So Friday morning I played hooky again and headed out to the airport for the second climb test at mid weight (1900 lb.) and mid-CG (99.6" - 99.9"). I misspoke (to quote the inimitable Dan Quayle) regarding the previous testing - replace the 130 mph claim with 110 mph. Friday, I did the 80 mph, 90 mph, and 130 mph runs. I still don't like climbing at 80 and 90 mph - can't see a dang thing straight ahead, but 80 sure gives the best angle of climb - anywhere from 8 - 10 degrees.
The climb data, while not particularly accurate at low altitudes and with some unaccountable anomalies, seems to track reasonably closely to the data in the Operating Manual (that's a good thing). There also doesn't seem to be much difference in the climb performance at forward or rear CG's at a given weight loading - the weight difference has a much larger affect than CG position does. This self serving factoid allows me to blow off four of the last five climb tests (yay!). The next (and last) climb test I'll do is the 2155 lb. (Max. Gross for my plane) mid-CG version.
During the last descent, I performed the stall testing. As the weight goes up (from 1600 lb. to 1850 lb.), the stall speeds (at all bank angles) go up, and as the CG moves from back to front, the stall speeds (at all bank angles) go up. These data indicate that my aircraft is just as susceptible to the laws of physics and aerodynamics as all other planes. Another good thing.
While I will not be doing forward and aft CG climb testing at 1850 lbs. - 1900 lbs. and 2105 - 2155 lb., I WILL be doing stall testing at all bank angles at both of these weight ranges.
My first landing was abysmal. Another carrier landing, but the nosegear only bounced three times, and none higher than a foot, so I'm sure no-one who was watching died laughing, although they might have slipped a disc or two. I figured "wow, that was terrible - better try again", so around the pattern I went two more times. The second landing was still lousy, although not quite to the abysmal level, but by the third time, I think I had figured out how to land the thing at the higher weight, and was pretty smooth.
Oil temps are still high, but I've fabricated a scoop that will live just to the left (not right, as previously thought) of the gascolator, and will feed air directly to a plenum on the oil cooler. This should have two affects - drop the oil temp a lot, and raise the temps on cyl. one, which is the coolest cylinder.
There's no Protocol for this flight - see Flight Test Protocol 10.
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