Astute observers of the national weather scene may have noted that we here in central Ohio are currently enjoying some of the first favorable flying conditions of the new year. Surely, those folks are wondering to themselves, "I wonder if Papa Golf will be flying this weekend?"
Well, no. Co-pilot Rick had graciously offered to stop by the hangar this morning to help with the two-man task of putting the cowls back on, a job that traditionally signifies the end of the annual condition inspection and a return to flying status. I'm always a bit nervous about the first time flying after the annual - I was that way even before the days when I personally did a lot of the actual work like I do now. Now that I have a direct hand in inspection and repairs, it's even worse. I've been more nervous than ever this year, primarily due to the replacement of the gascolator, and to a lesser extent the work that was done on the carburetor since that part was done by my A&P.
With all of the trepidation in the air, I decided to get to the hangar well before Rick's expected arrival time to test run the engine again. I ran it last week after installing the EGT gauge, but about mid-week I got to thinking that I had concentrated almost completely on the readings on the gauge during that test and not so much about a full check-up of the engine. So, after that idea nagging at me for a few days, I ran it again this morning with a broader focus on the overall performance of the engine, and I'm glad I did! What I found is that because of plugging the hole in the side of the carb and/or having the carb removed and replaced, if I pull the throttle all the way back I no longer get to a 600 rpm idle. Now it goes down to between 200 and 300 rpm, then stalls. That, as I'm sure you can imagine, is by no means a desirable thing!
There are a couple of things that I think could be causing it. First, I think it's possible that plugging the hole in the carb has changed the fuel/air mixture at idle/low rpm, and without the extra air coming in through the hole it is now running rich at low rpm. I noticed that if I tried to throttle up from idle, the engine sputtered and carried on for a bit - it might have been choking on too much fuel. It's also possible that the excessively low idle indicates that the positioning and/or length of the throttle cable was changed as a result of the carb having been removed and replaced. That doesn't seem as likely, though.
In any event, I won't be putting the cowls back on until I've had a chance to have the A&P come take a look at it next week. Being grounded like this, of course, virtually guarantees beautiful weather for tomorrow.
You're welcome. Enjoy it.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Because I get asked a lot....
Here's the latest (heavily editorialized, I'm afraid) on the accidental discharge of a firearm on a recent U.S. Airways flight:
It was only a matter of time before there’d be an accidental, non-negligent discharge of a Federal Flight Deck Officer’s weapon. Saturday a U.S. Airways pilot’s gun discharged on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51am. The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and thankfully none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured
The insane procedures required by the TSA demands that our pilots to lock and then un-lock their .40 side arms was and is a solid recipe for disaster. Did the TSA deliberately create this bizarre and unconventional Rube Goldberg firearm retention system hoping for this result? The sordid history of the FAA and TSA’s total resistance to the concept of arming pilots to protect Americans is in itself a scandal.
Putting a gun into a holster and then threading a padlock through the trigger and trigger-guard is required every time the pilots enter or leave the cockpit. This kind of silliness has never been forced on any law enforcement or security officers anywhere in the world until now. Before this holster padlock procedure pilots with guns were forced to carry them around in a cumbersome 22 pound vault. The vault caused problems in the confined space of most cockpits.
Here's the goofy holster they are forced to use:
The writer has a point - the FAA and TSA were dead set against allowing pilots to carry guns, but appear to have found away to salve the ire of passengers that demanded that extra measure of security while simultaneously ensuring that we remain defenseless. And that, I must say, is pretty much what government does.
It was only a matter of time before there’d be an accidental, non-negligent discharge of a Federal Flight Deck Officer’s weapon. Saturday a U.S. Airways pilot’s gun discharged on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51am. The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and thankfully none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured
The insane procedures required by the TSA demands that our pilots to lock and then un-lock their .40 side arms was and is a solid recipe for disaster. Did the TSA deliberately create this bizarre and unconventional Rube Goldberg firearm retention system hoping for this result? The sordid history of the FAA and TSA’s total resistance to the concept of arming pilots to protect Americans is in itself a scandal.
Putting a gun into a holster and then threading a padlock through the trigger and trigger-guard is required every time the pilots enter or leave the cockpit. This kind of silliness has never been forced on any law enforcement or security officers anywhere in the world until now. Before this holster padlock procedure pilots with guns were forced to carry them around in a cumbersome 22 pound vault. The vault caused problems in the confined space of most cockpits.
Here's the goofy holster they are forced to use:
The writer has a point - the FAA and TSA were dead set against allowing pilots to carry guns, but appear to have found away to salve the ire of passengers that demanded that extra measure of security while simultaneously ensuring that we remain defenseless. And that, I must say, is pretty much what government does.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Annual just about wrapped up
I replaced the broken, worn out gascolator on Saturday afternoon, and went back Saturday night (living that legendary rock star lifestyle, I am!) to prepare for Sunday's installation of the new EGT gauge. Sometime between finishing the gascolator and returning for the preliminary EGT work, my favorite A&P had stopped by and installed the plug to seal up the gaping hole in the carburetor. While in the eyes of the FAA it would be perfectly allowable for me to have done this myself, there are some things that I feel are better left to the professionals. Drilling and tapping a hole in the carburetor fits firmly in the "have someone smarter do it" category.
The fact that drilling and tapping were required in the first place indicates to me that this plug had never been in there, and that the carb has been sucking air through that hole for at least the last few years. I strongly suspect that this will resolve the slightly rough running engine that I get at around 1400 RPM. That will be nice because 1400 RPM is a power range used almost exclusively during the turn from base leg to final while landing, which is most assuredly not a time when you want anything but a smoooooth running engine. Disconcerting, to say the least, to be low and slow and have even the most minute distrust in your engine. Easily avoided, once you know to expect it, and not really even a problem if you just slog through it, but nice to have it fixed none the less.
The simplest part of the EGT installation looked to be the actual placement of the instrument in the panel, so naturally I saved that part for myself. Four screws, and there it was:
I actually had the foresight (yeah, I'm surprised too!) to write down the color of each of the wires on the wiring harness and which wire of each of the probes that was intended to be attached to it:
Everything else was laid out and ready to go so Co-pilot Rick and I would be able to hit the ground running in the morning:
We agreed that the hardest part of the entire installation would be the process of getting the four probe wires through the firewall and back to the instrument in the panel. Not only would a hole have to be drilled in the firewall, but a shield would have to be put in place to keep the nasty stuff that goes on in the engine compartment where it all belongs: in the engine compartment. It would also be necessary to cushion the bare edges of the hole to keep the probe wires from chafing. To hold the firewall shield in place, two nutplates would have to be installed for the screws to screw into.
Sounds easy, but the cockpit side of the firewall is extremely hard to get at. To rivet the nutplates in place, we would be using blind rivets (which, as opposed to solid, driven rivets which require access to both sides of the surface, can be installed from just one side). Sort of. Someone still has to crawl up under the panel to hold the nutplates in place with the rivets are pushed through the holes. But, the first order of business is to create the holes:
The holes were pretty easily drilled, but we wanted the firewall side of the rivets to be flush with the firewall, so the holes needed to be dimpled. This is done using the same rivet puller that is used to install the rivets, but with the addition of a nifty pair of thingys that create the dimple. This operation requires that there be a person on each side of the firewall. One outside, comfortably standing on a step stool, and another on his back, scrunched up behind the panel, twisted into an ungainly and very uncomfortable position to reach up to the back of the firewall to hold the thingy in place.
You know that guy who asks you to help you move, and when you show up he points at a 100 lb. box for you to pick up, and says "I'll hold the door?" The guy that always manages to face frontward while you pray for your life as you carefully tread backwards down the steep stairs carrying his sofa? Well, he's also the guy that will choose to stand on the step stool, and in this case, that person is me. I swear, I'm like the guy (Marlin Perkins?) in the old TV show (I think it was 'Wild Kingdom,' sponsored by Mutual of Omaha): "I wait in the Jeep while Jim approaches the rabid, PMS-enraged Lioness." Co-pilot Rick ended up on the floor of the cockpit with various pieces/parts of the floor leaving semi-permanent indentations in his back. I stood on the stool. But... we got it done:
Once the holes were dimpled and de-burred, Rick dove in again to hold the nutplates in place while I pulled the blind rivets:
To get a large enough diameter hole in the firewall, we had to resort to the Unibit. Using a Unibit is a lot like working with fiberglass: the good news is that it can drill a hole very quickly. The bad news is, of course, that it can drill a hole very quickly:
After a second trip to the Aviation Parts Department at the local Lowe's, we were able to install a large enough grommet:
With the portal through the firewall finally being done, it was on to the much easier task of installing the probes into the exhaust pipes. The specs included with the probes direct that they be installed anywhere from four to eight inches from the exhaust flange, but those suggested specs weren't going to work for my pipes. I had to go a little bit closer than the four inch minimum in order to work around the bent parts of the pipes and the areas where the pipes join and are double thick . The good news, though, was that the unaffordium drill bits made short work of the task. I didn't even need the second one that I had bought:
The installation of the probes is very simple. Stick them in the hole, and tighten the hose clamp:
Trim off the excess length of the hose clamps:
We secured the cables to other parts of the engine in order to keep them from floating around in there getting themselves into trouble:
Then it's through the firewall and attached to the wiring harness, yet another job that required someone to crawl up behind the panel. I waited in the Jeep:
Me and Marlin Perkins: we're all about the glory, so I got out of the Jeep and did the test run to see if everything was working. All four probes worked:
I'm a little worried about the indicated temps, though. Pretty high for a mere 1500 RPM! What are they going to be like at full throttle?? This is, of course, the result of placing them too close to the exhaust flanges. Rick thinks it might be ok in flight, though, since there will be cooling air blowing across the pipes. He's probably right, but I reserve the right to stew about it until I find out.
My nice, neat work table was showing the results of the intense installation activity, so it was time to get stuff thrown away or put away:
The final step was to use heat resistant RTV goop to stain my clothes and to keep the nasty stuff on the right side of the firewall:
All done! The plane just needs to be buttoned up and have the annual signed off and we're ready to go! Oh, and it was Wild Kingdom.
The fact that drilling and tapping were required in the first place indicates to me that this plug had never been in there, and that the carb has been sucking air through that hole for at least the last few years. I strongly suspect that this will resolve the slightly rough running engine that I get at around 1400 RPM. That will be nice because 1400 RPM is a power range used almost exclusively during the turn from base leg to final while landing, which is most assuredly not a time when you want anything but a smoooooth running engine. Disconcerting, to say the least, to be low and slow and have even the most minute distrust in your engine. Easily avoided, once you know to expect it, and not really even a problem if you just slog through it, but nice to have it fixed none the less.
The simplest part of the EGT installation looked to be the actual placement of the instrument in the panel, so naturally I saved that part for myself. Four screws, and there it was:
I actually had the foresight (yeah, I'm surprised too!) to write down the color of each of the wires on the wiring harness and which wire of each of the probes that was intended to be attached to it:
Everything else was laid out and ready to go so Co-pilot Rick and I would be able to hit the ground running in the morning:
We agreed that the hardest part of the entire installation would be the process of getting the four probe wires through the firewall and back to the instrument in the panel. Not only would a hole have to be drilled in the firewall, but a shield would have to be put in place to keep the nasty stuff that goes on in the engine compartment where it all belongs: in the engine compartment. It would also be necessary to cushion the bare edges of the hole to keep the probe wires from chafing. To hold the firewall shield in place, two nutplates would have to be installed for the screws to screw into.
Sounds easy, but the cockpit side of the firewall is extremely hard to get at. To rivet the nutplates in place, we would be using blind rivets (which, as opposed to solid, driven rivets which require access to both sides of the surface, can be installed from just one side). Sort of. Someone still has to crawl up under the panel to hold the nutplates in place with the rivets are pushed through the holes. But, the first order of business is to create the holes:
The holes were pretty easily drilled, but we wanted the firewall side of the rivets to be flush with the firewall, so the holes needed to be dimpled. This is done using the same rivet puller that is used to install the rivets, but with the addition of a nifty pair of thingys that create the dimple. This operation requires that there be a person on each side of the firewall. One outside, comfortably standing on a step stool, and another on his back, scrunched up behind the panel, twisted into an ungainly and very uncomfortable position to reach up to the back of the firewall to hold the thingy in place.
You know that guy who asks you to help you move, and when you show up he points at a 100 lb. box for you to pick up, and says "I'll hold the door?" The guy that always manages to face frontward while you pray for your life as you carefully tread backwards down the steep stairs carrying his sofa? Well, he's also the guy that will choose to stand on the step stool, and in this case, that person is me. I swear, I'm like the guy (Marlin Perkins?) in the old TV show (I think it was 'Wild Kingdom,' sponsored by Mutual of Omaha): "I wait in the Jeep while Jim approaches the rabid, PMS-enraged Lioness." Co-pilot Rick ended up on the floor of the cockpit with various pieces/parts of the floor leaving semi-permanent indentations in his back. I stood on the stool. But... we got it done:
Once the holes were dimpled and de-burred, Rick dove in again to hold the nutplates in place while I pulled the blind rivets:
To get a large enough diameter hole in the firewall, we had to resort to the Unibit. Using a Unibit is a lot like working with fiberglass: the good news is that it can drill a hole very quickly. The bad news is, of course, that it can drill a hole very quickly:
After a second trip to the Aviation Parts Department at the local Lowe's, we were able to install a large enough grommet:
With the portal through the firewall finally being done, it was on to the much easier task of installing the probes into the exhaust pipes. The specs included with the probes direct that they be installed anywhere from four to eight inches from the exhaust flange, but those suggested specs weren't going to work for my pipes. I had to go a little bit closer than the four inch minimum in order to work around the bent parts of the pipes and the areas where the pipes join and are double thick . The good news, though, was that the unaffordium drill bits made short work of the task. I didn't even need the second one that I had bought:
The installation of the probes is very simple. Stick them in the hole, and tighten the hose clamp:
Trim off the excess length of the hose clamps:
We secured the cables to other parts of the engine in order to keep them from floating around in there getting themselves into trouble:
Then it's through the firewall and attached to the wiring harness, yet another job that required someone to crawl up behind the panel. I waited in the Jeep:
Me and Marlin Perkins: we're all about the glory, so I got out of the Jeep and did the test run to see if everything was working. All four probes worked:
I'm a little worried about the indicated temps, though. Pretty high for a mere 1500 RPM! What are they going to be like at full throttle?? This is, of course, the result of placing them too close to the exhaust flanges. Rick thinks it might be ok in flight, though, since there will be cooling air blowing across the pipes. He's probably right, but I reserve the right to stew about it until I find out.
My nice, neat work table was showing the results of the intense installation activity, so it was time to get stuff thrown away or put away:
The final step was to use heat resistant RTV goop to stain my clothes and to keep the nasty stuff on the right side of the firewall:
All done! The plane just needs to be buttoned up and have the annual signed off and we're ready to go! Oh, and it was Wild Kingdom.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
New gascolator installed
Beyond being cheaper than UPS or FedEx, using the US Postal Service to have parts delivered offers an additional bonus: Saturday delivery at no extra charge. As I was pulling in the driveway on my return from Sears, where I had just purchased two expensive 3/16" drill bits in support of tomorrow's scheduled installation of the new EGT gauge (expensive, I believe, due to them being hand-milled from 100% unaffordium. There are some better ones made out of unobtainium, but of course they were out of those. They always are.), the mail delivery person was attempting to squeeze a 1 sq. ft. box into my 15/16 sq. ft. mailbox. Since I knew it had to be my long-awaited gascolator, I retrieved the box directly from the deliverer, foregoing my normal entertainment of sitting behind the truck enjoying the hilarity of the futile attempts to cram an oversize package into my mailbox. Saved for another day, that.
No time like the present to brave the 31F ambient, 28 wind chill and get the new part installed, so off to the hangar it was. I had anticipated a fairly expeditious installation since I saw no compelling reason to remove the existing AN fittings from the top part of the old unit; it was only the bottom part that needed replacing. A couple of things convinced me to go the whole hog, though. First, the top part of the new unit is much better looking than the old:
On the left, old and mangled. On the right, new and (should I? I will!) fangled.
The other factor was that I noticed that the fittings in the old one were on the wrong sides. The fitting where the fuel was coming in from the fuel line is plainly marked 'out', while the fitting that previously had the line going up to the engine mounted fuel pump is marked 'in.' I can tell this by the direction of the top, 90 degree fitting where the primer line was attached:
Granted, I could have simply turned the primer fitting an additional 180 degrees to get it on the other side, but see reason #1 above, and consider that this entire operation was the result of a previous application of the JOMT methodology.
The fittings were a bear to get out of the old unit, but eventually everything was all put together and mounted on the plane:
Time for a leak check. Did it leak? Well, yes, of course it did! The drain valve at the bottom of the cup turned out to only be hand tightened, so a quick dose of wrench grease fixed it right up.
And now, simply because I can't help myself, I present old & mangled, new & fangled, and temptingly dangled:
No, I won't blame you for never coming back after that one!
No time like the present to brave the 31F ambient, 28 wind chill and get the new part installed, so off to the hangar it was. I had anticipated a fairly expeditious installation since I saw no compelling reason to remove the existing AN fittings from the top part of the old unit; it was only the bottom part that needed replacing. A couple of things convinced me to go the whole hog, though. First, the top part of the new unit is much better looking than the old:
On the left, old and mangled. On the right, new and (should I? I will!) fangled.
The other factor was that I noticed that the fittings in the old one were on the wrong sides. The fitting where the fuel was coming in from the fuel line is plainly marked 'out', while the fitting that previously had the line going up to the engine mounted fuel pump is marked 'in.' I can tell this by the direction of the top, 90 degree fitting where the primer line was attached:
Granted, I could have simply turned the primer fitting an additional 180 degrees to get it on the other side, but see reason #1 above, and consider that this entire operation was the result of a previous application of the JOMT methodology.
The fittings were a bear to get out of the old unit, but eventually everything was all put together and mounted on the plane:
Time for a leak check. Did it leak? Well, yes, of course it did! The drain valve at the bottom of the cup turned out to only be hand tightened, so a quick dose of wrench grease fixed it right up.
And now, simply because I can't help myself, I present old & mangled, new & fangled, and temptingly dangled:
No, I won't blame you for never coming back after that one!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
A number of updates...
As a public service for those readers that I just know are on the edges of their seats wondering about the status of various open issues, I hereby present a collection of updates:
- the Canoe Project: when I last spoke on this topic, I was at a loss as to how to get the lower and upper side panels to meet. I'm not so worried about the gap between the two; the bigger issue is that I can't get them flush. My efforts to rectify that had been concentrated on getting the lower panel to move inward to match the edge of the upper panel, but no amount of coercion could convince it to do so. I was down in the Boatworks a few days ago on an unrelated mission, and took the opportunity to take a fresh look at the problem. Now I grant you, this is going to seem painfully obvious in hindsight, but it appears that it will be quite easy to shim the upper panel away from the temporary bulkhead such that it moves outboard enough to line up with the lower panel. Yeah, like I said: "Duh!"
- the Miata: if you recall, it nearly left me stranded clear across town when the clutch wouldn't disengage enough to allow me to get it into gear. I made an adjustment to the length of the clutch pushrod in order to get home, then stuffed the car back in the garage behind the snow plow and decided to just leave it there until, well, yesterday afternoon. I figured that maybe it was low on clutch fluid, so the first thing I did yesterday was pop the hood and check the level in the translucent plastic fluid reservoir. Which, thankfully, wasn't back in the trunk with the battery. The level appeared to be mid-way between the Min and Max marks, but since I had needed a jump start again to get it started, I figured I could eradicate two avians with one projectile with a drive to the auto parts store to secure a container of DOT 3 brake/clutch fluid, which would also serve to push a new reserve of electrons into the battery. When I got back, I popped the lid on the reservoir, only to find it nearly bone dry. The reservoir was stained with the remains of fluid past, which presented a false level reading when viewed from the outside. Sigh.
- the Annual Condition Inspection: still waiting on the new gascolator. I ordered a new one from Aircraft Spruce last Friday, but cancelled the order when I received a very generous offer from an RV builder that had a gascolator that he would not be using. Many of you that attend Oshkosh each year will recognize the name of the donor, Mr. Bob Collins, as the driving force behind the annual BBQ. I had to renew the order for what turns out to be my old Model GAS-1 gascolator once I found out that the donated gascolator, a Model GAS-5, won't fit the mount on my plane. That's unfortunate because the newer model is much nicer than the old one, but I don't want to have to refabricate the mount, at least not in the short term. Maybe when I replace the oil and fuel hoses later this year, though. In any event, thanks Bob!
- Shooting with my brother: finally having had all I can stand of the emasculating effect of showing up with .22 rimfires as he pulls out his gazillion caliber bazookas, I decided that I needed a grown-up rifle. But... I don't hunt. I just like to make the thing go bang, and I like the mechanical precision of firearms. I enjoy the challenge of trying to consistently hit a target, and I like the congeneality I share with my brother when we have co-interests. With that in mind, you won't be surprised to learn that I wasn't keen on the idea of spending $600 - $800 for a new rifle. I have a friend at work that collects old military surplus guns, and he suggested that I look for one of those. I decided on a Chinese SKS. They're commonly available at gun shows, moderately priced, and parts/ammo are cheap and also commonly available. I took it out and shot ten rounds through it last week to make sure it works, and found that it's more pleasant to shoot than I had expected. It jumps a bit when you shoot it, but there is very little recoil that gets as far as your shoulder. In other words, you can shoot it all afternoon and not come home sore and/or bruised. I took a few pictures of it, if you're curious:
http://picasaweb.google.com/HogarthKramer/SKS
It has a ten round internal magazine that loads through the top, but that's kind of a pain in the nethers to do. I ordered a 20 round removeable magazine to replace it, and I found that it is much easier to load. Worth the $18. Oh, and if you must know, the gun itself was $265. They can be had far cheaper, but most of them at that price point look pretty ratty and run-down.
- the Canoe Project: when I last spoke on this topic, I was at a loss as to how to get the lower and upper side panels to meet. I'm not so worried about the gap between the two; the bigger issue is that I can't get them flush. My efforts to rectify that had been concentrated on getting the lower panel to move inward to match the edge of the upper panel, but no amount of coercion could convince it to do so. I was down in the Boatworks a few days ago on an unrelated mission, and took the opportunity to take a fresh look at the problem. Now I grant you, this is going to seem painfully obvious in hindsight, but it appears that it will be quite easy to shim the upper panel away from the temporary bulkhead such that it moves outboard enough to line up with the lower panel. Yeah, like I said: "Duh!"
- the Miata: if you recall, it nearly left me stranded clear across town when the clutch wouldn't disengage enough to allow me to get it into gear. I made an adjustment to the length of the clutch pushrod in order to get home, then stuffed the car back in the garage behind the snow plow and decided to just leave it there until, well, yesterday afternoon. I figured that maybe it was low on clutch fluid, so the first thing I did yesterday was pop the hood and check the level in the translucent plastic fluid reservoir. Which, thankfully, wasn't back in the trunk with the battery. The level appeared to be mid-way between the Min and Max marks, but since I had needed a jump start again to get it started, I figured I could eradicate two avians with one projectile with a drive to the auto parts store to secure a container of DOT 3 brake/clutch fluid, which would also serve to push a new reserve of electrons into the battery. When I got back, I popped the lid on the reservoir, only to find it nearly bone dry. The reservoir was stained with the remains of fluid past, which presented a false level reading when viewed from the outside. Sigh.
- the Annual Condition Inspection: still waiting on the new gascolator. I ordered a new one from Aircraft Spruce last Friday, but cancelled the order when I received a very generous offer from an RV builder that had a gascolator that he would not be using. Many of you that attend Oshkosh each year will recognize the name of the donor, Mr. Bob Collins, as the driving force behind the annual BBQ. I had to renew the order for what turns out to be my old Model GAS-1 gascolator once I found out that the donated gascolator, a Model GAS-5, won't fit the mount on my plane. That's unfortunate because the newer model is much nicer than the old one, but I don't want to have to refabricate the mount, at least not in the short term. Maybe when I replace the oil and fuel hoses later this year, though. In any event, thanks Bob!
- Shooting with my brother: finally having had all I can stand of the emasculating effect of showing up with .22 rimfires as he pulls out his gazillion caliber bazookas, I decided that I needed a grown-up rifle. But... I don't hunt. I just like to make the thing go bang, and I like the mechanical precision of firearms. I enjoy the challenge of trying to consistently hit a target, and I like the congeneality I share with my brother when we have co-interests. With that in mind, you won't be surprised to learn that I wasn't keen on the idea of spending $600 - $800 for a new rifle. I have a friend at work that collects old military surplus guns, and he suggested that I look for one of those. I decided on a Chinese SKS. They're commonly available at gun shows, moderately priced, and parts/ammo are cheap and also commonly available. I took it out and shot ten rounds through it last week to make sure it works, and found that it's more pleasant to shoot than I had expected. It jumps a bit when you shoot it, but there is very little recoil that gets as far as your shoulder. In other words, you can shoot it all afternoon and not come home sore and/or bruised. I took a few pictures of it, if you're curious:
http://picasaweb.google.com/HogarthKramer/SKS
It has a ten round internal magazine that loads through the top, but that's kind of a pain in the nethers to do. I ordered a 20 round removeable magazine to replace it, and I found that it is much easier to load. Worth the $18. Oh, and if you must know, the gun itself was $265. They can be had far cheaper, but most of them at that price point look pretty ratty and run-down.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
F1 - Malaysia Practice Lap
I always like to get at least a few laps in at whatever track Formula One is racing at before watching the race. That way, I can say "Huh, I crashed at that turn too." Helps with the self-esteem.
Anyway, the Malaysian Grand Prix is tomorrow, and here are a couple of my practice laps:
For comparison, here's the real thing:
Update:
There was a question in the comments as to where I get Formula One on TV. Out local cable provider carries Speed TV, who in turn carries Formula One.
Anyway, the Malaysian Grand Prix is tomorrow, and here are a couple of my practice laps:
For comparison, here's the real thing:
Update:
There was a question in the comments as to where I get Formula One on TV. Out local cable provider carries Speed TV, who in turn carries Formula One.
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