aslsa.rng(at)gmail.com
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 Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:55 pm Post subject: A sure fire way to increase Mk IIIC performance |
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When I started to redesign and simplify the systems on my Mk IIIC it was because they were so clunky or non conforming to the plans they were just offensive. Things like an engine mount that had long studs going through square architectural tubing spacers with nothing to prevent the tubes from collapsing. Running ALL the electrical cables, fuel lines and throttle cables up the same frame post (the most aft one at that so everything went to the back of the pod then came forward again). Electrical grounds placed willy nilly about the plane. The full swivel tail wheel (my bad, I just had to have it at the time) just to name a few. None of them by themselves was a big deal, all of them taken together was a very big deal. How big. When I looked at the previous weight and balance and compared it to the new one, I went back to the hangar and reweighed the plane.
Old basic empty weight - 606 lb.
New basic empty weight - 546 lb.
Burt Rutan was right, if you take care of the ounces, the pounds take care of themselves.
Now, I'm sure that most of the performance increase I'm seeing is because of rebuilding the carbs and synching them to a gnat's whisker. When she revs up now, the 582 feels like an electric motor. But getting rid of dead weight sure didn't hurt, either.
I haven't repeated the climb tests to find Vx and Vy, for now I just know this. The published pattern altitude for 18KS is 900'. I didn't want to go around twice so I used 500'. Now I reach 900' and start to pull back the power when I finish the turn to downwind.
Rick Girard
do not archive
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