N767JM IS FLYING
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:16 am
On July 25th N767JM flew two uneventful flights totaling 1.5 hours. The aircraft flew great! Straight as an arrow. I started on a soggy runway and elected to use flaps for the initial takeoff. Ground run was about 200 feet. Really impressive! I did have a radio problem and couldn't receive so stayed at 1400' and below to stay clear of Class C airspace. It was a bit uncomfortable at 88 degrees OAT and 140 KIAS at 75% power for 40 minutes and 18 delta patterns above the field. The second flight was done above 4000', much better. I've had no issues with the Superior IO-360. The temps have remained well within limits which is very surprising due to the high ambient temperatures here. I changed out the straight mineral oil at 15 hours. With the piston spray nozzles I rarely see CHT vary by more than 10 degrees, coolest to warmest. At cruise power (75%) I'm seeing 155 KIAS without wheel or leg fairings. CHT are in the 330 to 340 range. At 55% power and leaning with the Dynon Lean mode I see about 132 KIAS with a fuel burn of 6.3 GPH at 7500'. I started working on the wheel pants and leg fairings. I've had a few small issues. Leaking brake cylinders, small oil filter leak, Porpoising in the Altitude Servo (Trio), LED power supplies are blasting the VHF radios.
You can see in the picture which is captured from a video that the LED nav lights are clearly visible . Everyone at the field comments on their brightness. I'm hoping to get the interference issues cleared up, but Rudi ultimately replaced his power supplies with resistors to remedy his problem.
I want to thank all of you for your wisdom, innovation, helpfulness and wit.
This is the best small GA aircraft I have flown. I may be a bit biased. The flight controls are very coordinated, light and responsive. I have to keep slight right rudder at 75% cruise, but I believe once the fairings are on that the speed increase will offset the engine torque.
A few other issues that you might have to deal with on the Airworthiness Inspection.
Start a dialog well ahead and talk things over with the DAR or FSDO. If you're concerned about your seatbelts, Nav lights, ask about it.
I didn't have a printout of my Kitlog, but he said that a notebook computer with the log would suffice. During the inspection he never looked at the log. They just want to verify that you did the work.
Send a proposed test area depicted on a sectional with your reasons for the area. I'm inside a MOA, under class C, and have no southern area to fly in due to the Gulf of Mexico Warning Areas. Initially he said 25 mile radius from the field. Well that just wouldn't work, so I moved the 25 mile center over a point that put my airport on the SE edge. I additionally added a corridor to include some airports that have FBOs and the best prices on fuel in the area. That gave me straight legs of over 80 SM. to work with.
The only thing I failed to get was that I am prohibited during phase I to fly in Class C. I argued, er, discussed this at some length, but they weren't flexible. Well I can live with it for another 23 hours or so.
Be organized for the inspection. I had a table with chairs with manuals, invoices, flashlights and mirrors next to the aircraft. Even though you have performed a condition inspection previously, the night before I rechecked the critical items using a checklist (cotter keys, safety wire, wire chaffing). I found punch lists helpful, but even better, correct or finish it right now when it is discovered.
Have a well thought out, doable but flexible test plan. The odds are you won't fly the flights in exact order. That latest electronic Gizmo that is sitting there is going to get the best of you. Ask me how I know!
Keep building guys!! It is worth every hour. I'm still Grinning!
Thanks
Rocky
N767JM Low Pass
By rockyjs at 2008-08-11
Actually the second landing which was a wheelie!
By rockyjs at 2008-08-11
You can see in the picture which is captured from a video that the LED nav lights are clearly visible . Everyone at the field comments on their brightness. I'm hoping to get the interference issues cleared up, but Rudi ultimately replaced his power supplies with resistors to remedy his problem.
I want to thank all of you for your wisdom, innovation, helpfulness and wit.
This is the best small GA aircraft I have flown. I may be a bit biased. The flight controls are very coordinated, light and responsive. I have to keep slight right rudder at 75% cruise, but I believe once the fairings are on that the speed increase will offset the engine torque.
A few other issues that you might have to deal with on the Airworthiness Inspection.
Start a dialog well ahead and talk things over with the DAR or FSDO. If you're concerned about your seatbelts, Nav lights, ask about it.
I didn't have a printout of my Kitlog, but he said that a notebook computer with the log would suffice. During the inspection he never looked at the log. They just want to verify that you did the work.
Send a proposed test area depicted on a sectional with your reasons for the area. I'm inside a MOA, under class C, and have no southern area to fly in due to the Gulf of Mexico Warning Areas. Initially he said 25 mile radius from the field. Well that just wouldn't work, so I moved the 25 mile center over a point that put my airport on the SE edge. I additionally added a corridor to include some airports that have FBOs and the best prices on fuel in the area. That gave me straight legs of over 80 SM. to work with.
The only thing I failed to get was that I am prohibited during phase I to fly in Class C. I argued, er, discussed this at some length, but they weren't flexible. Well I can live with it for another 23 hours or so.
Be organized for the inspection. I had a table with chairs with manuals, invoices, flashlights and mirrors next to the aircraft. Even though you have performed a condition inspection previously, the night before I rechecked the critical items using a checklist (cotter keys, safety wire, wire chaffing). I found punch lists helpful, but even better, correct or finish it right now when it is discovered.
Have a well thought out, doable but flexible test plan. The odds are you won't fly the flights in exact order. That latest electronic Gizmo that is sitting there is going to get the best of you. Ask me how I know!
Keep building guys!! It is worth every hour. I'm still Grinning!
Thanks
Rocky
N767JM Low Pass
By rockyjs at 2008-08-11
Actually the second landing which was a wheelie!
By rockyjs at 2008-08-11
. What a great feeling it must be.
to the world of completed RVs.