myles-dean
Well-Known Member
Well after what seems like years and years of slow progress, there was finally a first flight!
https://cloud.macdon.com/index.php/s/KshCyvPqHu8Mq9f (Video is too large to upload - please let me know if the link doesn't work for you).
Overall it was a success as it took off and landed in one piece but I am looking for some feedback regarding performance as the flight only lasted one circuit.
Could not get over 70 mph and most of the circuit was done at 65 mph.... way too slow!
Conditions:
Sunny, approx. 80° F, slight wind 020° (1-2 kts maybe).
Runway altitude: 780 ft.
Pressure altitude: 2500 ft.
Runway: 2300 ft. long grass (approx. 5-7" deep - really needing a cut!) running 090-270°
Engine: 1835cc Aero-Vee - no starter, hand-prop only
Static RPM: 3100 with Slick mag
Prop: 53x42 wooden
Fuel: 100LL (no fuel pump)
Pre-rebuild hours on engine/prop/airframe: 69.7
Pilot flying: 22,000+ hours (retired airline, actively flies Ag spray aircraft, Harvard & RV-8)
I will start at the beginning of the evening:
After the new Aeroinjector was installed a couple of weeks ago, the engine would always start on the 3rd pull.
Have started it a dozen times and always starts on 3rd pull when cold.
Fuel level was a little low for a test flight, so I filled the fuel tank right full.
I actually over-filled, as there was some fuel coming out the overflow tube which goes in front of the landing gear.
This time when I went to cold start the engine, I propped and propped and propped until I literally had blisters.... not even a pop or backfire.
Tried multiple things but nothing worked.
I then wondered about the fuel tank, so I opened the fuel cap and instantly heard a suction release.
I kept the cap off and flipped the propeller and it instantly fired! Thankfully it didn't run long as fuel started spraying back toward my friend who was sitting in the seat.
I then had a young guy stand close to the wing on the right side, holding the fuel cap just slightly about the fill neck (to stop any fuel spray).
Completed a normal cold start prime and it fired on the 3rd pull.
Put the cap on and engine continued to run with no problems.
I offered to drain a bit of fuel but my friend planned to taxi down the runway a couple of times to burn off some fuel instead.
I followed along with a quad and he taxied with no hesitations.
I'm guessing he figured that everything was ok, so when he turned around, he went full throttle and departed on 090.
He used up about 2/3 of the runway before getting off the ground in around 65 mph.
From that point he climbed as best as he could but the airspeed never increased.
On downwind he stated that airspeed went up to around 70 but never beyond.
RPM's were around 3100 the whole time.
From the ground I could see that he plane was plowing through the air.
He landed and was quite shaken by the fact it wouldn't build speed.
Once he taxied in and shutdown, I opened the fuel cap but there was no suction.
I have since triple checked the engine over.
Compression: 115-120 psi on all cylinders.
Spark plugs are tan after 3 minutes full rich full throttle static run.
I have 2 thoughts about what happened:
1) fuel starvation due to fuel being in the overflow with a full tank (similar to when it wouldn't start)
2) he was behind the power curve the whole time
After checking the engine and confirming everything is good and watching some YouTube videos, I am thinking that he should have sped up in ground effect before climbing.
Has anyone experienced issues with density altitude, too full of a fuel tank?
Any suggestions before we try to take it up again?
Thinking of taking it to a close long hard-top runway or a wider longer grass strip.
Sorry for the long message but just trying to make sure I have all the facts.
Regards,
Myles
https://cloud.macdon.com/index.php/s/KshCyvPqHu8Mq9f (Video is too large to upload - please let me know if the link doesn't work for you).
Overall it was a success as it took off and landed in one piece but I am looking for some feedback regarding performance as the flight only lasted one circuit.
Could not get over 70 mph and most of the circuit was done at 65 mph.... way too slow!
Conditions:
Sunny, approx. 80° F, slight wind 020° (1-2 kts maybe).
Runway altitude: 780 ft.
Pressure altitude: 2500 ft.
Runway: 2300 ft. long grass (approx. 5-7" deep - really needing a cut!) running 090-270°
Engine: 1835cc Aero-Vee - no starter, hand-prop only
Static RPM: 3100 with Slick mag
Prop: 53x42 wooden
Fuel: 100LL (no fuel pump)
Pre-rebuild hours on engine/prop/airframe: 69.7
Pilot flying: 22,000+ hours (retired airline, actively flies Ag spray aircraft, Harvard & RV-8)
I will start at the beginning of the evening:
After the new Aeroinjector was installed a couple of weeks ago, the engine would always start on the 3rd pull.
Have started it a dozen times and always starts on 3rd pull when cold.
Fuel level was a little low for a test flight, so I filled the fuel tank right full.
I actually over-filled, as there was some fuel coming out the overflow tube which goes in front of the landing gear.
This time when I went to cold start the engine, I propped and propped and propped until I literally had blisters.... not even a pop or backfire.
Tried multiple things but nothing worked.
I then wondered about the fuel tank, so I opened the fuel cap and instantly heard a suction release.
I kept the cap off and flipped the propeller and it instantly fired! Thankfully it didn't run long as fuel started spraying back toward my friend who was sitting in the seat.
I then had a young guy stand close to the wing on the right side, holding the fuel cap just slightly about the fill neck (to stop any fuel spray).
Completed a normal cold start prime and it fired on the 3rd pull.
Put the cap on and engine continued to run with no problems.
I offered to drain a bit of fuel but my friend planned to taxi down the runway a couple of times to burn off some fuel instead.
I followed along with a quad and he taxied with no hesitations.
I'm guessing he figured that everything was ok, so when he turned around, he went full throttle and departed on 090.
He used up about 2/3 of the runway before getting off the ground in around 65 mph.
From that point he climbed as best as he could but the airspeed never increased.
On downwind he stated that airspeed went up to around 70 but never beyond.
RPM's were around 3100 the whole time.
From the ground I could see that he plane was plowing through the air.
He landed and was quite shaken by the fact it wouldn't build speed.
Once he taxied in and shutdown, I opened the fuel cap but there was no suction.
I have since triple checked the engine over.
Compression: 115-120 psi on all cylinders.
Spark plugs are tan after 3 minutes full rich full throttle static run.
I have 2 thoughts about what happened:
1) fuel starvation due to fuel being in the overflow with a full tank (similar to when it wouldn't start)
2) he was behind the power curve the whole time
After checking the engine and confirming everything is good and watching some YouTube videos, I am thinking that he should have sped up in ground effect before climbing.
Has anyone experienced issues with density altitude, too full of a fuel tank?
Any suggestions before we try to take it up again?
Thinking of taking it to a close long hard-top runway or a wider longer grass strip.
Sorry for the long message but just trying to make sure I have all the facts.
Regards,
Myles