Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Does any of the T-18 family know of an angle of attack indicater kit or drawings that a man of my limited abilities can put together and install on my T-18?

Goggle "Jeff Schultz's Sonex #604 AoA meter or LRI AOA and see what yo come up with

Install stall strips, it gives you stick shaker just before stall. The stall strips trips the inboard section of the wing and causes a buffet of the horizontal, it's a clear indication that you need to "push" on the stick. I think that it has saved me a couple of times on the base to final turn.

My 2 cents, your milage may vary.

_________________
Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

A well calibrated noodle on a swivel has served me well for almost 45 years . If you feel the need to install one I would make sure it is in the field of view (on top of the glare shield ) or as far up on the instrument panel as possible .

RB

Jim Mantyla has written a post or two about the Lift Reserve indicator. You'll have to dig around to find them. Here's the link to the official one, but you can scrounge around and build one for pretty cheap.
http://www.liftreserve.com

It's just a Dwyer differential pressure gauge hooked up to a special probe. My. AOA
probe was 3D printed by Shapeways.com for $25. I believe the model is still there and you can get one made for yourself. I put the probe in the wing gap on the center wing.

I was really impressed by how well it worked, but I didn't get enough time on the airplane to learn to rely on it. Jim swears by his.

D

"Limited Capabilities", Steve Hawley? Boy, I hardly think so.........Dan

Complete kit for an Lift Reserve Indicator system

https://sites.google.com/site/lrikit/

I think a "Bitchin Betty" might be another option ?

RB

Dick, thank you for the info. I will order one. Rich, what is a bitchen Betty? I guess I've had my head on a swivel since I have been flying, probably since before you were born! Soloed in '53 in a Waco UPF-7 and have flying ever since. Have a piece of paper that says I was a Civil Engineer, A&P with IA and have built 3 airplanes, the T-18 I have been flying for 38 years. I restore old airplanes in my retirement and at last count have completed 20 restorations. I will be 80 my next birthday and hope to keep flying but realize my abilitys have almost certainly deterioted, so my interest in an AOA.
Steve

Bitchin Betty...Google search Bitchin Betty .

RB