What a great day for a test flight, warm at last dry sunny and breeze down the runway! We had the airfield to ourselves, one of the advantages of being retired. Having struggled over the winter to make a semi scratch built DH108 to 1/6 scale it is a nervous time going for the first flight. The plane is based on the Mick Reeves fusleage for the Venom (should really have been the Vampire but there are only small differences). Mick was helpful in laser cutting ribs and providing the Proskin epoxy sheet that I covered the wings in. The plane is 2 metre wingspan and is powered with a Super Bee. The plane weighs 17 lbs dry and the Bee is a good choice for it.

The first flight was made with the U/C down and used to trim it out. The second shown on the video was uneventful except for the hop on landing. We ran out of up elevator with the pitch change from the flaps. The third landing was better with a little more elevator movement. CG was spot on the calculated position and the throws apart from the elevator did not need changing.

Dave Wilde was the pilot as usual we pair up as a team.

I am delighted with it and we look forward to going to the Forthcoming meeting at Wroughton with it.

John


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