DbyD's Summer O Fun Update

I just logged my 194th flight. That combined with bunny hill flights brings my total up to 236 flights, just 14 more for the advanced requirement (250). I have also passed the written exam (on the first try) and did my 3 spot landings. All I need is those 14 flights and I get to brag to my friends that I am Advanced!

I am also have a personal record going for consecutive days flown. Right now it sits at 14 days. I have only missed flying on 2 days this month and my Sport 2 already has over 53 hours on it!

I also wanted to mention that I have re-done my personal web site. . Its nothing fancy, just simple links to what I have. There is also an iPhone version, which will automatically be displayed when you navigate to the site on an iPhone or iPod Touch:



The coolest think about the iPhone version is that I was able to get all my videos up and in a format the the iPhone/iPod Touch can read. They should stream fine over wifi and if you have the new 3G iPhone (and have 3G coverage) they will stream over the cell network too. Its a bit slow over 3G right now, but the videos are definitely watchable. I might be able to compress the videos a bit which will make it easier/faster to stream... Will have to play with it.



That's all for now folks.

.::summer statistics::.
Flights - 26 + 7 bunny hill (Since June 26th)
Hours - 24.5
Rounds of Golf Played - 2
Projects Completed - 2

DbyDs Summer Project #1 - Camera Boom!

With no school and no work I have no excuses for not actually working on some of the projects I have been meaning to get to. Up first was a boom mount for making cool videos Cool. Thanks to Jeff OB for the inspiration.

I raided Rob McKenzie's hang glider bone yard for some tubbage and came up with a few pieces, an old washout strut and tip batten, that made up the boom. To mount the camera to the boom I just got another Ultra-Pod II [http://www.rei.com/product/777250] and bolted to the end of the boom.

The tricky part was mounting the boom to the basetube. I needed something strong because even though my camera only weighs something like a half pound, it creates a rather large moment when put at the end of a 4 foot boom. I didn't think a vario mount would be strong enough, they are not designed to resist large moments. I cut up a cardboard box and built several mock-ups before finding something that I thought would work and I would be able to build. Here is the bracket:



I machined it down from a solid block of scrap aluminum. Wall thickness is about .25 inch. Pressed, threaded inserts were used because tapping into aluminum is only good for the first time you over tighten the screws. thumbsup . The holes were precision drilled with a CNC Mill Cool, one in the center and 5 more spaced 30 degrees apart. This allows the boom to be adjusted in 30 degree increments. The grooves on the top are for the zip ties I use to attach it to the basetube.

The mouth shaped grooves were also cut using a CNC Mill. I got a cross-section drawing of the basetube from the WillsWing website and imported it into SolidWorks to trace the profile:



With the help of an experienced machinist, a family friend Larro Russo (Ace Precision Products) we created a CNC program from the SolidWorks drawing using MasterCam. Making the cut proved to be tricky because it was difficult to mount the part in the machine in a way that it did not vibrate too much. We had to take light cuts, 0.050" at a time. Here is a crappy cell phone picture of the cutting in action:



and the Bracket again (I lined the inside of the "mouth" with double-sided tape with the backing still on. This adds some friction, makes a tighter fit and keeps the bracket from scratching up my basetube.):



Next up is the part that joins the round boom with the flat basetube bracket. At first I tried just hammering the end of the boom flat, drilling holes and bolting it down, but it was way to flimsy. So I went over to the scrap metal shop and bought a $5 bar of round aluminum. Cut it down to size and turned it in the lathe so it would fit inside the boom. Then Milled the end flat on both sides and drilled some holes:



here it is assembled and on the glider:







Its a bit wobbly so I tied a string between the camera and the keel where the downtubes join. In this position the string does not interfere with any part of the glider's operation. The string works good at getting rid of the up/down movement, but it still wobbles side-to-side. Its not too bad though as the test video will show Wink.

I decided to try the boom out on the training hill first, but with no Rob around with the Gator I had to do it the old fashion way and hike my glider up the hill. The glider flew fine and I did not notice any trim changes. But then again I was flying faster than trim for the whole flight.

Overall I am pretty pleased at how it came out. I built the bracket in such a way that it could be a sort-of universal mount for what ever in the future I may dream up. I may also build several booms each with a slightly different camera angle (I would like to see more of the wing in the frame.)

Test Video

DbyD's Summer O' Fun Begins!

I have officially graduated college:


Transcript wrote:
DEGREE CONFERRED:

Bachelor of Science

PLAN: Aerospace Engineering

DATE CONFERRED: JUNE 13, 2008

OVERALL GPA 2.99


Me with my Parents (I was very much hung over from the night before)


and my last day of work was last Thursday. I am officially free for the summer, which means lots of flying! I do not have a job lined up and don't plan on searching for a while. I have some money saved up so I can just relax and enjoy life for a while.

I flew Thursday, Friday, today and you can bet I will be out tomorrow as well.

Me soaring over Marshall Peak:


Landing at Andy Jackson Airpark (note all the new grass!)


A goal of mine for the summer is to get to H4. To get there I need:

-45 flights
-3 spot landings (should be able to get them somewhere in those 45 flights I need)
-pass written test

I'm getting pretty good at spot landing my Sport2, but Rob requires one of the three be from the opposite pattern than what we normally fly (right hand approach in instead of left.) Of my last 2 attempts I was way long on one and a bit short on the other, next time should be just right Wink

Some other things for the summer:

-Build camera booms/mounts for cool pictured and video (in progress...)

-Make more HG videos (in progress...)

-Play some golf. I took a golf class my last quarter in school because I needed 1 more unit so I would be eligible for work. It kinda got be back into golf. I played last weekend with my friend at Camp Pendleton and it was some pretty good times. A little golf in the AM and flying in the PM sounds like a good day to me.

-I am also contemplating a trip up to Point of the Mountain. I have wanted to fly there since I started flying and I probably wont get a better chance than this summer. Maybe if I can sell my Falcon to pay for the trip....


.::summer statistics::.
Flights - 3 (Since June 26th)
Hours - 3.4
Rounds of Golf Played - 1