Hi! Introduction and some questions

[SkyrangerRich]

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying my first CT. It's a 2006 CTSW with approx 600 hours on the engine and airframe. I'm based in the UK, I know this is largely a US forum, but I've spent a long time lurking and it's the best CT resource on the internet. I hope you don't mind an international imposter!

I'm moving over from a Skyranger, a very popular microlight in Europe, it's also got a 912 in the front and weighs a similar amount to the CT, but the performance is light years behind (90mph cruise at 4800rpm). 

I know the particular CT I'm buying fairly well, it's lived next to my Skyranger in the hangar for 3 years. The current owner bought it from the family of the original owner (who had died), he's ordered a brand new CTSS. 

My first job will be to refresh the instrument panel, keeping the D180, but fitting a new radio and transponder and upgrading the switches etc. Current owner is not the most technically minded pilot, so there's a couple of sockets and switches which he doesn't use and doesn't know what they are for. I'm hoping you can help. 

The 2 gold sockets and the button below in the attached picture. Any idea? A trawl through Google images shows other CTs with similar installed. 

Also, I suspect I'm not the first person to put in new panels. Do any of you have patterns for the outline of the "mushroom" panels that I can give to a engineering shop to cut out? Are the placards for the throttle, flaps etc available anywhere?

Apologies that I've rambled on and turned this into such a long post. 

Many thanks,

Rich

 

 

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I have a 3.5mm audio jack into the intercom system in that location on my 2007 CTSW...it looks like somebody upgraded yours to better connectors and added a second one.

[SkyrangerRich]

Thanks for the reply.

So a separate intercom output, over and above the twin plug outputs on the intercom system itself? What use is it? All I can come up with is the ability to record audio?

Once the aircraft is formally signed over to me, I'll have to trace where they go. 

[Tom Baker]

Normally an audio input jack to hear music in your headset over the aircraft intercom. Not sure why there would be 2. The other looks like a circuit breaker, but without a label you will need to pull the panel ant trace the wires to find out what for. I suppose it could be a push button switch too.

[SkyrangerRich]

Thanks Tom. Makes sense. I'll be removing the current intercom, so hopefully these sockets can go too, trying to remove "clutter". 

Does anyone know if patterns for the panels are available anywhere?

(Or whether new panels are available to buy?)

 

 

[Tom Baker]

Airtime Aviation here in the states might haver a file for CNC cutting, but your best bet is to contact Flight Design directly.

[KentWien]

Flight Design USA has one in stock for the CTsw with all placards, however no holes are cut out. 

[SkyrangerRich]

Thanks for your help all. 

I've contacted FD. 

[SkyrangerRich]

Hi all. 

I'm now the very happy owner of my 2006 CTSW. 

Weather here pretty unpleasant, so spent a couple of hours with it in the hangar, just looking around and feeling smug. 

My BRS has got two stiff cables that seem to come out of the top of the rocket and into the parachute pack. For some reason, this doesn't seem quite right. You can see them in the attached picture. 

There are a couple of chips in the gelcoat that I'd like to touch up. Is there an off the shelf product that's a good colour match?

Thanks!

 

 

[Tom Baker]

Your chute is different than the typical BRS here in the states. those 2 cables are attached to the rocket for deployment of the chute. the black traps are the harness.

As for touch up the finish is actually paint, not gelcoat. Gelcoat is typically applied in the mold as part of the molding process. Flight designs are finished outside the mold. I would try and get a suitable match locally. I believe the typical color is a Lamborghini white.

[SkyrangerRich]

Thanks Tom. 

It had a new parachute fitted in 2010 - I don't know why. Which do you all have?

Lamborghini white! Even the paint is special. This little airplane gets better and better!

[sandpiper]

Wait until you have to pay for the paint!!

[SkyrangerRich]

Ha. I hadn't considered that!

If anyone has a really good match and has the paint code, I'd really appreciate it. 

I mentioned up thread that I wanted new instrument panels. Flight Design do supply them, but they are 150euros each. I'm going to get a local engineering shop to make me some using the old one as templates I think. 

[Tom Baker]

2 hours ago, SkyrangerRich said:

Thanks Tom. 

It had a new parachute fitted in 2010 - I don't know why. Which do you all have?

Here in the states the only one I have seen is BRS 1350HS.

[Roger Lee]

He has the European model with the soft pack chute. It is lighter than ours.

[WmInce]

Paint color is very common.

It’s “JetGlo White.”

Several paint manufacturers carry it. I do not have any particular brand recommendation. Perhaps others have their favorites which have worked out well.

[CT2K]

On 2/1/2019 at 10:59 PM, Roger Lee said:

He has the European model with the soft pack chute. It is lighter than ours.

Are these  guys in the UK still in Europe after the BREXIT?

Hi SkyrangerRich (I guess you’re upgrading to CTSWRich) and welcome to the forum. From experience with this forum, people are knowledgeable and very patient and helped me learn a lot about my CT.

I am located in Lille, north of France. As you can see, nobody’s perfect

I don’t know how far you are from Peterborough, but there’s a guy over there who works resin and fiber and who knows CT planes inside out. If you’re in that area maybe you can get him have a look at your CT.

Congrats for your CTSW !

[mikey70]

Most modern automotive paint shops (at least here in the states) have a machine that can color match if you can bring them a component. One of the wheel pants or the spinner  should do the trick. Mine need repainting and that's how I will handle it. 

[Runtoeat]

Yup, computer color matching is the way to go.  Most auto and paint shops here in U.S. have the scanners.  I would imagine U.K. has these too.  As Mike says, bring in a part from your CT and have this scanned.  I did this and had the shop mix up auto enamel paint and put this in a rattle can (spray can). If you're good using a airbrush or sprayer even better.  I had two rattle cans filled and the left over put into a small paint can.  If you can't find templates online, I would remove the instruments from the panels so the panels can be laid flat and then trace their outlines, including bolt hole locations.  You mention that you're organizing the instrument panel, this is a good time to do the panels.

[SkyrangerRich]

We're still in Europe for the time being and are hoping that this ridiculous Brexit is eventually just quietly dropped....

I've made some progress on my questions above. Decided to ask Flight Design to make me up the instrument panels, although (much!) more expensive than having a local engineering shop copy the current ones, it is much easier and will mean that my plane has much less time out of action while I swap over. I provided Flight Design with a very rough sketch of what I need and they were happy to make them up. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out. Will post pictures here. Flight Design also sending me a brand new set of cockpit stickers so that I can make the inside look brand new. 

As for paint, a UK Flight Design distributor gave me a paint code (RAL 9016). It appears to be a very common colour for PVC window frames! I've bought a very small pot and the match appears to be spot on. 

I've not been able to fly my CT yet due to weather so have spent hours tracing wiring and removing bits. It was originally specified with a Bendix King Sky Map in the P2 panel, which has long since been replaced by an iPad. I've been able to remove two switches a redundant GPS module and about 6ft of wiring no longer required.