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Kayberg(at)aol.com
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 Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:57 am Post subject: I flew, I flew!!! (more) |
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Just so you know why there are rules out there.....
My personal record is 2.6 hours on a new airplane before a 1,000 mile trip!!
Using the old "Ultralight Trainer" rules (!), I completed a SkyRanger, our first with the Jabiru 2200 engine, and flew it on Monday. The following Sunday morning, I left Green Landings, WV for Lakeland, Fl to make it to Sun & Fun a couple years ago. Other than the filter capacitor for the radio exploding after a couple hours flying, I had no problems...and none on the trip back.
I should confess it was my third build and about the 25th at Green Landings. All SkyRangers come out of the same jigs, so they all fly about the same. Actually, the low speed performance was better with the Jabiru than the previous Rotaxes.
By the way, it was not the record for Green Landings. That would be about 45 minutes on a new airplane the night before leaving for OshKosh.
I kinda miss the old Ultralight days. Kinda like a frontier town with no Sherriff.
It would be insane to try that in a Lightning. It is rumored that it takes 40 hours just to get the EFIS programmed, including the obligatory 15 minutes at the end of the runway waiting for it to make up its mind. And of course 10 minutes more waiting for the 2nd and 3rd GPS to acquire and make up their mind...despite the mission profile of shooting touch and goes. I understand this inspires some people use up their monthly quota of profanity in a very short time.
Doug Koenigsberg
In a message dated 8/24/2008 1:50:32 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, N1BZRich(at)AOL.COM writes:
| Quote: | In a message dated 8/24/2008 12:52:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, clive.james(at)uk.bp.com writes:
| Quote: | 40 hours must be a real pain,
Has the EAA never tried to get it reduced? 40 hours is a
lot of flying just for the sake of it. Even if you do some creative
accounting......
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Two points:
First, if you are using a certified prop and a certified engine it is just 25 hours. The current 40 hours (or 25) is down from the original 50 hours. Can't remember when that changed, but that is what I had to fly off on my homebuilt Pitts even with a certified prop and engine back in 1977 - yes, I am an old fart.
Second, if you actually fly all the test profiles that should be flown to determine all needed data points for your airplane, it will take quite a few flights and hours to complete the testing. It took me close to 30 hours of actual test flying time on the Esqual to complete everything that should be done. The other 10 hours (to get to 40 total) were well spent learning all the neat things that my Grand Rapids EFIS was capable of doing - such as highway in the sky steering to a simulated instrument approach to any runway that is in the GPS data. Really neat.
Too many builders just fly off the 40 hours and never really know their specific airplanes. They can get away with this because most have built airplanes that have been around for a long time and they just use the data that others have come up with, but they really don't know the actual data points for their airplanes. What is the real Vx, Vy, best glide (flaps and no flaps) for your airplane. What is your best fuel burn at different altitudes for different airspeeds or rpm?. What EGTs should you be seeing at various power settings? What is the best prop for your airplane? I could go on and on with examples, but hope everyone gets the point. It really does take about 40 hours to complete all the needed test profiles for your airplane. Without knowing these things how do you come up with a useful aircraft flight manual (pilot's operating handbook) for your airplane - as required by regulations?
The FAA regulations on this (FAR 21 and 91) as well as FAA Advisory Circular 90-89A are pretty specific as to what you should be doing. They call the 40 hours (or 25) phase one testing. The EAA also has some good information on flight testing that is available through the EAA Flight Advisor Program. I encourage all of you to go to these sources and check with your friendly EAA flight advisor before you start your flight testing. Accidents on first flights have greatly decreased since the EAA Flight Advisor program has been in effect.
For my own use, I have divided the FAA 40 hours (phase one testing) into a 5 phase program that I have used successfully on several different aircraft. The five phases that I have broken the 40 hours down to are:
-phase 1 - Initial flight plus two others
-phase 2 - Build data on aircraft and engine performance
-phase 3 - Determine all V speeds
-phase 4 - Structural and Stability tests
-phase 5 - Max gross weight and CG test
I have specific profile objectives for each phase and specific flight profiles for the first flights and then later flight profiles are developed based on data gathered to that point.
It really does take close to 40 hours if you do all that should be done. You really need a plan for each flight in order to be efficient with the time that you have. You also need a good way to record flight data that you will use to develop such things as performance graphs. I use a digital recorder with a lapel mic that I put into one of my ear phone cups. With a voice operated intercom I just say the data that I want recorded and the mic picks up me talking and saves it for future playback on the recorder. Also, many of the new EFIS set ups have a way to record flight data for later download which is also useful.
Bottom line, have a specific plan for each flight, follow that plan, record your data after the flight, and then plan the next flight based on what you learn on the previous flight and what you need to accomplish on the next flight.
Blue Skies,
Buz
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It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.
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