Hey no cheating by reading the end first to see if I survive.
Got to the hanger at 5:30 am and started the engine preheater. The
outside temp was about 35 deg. While it was warming up I went to the
office for a few minutes and returned a little after 6 am. I finished up
a through preflight and pulled her out. I fired her up and the oil temp
showed 75 deg. I figured this won't take long to warm up from there and
being the smart guy I think I am running the engine at 800 to 1100 rpm
should speed up the warming. Wrong - after abut 3 min. the temp had
dropped to 60 deg. So I dropped the rpm's back to idle and the temp's
started the slow climb back up as I just let it idle me along a slow taxi
to 29.
At 29 we did the run up temps had climbed to normal and the check list
was done (yep the canopy is latched this time)
I gave it some throttle and after starting the roll I firewalled
it and adjusted rudder control. We were off the ground pretty quick in
the cold air and settled at a smooth and steady 90 mph climb. This time I
seemed to have time to monitor instruments and the speed remained
constant and the VSI locked on 1300'/min. and stayed there until leveling
out at 2500' while just turning cross wind. I was able to set up for
level flight pretty easily this time. The throttle was set at 2500 rpm
and the airspeed settled on 145 mph. I looked at the gps and that was
showing 165 ground speed. I was on down wind by this time and had leaned
out to a little over 1100 deg exhaust temps.
I was trying to get a big box around the airport of about 3 to 4
miles wide and about 8 miles long. I was holding the altitude pretty
close and just used shallow turns around base to upwind. Some where in
here I had lost track of the airspeed and when I looked I was doing 160
mph and a quick look at the gps indicated 138 mph. I reduced throttle a
couple hundred rpm's and settled back to 145 airspeed. I did not have to
do anything with pitch at this point either. The reason that I lost track
of some things was I was playing with the rudder and the slip indicator.
Keeping the ball centered is a challenge right now and needed constant
attention.
I made a another lap around the track while just learning little
things here and there. We did start to steepen some turns up a little and
I found that right turns are going to take more practice than left.
I still have a little vibration that is bothering me although it
was not the same as first flight.
By now I was on my way around for the third time and I could see my house
about 5 miles to the north and I just couldn't help myself from heading
up and circling over once. I had to drop down below 2200 to get below the
ABE control area over my house. I was there in no time and just did one
turn. I thought maybe the kids would be out for the school bus but I was
to early. I headed back towards the airport and decided I had ought to go
to work.
I leveled out at 1500 and entered upwind. Things went fine with
down wind at 100 mph base at 90 and finial about 85with a green light.
Centerline was right on and the glide light was good. I crossed the
numbers at maybe 50' high but the speed just didn't go away. This is
where things went to crap. I tried to just hold steady and fly it on to
the runway. And that is exactly what happened. I hit the ground with the
mains and nose wheel at the same time and it bounced up about 10 to 15
feet with a little right yaw and a few feet off center line. I corrected
the yaw and center line problems quickly and held steady on the stick
figuring that it would fly and settle down when she was ready. Again I
was outsmarted and she slammed down again, not as hard and not has hard
on the nose. Back up we go again for the second time. I've had enough by
now and wanted to go around but she treated me to one more just to let me
know who was in charge. I got her firewalled and she started to climb out
again like she just wanted to be in the air.
I went through the pattern again and set up for a longer glide on
finial and one big difference was that I was below the glide slope all
the way in. This gave me a much more shallow glide slope at touch down. I
had a much better handle on the speed also. I managed to stay calm
through it all and had the best landing to date. The speed on finial is
something that has to be mastered and I am starting to question if I
should have cleaned the plane all up with fairings and seals before I
flew it. It just builds speed so fast. I need to learn to stay on top of
it way better.
One of the impacts was over 4 G's and I will check the gear and
engine mount out completely before I go again
My attitude may be coming across as caviler, but be assured that
I trying to very through for every step I'm taking. This plane flies
wonderful and it is everything that I dreamed of.
Yall keep building- This is the adventure of a life time.
Joe Horton, Coopersburg, PA.
joe.kr2s.buil...@juno.com
