The Blois microlight show happens in France on the last weekend in August.
This years event will see the biggest innovation in flexwing (weightshift) microlights for many years.
Aircreation will show a new wing! we all know that there are new wings about, the Pegasus GT450 with winglets and the small fast QuiKR with its topless wing, they will fade into insignificance compared to what Aircreation will show.
The rumours are that it will be a swing wing, a design that should allow the machine to fly as slow as a large old fashioned design for short field performance, yet be reconfigured in the air to allow high speed cross country flying.
As I understand it is going to be possible to fit this wing to any Tanarg so should not put people off who have just bought, or are thinking of buying, a Tanarg.
I have no doubt that it will take time before this new wing hits all of the worlds markets, but I think that it will take the microlight world by storm.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Thursday, 9 July 2009
A Tanarg for sale
No not mine. The very pretty gold coloured demonstrator that you see at the factory on a previous post is for sale on the factory website. It must be one of the best looking Tanargs that I have ever seen and has all sorts of toys fitted to it. I believe the price is 41,000 Euros.
Edited 27 July:
Aircreation have now opened a website for second hand machines and parts at http://www.air-creation.com/. This is a good place to start should you be looking for something.
Thanks to Gabriel at Aircreation for the information.
Edited 27 July:
Aircreation have now opened a website for second hand machines and parts at http://www.air-creation.com/. This is a good place to start should you be looking for something.
Thanks to Gabriel at Aircreation for the information.
How to fit the M760 radio to the Flycom Focus
If the Tanarg is fitted with a Flycom Focus dashboard (EFIS) then the intercom is integrated into the Focus with the Push to Transmit (PTT) button on the headset connector. It is worth keeping this as it is so that you will get any warning messages from the Focus through the headphones.
The Microair M760 radio that I have used is a revision P with built in intercom, but that was no use to me.
After removing the complete dashboard, 5 self tapping screws along the bottom edge, I laid it on my lap to see what the set-up is. At the bottom of the rear of the dashboard there is a fusebox with spare connectors and one has a 3 amp fuse fitted to supply power to the M760. On one corner is the earth point for the earth connector from the M760.
One of the other leads from the M760 15 pin D connector was the back light cable which was wired to the on/off switch for the focus so that it is on when the Focus is switched on.
On the back of the Flycom Focus is a 15 pin D connector which is labeled "RADIO". Mine had a plug on this with flying leads to fit an Icom a3 radio. After stripping the pugs off I found that; the blue wire was wired to pin 1 on the Focus plug and is the headphone cable, the black wire was wired to pin 2 and is the earth cable, the red wire is wired to pin 3 and is the microphone cable and lastly the white wire is connected to pin 4 and is the PTT cable.
The 15 pin D connector on the Flycom Focus has a part number of A014765 on it which looks to me like an Aircreation part number. I was wondering if there is also a plug supplied by Aircreation that would have made fitting a little easier, but did not have time to ask the factory if they supply other options for this connector.
When every thing was soldered together and loads of heat-shrink and tyraps were fitted I tested the installation with my hand-held Icom A6 radio and the GPS switched on to check for interference. It sounded very clear, but I still have to test it in the air.
If anyone is going sown this same route then I would say that it would be easier to obtain a 15 pin D connector and solder the wires from the same connector on the radio to the pins as described above.
I also noticed that there are a row of small electrical jumpers on the back of the Flycom Focus and wondered if these might be the things that select the units of measurement for the display. I would hope someone will know and share that information with the rest of us!
The Microair M760 radio that I have used is a revision P with built in intercom, but that was no use to me.
After removing the complete dashboard, 5 self tapping screws along the bottom edge, I laid it on my lap to see what the set-up is. At the bottom of the rear of the dashboard there is a fusebox with spare connectors and one has a 3 amp fuse fitted to supply power to the M760. On one corner is the earth point for the earth connector from the M760.
One of the other leads from the M760 15 pin D connector was the back light cable which was wired to the on/off switch for the focus so that it is on when the Focus is switched on.
On the back of the Flycom Focus is a 15 pin D connector which is labeled "RADIO". Mine had a plug on this with flying leads to fit an Icom a3 radio. After stripping the pugs off I found that; the blue wire was wired to pin 1 on the Focus plug and is the headphone cable, the black wire was wired to pin 2 and is the earth cable, the red wire is wired to pin 3 and is the microphone cable and lastly the white wire is connected to pin 4 and is the PTT cable.
The 15 pin D connector on the Flycom Focus has a part number of A014765 on it which looks to me like an Aircreation part number. I was wondering if there is also a plug supplied by Aircreation that would have made fitting a little easier, but did not have time to ask the factory if they supply other options for this connector.
When every thing was soldered together and loads of heat-shrink and tyraps were fitted I tested the installation with my hand-held Icom A6 radio and the GPS switched on to check for interference. It sounded very clear, but I still have to test it in the air.
If anyone is going sown this same route then I would say that it would be easier to obtain a 15 pin D connector and solder the wires from the same connector on the radio to the pins as described above.
I also noticed that there are a row of small electrical jumpers on the back of the Flycom Focus and wondered if these might be the things that select the units of measurement for the display. I would hope someone will know and share that information with the rest of us!
Sunday, 5 July 2009
A new radio for the Tanarg
Microlights have normally used hand held radios such as the Icom A3 or A20. Icom no longer make these models and they have been superseded but the A6 and A24. The problem is that the new models are not authorised for aviation use in Europe. There is a version of the new models that are legal for use in France and are known as the A6FR and A24FR, but they are very expensive compared to the none FR radios.
For almost the same amount of money I have bought a Microair M760 radio, which is a panel mount. This will be fitted to interface with the Flycom Focus dashboard. The reason for doing it this way is to retain the intercom system in the Focus rather than using that of the radio, and so I will still get audio warning for oil pressure etc.
The beauty of the M760 is that it weighs around 500 grams but seems a very well built radio.
The downside is that there seems to be little support for the Flycom Focus dash and I will have to work out the wiring for myself.
I will update when I have the system working.
If anyone out there has any information of the workings and set up of the Flycom Focus, I would be forever in your debt if you can share that knowledge.
For almost the same amount of money I have bought a Microair M760 radio, which is a panel mount. This will be fitted to interface with the Flycom Focus dashboard. The reason for doing it this way is to retain the intercom system in the Focus rather than using that of the radio, and so I will still get audio warning for oil pressure etc.
The beauty of the M760 is that it weighs around 500 grams but seems a very well built radio.
The downside is that there seems to be little support for the Flycom Focus dash and I will have to work out the wiring for myself.
I will update when I have the system working.
If anyone out there has any information of the workings and set up of the Flycom Focus, I would be forever in your debt if you can share that knowledge.
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