Modifications and Building Pictures

  HKS engine on a Challenger
     My name is Ted Wink, I belong to the Illowa Sport Flyers Club out at Erie IL.   I have size 14 shoes and with boots on it is impossible for me to keep my feet in the rudder cups that come with the Challenger. At first I tried removing the factory cups replacing them with aluminum angle material. My foot would slide off and I had to subconsciously keep thinking about balancing my foot on the rudder pedal. Now my foot is relaxed and I even have a little movement. Smaller feet would have even more mobility. 
     I'm having them made with light weight aluminum, welded and the adjustment slides are the same so they mount using the original screws.  I'm selling them for $60/set plus shipping.  Go to Erie Air Park's Website for details.


Rotax 503 Carb Heat, by Paul Vella
Cub-Style Landing Gear
Here's a neat idea for towing the plane back into the hangar.
Jay Dewberry's flap conversion.
Greg Wall's luggage rack.
4in_Tail_Wheel.JPG (30106 bytes) Here is a photo of a 4" X-tra soft polyurethane tail wheel that Todd Balsimo installed.  Got it from Granger for $7.  Very smooth.
Oil injection for the Challenger!
gaprud02.jpg (23410 bytes) Carmel Roy is using RANS gap seals on his tail feathers.  See his page in the photo gallery for more info.
Challenger_tail_cable_brace.jpg (52048 bytes)
challenger_tail_brace2.jpg (43223 bytes)
This is a picture of tail cable braces added to both sides of my Challenger 1. This fully stopped the tail vibration. Prior to this I had put all AN bolts into the tail system (no clips) Put in 4 more motor mounts, balanced the prop. Nothing else worked. And now I know why because not of these will stop a tail vibration because they are not attacking the cause.  I mentioned that while trouble shooting I found that the vibration would go away every time that I stepped on the rudder enough to align the rudder with the vertical stabilizer. This was my clue. My plane had 6 hours on it when I first noticed the vibration--- I really think it was there all along.  Tom Marson
vortex.jpg (58890 bytes) Vortex Generators.
UKtail.jpg (42025 bytes) The larger UK-style tail.
Suspen.jpg (72650 bytes) Peter Wolf's suspension mod.
kk_start1_RGB.JPG (23519 bytes) kk_start2_RGB.JPG (30953 bytes)   From Kurt Kingston:  kk_start1 is a side view of the installation of the Rotax factory starter on my 582.  kk_start2 is a different view of the same thing showing the aileron connecting cable modification and a piano hinge on the bracket for alignment during flaperon travel.
Brad Stiefvater added Vortex Generators. Clipped (before he added one foot more wing) stall was 39 MPH . Then when he added the extra 1 foot more to each wing plus the Hoerner tips stall was 34.  Then he installed the VG s and his stall went to 29 MPH. The VGs alone made a 5 MPH change. (click on the picture to go to his page).
Dad1.jpg (48071 bytes) Dad2.jpg (46212 bytes)Dad3.jpg (37930 bytes)Dad6.jpg (31479 bytes) Easy Entry Mod by George Hurt of Adventure Aviation
Jay Faubion made this handy glove compartment above the fuel tank.
Darrell Richards sent this in.  Good way to brace the front fork without welding.
Hatch_Supports.jpg (27600 bytes) West_Hatch_Supports.jpg (65349 bytes)Door modifications.
mharrison1.jpg (44487 bytes)
By Mike Harrison
Here is a mod I have done successfully for a few years.  Note the carry-thru tube for the elevator and the notch on the rudder.  This has totally eliminated the play between the two elevators and the need to re-tighten the bellcrank bolt.  It keeps it from lateral play and bolt hole elongation completely.
suspension1.jpg (42854 bytes)
suspension2.jpg (33280 bytes)

Bungee Suspension for C-II   
(2) tubes of 15 1/4" length, 1 1/2" O.D. 0.035" thickness, 4130 steel for upper legs.
(2) tubes of 16 1/2" length, 1 3/8" O.D. 0.058" thickness, 4130 steel for lower legs.
(4) 3"X3" Triangular 4130 steel plates, 0.125" thick, with holes for bolts.
AN bolts and nuts, with washers.
(2) 3' lengths of 1/2" thick bungee (wrapped 6~7 times).
(4) hose clamps for holding bungees
(2) small 1" thick rubber round washers for insertions between upper and lower leg.

Procedure:    Weld two triangular plates at the lower ends of upper legs on each side as shown on photo, and insert in gear sockets of C-II.

lights.jpg (62130 bytes) Want to be seen at dusk?  55W driving lights will go the trick!
Zu-cby.jpg (42998 bytes) Niell Du Plessis' Challenger II with the UK-style vertical fin, rudder and dorsal fin.
Notice the wiring connectors on the first picture.  It looks like the whole engine could be taken off in a few minutes.
This one uses a snap cover under the engine.
Installation of a 12 gallon boat tank in a single-seat Challenger.

Some dash shots with the EIS.  Taken at Oshkosh '98 (whoops, I mean AirVenture :>)

eis1.tif (384480 bytes)eis2.tif (384480 bytes)eis3.tif (362682 bytes)

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