Tweet
First flight of Carlo's airplane... test pilot was our local hot stick (high time F-16 test pilot; race plane guy). Airworthiness inspection yesterday, and no real issues there. The usual high power run-up and then off the ground about 3 minutes after target time. Build ran September 2023 (plans in hand) to 31 May 2026. Mods included:
- Wet wing
- Overhead flap actuation (elimination of cables, etc.)
- Electric servo-in-horizontal-stab elevator trim
- Ventral fin added to counter yaw hunting seen on another Patrol
- Two piece clamshell cowl with plenum
- Heavily modified seat design
Test pilot reported well behaved airplane with light roll forces, in-the-groove yaw performance, and solid pitch authority through stall series. Comfortably moderate flap deployment and retraction forces and both clean and flap stalls were drama-free with no tendency to depart or other adverse behavior. CHT were higher than desired, but that reflects the baffle system and cowl sealing still being refined. And that was about it. Strut fairings and a bunch of other minor stuff (including final cowl paint and some work elsewhere to level/buff) to go, but it looks like Carlo can make Oshkosh this year.
IMG_2756.jpg IMG_2759.jpg IMG_2763.jpg IMG_2754.jpg IMG_2761.jpg IMG_2744.jpg IMG_2741.jpg
- Wet wing
- Overhead flap actuation (elimination of cables, etc.)
- Electric servo-in-horizontal-stab elevator trim
- Ventral fin added to counter yaw hunting seen on another Patrol
- Two piece clamshell cowl with plenum
- Heavily modified seat design
Test pilot reported well behaved airplane with light roll forces, in-the-groove yaw performance, and solid pitch authority through stall series. Comfortably moderate flap deployment and retraction forces and both clean and flap stalls were drama-free with no tendency to depart or other adverse behavior. CHT were higher than desired, but that reflects the baffle system and cowl sealing still being refined. And that was about it. Strut fairings and a bunch of other minor stuff (including final cowl paint and some work elsewhere to level/buff) to go, but it looks like Carlo can make Oshkosh this year.
IMG_2756.jpg IMG_2759.jpg IMG_2763.jpg IMG_2754.jpg IMG_2761.jpg IMG_2744.jpg IMG_2741.jpg
Comment