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Woodstock turns 10 years old


Ed Cesnalis

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Also, I note she has the smaller vertical stab.

 

Question: have you flown a CT with the larger tail, and if so, tell us what's different in slow speed handling between the two.

 

She is a 2006 with the larger stab,  I have flown the smaller tail and the handling is similar but the rudder would go hard over and need opposite rudder to get it back, that's weird.

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Paint it...or buy a whole plane decal.

 

Beware, composites have much narrower temperature ranges than metal, and can lose strength at relatively low temperatures.  The Diamond DA-20 has a temperature indicator under the seat that indicates the airplane should not be flown at temps as low as 130°.  My CTSW has black N numbering, and on even moderately warm days the skin under and around the letters is hot to the touch.  On a really hot day it's almost too hot to touch for more than a second.

 

The color of the airframe can have a dramatic effect on how hot it gets.  Burt Rutan originally only allowed three colors for his composite designs like the LongEZ - white, a very light robin's egg blue, and light yellow.  He later said that that the yellow is really too hot, and the blue is marginal.  He highly recommends white, and that is the color of all his factory prototypes.

 

The composites in the CTs are slightly different from Rutan's, but still have temperature limits.  I wouldn't paint or vinyl wrap a CT a different color without first checking with the factory for suitability.

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Charlie, our 'Guppy' is only a couple of months behind you, and still looking and doing well with 1400hrs.

Remember our first gathering in McMinnville???  Our little baby's have done well since then.

I'm looking for another ten years....

(Roger Lee and John Horn CT's should be about the same age.....)

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Beware, composites have much narrower temperature ranges than metal, and can lose strength at relatively low temperatures.  The Diamond DA-20 has a temperature indicator under the seat that indicates the airplane should not be flown at temps as low as 130°.  My CTSW has black N numbering, and on even moderately warm days the skin under and around the letters is hot to the touch.  On a really hot day it's almost too hot to touch for more than a second.

 

The color of the airframe can have a dramatic effect on how hot it gets.  Burt Rutan originally only allowed three colors for his composite designs like the LongEZ - white, a very light robin's egg blue, and light yellow.  He later said that that the yellow is really too hot, and the blue is marginal.  He highly recommends white, and that is the color of all his factory prototypes.

 

The composites in the CTs are slightly different from Rutan's, but still have temperature limits.  I wouldn't paint or vinyl wrap a CT a different color without first checking with the factory for suitability.

 

Oh brother.  the CT comes with a lot of colored decals already.   The only color he should avoid is black for obvious reasons.

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