In building my KR-1?, Ken extended the fuselage ahead of the spar and also extended it to the rear. IIRC it was 6 inches to the front to accomodate Ken's long legs and to the rear "an extra bay", whatever that amounts to. It's 15 feet 9 inches in length, so it's not all that long overall but within that space there is plenty of leg room, enough room for a removable aluminum header tank of 17 gallons, and a baggage insert behind the seat which accomodates a remarkable amount of space for all the stuff I stick back there when travelling. A shoebox-size toolbox full of carefully-packed tools and spares. My "sailor bag" which I use when travelling - full of clothes and a Lenovo 14.1" T-420 Thinkpad. A 24 cu.ft. oxygen tank underneath the insert lodged against the corner where the floor and side comes together. The insert actually rides on top of the tank and keeps it secure from movement vertically or laterally. To keep it from movement fore and aft there are foam blocks to the rear and the wood seatback with it's cut-out for the tank secures it from forward movement. It impinges upon the available baggage space hardly at all and I can't rave enough about how nice it is to have oxygen when travelling. As with my Halo headset, I soon forget the cannula or headset are attached to my head. The pulse-dose regulator releases oxygen only when I breathe - unlike the old aviation regulators that provide constant flow, an extremely wasteful way of doing things. This pulse-dose regulator by Devilbiss is called a PD-1000.
http://www.devilbisshealthcare.com/products/oxygen-therapy/portable-oxyge n/pulsedose I got it new on eBay for about $40. The "E" tank was about $28 (eBay) with shipping and the cannula was about $10 so having the priceless benefit of oxygen when flying cost me less than $100 for the whole set up. I get it filled at dive shops for $12, mas o menos. If no dive shops are in your area, an alternative way to fill the tank is to get your AME to write a prescription and take it to a medical supply place. Other than filling it at an FBO, that is the most expensive way to re-fill the tank. Another low cost option is a welding shop. It's all the same quality oxygen. My "E" tank has lasted me from San Diego to Naples, Florida with various side trips and return to SEE using oxygen the entire way. There is still oxygen left in the tank after all that flying, a tribute to the efficiency of the regulator. There are a couple other pulse-dose regulators out there, probably several, and I think any of them would work. I'm extremely happy with this PD-1000 though. I put the cannula in my nose at the same time I put my headset on and don't turn it off or take it off until I land. Even for those who don't make a practice of flying at 12.5 and 13.5 as I do, oxygen will help with mental clarity, vision (especially at night), and prevents the headaches I used to get when going from sea level to cruise altitudes. It was to prevent the debilitating headaches I used to get that I originally installed oxygen in the KR but discovered there are many other benefits. It really helps prevent fatigue on long trips. George McHenry had oxygen in his amazing KR as did Jim Evans with his "Bondo Bomber." Jim, a WWII P-51 pilot used to fly his KR-1 (painted to look like a P-51) with turbo Revmaster to Oshkosh, south of the border to Mexico, to Missouri for reunions, to fly-ins far and wide, and did it all at flight levels above 20 thousand feet. His Maloof was one of the two or three that failed and prompted Joe Horvath to ground that prop. >From what I know the failures were only on turbocharged engines, but Joe would know more about that if you can get him to talk about it. Anyway, Jim made a successful forced landing when his failed in cruise. You have lots of landing choices when you're at twenty five thousand feet. I talked to Jim some years before he passed away. He lived up in the mountains of Northern California, Trinity County. I didn't ask him about his oxygen set up but rather wanted to talk to him about his Maloof experience. http://tcpilots.org/bios/evans.html Using oxygen in KR's certainly isn't a new idea. If one intends to do any travelling in their KR it's a really good one. I've seen studies showing the benefits of oxygen even when flying at lower altitudes. Extended flights as low as five thousand feet or thereabouts can benefit from the use of O2. Installing the tank behind the seat along the fuselage floor and side junction gets it out of the way and the thin plastic cannula tube from the regulator to our nose is no bother at all. I highly recommend this easily-done improvement to our planes and will be happy to provide additional info and informative links. Mike KSEE ____________________________________________________________ Want to place your ad here? Advertise on United Online http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/55f72a06d37442a0629d7st03vuc
