To All Windrose Builders

[Eric Ward]

Is there anybody out there building a Windrose? I've been building
mine on again off again for the past 10 years or so. It's a 15 metre
type and it's almost finished. What I'm doing now is the wing
finishing, which is alot of filling and sanding. But it's going really
well since I figured out how to do it.

I have made a few changes to the original plans, such as using a
propeller speed reduction unit I designed and built myself. This
decision was made after careful consideration. It required other
changes like lowering the engine from were the crank shaft was in the
centre between the prop guard and the tail boom, where the new prop
shaft was in the centre. Also I lowered the prop guard to except a
nearly 36" prop. this also required redoing the cowling and extending
the prop. guard. Another change from the plans was to widen the fire
wall by 2" per side to properly cowel the engine. there are other
changes as well to the pitch control and to the spoiler. Which I
would be happy to discuss with other builders.

I have pretty much searched the internet for a living builders
group and have found none. I have read over and over Mat Redsell's
comments which was discouraging to the point were I left the project
alone for a couple of years while I contemplated it's future. I
beleive that the structure is sound and the aerodynamics are also
sound. I see no reason why Jim and Irv designed and built 2 other
birds, the carbon dragon and the woodstock so extreemly well and this
design is unsafe and flawed. It mades no sense. So I decided to press
on with mine. In closing, if there are other builders interested,
actively building or contemplating starting back into it, please
contribute to this board. Thanks very much Eric Ward.

[Cy Galley]

Why not start a group on Yahoo?

"Eric Ward" > wrote in message
m...
> Is there anybody out there building a Windrose? I've been building
> mine on again off again for the past 10 years or so. It's a 15 metre
> type and it's almost finished. What I'm doing now is the wing
> finishing, which is alot of filling and sanding. But it's going really
> well since I figured out how to do it.
>
> I have made a few changes to the original plans, such as using a
> propeller speed reduction unit I designed and built myself. This
> decision was made after careful consideration. It required other
> changes like lowering the engine from were the crank shaft was in the
> centre between the prop guard and the tail boom, where the new prop
> shaft was in the centre. Also I lowered the prop guard to except a
> nearly 36" prop. this also required redoing the cowling and extending
> the prop. guard. Another change from the plans was to widen the fire
> wall by 2" per side to properly cowel the engine. there are other
> changes as well to the pitch control and to the spoiler. Which I
> would be happy to discuss with other builders.
>
> I have pretty much searched the internet for a living builders
> group and have found none. I have read over and over Mat Redsell's
> comments which was discouraging to the point were I left the project
> alone for a couple of years while I contemplated it's future. I
> beleive that the structure is sound and the aerodynamics are also
> sound. I see no reason why Jim and Irv designed and built 2 other
> birds, the carbon dragon and the woodstock so extreemly well and this
> design is unsafe and flawed. It mades no sense. So I decided to press
> on with mine. In closing, if there are other builders interested,
> actively building or contemplating starting back into it, please
> contribute to this board. Thanks very much Eric Ward.

[Dave Hyde]

Eric Ward wrote...

I think that's what Rich Ilfeld is/was building, or at least
one of his projects. He and Betsy pop up here from time to
time. You might try Deja (OK, 'Google groups') and see if you
can find their e-address in the RAH archives.

Dave 'hazy shade of summer' Hyde

[Neal Pfeiffer]

You might try contacting someone through the Sailplane Homebuilders
Association in the USA. http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com/



Eric Ward wrote:

> Is there anybody out there building a Windrose? I've been building
> mine on again off again for the past 10 years or so. It's a 15 metre
> type and it's almost finished. What I'm doing now is the wing
> finishing, which is alot of filling and sanding. But it's going really
> well since I figured out how to do it.
>
> I have made a few changes to the original plans, such as using a
> propeller speed reduction unit I designed and built myself. This
> decision was made after careful consideration. It required other
> changes like lowering the engine from were the crank shaft was in the
> centre between the prop guard and the tail boom, where the new prop
> shaft was in the centre. Also I lowered the prop guard to except a
> nearly 36" prop. this also required redoing the cowling and extending
> the prop. guard. Another change from the plans was to widen the fire
> wall by 2" per side to properly cowel the engine. there are other
> changes as well to the pitch control and to the spoiler. Which I
> would be happy to discuss with other builders.
>
> I have pretty much searched the internet for a living builders
> group and have found none. I have read over and over Mat Redsell's
> comments which was discouraging to the point were I left the project
> alone for a couple of years while I contemplated it's future. I
> beleive that the structure is sound and the aerodynamics are also
> sound. I see no reason why Jim and Irv designed and built 2 other
> birds, the carbon dragon and the woodstock so extreemly well and this
> design is unsafe and flawed. It mades no sense. So I decided to press
> on with mine. In closing, if there are other builders interested,
> actively building or contemplating starting back into it, please
> contribute to this board. Thanks very much Eric Ward.

[Barnyard BOb -]

>Eric Ward wrote...
>
>I think that's what Rich Ilfeld is/was building, or at least
>one of his projects. He and Betsy pop up here from time to
>time. You might try Deja (OK, 'Google groups') and see if you
>can find their e-address in the RAH archives.
>
>Dave 'hazy shade of summer' Hyde
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As of 9-3-04 right here,
Betsy posted as....

bcilfeld-at-netscape.net

Rich use to post from....
rilfeld-at-ix.netcom.com

-at- = @


Barnyard BOb

[bci]

Hi,

Rick said he didn't think there is a very active group on the
internet. He used to correspond with a builder in South Africa that
was starting to fly his. Rick may be able to give you some email
addresses. Send some questions to Rick ) and he
can look through his mail log. He may be slow to respond.

We are preoccupied with getting ready for hurricanes and undoing
hurricane preparations. With the hurricane shutters up, the house was
like a cave. We've done some major garage cleaning and still can't
get a car in the garage. Then the chainsaw died trying to trim the
orange tree that Frances took out. Next, the mulcher gave up on us
when we tried to grind up the orange tree. And we're the fortunate
ones: the sandbags were unnecessary as the water never came over the
seawall, the boat and the dock are where they are suppose to be, and
we lost electricity for less than 5 hours. Now, if we could just
make 100 sandbags magically disappear until the next hurricane hits.

Betsy

[Jean-Paul Roy]

I found that site on a search that might be of some help:
http://user.tninet.se/~trz012v/windrose/WindroseII99.htm#B

Jean-Paul

"bci" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Rick said he didn't think there is a very active group on the
> internet. He used to correspond with a builder in South Africa that
> was starting to fly his. Rick may be able to give you some email
> addresses. Send some questions to Rick ) and he
> can look through his mail log. He may be slow to respond.
>
> We are preoccupied with getting ready for hurricanes and undoing
> hurricane preparations. With the hurricane shutters up, the house was
> like a cave. We've done some major garage cleaning and still can't
> get a car in the garage. Then the chainsaw died trying to trim the
> orange tree that Frances took out. Next, the mulcher gave up on us
> when we tried to grind up the orange tree. And we're the fortunate
> ones: the sandbags were unnecessary as the water never came over the
> seawall, the boat and the dock are where they are suppose to be, and
> we lost electricity for less than 5 hours. Now, if we could just
> make 100 sandbags magically disappear until the next hurricane hits.
>
> Betsy
>

[iannis pavlopoulos]

(Eric Ward) wrote in message >...
> Is there anybody out there building a Windrose? I've been building
> mine on again off again for the past 10 years or so. It's a 15 metre
> type and it's almost finished. What I'm doing now is the wing
> finishing, which is alot of filling and sanding. But it's going really
> well since I figured out how to do it.
>
> I have made a few changes to the original plans, such as using a
> propeller speed reduction unit I designed and built myself. This
> decision was made after careful consideration. It required other
> changes like lowering the engine from were the crank shaft was in the
> centre between the prop guard and the tail boom, where the new prop
> shaft was in the centre. Also I lowered the prop guard to except a
> nearly 36" prop. this also required redoing the cowling and extending
> the prop. guard. Another change from the plans was to widen the fire
> wall by 2" per side to properly cowel the engine. there are other
> changes as well to the pitch control and to the spoiler. Which I
> would be happy to discuss with other builders.
>
> I have pretty much searched the internet for a living builders
> group and have found none. I have read over and over Mat Redsell's
> comments which was discouraging to the point were I left the project
> alone for a couple of years while I contemplated it's future. I
> beleive that the structure is sound and the aerodynamics are also
> sound. I see no reason why Jim and Irv designed and built 2 other
> birds, the carbon dragon and the woodstock so extreemly well and this
> design is unsafe and flawed. It mades no sense. So I decided to press
> on with mine. In closing, if there are other builders interested,
> actively building or contemplating starting back into it, please
> contribute to this board. Thanks very much Eric Ward.

hello eric, i am a windrose builder from greece i complete the glider
three years ago if you want to learn more things about this i am at
your servise