January 4th, 2024
I got the shop heated up early, with the intent of getting Mark's Kadet ,"Big Blue", totally up and ready for this coming Saturday's "Frozen Fingers Fun Fly" at Breezy Hill.
I settled in for the tedious work of running wires and installing aileron servos, and getting all the gadgets to talk to each other. I'd decided to use a "Y" harness for the ailerons to free up a port on the receiver, so set up their servos with some mechanical differential that high wing trainers like to have.
As my hero, Al Painton often says, "When an airplane looks like it's 95% ready, it's REALLY more like 60% ready, and this is gospel truth.
Things went pretty quickly though, and I had all of it working by early afternoon. The wind had calmed with a cold front moving through (though it picked up quite a bit later), giving me a sunny, 47° day. So, the radio and three of my GoPros were charged up for Big Blue's first flight.
The grass in the cow lot and pasture was pretty workable, but I decided to do the takeoff's from the front yard 'cause I'm lazy, and walk out to the pasture for landings.
The O'S. engine was cold-soaked and didn't want to fire, so a dose of lighter fluid was shot down its throat, and off we went.
The first takeoff was shallow, and I was ready to put it in the pasture across the road if the O.S. croaked. The battered .60 kept running though, and I brought the trainer around up high as I walked to the pasture, trimming the plane as I went.
The flight was very "Kadetish", with low/slow floaty passes down the pasture, and big barnstormer loops up high. Rolls were exactly what youu'd expect...slow...with rudder helping things along. Spins were easy to get into and out of, though moving the balance point back a bit ought to make things more "snappy".
On the second launch, I hauled in some aggressive elevator, and the old trainer jumped off the ground and climbed out at just shy of 60 degrees, so the O.S. REALLY looks like a good idea.
It can for sure have some forward ballast removed, get its low-end throttle setting brought down as bit more, and a larger nose wheel added, but that's all down the road.
Big Blue is now part of the Fleet, and I'm waiting for the Lazy Bee's new engine mount to arrive.
Saturday ought to be fun!
Негізгі бет Ғылым және технология Big Blue's First Flights January 3rd, 2024
Пікірлер: 8