Non - stop around NZ new record set

[Bruce]

Wayne Matthews landed Thorp S18 ZK-WMT this morning after circumnavigating all 3 major islands of NZ clear of all land NON STOP. Point to point circumnavigation time 15hrs 53 minutes. Night time 7.8 hours. VFR whole flight.

Previous record 16hrs 42 minutes but not clear if that was non stop or elapsed time between refuels.

This was intended as a shake down forthe additional long - range systems prepared for Waynes intended trip to the USA. Unfortunately he reports that additional US bureaucracy is making this trip less likely. seems as though the yanks are expecting a lot of Terrorists flying trans-oceanic light aircraft to be an imminent threat to security!

Wayne certainly kept the circumnavigation quiet, as there was no mention of it during SportAvex - the fact that all the long range tanks were filled might have tipped me off if I had thaught about it! (He was doing feed tests en route to and from Tauranga). that is howver his way of doing all his previous long range flights - tell people afterwards, not before....

Well done Wayne!

[corsair67]

Bruce, what an amazing effort. I didn't think you'd be able to get that much fuel into a S-18?

I think Wayne should hold off on his US trip until 2009 - when the country ends up with a President who has a brain. ;D

[Bruce]

There is room for 450 Litres of Gas in Waynes S18!

below are the specs hes sent me for the SportAvex Hangar display - interesting reading - especially max range!

Make: Thorp

Model: S18 Folding wing model

Built from a materials kit supplied by Classic Sport Aircraft by Wayne Matthews. All work except upholstery carried out by Wayne Matthews
Constructed of Aluminium alloy, Construction time 5years

First flight: 2004

Hours flown to date: 480.

Empty weight: 979lbs

Max Weight: 1600lbs
Max authorized overload weight: 2000lbs

G limitations: +6g -3g

Engine: Lycoming O360 A1A with dual electronic ignition, flow balanced, anti reversion cone cross over exhaust system

Standard fuel capacity: 200ltrs in 3 tanks
Long range fuel capacity: 450ltrs in 6 tanks

Propeller: WM101 made by Wayne Matthews. Optimized for hi altitude long range cruise

PERFORMANCE

Max speed 188kts

Stall speed 48kts

Cruise speed:
Short range 176kts Fuel consumption 40ltrs/hr
Normal 150kts “ 25ltrs/hr
Long range 130kts “ 16.5ltrs/hr @ 4000ft
145kts “ 18ltrs/hr @ 15,000ft

Max range 3200nm with 200nm diversion and 2 hours holding.

[Peter Lewis]

Wayne has told me he is building up to 32 hours fuel in the Thorp (if I remember it correctly).
The Australian chap who flew an RV-4 trans-polar some years ago built it with a wet wing. That took it up to about a 60 hour endurance. Awe-inspiring!

[corsair67]

Bruce, that is amazing information about the S-18. She certainly is one long legged bird; with folding wings.

Good to see he's getting the most out of it too.

[yak2]

That is a great effort in a great little aeroplane. Late 60's/early 70's Don Taylor circumnavigated the world in a T18 (original non-folding wing version), and in 1976 Clive Canning did an Australia-UK return flight in VH-CMC. For that trip,a ferry tank was fitted in the passenger seat leaving little room for the pilot. He was quite a guy and inspired a couple of us to also build Thorp's.

[stu]

www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/4423981a22400.html

Home-built plane breaks record
By LUCY VICKERS - North Shore Times | Tuesday, 04 March 2008

^{BEN WATSON/North Shore Times}
MASTER BUILDER: Wayne Matthews with Rosie 3, the plane he built and flew around New Zealand.

Wayne Matthews has put his mechanical skills to the ultimate test.

The Greenhithe man has built his own aircraft from scratch and circumnavigated New Zealand without stopping.

His 3374km, 15-hour 53-minute solo flight has broken a world record for that journey.

Tired but overjoyed, Mr Matthews says it was a "great thrill".

"It was a beautiful moonlit night. I flew over the Southern Alps at sunset and could see the city lights of Christchurch, Wellington and Napier."

He says it was a great feeling to be over the open ocean in a machine he made himself.

The building of the plane, a two-seater Thorp 518, was a five-year task.

A former boatbuilder and builder, Mr Williams says this project was a lot harder than making a boat.

He had to keep a detailed log and take pictures throughout the construction process.

Once it was completed, the Civil Aviation Authority had to check the aircraft, which Mr Williams says helped give him peace of mind.

He has also flown to Australia and back and clocked up 500 hours in flying time in different planes.

"You obviously have to be very careful, and precise. "You also have to keep it as light as possible."

The high-performance plane can fly more than 6000 metres and reach speeds of 400km per hour.

It has six fuel tanks which enabled Mr Matthews to keep going for nearly 16 hours.

The aircraft also has retractable wings that can be folded back so it can be stored in a garage.

[Bruce]

With that much fuel you would expect it to fly more than 6000 Metres!....