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From: <Billhogarty@aol.com>
Hello All.
Its been a long time since the crate was unpacked in April 1992 but today was
the day. The wx was perfect; no-one was around; I had the airspace to
myself. All the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. The FAA had been
here in December and issued the Air Worthyness Certificate. The engine had
been fine tuned over and over again. The plane was primed. The controls
were balanced (again). It was time!!!
Thanks to Dan Demaray for the flights in his beautiful airplane; I knew
what to expect. The takeoff was as planned although I was carrying more
fuel than I originally intended. Initial climb out was
at 2000 ft/min. to 8000 ft. Gear stayed down during entire flight. Wow,
it was hard to keep the airspeed down!!! Power on/off stalls were done with
both flaps and speed brakes. Power on really didn't get a definite stall as
the machine just mushed along slowly losing altitude. I was reluctant to
force it into a complete stall. The power off (dirty) stall did get a right
wing/nose drop break at about 70 knots. Recovery was simple. Shallow turns
were followed by steep turns (limited to 2.5 G's). Several traffic patterns
were flown followed by a touch and go; then a full stop. Landings were
good. Power on during entire pattern. 100 knots in the pattern, slowing to
90 knots on final. Plane sets right down whenever power is chopped.
Aircraft tracks very well at high speed. Rudder effective early-on during
takeoff. Elevator surprisingly effective. Ailerons rather heavy at low
speeds. No real problems. Lost attitude indicator(electric) , left fuel
gage and AOA. Suspect wiring problems. (what else is new). About the
only real surprise was the BIG torque change when power is reduced at low
speed. (not a good idea). The ball really slides right up the race
(turn/bank); needs lots of right rudder, right now!!!.
After the adrenalin rush was past, the plane was put up on jacks and
the gear was cycled many times. Emergency extension works as advertised.
Cowl off - nothing leaking. Hydraulic fluid full, oil consumption
negligible. All set for tomorrow's flight with a clean bird. Have a chase
plane to check gear and gear doors before we see how fast we can go at 75%
power.
Many thanks to all those who offered advice and clarity over the years. I
certainly needed and appreciated it.
Bill Hogarty L-IVP @ 97%
P.S. to AVIDWIZ - - - Dave: having a working relief tube is the only way to
fly. : - )
[ Outstanding!!!! -Rob ]
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