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A New
Plane in Aussie Skies
Attracts
Much Interest at
Wings
Over Wagga
By
Barry Pendleton
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Alpi Aviation "Pioneer 300" |
Introduction
The
desire to have one's own aeroplane is nothing
unusual
for enthusiasts of aviation. Having a
PPL and
flying occasionally was not enough
but the
expense of owning an aeroplane seemed
prohibitive, especially in the GA arena. My search over the
years was
extensive until my partner introduced me to the
Alpi
Aviation Pioneer
300
via a "Wings over New Zealand"
calendar.
Two Pioneer
300s
in formation was enough to
encourage
me to contact the Australasian dealer.
Four weeks
later I was in New Zealand and being greeted by Logan McLean, the
Australasian Agent for Alpi Aviation.
Logan
loaded me into a Pioneer 200 and we Hew around the
North
Island landing at farms and private airstrips. Logan
introduced me to the farmers and
businessmen flying Pioneer 300s, and took me up demonstrating their characteristics. The
relationship between Logan and the Alpi owners in New
Zealand is something to behold. After
flying these planes in NZ my
plans to purchase a kit was put into effect. I decided
to retire from work and embark on a career in aviation, the
ultralight
variety.
Acquiring an Ultralight Plane
My order was for a Pioneer 300 kit that was the same as
the New Zealand demonstrator plane. I also stated that I
wanted a fast build model that would allow me to get up and
flying at the earliest opportunity. Fortunately the Popular
Flying Association (PFA) in the UK had reviewed the Alpi
Aviation products and
stipulated a kit format that would meet
their regulatory requirements. The Recreational Aviation
Australia advised, that what the PFA
approved would be acceptable
here in Australia. I ordered the UK kit version of
the Pioneer
300.
The
purchase was in Euros so the timing of
the purchase can be an advantage. The agreement to purchase
was in November 2004, and I awaited
with bated breath for
it to arrive. Christmas and shipping issues delayed the
arrival
until 20th April 2005, when a twenty foot container arrived
containing
a complete aircraft kit minus the engine.
Having spoken to other builders of imported aeroplane.;
kits, I was expecting boxes of bits and pieces and much
sorting
out to do. I was expecting a builder's manual that required
a
LAME (Licensed Aircraft Mechanical Engineer) to interpret,
and I was expecting to spend a lot of time considering what
to
do first, where to start and who was sufficiently
experienced to give me
advice. I didn't need to bother, the UK kit version
of the Pioneer
300 is
a builder's
delight, especially a novice
builder
with little more knowledge than that required for
building
model planes.
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UK Kit
Alpi
Aviation has prepared a perfect kit for the amateur
wishing to get flying quickly, yet have the pleasure of being
able to say "I built this aeroplane". Meeting the
49%-51 %,
rule,
this kit is complete. Primarily it is an assembly job with
most of the holes already drilled. Unlike others I
have seen. the accuracy of all pre-cuts and drilling is very
accurate; just follow the instructions and it all comes together
perfectly.
The wooden frame of the fuselage is already encased
in
its carbon-fibre fuselage shell. The horizontal
stabiliser is of carbon-fibre and has a lot of strength. The
woodwork for the wings and control surfaces are complete. Attachment
of
the wingtips, fitting of the fuel tanks, navigation
lights and
cladding with fabric is all that is required. A few coats of paint
finishes the job.
Alpi have certainly organised their kits to make it
easy
for
the
home builder. All the bits and pieces for any particular
job are packaged together so that you just pick up
the required
parcel or kit-bag, then follow the instructions. Talking of the
instructions, the builder's manual is very comprehensive
for each individual task. At the start of each
chapter the re is
a list of items required for that task. The manual
instruct
you
to find the relevant kit-bag containing all the items
to
complete the task and where to start. As I had never
built
an
aeroplane before I did approach this project with a bit of
apprehension. At no stage in the construction of my
Pioneer 300
did I feel lost or bewildered, in fact, the speed of
progress
encouraged me on.
An extra, that I didn't purchase but built in myself,
was the
aileron trim. This has turned out to be an excellent addition.
Having now flown
38
hours, l have used the aileron trim
often. The varying lateral weight distribution, with using
fuel
or
carrying a passenger on occasions, allows me to trim the
aileron to case lateral
control pressure on the "stick", basically
allowing hands free flying. The
rudder trim control surface
was already built into the rudder
but if hadn't ordered the electric servo to operate it. I
connected this up but it is not
used
as frequently as the aileron trim.
Probably the most difficult task in the assembly of
the
plane was the fitting of the canopy. There were many
angles
to
rake into account and trimming the canopy frame required
patience. If the option is available to have the
canopy fitted
al
the factory, then that would be a wise choice.
Engine of
Choice
I decided I wanted to demonstrate loyalty for
Australian
made
products in this Italian kit. The Jabiru 3300 six
cylinder, 120 hp engine seem the obvious choice. I had test
flown a Jabiru fitted Pioneer
300s
in New Zealand and was
very
impressed. Consequently, I ordered a Jabiru powered
Pioneer 300 kit that included the engine mount, air box,
muffler, propeller extension, the installation kit,
and engine
instruments. I decided to purchase the engine here in
Australia, closer to the time that I required it.
I found the people at Jabiru to be extremely helpful
and
accommodating. My phone calls and emails for advice
were
treated with urgency and the attention to "my
problems" were patiently handled. A subsequent visit to Bundaberg
with my pioneer 300 was again greeted with great hospitality
and attention. Besides, the sound of a Pioneer
300
with
the
Jabiru 3300 is great cruising over head.
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Professional Help
As I was keen on completing the construction
and getting
the aeroplane flying, I decided not to do all
the electrical
wiring myself. I did, however, run some of the
cables
and terminate them with cable connectors. The
electrical work I did was done so that I could progress
aspects of the
construction that would be closed in access,
such as the
covering of the wings and control surfaces, as
construction
progressed. A particular item that has worked
very
well for me was the installation of an antenna in the rudder. My
friend Phil, a trained
radio technician, built me a dipole
antenna. This antenna fitted
neatly in the rudder frame and
has subsequently worked perfectly, and outwardly no sign of
the
radio aerial.
I employed Jake from Aero Assist, to complete
the
electrical wiring of the plane, as I wanted to
get the plane
flying as soon as possible, and I regarded my
knowledge of
electrics as primitive. You know what I mean...
electricity...
can't see
it...
don't understand
it...
things happen and you
don't know
why...!
Well, that work was done and it looks
professional too. I must admit, I haven't
learnt much even
through looking "over the shoulder", and all
the wires are
the same colour
-
white, bundles of them!
Painting the plane was something that I could
do. I
had a compressor and a spray gun and
enthusiasm. Well,
"everyone" told me "DON'T DO IT". They said the
paint
job is what people see and I could spoil an
otherwise good
job. I mean "EVERYONE" told me that. Well,
being winter
with a few warmer days over 15°, it couldn't be
that hard. I
wasted a hit of
paint and a
lot of rime
rubbing
out the
paint
runs. Luckily I had enough paint left to have a
professional spray painter to redo the lot. He engaged me as
his apprentice - gratis of
course, to completely rub down the surfaces to be
painted. The result was positively fantastic. You would think the
completed plane was all "glass". Moral
-
take heed of "everyone" who
tells you not to paint it yourself. Bill Millar
is an
"artist" in his trade.
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Start of
a New Adventure
Getting the plane back from the paint
shop was the
beginning of the end of the construction
adventure. I was
unashamedly boasting about the result. My
partner Julia, started organising a champagne and
nibbles/open garage
afternoon for her friends to have a look
at the plane. Wait a
minute, they're not plane buffs, these
are book club people...
I wasn't going to have a parry
- I thought. Well, everyone wanted to
come along, so I thought I had better invite some
of my friends and some flying enthusiasts
who may be able
to talk about aeroplanes. Great success -
great
success -
again
"everyone" thought
"I" was wonderful, and so clever to be
able
to build such a thing.
Four and a Half
Months
Really, this project was such a cinch.
From the moment I
decided that I was going to have a look
at one of these planes,
and to fly one, everything has fallen
neatly into place. The
arrival of the kit was impressive with
all the bits and pieces
secured inside a twenty foot container.
The comprehensive
manuals with all the individual tasks
itemised, items bundled
into conveniently numbered plastic bags.
Finished items were in fact that... ready to paint. The
quality of the finished
product was amazing. I did not have to
prepare the wings
and control surfaces before covering with
fabric
I must admit that I did work on the
plane's construction
full-time. I was retired. Yes, four and a
half months to assemble the plane and ready to ship it
to the airfield. One
week of which was taken off to bathe
myself in sunshine up
north. Logan spent a week with me showing
me how to apply the
fabric and assist in fitting the engine. Many people
have
difficulty in believing me when I tell them the time
taken,
but it is a fact. The Pioneer
300
UK kit is truly a quick build
and fly away aeroplane.
Conclusion
I am extremely pleased that I chose an
Alpi Aviation
Pioneer
300 UK
kit as my first plane to build. I have
been
satisfied in all aspects with my
decision. The build was
extremely rewarding to me personally, and
the enjoyment
I have had in flying this superbly
designed aeroplane is
nothing short of sensational. The plane
is quick, cruising at
130 knots burning around 20 litres of
fuel an hour. It will
cruise quicker, 140 knots, if I fitted a
cruise rated propeller.
At the SAAA `Wings Over Wagga', my
Pioneer 300 won the award for the best RAAus wooden
constructed aircraft. Not bad if say so myself? 
For More Information Contact:
Pioneer Aviation UK Ltd
The Byre, Hardwick, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 9AB
Tel: Frank on 07957 846849
FAX: 01873 850973
Internet:
keren@pioneeraviation.co.uk
Website: www.pioneeraviation.co.uk
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