Letters

Acoustic Feedback
The article Sounding Down in the June KITPLANES concerning aircraft soundproofing was interesting and informative. Id like to add one thing that may be of interest to your readers. I sat up one night and researched aircraft soundproofing on the Internet. I ran across one article that had an interesting finding. The research found that the glue used to fasten the soundproofing material had as much soundproofing eff ect as the soundproofi ng material itself, especially on metal surfaces such as aluminum that tend to vibrate like a kettle drum. It seems the glue was quite effective in damping vibration and reverberant noise. Thus, a simple alternative to soundproofing foam or rubber would be something like the Super Soundproofing Liquid sold by Aircraft Spruce. You can use it as a standalone soundproofing by just painting it on, or paint it on, then glue foam over it for even more effective soundproofing. As with anything we add on to an airplane, it adds weight, so you have to consider the advantages versus the consequences.

                                                                                                                                                               SKIP PARDEE

Missed One on the Aussies
Well it looks like Technical Editor Ed Wischmeyer may have splashed around too much! Eds comment on page 12 [of the June 2007 issue] regarding Australias certification of homebuilts is totally incorrect. For the record, Australias amateurbuilt aircraft are covered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authoritys Civil Aviation Orders (CAO) 95.10, CAO 95.32, CAO 95.55 paragraph 1.5; our LSA regulations are included into a revised 95.55 paragraph 1.8 with kitbuilt in paragraph 1.9, CAO 101.55. Amateur building of aircraft in Australia is administratively covered by CAO 100.18 Airworthiness Administration and Procedures-Amateur Built Category Aircraft (see www.casa.gov.au.). Also the U.S. is trailing Australia in certification of ultralights, and our LSA regs off er a lot more design standards and a widerrange of props. Hoping the above helps to provide some facts.

All Lit Up
Ive been enjoying getting KITPLANES every month, happy to have finally found a magazine that carries the true spirit of homebuilding. Everything has to stop while I read it cover to cover. But I was very disappointed by the June issue [Light It Up, Page 78]. Aerofl ashs Gonzalez seemed puzzled that we would want to build our own strobe and marker lights. She thinks everyone would want something that was approved and guaranteed to work, and she wonders how that could be guaranteed in a garage. This made me very sad. Did [author] Mary Bernard not inform her that she was writing an article for KITPLANES?

But then I was made even sadder with Marys comment that you probably could build your own, but you might not meet the regulations. You mean, like maybe I could bend my own gear legs, but they might not be straight? Or, maybe I could build my own wings, but they might not be true to the designed airfoil? Mary, this is the sort of inane comment that has turned me and many other builders off to the Elite Aircraft Associations flagship publication. Making things work and meet regulations is what we do. Buying Aerofl ashs overpriced LEDs will not guarantee that they are aligned properly on a crooked wing. If someone has the audacity to align a set of wings properly, why would aligning a few lights of the correct colors prove difficult?

I find the haughty, consumerism attitude exhibited here to be insulting and subversive. Were building airplanes over here, and were doing it well. We don’t need to hear about how some marketing fl ack is puzzled that wed want to do it ourselves, and we don’t want to hear that we might not be able to handle the job. If we just wanted something that was approved and guaranteed to work, wed just buy a Cessna and be done with it.
                                                                                                                                                   ERNEST CHRISTLEY

Ask, And You Shall Receive
There’s a subject important to builders that seems to be ignored in print. That subject is propellers. What Id like to see is an in-depth article, or better yet, a series, on all the various aspects of prop selection including materials, blade count, blade foils and aspect ratios, power absorption, efficiency, operating speeds and noise production. I feel that Barnaby Wainfan would be the man to author such a study. 
                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                     DON POST

Ottomated Response
I was happy to see your recognition of Ottopilots in the July issue of KITPLANES. At long last were getting the acknowledgment of our talents and services and general lack of notoriety. Ive had an Otto-pilot in every aircraft Ive flown or owned since 1965 and found him to be invaluable in keeping the shiny side up and wheels-side down. Seriously, keep up the great coverage of all things of interest to contemporary aviators… Ottopilot or not!

                                                                                                                                                                LOREN OTTO