LARRYEBOYER
07-30-2005, 04:57 PM
OK. I am back from Mentone. I had a great time flying Lucky Lady. She performed flawlessly. I was concerned for Terry I. as he had 2 deadstick landing in two different Sparrowhawks. Just one and I would have peed my pants. Two and I would have done much worse in the undies.He seemed unaffected as he got right in and continued to fly the whole time.Then again, he may have needed a change of undies. I didn't ask.
I put about 5 hours in my machine and had a great time with the other RAF owners. The dominant aircraft flying was the RAF. Most had stabs or a stabalator. The next most popular flying machine was the Sparrowhawk. These two designs used up the $2.85 per gallon gas.We would fly to an airport about 10 miles away for breakfast every morning.We landed on a grass field across from the restaurant that had the biggest breakfast I ever saw for the $.Everyone was so helpful out there. Pat McNear was in the air constantly, but not to busy to help take rotors off and on. One fellow from Maryland(I apologise for forgetting your name) came to the rescure with his new crane system that hooked right into the hitch of his truck. Thank you for the help and please e-mail me your address.it was great to see Stan Foster. He flew in from Illionois, about 120 miles away from Mentone. I was most disapointed in a CFI that promised to give me a check ride to file my 8710 to get it in before August 31. I saw him Friday and he said he would be around Sat to go with me on a checkride. I never saw him on Saturaday and Andy and I were leaving by Sat noon. I hauled my gyro out to Mentone to participate but the main reason was to get the checkride in my own machine.To put it another way. It sucks!
On to the original topic. I have put 2 more hours in on the modified RAF. Here are the results of a few tests I have performed now that I have it trimmed. The power is breathtaking with the new fuel injected cammed up EJ-22. I am now doing full power takeoffs. I need a lot of right rudder and left stick to handle the torque. I have it trimmed for 70 mph and the climb rate is awsome. I pull it back to 60 mph and it is scarry. It climbs like a homesick angel. I did one full power climb and I pulled power to see the result. No pitchup and it settled into a 70 MPH glide.No stick input.Add power and it climbs at 70. Cut power and it descends at 70.Nice!In 5-10 with no gusts it is somewhat boring. It just goes where you tell it to with the stick and then forget it. No more stick inputs to stay the course. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
When Landing , it does not seem to flair as easily as the un modified RAF.Not sure why. Any thoughts on that? I have not made a 0 forward speed full stop.( I have tried) It wants to float through what would produce a 0 feet forward landing in the old RAF with the LM stab.It wants to land like an airplane and have a small ground roll is the best way I can explain it.It is truely a joy to fly. I would like someone with RAF gyro experience to test fly it and give me their opinion. Even though I don't want to be biased on my comments and I don't think I am, It would be good to have another RAF pilot opinion.If it is what I perceive it to be, this could be the poorman's fix for the RAF or another way of saying it,this could be the answer for someone who is a low time gyro pilot who wants to fly a potentially more stable 2 place enclosed machine, but feels the RAF might be a handfull for a low time pilot.Once another pilot flies this and verifys my results to be accurate, I will make availabe to the RAF community the list of materials and a detailed account of how to make the conversion in a weekend.I hope this project puts to rest the RAF issues and if it saves a low time pilots life, then My efforts will have been worth it.Udi, thanks for your comments.
I put about 5 hours in my machine and had a great time with the other RAF owners. The dominant aircraft flying was the RAF. Most had stabs or a stabalator. The next most popular flying machine was the Sparrowhawk. These two designs used up the $2.85 per gallon gas.We would fly to an airport about 10 miles away for breakfast every morning.We landed on a grass field across from the restaurant that had the biggest breakfast I ever saw for the $.Everyone was so helpful out there. Pat McNear was in the air constantly, but not to busy to help take rotors off and on. One fellow from Maryland(I apologise for forgetting your name) came to the rescure with his new crane system that hooked right into the hitch of his truck. Thank you for the help and please e-mail me your address.it was great to see Stan Foster. He flew in from Illionois, about 120 miles away from Mentone. I was most disapointed in a CFI that promised to give me a check ride to file my 8710 to get it in before August 31. I saw him Friday and he said he would be around Sat to go with me on a checkride. I never saw him on Saturaday and Andy and I were leaving by Sat noon. I hauled my gyro out to Mentone to participate but the main reason was to get the checkride in my own machine.To put it another way. It sucks!
On to the original topic. I have put 2 more hours in on the modified RAF. Here are the results of a few tests I have performed now that I have it trimmed. The power is breathtaking with the new fuel injected cammed up EJ-22. I am now doing full power takeoffs. I need a lot of right rudder and left stick to handle the torque. I have it trimmed for 70 mph and the climb rate is awsome. I pull it back to 60 mph and it is scarry. It climbs like a homesick angel. I did one full power climb and I pulled power to see the result. No pitchup and it settled into a 70 MPH glide.No stick input.Add power and it climbs at 70. Cut power and it descends at 70.Nice!In 5-10 with no gusts it is somewhat boring. It just goes where you tell it to with the stick and then forget it. No more stick inputs to stay the course. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
When Landing , it does not seem to flair as easily as the un modified RAF.Not sure why. Any thoughts on that? I have not made a 0 forward speed full stop.( I have tried) It wants to float through what would produce a 0 feet forward landing in the old RAF with the LM stab.It wants to land like an airplane and have a small ground roll is the best way I can explain it.It is truely a joy to fly. I would like someone with RAF gyro experience to test fly it and give me their opinion. Even though I don't want to be biased on my comments and I don't think I am, It would be good to have another RAF pilot opinion.If it is what I perceive it to be, this could be the poorman's fix for the RAF or another way of saying it,this could be the answer for someone who is a low time gyro pilot who wants to fly a potentially more stable 2 place enclosed machine, but feels the RAF might be a handfull for a low time pilot.Once another pilot flies this and verifys my results to be accurate, I will make availabe to the RAF community the list of materials and a detailed account of how to make the conversion in a weekend.I hope this project puts to rest the RAF issues and if it saves a low time pilots life, then My efforts will have been worth it.Udi, thanks for your comments.