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I had my first flight Saturday 22Feb2025. It was 14F, winds about 10 kts. I took off about 8:30 AM, and was glad I had done two hours of instruction in Virgil's Patrol and recent C-140, J-5C flying and a Champ checkout.
The things we worry about on first flight are abnormal & Emergency issues. I had none of that. We worry about hot CHT's. Mine were fine. Will it fly straight? Mine was almost hands off. The prop RPM was set a bit high and hit 2750rpm, max Oil temperature was 165F. I took off, flew over the field at 700' above pattern altitude, then flew out west of the field. Engine Break in is my goal, so I flew for :40 minutes at 75% power to break in the cylinders. For break-in they say CHT 435F max, with a goal of less than 410F. Mine never went above 350F and was 330F before I started leaning. I suspect my airspeed reads about 10 kts slow, and it needs slight left rudder. Very slight Heavy left wing, but the magnetometer and pitot tube are on that side.
The Patrol with the IO-360 is a beast. I see no need for more power. It has outstanding control both on the ground and in the air.....really nice! I was surprised how little I trimmed. I set the trim neutral befor takeoff, and forgot to trim until about 10 minutes into the fight. We discovered my ASD-b is inop. A second flight yesterday resolved part of the squawk. I hope tomorrow we have a final fix....seems that its a "settings" issue.
The taildragger aspect....In my past I have time in a Tayorcraft, Cessna 140, L-19, and a few hours in a Cub and a Champ. I feel I have more control authority on the ground in The Patrol than any other taildragger I've flown. The tail wheel design combined with the chain set up that Bob and Eric Newton have us install & rig is a Star and deserves more credit.
My first goal is to complete the engine break-in, then deep dive into the EAA flight test program.
Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.20.07 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.17.08 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.21.25 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.21.49 PM.png
The things we worry about on first flight are abnormal & Emergency issues. I had none of that. We worry about hot CHT's. Mine were fine. Will it fly straight? Mine was almost hands off. The prop RPM was set a bit high and hit 2750rpm, max Oil temperature was 165F. I took off, flew over the field at 700' above pattern altitude, then flew out west of the field. Engine Break in is my goal, so I flew for :40 minutes at 75% power to break in the cylinders. For break-in they say CHT 435F max, with a goal of less than 410F. Mine never went above 350F and was 330F before I started leaning. I suspect my airspeed reads about 10 kts slow, and it needs slight left rudder. Very slight Heavy left wing, but the magnetometer and pitot tube are on that side.
The Patrol with the IO-360 is a beast. I see no need for more power. It has outstanding control both on the ground and in the air.....really nice! I was surprised how little I trimmed. I set the trim neutral befor takeoff, and forgot to trim until about 10 minutes into the fight. We discovered my ASD-b is inop. A second flight yesterday resolved part of the squawk. I hope tomorrow we have a final fix....seems that its a "settings" issue.
The taildragger aspect....In my past I have time in a Tayorcraft, Cessna 140, L-19, and a few hours in a Cub and a Champ. I feel I have more control authority on the ground in The Patrol than any other taildragger I've flown. The tail wheel design combined with the chain set up that Bob and Eric Newton have us install & rig is a Star and deserves more credit.
My first goal is to complete the engine break-in, then deep dive into the EAA flight test program.
Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.20.07 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.17.08 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.21.25 PM.png Screenshot 2025-02-24 at 7.21.49 PM.png
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