Landing Lights & Antenna


The lower left picture is the landing light. It is a 1964 Corvair high beam, draws 35 watts at 12 volts, and weighs 10 ounces with it's mounting cup. It is attached to the main spar, and points down at an angle through the lower surface. The cover is 1/16" Lexan, screwed to two lightweight aluminum angles rivited to two false ribs. A thin curve of aluminum is rivited to the leading edge, and the Lexan snugs under it along it's front edge. One landing light in each wing gives enough light to judge the landing flare, adds 2 pounds of weight total, and probably no drag.

People ask: "Where do you put the antenna, and how long should it be?" Mine is 24 1/4" long from the end of the BNC connector to the little rounded curl on it's end. There is a sheet of aluminum glued to the inside fabric of the airplane between the lower left longeron and the main tube, and it has a jack-to-jack BNC bulkhead pass-through screwed into the middle of it. Your antenna cable attaches to the inside end, and the antenna to the outside end. I grounded the aluminum sheet to the airplane, although I have been told that this is not necessary.

The antenna is made by taking a Radio Shack twist-on male BNC connector, part # 278-103 and a length of 1/16" model airplane pushrod steel wire, and combining them like this: take one end of the steel wire, and taper it on a grinder until it will fit into the connector until the end just pokes through the end of the middle terminal connector. Solder it to the connector at that end. Fill the shank up with epoxy, and after it hardens, cut it to about 25 inches total length, put a curved bend in it until it parallels the main tube, and trim it to final length while checking an SWR meter. If you don't have an SWR meter, make it 24 1/4" long total length, ground plane to tip, it will work. Put a little curl on the end, or Murphy's Law says someone will poke it through their eye. Cost? $8. Weight? 2 ounces.


Thus Endeth the Tweaks & Hints Section


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If you're thinking about buying a MKIII, and want an unbiased opinion, you are on the wrong page. I think the MKIII is the best little two seat airplane that a non-millionare could buy. Since 1965 I have owned 3 airplanes and 7 ultralights, and the Kolb is the most satisfying of any of them. Hope you like yours as well. Fly safe.

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Older photos on these pages created with a Sony 8mm HandyCam, and a Snappy 3.0 video capture device, or a Sony Mavica.

Current pictures were created with a Panasonic Lumix digital camera.

Richard Pike, Technical Counselor EAA Chapter 442

MKIII N420P (42OldPoops)

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Blountville Community Chapel, Blountville, Tn.

Pastor; Richard Pike

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