RE: KMP Hurricane 72
Flight test program. On first flight was able to taxi on our rough field. Takeoff ok. Not over powered. Had made about three circuits while triming. Several clicks down and 2 right. Did some loops and rolls. Then the engine seemed to be loosing power. Was over the approach end of runway planning on coming overhead and into down wind for landing when engine quit. Droppe the nose to keep speed up, lift gear up as I was afraid I was going to over shoot the runway and land in corn stubble which would have ripped gear out. Bellied in on far end of runway, just short of cornfield. Only damage was crunched air scoop on belly. Then engine would not run. Had spark but was not drawing fuel.
Took home, removed and cleaned out carb with high pressure carb cleaner. Didn't see anything wrong, but next day the engine ran.
Second Flight: Take off was good, tracked well, gradual climb out while accelerating, gear up. Flew several circuits. Tried loops and rolls. The put gear and flaps down. Was some down pitch, probably needs about 3% up elevator mix with gear down. Stall was not too bad. Flew surprisingly slow and with break, fell off on left wing, but didn't snap all the way over. Brought it around for landing. Was coming in a little hot, touched down on mains with slight bounce, about six inches, tried to three point, but couldn't hold nose up. Ran out of elevator. Came down on mains, not real hard, and the 3/16 rods bent and went onto nose.
The gear was not adiquate. Replace with 7/16" Robart Air up spring down robo strut ready retracts and 7/16 robart struts. Added 10% up elevators with EPA and 3% up elevator mix with gear down.
Third flight: Engine running good, takeoff good. Needed some up trim. (that should have been my first clue). Was just going to fly around and put time on engine with the 32 to one mix to get it broke in. Had made about three circuits when I saw a control surface come loose and trailing behind tail. Still had some control. Entered down wind, put gear down (first mistake) with gear down, aircraft pitched down and I didn't have enough elevator to bring nose up. Pulled gear back up and was able to get nose up some but am heading away from field. Turned base, but in doing so, nose dropped. Added power and helped get nose up. Control is poor. Can't get nose up any more and is headed down at about 5 degreed angle. Tried to keep wings level and pulled power to idle just before it hit the ground. Post crash investigation reveals CA hinges on the right elevator tore loose and elevator was held on by control horn and flapping in breeze behind plane.
Airplane is repairable. No major structural damage. Just beat up with a few tears and holes and control surfaces damaged. Engine and gear ok.
This should be a lesson to me. When you buy a used plane, cut and replace all the CA hinges with some real hinges, especially if you are installing a gas engine, because CA hinges get old and the extra vibration of a gas engine does not help. Even the cowling survived. Canope is damaged, but I have a spare. Scale exhaust stacks are destroyed, but ones for similar sized Spitefire would work. While I'm repairing, I'll re-inforce the front fusilage behind engine, replace all the CA hinges. After I get it flying I'll maybe repaint.