Jaybird

I finally had good weather and chance for a quick flight at noontime today. Light breeze running down the groomed snowmobile trail and sunny skies (almost too sunny with the white snow) and high 40's temps. With the skis on and a fresh pack (I had changed out the receiver last weekend to a four channel because I needed the six channel in another plane) I advanced the throttle and let it lift off. It took off staight into a nice steady climb with little correction. I was able to get altitude quickly and then made a few racetrack patterns to check trim. It needed some right trim, which was surprising as earlier it needed left, but it flew nice and level at just over half throttle. I tried a few stall turns and found that left turns were quicker than right ones. It is quite sensitive to aileron input (unfortunaetly I don't have differential now with a single aileron channel) but it will barrel roll now as it would not before. As I mentioned the sun was very bright and I had a hard time seeing the plane and keeping proper orientation on a couple of passes down field. I tested the stall characteristics and it will slow nicely and fly nose high, but once it breaks, if full up is held it will spin with no other input required. As soon as the back pressure is removed it will stop and can be pulled level. I was able to get it back down in the smooth groomed snow to take a breather. I took off again in just a few feet and and tried a few more maneuvers (loops, stall turns, barrel rolls) and then came back in again. It's funny how when I really try to put a plane in a certian spot I have a lot of trouble, but if I just relax and let it find it's way I have better success. As I mentioned, this plane will slow and float nose high with power, as long as you keep the wings level, and I was able to overfly the area of deep snow foot print craters (which would have been a disaster) and plop it onto the edge of the groomed trail. Whew!. Well, lunch time was over and I headed back with everything in one piece. Still not in love with this plane, but maybe in time and a few more adjustments.

Jaybird