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Bob Grimstead
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Posted Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 09:55 AM  

Transcontinental RF4D article

John Chesbrough ferried VH-HDO all across Australia and wrote it up in an article.
I could scan that (and maybe convert it through OCR to Word) for your uncle.

This scan is now incorporated in VH-HDO's history, at :
http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=4Vao6jMtYKfA4yiVVWD8hsnnb8&forum=25&thread=832

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, March 28, 2013 @ 00:21 AM]

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 01:59 AM  

I also have an interesting article (by Patrick Faucheron?) about a CFI group of nine Fourniers flying from Munich to Greece via Monte-Negro, the former Republic of Yugoslavia and Albania.

I had another exciting article, entitled 'Stefano the Pitch bird', translated from Italian, I think, probably by Microsoft, so it presumably meant 'Stefano the Blackbird' about a guy who recently bought a Fournier (RF3?) and had his canopy come off over the Alps. Unfortunately I cannot now find that article, so it is probably in a dead computer somewhere, but I think I got it through one of the CFI sites.

There are lots of anecdotes out there. Big achievements, and small ones.

Please would somebody else submit a few?

Thanks.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 02:27 AM  

...and of course there is my as-yet unpublished 3,500-word article about flying WGN from England through France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sewden to Norway in 2009 for a couple of airshows.

This is now posted as:
http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=akhL2h7vIDSBLTirINGk7aLBOq&forum=23&thread=915

It was nothing like as far as Brendan's efforts, and not much further than Jorgen's ferry home (and followed mostly the same route) but I do have plenty of photos.

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, March 28, 2013 @ 00:24 AM]

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Jorgen
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 03:55 AM  

Bob,
thanks for boosting this section, I absolutely think it is important and also enjoyable read and gather all more or less spectacular Fournieristic achievments. I'll dig in in a while, but I have a bathroom-upgrade looming ahead so I might take a while....

I do have a lengthy Swedish write-up of my ferryflight with "SE-XST", I might try Google translate on that and see if it saves any time or maybe generates some good laughs. I remember how the Swedish subtitles of a WWII film was totally hilarious- when the crippled B-17 was coming in on final, the pilot tersely ordered "-Gear down!", which in the swedish subtitles was translated to "downshift" (as if there were a gearbox on a B-17). Oh brother!

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

Donald
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 06:15 AM  

I cannot claim anything very exceptional but my longest journey was to the RSA rally at Epinal in France. It wasn't a long flight, just a succession of short ones, though I did have a few 'adventures' along the way which taught me some salutary lessons. I wrote it up at the time. I'll see if I can find it on one of my old computers and if anyone's interested I could post it.

Donald

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 09:03 AM  

Thanks Jorgen and Donald,

I think yours are precisely the kind of stories Matt's uncle wants.

The great thing about Fourniers is that they are reliable and comfortable tourers (as well as all their other attributes) so even the very longest journeys can be undertaken, even if 'only' in a long series of two-hour hops.

Dave Bland wrote a very amusing report of his journey to the CFI Gap/Tallard anniversary rally in 2007.

http://www.cfiamerica.com/images/PDF/FournierDays_April08_02.pdf

These journeys/voyages/adventures do not have to be a long way, just a good story about the way our Fourniers can open up the world to us.

Thank you for going to the trouble to find and share your stories.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 09:18 AM  

The bare bones (statistics) of my Swedish/Norwegian journey follow.
I am still hoping to earn a little money from the full 4,000-word illustrated article, but I shall clearly have to wait a while.
Eventually, after publication, the article will appear here (or more likely on Collin's site).

When I refer to top-notch or mid-notch, those are notches on my throttle plunger roughly corresponding to high cruise power and economy cruise power. I have a 1400cc engine.

Seighford – Goodwood 133nm 1:55 69kt g/s
Goodwood – Shoreham 18nm :20 54kt g/s 24 lit
Shoreham – Wevelgem, mid notch 154nm 2:00 77kt g/s 13.67 lit
Wevelgem – Leer, mid notch 214nm 3:05 69kt g/s 21 lit
Leer – Flensburg, top notch (3100rpm ind, 103 mph) 115nm 1:35 73kt g/s14.5 lit
Flensburg – Staffanstorp, top notch (100 mph 3,750ft) 144nm 1:55 75kt g/s 20 lit
Staffanstorp – Odestugu, mid notch 124nm 1:45 71kt g/s 15 lit
Odestugu – Dala-Järna, top notch, (2,500 ft) 182nm 2:05 87kt g/s 19 lit

So total top notch time 5:35, dist 441, tot fuel 53.5lit = 0.12 lpnm or 8.2425 nmpl
So, average consumption 9.58 lph, endurance 3.5hr, range (if 36lit) 296nm

Total mid notch time 6:50, dist 492, total fuel 49.7lit = 9.9 nmpl
So, average consumption 7.27 lph, endurance = 4.5hr, range (if 36lit) 356nm
Total from Seighford 1084nm 14:40, fuel 127.2lit = 73.9kt g/s, 8.7lph 8.52nm per lit
So theoretical still-air range at top notch if tank holds 36 lit = 306nm
Outgoings so far approx £600

Displays & practice Dala-Järna 2:10 35 lit

Dala-Järna – Torsby, high power 48nm :50
Torsby – Kjeller, high power 63nm :55
Kjeller to Rygge, formation 37nm :50
Practice Kjeller & Displays Rygge :50 32 lit

Rygge-Höganas, top notch, 1500ft, 3100rpm, 85ktTAS199nm 2:50 27lit 9.53lph £50
My SMS to Matt = At 1500ft after 2 hrs: 3100rpm ind (2800 true)105mph IAS, 80kt g/s, 10lph, on 2:45 leg, oil press 3 bar, temp 58°C.

Hoganas - Flensburg, top notch 146nm 1:55 18.2lit 9.92lph
Flensburg - Leer, top notch 115nm 1:45 16.5lit 9.43lph
Leer - Wevelgem, not all top notch due rain 227nm 3:15 28.8 lit 8.86lph
Total dist Rygge-EBKT 687, time 9:45, 90.5 lit = 70kt g/s, 9.28lph

Wevelgem - Lydd, top notch 87nm 1:25
Lydd - Goodwood, top notch 67nm 1:00

Tot dist Rygge - Goodwood 841, time 12:10, 111.5 lit = 69.1kt g/s, 9.164lph, 7.542nm/lit
So theoretical still-air range at top notch if tank holds 36 lit = 271nm

GRAND TOTAL x/c dist = 2073nm in 29:25 = 70.47kt (81mph) g/s, 257.7lit = 8.04nm/lit, 8.75lph, 45.8mpg. So theoretical average still-air range if tank holds 36 lit = 289nm

TOTAL FLYING HOURS (x/c, prac & disp) 32:40, total fuel 324.7 lit = 9.94lph

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 11:12 AM  

Bob,

I've located the text files but so far not the photographs. Pre-digital film photographs so if I find them I'd have to get them scanned, if there's anything relevant for this was in 2000. However, your reference to Matt's uncle's plea is for accounts of flights in the RF4. Mine, of course, is an RF3.

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 11:30 AM  

Same difference Donald,

The heading is 'what have you done with 39hp?'
You have 39hp (so, okay, now it's 42 or something with the 1400 motor) so your story is most definitely relevant.
And I think RF5 stories are all relevant too.
Maybe all Fournier stories - I would like to think so, but I've never spoken with Matt's uncle about this project.
I reckon the more info we give him, the better the book, and that it shoud encompass all of René's most excellent aeroplanes.

And this is the Fournier Forum, so all our readers will be interested in all of these stories, whether or not they ever get into any book.
Have you seen the viewing ifgures?
OK, it's sad that the most-read topic is the crashes, but I guess that's human nature.

This whole thread has sparked a lot of interest though, which is why I am putting so much effort into it when I should be making a welding jig for my Champ's leaking exhaust.
As I said to Matt last weekend, I spend so much time on rectification, I have little left for maintenance.

Please go ahead and post your narrative.
The photos can come later, when you've been able to scan them.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Donald
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Posted Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 11:41 AM  

Not very long ago I was sent some photographs of my RF3 looking very broken. Maybe I should post a couple of them for the enjoyment of the crowd.
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Posted Sunday, February 24, 2013 @ 03:12 PM  

I'd rather forgotten about sort of promising to post the write up of my trip to France in the RF3. I have not been able to find any photographs I may have taken on the trip so it's a words only account but it's not too long so maybe someone'll manage to get through it.
http://www.delta.vee.talktalk.net/RF3/Epinal%20by%20RF3.pdf
Here's my return journey from Epinal which you might enjoy. It's rather more eventful.
http://www.delta.vee.talktalk.net/RF3/Epinal%20return.pdf

[Edit by Donald on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 @ 06:58 PM]

Jorgen
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Posted Sunday, February 24, 2013 @ 04:54 PM  

Great story Donald,
thanks for sharing that!

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Monday, February 25, 2013 @ 04:23 AM  

Thank you Donald for an excellent account of your journey. We look forward to seeing some photos when you can find them.

I have only flown to Gap/Tallard once and Roanne once, and both times in the company of at least three other aeroplanes, although my Nordic odyssey was a solo venture. I do not find France or its charts easy for navigation, but at least their charts are better than the Australian ones, which are nothing short of awful. I would take the time to make many detailed and helpful suggestions as to how to improve them greatly, but the Aussies loathe ANY criticism, however constructive or well- intended, so that will have to wait until after I have completely retired from flying.

Until now, I have rarely ever used a GPS, except occasionally when flying new, high-performance aeroplanes for magazine flight-test articles, although I did carry as a spare, a little 1990 Garmin Flightmate Pro on my long Aussie outback flight and the Nordic one.

Now I have this iPad mini, I hope to secure it to the 'snail' wheel housing, where its dim screen might still be visible in daylight. Then I can follow some kind of moving map display.

Until then, eyeballs, chart and thumb rule!

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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Posted Monday, February 25, 2013 @ 04:11 PM  

Thanks Jorgen and Bob. Epinal was, of course, only the half way point and the return trip was much more eventful and I sure didn't get home on schedule. Maybe I should post the second part and give you a laugh at my misadventures.

I can't really speak about French charts since I was using Jeppeson but at one point on the return trying to correlate the the view on the ground with the chart the most prominent visible feature below was a canal bright in the sun like a laser shot across the countryside which Jeppeson chose not to bother with. I wasn't very impressed with that. My GPS on the trip was a non aviation and quite basic Magellan. No map, no preloaded database although it did display manually entered waypoints in a proper relationship to each other. It worked pretty well and I was certainly glad to have it along but it certainly wasn't the fastest device to update a changing position but non aviation so I may have been moving it faster than it was ever intended to go. In fact, shortly afterwards and as a direct result of my experience recrossing the channel I upgraded to a Garmin Pilot III, which I still use.

[Edit by Donald on Monday, February 25, 2013 @ 04:50 PM]

Jorgen
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Posted Monday, February 25, 2013 @ 07:17 PM  

HA,
I think we agree completely on the thumb-in-track vs electrickery type of navigation. Although when I flew home from the UK I had a Garmin III as a back up and at one point I had to rely on it completely (and it actually didn't fail me). I still have it and think it is perfectly adequate, thank you very much. And don't we all sound like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Incidently, Garmin does not have the best of reputations for supporting their products but rumour has it that when your GPS III dies, it can be revived by changing the internal battery.

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

[Edit by Jorgen on Monday, February 25, 2013 @ 07:19 PM]

Donald
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Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2013 @ 06:59 PM  

Just to say that I've uploaded the account of my return trip from Epinal in my earlier post.
Bob Grimstead
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Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2013 @ 09:47 AM  

That was a great narrative Donald. I was there in that cockpit with you every mile and worry of the way

I'm sure that, if you wanted to get greater coverage (and I would quite understand if you didn't) if you had half-a-dozen decent photos, including especially a nice, bright one of 'BP in the air (probably taken immediately after take-off or before landing, or during a low pass, perhaps taken from the roof of a nearby parked car, I stand on the roof of Land Rover) -- that can easily be made to look like an air-to-air shot if the Fournier is banked a little to fly around the camerman -- you should be able to get it published in Light Aviation, if you wanted to submit it. Of course one of her broken on the ground would help too.

Otherwise, the last part re-written a bit might make a good ILAFFT for Pilot, who, I think, pay £50, whereas LA don't pay anything (I don't think so, anyway).

Whichever you choose, and whether or not it gets to a wider audience, I thought is was a very well-written and riveting narrative, and conveys well all the many issuses (good and bad) of piloting our little darlings around Europe.

I really must force myself to shorten my Nordic Odyssey tale to less than 3,000 words to see if I can get it published in Pilot.

Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity, and every time a Fournier article, or even just a photo, appears in the general aviation press, it keeps up the prices of our investments.

Great work, and thoroughly enjoyable Donald. Thank you for going to all the trouble of writing it and then making it available to us.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2013 @ 05:10 PM  

Thanks Bob.

I wrote up the trip at the time for our local flyers newsletter so it just needed a little editing for posting here. The gear up incident at Brunton was originally a separate article and made much more of the aid afforded by my friends, some of it above and beyond the call of duty, their friends and contacts but of not much meaning to those who don't know them, so that had to be reintroduced in a much abbreviated form. And although it's now on the web and therefore in the public domain I'm not sure I want it in a magazine. In any case I don't have suitable photographs to make the thing more attractive to an editor. Certainly none of the RF3 in her red and white sunburst paint of the time.

Just the other day I uncovered my photographs of the trip and they are as I remembered, pictures of things on the ground at Epinal. I had no recollection of taking aerial shots out or back and so it proves to be. Slightly surprising though is the absence of any of her 'shot-down' at Brunton but perhaps I had run out of film. Pre digital remember, so a lot more limiting.

To make amends for the affront of that shortest ever landing I had her recovered and repainted shortly after as a way of saying 'sorry' to the mademoiselle's spirit. And the vivid recollection of the Magellan struggling to update our position and course after spiralling down mid channel aws the spur to upgrade to a more suitable GPS, the Garmin Pilot III.

I'd like to do it again some day, well, maybe not all of it, and who knows maybe one day I'll even make it to Gap. Que sera, sera.

[Edit by Donald on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 @ 05:12 PM]

Collin
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Posted Thursday, February 28, 2013 @ 12:15 PM  

Hi Guys,

My first RF4 flight 2,100 mile trip. The RF4 also had not flown for 7 years.

http://cfiamerica.com/trip.html

Collin

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Posted Thursday, February 28, 2013 @ 02:57 PM  

Thank you Collin for telling us about another epic Fournier trip. 2,000+ miles is a huge distance in one of these little airplanes, but dealing with that density altitude on just 39hp was a magnificent undertaking. I flew a 172 three-up around a few mountain airstrips and airports in Idaho (in the Sun Valley area) many years ago, and I well remember how very long some of those take-off runs were! And that airplane had a mixture control, which made all the difference to its performance. In the Fournier you can only open the throttle wide, wait and hope! Brilliant article, and excellent photos. Thank you very much for sharing it all with us.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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Posted Thursday, February 28, 2013 @ 04:27 PM  

That's an epic trip, Collin. and nice pictures too but what is that last picture? The one that looks like a shadow of the RF4 but cant be. As for the density altitude issue, that's something I will never have to deal with here in the UK. Even if I landed on our highest place on the hottest day of summer it'd be no more than half that.
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Posted Tuesday, March 5, 2013 @ 09:38 PM  

Hi,

When I was getting gas in Rock Springs, Wyoming 2pm in the afternoon. The gas boy said small airplanes don't take off this time of day. I said I just need to get to the clouds and I would be fine. Under power maybe 150 ft per minute. The thermals were almost 1,000 ft per minute. That helped crossing the Rockies. If I had done better flight planing would have cross the Rockies further North.

Last picture: It started to rain when I was getting gas. I moved the RF4 then took the picture. I always like this picture.

Take care

Collin

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Posted Tuesday, March 5, 2013 @ 10:06 PM  

That's a great, very atmospheric photo Collin!

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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Posted Wednesday, March 6, 2013 @ 04:31 AM  

Wow,
it must have been absolutely dead calm during that rainshower. Notice how even the outlines of the cowling is accurately "painted" by the rain. You might even get a hint of were the trim tab is located. And evidently you don't have a lifting handle, Collin?

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

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Posted Wednesday, March 6, 2013 @ 09:29 PM  

Hi Jörgen,

The early RF4D did not have pull handles. Mine is #4065. Does any one know when the Rf4s got the pull handles? #4097 has handles but #4098 does not.

Bob Grimstead
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Posted Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 00:07 AM  

Hi Guys,

I'm pretty sure those handles were a factory option.

And a warning. My lower back is now badly damaged, and I'm pretty sure that it was mainly caused by lifting HDO 4093 (the blue Aussie one) in & out of the hangar -- it has no handle, and to lift it properly you need one hand under each side of the horizontal stabilizer, which means twisting and bending your back at a very awkward angle. I had to move it backwards into my hangar with only 10 litres of fuel (two gallons) after aerobatics 16 times in 30 days, twice on the last day, and that's when my back gave out completely.

WGN, 4084, with its handle, can be lifted with a straight back, which is easier.

It is also much better if you're going to move your Fournier backwards, to fill the fuel tank and empty the baggage compartment first. You would be surprised what a big difference that makes to the tail weight.

Now, after 30+ days flat on my back in bed under doctor's orders, I can now walk, drive or sit for a maximum of 30 minutes each, but no flying because of the drugs.

As I've said elsewhere, I am now urgently pursuing the construction of three sets of swivelling tail wheels mod kits, plus two motorised tow bars for the Maule and the Champ. Plus never again lifting a Jerry can or a suitcase, or anything else heavier than ten kilos (22 pounds) and then only in an emergency!

And I don't think this is off-topic, because on long journey, it is very tempting to pull your RF4 straight back into an offered hangar, before refuelling and unloading, particularly if it's raining. Don't do it guys. It will stuff up your back -- if not then, eventually.

Don't you agree Jorgen?

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 00:09 AM]

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Bob Grimstead
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Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
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Posted Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 05:26 AM  

Hi Guys,

Search for: tail lift handle on RF4D and you will find it.

http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=yWLou3yTYTf87FhQLXaCbZST4D&forum=11&thread=648

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, March 28, 2013 @ 00:47 AM]

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Jorgen
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Posted Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 05:48 PM  

Bob,
I definitely concur and I'm sorry we didn't discuss this earlier- it might have saved your bac(k!)on. "SE-XST" has a modified, retractable lifting handle. I'm not sure who in the UK made it, but I'm sure the retracktable handle is not factory made. With it I can lift "XST"s tail with a straight back and I have to confess I also use my left hand under the stabilizer. It is probably not good for the stabilizer, but it certainly puts a lot less load on my back when I can put it under a symetrical load through both arms.

I honestly haven't really understood how you handle a 4 without the liftinghandle, so I have been worried everytime I've ran across comments about 4's with no handles. I guess I should have brought it up by asking y'awl. Lifting with a twisted back and also with the load a certain distance away from your spine puts an enormous extra momentum-amplified load on your spine. This is relevant for a lot of Aeroplane handling, which often includes awkward positions. And who gives a shit about your lumbar discs when it's your beloved Aeroplanes wellbeeing that's at stake?

Lifting handles on RF 5b's and I think 4's are fitted in a wooden fuselage reinforcment near the tail, so I'm also pretty sure it must have been a factory option. For all your backs out there I agree a swivelling tail wheel is a great option. And as you say Bob, on long journeys there is often additional stressors plus that the seating position can be challenging for your back during long flights- it certainly was for me during the ferry flight UK- Sweden. I was unaccustomed to the 4 and it took me a bit of tweaking after I got home to get a comfy position (mainly throw out the straight backrest and use the "parachute-basin" + a sleeping bag!) in the 4 that even my back can accept!

Once your back is better I think you should consider "core-stability"-type training, Bob. The best backbrace you can get is worne internally and is made of muscles.

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

[Edit by Jorgen on Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 05:54 PM]

Bob Grimstead
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Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

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Posted Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 09:49 PM  

Thanks Jorgen, and I completely agree with all you say.

Warm pool work (easy, our pool is solar-heated) started last week.

Core stability training started yesterday.

I hope to be able to fly again soon (4-6 weeks earliest though). Let's hope I haven't forgotten how to do it by then -- it's stick back for upwards, right?

Photos of my new tailwheel lifting and Fournier ground manoeuvring handle/towbar thingy to follow soon.

Photos of the swivelling tailwheel arrangement to come if/when I can remove my tailwheel, and then persuade my Austrian VW-expert buddy Mike to translate the drawings' text, and, maybe even better still, make the new components for three sets.

Seating issues to come in an appropriate post.

Thanks for the advice Jorgen, and, like you, I always thought that lifting and pulling HDO rearwards uphill into my hangar was doing my back no good at all. Now I have the CT scans to prove it!

Yours, Bob

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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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