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Messages - Brett Lovett

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76
Documentation / Re: Gear mods
« on: January 20, 2012, 07:59:43 PM »
Agreed.  Factory mishap and never sold.  I believe the accident was before certification was complete.  As I recall there was some type of magneto issue that caused an engine failure during a test flight.

77
Documentation / Re: Culver Factory Service Memorandums
« on: January 20, 2012, 12:35:11 AM »
Good stuff Paul.  I think my list is on my old computer at home.  What you're showing looks like everything I remember though.  When I get home I'll post my list if I can find it.  Maybe together we can fill in some of these gaps.  It would be nice to have the full list of Culver Service Memorandums, for all models.

Service memo 5 also unofficially applies to Serial Number 329.

78
Documentation / Re: Gear mods
« on: January 20, 2012, 12:19:21 AM »
My understanding is:

The prototype Culver Model L had the following features which were excluded from all production LCA and LFA model aircraft: 
Landing gear doors
Fuel tanks in the wing (forward of the main spar/wing walk area).

All of the production Cadets had the following features which were not included on the Prototype Model L:
Wing slots
Sharp leading edge (later removed by a service memo)
Fuselage fuel tank

I believe Foster Lane (who did the first flight on the prototype) wrote in his book that the wing slots were added by Al Mooney in an attempt to solve a spin recovery issue just prior to certification.  I'll have to dig his book out again, but I recall there was some implication that this was done hastily without ever confirming that the wing slots were THE thing that solved the spin issue.  In my opinion, the other changes may have also been hastily done in interest of solving the spin issue (don't forget that power-off spins would have had to have been accomplished with the gear and gear doors extended because of the throttle/gear interlink) without any individual testing.

Also to avoid any confusion, the Culver Cadet hanging in the terminal building at the Port Columbus International Airport is not the prototype (s/n 101) that Foster Lane flew although it has been mistakenly identified as such.  It is s/n 100 which was apparently built as a test article and later completed and sold.  The prototype s/n 101 was destroyed in an accident.

79
Culver General Discussion / Re: Mechanical landing gear
« on: January 12, 2012, 11:28:16 PM »
While I only got to try this a few times, my procedure for lowering the gear was:  Make sure the airplane is trimmed for level flight.  Left hand pulls the top of the wheel to left to release the ratchet while right hand moves selector lever to the unlock position.  Move right hand to the wheel THEN move left hand back to stick while snubbing/monitoring rotation of wheel with right hand.  Use right hand to move wheel top of wheel to right (against downstop) if necessary.  Use right hand to move selector to lock position. 

I do not recommend the "hold the stick between your legs" method.  I tried that a few times and ended up moving the stick (and airplane) all over the place while trying to manipulate the landing gear controls.  It's best (IMHO) just to get the airplane trimmed up nice, and let go of the stick for the short time when both hands are needed for the landing gear.

When I first got my Cadet, the downstop on the gear was considerably misadjusted.  Once the gear was down, I'd have to hunt around for the locking holes by moving the wheel around with one hand while simultaneously trying to move the selector with the other.  After the downstop adjustment it was a simple matter of getting the gear to the downstop and then moving the selector, both on sawhorses and in-flight.

The dashpot was pretty much empty when I got the plane.   After filling it, it didn't seem to make a great difference in the speed of extension.   I'm still afraid to let go of the wheel for fear of banging the downstop.

80
Documentation / Re: Culver Models
« on: January 07, 2012, 12:12:31 AM »
Additional variations of Culver models produced post-Culver:

Dart GC (Applegate & Weyant)

Lark 95 (Lark Aviation/Helton)


Additionally Army PQ-8As and Navy TDC-2s could be 'remodeled' as a Jamieson J-1 making them legal for civilian operation on a standard airworthiness certificate.  Charles Jamieson, a former Culver engineer, obtained a group 2 type certificate authorizing this conversion/redesignation after World War II.  The Jamieson J-1 is not to be confused with the Jamieson J-2 "Jupiter" which was a completely new design.

81
Culver General Discussion / Re: Cadet Brakes
« on: January 06, 2012, 11:58:06 PM »
Desser has the Goodyear 5.00-4 6 ply tires new at $263.00 each and retread at $165.00 each.  I believe the correct tubes are $75.67 each.  Desser carries Aero Classic tubes which I found to be better quality than the original Goodyear tubes.  I originally purchased Goodyear tubes for mine and found they were leaking through several pinholes in the area where the valve stem was vulcanized to the tube.  I had them replaced by Aero Classic tubes which worked fine.

82
Documentation / Culver Models
« on: January 06, 2012, 11:48:43 PM »
I'm hoping to start some discussion of Culver's various models.  I've been able to identify the following models that were either manufactured or planned by Culver.  Anyone know of any others, or any corrections to this list?

Dart G  (First four manufactured by Monocoupe before design was sold to Knight Culver.)
Dart GK
Dart GW

LCA
LFA
LCB  (Temporary experimental configuration)
LCC  (Temporary experimental configuration)
LAR  (Army A-8, XPQ-8)
L-AR-90 (Army PQ-8)  (Navy TDC-1)
LARB (Army PQ-8A)  (Navy XTDC-2, TDC-2)

MR (Army XPQ-10)  (Cancelled before completion.)

NR-B (Army XPQ-9)  (Destroyed in flight test accident.)
NR-D (Army YPQ-14A, PQ-14A, YPQ-14B, PQ-14B)  (Navy TD2C-1)

??  (Army XPQ-15)  (Navy TD3C-1)  (Culver designation unknown.  Uncertain if any were built/delivered.)

V
V-2  (Navy TD4C-1/XUC-1K)  (2 delivered to U.S. Navy)

83
Culver General Discussion / Re: Cadet Brakes
« on: January 06, 2012, 10:44:14 PM »
I read through all the NTSB accident reports for the Culver Cadets and found only one accident report related to expander tube brakes, and the pilot in the report calls them "Goodyear 'expanded tube' brakes".   I question his "known to lock up if overheated" statement, as I've never heard that from any other source.  The only other report I can find that relates to a brake failure cites a "broken rotor disk" so obviously not expander tubes.

I also have Hayes/Goodrich expander tube brakes on my Piper Vagabond, and I'm entirely satisfied with their operation.

The best reason for abandoning the expander tube brakes is the cost and scarcity of replacement parts, particularly if you do not have tailwheel steering.  I believe the Grove brakes are the best replacement option as they are designed for use with existing 4 inch wheels and are a direct replacement for the expander tube brakes, however they are not STC'ed for use on Culver Aircraft. 

84
Modifications / Re: Tail wheels
« on: January 06, 2012, 11:43:23 AM »
Paul

I believe I found those drawings in the library at the Antique Airplane Association/Air Power Museum at Blakesburg, IA.  Brent Taylor would be the contact there.  I can't remember right now if I had copies of those drawings made.  I'll look later and see if I have those, or any references to them in my notes.   

As I recall, the standard rudder cable ran from the rudder bar, under the pulley on in the floor, and then used a clevis to attach to two cables, one to the rudder and one to the tailwheel.  It's similar to some steering installations I've seen (including the one on mine) although the cable routing is different.  The potential issue is having the tailwheel steering springs pulling the steering cables enough to create slack in the rudder cables (aft of the clevis or connecting point between the rudder and steering cables).  I've seen other installations that utilize a pivoting bar to isolate the steering cable tension from the rudder cable system.  On most tailwheel aircraft the rudder horn provides the tension isolation between the rudder cables and steering springs.

Brett

85
Documentation / Re: Certificate of Airworthiness
« on: January 06, 2012, 11:26:21 AM »
Thanks Bill.  I see what you're talking about now.  I'll have to get the disks out for my aircraft and look at the ACA-305a's.

86
Documentation / Re: Certificate of Airworthiness
« on: January 06, 2012, 12:43:51 AM »
Bill,

I did find that I have an ACA-1362 in my other airplane, with a rubber stamp adding the wording for the permanent certificate, and the FAA shows in their records the correct airworthiness date of 5/18/1956.  I also have another project that is missing an airworthiness certificate, but the FAA shows an airworthiness date of 12/09/1957 for it.  However my Culver, for which I have an airworthiness certificate issued in 1977, shows no airworthiness date in the FAA records.  Apparently in my case it's only the new FAA issued certificate that the FAA has no record of being issued.

Brett

87
Modifications / Re: Tail wheels
« on: January 05, 2012, 10:56:28 PM »
I have seen Culver factory drawings for the installation of a steering system for the tailwheel. 

88
Culver General Discussion / Re: Cadet Brakes
« on: January 05, 2012, 10:51:49 PM »
I have the expander tube brakes, but the original master cylinders have been replaced.  I can't remember the brand of the new ones, but they are large, vertically mounted cylinders.

89
Culver General Discussion / Culver Ornament
« on: January 05, 2012, 12:54:27 PM »
In case anyone here missed this.

http://www.amazon.com/Culver-Cadet-Limit-Hallmark-Ornament/dp/B00659B8CE

90
Culver General Discussion / Re: For you Culver guys
« on: January 05, 2012, 12:48:12 PM »
I don't believe that Culver equipped any LFA models with the 90 Franklin, so I doubt there's any documentation for a recommended prop for that model.  However the Model L-AR-90 (Army PQ-8) was equipped with the Franklin 4AC-199-E-4 (Army YO-200-1).  The library at University of Texas at Dallas has a copy of the Culver Aircraft Corporation Specification No. 13 for the L-AR-90 in it's Al Mooney collection.  It specifies a Sensenich 70AB56 propeller.

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