Good Evening Avi8tors,
Still one more CAA hurdle to pass, they need to give me permission to do the proving flights, since it is first of type in RSA apparently only they can allow me with permission to do it. I only have a lowly class 2 test pilot rating which means I can only test fly anything I have a rating on, so hence special permission required to test fly this first of type. I could ask a class 1 test pilot to fly her, but where is the fun in that...hopefully soon!
News: Taxi Testing #2:
Luv it, luv it, LUV-it!!!!!!
- If you remember I had to tightened up the suspension bungi's of taxi test #1. MUCH much better, very little wing waggle going down the runway.
- Wheelers, man this thing does them brilliantly, you can pick up the tail just below 25MPH, and have enough elevator authority to play wheeling the whole runway length. When you go a bit slow and the tail want to settle down then punch the throttle and it lifts right back up. Makes one look like a Proffesional, meanwhile I am just a weekend amateur warrior
- Now that I have had more taxi time I can confirm there is plenty of rudder authorty in the wheeler configuration.
- I can see and feel this airplane just want to fly.
- With what I can see and feel, the best take-off method is most probably going to be to let her fly her self of the runway in wheeler configuration, there will be no need to pull or force her...we will see!
- The Engine parameters are tracking really nice. Both the EGTs and CHTs are tracking each other within a few degrees. Oil temps come up nicely but not overheat during taxi tests which means i think my oil cooler and installed position is working pretty good so far. So I am happy with the engine to progress to flight.
- I am just waiting on one more CAA piece of paper then it will be crow hops down the runway
Adjustments and Learnings
- I adjusted the prop pitch, but I see I will need to go even coarser, she still manages to reach redline Max RPM during Full Throttle Taxi testing. I want it 300-400 below, before attempting first flight.
- I did a manual mechanical carb sync after overhauling them, but I see I most probably will need to do a vacuum balance while the engine is running, since the Idle RPM is not as smooth as I want it. Never done a vacuum carb sync before, I have the tool, so it is something new to learn, cool!
- I need to learn how to hot start this 'Little Fokker', currently I look a bit embarresing getting it started when it's hot
The Carbs sit on top of the hot engine soaking up engine heat when standing. To make matter worse, the carbs sit at an angle with the tail down, so the carb floats are not perfectly level either. All this makes for some interesting Hot Starts 
but we will learn...I just luv it...All good so far, just more to learn and experience, part of the great homebuilding journey.
Hold thumbs that little piece of outstanding CAA paper arrives before the weekend, then I might just get a first flight in over the weekend
Groete
Rudi
