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Skyleader upgrading our GP One

30/1/2015

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I'm really pleased that the Skyleader factory is actively developing the GP One.  
Their sales people and design engineers have listened carefully and been very responsive to any suggestions that we make. When I visited the factory last August, I saw that they had already incorporated many of our ideas into the GP One production models.

They offered at that stage to upgrade our GP One demonstrator to the current production specs. 
So in early May, one of the Skyleader engineers will travel to NZ to install the new parts. 

The most significant changes are a new exhaust design/cowling and increased flap travel. In addition, a whole raft of minor improvements (e.g. brake lines routed inside the undercarriage legs, tweaked flight control system, easier door latches, etc) will be fitted.
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brake lines routed inside undercarriage legs
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simplified aileron linkages (at control stick)
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revised door latch system
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larger exhaust muffler with single outlet pipe
It's a very generous move which shows how Skyleader stands behind their product and that they are committed to the NZ market, even though we are on the far side of the world.
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"I've been everywhere, man . . . ."

25/1/2015

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PictureOur GP One demo aircraft back at Fiordland Aero Club in Manapouri.
Wow! I didn't realise that January would be so busy with aviation. 
In late January, when the U-Fly lease finished, I flew our Skyleader GP One back to Manapouri from Wanaka. A longer trip than planned because I chose to divert further south-east via Roxburgh and Tapanui to avoid bad weather. Even so, I was dodging around rain showers.

A long spell of lovely fine weather allowed me to do lots of solo training in the GP One. Practising 'forced' landings at random moments was much easier than expected - the GP One glides so well that you have plenty of time to make decisions about suitable landing sites and to line up for your chosen paddock. I even found that EFATO exercises were not stressful in the GP One.

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Factory Upgrade

7/1/2015

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Carbon/foam ribs epoxy-bonded and glassed into top of vertical fin.
The Skyleader factory were not satisfied with the 'flutter' resistance of the GP One's T-tail, having experienced flutter at 135 kts (16 kt above Vne). 

So, in conjunction with the technical university at Brno and the Stemme glider factory, they researched and developed a modification that increased the theoretical 'flutter' speed to more than 194 knots (360 kmph). Subsequent flight tests proved the mod was successful.

Over New Year, the factory sent the carbon parts out to NZ. The upgrade consisted of an external carbon transition piece to stiffen the boom-to-vertical fin joint, plus a series of carbon/foam sandwich ribs to be fitted inside the tail fin.
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Foam/carbon ribs to internally stiffen vertical fin.
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Carbon transition piece to externally stiffen boom-to-vertical fin joint.
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Foam/carbon patch in vertical tail spar.
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Carbon transition piece bonded to vertical fin (+ waiting for fairing/painting to be completed).
Bill Barber, known in NZ for his series of carbon fibre 'Snark' designs and for helping build several 
carbon 'Furio' aircraft kits, came up to Wanaka to help install the upgrade.

The fin is certainly a lot stiffer, so that alone will alter the 'harmonic' frequency that might induce flutter.
The transition piece has now been smoothly faired into the fuselage. The spray painter has worked his magic. 

An added bonus is that the revised boom-to-fin curve looks even better than the original 'angular' style. It matches the other curves on the GP One..
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completed fin upgrade
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