X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from fed1rmmtao101.cox.net ([68.230.241.45] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.12) with ESMTP id 3495116 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:53:12 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=68.230.241.45; envelope-from=rv-4mike@cox.net Received: from fed1rmimpo01.cox.net ([70.169.32.71]) by fed1rmmtao101.cox.net (InterMail vM.7.08.02.01 201-2186-121-102-20070209) with ESMTP id <20090216045229.KWWJ2948.fed1rmmtao101.cox.net@fed1rmimpo01.cox.net> for ; Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:52:29 -0500 Received: from wills ([68.105.85.56]) by fed1rmimpo01.cox.net with bizsmtp id GUsT1b0021CvZmk03UsW1B; Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:52:30 -0500 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=vAUxtr-vE_of0H_J1x4A:9 a=pSOlWkwboj96OPLMWu0A:7 a=z2xYw6KOb6nNfMqREUTu_1lsKyQA:4 a=PoIT3gU5z9IA:10 a=oSOWC_lw0GQst0LeahAA:9 a=TjvjFGmbBoDcBNCd_RkA:7 a=TW9xziRNT_md-5toXuIoY8H5tosA:4 a=AfD3MYMu9mQA:10 X-CM-Score: 0.00 Message-ID: <001801c98ff2$5f61c3b0$38556944@wills> From: "Mike Wills" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" Subject: Second flight Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:52:29 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0015_01C98FAF.50E196A0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3138 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3350 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01C98FAF.50E196A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Spent the last month addressing issues uncovered during my first flight. = Today was the day for flight number 2. OAT was in the low 50s. Temps = during climbout up to 6,000 were good. Leveled out and stayed at full = throttle for a couple of minutes just to see what happens. Saw indicated = airspeed in the mid 150KTS range. RPM was 5500. Both were still creeping = up when I throttled back. Looks like I may be slightly over-propped. = Temps still fine. Throttled back to 5000 RPM and just flew racetracks over the airport = for an hour. My flight test area is very restrictive. I've got a huge = piece of the desert to the east but have to cross a 3500' mountain and = 30 - 40 miles of rugged terrain to get there. Not until I have a few = more hours on it in flight and have 100% confidence. I have the Mexican = border 2 miles south, Class B 2 miles north and the Pacific Ocean 5 = miles west. So racetracks over the airport are going to be the norm for = a few hours. So, 5,000', 5,000 RPM, roughly 20 - 21" MAP, and indicating 140 KTS. = Temps 170 on the coolant and 168 on the oil. I've already met my goal = for this airplane on the second flight - this airplane is a little = faster than my old RV-6A was at equal power settings. The -6A had a 160 = HP Lyc in it. Looks like the revised static system has solved my airspeed indication = problems. Stall speeds are in line with the Vans book numbers and = airspeed correlates pretty well with the GPS groundspeed. Still need = more left trim tab. The engine ran great. Anyone trying to tune up Tracy's EC2 without = either having an EM2/3 or Ed Anderson's EFISM, you're wasting your time. = I spent the better part of a year tweaking the MAP table and thought I = had it pretty well done. On my first flight I spent a fair amount of = time fiddling with mixtures and had a couple of rough running spots. I = installed Ed's EFISM and spent 2 days tweaking. In the process I got the = engine running smoother than it ever has and now have it idling nicely = at 1350 RPM. Thats 300 RPM lower than I was ever able to get it = previously. In my opinion you really HAVE to have some sort of = indication of what is loaded in the MAP table to effectively tune it. The only hiccup was when I came in to land. Tower asked for me to = extend my downwind for traffic so I added a little power to hold = altitude. And ended up setting the power right at the injector staging = point, which still seems to run a little lean. Nothing like having the = engine cough just as the runway is receding over your left shoulder. = Took me a couple of seconds to realize what was going on and then added = a little power and that cleared it up. Then managed to bounce the landing. How many landings can I log on one = approach? Oh well, I guess I'm a little tailwheel rusty. And without the = cowl cheeks the view over the nose is very different so I havent quite = got the pitch attitude figured out yet. Other impressions. The airplane is loud, but not painfully so. At least = not from the pilot's seat. The handling and control power still seem = quite a bit better than my RV-6A (which was great). Not really clear why = but most of my flying in the -6A I had someone in the right seat so = maybe the weight? Other than the rudder, the airplane flies perfectly = straight. All things considered I'm real happy. This flight was considerably less = stressful than the first and I actually was able to enjoy it. I honestly = dont remember a lot of the first flight. Also, I took my glider data = logger with me on this flight. I havent downloaded it yet, but when I do = I'll know more about speeds, climb rate, etc. Dont know how you guys feel about these flight reports. Give me some = feedback if you want more as my testing progresses. I know that I like = reading about other's flight experiences as it motivated me to keep = going. After 13 years of building I'll tell you, its worth it. Now I = wish I'd pressed harder to get it done sooner. Next flight will have to wait until I get gear leg stiffeners added. = Classic RV - pretty bad shimmy on the roll out after landing. 38.5 hours = to go! Mike Wills RV-4 N144MW ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01C98FAF.50E196A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Spent the last month addressing issues = uncovered=20 during my first flight. Today was the day for flight number 2. OAT was = in the=20 low 50s. Temps during climbout up to 6,000 were good. Leveled out and = stayed at=20 full throttle for a couple of minutes just to see what happens. Saw = indicated=20 airspeed in the mid 150KTS range. RPM was 5500. Both were still creeping = up when=20 I throttled back. Looks like I may be slightly over-propped. Temps still = fine.
 
 Throttled back to 5000 RPM and = just flew=20 racetracks over the airport for an hour. My flight test area is very=20 restrictive. I've got a huge piece of the desert to the east but have to = cross a=20 3500' mountain and 30 - 40 miles of rugged terrain to get there. Not = until I=20 have a few more hours on it in flight and have 100% confidence. I have = the=20 Mexican border 2 miles south, Class B 2 miles north and the Pacific = Ocean 5=20 miles west. So racetracks over the airport are going to be the norm for = a few=20 hours.
 
 So, 5,000', 5,000 RPM, roughly 20 = - 21" MAP,=20 and indicating 140 KTS. Temps 170 on the coolant and 168 on the oil. = I've=20 already met my goal for this airplane on the second flight - this = airplane=20 is a little faster than my old RV-6A was at equal power settings. The = -6A had a=20 160 HP Lyc in it.
 
 Looks like the revised static = system has=20 solved my airspeed indication problems. Stall speeds are in line with = the Vans=20 book numbers and airspeed correlates pretty well with the GPS = groundspeed. Still=20 need more left trim tab.
 
 The engine ran great. Anyone = trying to tune=20 up Tracy's EC2 without either having an EM2/3 or Ed Anderson's EFISM, = you're=20 wasting your time. I spent the better part of a year tweaking the MAP = table and=20 thought I had it pretty well done. On my first flight I spent a fair = amount of=20 time fiddling with mixtures and had a couple of rough running spots. I = installed=20 Ed's EFISM and spent 2 days tweaking. In the process I got the engine = running=20 smoother than it ever has and now have it idling nicely at 1350 RPM. = Thats 300=20 RPM lower than I was ever able to get it previously. In my opinion you=20 really HAVE to have some sort of indication of what is loaded in = the MAP=20 table to effectively tune it.
 
 The only hiccup was when I came = in to land.=20 Tower asked for me to extend my downwind for traffic so I added a little = power=20 to hold altitude. And ended up setting the power right at the injector = staging=20 point, which still seems to run a little lean. Nothing like having the = engine=20 cough just as the runway is receding over your left shoulder. Took me a = couple=20 of seconds to realize what was going on and then added a little power = and that=20 cleared it up.
 
 Then managed to bounce the = landing. How many=20 landings can I log on one approach? Oh well, I guess I'm a little = tailwheel=20 rusty. And without the cowl cheeks the view over the nose is very = different so I=20 havent quite got the pitch attitude figured out yet.
 
 Other impressions. The airplane = is loud, but=20 not painfully so. At least not from the pilot's seat. The handling and = control=20 power still seem quite a bit better than my RV-6A (which was great). Not = really=20 clear why but most of my flying in the -6A I had someone in the right = seat so=20 maybe the weight? Other than the rudder, the airplane flies perfectly=20 straight.
 
 All things considered I'm real = happy. This=20 flight was considerably less stressful than the first and I actually was = able to=20 enjoy it. I honestly dont remember a lot of the first flight. Also, I = took my=20 glider data logger with me on this flight. I havent downloaded it yet, = but when=20 I do I'll know more about speeds, climb rate, etc.
 
 Dont know how you guys feel about = these=20 flight reports. Give me some feedback if you want more as my testing = progresses.=20 I know that I like reading about other's flight experiences as it = motivated me=20 to keep going. After 13 years of building I'll tell you, its worth it. = Now I=20 wish I'd pressed harder to get it done sooner.
 
 Next flight will have to wait = until I get=20 gear leg stiffeners added. Classic RV - pretty bad shimmy on the roll = out after=20 landing. 38.5 hours to go!
 
Mike Wills
RV-4 N144MW
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