2024...

[Moneybox]

This morning I got the first look at the Sportstar.



What a shocker, it's such a waste to see this compared to what it looked like before it was parked.



The seats have faded but the dash and controls mostly look good. I removed the spark plugs and the bore still has the original hone cross hatching and there's no sign of internal corrosion. I cranked it over without the spark plugs and got good oil pressure so so far it's looking pretty good.



It's amazing what a bucket of water and a bit of dishwashing liquid can do. It's not clean but most of the moss and lichen has gone. I left pumping the flat tyres until last so that I could reach the top. By the time I pumped the tyres the temperature had dropped so I ducked inside, turned the diesel heater on and had an hours sleep.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to track down the keys and logbook. The key I was given only fits the fuel cap so now it has fresh fuel but I can't try to start it.

 

[Manpa]

Roger Ramjet paint job. You certainly wont be hard to see.

 

[Mackka]

Gonna need a bigger shed

 

[Moneybox]

We made a few minor improvements to the trailer to support the wheels and loaded it up. I’ve towed it to Blackbutt where I have power and resources to properly secure the wheels tomorrow. I’ve decided to allow it to ride on its own suspension with only the tyres anchored to the trailer. We’ll give it some plastic wrap for stone protection for the 5000km trip home.

Internet connection here is very poor. I’ve tried to buy a Starlink Mini but they’ll be released about the time I arrive home.

 

[Nightjar]

We made a few minor improvements to the trailer to support the wheels and loaded it up. I’ve towed it to Blackbutt where I have power and resources to properly secure the wheels tomorrow. I’ve decided to allow it to ride on its own suspension with only the tyres anchored to the trailer. We’ll give it some plastic wrap for stone protection for the 5000km trip home.

Internet connection here is very poor. I’ve tried to buy a Starlink Mini but they’ll be released about the time I arrive home. View attachment 14666

You're no doubt going to be not short of conversation at your stops on the way home Phil? Very curious onlookers.

 

[Moneybox]

You're no doubt going to be not short of conversation at your stops on the way home Phil? Very curious onlookers.

Yes I’d much prefer to travel as the crow flies but the bumpy path will have to do until I can legally achieve that.

 

[Flatlander]

Not that I'm at home at the moment but if need help of any kind got heap of family around riverland SA it there if you need it

 

[Mackka]

Hey Phil I just watched Landline and saw that the Guest House in Cue was up for sale but upon checking the For Sale section it would appear that it has been withdrawn from sale. With only 120 people in town it would be a hard way to make a crust, however, the owner said that business was good for 6 months of the year when the detectorists come to find their fortune or as she put it- Hope that spreads eternal. They said that Cue at one stage had 7,000 people during the gold rush. Did you buy it mate? Cheers

 

[Moneybox]

Hey Phil I just watched Landline and saw that the Guest House in Cue was up for sale but upon checking the For Sale section it would appear that it has been withdrawn from sale. With only 120 people in town it would be a hard way to make a crust, however, the owner said that business was good for 6 months of the year when the detectorists come to find their fortune or as she put it- Hope that spreads eternal. They said that Cue at one stage had 7,000 people during the gold rush. Did you buy it mate? Cheers

It is beautifully restored.

 

[Simmo]

OMG Phil Box!!
How come I missed this thread!!?
Loving that aircraft bud!
Hopefully I can keep up with the progress!

 

[Moneybox]

OMG Phil Box!!
How come I missed this thread!!?
Loving that aircraft bud!
Hopefully I can keep up with the progress!

Hi Simmo, we had every intention of catching up with you but I lost too much time with family and then sourcing a suitable trailer, modifying it and then the load up. It’s been a full on six weeks.



It’s all wrapped up in Blackbutt and ready to go. Sandra only has one week left so not enough time to drive home. We’re touring SE Queensland then she flies back to Perth on the 6th. After that I’ll hook it up and look for the smoothest road home.

 

[Pro-oz]

I'd be covering that prop to protect from stone chips as well.

 

[Simmo]

Did you buy it around here?
Trailers are a bugger for planes eh?! My aircraft wheelbase is 1900mm I think and most car trailers are 1800mm wide! I could only find one hire place that had a trailer @1920mm!
Enjoy ya trip home and take it easy!

 

[Mackka]

Hey Phil, I was thinking of sending you a rabbits foot for luck and then remembered that it wasn’t that lucky for-the rabbit. Best Wishes for a safe trip home and even safer times in the flying machine. Cheers Mackka

 

[Moneybox]

Did you buy it around here?
Trailers are a bugger for planes eh?! My aircraft wheelbase is 1900mm I think and most car trailers are 1800mm wide! I could only find one hire place that had a trailer @1920mm!
Enjoy ya trip home and take it easy!

I haven't bought it..... It's a bit unusual. My brother-in-law is not fit to fly and left it in a hanger/shed for 15 years. I'm just rescuing it and making it airworthy and we'll see where it all goes from there. It's no good learning to fly without having a plane to keep it up so for now this is mine to use.



This one goes 2100 from outside of tyre to outside. The trailer deck was 1930 so we welded some angle iron pads on for each wheel. The most difficult part was getting it over the mudguards. I used a boat winch, looped around the rear of the fuselage and slung over a roof truss, to lift the rear wheels enough to pull it forward using the trailer winch while slowly reversing back. It was a three man job but it went well.

 

[Moneybox]

Did you buy it around here?
Trailers are a bugger for planes eh?! My aircraft wheelbase is 1900mm I think and most car trailers are 1800mm wide! I could only find one hire place that had a trailer @1920mm!
Enjoy ya trip home and take it easy!

Simmo, What do you fly?

 

[Simmo]

Simmo, What do you fly?

Its in my shed right now!
But I developed a cataract in one eye so telling distance is an issue, so had to stop my training.
Plus being diagnosed with cancer knocked me about a bit, but they think they got it all so now just waiting on eye surgery.

 

[Moneybox]

Its in my shed right now!
But I developed a cataract in one eye so telling distance is an issue, so had to stop my training.
Plus being diagnosed with cancer knocked me about a bit, but they think they got it all so now just waiting on eye surgery.

That's a nice looking aircraft.
We tend to leave the most important things in life till last. If I got another go at it I'd do half the work and spend twice the time playing.



I managed to get my microlight off the ground for the first time in more than 20 years
I just spoke to an L2 yesterday who says he can certify it if I get it ready and call by. It's a Polaris with a 503 Rotax that I first saw on Getaway taking off and landing on the Swan River. I bought it without the boat.

 

[Simmo]

Haha! off the ground on the winch!!
Yeah mines the 503 Rotax as well.
Got the biannual certification done when I bought it last year, it's not flown since.
The wing is a Streak 2 with bugger all hours, motor is a 'new' one, low hours.
I bought new electronics for it and a few things, had the training all sorted to do a bulk course... then I failed the eye test!!

 

[Moneybox]

Haha! off the ground on the winch!!
Yeah mines the 503 Rotax as well.
Got the biannual certification done when I bought it last year, it's not flown since.
The wing is a Streak 2 with bugger all hours, motor is a 'new' one, low hours.
I bought new electronics for it and a few things, had the training all sorted to do a bulk course... then I failed the eye test!!

That's a penalty for working in the tropics. We never looked after our eyes and ears early on and we're paying for it now. I got a Class 2 medical but it took three months and every medical test known to man. I did 25 hrs ready to go solo but had to call it quits until my medical came through. I had hoped to fix the plane here and fly it home but at this point I don't have a license.

My 503 is pull-start. I'll fit electric start when I get around to upgrading it. I only ever flew it unregistered without a license and no helmet but I'm too old for that sort of behaviour now.