RE: West .50V1 bench run
I ran the engine as it was yesterday, switching from an 8 x 9.25 to an 8 x 8.75. Now it was smack on and howling - the exhaust note took on that sound like the pipe would balloon if too thin. The jump in rpm confirmed it's pleasure with the shaft load - 20,400 from a grand less. I'm going to leave the pipe length exactly where it is, and fly with 8.75/9/9.25 pitchs and compare. Back into a Demon again. I'm so tickled with the way it is running, and how the new cowl looks that I might drop it in my #2 Demon which I am finishing up now as well. That one is covered in 3.7 ounce Stits and sounds like a tympani drum top and bottom, and is straight too. I have no qualms about stirring the stick hard with this one just to see what happens, there's no way I could fail it in the air; at least not due to the airframe anyway..
MJD