My RV-7A

[allbee]

I now have 9hrs on phase one. I had a heating issue on no.1 cylender. I kept thinking it was not seating on the rings, but when I pushed the plane it would heat up, as soon as I let up on it, it cooled down. Off came the cowl and pulled the injector for no.1, blew it out and reinstalled. All fixed. I had some electrical issues with the radio, blew out the cuttings from cutting the panal for the 696. Now I'm into doing my touch and go training. I have found that with the constant prop, I can keep it flat and use way low throttle, keep it at 2700rpm on take off 1/4 throttle, 80kts. She shoots off the runway, I pull power back and settle on 2500rpm. Good on the engine, still fresh, I fly the whole pattern at 100kts in down wind. I keep my pattern nice and close and short. I get cleared for an option, pull back on the throttle to 80kts, I dump the flaps, electric with switch in the stick, ray allen and the left right is flaps, the right is up. I than nose it to the gound into the base and slip it down as well, I maintain 80kts. I get to the base to final about 1000ft out and let it drop to 70kts. Now this is the trick that I found works real swift, first off I found that with full flaps setting on the runway, makes it real hard to keep the nose off, it wants to come down right after landing, even with the stick back all the way.

Now listen up, this is way cool. You have full flaps on, 60kts level just off the runway about 3ft off, than hit the flaps up, on my stick, with right hand on the throttle just in case. As you hit the up on the flaps, the nose flairs up and the airplane settle nicely on the runway. WAY COOL, and the nose stays up until the speed bleeds off and the nose will settle down. WAY COOL. You use the flaps to do your flair. No more slam down on the nose.

I was doing touch and goes by doing this and than maintaining speed and keeping the nose off for about 2000ft. than hit the throttle, remember the flaps are already up, and depart the runway and do it again.

This plane is fun fun fun.

 

[Danny7]

Congratulations Steve!

got any pics?

 

[Jamie]

Steve:

Your approach numbers are very close to mine. I will typically do 70kts on final unless I am high and the wind is really calm. In that case I will reduce speed on final to 65. I have found that at 65 and lower the sink rate of the airplane increases considerably, allowing you to drop it in. This works well for doing short field landings over obstacles.

I touch down at about 50kts IAS since my dirty stall speed is 47kts. Trying to land with a full stall for me puts the airplane in too high an AOA for me to be comfortable. Upon touchdown, I keep the nose off the ground until about 28kts.

By the way, isn't it funny how we always aim for nice round numbers to do things? I'm sure that 70kts isn't the IDEAL approach speed...but hey...it sure is a nice round number!

 

[allbee]

I will do my best here. I don't have any latest pics after she flew yet, to busy flying. The first one is a pic of me and the DAR.

Now, after wards, I didn't go to DisneyLand. Instead, the next morning, I went fishing, one of many.

This is a pic that I took just before taking it to get weighed.

 

[allbee]

Steve:

Your approach numbers are very close to mine. I will typically do 70kts on final unless I am high and the wind is really calm. In that case I will reduce speed on final to 65. I have found that at 65 and lower the sink rate of the airplane increases considerably, allowing you to drop it in. This works well for doing short field landings over obstacles.

I touch down at about 50kts IAS since my dirty stall speed is 47kts. Trying to land with a full stall for me puts the airplane in too high an AOA for me to be comfortable. Upon touchdown, I keep the nose off the ground until about 28kts.

By the way, isn't it funny how we always aim for nice round numbers to do things? I'm sure that 70kts isn't the IDEAL approach speed...but hey...it sure is a nice round number!

I'm doing 70kts with a very short approach, kind of cool how that prop with full flaps and a slip on the down wind and base to final can be done in the RV. I turn base to final at about 1000ft out from the numbers. With the slow speed on touch I don't squeak the tires. When I use the flaps up for the flair, the nose can stay up with no effort, way fun. MY other plane is a tail wheel, this RV gives me a new fun. Of course I went right out in the tail plane and flew for a half hour after this flight just to feel complete.

 

[allbee]

I now have 15hrs on this plane, it flies great, I just need my wheel fairs now. Working on that. I've been through the slow flights and stalls. Last night I was doing some pattern work and on take off on the 4th touch, I got a reduction of power a few seconds later it got rough. Oh boy I thought. I continued to climb while switching tanks and checking to make sure the prop was full flat and full rich. Still having the problem and now at 600AGL I called the tower and stated that I was coming back for 03L I departed 21L. I was starting to bank right for the right traffic to stay within guidelines set out for not flying over a populated area. I decided that runing even a short pattern and short approach was out of the question and executed a left turn and widdened out a little and got clearance for 3L at the same time. I ended up adding full flaps and pushed forward stick with a slip, I had a long way to go to get down(high). I ended up touching down at mid field with an absolutely gorgeous landing, I now have a no power landing on my list done. No squeak on center, I pull off the end of the runway and tried a run up, poping, rough. I got to the hangar and removed the top cowl, everything looks good. I climb into my other plane and went for some play. Later that night I remove the spark plugs and find no. 4 a little grayer and cleaner. I remove the injector inserts one at a time, really not finding anything but I cleaned them anyway. I put things back together and now it runs great. This morning I remove the afp filter, fuel injection, very little fillings in the filter, no proseal. I now have a plan to remove the injectors all the way and clean them and also remove the steel tubes and clean those also. Time for the first oil change so that will be done as well.

This plane is fantastic, very predictable in all ways of flight control. I couldn't be happier.