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Not quite 30 seconds over Livermore

DrillBit

DrillBit

Well Known Member
Well, this happened:

FP14072019A0002Z.jpg


More has happened since...film at 11.
 
Would be helpful if a little bigger image.

I trust that "wheels up" means wheels off the ground? So this was your first test hop? congrats!
 
First Flight

So I guess you are saying first flight? whether intentional or not congrats if it was.
Sounds like this was more successful than O&W; didn't they break a canard?
 
scsmith said:
Would be helpful if a little bigger image.

I trust that "wheels up" means wheels off the ground? So this was your first test hop? congrats!
Click to expand...

Yes, "wheels up" was lift off. The AP (additional pilot) was flying and he apparently thought it would take a bit more that 65 kias to lift off.

He was also starting to wonder if it would ever touch down. He said afterwards he was about to flip off the EMags in case there was too much idle thrust.

"The Force (of Ground Effect) is strong in this one."
 
PilotjohnS said:
So I guess you are saying first flight? whether intentional or not congrats if it was.
Sounds like this was more successful than O&W; didn't they break a canard?
Click to expand...

It was intentional. Barry (EAA Chapter 663 Flight Advisor and my additional pilot) prefers crow hops before going up to altitude. The recent EAA flight test book discourages crow hops unless the pilot has a bunch of experience--which Barry has or he wouldn't qualify for AP.

I don't recall who won the coin toss, O or W, but the Flyer made several hops on the first day. If memory serves, 748PK was in the air about twice as long and twice the distance vs. the Flyer's flight numero uno. Baby steps....
 
sailvi767 said:
So what happened?
Click to expand...

The inboard elevator counterweights where a shade too thick. Clearance to the horizontal stab was deemed too close for comfort. Had to cut into the fiberglass tips to get to nuts on the outboard side. I squeezed the inboard weights in a shop press to make them thinner, and reassembled with a nutplate gizmo so the counterweight bolts could be snugged up in future without more fiberglass surgery. And I added a couple extra nutplates for mounting washers to rebalance after painting. Details, if anyone is interested, are here.

Then, this happened.
 
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