Schofields Flying Club Ltd - 1 Tower Road Bankstown Airport 2200
(PO Box 200, Georges Hall, NSW 2198 AUSTRALIA)
Phone: +61 2 9773 3611 Email: mail@schofields-flying-club.com.au
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SCHOFIELDS FLYING CLUB NEWSLETTER - MAY/JUNE 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WELCOME to the May/June 2004 edition of Schofields News. You might wonder why this appears to be a double issue. Well, it's a double issue in name only. From next issue (July), you will receive your Newsletter at the end of the previous month (on 28 June, in fact). This issue is therefore the June edition, and was published on 24 May. So, from now on, you can expect your newsletter to appear in your Inbox on the fourth Monday of the month preceding the cover month. I hope this makes sense!In this edition, you'll find most of the usual features: X-Files X042 (Mitsubishi J8M Shusui) by Anthony Coleiro, Part 2 of Simon Williams' Trip to Temora, Know Your Committee Janet Richardson, there's a item about Formation Flying by Christina Savivanh and, of course, there's The Last Word from Latrodectus. As well, there's the usual administrivia that you've come to expect. So, read on and enjoy! NEW MEMBERS FOR APRIL/MAY 2004: Welcome to Mukhtar Singh, Simon Thirlwall, Yoon Burm Lee, Mathew Daikin, Andrew Nicolle, Shane Finlay and Robert Starr. DUTY PILOT DRAW: The Volunteer Duty Pilot Monthly Draw for April ($50 free flying) went to Lynne Lascelles and Jim Cahill. Congratulations! 
STOP PRESS! Instructor Wayne Russell is going to Temora for the long weekend in June if anyone else wants to tag-along they will be welcome. Accommodation will be at a premium so first in bessed dressed (sic). Contact Wayne on 0414 572 116 or by Email to
wayne@flybynite.org. It should be a good weekend away and not too far to go. (See next item.)TEMORA WEEKENDS FOR 2004: Are you looking for somewhere inexpensive to spend an aviation flavoured weekend? Are you interested in inspecting beautifully restored and airworthy Warbirds? Do you want to see them screaming about the sky? If you are then how about popping down to Temora for the day, or better still for a weekend and check out the Temora Aviation Museum and Flying Aero Displays. More... DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for 2004. You can check full details on our Coming Events page. Below is a summary of the programme for June and July 2004:
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MITSUBISHI J8M SHUSUI - FILE X042: The Mitsubishi J8M Shusui (Sword Stroke) looks almost exactly like the rocket powered German Interceptor of the latter part of World War II, the Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet. This is because it is a reproduction of the famous aircraft that so rattled the allied bomber crews that encountered it for the first time in German skies. Unlike its German counterpart, only seven prototypes were built and of these, only one ever flew.The J8M was intended to be a licenced built Me 163B, but due to circumstances beyond the Japanese control, they had to design the aircraft themselves virtually from scratch. 
In 1944 the Japanese government had acquired from Germany the rights to build the interceptor and its rocket motor in Japan for the sum of twenty million Reich Marks to assist in their war effort against the Americans bombing the motherland. Detailed technical drawings, sample motors and an instruction manual on how to operate the Me 163B were despatched to Japan aboard a submarine. The submarine never made it. It was attacked and sunk in a battle. They did however manage to receive one motor and the instruction book which arrived safely. From this scant information, Mitsubishi constructed their version of the Me 163B within a few months, a remarkable feat.
Mitsubishi had contracts from both the army and the navy, as development was a joint venture. J8M was the navy designation of the aircraft, to the army it was known as the Ki-200 and it was the army that gave the aircraft its name of Sword Stroke (Shusui).
The first prototype aircraft was a glider designated MXY8 Akigusa (Autumn grass). It was towed into the air and flew for the first time in December 1944. The second prototype was also a glider although this one was ballasted to simulate installation of the rocket motor and fuel load, this was known as the Ku-13 Shusui.Two versions of the powered aircraft were planned; the J8M1 was intended to be fitted with two 30-mm cannons and the J8M2 with one cannon and the ability to carry more fuel. 
The rocket motor constructed by Mitsubishi (known as the Toku Ro.2) developed 200 kg less thrust at 1,500 kg than the Walter HWK motor it was copied from. It was fitted to a J8M fuselage and it flew for the first time on July 7, 1945. It crashed soon after take-off due to engine failure. The problem was the fuel load had shifted in the steep climb cutting the fuel supply. The fuel system was redesigned, however, no other aircraft flew as the end for Japan came soon after.The J8M was estimated by Mitsubishi to have a maximum speed of 900 km/h at 32,800 feet with a service ceiling of over 39,000 feet. It was claimed that the aircraft could reach an altitude of 19,685 feet in 2.26 minutes and had an endurance of 5.5 minutes! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Illustrated Ency. of Aircraft - Orbis Publication The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough War Planes of the Second World War. Fighters Volume Three - William Green Japanese Aircraft Of World War II - Basil Collier Anthony Coleiro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CONTINUED FROM LAST MONTH...The next aircraft to fly was Col Pay’s CA-18 Mk 21. Better known as a P-51 Mustang. This was a beautiful display with the unmistakable sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine screaming through the sky. Next to fly was the English Electric Canberra bomber. This is only one of a handful that are still airworthy. Coincidence perhaps - Chuck Yeager flew the US equivalent of the Canberra, the Martin B-57 during Vietnam. Compared to modern jet aircraft it was interesting to see just how much effort was required to start this machine. The Rolls Royce Avon engines are started using a starter cartridge charge - this turns a small turbine, that in turn brings the compressor RPM of the engines up to a sufficient level to sustain ignition. All this makes for a good photo opportunity as black smoke wreathes around the engine intakes. The Canberra was flown on the Saturday, the Gloucester Meteor the museum owns was scheduled to fly on the Sunday. After the Canberra came the Spitfire MK VIII. This is Australia’s only flying Spitfire. Usually flown by David Lowy it was flown by it’s previous owner Col Pay so that multiple pilots remain current on the Spitfire. This too was a fantastic display and it’s amazing to think that this aircraft which was built in 1944 is still flying today. Other aircraft to fly during the afternoon included a Harvard, a Cessna O-2A, CAC Boomerang and Cessna A37B Dragonfly. 
If you fly out to Temora when it’s hot (it was over 30°C) I strongly recommend that you wear a hat, use lashings of sunscreen and drink like a fish (water that is). I was particularly conscious of the fact that I still had to fly back at the end of the day and doing so with heatstroke/dehydration could be very dangerous.The flying finished around 15:00 and by around 15:30 it was my turn to do some flying again. I had planned Temora - RUG - BIK - WATLE (Watle Four Arrival) - YSBK at 7000’ for the trip home. Again we cruised above the inversion layer so the trip back was mostly smooth. Around Bindook we started flying over a solid layer of cloud - what looked to be only a few hundred feet below us. Given that the Bankstown ATIS was reporting BKN at 3500’ I knew we’d be descending through around 3500 feet of cloud. Again Rodney Hyde’s great instructing served me well and we came out of the bottom of the cloud around 3500’ to the West of 2RN. It was a great day. We had the opportunity to see some very rare aircraft, not just sitting in a hangar but screaming around the skies in their natural element. Seeing Chuck Yeager was certainly the icing on cake. It’s obvious that a lot of investment has been put into the museum and its facilities. The mind boggles when you think how much money it would take just to maintain these aircraft, let alone fly them regularly. The museum and regular airshows are an absolute 'gift' to the aviation enthusiast and one which we should support by visiting. So in summary I would definitely recommend you flying out to Temora - it is 'doable' in a day though personally next time I would go for the weekend and go to the airshow both days. Simon Williams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FLYING has always held a fascination for me and it wasn’t until middle age that I decided to do something about it. I started studying for my PPL with Navair and then under Bill Whitworth’s expert guidance, gained my private pilot licence three years ago. I’ve been an active member of Schoies since then and, with Rodney Hyde’s help, have CSU and Retractable Gear endorsements.My work background is pretty varied. My early working life was in media / advertising with stints as Traffic Controller (yes they have them in media too!) at Channels Seven and Nine, and an advertising agency. Then time out to juggle family and university. In the 80s I worked for Dick Smith as his Special Projects Coordinator and from there became involved in the ecotourism industry, owning a travel company then branching out into publishing with a travel magazine. During this time I wrote several articles about ecotourism for the print media and was commissioned by Choice to write a book on ecotourism. In the 90s I did a stint as President of the Ecotourism Association of Australia which led to my serving on various committees/boards concerned with tourism and the environment. In 1996 I somehow ended up as a Guest Lecturer in Nature-based Tourism at UWS where I seriously challenged the 'guest' bit by staying for over six years! I’m now semi-retired. On the personal side I live at Avalon on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, have three adult sons and, as well as flying, love bushwalking, snorkelling, skiing and anything else that gets me out into the natural environment. I’ve worked in a voluntary capacity for a number of organisations including Austcare and the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and am currently on the speaker circuit for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. As a new committee member of Schofields Flying Club I look forward to working with other committee members and the executive to promote our club and in particular to focus on the club’s many inactive flying members and encourage them to become active members. Janet Richardson (Committee 2004-5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FORMATION FLYING: I recently obtained my approval to teach others formation flying and soon afterwards was priviledged to have my first 'victim' to pass on this challenging but very rewarding facet of flight.First, let me say I don't claim to be an expert in formation flying, but I have found out what all the buzz is about. The thrill of being so close to another aircraft and yet still very safe is quite something, you can actually see the occasionally humorous expressions on the other Pilot's face. Let's just say that when you get too close, the other Pilot's facial expressions will let you know to back off. The discipline required to ensure that all aircraft act in unison helps to improve your overall flying skills. During formation flying, being near enough to the correct position is no where near good enough. The constant adjustment of controls to maintain position leads to fatigue during early flights but the key to being a successful formation pilot is to remain relaxed whilst constantly striving to maintain the correct position. Then there's the leadership aspect- here airmanship is tweaked up a few knotches because you are now responsible for more than just your aircraft and it's occupants. Sounds tough? Well it is, but it is also very rewarding being able to conduct a successful formation flight. Most importantly, it is very fun- and that's why most of us learnt to fly! So why not try something different whilst continuing to enjoy your flying. How do I begin? Simple place your name on the Formation Pilot's list at the Club's notice board, find a partner and simply speak to either myself, Anthony Savivanh, Rodney Hyde or Chris Pearl. Christina Savivanh |
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ARROW EMERGENCY UNDERCARRIAGE EXTENSION: Part of a retractable undercarriage design feature endorsement is the emergency extension procedure. In the event that the gear selector switch is moved to the down position and the landing gear fails to lock down (three green indicator lights illuminated), check the following items before initiating the emergency gear down procedure:
If the gear down and locked indication is still not present, initiate the following procedure:
USE OF EMERGENCY LOCATOR BEACONS: Each aeroplane in the club fleet is fitted with an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter). These are designed to transmit a homing signal on 121.5 MHz (the International distress frequency) to assist in search and rescue in the event of an accident. The beacon can be activated manually (by pressing the "activate" button) or automatically (in the event of a crash or heavy landing). The signal from the beacon can be detected by search aircraft, or by the COSPAS/SARSAT satellites. (Refer to AIP SAR for more details on this system).
High flying jet aircraft continuously monitor 121.5 MHz; any transmission on this frequency will be detected and located within minutes.Inadvertent, unintentional activation of the ELT should be avoided. SAR action (which costs taxpayers’ money) will result when an unidentified beacon is received. While the installation and use of ELTs saves lives, improper use will lead to false alarms and a resultant strain on scarce SAR resources. To minimise the possibility of inadvertent activations the club has instituted the following policy:
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: To understand recursion, one must first understand recursion... Until next time. Latrodectus |
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