What will be your recommendations for how to properly execute a maiden flight? For example, I have seen pilots keep gear-up and focus on doing slow flight.
I need to do a maidens for ducted fan soon and a turbine plane a few weeks later.

Thanks for the ideas.

Edgar

I usually keep the gear down (just in case), get it trimmed out, do some stalls at a reasonable altitude (just to see how she reacts, dips a wing, whatever), fly around at half throttle, try a loop and a roll, and then shoot a landing. I try to have a spotter write down or remember anything I ask him to such as "plane corkscrews to the right in a loop" just to remind me after.

PS. don't forget to take note of the time and the fuel remaining after landing to get an idea of how long is too long.

Go over your controls one final time ,before taxi out . Right-Right ,left is left and up=up.This happened to me once and it won't happen again.Make your climb out nice and gentle and have you speed up before making you first turn.


Good Luck
Charlie

I did the maiden flight on my fan trainer today, and it went like this.
The previous weekend, taxi runs, engine checks, fuel sys. checks, retracts checks ( one wheel came off on one of the taxi runs , it could had happened on the first take off then I would have to deal with it )

Check your controls before you taxi and at the runway, right is right , up is up and so on.
Trim the Elevators to be a few clicks on the up position, the airplane will climb giving you time for other tings.
Nose gear steering to a minimum, It becomes very sensitive as it screams down the runway.
When your ready at the beginning of the runway think, if something doesn't look good at the first three seconds of the TO. ABORT, ABORT ABORT.
On my TO I noticed right away that I needed more elevator, so I gave it more elevator, retracted the gear and flew to the right away from the sensitive area ( the road ).
Next I continue the climb increasing the chances of making the runway and keep on climbing to a safe altitude before I touch anything or move anything.
Level off and back on the throttle 1/3, time to trim Elevator few clicks down, Ailerons two clicks to the left, trimming done.
Next, check the high rate and low rate on the Elevators and the Ailerons.
Time for some flying around, loops, rolls, split S.
For the throttle check, position your the airplane on a spot where it can be glided to the runway if the engine goes south, Try half throttle to full, low to half then full, idle for about 30 sec. go to full throttle, if every thing goes OK go fly for some more including slow flight preparing for the landing.
On the landing portion maintain altitude but manage your speed or your plane will fly by you and if it is going to, be ready before it gets there on final think GO AROUND, GO AROUND very early into the final app.
All that you did up there will assure you that the engine will not quit on you at the moment of going around and that you have learned to recognize the slow flight speed of your airplane.
The first flight is to make sure that the airplane is trimmed and that everything is in place for the second and third flight, after that you are out maiden mode.

Best whishes

CARS II