For anyone that's interested, my buddy Dave and I started our cold weather season today with JetCat p-120's one on his HotSpot and the other in my Compo Bandit. It was 19F this morning and got up to a scorching 32F at noon with light snow showers!

We've been flying in cold weather for a couple of years now and have found:

--JetCats run well down to at least 20F

--PowerMax vaporization is poor below 32F. We keep ours warm in the car, near the heater output until just before lighting off, and then it is fine.

--Spool up is slower due to thick residual kero and oil in the engine. I have been doing a JetCat "airstart" on my Bandit. I stick in my Makita Blower into the right side intake and let her blow while I initiate the auto start. It then spools up fast, but you must have the powermax setting at 100% to get a "pop"/I ordinarily only need about 70% in warm weather.

--performance is spectacular. I am guessing that full throttle output is approaching 30 lbs. Just pull the Bandit or HotSpot off, up the gear and go unlimited 90 degree vertical like right now.

--keep the kero/oil in a warm car unless you are fueling. Save a load on the JetCat fuel pump, cuz the stuff does thicken below 32F.

--By the way, an AMT Merc also performs well at these low temps, although, once again, the propane must be kept warm to get any kind of vaporization.

--Charge everything after every flight, since Nicad capacity drops off quite a bit below 40F.


Tom

Hi Tom,

a touch cooler there than in lake wales hey

jason

You guys are gluttons for punishment!

At least you can warm your hands up after you land in the exhaust. Ha ha.

We flew today at our annual Toys for Tots event, and it was cold here also, plus a 1/2 inch of snow on the ground 'til about 1:00 when it melted away in the partial sunshine.

We are starting our winter ops as well. Today at the field it was 84F, wind 090 at 5, CAVU. Fun was had by all.
No changes were required for start-up, and the Powermax lit off as always---LOL
Thanks for the cold weather tips...I will retire to my home in Montana in three more years. We have a 900 ft long grass field in Kalispell that you can see at www.bvmjets.com/fieldreps.

Ad Clark and Kelly Rhorbach labored for a long time to build that fantastic field. It is like a pool table. Flat and green. Gets pretty white in the winter, though.

We'll see if I can cut it in the cold like you guys do.

For now, I plan on burning as much Jet A in sunny San Diego as possible.


Harley Condra
BVM REP
In Sunny SOCAL

If it gets any colder you should use Jet-B!!

Tom:

Thanks for the "cold weather" tips! Here in Cleveland, Ohio it rained (and was cold) today. Great time to build. Good seeing you at Superman.

I flew a few weeks ago with temps in the low 40's.

For my P-80, the difference I noted was, only one start-up per PowerMax charge. In hot weather I've gotten up to six starts per charge.

The engine ran real well with lots of power!

The Boomerang is coming along. Sticking with the fixed gear, and plan to try it with skis once the snow covers our field. I'm tired of flying props on skis.

I've seen the photo Harley. Very nice. Chatted with Ad last week over a deal we are working on. At least until the snow flies, you don't have to contend with those 8K density alts like in the summer up there. Don't even mention SanDiego. Used to live in Oceanside, way long ago, and spent many fantastic Mediterranean days flying the slopers at Torrey Pines--long before those Kite and Chute pests started showing up.

Yup Jason, I sent a note today to Laura with that photo BV took of her on the BB with Jason S. That was the day when the weather was absolutely perfect. Once again glad to hear you won't need a prosthetic leg! Got a note from Jo---sounds like they had a brilliant time the week after. Enjoy the winter build-time over there with your SuperB.

Good to hear from you Nick. You got the building weather right. 5 long months of it--------

Awww Terry, Indiana is sub-tropical. This is the north country. Just as long as the fingers and servos move, we fly!


Adios---Tom

Geeeez Tom that's sick.....why would anyone live where it snows!!!

DR

David, you ole Canuck. I know you sneek back to the homeland when none of your Sippi homeboys are watchin'!!

Worst thing about winter though is the few mudbugs we have up here are frozen under 8 inches of ice. Just too much work to get enough for a meal.

Watcha been up too since SM---building anything??

You guys have to try to make FIJR next year. What a great time--fly till you drop from sunrise to sunset---much like Winemac and the AfterBurner.

Catch you later---

Tom

Tom,

If you are not doing anything you should come down tomorrow morning to northern Illinois to fly, there will be a hand full of jets.

Chuck 815-728-0640 or [email protected]

Haven't been back up there for years! And won't likely go in the winter time.....if it gets below about 40 I'm stayin inside!

Gunna be pinchin' the head and suckin' the tail in 2 weeks down at Naw Owleeeeens......

I have been hammering away at an F-100D for a buddy and getting ready to add some serious detail to the Rhino.

We have talked about FIJR but it falls at a bad time of year for the retail guys (Dennis and Vernon) and I get busy preparing for plant shutdowns..... tis the season for that while everyone else is roasting their chestnuts, and stuffing stockings.

DR

Well, O.K. David, I believe you. But last time I was in Toronto, though, I could have sworn it was you making angels in the snow!!

Oooohee! Like to join you in the Big E. We were invited back to FL by Francis Pischner and the Kramers for the big feed and fly at Naples that Francis, the restauranteur, puts on, on the Sunday after T-Day, but can't get a decent cheap flight. Can't risk driving right now with my tenuous right eye problem. Sounds like you gonna have all that red-sauce round your lips and under your nose while digesting them little buggers. Eat some for us.

Have a good rest of the weekend---say hello to V, D, and the rest of the gang.


Tom

Will do.....


And as usuall I will eat my weight in dem bugz!


I saw the pics on your site of that eye patch...hope you recover soon.



DR


P.S. We will be cooking the bugs at Afterburner again this year.

i haz to say that i iz right jelous u you suthan folk an yo year roun' flyin' season. we is gettin' reddy fo a long wintuz nap up in deze parts. in fact my driveway iz covud in 2" uh snow at da moment an is still comin' down. our las' flyin' day was in da 40 dagree weatha las weeken' an one u da guys had to fool his merc into running by cuttin the air out sose the propane would git da temp up on iz own. damn you suthin' folks is lucky.

only bugz ize seen roun' heah tun red in hot water an go right gud in garlic butta. so i supose we got dat on y'all.

y'all enjoy dat suthan wetha. we be buildin' up heyah. see y'all in da spring.

Hi Tom- I am almost finished framing my Boomerang. I talked to Al a few months ago about putting snow skis on the Boomerang. I was trying to figure out how to put brakes on the skis. Any suggestions??? What is the length of the skis?
Burt

Yeah, BUT....... this is NORTHERN Sub-tropical Indiana. Ha HA

Hi Burt:

Well judging by the size on some of my other props on skis, I would think about 6"x18" for the mains, and about 4"x8" for the nose. We put a little blade along the bottom of the ski for tracking, and rig up a spring mechanism to take up the shock and keep the tips up. One of the machinists in our club does them up for us.

As far a braking goes, we have never used it, even with big prop planes. You don't need them. The friction with the snow, even icy stuff stops it, but of course, you do use up maybe 50% more landing distance, but with the Boomer landing at 20 MPH airspeed, that should not be a factor.

As we develop these skis, I will pass along the info.

Tom