Don't be fooled! I was probably on a coffee run. :}

Does the unprecedented fuel demand imply that there is plenty to see at Keevil? How many aircraft made it in today?

Loads, I estimate 250.

Including me! I think the 3.0 score was for the one behind me, but I'm not sure!

Seconded!

WR: no, headed for home.

Slip

283 on Sat, 16 today :(

The scoring was a bit of fun, no 'slight' intended! :)

No records were kept. ;)

I did. All day Monday I was thinking it was Sunday! :confused:

Which Pushpak?
 

As the former owner of the nicer of the two on the register, I'd be interested to know which one it was!

G-BXTO was the Pushpak on Sunday

Hi Stik .... as a former Pushpak'er, can you enlighten me as to the purpose of the upswept full length fixed tab on both ailerons? Not present on the Aeronca .....
(off topic, apologies)
Slip

Was that the one with each wing attached to a piece of crowd barrier?:uhoh:

Slip - I am led to believe that they were added to the Pushpak to degrade the roll rate as a couple of Indian Air Force instructors had been caught rolling them.

A lot bloody braver than me, those guys:ooh:

On rebuild we applied to the PFA to not fit them so G-AVPO does not sport them any more. Yes the roll rate is better but it is hardly cosmic.

I still have them in my hangar if anyone needs them.


Stik

To be sure, a couple of crowd barriers would indeed reduce the roll rate :E

Steady...he might take 'a fence' (sic):p

Stik, thanks! Spent a while thinking about it but couldn't come up with any ideas at all .....
Cheers
Slip

Slipping the Pushpak
 

Gosh it's been a while, but I do have 200+ hours in the Pushpak and haven't flown one for 3 years, the biggest problem that one encounters whilst side-slipping is running out of aileron authority before rudder. It is also quite easy to port (draw only air) the rear tank if sideslipping to the right whilst drawing fuel from this tank. Conveniently neither of these are mentioned in the handling notes but the latter is obvious once one follows the fuel lines - the spluttering engine does tend to grab one's attention!

Hope that this helps,

Stik

Pushpak
 

We got in to G-VFWE in Pushpak G-BXTO on Saturday having had a weather diversion to Turweston. After some 3 hours on the ground there we took off bound for Keevil. The weather was, well, challenging for most of the trip but most enjoyable. We landed at Keevil and parked outdside the Met caravan, we were one of two aircraft on the field - the other being a blue and white Cherokee 140. We had forgotten the tie-downs and someone suggested using the fence! We did.
We scrounged a lift from the delectable Sue (thanks, Sue) to East Coker (near Yeovil) and had a wonderful meal in the Helyar Arms.
The Pushpak has a number of points I have never experienced in an aircraft before. It is difficult to take off smoothly for the 'no bounce' undercarriage seems to have a life of its own (I would like to see a video of a take off). The landings, however, are easy. The speed seems to be fairly constant whatever the power setting. The stall comes at around 25 m.p.h. and is really a non event.
On Sunday we left Keevil at around 16.30 having refueled (when presented with the refueling invoice I visibly paled - £5.77 per gallon) and had an uneventful flight home to Norfolk.

John, Pushpaks would be very welcome at the Aeronca fly-in, Tibbenham, on 17 June. At least two Chief owners would like to make comparisons ...
Slip

Slip,

Interesting to read John H's post. G-AVPO prior to rebuild stall buffetted at 41mph then departed at 39. Post rebuild it buffetted at 39 and broke at 37 - all figures are mph. Either it was rebuilt lighter or the pitot system was leaking:E :E .

V interesting that G-BXTO stalls so much slower - when G-AVPO was in South Norfolk, just 13 nm from where G-BXTO nowadays lives, G-BXTO lived in Staffordshire. Guess where G-AVPO now lives, it's almost as if these two sister aeroplanes magnetically repel each other!

Mytaxiway is 120yds long and with a thumping northerly I have placed G-AVPO down on that and avoided hitting the house at the end. Something I wouldn't even consider in anything else!

Oh another difference removing the aileron fences caused was an improvement in cruise speed - about 5mph, butthat again could have ben the rebuild and the better fairing finish!

Sweet aeroplane but not as light or as fast as the Chief - however they do have ally main spars. Apparently the Indians could not source 4130 tube so made them out of something far more substantial, rumour has it that the fuselage weldment weighs in excess of 100lbs more than the Chief, hence its lower MAUW. Probably made from water pipe:p

Stik

Pushpak
 

SlipSlider: Thanks for the invitation, I do not know what I've arranged on 17 June but I'll certainly try to get to Tibenham then - it willl be interesting to compare notes!

SticnRuda: The stall speed of the Pushpak amazes me. On the approach it flies so s l o w l y that it feels as if one is stationary. I can believe that it weighs so much more than the Chief. Pushing it in and out of the hangar is quite an effort whereas pushing a Chief seems so much easier.

I would be most grateful if you could confirm about the take off - the first time I did one (having spent many hours in a Super Cub) the aircraft seemed ready to fly - I eased the wheel back, only to find I was on the verge of a stall! Lubrication of the elevator cables made the take off easier.

John

I wasn't scoring everyone, it was just something to keep me amused during the quiet periods. There wasn't even any method behind it (except that people I recognised got a 3). I think it confused some people though, as a few waved their joining instructions with Kilo number on them at me!