1UGLYPUG

Are you sure you don't want me to take one last look at everything before you close up the center section? Just to make sure?

sebo

Mmmmmmmmmmm.....let me think about that....ok, just one more time.

sebo

It's been a long time since I posted....Dennis found numerous things that I did that were not really acceptable as far a wiring and air plumbing were concerned.
He took a couple of months to correct them and we went to the field. The engine fired up easily and a few practice runs were made on the runway...
Not completely satisfied with the engines rpm (and the fact that a major rain storm was moving in) we packed up and decided to go to the field the next day.
All checked out well and Dennis pushed the balls to the wall. The take off roll was a long one....the engine just wasn't putting out what we wanted but up and away she flew.
Beautiful...flew rock solid once airborne. I was elated....the landing was uneventful smooth as a babies butt....That man can really fly.
Will put a different prop on this coming week and see if we can tweak a few more rpm out of it and check the thrust....the 22x12 put out 23 pounds of thrust.
Going to try a smaller prop (22 x 10) and see what we get.
Retracts were hanging up. found problem to be paint in mechanism. There is still a leak somewhere in the lines...still looking...small leak.

1UGLYPUG

Sebo is too kind. He left out all the gnashing of teeth and hair pulling (what little we have left) was involved in getting this beast ready to fly! We spent a lot of time carefully figuring out the best way to get all the problems ironed out. It did pay off though. There was some major modifications to the transport trailer also. This thing was bigger than we realized! I had to talk Ronbo into letting me add a few extra hatches for ease of accessing switches and in order to move the battery packs to get the CG just right, but it all worked out though. It really did fly very smooth and was really rock solid in the air. A little tweaking with the engine and prop to get a little more thrust and we should be ready for another flight next week. Ron built a really beautiful plane, and I was the lucky one who got to maiden it. We set up the glow igniter to be activated with a switch rather than with low RPM. It allows switching on the power to the glow plugs when ever you want. The big Cessna of Ron's had a cylinder quit, and we had to lower the throttle to get the igniter to relight the other cylinder. That was scary. This way makes it easy to relight the glow plugs at any RPM. The best part of the day was when that big beautiful bird settled back onto the runway and was still in pristine condition! Made my day!! Thanks for the privilege Ronbo...

sebo

I want to post photos but can't figure out how to do it.

zl1wn

Ihave the plans of the Lancair, so I will relook at it for my next build.
By the way approxiamtely how long was the takeoff, and what about the landing was it fast or maneagable for an old far like me?
Best wishes
Ross
New Zealand

zl1wn

OOPs sorry it looks like my message messed the first few sentences.
Congratulations on the maiden flight, you must be really proud, the paint job looks fantastic in the photos, I am just up to starting the painting on my Hostetler RV4 and it seems to take forever.
After all your problems congratulations again.
Ross

sebo

The take off roll was about 150 feet but Dennis was holding it down to be sure that there was enough speed to get it airborne. It was picture perfect. He did not yank it into the air but did a real life type takeoff.
The landing used the whole runway but the touchdown was about 50 feet from the beginning of the runway.
Like I said, he's a great pilot....wouldn't trust anyone but him to do my maidens.
Ron

TomCrump

Congrats on the successful maiden !. It's been a long road, but you persisted, and won, in the end.

Well done.

1UGLYPUG

Just to add a little on the take off and landings. We didn't realize we were not getting the same RPM's at the field as we did at home, (should have done another RPM check, which I am not used to doing before each flight, as I am now flying all electric planes, some over 100 inch wingspans, and don't have to worry about adjusting needle valves) so it was not getting all the thrust as it should have, so I made sure to get plenty of airspeed before the lift off. We did adjust the needle valve to make sure it had the best RPM, but did not use the RPM meter to see exactly what it was turning. Also, the elevator needed a lot of up trim. It really looked level on the ground, but after getting airborne, I had to dial in all the up trim I could get. After landing, we could see it was not level at neutral. Reset the sub trim, and now it is level with the horizontal stab. And on the landing, as it was the maiden flight, I always fly any fuel engine powered plane, like could quit at any time, so I keep plenty of speed and altitude so I can make it to the runway. I have seen too many people lose power or get too slow on approach and either rip the gear off landing short of the runway, or even stalling and doing a snap roll and destroying the plane, so I do land a little hot on the first landing with a new plane. It is better to roll off the end of the runway, than land short, as it won't be moving as fast on the roll out versus during the touch down. With the Fowler Flaps Ron installed, the plane did not need any down trim added to the elevators as the flaps deployed. I had added some down trim into the radio programming as the flaps deployed, and found I didn't need to. I was not able to use full flaps on landing as there would have been too much down elevator with no up trim left to compensate, so I only used half flaps. Full flaps should slow it down a lot more, It did take the whole runway coming in hot, about a 400 foot runway. Hope this helps some. .

zl1wn

Thanks for the explanation, very well detailed.
I wonder if the Lancair ES could be electrified, a weight penalty with batteries perhaps, but I agree no fiddling with gas motors could be a benefit.
Comments please
Ross

1UGLYPUG

If you built your plane without the retracts, you could afford the extra weight of the batteries for a reliable electric motor. The hobby king CA 80 equivalent to a 50 to 80 CC gas motor, should pull it. Keeping the build light will be key going electric. You should have seen the huge home built electric plane at the SEFF this year. It must have been a 15 foot wingspan at least. It was heavy too. But it was built like a WWI plane with a high lift wing and flew very slowly. But it was huge!

1UGLYPUG

Ronbo was having some trouble loading some pictures. I don't know if I can either, but I will try.

1UGLYPUG

One more..

sebo

I still can't post pictures.

sebo

I did it!!!

sebo

I believe my plane came in at 33 pounds.
I don't put the glass on heavy but the paint may be a little over done.
Normally I paint one light coat and when it is nearly dry I put on another light coat.
This time it was all done with one coat.
Probably no difference . I used 6/10 oz fiberglass cloth for the entire plane.
The retracts added a ton of weight. Used Dave Platts Mains and Robart nose retracts and their complete system otherwise.
One Platt retract caused problems and the Robart one stuck too.
I double reinforced the main spars at the intersection of the wing and center section to allow for my hard landings.
I haven't flown it yet, Just Dennis.




.

1UGLYPUG

We put the 22X10 prop back on and got approx 20 lbs of thrust. Then we did a 'real' weight check of the plane, and it comes in around 37.5 lbs !! No wonder it took such a long time to climb out after take off ! You really have to fly it like a real plane or it you can stall it real easily. We hope the smaller prop will give it a little more power. It was flying at almost full throttle the whole time. I would like to try to flush out a little more of the over spray paint on the nose retract so it doesn't stick so tightly in the up position. But, it is ready for another flight.

chasrb

Way to go SEBO!!! You completed the journey.

sailplanetow

Do you still have the plans ? I have acquired a similar size lancair with glass fuse and foam core wings / tail. With no documentation. Have yet to find out whom the manufacture is. Was thinking about purchasing a Hostetler plan set and scale a little one way or another pull this off. Thanks Scott

sebo

Scott, I do have the plans but they are all chopped up so that I could build different sections at the same time.
I like Hostetlers plans. They even tell you who you can contact to get various pieces (plastic stuff, retracts and the like).
I'm going to hang on to my plans in case I have to recreate any parts some day.
Wish I could help you. Thanks for the inquiry.
Ron

1UGLYPUG

Ron,, did you do a post on the second flight, and how well it went? I don't want to steal your ''thunder''........

sailplanetow

Thanks for taking the time to post your build and this reply of course Ron. Attached is a few pic of the kit I have. If you know anything about it. Any information would be appreciated. Scott

chasrb

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PohgqP7pphaqINCk2

So far you are the only other person who has had this kit. It is a JV Scale Aircraft kit. No longer made. I have what can be considered instructions, but only for the engine support and wing saddle.I have the Hosteller plans, also cut up, so no hope for you there.. Look at the build page I started for how I was starting . I may get back to it.... http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/kit-...-iv-build.html

sailplanetow

Thank you for the reply and information. I have reviewed the information you linked to. Any and all is Most appreciated. I have done lots of scratch builds to pull this off. But if the information exists, bonus for the remaining brain cells. Do you know what JV Scale was recommending for a power plant for this air frame ? I will continue to let my inquiries soak a while longer in hopes that more information will trickle in before pop'n on Hosteller plans. Sure be nice to dig in with proven control surface areas, wing tail incidence, dihedral, washout and gear placement. Thanks again. Scott