TOPLESS? A sceptic takes the plunge! Will keep you posted!

[Asterix]

Two and a half months later.. The Witchy Woman has been test-flown, twice, once by Jenya, once by my trusted Instructor Mervyn.

Feedback is:

1. She flies beautifully;
2. She looks gorgeous;
3. She stalls lamely, at about 35 mph and wallows her nose around until you apply power - of you go again - , or: She starts flying again after a little nose-dip if you do not "let her hang"; (Courtesy of the Spirit 15 wing....)
4. The actuator operates smoothly;
5. Speed range with actuator, keel set at slower option: 40 mph cart trimmed back, and 65 mph cart trimmed forward;
6. Speed range with actuator, keel set at faster option: 48 mph cart trimmed back, and 73mph , cart trimmed forward.

Now: - new battery, wheel balancing, fitting of Airmagic system, couple of loose ends and odds, a spot for my strobe - since the kingpost has been chopped , ATF - and then - BLUE SKIES for Asterix again!

[Bundy]

Make sure they fit rear view mirrors...



....so you can see DBP dissapearing into the distance!


Glad it's nearly done!

[Asterix]

I can see, in good weather, Polokwane to Beginsel, Standerton (200 miles, steady as she goes Miss Witchy Woman,) in under three hours.. ..one take-off and one landing - what with the 83 liter tank and all.. By road - this is 5 hours if you are lucky - and tollfees of over R 300. And taxis. And kransatleet-spietkops. And frustration.

The airways "home" has been opened up again!! With LOTS of alternatives if the weather gods change their minds!

[Tribal Croc]

Congrats and many happy hours

Lyk my ek gaan moet bar trek om saam met jou the vlieg

Cant wait for the Birthday Bash

[Asterix]

Ja grapgat! Bar trek? Nie sommer nie..jy vlieg klaar vinnig met daai groot enjin en klein vlerk... ( Maar die Witchy Woman se "glide characteristics" gaan jou SLEG tweede laat kom, die dag as die prop gaan staan... Spirit 15 vlerk is die "ultimate" glider, topless of nie....

Grappies op 'n kant. Ek dink ek het nou die ULTIMATE plaaslik vervaardigde GEEL trike met al die trimmings: soos 'n actuator en 'n valskerm, en 'n trailer, en 'n ORDENTLIKE houtprop, en NOSE ART!! NET Geel Kerneels is mooier/beter..

Ek kan nie wag nie...amper nou....

[Asterix]

Thanks Bugwar for the pics! My first look at the new Topless Yellow Cobra, aka The Witchy Woman!

[Loco]

Jis James mooi was darem nog nooit lelik nie!!!

Al jou geduld was die moeite werd

Baie geluk man dis seker die mooiste aerie in SA (na geel kerneels )

[Loco]

Flip alles is color coded van die prop tot die landing light, jy vlieg seker ook met 'n geel en swart onnie ook!?!?

[Asterix]

From childhood, growing up on a farm, my biggest treat was when conditions lead to a situation where my Dad had to call in - to the detriment of his budget - CROPSPRAYERS! From as early as five years old.

My love of aviation is firmly seated in my love of cropsprayers. To this day, I maintain that they are the prettiest, most awesome aircraft around. And they are mostly yellow! (with black or dark blue trimmings) There is your explanation! I fly in honor of cropsprayers, (especially when I do my own low level stints on Beginsel in summertime, with the green mielie leaves slapping my backwheels!)

My buddy Walter, who flies ZS-ZSA, aka Pinochio, and does all the spraying on Beginsel and surrounds these days, (a big mean yellow Turbo propped spraying machine) has often made contact with me in the old days when I used to fly to Beginsel on Sat mornings from ML. Once on a Monday morning, heading back to ML, he came on the radio and asked whether I was alone. I replied "yes" . He asked me to "check again". I looked over my right shoulder, and here he was, FULL flaps , coming up on my right and flying in formation with me. He broke of with some smoke of the manifold, and I flew the rest of the leg with that beautiful picture in my mind. If he had warned me earlier of his "creeping up" on me I would have taken some of the coolest pics ever! ( I"ll talk to him -we'll do it this coming summer!)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19289&p=187597&hili ... rs#p187597

[mulderpm]

Haai James, een ding is verseker, niemand gaan jou miss nie, en indien vir niks anders nie, dit beteken...VEILIGHEID. My volgende kleur kuese gaan ook BRIGHT wees.

Sy lyk kool verby.

Nou, ek weeet jy woon nou veeeer, maar dit pla moss nie. Jy ly moss glad nie aan Veeer.......tevreeeees nie, nê. Kom join jou ou Microland gang hierdie naweek by Steve Bosh se plek.

Groete,

[Asterix]

Thanks Mr Mulder, but I had a better offer!

today I joined my "hangar sponsor" LDV on both forums, in his Ibis on a cruise to Warmbad. Also received my key to the hangar, and the alarm codes. ( Yes - The Witchy Woman will be sleeping peacefully with a direct link to the control room of SHS security, Polokwane.. )

We flew to Warmbad and spent the whole day watching the radio-control guys doing their thing - including about 6 jets - one of which will set you back:

1. R 160 000 for the plane;
2. Jet fuel burn of 1,5 litres per minute.

And they do 300 km/h plus per hour - the guys are now trying to break the 400 km/h barrier.

Back to MY day: Leon showed me how to Navigate the Zebediela gap, showed my the important landmarks, the FAR's, and the whole proper radio procedure for the new FAPP / FAPI TMA and CTA.

I am much more confident now - especially with the FAPP/ FAPI radio-work - and I can't wait now to take that topless Cobra up over Poloks.

Leon - jy is 'n sterretjie in my lewe! Dankie vir alles wat jy vir my doen!

Just a last thing Paul - "niemand gaan jou mis nie" , translates to: NOBODY will MISS me. Thus, EVERYBODY will COLLIDE into me. And I promise you that does not "beteken Veiligheid". I can't see the safety in that. Thanx a lot! I HOPE you meant: "Niemand gaan jou TREF nie!! )
OR: You actually meant that "Nobody will miss me"..and that there is safety (veiligheid) in that! In which case I have to say firstly, that I have been gone for almost a year now, so you are slow.. and secondly that I feel very bad about not being missed.! , and thirdly that I am NOT the burglar at ML - so my absence does NOT mean "veiligheid!"

[LDV]

James

Plesier, dit was sommer lekker gewees om jou saam te neem !

Leon

[Bundy]

Just a last thing Paul - "niemand gaan jou mis nie" , translates to: NOBODY will MISS me. Thus, EVERYBODY will COLLIDE into me. And I promise you that does not "beteken Veiligheid". I can't see the safety in that. Thanx a lot! I HOPE you meant: "Niemand gaan jou TREF nie!! )
OR: You actually meant that "Nobody will miss me"..and that there is safety (veiligheid) in that! In which case I have to say firstly, that I have been gone for almost a year now, so you are slow.. and secondly that I feel very bad about not being missed.! , and thirdly that I am NOT the burglar at ML - so my absence does NOT mean "veiligheid!"

Jirre chom...jy het iewers erg die bal gemis?

"niemand gaan jou mis nie" simply meant you are very VISIBLE...thus the extra safety factor.

She looks great James.

[mulderpm]

Just a last thing Paul - "niemand gaan jou mis nie" , translates to: NOBODY will MISS me. Thus, EVERYBODY will COLLIDE into me. And I promise you that does not "beteken Veiligheid". I can't see the safety in that. Thanx a lot! I HOPE you meant: "Niemand gaan jou TREF nie!! )
OR: You actually meant that "Nobody will miss me"..and that there is safety (veiligheid) in that! In which case I have to say firstly, that I have been gone for almost a year now, so you are slow.. and secondly that I feel very bad about not being missed.! , and thirdly that I am NOT the burglar at ML - so my absence does NOT mean "veiligheid!"

Jirre chom...jy het iewers erg die bal gemis?

"niemand gaan jou mis nie" simply meant you are very VISIBLE...thus the extra safety factor.

She looks great James.

Thanks Al. That is exactly what I meant. Haai James? You obviously don''t know me. I am sincerely sorry for that interpretation.

[Tribal Croc]

She looks very very pretty

Can't wait so see the witch in real life

Many happy hours in your new trike let us know how she handles