I promised a report on my Gee Bee's first flight. I built the plane as a winter project for my club and the scheduled day for flying our projects was Saturday, the 15th. I decided to test fly the plane the week before to get any bugs worked out.
The day was overcast with a slight breeze out of the north. It had been raining for a few days and the field was wet and the grass high.
I range checked the plane with the engine running and found no problems. I refueled the tank and decide to make the first flight.
The first takeoff attempt didn't go well. The tall grass caused the wheel pants to catch and the plane to veer off to the left and flip over. That killed the engine but no damage to the plane. I restarted the engine and decided to gun the engine and make a quick takeoff. With the Saito 72 for power, the plane jumped into the air. The climb out was very smooth and level. It needed only a few clicks of elevator and aileron trim to get it flying straight and level. I made a few passes around the field and found the plane to fly very well. I was very pleased up to that point. I decided to reduce throttle and get a feel for the slow flight characteristics of the plane. I had heard that landing was the most difficult part of flying this model.
Of all the things that could go wrong on it's first flight, the worst happened. I had no throttle control. I later found out that the screw that connects the throttle control rod to the servo had vibrated loose. The servo arm was moving but only sliding on the control rod. So here I am, no throttle control on a plane that I have never landed. I had to fly it until the fuel ran out and make a dead stick landing. I kept the plane close to the field, anxiously waiting for the engine to die. When the engine stopped, it was coming in out of the north. I was over the runway with the plane traveling fairly fast. The plane was sinking fast and came down in a patch of tall grass. The grass caught the wheel pants, which caused the plane to tumble. The wing detached from the fuse and the wheel pants were damaged. The repairs included, patching tears in the wing and fuse covering, re-gluing the wing bolt blocks and wing saddle, repairing the wheel pants bolt blocks under the wing, and repairing the wheel pants. I felt that the damage was minimal for the rough landing.
I made the repairs during the week to get it ready for the Winter Project Fly Off. I left the wheel pants off for the next flight.
The field was in the same condition as the week before, tall and wet grass. We got a lawnmower out to cut a runway, which made take offs easier. Learning from my first takeoff attempt, I got the plane into the air quickly. The flight was smooth and uneventful as before. The landing was better controlled. I brought the plane in low and slow. Unfortunately, the plane bounced and flipped over. There was no damage this time. I made a second flight later in the day and almost greased the landing, it bounced at the end of the landing and flipped. I think I’m getting the feel of it. Once the field drys up and the grass gets cut short, I should have a better chance of a good landing.
Overall, I’m happy with the plane. I enjoyed building it and it fly’s great. I’m looking forward to mastering the landings.
Mike