The 'Cricket Clone' pretty much as I bought it, but with a little cleaning up. Brought to Mittagong for some test runs.
Only a couple of strip runs when a tail wheel steering spring fell off, ending in a ground loop onto it's nose. No damage.
Cricket Clone at The Oaks.
Actual flight! Strip runs only at The Oaks. Note aileron deflection to fly straight! The wings would also twist as if driven by trim tabs and give roll reversal!!
It was decided that the tail was too small, so a larger tail similar to the old Winton Grass Hopper was made. The tail was swept to fit on the trailer.
Leading and trailing edges of alloy with glassed urethane tips.
The fin was reshaped to match the new tail. My dog 'Blue' (1985~1996) in background.
Tail surfaces covered ready for paint.
Access panel below for disassembly bolt.
Starting to make new wings. All ribs moulded in fibreglass. A messy and time consuming process, would be easier to beat alloy ribs.
Glass nose ribs lined up on alloy spar.
Trailing edge ribs and rear spar riveted in place with 'Bulbex' rivets.
Forming the one piece, 12 foot, leading edge skin.
Using the wing spar from another project (T-Star), I form the skin. Blue poses for the camera.
Formed leading edge skin.
Alloy skin being wrapped around and riveted to ribs.
All alloy ailerons being made. skinned section to reinforce horn attachment.
Completed right hand wing. No internal drag bracing required with first three ribs fully skinned.
Original fuselage awaiting pod and tail mods.
Urethane foam blocks stuck to frame to create plug for pod mould.
It was determined that the original aircraft was tail heavy, so the wings were swept from the original attach points. The 'plug' for the fuselage pod is being shaped.
New pod ready for screens and fabric sides
Wing being covered after sewing my own 'sock' from Ceconite.
Wedge shapes being added to fibreglass tips to correct for sweep-back.
Original Yamaha RD-350 bike engine after much cleaning up, with new reduction drive and mounting plate added. Turnbuckle and lever for belt tension.
12 months from original purchase and I'm ready to test fly again at Mittagong. Note new expansion chamber exhausts.
Super Cricket Mk I, ready to test. No doors or gap seals. Engine would not run right?
Super Cricket Mk II now with Rotax 503 and doors. Finally it would fly! Had a few officious complaints about the colour scheme, but I could be seen!
Head on view at The Oaks with Lightwing -081 in background.
Enclosed pod with instrument panel.
An 'Anti Servo' trim tab was fitted after a few flights.
Small fuel tank in rear, another tank beside seat. small lever beside throttle is elevator trim.
Rudder was prone to buffeting from 'blunt 'shape of pod. This lightweight alloy frame was made to fair in the rear fuselage.
'Dirigible' framework attached, Blue watches on.
Outlanding in paddock near Yerrinbool after windscreen split open in flight! Fixed with 'Gaffa' tape and flown out.
The metal fin and rudder going on to become the MK III.
Decided to fix the yaw instability and short couple problem in one go. New fuselage boom and larger fin and rudder. Old fuse for comparison.
Super Cricket MK III, 10-0122.
Cold morning camping at Jaspers Brush
Finish of a streamer cutting demo at Schofields '91. Discovered I should not use bright coloured "Soft Double Ply" tissue, it doesn't break, just wraps around things!
Only photograph of Super Cricket Mk III in flight. A very pleasant aircraft to fly in this form.
End of the line for the Cricket after blowing over in a storm. Lesson; don't use black plastic ropes!
If only I could find the guy I bought it from, and give it back to him. All the bits that were replaced.
