Doctor's engineering

We are back home, working and enjoying the simple city life.

We drove all the way back from Benalla in one go, managing to rig the glider in Waikerie on the way. Good effort but we arrived exhausted after 1000 km drive.

We all know that 29's get spar bumps. They seem to be more visible when you leave your tanks wet, even with the dump valve and filling cap open. They just don't dry out properly by themselves and develop these ugly looking bumps. You can tell exactly where the spar is. Not that it affects the performance that much. With our skills we're not able to get the maximum performance out of these gliders anyway. They look ugly though. We've been negligent for the first year and didn't do anything about our bumps. They turned out to be quite significant during the recent annual inspection and it was time to act.

All our friends have some sort of a tank-drying equipment. Usually these are old CPU fans with some kind of arrangement. The idea is to place them on the top opening leaving the dump valve open. They then suck the air out of the wing creating a constant air flow through the wing and drying the tank completely. And guess what? They do work and the spar bumps disappear as the wings dry out.

So we ended up developing a system based on what everybody else had but adding a little bit more TLC and engineering standards to it. So here it is: "Doctor's certified tank drying device". He's a smart and handy cookie this Ziggy, I have to admit.

CPU fan and some plumbing parts from Bunnings

The whole system connect into a regular power point but can also be run off a 12V battery. Should we get it patented?

In the meanwhile our house is a mess again. The landscapers have moved in and are creating mess beyond comprehension. Ziggy keeps saying that it will be awesome once they finish. It's still hard to see through piles of pavers, dirt, mud, tree roots etc. And this is just the back and the side of the house. The front will be next and even worse as they will be ripping off all the concrete from underneath the carport to replace it with old red bricks.

the beginning of the mess

We can't wait for the final results. In the meanwhile we can admire this amazing view from our dining room:

I have to admit that I'd love to have a play with this little bobcat. I've always wanted that :)