Hello Chuck

Checking to see how your Hellcat is coming.

Busted a torque link on my Robart retracts last weekend during taxi tests at our grass field. Could have been caused by one, two or a combination of the two things: A high speed taxi turn on rough ground; a loose torque link mount, which allowed the right main wheel rotate a bit around the strut axis.

Make sure your torque link mounts are tight, and watch the speed of your turns when on rough ground.

If you're finished, I would like to know what RPM you're getting out of your engine and your prop specs. Also, the aircraft's weight is of interest to me. My engine is getting 5000 rpm on a Top Flite 24x10 (a bit shy of the 6K target given in the manual for this prop), and my all up weight, minus fuel is 30 lbs, giving me a wing loading of 56 oz/sqfoot.

I've still not flown it - its heavier than spec and the engine is peforming under spec - not a good combination. Though during taxi tests with 20% flaps, it did seem to want to fly at half throttle, but even at half throttle it was moving a lot faster than I'm comfortable with - one has to land the plane too, not just take off and the stall speed is quite a bit higher than my other planse.

I'm actually considering the option of building new outer wing panels (a one pound/panel savings, possible), a new stab/elevator (4-8 oz savings, possible) - which together might allow me to pull 2 lbs of balance weight out of the nose. 4.5 lbs of savings is significant and I'd be much more comfortable flying this plane then, even with the under performing engine.

I think I can really get the savings by moving from foam core, glassed/painted panels to built-up (ribbed) panels minus the glass.

Dale