n801bh(at)netzero.com
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 Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:04 am Post subject: Once, a bad spring; now: this year's spring brings fl ight! |
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Right on Jon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the Phoniex has risen.....
do not archive
Ben Haas
N801BH
www.haaspowerair.com
-- "Jon Croke" <jon(at)joncroke.com> wrote:
It finally flew!
N701US, in its second incarnation (a weak, unauthorized Rotax Carb spring brought down the original 701 of this N number) made its maiden voyage after about 2.5 years of building. This was a mostly scratch built 701, built on an economy budget (the first plane and engine were a total financial loss).
I have a 1000' grass runway on my propery... with trees at both ends.... so I had but one chance to apply full power and hope that this metal contraption would leave the earth, climb over the trees and actually FLY... such faith we put in ourselves, the designer, and the hope that we attached all the components properly (right side up).... that our workbenches were flat enough... that rivet edge distances were more or less adhered to.....
I have 2 hours of flight and many touch and goes to attest that a rather average builder - with a simple workbench that was never leveled to the perfection explained by many of our readers here... can in fact build a plane that flies the first time... straight and level.... and can be landed easily with no special training... and it IS a BLAST to fly! I swear this plane leaps off the ground at about 25mph indicated... even tho that is not accurate, it still is relatively close enough to say that this is STOL!
Due to my economic restrictions, I also learned that there are a few things that do NOT affect the ability to have a safe, fun plane.... No PAINT... it still flies great without paint! I notice no difference in its performance or handling without paint...saved a bundle in $$ (just didnt have it to spend) AND saved me a lot of time! No DOORS.... open cockpit... GREAT view... a little windy... but it will be summer.... I will build some doors but they are not needed to fly! No fancy gauges... just the basics...for the type of flying I do they are just fine!
My first 701 was a kit (the one that died in the trees...) The second was mostly scratch (a few components purchased to save time)... My observations on kit vs scratch: ... because I have just shade tree mechanical skills, many of my own fabricated parts were not of the precision of those that come with the kit... hard to to get the size tolerances just right when you do it yourself the first time.... so it is not a 'show' plane... but it is mechanically safe (I hope!) and it flies just fine even with all of the little innacuracies and edge ripples, etc, etc... and it took a LOT longer to build when you have to make the parts..... and BTW... I used .020 for all the skins instead of .016 and it ended up weighing about 30lbs more...(but I lost 15 lbs over the last year)...
Truly could not have accomplished this feet w/o the aid of this Zenith-List.... (thank you!)
Now if I can keep this thing in the sky and out of the trees..
Jon
the aluminum butcher of Brussels (Brussels, Wisconsin)
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