------------------------- Part 1 of 2 -------------------------- Kolb Firestar 2 Powered by a Yamaha Phazer 80 hp Engine Rotax C Box adapter from Bkexperimental.com See my other videos for more Yamaha Information.
Really impressed with your plane, that Phazer is definitely a great option. Still planning on building one, I hope more guys like you keep pushing development forward.
My brother built a Kolb Ultrastar that I got to fly back in the 90s. Pretty exciting taking off with absolutely nothing around you. Really like how agile these are. Nice lookin’ too
A caution do not hang the aircraft on the prop any longer than necessary (ie to clear an obstacle). I know I am stating the obvious. You are flying a high drag aircraft. In an engine failure the speed decay is rapid. Like you I am a very experienced pilot. 20,000 hours plus in my case. It looks impressive but it just takes just one engine failure… I know you train for proficiency, the nose down push required is very aggressive and difficult especially when the ground is rushing up. It is almost like a zero g maneuver from your Naval Aviator training. Excellent video and I am very interested in this power plant.
Flaps on take off and landing will help! I usually start with them off on take off and pull them down just before it is ready to fly. Full flaps on landing and pull them off just as I touch down. You will have to play with it to see what works best for you and your airplane. Looks Good! Have FUN! Be Safe!
Hope there's a bit more of your Oshkosh to come! Phazer conversions - no place for amateurs. You're doing some programming [?], Ian is doing wiring, is it possible to get the whole thing together like that from various individuals, or even a one-stop shop, I'm guessing it's still too early for that, hopefully I'm wrong. Any advice? Thanks!
Sam Peachy...now there is a name from the past...Pennsylvania... Would be a nice trip for you...but too far for me..He calls me when I have a Kolb for sale. He could end up owning the FS II that I am about ready to paint..:-) MZ was Italian at one time...went to Canada and is now owned by the Chinese..Two dealers in the U.S. Parts are readily available so one dealer told me...Kansas City Area as I recall.. Prices are better than Hirth....near as I know..Gear boxes are clutched...at least on the Mosquito helicopter where they were used...Air cooled.electric start . This one started life on a Mosquito...Direct drive fan so I had to space the engine over an inch over the mounting plate to clear the engine mount round tube..
Can you bring it around with a curving low approach over the corn field rather than a high over the trees with a standard box approach. Years back my Dad had to show a guy how to slip-skid his Kolb around super low and flat to get into a very very similar spot. Maybe not something you'd want to do very often but a skill builder that may come in handy one day.
@@bkairys There will be a lot of interest in a vid, or preferably a series, about how to get a Phazer together, especially if it's pitched at the layman. I think the big question is the "Where/Who." PS The first four were great!
Ben, If you had the time, I think you are good enough to compete in the STOL competitions. I would like to see a Firestar compete. I sold mine long ago, but I think yours would be competitive.
The key to STOL is light and powerful. The Firestar is lighter than all of the STOL's and I think someone could actually make one win championships. It's not speed, it's the short takeoffs and landings.
Nice flying...Installed an MZ202 on my Firestar II project...63 hp at 6300 rpm...Electric start..Needs battery to operate since the Ign modules are 12 volt...looks to have a torque and Hp cross over at near 5k...would be nice to fly at those rpm's.. The Mz has a clutch and I am using a three blade ivo..medium... Strip is 700 feet and I have flown 4 Kolbs from it...Including your Firefly... Did you buy or make the vortex generators...I think I will add those before test flying... That last take off was before the shadow...Lot of interest at Oshkosh? Too bad there is no 4 stroker for the Firefly!!
Never seen a Mz202 before, sounds like a real performer. I don't miss the 2 stroke vibration and noise tho. This yamaha is smooth as silk in the air and sipping fuel at 2 gph. The VGs are stol speed brand from aircraft spruce. I followed the Jack Hart guide to apply them. You going to the peachy kolb fly in?
sweet powerplant. gotta say I detest the steep climb outs made so popular. One engine hickup and you are done. Lost a good friend to that nonsense. fly safe
First couple of tries, I think maybe you were taking the term “chop the throttle“ a little too literally… it sounded to me like you just slowed the transition to idle by a few milliseconds, and you didn’t just drop so quickly… As I understand it that’s how Navy pilots snag the three wire… use pitch for airspeed, throttle for glide slope; or in your case, tassel-to-turf angle… ha-HAA! Also, pet peeve here - the plural of ‘foot’ is ‘feet’ … Just sayin … it would probably annoy you if I said “do you operate the rudder pedals with your foot?”… GOOD VIDEO…. I DO love me some Yamaha enginery .. or motorcycles, or PA speakers, or bass trombones, or 12 foot grand pianos, or snow skis, or drum sets, tennis rackets, or headphones… in fact, if Yamaha decided to buy all the rights to Toyota’s abandoned Avalon, and produce it in a Tesla style version of their own design (you know, smooth quiet comfortable reliable, a thousand ponies AND 0 to 60 in 1.9)… ok, that, and a standard issue 5/8 ton quad cab pickup, The rest of them might as well pack up and go home…
The bare engine weighs 80lbs and is 80 hp. With the gearbox,harness, and everything to run it.. just under 130lbs. In comparison a Rotax 503 weighs 100 lbs and a 582 is 122 lbs all up.
Ben, where did you get the motor mount for that motor to your Firestar? A guy has a twin star here for sale thats in good shape but has a 503 that is over due for service. Would the mount you use be the same for the twin star? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I might have seen you putting this motor on your plane, are you in Mi? Thanks John
A) We aren’t “RU-vid”. B) I know a guy that died doing steep climb outs like you did. the engine died at 100’, nose over too far forward, landed upside down. There are old pilots. There are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots. However, you do fly that thing well.
These steep climb outs close to the ground are a bad idea… if that engine ever dies, it’s a fatal mistake. Nice airplane but please don’t become a twisted pile of metal… there is nothing to prove once the tires come off the ground, in a stol competition, that’s worth your life…
This plane is 410 lbs and has 80 hp. Just pitching for my maximum climb rate air speed. I'd argue it's safer to get high faster so if engine problem happens you have some height to burn.
@@bkairys the problem is recovering from a nose high attitude close to the ground.. your airspeed will drop to nothing instantly being pitched like that… I’m not telling you how to fly your aircraft, just be careful, I don’t want to see you turn into a lawn dart if it ever dies on climb out….
