Rob - that is a cracking photo' (taken by Reg Lowe, Rolls Royce Hucknall Club member). Doing six test flights on a bitterly cold midwinter's day took some doing. The model had been in the trailer all night so the air system for U/C & brake operation needed many cycles to loosen-up and for the 'O' rings to seal, but it eventually got there. The model also had a thin layer of ice on it!

Getting through the flights before the light faded was another factor and it was basically a question of flying, landing, sorting out any problems, fuelling-up and off again. For an aircraft that requires total concentration this is indeed an onerous and very tiring task, but we got there.

The aircraft needed quite a bit of down-trim as about 3lbs has been added in the repairs which I've partially compensated for with a 2lb bag of lead shot in the nose. However, it is certainly more sensitive on ailerons&AFT indicating that the CoG is a little further back- not alarmingly so though. Take off weight is now 175lb (22lb of which is fuel). Around 9 gall. of fuel was used in the session.

Cheers & Season's Greetings,
Keith