Original Posted By: "Catdesigns"
Just wanted to drop by and share a few words about Corvair College #30 that washeld recently in Mexico, Missouri. This was my third college, and it was wellattended I think there were more than 50 builders on hand in various stagesof work. Some with completed engines, others in the disassembly and inspectionstage. William and Grace (FlyCorvair), Roy Szarafinski (Roys Garage) and MarkPetniunas (Falcon Machine) were all in attendance, which allowed everyone anopportunity to get one-on-one time with these very skilled and knowledgeableindividuals. Lots of work was completed and several engines were run over thethree day course, to include my own! A few words about these colleges as I stated, this was my third. I first attendedCC#22 in Georgetown, Texas, which was hosted by our very own Kevin Purteeand Shelly Tumino. At that point in my project I did not have my engine availableto work on, so I simply showed up with my camera, a note pad and luckily,my coat it suddenly got COLD in Texas. While I may not have turned wrencheson my engine that weekend, the information and confidence I left with were instrumentalin motivating me to the next stage of construction. Equally as importantwere the new friends I met while I asked questions and mingled around theshop. These events are every bit about the camaraderie and building of friendshipsas they are about the technical aspects and learning about this excellentengine. My next college was CC#28 in San Marcos, Texas also hosted by Kevin and Shellyearlier this year. Another great program that helped many of us get a step closerto completion of our project. I was hoping to run my engine at that event,but weather hampered our plans. None the less, several of us made good progress.On to CC#30 in Mexico, MO I had been looking forward to this event ever since Iwas driving north in a blizzard from CC#28. I was eager to breathe life intomy engine, but not so eager that we would be hasty in our efforts. Finally,the day had come and I was prepared. I could go into great detail about these events, but feel that this writing wouldget way too long winded. The key points Id like to express about the Corvairoption, the colleges and about the people involved are simply this anyone cando this, and do it well. I am not a motor head Ive rebuilt a few small enginesgrowing up, but nothing of this significance. In 2009, I remember talkingto William as he instilled confidence in me that I could do this, and that ifI got stuck he would be there to help, which he has been. His #1 concern beingsafety, he insisted that I do things a certain way following the methods thatare clearly lined out and explained in his manual. While WW might rub somethe wrong way, his approach is always one from the point of safety, and in preservingthe reputation of experimental aviation for all concerned. While hestaken a couple of opportunities to make an example of me in front of others,it was always in an effort to teach myself and other builders what not to do,and why. For that, I appreciate his direct approach. The conversion techniquesoutlined in his manual are very detailed and easy to understand, and the productline has evolved into offerings that will allow any builder a very robustpower option. The bottom line is if I can do it, you can too! There are stepsalong the way that require some attention to detail, but nothing more complicatedthan the rest of the project you are currently building or considering.Dont let the fear of the unknown hold you back if you are considering theCorvair as an option, get the manual and get started today!A few words about my engine run in a nutshell, it was flawless. Not only did itfire right up, but it ran very smoothly for ~1 hour on the test stand. Oilpressure and temps looked good, with no leaks! I drained the oil after the runand found it to be clean with no particulates. I couldnt be happier, and withthe latest advancements, I have complete confidence that my engine will provideexcellent performance.Here is a link to one of the test runs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxmRzHaXbsU--------Mark ChouinardAll framed up... working on rigging.Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... ___Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Jiggin and welding LG and wing attach fittings
--------Scott LiefeldFlying N11MS since March 1972Steel TubeC-85-12Wire WheelsBrodhead in 1996Read this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... ___Subject: Pietenpol-List: Jiggin and welding LG and wing attach fittings