Here is some living proof that the early bird catches the worm – or in this case, helicopter. I’ve been wanting to nail this thing for awhile now, ever since it came on the Cro register about a year or two back. Owned by a prominent local industrialist who had traded it in for his former Bell 407 (recession? Is that something you eat? 🙂 ), it happened to be at the field on a February 2009 (early) morning when I was present at an inspection of the two AT-402s featured a couple of stories back. Normally it operates from a private helipad in eastern Zagreb, but on this occasion it was at Lučko – probably undergoing light maintenance with the Police squadron, which operates an almost all-Bell fleet (the odd helicopter out being a Robinson R.22) and has experience with Bell types.
Unfortunately, being otherwise engaged with a screwdriver and a rusted bolt, I failed to take any photos of it while it was being rolled out from the hangar (where I’m told it sometimes spends some time – but not on drunk flying charges 🙂 ). When I saw that they indeed meant to go flying soon, I dropped my tools and picked up the camera just in time to catch it after startup – and here are the results:
Serial number: 56056 Former reg: N8010J (Bell factory test registration)
What do all the tube thingies do? Mechanics checking the engines out - with them running - before departure. Despite its 2x 710 HP, pilots on the type say the 427 sometimes runs out of breath in hot and high conditionsThough large and relatively intimidating, you can still trace the 427's JetRanger (or rather LongRanger) heritage underneath all the exhausts and stabilizersGently lifting off from the Police helipad. Strangely enough, apart from the Police Agusta-Bell AB.212, this is the only twin-engined civil helicopter in the countryAnd the paintscheme is subtle too 🙂Departing the field rather quickly at low levelThe aforementioned Bell 407, 9A-HIT. Notice the similar reg - HIT vs HTI, T and I being the initials of the owner, while H is the generic prefix for civil helicopters
There always comes the time when young pilots ask their senior instructors: “Where do little planes come from?” :). In an attempt to answer that question, I was sent – as part of Aeronautika, a localaviation mag I write for – to the Diamond Aircraft works in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, a nice 4 hour hop by bus (a very nice one at that) away from Zagreb.
1. The factory
Diamond’s main works – as well as the main admin center – is located at the small airfield of Wiener Neustadt-Ost (ICAO location indicator: LOAN) just outside the small town of the same name, some 50 km south of Vienna. Though not as famous as the company’s London works in Ontario, Canada, this is the site where Diamond aircraft first came into being – and were first produced for a number of years.
Wiener Neustadt-Ost and the complex that has grown around it. The factory itself consists of just a couple of buildings running parallel to the runway - everything else has been built around the (economic success) of the factory, and even includes a shopping mall and swimming pool 🙂
The site itself was also well known for one the bigger Messerschmitt factories outside of Germany proper during WW2. The actual buildings though were leveled late in the war by USAAF’s 15th Air Force aircraft based in Italy, but one of the aircraft produced here has managed to survive the war and is now part of Diamond’s aircraft museum, located on the present factory grounds.
A beautifully preserved Bf.109G-6 at the Diamond museum
The modern complex is designed to provide everything needed for aircraft production, from basic materials and components all the way through to final assembly and painting. Outsourcing is a no-no here :). Christian Dries, the man behind Diamond Aircraft, half-jokingly told us that the only thing in this factory they hadn’t made themselves are the aircon units – even the tables were designed and built in house. Sounds like an expensive approach, but ask Boeing about their current experiences with letting other people make your planes… :). This in-house system not only reduces production errors, but considerably speeds up construction as well, which can now be done at the same standard of quality throughout.
Oh my God, it's full of Stars! A view down the LOAN ramp is enough to make even the hardest man drool...
As of late 2008., the factory complex also includes Diamond’s own engine manufacturing facility, where the new AustoEngines piston Diesels – naturally, Diamond-designed – will be built. Though it may appear that the whole AustroEngines venture is a direct response to Thielert’s recent financial woes, Mr. Dries told us (back in February) that they’re just finishing the paperwork for an engine production line – so it may have been on the cards for awhile now.
2. The aircraft
The majority of the aircraft built at this site are DA-40 Stars and DA-42 Twin Stars, as well as their Airborne Sensors modifications (there’ll be a follow-up on that division here soon 🙂 ). At the time of our visit, most of the aircraft on the assembly line were Twin Stars, so I’ll concentrate on them.
Basically a Star with an additional engine, hidden behind some modifications, the Twin Star was the first twin-engined aircraft designed from the outset to use Diesel principle engines. Ironically, it’s the only Diesel aircraft that received a avgas piston conversion (with two 180 HP IO-360s as seen on the Piper Seminole), but those are few in number despite the waxing and waning fortunes of Thielert, the German company that supplied the first mass produced Diesel engines, the Centurion 1.7 and 2.0.
Sharing pretty much the same basic fuselage as the Star, the DA-42 is a four seater – and along with the aforementioned Seminole, the only twin in this configuration in production today. While the front of the cabin is roomy and airy thanks to that extensively glazed canopy, the rear is a bit claustrophobic and cramped I must say – but at my 1.92 meters, many aircraft are :). But, with twin engine safety and a total fuel burn of a Cessna 172, we can forgive it that :). The Garmin G1000 glass cockpit suite is a standard and playing with it on the demo aircraft I must say it has some amazing features – but this, coupled with FADEC-controlled engines, in my opinion makes the Twin Star a bit too easy to fly. It’s like playing a flight simulator, which may lead to a bout of unfounded self confidence and an erosion in basic piloting (and common sense) skills. The Twin Star almost thinks by itself…
OE-FEF, a specced-up Platinum demo model that I got a ride on later
The tour, led by Mr. Dries, took us – as mentioned – through the whole production process. We were allowed to photograph everything we wanted – except the starting procedure for molding and preparing the composites. Though this is a significant process – because all the major components, wings, tail, fuselage, are built here – there’ll still be plenty to see as all of those are put together.
It all begins here. Composite materials like fiberglass (green) and carbon fibre (black) are molded, shaped and impregnated separately before being put together into their final shape, as seen here. After this is complete, the aircraft will be disassembled again for painting and systems installation
As the aircraft is being built, it progresses through the several interconnected hangars, coming out finally at the other side of the airfield. This ensures a steady and clean flow through the factory and prevents… traffic jams :).
Outer wing elements, with flaps being fitted and calibrated.The jigsaw puzzle. Wingroots, engine bays and control surfaces are shown here, painted and ready for reassembly onto the aircraft.A bit of the same here. These fuselage joint elements bear most of the dynamic loads on the aircraft in flight, as they transfer the lift generated by the wing onto the fuselageStarting to grow into a recognizable aircraft again. The elements from the previous photos are here being joined to the rest of the fuselage, while on the inside the G1000 system and some avionics would soon be fittedNext, mounting the engines on the frame. Once properly loaded, the aircraft can be lowered onto their landing gear and stand on their feet freely like the example in the backgroundThe Twin Star's (former) piece de resistance - the Thielert Centurion 2.0 engine. Both the 1.7 and 2.0 develop the same 135 HP, the difference being in capacity - 1.7 vs 2.0 liters, far less than in an equivalent avgas engine - and some changes to the turbocharger system. A condensed mass of wires and pipes, this is not a purpose-built aircraft engine, but a converted and heavily-modified Mercedes roadcar Diesel tweaked to accept more volatile Jet A fuel. Despite that, the fuel consumption is less than half of that of similar avgas engines, with the additional benefit that - at least in Europe - Jet A is considerably cheaper than avgasWith the wings on, the aircraft are towed to the next hangar for systems assembly. Most of the basic framework for the electrics had already been fitted during structural assemblyNearing completion. This DA-42MPP - Multi-Purpose Platform - will eventually join the Diamond Airborne Sensing fleet also stationed at Wiener NeustadtEngine controls and instruments being connected to the engine. Unlike the Star and Twin Star, the DA-20 Katana sports a Rotax 4 cyl avgas engine, which comes in 80 and 100 HP normally aspirated versions, and a "top-of-the-line" 115 HP turbocharged model (though I must admit I've never seen that one on a Katana)Almost done. Systems test, checking whether everything inside works as advertisedWith the diagnostics done, the aircraft is essentially complete - and just in time for a wash to clean up residue, oil, grease and fingerprints. Once fully done in the factory, it will be flight tested by a test pilot to see whether everything actually works in flight, which will also give the engines a chance to deconserveFinal checks on another example. The grey stripes on the wing and stabilizers are the de-icing system elements, permitting the little Twin Star to boldly go where even bigger aircraft can'tSet and done. Depending on the customer's wishes, the aircraft can now be painted in a number of stock or custom paintschemesOne such example already painted - and costing €700.000 🙂The end product shining in the afternoon light
4. Aboard the Twin Star
As well as being shown around the place, all of us – assorted journalists and wannabes like me 🙂 – got a demo flight on the previously pictured OE-FEF Platinum Twin Star. The flight, though short at about 15 minutes, was designed to showcase the G1000 suite, as well as the aircraft’s handling and engine-out characteristics. Being just a photographer – and not a cameraman – I was relegated to the back seat with a friend, denying me the opportunity I had dearly wanted: to fly the TStar myself. But be it as it may, the rear seat wasn’t all that bad – apart from being a bit cramped for a person my size as I already menioned.
Lifting off Wiener Neustadt's 1,067 m runway 10 to the sight of six brand new, factory fresh Twin Stars waiting outside after assembly. The big grille you see on the nacelle is the coolant radiator - being originally a car engine, the Centurion is water cooled
The takeoff performance was very good even fully loaded – and don’t let the puny 135 HP engines fool you. When you have to turn a prop up front, torque is what you need. The more torque you have, the bigger the prop you can turn, making better use of the available power. And a turbocharged Diesel has enough torque to go around, so the takeoff and climb performance shouldn’t be surprising.
Another subjective observation I made is that the Twin Star appears to be fairly loud in the cabin. I’ve flown on our aeroclub Piper Seneca III – an old, 70-tech aircraft with big, mean six cylinder engines and soundproofing from the Ford Model T – and it was noticeably quieter than the TStar. The excellent David Clark headphones in OE-FEF, wired into a comprehensive intercom system, greatly helped matters though, but one would have expected the aircraft to be somewhat quieter.
A view of the picturesque Austrian countryside, with the foothills of the Alps in the distance
While we were climbing, our pilot showed off some of the G1000’s capabilities. Describing those would take a couple of dozen pages – and is common knowledge on the net – so I’ll skip that. But suffice to say that everything you really need, you’ll find it in there somewhere. But I stay by my earlier comment that a glass cockpit of this sophistication can be a double-edged sword, despite its cool factor and greatly increased reliability over the old steam gauge cockpits. It’s easy to forget basic navigation and flying skills when you have a computer running the show.
Typical composite reflections add to a general feel of "clean" and "precise" about the TStar
After we’ve reached what I judged to be about 3,000 feet (didn’t bother to look at the altitude readout on the G1000), the real demonstration started – what good is a twin if you can’t kill off an engine inflight? 🙂 Not being a display of showing off, but a very worthwhile safety demo – international aviation regulations state that all twin engined aircraft have to be able to maintain altitude on the power of one engine. Naturally, that altitude is lower than with both engines, but it’s better than losing it you’ll agree.
What would have been a worrying sight in normal cirumstances is here an excellent display of the TStar's fine engine-out handling.
After that was done with, the pilot flew a some random gentle maneuvers in the aerodrome zone above LOAN and offered the controls to the almost pale cameraman sitting upfront – who promptly declined. I was about to explode at that point, cause I had wanted to do that, but was ousted by someone with better credentials and a third of the guts (though – to compensate – the guy had trice my girth 🙂 ).
Some fun flying after the serious stuff had been taken care of
Soon enough, our 15 minutes were up, so the we turned back to the field. Either to demonstrate the TStar’s descent capabilities with everything hanging out – gear and full flaps – or simply to shave off some time, the pilot flew a tight, high speed descending turn toward RWY 10, lining up less than 500 meters from the threshold.
Tight right base for RWY 10, with both the runway and the Diamond works easily and clearly visibleGoing down the fast way. You can see the nearness of the runway to the rest of the town... there must be some awesome spotting positions here 🙂
Given the TStar’s low weight and some glider-ish characteristics inherited from the Star – which inherited those from the Katana, which itself dates back to the HK-36 Dimona motorglider – landing was predictably soft with little flaring needed. Despite the diminutive size of the wheels, I remember the brakes being quite powerful, with the aircraft stopping in about 300-350 meters (though it could do better I presume if you really hit the pedals).
There being still a few people in line for the flight, we got out of the aircraft pretty quickly, but not before I managed to snap a shot of the panel (unfortunately with the G1000 off).
The simple and uncluttered cockpit of the TStar. You don't really have much to push or play with in here, a single throttle level for each engine - the prop and mix being FADEC-controlled - a starting switch or two and lights and heating. Excuse the prints, but in the process of showing of various bits of info on the displays, touching them is inevitableGetting ready to go back out there after a quick two-minute turnaround
All in all, the TStar is a sweet little machine and an excellent showcase of what is possible with present technology, brining single-engine economy into the reliable twin engine world. Coupled with the G1000 and docile and forgiving handling, the Twin Star is well on the way to becoming a very popular tourer, possibly reactivating a the four-seat twin niche that many manufacturers have abandoned some years ago. But – and I’m sorry about restating this again and again – it’s too… protective of its pilot, both in handling and pilotage, to be the ultimate tourer in my book.
By Boran Pivčić All photos (and some screwdriver work) author
About a month or so back, I got the almost-unique opportunity to peek into the internal workings of two Air Tractor AT-402 cropdusters (9A-DKG and -DKJ) sitting around at Lučko. Having been parked there for a good part of eight years, they finally went up for sale and some prospective buyers wanted to have a looksee under the hood. Through a long chain of events, I ended up being there – and of course didn’t miss the opportunity to have a photo field day :). Going to the airfield without my camera… bah!
A bit about the planes themselves first – as their name suggests, these are rough-and-tough utility machines, designed for continuous 24/7 back-water, dirt-strip torture. As such, they’re built to last, utilising proven, classic technology. Designed to be dismantled with little more than a screwdriver (and liberal amounts of WD40 in our case), ATs of all marks – 300s, 400s, 500s and 800s – hold few surprises under the skin. But they’re simple and uncluttered and a good showcase of aircraft structural solutions.
The 402 version came about when someone decided to ditch the earlier versions’ 600 HP Pratt&Whitney R-985 9 cyl piston radial and replace it with a more reliable – and far simpler – turboprop. Since the 400 series, all ATs have been produced in this configuration, with engines of varying outputs to cater for increasing weights. The current standard is the AT-802 wheeled model and the AT-802AF Fire Boss amphibian. Despite being designed primarily for cropdusting, most 802s today are used for firebombing. Indeed, the Croatian Air Force operates both variants down at the coast (one wheeled, three Fire Bosses) with notable success.
And now, a step-by-step condensed lesson in aircraft structures :).
The naked plane. A general overview of the 402 (9A-DKG) with all side panels removed. Despite its imposing size, the AT is basically full of hot air :). Of note is the thick and juicy wing profile, providing a lot of lift at low speeds. The consequence of this increased lift - drag - is not so important here, as speed and cruising efficiency were not high on the design priorities listRear quarterview showing some of the internal structure. Like most light aircraft, the AT series uses a frame construction, much like the one you see on construction cranes. The frame - which absorbs all inflight loads and holds the structure together - is covered by panels to make the whole thing aerodynamic. These "panels" can be made from a wide range of materials, wood and fabric in the olden days and aluminium today - though composites and glass and carbon fibre are becoming increasingly commonRemoving the other side panel adds some clarity to the shot. Easily visible now is the control linkage, linking the control stick and pedals in the cockpit with the rear control surfaces. The rod you can see going through the structure controls the elevator, while the thin gray cables running along the outside of the structure are linked to the rudderTurbo power! Up close with the Pratt&Whitney PT6A-15AG 715 HP turboprop. Like all turboprops, the PT6 is a small package for the power it delivers, with most of the space in the back taken up by auxilliary and ancilliary devices such as the starter, generator, oil pumps, control links, air intake and the odd cooler or twoView from a different angle. Again like most turboprops, the PT6 is a free-turbine reverse-flow engine, meaning it's installed ass backwards :). To avoid going into detail, this makes the engine lighter and hence more efficient - and explains why the exhaust pipes are located up front: the back of the engine is there. Because its front is now deeper in the engine bay, it has to be fed by the air intake visible under the noseA wider view of the nose. Despite looking thin and whimpy, the landing gear is QUITE strong. During factory testing, the designers mounted a four-ton cement block on top of the landing gear assembly (just the gear, not the whole plane) and let it drop from a height of two-three meters (4 tons corresponding to the maximum takeoff weight of the plane). After spreading out and absorbing the weight, the gear sprung - sprung, with a four-ton block on it's back! - back into its original shape... on another note, the brownish thing between the engine bay and cabin is the hopper, with a capacity of 1,500 liters. During cropdusting, this would have contained the cropspray solution, while during firefighting either water or, more commonly, fire retardantA more recent photo of DKG with its engine and prop removed for overhaul. Only when you disconnect all the pipes, cables and wires do you realise how big a mess the engine bay can beCloseup of the engine mount. This is basically all that holds the engine connected to the rest of the plane :). But, like the landing gear shown previously, this is built to last. Also visible is the back of the bay is the firewall, "the part of the plane specifically designed to let in fire and smoke" as the joke goes :). In serious-world, it prevents any fire in the bay from reaching the rest of the plane, be it the chemical hopper, cabin or any part of the structureAnd last but not least, a view down the lower engine bay. The air filter that feed the engine with nice, clean air is the most imposing feature. Despite the turboprop's somewhat higher resistance to dust than piston engines, bad filtering can lead to a rapid decrease in engine performance and more often than not serious damage to the compressor
It’s about time I got to grips with this little aircraft here. Despite outwardly being just a normal Super Cub, this specific little machine has a very interesting story behind it. It was assembled by hand by Mr. Vlaho Ljubić, who spent six years working on it – literally from the ground up, when it was still a random collection of bolts and structural components.
The aircraft is basically a stock PA-18-150 without any modifications, the only difference being the instrument panel layout – but that varied between batches in factory-built models, so we can’t hold that against it :). It is painted in a scheme taken off the Cub Crafters CC18 replica of the Super Cub, but in lighter tones (the original scheme can be seen here: http://www.airliners.net/photo/CC18-180/1423224/L/). Its first post-assembly fight was on October 12th, 2008., on a lovely warm and calm afternoon. The following pictures go out to Mr. Ljubić, who generously allowed me to crawl over every inch of the plane :).
(an additional note about the reg – initially, the aircraft was registered as 9A-XLJ, X being the prefix for the experimental register. However, being in essence a stock, factory design – and given that the whole experimental thing is still wobbly in Croatia – it was transferred to the standard GA register – prefixes B, C (rarely) and D – becoming 9A-DLJ)
Shining nicely in the autumn sun a couple of days before its first flightLike all Cubs - Super or otherwise - this one is mostly fabric covered, with a metal frame structure underneath. The resulting decrease in weight compared to traditional aluminium structures offsets the need of periodically replacing the fabricThe aforementioned panel. Simple and uncluttered, it contains all you really need for VFR flying.Final engine inspection before its first post-assembly flight. Like the majority of all Super Cubs, this one has the O-320 150 HP engine which does wonders for an aircraft as light as this. Some Super Cubs have smaller 95 and 105 HP engines, while a few - mostly glider-towing ones operating at higher altitudes - have been modified with up to 180 HP.Revving up the engine for a running check. Thankfully for me, the brakes were working perfectly :).Taxiing out for its first flight!Go little Cub, go!Trundling by at 70 knots while high overhead something zips by at 500+ 🙂Taxiing in back home. The smile says it all!Banking left, banking left! 🙂 An air-to-air session on the aircraft's fourth flight (I think). 9A-DMI served as my trusty photo ship once moreApproaching to form off our right wing above the city of ZagrebSliding in alongside and looking beautiful!Going shopping. Diving away from us above King's Cross, one of the largest shopping centers in ZagrebCooling down in the afternoon
A bit of an odd topic, but prompted by yet another Hungarian skydive plane I saw at the field a few days back. Given the relative lack of suitable skydive planes native to the field – except our Cessna Skywagon, 9A-BKS, currently undergoing repairs following a propstrike – and the rich, varied and relatively cheap general aviation scene in neighbouring Hungary, it’s not unusual to see some of their aircraft chartered for a few days during intensive skydive ops. This gave me the idea to make a small photo compilation of all the aircraft (all three 🙂 ) in this category I’ve seen and photographed.
1. Antonov An-2 (late model), HA-MKK “Fat Angie”
The first one I’ve spotted, back in June 2007. Flew a lot together with another Croatian example, 9A-DIZ, but was sadly lost on January 11th, 2008., when it hit a mountainside in Slovenia in poor visibility. Of the crew of two, one died, while the other suffered severe injuries.
Some handbrake cornering :).Nose detail. Note the differently-painted lower cowl flaps.More nose detail :). At least the prop is nice and shiny.Looking across to DIZ after a busy flying day. Despite looking far better on the exterior than MKK, for the duration of its stay at Lučko DIZ was continually plagued by engine problems
2. Cessna A185F Skywagon, HA-SVH
Mfd.: 1975 Serial No.: 185-02644
The newest addition to the list was first seen (by me) at Lučko on April 18th, 2009. Not much info about it is avilable and even the ultimate resource – Airliners.net – had only one previous photo of it. And to add insult to ignorance, it taxied out right under my nose when I had arrived at the field and was later grounded as well when its tailwheel tire burst, denying me a photo of it inflight… grrr.
You up front, move it! Taxiway hogs... 🙂 A cheerful group of skydivers pushing their plane back to the hangar all the way from the RWY 10 threshold - more than a kilometer away.Most photographers would have been content with just a smile or a wave, but I hit the jackpot here! 🙂 Dedicated to all the guys and gals who like to jump out of perfectly serviceable airplanes 🙂The brave men of Aeroklub Zagreb lifting the tail to place supports under the fuselage. These would hold the tail up without human intervention and allow the wheel to be changed (which the guys tell me is a 15 minute job, since that often happens on our local Skywagon)
3. Technoavia SMG-92 Turbo Finist, HA-YDJ
Mfd.: 2004. Serial No.: 02-001
An aircraft built in Russia, with a Czech engine, registered in Hungary, flown by a Slovak pilot and operating in Croatia… can it get any more complicated? 🙂 Seen this handsome thing for the first time at the 2008 Lučko Airshow on September 20th. Powered by a Walter M-601 turboprop engine delivering 540 HP, this thing packs some serious punch for its size! Visited Lučko courtesy of the boss of our Croatian Aviation Forum association.
Blending in nicely there...Another nose detail, though there's not much to see. The original Russian Finist, the SM-92, had the tough and durable VOKBM M-14 9-cyl radial engine, but somewhere along the line someone in Hungary decided to stick a turbine in it. And voila!Despite the aircraft's rather agricultural appearance, it has an excellent panel equipment package. Everything's here - moving map GPS, Mode S transponder and a full IFR suite of instruments.I'll have one to go as well!
When you get invited to participate in an airshow, you usually don’t ask too many questions. When you’re asked to participate in one in formation with two other aircraft, you don’t ask any, but promptly kick the tires and light the fires :).
Back in the summer of ’08 (not ’69), the aeroclub I’m part of was asked whether we’d have any objections to flying a short display at an aviation happening near Trakošćan castle in northern Cro. There were none of course, but – in line with the above – to this day I have no idea what it was we were asked to fly over. But there was flying and photography afoot, so I was there, no questions asked.
1. The aircraft
Our formation was to consist of two Cessna 150Ms mismatched with a Reims FR172F Rocket sporting more power than the two 150s combined. To add to the difficulties, it was +37 outside and my photo ship just had a new engine installed, which meant we couldn’t floor it as much as we would have liked. But undaunted, we got down to preparing, making up a plan as we went along.
DMI was to be my photo ship, while DMM was nominated as the lead aircraft – being the slowest of the remaining two and dictating the pace.
2. The flight
With takeoff being scheduled broadly around 12:30, I arrived at the field about an hour earlier, hoping to make myself useful and help prepare the planes for the epic 45 minute flight. While DMJ sat ready and waiting, DMM was getting a wash – though I don’t know whether it actually needed it, or the guys were looking for a fun way to cool down on one of the hottest days of the month.
A bottle of Arf wipes away all your troubles 🙂
Once fresh & clean, we got down to the serious business of checking the bird out before the flight. As a regular maintenance check had been done a couple of days prior, we were mostly left with the preflight check and throwing out everything not necessary for the flight to save weight. After briefly thinking about losing the seats, we settled for more conventional stuff like emptying the baggage hold of various miscellaneous stuff, boxes, tiedown cables, oil canisters and the like.
With the weight-saving measures completed, we settled back and waited for everybody to assemble. The impromptu crew roster required six members, two young PPL pilots and two instructors in DMM and DMJ, and my photopilot and me in DMI. Wanting to blunt DMJ’s power advantage, we found two more willing PPLs who were to be the ballast in the back.
Finally ready, we fired up our engines at around 12:20 and taxied out to RWY 28. The plan was for all three of us to take off in formation: DMJ from the front, (since it could out-accelerate the 150s) and DMM and DMI in the back. However, the tight apron of the club – and a momentary breakdown in coordination – meant that at the RWY 28 threshold the 150s ended up first, with DMJ bringing up the rear. As there was quite a lot of traffic at that time, we decided not to complicate things any further and taxied out onto the runway as it was.
Lined up, about to start our takeoff run...
Flooring the throttles – not an impressive spectacle at +37 Centigrade – we took of in pair with DMM, while DMJ started rolling about 30 seconds later. Once airborne – barely – we spread out a bit and turned toward the town of Zaprešić some 6 km away.
Our route took us:
N point (Zaprešić, CTR Lučko exit point) – Krapina – Trakošćan – Krapina – N point
a route all of us knew well from our student days. Navigation on this bit is very easy and boils down to simply following the Zagreb – Macelj highway which runs up almost to the castle itself. Being in formation, we kept our heads down at around 1,500 ft, giving us a 1,000 feet of terrain clearance most of the way.
Trying to close our formation while climbing toward Zaprešić
We actually made it halfway to Zaprešić before the first problems started to appear. Careful not to force DMI’s new engine, my photopilot Ivan kept it at a maximum 2400 RPM, 200 short of its declared maximum. Doesn’t sound like much, but on aircraft with fixed pitch propellers most of the real power is found in the top 100s. Consequently, with a climb speed of barely 200 fpm, we started falling behind. Mind you, with a temperature of 35 C at this level, DMM wasn’t doing much better either, while our measures for levelling the playing field didn’t seem to be working, as DMJ had to throttle back in order to keep up with us.
However, a couple of kilometers downrange we finally reached our 1,500 ft and set about trying to fall into a proper formation for some photo ops. Once out of the climb, DMI picked up speed and we soon caught up with DMM.
Closing up, though still a bit too far apart...
Eventually – after some coming and going – all three of us were holding something resembling a stable formation. As DMM and DMJ tightened together for their photo shoot, we in DMI crawled ahead and a bit up to give me a clear view, away from the wing struts and landing gear.
Our two canaries holding a nice, not-too-tight formation above the hilly Croatian countrysideDMJ banking right for a livelier photo...Adding a few tens of feet for a different viewpoint
I must admit this was quite enjoyable, shooting through the open window. Last time I did that four months earlier, it was -15 outside and the experience was not quite so pleasant (more on that in one later post). With the big fan up front throwing some welcome fresh air into the cabin, we actually left the window up most of the way.
After having my fun, we tightened back together, as the terrain was getting progressively hillier. The leg from Zaprešić to Krapina takes just under 20 minutes and ends in some 3,000 ft high mountains, so with a good 10-15 minutes gone, we needed to start actually flying, not just joking around. The approach to Trakošćan isn’t all that easy, so now was the time to coordinate. Meanwhile, between transmissions on my handheld radio station, I snapped a few additional photos.
To quote Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear: "Aww look, it's clouding over" 🙂
Soon enough, we were nearing the mountain Ivanščica, right around Krapina. To jump over its lowest part, we needed to climb another 1,000 ft, which – given our appaling climb performance earlier – required some forethought.
Climbing gently in a very loose formation to give us some maneuvering space in case our climb petered out...
Trakošćan itself is surrounded by the foothills of Ivanščica, so we needed to be very careful. More than once, DMM and DMI had to take a slight detour around a peak because we judged our climb rate wasn’t going to get us over it in time. DMJ, bless her six cyl engine and constant speed prop, had no such problems.
Tailgating each other round the side of the mountain after our first pass over the castle. DMM was in the lead again (the spot to the right of the picture), DMJ was second and we were bringing up the rear to photograph the whole event
When we finally crossed the hills, found the castle and positioned ourselves, we broke into what could maybe be described as a line-astern formation, chasing each other toward the castle grounds. Our plan – drawn up with the organizers – was to make a series of low passes, trying to nail one in formation. However, the restrictive terrain around meant we had to go at it alone, so we floored all three planes and dove gently toward the valley floor.
Shot from a slight bank on our first high pass. Don't know what was going on down there, but I spotted a number of Red Bull flags and two helicopters, a private Robinson R-44 Clipper II and an airforce Mil Mi-171Sh, seen here to the bottom leftBreaking left for another, lower pass. Didn't photograph many of them, was too busy enjoying myself 🙂Going down low, following DMJ's example
After the first high pass, we made several more, each lower than the last. Given the aforementioned terrain around the castle – and the heat – we thought it best not to fool around, so we didn’t attempt the formation one.
Strafing the castle...
With four passes completed and our job done, we turned for home and flew back the way we came in, in pretty much the same wide formation, since the hills hadn’t moved appreciably in the mean time.
By now it was around 1 PM and the sun was sliding to the west. Because the Zaprešić-Krapina-Zaprešić leg runs pretty much north-south, I would now have to shoot into the sun, which I presumed wouldn’t give me many photo opportunities – but the forming up delay on the way out meant I was willing to try at least and end the day with a lot of good photos.
A normal formation at last!A nice contrast...
This time we chose to fly higher, at around 2,000 ft. Because all our photo ops were done, we flew most of the way to Zaprešić in a clean, tight formation, giving everybody a chance to practice holding station off each other’s wing.
DMI taking the lead for a sec, leaving DMM in it's... wake?All nice and clean and shiny 🙂
But, in a fit of playfulness, a few miles before Zaprešić our formation finally broke up for good and turned into an all out race to Lučko. DMJ, having 110 unfair advantages, quickly pulled ahead, while DMM fell a couple of hundred meters behind us, despite our 200 RPM handicap. Apart from being quite good fun, it also served to separate and sequence us for landing, so we wouldn’t come in all bunched up.
Wide view of the countryside on the way back. The mountain to the left is Medvednica, at whose feet lies the city of Zagreb. Right off its right slope is Zaprešić, with the Zagreb-Macelj highway below pointing the way
Passing Zaprešić, we were still a few minutes out from Lučko, so we coordinated our landing sequence via radio. The crew of Juliet, already far ahead, decided to continue on a panorama flight above Zagreb, leaving us in DMI as number one. Since the wind was calm and there was no more traffic in the circuit, we chose RWY 10 and slid into left base over castle Kerestinec, a convenient turn point.
On final for RWY 10
Landing just after the threshold, we hit the brakes and pulled off to the side so DMM, close behind us, could land. Gunning the throttle to not get stuck in the grass on the taxiway, we rolled of to the ECOS apron at the other side of the field and shut the birds down.
Achtung, Skyhawk! 