Towed Survey Bird Project

[Pilot DAR]

Building on a few years experience with developing and approving towed survey bird systems, and after a year of development, today I did the first flights of the newest system. The bird is about 12 feet by 16 feet, and weighs about 380 pounds. We did initial testing of a model under the wing of my C 150 last January, and that gave us the confidence to move forward with the full sized design. An amazing development project by a great team. It's nice to take off, and see the whole team on the ramp, watching us go by....

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_4820001.jpg

Careful attention has to be paid to not raising the nose too high during takeoff and landing...

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_4803001.jpg

Off to see how it stalls, before I have to come back and land it....

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_4880001.jpg

The second flight was the opportunity for the first deployments...

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_4923001.jpg

The second Caravan with the boss flying chase for me is very reassuring. The great photos are just a bonus!

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_4961001.jpg

The winch developer was also the operator, all I had to do was fly straight and steady, He did the hard part! Letting the "bird" out of the "nest" for the first time is a total commitment!

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/CopyofIMG_5015001.jpg

Initial model testing under my wing last January

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/Jims DAR Testing/IMG_2082001.jpg

With the model, we could design and refine the tail to provide the desired flight characteristics.

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/Jims DAR Testing/IMG_2106001.jpg

Over the next weeks, we'll be working on some details, then I'll be beginning the certification test flying, for Canadian STC approval.

[Double Zero]

Any chance of more info' on the equipment and specific purpose please ?

[Pilot DAR]

As my job is the testing and STC approval elements of the project, I'm not able to offer too much information about the technical side of the survey equipment itself. I can offer that it uses magnetic fields for geological survey.

[John Farley]

Congratulations J

John

[Genghis the Engineer]

Strikes me as a lot more sensible than the twin wingtip mounted magnetometers / fatigue generators that were fitted to the BGS/FGS Twin Otter until recently.

Sounds like a fascinating project DAR, I envy you, and well done on the successful outcome.

G

[Pilot DAR]

We are making good progress on this. After a break over Christmas, and some redesign of the hydraulic system which operates the winch, we've got a lot more test flying done this week.

This has included the crosswind work yesterday. I found a nice 10,000 foot runway, with a direct crosswind at 18 G 25 (and lots of blowing snow). I expected some "keel effect" from the bird, and it's tails. The aircraft was manageable in this wind, but did require full rudder a few times.

Today was spins, first without the bird, to get familair with the plane, then with the bird strapped on tight. The Caravan is a magnificent spinning plane both ways! I could not hold it in for more that a turn in some cases, it was finding it's way out, even with full pro spin controls held in. A few times it did get up near Vne, with 2.5 -2.8 G force being applied in the pull out, so there is not much margin for a careless recovery! Spinning a Caravan without reference to an accelerometer, would have a very narrow margin of safety...

I've got video from two onboard cameras of the spinning, and will try to edit it to a postable size.

I hope to complete my Caravan testing this week. Then I've on to two different Piper Navajos with external mods....