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Post by planecrazy on Sept 17, 2019 15:44:22 GMT 12
Always been a bit of a fan of STOL machine and this beast Draco would have to
be one of the more bazaar STOL aeroplanes ever, sadly she had an accident and
has been badly damaged recently, luckily no injuries.
What a beast.
Here's an early clip not long after her creation.
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Post by planecrazy on Sept 17, 2019 15:49:27 GMT 12
As a PS to this Mike Patey is building a Carbon Cub SS called Scrappy. It's built from a boneyard
Carbon Cub airframe that he's powering with a 780 cube 500+ HP Lycoming flat-8!
For comparison - a stock Super Cub has a 320 cube, 150 HP flat-4 & a stock Carbon Cub SS has
a 340 cube, 180 HP flat-4.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2019 17:49:01 GMT 12
I think damaged is a bit of an understatement. That has to be a write off, sadly.
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Post by planecrazy on Sept 17, 2019 20:39:38 GMT 12
I think damaged is a bit of an understatement. That has to be a write off, sadly. You are probably correct but with this Patey fella you never know? |
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Post by vultee43 on Sept 17, 2019 22:45:01 GMT 12
Three piece wing spar may be fixable but fuselage looks pretty busted. Glad he walked away unhurt.
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Post by baz62 on Sept 18, 2019 9:46:44 GMT 12
I think damaged is a bit of an understatement. That has to be a write off, sadly. Yeah might be easier to get another airframe with any insurance payout (if its insured.....). And an opportunity to make some improvements possibly. |
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Post by madmax on Sept 18, 2019 12:34:34 GMT 12
With a machine with Draco's STOL capabilities and given the wind strength I think it would have been much wiser to have taken off across the runway into wind as I witnessed several DH Beavers do on Wellington airport in the early 1960s. Even saw one, ZK-BMF flown by Roger Jamison, approach over the terminal building an land on the apron in a howling westerly.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Sept 18, 2019 18:21:43 GMT 12
Mike actually considered doing just that but didn't want to get offside with ATC. Got a different offside instead...
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Post by madmax on Sept 18, 2019 22:34:11 GMT 12
Ah, Air Traffic Controllers. In the early 1970s I landed a Tiger Moth at Milson to refuel during a cross country flight from Blenheim to Hastings. After I'd parked the aircraft and got out I was summons to the club house where over the phone, a controller tore a strip of me for not landing on the grass parallel to the main runway. I politely informed him the crosswind prevailing at the time was be beyond my capabilities and probably more than the aircraft was capable of handling, however I suggested to him, somewhat sarcastically, that if he considered he was capable of landing the aircraft is such a crosss-wind perhaps he may like to tell his technique. I cannot recall his reply but later when I filed a flight plan for my onward journey another controller apoligised for the former's remarks, adding that I was welcome back anytime with the Tiger Moth.
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Post by efliernz on Sept 19, 2019 13:48:10 GMT 12
It was very very gusty at Reno on Monday. I arrived back late last night from there.
The weather went from glorious sun with sod-all wind most of the week to snow on the hills Monday morning - which was when he busted the plane.
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Post by planecrazy on Oct 21, 2019 8:52:07 GMT 12
He's going tp rebuild Draco and make her even more awesome!
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Post by vs on Oct 30, 2019 14:38:09 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 20, 2019 17:51:17 GMT 12
Mike Patey is such a great engineer and do-it-yourselfer, I really enjoy watching his videos. And I love how he explains everything. This newest one where he's building the carbon fibre boot cowl for Scrappy is awesome and well worth a viewing.
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Post by 11SQNLDR on Nov 23, 2019 10:58:57 GMT 12
The man truly is a talented craftsman & I also enjoy watching his videos. Really looking forward to following his videos showing Draco's rebuild... sounds like it's going to be one helluva beast!  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 25, 2019 21:13:09 GMT 12
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Post by planecrazy on Nov 26, 2019 10:37:06 GMT 12
Enjoyed that what a machine and he is a machine as well!
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Post by Venomnut on Nov 26, 2019 17:54:53 GMT 12
His whole series on YouTube is great, I really enjoy watching them and it's amazing how much he gets accomplished in what seems to be a very short time. Not that he needs the income, but he should sell "back to work" fist pump t-shirts  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 26, 2019 18:44:31 GMT 12
There are so many great aviation series on Youtube these days. I am glad I threw away my TV.
Lately I have been watching Mike Patey's channel, Kermit Weeks' series, Plane Savers Series Two, and Trent Palmer's series where he flies his Kitfox 'Freedom Fox' around the countryside, plus a load of other bushplane videos.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 14, 2020 11:57:33 GMT 12
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Post by steveh on Jan 21, 2020 16:10:20 GMT 12
Of course the Draco is/was basically a hugely worked over Wilga. The first time I saw it on Youtube I fell totally in love with it, Hopefully it will return to the skies.
Steve.
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