Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/149316
M a k in g D o W h e n t h e K i t D o e s n ' t A r r i ve weren't well known. So there was a learning curve to be managed. Victor said, "I bought the $45 Wheeler test kit that included three pieces of fiberglass, two cores, some fabric, and the vinyl resin used in the layup. I built the test pieces and brought the pieces to my local EAA chapter to evaluate my workmanship. Composite construction was pretty new, and most of the members didn't know if what I did was good or bad. What I learned from the test kit was that I didn't know enough to build a composite airplane. So, I went to a SportAir Composite Workshop that was running near me. It was a good move and gave me a lot of knowledge and confidence in what I was about to do. "When I started building, the only manual available was for the wings, and from that point on it was every builder for himself. We had to figure it out for ourselves. Fortunately, the Auriga group worked together and helped each other in many areas. Plus, we did a few things you don't expect of homebuilders. For instance, the lower fuselage has the wing carry-through in the lower half, so we had the entire wing structure load-tested to confirm that it was as strong as it was supposed to be." Although the aircraft started as a Wheeler, the Auriga group made a lot of changes. Among other things, the rear fuselage lines were changed slightly to allow it to be stiffer, and the empennage was modified considerably. "The Wheeler had all torque tubes in nylon bushings, which caused aileron binding in flight," Victor said, "but in the Auriga they are all ball bearings. The rudder still uses cables, but the elevator, which had been cables, is now push-pull tubes." It takes only a casual examination of the airplane to see that Victor definitely had his own ideas of what he thought an airplane should include. Some of those features are rooted in his knowledge of electricity and his willingness to not only come up with his own solutions for problems but also to design his own subsystems. One of the first things noticed when glancing in the cockpit is an unusual flat console in the lower center of the instrument panel. It's hard to describe it, but basically it is an outline of the airplane with warning lights and strip indicators for various functions. He can, for instance, just glance at the panel and see how much fuel is in each of his four fuel tanks (92 gallons total!) and which tank he is feeding from at any moment. Trim and flap settings have similar indicator lights. And there are warning lights for every lock in the airplane, including the seat and door locks. There are even parking brake and cowling lock warning 24 Vol.2 No.8 /August 201 3 lights. It's a masterpiece of homebuilt engineering and far in excess of what is normally seen on general aviation airplanes. But then, that's what homebuilding is all about. Victor's airplane is a tour de force of tiny, innovative details. Even the removable boarding step shows a lot of clever imagination in its simplicity and function. Victor said that from the beginning he had intended on using an auto engine because of cost and because he wanted newer technology. Among those he considered were several V-8s including the Cadillac Northstar. His final choice, however, was the Subaru 3.3-liter SVX. He said, "The Subaru SVX puts out 240 hp at 6,000 rpm and was lighter than the V-8s. Plus, its flat, aircraft-like layout meant that it fit the Auriga's nose profile much better, although the intake does protrude above the cowl line; so I had to fair that in. It takes only a casual examination of the airplane to see that Victor definitely had his own ideas of what he thought an airplane should include. "I started out with an available planetary, inline reduction unit but lost a bearing in it almost immediately. Now I have a Gear Drives Inc. direct gear unit that worked, but a defective gear surfaced. So, I found matching gears that are readily available from the guys who run monster trucks. It has worked flawlessly for well more than 100 hours now." One feature about his prop drive unit that is unique and raises eyebrows on start-up is that the prop is not connected directly to the engine. It is connected to the reduction unit by a centrifugal clutch that hooks up to the propeller at 600 rpm. So, as the engine is initially cranking, the propeller doesn't turn until the engine is already beginning to run. It looks a lot like a turbine in that respect. "I decided to use an in-flight adjustable prop from Ivo but was not happy with the thought of brushes (which change the pitch) riding on slip rings all the time. So, I devised a way to retract them from the slip rings and only engage when I change pitch. This saves on brush wear. "When first running the engine, I tried using the computer system from [a Subaru] car, but there were