"...in case I should meet the coroner." Made me laugh but always good to keep in mind around airplanes, especially on test flights. The Groppo got off and climbed out well. The KR2 seemed anxious to reconnect with the earth. 75 mph on approach looked plenty slow enough. What's the empty weight? Fun video, Nick. Thanks for bringing us along.
Good to see this video was still primarily footage of G-AEFT. A real classic and much more interesting to me. When I was a boy I was inspecting a KR 2 parked at a fly in held in California. Suddenly the canopy popped open and Ken Rand popped up, he had been in the plane taking a nap. He proceeded to give me a rundown on his airplane. A cheerful and chipper guy he was very accommodating to his young visitor.
Wonderful video; thank you for taking us along on your adventures. The tailwheel on your Aeronca looks like it came from a shopping trolley, though, if I might dare to say....Is that a recent installation?
@@MemphisBBQ640 It is indeed made from a shopping trolley swivel and a spare solid tyre wheel. It takes 30 seconds to bolt the swivel to the skid and is rarely used (as I don’t generally visit tarmac runways). The wheel and swivel were removed as soon as I returned to Roche. The ground handling on grass is much better with a skid, hence not using a wheel.
@@bentonbee1 The pasture belongs to the aircraft owner’s family and is well maintained. Fox holes aren’t much of a problem in the UK. The surface wasn’t too bad and ,although the grass was quite long, it was dry. The Groppo doesn’t care anyway!
I visited St Merryn back in the winter of 1976 / 1977 to retrieve a poorly Beagle Terrier that had come to grief there. I believe it was owned by the farmer. We towed the remains back to North Wales on a large trailer behind an ex GPO Commer van, I was the designated driver,not a pleasant drive! I seem to remember the registration was G-ASOM ?. Anyhow the Beagle went on to fly again 👍
G'day, Yay Team ! Peak British General Aviation...; Flying off in an Aeronca C-3, to conduct a spot of Test Flying on a Homebuilder's Light Sport Aircraft...! Both those Aeroplanes seem to be very good at what their Designer was trying to achieve..., and you did a very nice job of taking us along for the ride...; thankyou, very much indeed. One of my (more narcissistic ?) little claims to being more of an Autodidactic Mad-Scientist than a Dunning-Kreuger afflicted Lunatic (?) ; is that I'm the only person within hundreds of miles in all directions who's successfully maidened their own artifact of Pop-Rivetry & Hairygoplane Design modifications, behind a Propeller personally designed and handmade..., commencing the Flight Test Program after a lapse of 10 years being utterly groundbound....(!). So, yeah, I really did enjoy this. I equipped the Jensen ( 22hp VJ-24w...) with a Spring-deployed BRS Parachute though ; so once I'd climbed sufficiently high, then Structural Failure or loss of control did have that installed, ready and available, as a "safe" way out of trouble. At the moment..., on YT among others I'm avidly following Scott Mathews Channel & Dynodon74 Channel..; Scott has just finished painting his Sopwith Camel, and is about to hang the Rotec Rally on it's mountings..., and Don is rectifying the Dings done unto his Turbocharged Subaru W.A.R. Corsair, when his castoring retractable Tailwheel alighted while it was apparently stuck in full Right Rudder position... Thus initiating a sudden Runway-excursion onto Grass with Nose-over, Prop-damage and finishing up inverted...; and now Don is confidently rebuilding the Planetary Reduction Gearbox, after complete disassembly for inspection, while simultaneously rebuilding the Ply/Foam/ Glassfibre Fin & Rudder Tips..., and ordering new a new sheet of Perspex to cook and mould his replacement Canopy Bubble...(!). Absolutely fascinating, both projects... By contrast, it took me 13 hours over 3 days last week to apply the Nursing Process (Assess, Plan, Implement, Evaluate....; & then start again...) to my Motorbike's broken cast-Aluminium Light-Mounting Bracket, and moulded Nylon Blinker-light Stalks - after discovering that Motorbikes which are tarpaulined-up against Rain & Sun, akso require to be tied down, like a little Aeroplane..., against the Wind ! Apparently the newly installed ground-mounted Adjustable Solar Panels also function as Stator-Vanes to direct Wind-gusts coming into the Clearing from the South, arounf the corner.., to blow directly onto the parked Bike's Tarp'ed up, rounded, rear-end (Pannier-Bags under the Tarp.). Who knew..., that Low-Speed Aerodynamic Boundary-Layer Turbulent-Flow Analysis - is required to be applied ; in order to safely tarp.-up and park a little Motorbike...? Until Tuesday night, I had no clue about that... I definitely got a good giggle at the Haircut, Shave, and Clean Clothes - just(ifiably ?) in case the Coroner said "Hello...", later on, in the day...! Back in 1994, when Canada John spun in while looking at a Sheep convulsing from Pregnancy Toxaemia, while he was turning from Base onto Finals, in mild to severe Turbulence....: On the one hand..., because I knew his name (John William Robson...), it fell to me to go with the PoLice to identify him, at the Mortuary..., And in the other hand..., because he'd been coming to me for advice about Aeroplanes - I felt obliged to contact his father and explain what had occurred, kinda thing (and for the first 5 years, he'd stayed safe by following my advice to steer clear of them, entirely, because he was good at doing other things, entirely - but he REALLY wanted to own & fly his own little Aeroplane..., so despite forebodings, I tried...). However the International Diplomatic Protocols dictated that I had to wait until after my local Cop Shop had informed me that Oz & Canada had confirmed that the Mounties had first informed John's Father..., so 3 days after he crashed I happened to be back at the Cop-Shop, inquiring as to the state of play - when the Glebe Island Coroner's Morgue telephoned the Glen Innes Police - very hot under the collar... The caller was loud enough that from across the counter I heard them enquire if the locals had searched Johnny, before sending him down to Sydney, and I heard the story that, yes, he was indeed searched, and that because he'd had a bag of Weed in his Coat-pocket, therefore they'd also searched his car at the Airport, finding more Weed & a .22" Rimfire Rifle & some Ammunition therein... (Canadians are Norte ArmedmeriKanos, and they all like to have a firearm available for "plinking"..., & Johnny's religion, Maha-Kiri, said that he was a Vegetarian...., his Culture was to shoot & eat Rabbits...!) So, the local Cop was talking up the angle of how they'd invoked the Drug Squad, because there were Drugs, and a Firearm, and a Fatality, all in the one incident...(!). But, in the Gripping Hand..., the Coroner 423 miles away wanted to know why they had failed to look in Johnny's trouser-pockets, and what was he supposed to do with the bag of "Green Vegetable Matter", in the Thigh Pocket of Johnny's Army-Surplus Jungle-Greens....(?!?!?!). Much stammering apology was offered, and afterwards the Cop shared in the laugh with me... The idea of Johnny taking a bag of Heads to his own Autopsy, to share a Joint with the Coroner..., even after the Cops had searched him and shipped him off to Sydney ; STILL has me laughing - every time I think about it...! So, to TRULY prepare to impress the Coroner...(?), what about a little unopened 150ml. "Flask" of Whisky, stashed in the Shirt-Pocket ; all the better for them to Toast the manner of one's passing....? (I'm assuming that while you may imbibe in the occasional tot of Ethanol, you probably wouldn't have a bag of Whacky-'Baccy to hand on the day....(!). lol... To unpack the whole Canada John story, look in either my "Warbles In The Wilderness..." or the "Personal Aeroplanology..." Playlist, to find and watch "REQUIEM FOR A REDHEAD...; Crash-Analysis of John William Robson, & His 35 Hp Mk-3 Skycraft Scout !" I still have the Rotax-377 which came off his Scout, among other relics, including the new Sweetapple Propeller - broken across the Bolt-holes, and folded through the Hub as well as having had both Blades snapped off..., a feat which is very difficult to achieve - and almost never seen ! Such is life, Live a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
Thats not a tailwheel….that is a grocery cart wheel😂. At least you have a tailwheel. I’m trying to find a tailwheel to purchase with a plane attached to it!
@@dcmflydude6320 It is the swivel from a grocery cart 😂 with an industrial grade solid wheel. Takes 30 seconds to fit and is rarely used as I much prefer a skid on grass. Far superior handling.
Great video. really enjoyed watching the flight test process. Good to see the difference in Go Pro as well as considering putting on some tail dragger adventures. I noticed as well on the last landing no tail wheel. Did that shimmy need a fix :)
The Aeronca usually flies with just the skid you see at the end of the vid. The tailwheel is only for hard surfaces like tarmac & concrete so it's removable.
Interestingly all 3 aircraft are taildraggers. I only ever flew a wooden Falke and a DA20 at flying school. I preferred the Falke. You could really descend on finals at a steep angle using the spoilers...
Regarding the Rotax, I know it is a very popular engine, however I have a hard time with an aircraft engine cruising at 6000rpm. I guess I am an old Dinosaur :-(
And the price, for an engine with a gearbox,,once seen a review for a product that reflects my own, it worked fantastically well until it didn’t. Personally know of two pilots flying microlights with Rotax engines one seized on climb out the other quit when needed from a PFL with an instructor on board all three seriously injured ,one in each aircraft ended up with a cage and bolts to save the ankle and foot, I am building using the 0-200 as my late instructor told me many years ago that you can’t beat the workings of a wheelbarrow
@@thomascarlin2844 I too like the O-200, I have one in the Aircoupe. But I started a school with Katanas fitted with Rotax 912s. These engines gave little trouble and did over 2,700 hours reliable service. (On condition). If I could, I would replace the Continental or Lycoming (O-235) with the more modern and reliable Rotax 912.
"...in case I should meet the coroner." Made me laugh but always good to keep in mind around airplanes, especially on test flights. The Groppo got off and climbed out well. The KR2 seemed anxious to reconnect with the earth. 75 mph on approach looked plenty slow enough. What's the empty weight? Fun video, Nick. Thanks for bringing us along.
@@tennesseered586 It’s 650 pounds empty. The C3 is 600 pounds empty and has twice as much wing area as the KR2. There’s no substitute for a wing 👍
Good to see this video was still primarily footage of G-AEFT. A real classic and much more interesting to me.
When I was a boy I was inspecting a KR 2 parked at a fly in held in California.
Suddenly the canopy popped open and Ken Rand popped up, he had been in the plane taking a nap. He proceeded to give me a rundown on his airplane.
A cheerful and chipper guy he was very accommodating to his young visitor.
The channel is very much centred on the Aeronca C3, I use it as a portal into another world! Thanks for the Ken Rand anecdote 👍
Superb video Nick. Thanks for takingthe time to put this all together and for testing the KR2.
My pleasure, thanks for the opportunity. It's quite a fun machine but do be careful!
All planes are nice, but I still prefer the aeronca best 😊 better sound also. Best Regards
I agree!
@FlyingForFunTrecanair how is the aeronca 2 build? I think one day I shall build something on those lines...
@ Slow but steady. I need to build another shed as I’m running out of space.
Another super video - thanks Nick.
It is always such a pleasure to ride along with you ( in spirit, at least ! ). Thanks for another little adventure !👍
I so enjoy watching your flights, and take mental notes as I’m looking to get a tailwheel endorsement in the US. Thank You.
Wonderful video; thank you for taking us along on your adventures. The tailwheel on your Aeronca looks like it came from a shopping trolley, though, if I might dare to say....Is that a recent installation?
@@MemphisBBQ640 It is indeed made from a shopping trolley swivel and a spare solid tyre wheel. It takes 30 seconds to bolt the swivel to the skid and is rarely used (as I don’t generally visit tarmac runways). The wheel and swivel were removed as soon as I returned to Roche. The ground handling on grass is much better with a skid, hence not using a wheel.
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair That probably explains why I've not noticed it before. Cheers...
Splendid!. I love the word 'splendid'!. so little used in these changing times.
Yes, not enough splendidness these days!
You're a brave man! I sat in a KR2 once. It was tiny tiny.
Yes, good fun tho'
G-Gregy gets off the runway quick! Do you ever overfly a grass strip looking for foxholes before landing there?
@@bentonbee1 The pasture belongs to the aircraft owner’s family and is well maintained. Fox holes aren’t much of a problem in the UK. The surface wasn’t too bad and ,although the grass was quite long, it was dry. The Groppo doesn’t care anyway!
I visited St Merryn back in the winter of 1976 / 1977 to retrieve a poorly Beagle Terrier that had come to grief there. I believe it was owned by the farmer. We towed the remains back to North Wales on a large trailer behind an ex GPO Commer van, I was the designated driver,not a pleasant drive! I seem to remember the registration was G-ASOM ?. Anyhow the Beagle went on to fly again 👍
@@arimington-is7gv I've flown G ASOM, it's based at Old Hay in Kent.
@@arimington-is7gv Splendid stuff, I see the Terrier is still airworthy 👍
Another very good video thanks Nick.
Thanks for the rides!
G'day,
Yay Team !
Peak British General Aviation...; Flying off in an Aeronca C-3, to conduct a spot of Test Flying on a Homebuilder's Light Sport Aircraft...!
Both those Aeroplanes seem to be very good at what their Designer was trying to achieve..., and you did a very nice job of taking us along for the ride...; thankyou, very much indeed.
One of my (more narcissistic ?) little claims to being more of an Autodidactic Mad-Scientist than a Dunning-Kreuger afflicted Lunatic (?) ; is that I'm the only person within hundreds of miles in all directions who's successfully maidened their own artifact of Pop-Rivetry & Hairygoplane Design modifications, behind a Propeller personally designed and handmade..., commencing the Flight Test Program after a lapse of 10 years being utterly groundbound....(!).
So, yeah, I really did enjoy this.
I equipped the Jensen ( 22hp VJ-24w...) with a Spring-deployed BRS Parachute though ; so once I'd climbed sufficiently high, then Structural Failure or loss of control did have that installed, ready and available, as a "safe" way out of trouble.
At the moment..., on YT among others I'm avidly following Scott Mathews Channel & Dynodon74 Channel..; Scott has just finished painting his Sopwith Camel, and is about to hang the Rotec Rally on it's mountings..., and Don is rectifying the Dings done unto his Turbocharged Subaru W.A.R. Corsair, when his castoring retractable Tailwheel alighted while it was apparently stuck in full Right Rudder position...
Thus initiating a sudden Runway-excursion onto Grass with Nose-over, Prop-damage and finishing up inverted...; and now Don is confidently rebuilding the Planetary Reduction Gearbox, after complete disassembly for inspection, while simultaneously rebuilding the Ply/Foam/ Glassfibre Fin & Rudder Tips..., and ordering new a new sheet of Perspex to cook and mould his replacement Canopy Bubble...(!).
Absolutely fascinating, both projects...
By contrast, it took me 13 hours over 3 days last week to apply the Nursing Process (Assess, Plan, Implement, Evaluate....; & then start again...) to my Motorbike's broken cast-Aluminium Light-Mounting Bracket, and moulded Nylon Blinker-light Stalks - after discovering that Motorbikes which are tarpaulined-up against Rain & Sun, akso require to be tied down, like a little Aeroplane..., against the Wind !
Apparently the newly installed ground-mounted Adjustable Solar Panels also function as Stator-Vanes to direct Wind-gusts coming into the Clearing from the South, arounf the corner.., to blow directly onto the parked Bike's Tarp'ed up, rounded, rear-end (Pannier-Bags under the Tarp.).
Who knew..., that Low-Speed Aerodynamic Boundary-Layer Turbulent-Flow Analysis - is required to be applied ; in order to safely tarp.-up and park a little Motorbike...?
Until Tuesday night, I had no clue about that...
I definitely got a good giggle at the Haircut, Shave, and Clean Clothes - just(ifiably ?) in case the Coroner said "Hello...", later on, in the day...!
Back in 1994, when Canada John spun in while looking at a Sheep convulsing from Pregnancy Toxaemia, while he was turning from Base onto Finals, in mild to severe Turbulence....:
On the one hand..., because I knew his name (John William Robson...), it fell to me to go with the PoLice to identify him, at the Mortuary...,
And in the other hand..., because he'd been coming to me for advice about Aeroplanes - I felt obliged to contact his father and explain what had occurred, kinda thing (and for the first 5 years, he'd stayed safe by following my advice to steer clear of them, entirely, because he was good at doing other things, entirely - but he REALLY wanted to own & fly his own little Aeroplane..., so despite forebodings, I tried...).
However the International Diplomatic Protocols dictated that I had to wait until after my local Cop Shop had informed me that Oz & Canada had confirmed that the Mounties had first informed John's Father..., so 3 days after he crashed I happened to be back at the Cop-Shop, inquiring as to the state of play - when the Glebe Island Coroner's Morgue telephoned the Glen Innes Police - very hot under the collar...
The caller was loud enough that from across the counter I heard them enquire if the locals had searched Johnny, before sending him down to Sydney, and I heard the story that, yes, he was indeed searched, and that because he'd had a bag of Weed in his Coat-pocket, therefore they'd also searched his car at the Airport, finding more Weed & a .22" Rimfire Rifle & some Ammunition therein...
(Canadians are Norte ArmedmeriKanos, and they all like to have a firearm available for "plinking"..., & Johnny's religion, Maha-Kiri, said that he was a Vegetarian...., his Culture was to shoot & eat Rabbits...!)
So, the local Cop was talking up the angle of how they'd invoked the Drug Squad, because there were Drugs, and a Firearm, and a Fatality, all in the one incident...(!).
But, in the Gripping Hand..., the Coroner 423 miles away wanted to know why they had failed to look in Johnny's trouser-pockets, and what was he supposed to do with the bag of "Green Vegetable Matter", in the Thigh Pocket of Johnny's Army-Surplus Jungle-Greens....(?!?!?!).
Much stammering apology was offered, and afterwards the Cop shared in the laugh with me...
The idea of Johnny taking a bag of Heads to his own Autopsy, to share a Joint with the Coroner..., even after the Cops had searched him and shipped him off to Sydney ; STILL has me laughing - every time I think about it...!
So, to TRULY prepare to impress the Coroner...(?), what about a little unopened 150ml. "Flask" of Whisky, stashed in the Shirt-Pocket ; all the better for them to Toast the manner of one's passing....?
(I'm assuming that while you may imbibe in the occasional tot of Ethanol, you probably wouldn't have a bag of Whacky-'Baccy to hand on the day....(!).
lol...
To unpack the whole Canada John story, look in either my "Warbles In The Wilderness..." or the "Personal Aeroplanology..."
Playlist, to find and watch
"REQUIEM FOR A REDHEAD...; Crash-Analysis of John William Robson, & His 35 Hp Mk-3 Skycraft Scout !"
I still have the Rotax-377 which came off his Scout, among other relics, including the new Sweetapple Propeller - broken across the Bolt-holes, and folded through the Hub as well as having had both Blades snapped off..., a feat which is very difficult to achieve - and almost never seen !
Such is life,
Live a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
AWESOME!! You are a more brave man than I, Nick!! Nice aeroplanes, too! But not as nice as your Aeronca!!
@@kbjerke The Aeronca is peerless ❤
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair I live vicariously through you and your lovely Aeronca!
Like your sense of humor. 😅
0:44 Am I the only one who's right foot was trying to tap on a rudder pedal that wasn't there at this moment?
Good stuff mi ansome.
What engine is that on the aeronca?
It's a JAP J99, which is a British version of the Aeronca E113.
Thats not a tailwheel….that is a grocery cart wheel😂. At least you have a tailwheel. I’m trying to find a tailwheel to purchase with a plane attached to it!
@@dcmflydude6320 It is the swivel from a grocery cart 😂 with an industrial grade solid wheel. Takes 30 seconds to fit and is rarely used as I much prefer a skid on grass. Far superior handling.
The Groppo seems to have a phenomenal climb rate.
Yes, it's excellent with the Rotax.
Great video. really enjoyed watching the flight test process. Good to see the difference in Go Pro as well as considering putting on some tail dragger adventures. I noticed as well on the last landing no tail wheel. Did that shimmy need a fix :)
The Aeronca usually flies with just the skid you see at the end of the vid. The tailwheel is only for hard surfaces like tarmac & concrete so it's removable.
I only use the tailwheel when needed, it was removed as soon as I got back from St Merryn.
Interestingly all 3 aircraft are taildraggers. I only ever flew a wooden Falke and a DA20 at flying school. I preferred the Falke. You could really descend on finals at a steep angle using the spoilers...
Regarding the Rotax, I know it is a very popular engine, however I have a hard time with an aircraft engine cruising at 6000rpm. I guess I am an old Dinosaur :-(
And the price, for an engine with a gearbox,,once seen a review for a product that reflects my own, it worked fantastically well until it didn’t.
Personally know of two pilots flying microlights with Rotax engines one seized on climb out the other quit when needed from a PFL with an instructor on board all three seriously injured ,one in each aircraft ended up with a cage and bolts to save the ankle and foot, I am building using the 0-200 as my late instructor told me many years ago that you can’t beat the workings of a wheelbarrow
6,000 RPM?
The 912 has a 5 minute limit at 5,800.
You're probably refering to the two stroke engines.
@@thomascarlin2844 I too like the O-200, I have one in the Aircoupe.
But I started a school with Katanas fitted with Rotax 912s. These engines gave little trouble and did over 2,700 hours reliable service. (On condition).
If I could, I would replace the Continental or Lycoming (O-235) with the more modern and reliable Rotax 912.
I agree, the in service data suggests the Rotax 900 series are very reliable and last considerably longer than more traditional powerplants.
I was unaware that the KR-2 had the load capacity of hauling cast iron testicles...
That explains why the compass was not working correctly. I need degaussing 🤣
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair LOL yes. NOT "disgusting," deGAUSSING. You have no idea how much I appreciate and enjoy your videos.
@@kbjerke Likewise I enjoy the comments and community that support this channel.
How come you're flying above the clouds Nick? I thought it would have been a VFR flight in the Groppo.
'5 kilometres visibility, clear of cloud and in sight of the surface'. Completely VFR.