You could start a WANTED CRAFT thread to maybe tempt someone to sell? Put it in FOR SALE where sellers will be placing THEIR advert on here?

With Vortex gone, what other decent companies are out there, we have BBV, Griffon are there any others that may have secondhand craft for sale?

I've ordered a digital spring balance / luggage scales, as they'll probably be more accurate than my 100kg spring balance on such a low tension of 5 to 6lbs.  Un likely I'll be getting out on the hover until at least the end of next week, as working and have stuff already planned for a couple of days.  At least the scales will be here before then, so can double belt tensions are correct.
 

Becky said last time we were out, she could smell something.  Becky was sat further back than me. "It wasn't me that she could smell, honest"   I thought we had the roof up the last time we went out, but Becky said the roof was definitely down the last time out.  My memory isn't what it used to be     So perhaps the lift belt was slipping a bit.


The yellow Surveyor I had, the lift fan used to eat belts within a few hours of use.  When building the original drive for Kermit, I spoke to Bryan Phillips about it & he suggested that I fit two belts to the lift fan, as recommended on the Geoduck.  This was why originally there were twin belts driving the lift fan.  From memory it was a nightmare to fit the four idler pulleys in such a tight space.  He tried to sell me the carbon drive system, but the cost was out of my budget, especially with P&P from the USA & import duties etc.


 
 

Your lift belt situation is something I was chatting to John about when he was designing the 'glass cockpit ' for my vanguard. John added an input from a hall sensor on the prop so that the speed can be monitored although you can use software linking engine speed to prop/fan speed to provide a warning which imo would be useful to have.