So Saturday I headed out to the airport around noon. I loaded the aircraft up for the forward CG (97.5") mid weight (1900 lb.) stall tests, and took off from FIT. The stall tests at 3500 ft. were nominal - the speeds were a bit higher than the mid and rear CG positions at that weight, and also a bit higher than the forward CG position at light weight. All good. Next, I climbed up throught the scattered clouds at 4500 ft., and decided to go up to 10.5K ft. I hadn't been that high before in a small plane (that _I_ was piloting - I've been that high in the Rocky Mountains with Lee Devlin in his L.E.), and I wanted to check out the performance/cooling up there. Dang, that's a long way off the ground in a little plane, with the ground at 500 ft. MSL or so......
Anyway, I flew from FIT to IJD and out to PSF (western MA) at 10.5K ft., cruising at full throttle, 2700 RPM, at 155 IAS (194 TAS). I was wearing shorts, and I got cold -). At PSF, I turned back east, went down to 7500 ft., and headed towards EEN (southern NH). Then back to FIT for an uneventful landing. As Carl Denk (and others) recommended, I carried a bit more speed on final (100 mph) and had no problem flaring even with the CG all the way forward. If I hadn't mentioned it, I had also put the stock pitch trim springs back on, and left the handle in the full "UP" position. Along with the "Strong" Pitch trim system, I had no problem trimming the plane at any speed, at any CG position.
The whole trip, the oil temperature never got above 225 degrees F, no matter what the altitude, speed, throttle setting, or attitude.
One by one, the dominoes fall, and another 1.7 hrs. in the book -).
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