First Flights ....

[N520TX]

This morning VAF had a link to the first flight numbers for Vans aircraft - 4582 ! That's fantastic ! I started reading all the stories there about how the first flight was 'perfect' ... a 'non-event'. Come to think of it, I've never read a first flight story that wasn't either identical or very close to that. Has anyone got a first flight story that is otherwise ? Or is it just the case that these Vans kits are just *that good* ! Of course, I'm not forgetting about all the builders assistance we have out there from just about everywhere which contribute to the success ....

[dan]

On my first flight my voltage regulator went T/U and my engine monitor display went black. Ball was slightly out, right wing was slightly heavy. Nothing life or death but it wasn't a "perfect" first flight.

[kevinh]

My oil temp sender went south (started claiming 240 degish). The plan had been to get used to the plane for about an hour with a chase RV4 following. Since I didn't _know_ the problem was the sender, I changed the plan and got the plane back on the ground ASAP.

Pulled oil sender, tested in boiling water and called vendor. Still a good day.

Kevin

[Jamie]

There's an interesting first flight write-up on this site about a guy who dead-sticked his -6 into a trailer park and walked away.

http://www.vansairforce.net/gregyoung.htm

[Ironflight]

I had a constant set wrong in my EIS, so I only showed 1800 RPM at full throttle, but it was obvious I had full power, and I flew it by ear. Other than that - no problems! But you absolutely HAVE to be ready for anything!

[Bob Axsom]

My first flight was as planed - takeoff, climb to pattern altitude while continuing around the pattern at Chino, CA one time, land, taxi to the hangar, shut down, pull the cowl and inspect. Major problems in subsequent flights - incorrect timing on new from Lycoming factory O-360-A1A (barely able to keep it in the air by very careful personal throttle manipulation to keep EGT off the peg and oil temp "on the gauge". Severely burned cowl required a lot of repair work to convert the charcoaled shell back to a fiberglass structure. Buying the LASAR timing box and reseting the timing myself fixed that problem. About 20 hours into the test phase I had an oil leak from the cooler. I replaced it and in the process only hand tightened one of the line fittings in an effort to prevent contaminating the oil line. In the post installation inspection I did not wrench check the fittings and did not catch the fact that this one was only hand tight. I taxiied out ran up the engine and tookoff. As I turned south toward the designated test area at 2,000 feet the prop ran away and oil pressure dropped to zero. I pulled everything back to get the RPM down and advised the tower that I had a problem and would have to return to the airport. As I flew directly to the runway the engine was in the death throws when I was near enough that I knew I would make it. When I landed the prop stopped turning on the rollout. I coasted onto a turn off but had to get out and pull it across the hold bars. Complete engine overhaul, new crank, rods and bearings, prop teardown and inspection - over $8,000 for the work done by the engine and prop shops.

Van's never printed my letters so I think you can appreciate that the airplane design is outstanding but the test period is a very serious time anyway and it is not in Van's Aircraft company's interest to scare of customers. Stuff happens - be careful. In the 200 hours since the first flight the only problems have been with the alternator and brakes. It is a great airplane.

Bob Axsom

[deene]

Problems do occur on first flights...but the frequency and severity of the problems have fallen dramatically over the last few years. I believe this is due to several factors.

One of the largest is the EAA Flight Advisor program. Another is the transistion of the homebuilt industry from a scrounge it situation to the present trend of highly kitted proven designs and interest by most builders to use the best available materials, engines, and accessories.

Since most are familar with the FA program, I won't go over it in detail (you can find more info about the program at the EAA heardquarters site).

In my personal experience as a FA since the inception of the program, I have yet to have a briefed first test flight have a major problem...and most of the few problems are small sensor or instrument problems. And this is one of the items handled by the FA briefing and flight test program.

Before the FA program, I had been involved with a number of first flights starting with my own BD-4 in 1979. First flight was faultless, third flight was very similar to Bob Axsom's as posted earlier (broken prop governor line, overspeed and loss of all oil leading to re-overhauling the engine).

Two of the most memorable bad first flights before the FA program include a Verieze which resulted in a fatality and a RV6A in which the outstanding design of Van's saved the pilot's bacon. In both these cases, standard FA briefing items would have prevented the incidents.

So...the FA program is very important with good results, be sure to use it for your first flights and flight test period.

Deene Ogden
EAA Flight Advisor, EAA Tech Counselor
CFII, CFIG, MEI

[DeltaRomeo]

During rotation on Flash's first flight, Jay Pratt (the test pilot) discovered he had a non-working airspeed indicator. My decision to ask Jay to do the flight was justified in that moment - he continued with the flight for thirty minutes and made an uneventful landing. He had several hundred hours in a nearly identical RV-6 at the time and knew what to expect (I didn't).

Swapped out the airspeed indicator.

b,
d

[Tony Partain]

On my first flight I rolled out with full power climbed to 2000 agl did an Immelman, two aileron rolls and one loop then called it a day.

I also have a bridge....

Actually my first flight lasted 45 minutes, full power, slightly heavy right wing, ball out ?, CHT?s about 25 degrees higher that I would have like to seen but have since dropped. Second flight I was more nervous than the first, only problem was excessive heart rate. Third flight a nut fell from under the panel, turned out to be a rudder pedal nut that didn?t get a cotter key. You would think after three people inspected the plane (a pro-builder, me and the DAR) that we should have caught that one. Nobody?s prefect I see. Since then my alternator regulator started fluctuating, ran it on the test bench replaced it, that?s it 90 hours and still smiling

[RV7Guy]

Like Doug I chose not to do my first flights. I wanted someone who knows what an RV is supposed to feel like and sound like. Glad I did because the engine monitor took a dump 10 minutes into the flight.

Robbie Attaway flies the same engine monitor and built the engine. He attempted to reboot the thing but no joy. Flew for a few more minutes then made an uneventful landing.

Problem was an internal fuse that was fixed. No further problems.

For what ever reason, I'll bet some just don't want to discuss any issues on first flights. Too bad, other might learn from their experience.