the gear doesnot come down by the hydraulic

pump, it is time to use that little redhandle on the right side under theco-pilot panel, the gear hydraulicdump valve. This valve dumpshydraulic pressure from the highside to the low side and will allowthe gear to free fall to the down andlocked position. Once verified thegear is down and locked by seeingyour green lights, pull the circuitbreaker to the gear system and posi-tion the dump valve to closed posi-tion. There should be a 3/4 hole onthe pilot side just below the panelthat you can check with your fingerto be sure the nose is over center.You can also install a rod to checkthis.

Since you have decided to buildand fly the Velocity RG, now takesome time to read the operatingmanual. A good habit that I recom-mend, at each condition inspectionor any time you place the aircraft onjacks, is to make a point to runthrough the emergency procedureswhile sitting in the pilot seat. Knowwhere to grab for the gear switch,breaker, and dump valve. Youshould be able to do this with youeyes closed.

••••

Please Please Please...Renew for 2002 Calendar Year Today!

If I already have your correct information (address, etc.) in mydata base, then all you need to do is mail me (Rick Lavoie) acheck for $35 (address within USA) or $43 (address outsideUSA). See the last page of any newsletter for details.Please renew ASAP, but no latter than December 15th.Renewals received after December 31st will be assessed a $5late charge fee.Thanks...


BuildersForum

Builders Forum is full of tips, information and letters (“material”) supplied toVelocity Views Newsletter from individuals that are Velocity builders (or want to bebuilders). It is provided as “USE AT YOUR OWN RISK” material. NeitherVelocity Inc. (The Velocity Factory) nor Velocity Views Newsletter (Lavoie Graphics& Rick Lavoie) have endorsed this material, and disclaim any liability for the use ofthis material. Individuals who use this material for the operation, maintenance, orconstruction of their homebuilt aircraft do so at their own discretion and at theirown risk. Any variance from the builders manual is high risk.

A STOL kit for a Velocity…well maybe.

by Rodney Brimfrom Westminster, California

Let me start with a baseline. I flyan XL-RG. I am using a IO540 gen-erating 320 hp. The wings were builtby Allan Shaw’s group at Wingco.After a couple of initial flights, keelswere added for improved stability. Ihave been doing so for the past 3years. The last plane I owned beforethe Velocity was a turbo 206 with aSTOL kit, which the drug guysabruptly decided one day was animportant item to add to their distri-bution channel. But that’s anotherstory.

During my adventures with theVelocity I have regularly flown outof strips at sea level and 7,000 feet. Icame to have an appreciation for anincreased sense of comfort indeparting and landing/braking atshort fields. One develops this afterthose certain memory imprintingdepartures when the fence or thetrees are coming up fast… and ofcourse you have your family mem-bers in the plane. Things like thatdon’t happen when you are flyingalone, as the Velocity poses quite adifferent set of flying characteristicsat light weight versus heavy. In thisarticle I wanted to share with yousome of the things I have tried andfailed, and tried and succeeded within improving short field take offsand landings. By the way, my defin-ition for a short field is 2,500 or lessat sea level, usually with buildingson either end, or any altitude stripabove 5,000, especially when it iswarm outside.

Stopping quicker was my first

goal. You can approach that from theseveral different areas, but I wantedto have a healthier sense of brakeunder my toes. With the standardbrakes I regularly felt like there was-n’t enough margin in a 2,500 field toget stopped without having a case ofthe sweaty palms…. That fence com-ing up fast thing again… especially ifI came in 5 knots fast. That and I hadone of the pads sheer off at the rivetsand lodge between the disc and thewheel when landing one time, whichmade for a challenging stop and areally awkward taxi. So I purposedto find better brake pads, and fol-lowed some of the reflector com-ments and replaced the Matco brakepads with sintered steel Rapco pads,RA66-62 and special rivets RAPB001.Yes I did check with Matco and theyassured me the disc would handlethe extra heat generated. This area Idon’t have good statistics on, butwhat a difference. I no longer con-tend with that nagging worry of“Am I going to get this planestopped before I run out of run-way?” My best guestimate is that thebreaking distance has been reducedby around 15%. At a 2,500 strip it isthe difference between needing theentire strip to stop, and turning offone taxi exit earlier. Very littlemoney for a big safety margin.

Taking off quieter was the nextgoal I worked on. Yes I consider thisa STOL phenomenon, as I havealready got one sound violation inthe Velocity, and here in SouthernCalifornia, they get very expensivequickly. Short fields in the city meanthere are homes and businesses adja-cent to the airport… and sound mon-itors. So I started working on savingmoney and being a better communi-ty citizen. I have tried 5 options aslisted below:

1. Initially I used the factoryexhaust system (1998) and putmotorcycle mufflers (the stackeddisc types) on the end of the headersjust outside of the cowling. Itreduced sound very well, but alsoreduced climb rate by some 500 fpmas I was later to discover due to thedisturbance in air to the prop.2. I then reversed the factoryexhaust, welded on short extensionsand pointed them straight backtowards the prop. They were about6-7 inches back from the prop. Iregained the lost climb, still had thebenefit of some sound reduction asthe prop chopped up the soundwaves, but had a difficult time get-ting the cowling off and on… and itlooked like we had put it together onthe farm.3. Option three involved having anew exhaust made up and totallycontained within the cowling. Itstopped within the cowling by .5inches and approximately 5 inchesfrom the prop. I envisioned thiswould add a certain evacuationeffect to exiting air. It may have, butit kept smudging the prop, and afterabout 20 hours I noticed that theprop was starting to have numeroussmall blisters from the heat.4. I still wanted to keep the exhausthidden in the cowling, so I turnedup the tips of the header so that theypointed upward at about a 45 degreeangle, thinking this would push theheat away from directly impactingthe prop and push the sound awayfrom people on the ground. It mayhave done both, but it created a cer-tain turbulence at the prop that keptdislodging my leading edge boots…and eventually tearing them up.5. I gave up and reworked theexhaust to point forward as the fac-




tory system does, however I had thetubing bent to exit the cowling at a 45degree angle, placed aluminumcover heat protection plates on theimmediate cowling area and cut thepipes essentially vertical to theground to throw the sound waveshorizontally back at the prop, not theground. I welded tabs on the pipesjust before they exited the cowlingand have braced them back to theengine so everything will vibrate asone. The impact on sound control isthe best yet. My test group says theVelocity now has the sound imprintof a 172.

The third goal was to take offquicker, e.g. with a shorter groundroll. I spent time discussing optionswith both Duane Swing (regardingVGs) and Klaus Savier (regardingtrailing edge stall fences). Ultimatelythrough a bunch of testing, time andmoney I achieved over a 30% reduc-tion in take off roll. Here are thesteps I took in the process of reachingthat goal:

1. I started with adding 3 trailingedge stall fences equi-distantlyspaced between the outboard side ofthe aileron and the winglet. For atechnical review of trailing edge stallfences and to view the basic shape Iused, check out Klaus’ website at:(http://www.lightspeedengineering.com/KlausInfo/Flowfence.htm)Each fence extended above the trail-ing edge by 3 inches, below the trail-ing edge by 2 inches, and aft of thetrailing edge by 1 inch and faceddirectly into the wind. They thenmerged into the wing in approxi-mately 7 inches. I only flew once inthis configuration with the following

results:• Impressive increase in rate ofclimb, briefly up to over 2,200 fpmwith 2 large adults in front, and avery low deck angle while climbing(“Hey it doesn’t feel like we areheaded for the moon?”). Take off feltlike we were jumping off the run-way.• Stall speed was not impacted,however roll rate was decidedlysluggish, and turning around theyaw axis was sharply diminished.The plane wanted to go straight. Itmade me uncomfortable enough thatI didn’t choose to explore muchmore of its flight envelope.1. I then chopped the top .5 inch offof the existing 3 stall fences at Klaus’suggestion. That .5 inch was appar-ently catching a lot of wind, as Iimmediately had a return to normalroll rate and yaw response. Iexplored more of the flight envelopeand noted that I had lost most of myclimb improvement, with my climbrate back down to around 1,600 fpmat 100 kts when climbing from 2-4,000 feet. I started taking the stallfences off one at a time and noticedthat my top end improved 3kts witheach fence removed. I probablyshould have worked more with theangle of incidence needed to reducethe drag effect, but moved to a dif-ferent placement.2. After more conversations withKlaus, and observing the Starship, Idecided to place one larger stallfence on the inboard side of eachaileron. It was shaped like the previ-

ous, but extended 5 inches above theleading edge, 3 inches below andwas 1 inch behind, and was againplaced directly into the air stream(parallel to a line drawn from thenose to the center of the prop). Irecorded an immediate improvementin the form of a 22% reduction intake-off roll. Slightly reduced yawresponse and roll rate, but it actuallymade the plane feel like it hadincreased stability. I did have to do alittle more rudder work to keep theball centered when turning. Noreduction in top end speed!3. I then added a 2nd stall fence onthe outboard side of the aileron, thatextended 4 inches higher than thetrailing edge. I only made one flightwith it. The sluggish response ratearound the yaw axis and to someextent the roll rate had returned, andI decided to simply remove them andenjoy the benefits of the single stallfence.4. I still wanted to check out what theeffect of the VGs might add to theequation, so went ahead andinstalled the factory kit. UsingDuane’s suggestion, I installed theVGs on the wing and the canard, butreduced the pattern center on thecanard, resulting in 2 additionalpairs of VGs added to each side ofthe canard. I recorded a number ofresults. First of all I reduced mytimed take-off rolls another 10+%,resulting in a total reduction of over33%! Secondly I noticed that the stall

Builders ForumContinued from previous page


speed at dropped from 60 knots to57, and the break was just as benignas always. My top end appeared tohave dropped 2 -3 knots as well,however I need more testing to veri-fy that. I also noticed that I was fly-ing around with the elevator upbecause of the increased lift thecanard was generating, which atcruise was not something I wanted. Istarted peeling off VGs until the ele-vator was less than a half inch aboveneutral and stopped there, with thegains still intact in the take-off role.

I still plan to check out the effectsof adding VGs to the winglets.Improved rudder effect at slowspeed means less need to use thebrake for directional control on take-off when it is windy, which trans-lates into the outcomes I am lookingfor. But I haven’t got there yet, as Iwas involved in testing naca scoopsplaced in the top cowling instead ofthe ceiling and it didn’t work and so

I have to clean up that experimentbefore I can get back to the rudders.

Hope the work I have donehelps you to create a safer Velocity ifnot exactly a STOL variety to fly in.

••••

Continued from previous pageOshkosh 2001Velocity Dinner

Oshkosh EAA Fly-in datesare July 24 - 30• Demo Rides will be con-ducted out of Fond du Lacairport (near Oshkosh).Demo rides last between20 to 30 minutes. The costis $150 for up to 3 people.Transportation betweenOshkosh and Fond du Lacairports is available. Pleasecontact Velocty to sign up.• Velocity Oshkosh DinnerHeld at the Park PlazaHotel and ConventionCenter’s LaSalle CBallroom on Friday July 27.Social starts at 6:30pm,with dinner at 7:00pm. Youcan expect a family styledinner with three entrees tochoose from. Cost shouldbe about $20 per adult and$10 per child (age 4-10).Please call Velocity to signup now, or sign up at theVelocity Booth by 5:00pmon July 25th.

Thanks,Bonnie

Are You California

Bound?

If you are interested in

going to Velocity’s

California Wine Country Fly-

in, please contact the

factory to get on their sign

up list. Judy, Darla and I are

flying over. Hope to see you

there. See page 13 for more

details... or check the

Velocity web site’s calendar

of events page.

Rick Lavoie


Factory InformationVelocity Inc.

Factory & Home Office:

200 W Airport RdSebastian FL 32958 USA

Ph: 561-589-1860Builders Hot Line:

561-589-0309Fax: 561-589-1893

Builders HOT LINEPlease remember that on weekends,and after hours, we do not answerthe 561-589-1860 phone number.Our unlisted builders hot line is561-589-0309 and, if we are here,this is the only number we willanswer.

Internet web site:http://velocityaircraft.com

e-mail addresses:[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@velocityaircraft.com

• Builder assistance:[email protected]• Other e-mail addresses:[email protected]@[email protected]

Velocity Service Center Inc.:f l i g h t t r a i n i n g @ v e l o c i t y a i r c r a f t . c o [email protected]@velocityaircraft.com

Buy Sell or TradeVelocity parts, tools, kits, flying

Velocitys: Free and exclusive to Velocity Views Subscribers.

P l a c e your ad here... FREE to allcurrent subscribers. Individualsselling parts, tools, kits, & flyingVelocitys. Your ad will run once persubmission. See last page fordeadlines. Please do not type textin all caps!

For SaleFlying Velocity XL

A bit about my Velocity XL, it hasa Don George remanufactured IO-540 with 1930 hours to run. An SL-60 GPS radio with an SL-40 back-up, an Apollo moving map, S-tecmodel 30 with altitude hold, narcotransponder, factory suppliedoverhead switch panel and circuitbreaker panel, VOR and autopilotis coupled to DG and GPS (TSO'd).The altimeter is a single pointerwith HG and HP settings for pres-sure replacement cost, around$12K. This aircraft was profession-ally built by an A&P with fiber-glass certification. All electronicswork was done by an aviation cer-tified electronics engineer. Strobes,Nav lights, heated Pitot tube alltop off this aircraft, including JPIgraphical engine monitor with fuelflow system. Also fitted to this air-craft are custom blown sidegauges, and the wiring is a work ofart. All wiring is tidy and platted,better then a Swiss hairdresser. Asecond trigger to prevent run awaytrim on the chinamans hat is alsofitted as is emergency complug forthe radio. This aircraft was built toattain 101.28 standards so eachphase of construction was over-seen by government department ofaviation. This aircraft could notdemonstrate a sub 62 knot stall atfull gross so it was registeredexperimental. Any hardware sup-plied by the factory that was desig-nated aviation certified was dis-carded and replaced. The aircrafthas a 3 blade MT constant speedprop and gets along very quickly.

For anybody who is interested,they can contact Leon R Howe at:Home: +61 2- 4655 4989Work: +61 2- 9609 4399Or email me at: [email protected] can also provide pictures for any-one who is interestedPrice $145,000 USD

Publishing a newsletter withsuch a small subscriberbase is quite a challenge.Keeping cost (and hoursspent) down are important.Here are two things that youcan do to help VelocityViews:• Renew on time!When you renew late, youcause me all sorts of extrawork, as I now need toprocess each late renewalby hand. There is now a $5late charge fee forrenewals that come in afterDecember 31• Pay by check...Creditcard option is only for inter-national subscribers (tomake currency exchangeeasy). The time it takes toprocess credit cards is veryvery inefficient and costly.

Time to Renew Your

2002 Calendar Year

Newsletter

Subscription!

(See last page for

details)


CustomInstrument Panel

DesignBy Treasure Coast Avionics

Specializing in Velocity Elite & XL Models

2974 Aviation Way, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946PH: 561/464-3148 FAX: 561/464-3197

www.treasurecoastavionics.comFAA CRS# YHLR983K

Not enough hours in your day?Need help building your Velocity?

ADVANCEDCOMPOSITE

TECHNOLOGIESCall us at (814) 445-3802

Experienced Velocity builders on staff, offering sub-assembly and builder assistance. Competitive laborrates. We also offer many minor modifications thatenhance future maintenance and serviceability. Callfor our brochure and references.

Phone: 970-224-4404

Fax: 970-493-9266

E-mail: [email protected]

www.franklinengines.com

136 Racquette Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524Your #1 source for Factory New PZL/Franklin AircraftEngines, replacement parts and accessories for certi-fied and experimental aircraft. Magnetos, carburetors,starters, alternators, propellers, governors, vacuumpumps, etc. Knowledgeable technical staff with over25 years experience in the aviation industry.

Current Price After July 31st

Velocity SUV FG $23,500 $25,500Velocity FG $25,500 (limited time only, save $6,000)Velocity RG $34,500 $36,500Velocity XL FG $35,500 $37,500Velocity XL RG $40,500 $42,500

Prices of all fast build options will remain the same.

Velocity Price IncreaseBuy now and save!

If you’re on the fence about when to order yourVelocity kit, keep reading! Order before our July31st price increase and you lock into savings. Also,the Velocity FG (fixed gear), with two gull wingdoors, is currently being offered for a fantastic valueat $25,500... a savings of $9000 from the RG version...but only for a limited time. Remember, there are noother 4-place kit airplanes in the 200mph categorywith the features and kit completeness of theVelocity. Call today and place your order.

Limited Time

Offer

Buy the

Velocity FG for

$25,500 and

Save $6,000

Velocity Viewsis published Quarterly by:

Lavoie Graphics26 Marshview Dr

St. Augustine, FL 32080-5873Rick Lavoie,Editor904-461-3146 (fax)

e-mail: [email protected]

Velocity Views newsletter ispublished by Rick Lavoie / LavoieGraphics as an agent for VelocityInc. (the factory). Prior to printing,the factory reviews each volumepublished for accuracy.

Velocity Views newsletter mate-rial has been supplied voluntarilyfrom the Velocity Factory,Builders, & Vendors. This materialis printed for informational pur-poses only. Opinions expressed arethose of the author. LavoieGraphics & Rick Lavoie do notendorse and are not liable for thecontents of such material. Use ofthis material is at your own risk.Any variance from the factoryplans is a high risk endeavor. Anycontemplated modificationsshould be reviewed and approvedby Velocity Inc.

Velocity Views is a Trademark ofLavoie Graphics

Copyright © 1994 - 2001 LavoieGraphics All Rights Reserved.

No part may be reproduced or trans-lated, stored in a database or retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form byelectronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or other means, except asexpressly permitted by the publisher.

Rick Lavoie, Newsletter Editor26 Marshview DrSt. Augustine FL 32080-5873 FORWARD & ADDRESS CORRECTION

FIRST CLASS

• 2002 Calendar YearSubscription (Volumes 29-32):The annual cost is $35.00 for mail-ing addresses within the UnitedStates. For all other mailingaddresses, the cost is $43.00 in USfunds (covers air mail & specialhandling).

All subscriptions are sold on acalendar year basis. New sub-scribers joining mid year will beprovided with back issues forthat calender year.• Back Issues 1995 thru 2001 areavailable for sale at $35.00 percalendar year in US funds.Specify the year(s) you wantwhen ordering back issues.• Renewals: Look at the top ofyour mailing label for the finalvolume number your subscrip-tion covers.Simply mail a check to RickLavoie each year to keep yournewsletter coming.

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Listed below are 4 options forsubmitting your text. Do not typeyour text in all caps. Please send usphotos and drawings too!1) Send it on a 3-1/2” computer disk(Mac or Windows). This saves usfrom re-typing all that text. Don’tformat your text, just give us rawtext, with no underlining, bold, orany other type of formats. We alsocan take Zip 100 disks.2) E-Mail your text file to me:[email protected] and pleasedon’t type in all caps.3) If you don’t have access to a com-puter, then we can scan in yourtyped page.4) If you print neatly so we can readit clearly, we’ll type it on our com-puter for you!Note: If you need your photos &materials returned, please include aself addressed envelop.

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