SuperStol ELT

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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

Tralika wrote:Any conventional gear aircraft can be flipped over on landing. All it takes is a little too much brake. However the long landing gear on the SS makes it easier to flip. Longer gear = longer arm between the surface and the center of gravity = increase moment. The video link will show you what it looks like with an experimental Cub with long gear. The Cub in the video did not go all the way over but others have. Not everybody that has done this talks about it, especially if they didn't mention it to the NTSB/FAA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1r0RsPIRkI
Ouch...ive never seen that video thx...i think i saw that same plane at Valdez quite a few years ago. I haven't seen a Superstol parked beside a Cub with regular extended gear(3" or 4") and 35's...but would a Cub with extended gear and 35's have about the same arm as a SuperStol...or would a SS still have more arm?
957DK
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by 957DK »

I have a little actual Ack-E04 ELT experience. I installed mine with a position feed from the GPS.

During maintenance I managed to unknowingly trigger the ELT, I then jumped in the plane and went flying. (yes, the battery in the audio alert had given up the ghost.) When other planes transmitted on their radios I could hear a muffled ELT signal in the background and wondered who had their ELT going off. As a matter of course I pushed the reset on my ELT and continued on my way not giving it a second thought. I was about 10 miles away from my home airport when my cell phone rang, it was an 800 number so I assumed it was spam and I ignored it. I flew for about a half hour went back, landed and got the plane back in the hangar. I looked at my phone again and realized the 800 caller had left a message. It turned out to be an Airforce Major with Search and Rescue stating they had received an ELT signal from my ELT! I figured I should probably give him a call back, so I did. While I was chatting with him my phone started to blow up with calls from my wife. Yep, they had notified her of the ELT signal and she assumed I was at the bottom of a smoking hole somewhere in a farm field in central Minnesota. As soon as I was done with Search and Rescue I tried to phone my wife and let her know all was well but the kind Major beat me to it. When I did get in touch with her she told me she didn't start to cry until she heard I was OK... Still not sure what to make of that. All of this took place in less than about 45 minutes. I saw a copy of the report as filed by S&R and they had my position pegged at about the spot I reset the ELT.

I always wondered if the money I spent on a 406mhz ELT was worth it, in my opinion it was. A little advice, mount the ELT where it is easy to get to. Mount the audio alert where it is easy to get to so changing the batteries is an easy job.

Dan Kretchmer
(Former Highlander owner)
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Tralika
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Location: Wasilla Alaska

Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by Tralika »

[quote=Ouch...ive never seen that video thx...i think i saw that same plane at Valdez quite a few years ago. I haven't seen a Superstol parked beside a Cub with regular extended gear(3" or 4") and 35's...but would a Cub with extended gear and 35's have about the same arm as a SuperStol...or would a SS still have more arm?[/quote]

I don't know which gear would be longer. The gear on the Cub in the video looks pretty long, maybe longer than a SS. I'm not sure how much difference a few inches more or less would make.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

957DK wrote:I have a little actual Ack-E04 ELT experience. I installed mine with a position feed from the GPS.

During maintenance I managed to unknowingly trigger the ELT, I then jumped in the plane and went flying. (yes, the battery in the audio alert had given up the ghost.) When other planes transmitted on their radios I could hear a muffled ELT signal in the background and wondered who had their ELT going off. As a matter of course I pushed the reset on my ELT and continued on my way not giving it a second thought. I was about 10 miles away from my home airport when my cell phone rang, it was an 800 number so I assumed it was spam and I ignored it. I flew for about a half hour went back, landed and got the plane back in the hangar. I looked at my phone again and realized the 800 caller had left a message. It turned out to be an Airforce Major with Search and Rescue stating they had received an ELT signal from my ELT! I figured I should probably give him a call back, so I did. While I was chatting with him my phone started to blow up with calls from my wife. Yep, they had notified her of the ELT signal and she assumed I was at the bottom of a smoking hole somewhere in a farm field in central Minnesota. As soon as I was done with Search and Rescue I tried to phone my wife and let her know all was well but the kind Major beat me to it. When I did get in touch with her she told me she didn't start to cry until she heard I was OK... Still not sure what to make of that. All of this took place in less than about 45 minutes. I saw a copy of the report as filed by S&R and they had my position pegged at about the spot I reset the ELT.

I always wondered if the money I spent on a 406mhz ELT was worth it, in my opinion it was. A little advice, mount the ELT where it is easy to get to. Mount the audio alert where it is easy to get to so changing the batteries is an easy job.

Dan Kretchmer
(Former Highlander owner)
thanks for sharing...this build will be my first aircraft with an ELT ...i wonder if any of the "smack down landings" in a Superstol have ever set off an ELT ?
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Tralika
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by Tralika »

[quote=" ...i wonder if any of the "smack down landings" in a Superstol have ever set off an ELT ?[/quote]

Assuming the correct ELT is installed according to the manufacturers instructions, it's not likely. The G switch in an airplane ELT is designed to function when forward travel stops abruptly, Eyeballs Forward. If it was designed to activate with a vertical G force, Eyeballs Down, it would activate every time someone made a firm landing. That's why you can't depend on an ELT to activate in a flip over crash. Not only is the force in a flip over in the wrong direction, Eyeballs Up, it may not be enough force to activate the G switch, normally about 2 to 2.5 Gs. Modern helicopter ELTs are designed with a multi-axis G switches, Eyeballs down, Eyeballs forward, not sure of Eyeballs Left or Right. So as long as you don't install a helicopter ELT in our SS you shouldn't have any problem.

Also, I disagree with the previous post about installing the ELT where it's easy to get to. The first priority should be in the most survival location. Most of the time that will be in the aft 1/3 of the fuselage. A little inconvenience when servicing the ELT is well worth increasing the likelihood of having a functioning ELT after a crash. The remote switch/indicator light & buzzer should absolutely be mounted in a highly visible easy to reach place. It's a good idea to use the remote switch for in flight emergencies, like an engine failure. Turn on the ELT during your preparation for any emergency landing. There is no rule that says you have to wait for the crash to initiate the Search & Rescue. If everything turns out alright, just turn it off and notify Flight Service. No harm no foul.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

Tralika wrote:[quote=" ...i wonder if any of the "smack down landings" in a Superstol have ever set off an ELT ?
Assuming the correct ELT is installed according to the manufacturers instructions, it's not likely. The G switch in an airplane ELT is designed to function when forward travel stops abruptly, Eyeballs Forward. If it was designed to activate with a vertical G force, Eyeballs Down, it would activate every time someone made a firm landing. That's why you can't depend on an ELT to activate in a flip over crash. Not only is the force in a flip over in the wrong direction, Eyeballs Up, it may not be enough force to activate the G switch, normally about 2 to 2.5 Gs. Modern helicopter ELTs are designed with a multi-axis G switches, Eyeballs down, Eyeballs forward, not sure of Eyeballs Left or Right. So as long as you don't install a helicopter ELT in our SS you shouldn't have any problem.

Also, I disagree with the previous post about installing the ELT where it's easy to get to. The first priority should be in the most survival location. Most of the time that will be in the aft 1/3 of the fuselage. A little inconvenience when servicing the ELT is well worth increasing the likelihood of having a functioning ELT after a crash. The remote switch/indicator light & buzzer should absolutely be mounted in a highly visible easy to reach place. It's a good idea to use the remote switch for in flight emergencies, like an engine failure. Turn on the ELT during your preparation for any emergency landing. There is no rule that says you have to wait for the crash to initiate the Search & Rescue. If everything turns out alright, just turn it off and notify Flight Service. No harm no foul.[/quote]

Thanks for the info
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BDA
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by BDA »

I have made some hard flops and no ELT trigger. Shocks are amazing!

As for easy to flip a Superstol vs a cub...
Its all about axle placement and cg.
Most serious cub guys move axle forward of cg w extended gear to get a heavier tail.

I added airfoil to my tail because the superstol XL tail is so heavy (85#) at flight attitude.
A piper is MUCH easier to nose over - but thats a story for a different beer.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: SuperStol ELT

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

BDA wrote:I have made some hard flops and no ELT trigger. Shocks are amazing!

As for easy to flip a Superstol vs a cub...
Its all about axle placement and cg.
Most serious cub guys move axle forward of cg w extended gear to get a heavier tail.

I added airfoil to my tail because the superstol XL tail is so heavy (85#) at flight attitude.
A piper is MUCH easier to nose over - but thats a story for a different beer.
Wonder what a PA 18 with stock gear and a Titan engine, would be at tail in flight attitude ?
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