Temps have dipped here in Mankato, so taking a little break in flying, and gyro has come back to the workshop for a couple of tweaks, fit some fuel valves on the equalising line connecting the two tanks, take out the differences in the EFIS and Kanardia alt readings, and try to adjust the effectiveness of the rotor brake.
Over the last few flights been discovering that on this open frame with the bigger engine that wind blast is something that will have to be dealt with. In my earlier motorcycle days, never had windscreens, so never experienced the relief they could afford. On the two stroke open frame single seaters without a pod, the, generally, limited endurance meant that one was heading for a landing within an hour, also, one rarely tore around at max speed for the whole duration of the flight. Motorbikes have obviously been dealing with this for a long while so turning to them for ideas.
The VX-2 now with the greater endurance/range is venturing into the territory of a tourer/cross-country machine. Wind blast, and buffet is going to be more of an issue here, and I have already noticed that when flying in formation with Denis, if he ever got ahead and I sped up to catch up, which the machine will do easily, the increased wind pressure on body and particularly helmet and its effect on your neck, is very noticeable indeed. Up till now we have been generally proceeding at a fairly leisurely pace as I investigate her general handling but later one may want to have increased speed eg when bucking a headwind.
Denis and I had already already been looking into windscreens, he has made one, and is also experimenting with motorcycle screens on his Black. I have now been on Youtube investigating, and there is a lot out there on the various types of screens available and their effectiveness.
It is obviously a huge area of variables to be investigated, and without wind tunnel or computer programs, which I am sure are out there, it is going to be a bit of trial and error in finding one that will be suitable, safe, and will not be introducing undesirable flying characteristics.
One interesting item I have seen on is where quite small deflector plates lower down and in front of the knees helps with the wind flow that now came up past the thighs into the lower pressure area behind the screen in front of the pilot. These were fixed to crash bars, but it may be possible to have a small cross bar attached below the pod on the pod support structure to attach these to.