Posted for Mark and Leslie Summers:

 

I would like to report the successful first flight of our Lancair Legacy.  After an enjoyable 5 years of building, L2K-327 soared into the air from KTRK Runway 11 on December 10^th, 2013 with Scott Alair in Race #77 flying chase.  Leslie and I had been preparing for this day since we left Lancair’s facility in late September 2008 with the Legacy shoehorned into a Ryder Truck for the trip home.  I elected to fly the first flight and began preparing years before with many hours on my flight simulator, the required complex/high performance endorsements and more than 10 hours flying Race #77 with Scott.  The Legacy is everything I imagined and then some.

With every flight I get more comfortable and proficient piloting this “rocket ship”, presently constrained to within 100nm radius of KTRK during Phase I.   On my first low altitude flight to break-in the new engine, I strained my eyes to find Oakdale airport hidden in the clutter of California’s San Joaquin Valley.  My focus returned to the small ASI located just under the glare shield; it was pegged!  Subsequent analysis of calibrated EFIS data revealed that I was cruising at 254kts TAS on 90% power, level at 4500ft ASL.  The Teledyne Continental Motors representative had recommended that “I fly it like I stole it” – roger wilco.

While building, I watched the LML for any data about a completed Legacy to compare with our projected numbers.  Our configuration is:

IO 550N/Hartzell 3 blade/dual alternator/single battery/glass panel/two axis autopilot/oxygen/spoilers

Here is how it finally came out:

Empty weight of 1971lbs (8 qts of oil, and 1 gal of unusable fuel, no paint or interior yet)

Empty CG at 84.7in

 

Only a few significant squawks to report after the first flight: low max fuel flow (25gph) and low max rpm (2670rpm) were adjusted to 29gph, 2700rpm.  Garmin GNS430W would not hold satellite lock until I added a small aluminum ground plane (5x7 inches) to the antenna located under the glare-shield.  I observed two small witness marks indicating slight contact between the oil sump and nose gear over-center linkage when gear was retraced in flight.  This was solved with a hammer (not as brutal as it sounds).  The roll trim tab needed to be adjusted for hands off flight in the solo pilot configuration.  I also cleared a few hard contact points between the baffling and the cowling which significantly reduced vibration in the cockpit.  Of particular interest was the performance of the canopy seal.  I attached the passive seal included in the kit, to the canopy instead of the fuselage with the “V” up and it does not leak anywhere.

Our local Lancair community provided encouragement and answers to many of our questions during construction and initial flight testing.  We would like thank Bucky Whittier, Steve Richard, Dennis Johnson, Jim Coelho, Steve and Claudette Colwell and especially Scott Alair who was extremely generous with his time, experience and beautiful aircraft, Obsession Race #77.

Tailwinds,

Mark & Leslie Summers

Experimental N447E

6.7 hours total time