Zandvlei Trust

"Building the bird"called a Cozy – 2008.

Promoting homebuilding in South Africa.

Contact Gavin Lawson  if you are a homebuilder and require parts made.

2008

On 26/07/2008 Chris reports," this is to let all know that Cozy #219, ZU-CZZ managed to attain 28, 197 feet during the climb test today.
We have to do a climb test in each amateur built aircraft to establish its actual service ceiling. So dressed in long johns ski suit 2 pairs of socks, plus mask with pipes, headset with wires, oxygen clip on thingy on my neck, maps and paperwork on spare seat, cloth at the ready for frosting or condensing, newspaper to stuff around my legs etc, I set off.

It was still climbing at 28,000 feet, about 100 feet per minute, but the temp outside was – 24,5C (amazingly, just as predicted by the weatherman) and the alternator decided to call it a day ... the cold is what made me give up, really!

The Johannesburg region was looking to clear me to 30, 000 feet, and they took their time over it, while waiting the cold got to me, so I cancelled further climbing and got out pronto.

The whole event took 2h24 min and the total flight length ended up being 331Nm (FALI is 89 Nm from my base airport FASY").

In the climb test the reading above is 19,501ft above sea level and still climbing at 300ft a minute. Chris aborted the test to find the ceiling level of the Cozy. He did not have oxygen and nor was he prepared for the cold -2.5 degrees outside and inside 7.5 degrees.

The new seat covers.

Chris's Cozy was featured in an article in SA Flyer April 2008 together with

Jannie Versveld's powerful 6 cylinder version.