REFLECTOR: First flight

Sun Jun 10 11:21:35 CDT 2012

MessageGood Job Chris
Chris you can tap off from your fresh  air inlet from the right side of nose with a hose and put it down  the left floor duct where the oil line goes and make an overboard exit in the duct  in the back.  Where the hose goes into the duct just smash the end down and shove it in. You will have more cooling and keep the floor cooler.
Barry

From: Al Gietzen 
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 6:28 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list' 
Subject: REFLECTOR: First flight

Way to go Chris!!  That is a life-changing milestone.  Congratulations!

Reminiscent of 1st flight with my plane - oil temp hit 225 and ended the flight with one turn around the patch. As you said; not critical, but you  don't want to run a rotary very long above that temp.  For me it took some work on the scoop; and eventually a second oil cooler to keep things in the comfort zone on a hot day.  You might consider an auxiliary oil/coolant heat exchanger.

Now that you are a "real" pilot, get out there at 0700 when air temp is below 80 and maybe you can fly long enough to enjoy it.

Al

  -----Original Message-----
  From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Chris Barber
  Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 9:50 AM
  To: REFLECTOR
  Subject: REFLECTOR: First flight

  Cleared to take active and hold. Taxied out. Lined up castering nose wheel down center stripe. Cleared to take off. Added power and engine smoothly ran up. Airspeed coming in. 30 kts...50 kts ....60 kts, approximate rotation speed. Lots of runway (9000 ft).....hold it....70 kts....72 kts... Slight pull on the yoke....AIRBORNE!!! Leaped into ground effect. Screw this, pulled back on yoke and I am climbing. Jiggled the yoke a bit to verify control authority. 

  Climbed to about 400 feet and turned right pattern to crosswind. The Dynon altitude and airspeed seem to be working. That's reassuring. Pattern altitude is only 600 feet and I was there already as I turned to downwind. Leveled off and noticed the clouds were lower than reported and appeared on the ground. Also, noticed coolant temps had dropped to 190....but oil temps were flashing at me and had reached 225 (synthetic Royal Purple). Damn. Ok. Fly the airplane, the oil is not at not a critical level. , but let's just finish the pattern and land. I grabbed my phone while on downwind and attempted to record some data but while I can hear the engine the video is  awful....uh, in my defense, I was a bit distracted and way more concerned with flying. I called the tower and informed them I was coming in. I think they were looking out for me since as I turned to base I noticed the fire department staged just off the runways threshold

  I noted I was a bit far out on down wind so I stared easing over to turn base. Wow. I really overshot it as I blew by the runway and had to use full right rudder to get back to the runway. I wish I had had more rudder. In hindsight I think I was not using much aileron as I was cognoscente that I had no idea of stall characteristics so I did not yet wish too strep a turn. I was able to get over the runway and dump some altitude as I got over the numbers and pulled power. Crap, I am fast. I am lined up and right on the numbers but at 95 kts. I come and touchdown and bounced. Pulled power to idles and settled down easily but fast at 90 and rolled out and exited at Delta. The tower was clearing me back to the city hangars as I was exiting the active. I taxi back and noticed the oil temps had decreased but I don't recall how much, just noticed they were lower.

  I got back to my hangar and popped the door and shut her down. The engine went silent without any hissing or gushing. 

  I called my mom. 

  I am mowing informing the world. 

  I did a walk around and did not see anything missing. I am about to pull the cowl and check things out. 

  I did notice I did not develop a slight hand shaking untill after I landed and exited the aircraft. ;-) Hey, how about that, it really is an aircraft now. Ten years to the day following delivery. 

  Thank you for your support. 

  Christopher Barber, JD
  Houston, Ellington Field (EFD)
  Velocity N17010
  Turbo Rotary 13b
  RWS Re-drive and engine computers
  Dynon Skyview
  Mistral intake

  Sent from my iPhone 4

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