What GA needs

Bob Noel wrote:
Do you know anyone who said something like "I'd fly but these
airplanes are just too noisy"?

I know someone who is a pilot and thought small airplanes were noisy enough
(among other reasons of course) to design, build, and fly an experimental
hot-air airship. There is an interesting video made for the Boston Globe
newspaper of the airship in action and an interview with the designers
where one of them cites noise of small aircraft as one motivation. Click on
the image with the words "Going Up" on this website to see the video:

http://www.personalblimp.com/

(That kind of leisurely flying appeals to me - being able to stop and smell
the roses, or pick the apples off the top of tree by reaching _downward_.
;-). I'm definitely out of step with the go-fast crowd.)

"Bob Noel" wrote in message
...
In article , "Maxwell"

wrote:

But if people will pay $1000 for headsets, what would they pay for an
aircraft that doesn't require them?

nothing.

But they WILL pay $$$ hundreds of thousands to have pressurization so they
don't have to have a cannula shoved up their nose, or a face mask. :~)

Bob Noel wrote:
In article , "Maxwell"
wrote:

But if people will pay $1000 for headsets, what would they pay for an
aircraft that doesn't require them?

nothing.

And how many more people would be attracted to GA, if they didn't have to
decide between noise - and the discomfort, cost and inconvenience of
headsets.

Do you know anyone who said something like "I'd fly but these airplanes
are just too noisy"?

Well, to be fair, that's the primary reason my fiancee doesn't fly with me more. It's
loud and there's lots of vibration, and wearing headsets (or any kind of headphones, for
that matter) makes her nauseous after a little while.

Whatever I wind up building in the future, it'll take some very careful work to keep it
quiet enough...

Bob Noel writes:

Do you know anyone who said something like "I'd fly but these airplanes
are just too noisy"?

I've seen quite a few complaints about it. The noise level in many small
aircraft is high enough to damage hearing.

"Some Other Guy" wrote in message
...
Maxwell wrote:
Vibration - Hard for me to understand with today's technology, why we are
still flying aircraft with reciprocating engines, hard coupled to
flywheels (propellers). Every other vehicle I can think of provides some
kind of dampening between the engine and final drive. Would make a
tremendous deference in creature comforts, if not reliability as well.

Reliability? Wouldn't it just be adding another potential point of
failure?


Well I suppose it could, but certainly wouldn't have to be a given.
Torsional vibration devices in other vehicles don't seem to be common causes
of wear or failure. But the amount of vibration they can eliminate, could
very be helpful in reducing fatigue in other systems. It might even be
useful in reducing weight of things like the prop itself.

"Some Other Guy" wrote
Maxwell wrote:
Vibration - Hard for me to understand with today's technology, why we are
still flying aircraft with reciprocating engines, hard coupled to
flywheels (propellers). Every other vehicle I can think of provides some
kind of dampening between the engine and final drive. Would make a
tremendous deference in creature comforts, if not reliability as well.

Reliability? Wouldn't it just be adding another potential point of
failure?

Plus the big killer of airplanes and "improvements" - WEIGHT !

A vibration isolator/dampener would have to be extreeeeemly robust, to
handle the torque pulses, and would weigh a significant amount.

A properly indexed and balanced prop is not going to be worse than a prop
isolated from the engine, either.

There are some devices that bolt on the backplate of the spinner, (as I
recall) but I don't remember the name. They work by letting some weight in
a viscous fluid find the right place to settle and balance the system out,
automatically. I do recall that people that have used them rave about them.
Anyone?
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
news

A properly indexed and balanced prop is not going to be worse than a prop
isolated from the engine, either.


How does properly indexing and balancing a prop reduce torsional vibration?

Bottom line is that flying, like skiing, scuba diving, skydiving,
motocross, etc is not for everyone.

Ron Lee

"Ron Lee" wrote in message
...
Bottom line is that flying, like skiing, scuba diving, skydiving,
motocross, etc is not for everyone.


If it is not, why shouldn't it be? Besides, how does GA compare to any of
those activities? You are inside a heated motor vehicle, that usually
affords passengers, and has a much better safety record.

"Ron Lee" wrote in message
...
Bottom line is that flying, like skiing, scuba diving, skydiving,
motocross, etc is not for everyone.

Well., you have to wear a FACE MASK OR GOGGLES for all those hobbies.

Gotta be more annoying than headphones.

Of course, how many people wander around with a Walkman blasting in their
ears?