Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #35906
From: Steitle, Mark R <mark.steitle@austin.utexas.edu>
Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] First Taxi
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 19:38:58 -0600
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Blast tube???  Do I need one of those too?  After my first taxi (with the cowl installed) I felt my alternators and was amazed at how hot they were.  I have decided it would be good for their lifespan to have a little cool air.  I didn't think to feel the coils.  I figure if they can survive under the hood of a Texas truck in rush-hour traffic in Austin, Texas in August, they should be OK for a/c use.  Besides, I have six of them.  If one of them fails, I still have five more to get me home.  I'm a little more paranoid about the alternators with an all-electric system.  Maybe I worry too much.
 
Hey, that gives me a good reason to do another taxi test tomorrow... yeah!
 
Mark S.    
 

________________________________

From: Rotary motors in aircraft on behalf of Bob White
Sent: Sat 3/3/2007 10:08 AM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] First Taxi



Congratulations Mark,

Truly a great step forward.  As Al mentioned, the last 10% goes on
forever. :)

Bob W. (working on a blast tube to cool the coils now)

On Sat, 3 Mar 2007 06:58:54 -0600
"Steitle, Mark R" <mark.steitle@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

> I'm not Joe, Bob, Jim, Buly, John, et al (whoever that is), but I made a major leap (well, maybe one giant step) forward yesterday.  As some of you know, for the past six years I have been building a Lancair ES powered by a N/A 20B.  I've been in the 90% done, 90% to go for over a year now.  Well, yesterday was a nice day at Lockhart, TX, and I had just finished installing the Skybolt fasteners to the upper cowl and couldn't find anything else to do, so I rolled it out of the hangar and started it up and ran it for 5 minutes.  It was running so well I decided that it was a good day for a taxi run.  With my Lightspeed headset over my ears, I headed off for my first taxi in N208TX. While this surely pales in comparison to an actual first flight, it was very gratifying.  When I started out there were no a/c in the pattern, or on the taxiways.  Ten minutes later there were people and a/c everywhere.  We even had an honest-to-goodness traffic jam with three a/c stopped at one intersection.  I guess you can chalk that up to Murphy.  Anyway, all went well and I taxied around for about 20 minutes and then returned to the hangar.  For the rest of the day I had a hard time wiping the grin off my face.  While I still have more stuff to do before first flight, "it won't be long now".
>
> Mark S.
> N208TX
> Lockhart, TX
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Rotary motors in aircraft on behalf of Ed Anderson
> Sent: Fri 3/2/2007 9:20 PM
> To: Rotary motors in aircraft
> Subject: [FlyRotary] Recent First Time Flyers!! FINAL CALL for CONTACT! Magazine Articles!!!
>
>
>  Hey, Joe, Bob, Jim, Buly, John, et al
>
> You guys who recently flew for the first time.  Your stories would really be inspiring to those out there lurking on the fence.  Sit down and tell us about how you prepped for the flight - what last minute problems you had to fix (if any).  How did it feel lifting off - what gauges gave you the most concern - what were some of the teething problems. What bump/sound make your hear beat faster until you identified what it was.   What would you do different.  What do you have planned for next-step improvements (if any).
>
> You guys who didn't have any problems on your first flight  - tell us how that felt.  What do you attribute your no-problem first time flight to.  What do you think you did right and signficant - so you could just sit back and enjoy the flight.
>
> Lets see some photos of lift off, landing, taxi, etc.
>
> I know you guys could easily write a page which combined with a couple of photos would provide enough material for this issue of CONTACT! to be a rotary -only issue.  Heck, you have a good start with the email you posted to the list telling us about that first flight.   I think having 3-4 first time flight stories in the issue would really show how the rotary community is moving.
>
>
> Put down that beer - or perhaps pick up that beer and a pen and start writing/typing/recording for transcriptions. Etc.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ed
>


--
N93BD - Rotary Powered BD-4 - http://www.bob-white.com <http://www.bob-white.com/>
First Flight:  11/23/2006 7:50AM - 3.3 Hours Total Time
Cables for your rotary installation - http://www.roblinphoto.com/shop/

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