RCU Forums - View Single Post - Cloud Dancer...... Dances!!!

09-06-2002 | 01:31 PM

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SwampFlier-RCU

Joined: Jan 2002

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From: San José, Costa Rica

Cloud Dancer...... Dances!!!

Hello everybody
My Cloud Dancer flew for the 2nd time this Sunday (3 flight total).
It has an Irvine .53 in the front (hope the pictures show up)

It's a nice plane, but fast and slim, so it goes away quickly and you can loose orientation, gotta concentrate.

First Flight: Put on a buddy cord, I took the controls and started the roll about 3/4 of throttle and 30 or 40' it just leaped into the air, I gained altitude and rolled for pattern, then my buddy took over for trims, just a couple of clicks right aileron and a couple elevator and it's trimmed, I regain control, made a couple of passes and aproach to land, made a go around and then made my approach a little tentative, but sink rate is good and nice attitude, with little airspeed didn't show tendencies to stall and landed nice & Slow

Second Flight: Put on the sowling and canopy for next sunday (our annual fly-in) I took it out for a spin before the crowd came, on take-off gunned the IRvine too fast and the torque carried the lane left, but it was Ok (no buddy cord this time) mad a couple of rounds, the difference in handling with the cowling and canopy is noticeable my friend landed it w/ou much trouble. Noticed the pressure line is nicked by the cowling, fixed w/a tie in

Third Flight: Later that afternoon, it was gusty an I decided to take the CD for another spin, and almost lost it... maybe it was a combination of factors.. I was a bit tired for helping in the fly-in, gusty winds, sun on the horizon and my buddy made a bit more nervous by mentioning the people around :
Anyway, take off was ugly, torque really carried the plane left, I gunned the Irvine (thank-god it rips) and pulled away from the flying points in a hurry I wa reall y nervous but in control, ailerons were very responsive after three nervous circuits I felt like jelly so my buddy took over (but he was nervous too) and was loosing it in the sun, a fellow from other club was nearby and approached us asking if there was troubled, well he took over mad a couple of trim adjustments and after two circuits landed it nicely!!!!
His Comment: "you guys had jitterry fingers!!!

Anyway I will reduce a bit aileron travel and put some markings at the bottom of the wings to see it better, I like this plane!!
(Hate the plastic cowling)
Regards,
Patrick

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