Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #18803
From: Steve Brooks <prvt_pilot@yahoo.com>
Subject: Good flight
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 15:27:00 -0800 (PST)
To: <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
After having different problems, and working through
various issues over the last month or so, I finally
had a good flight today.

Up until today, I've stayed within gliding distance of
the runway, and most flights were 30 minutes or so
each.

Today after a short checkout flight, and landing to
verify everything, I finally ventured away from the
airport.  I made a 3 legged flight to 2 other airports
and then back to my departing airport.  Total of about
an hour flight at 120 kts.

I kept the speed to 120 kts., because of an issue with
my auto gear extension unit.  I've got the calibration
messed up, and I'm going to have to dig up the manual
on it to get it set right.  It was extending at too
slow of speed, but now it won't stay retracted, even
at 140 kts.  So, I flew the whole time with the nose
gear down, which adds a fair amount of drag.

I was running at about 55% power I would guess.  I was
running at 4400 RPM's at a MAP of about 20.  Rather
than a MAP guage, I have a boost guage for the turbo,
so I have to calculate my way into MAP.  The boost
guage was showing about a -10.

The rotary ran flawlessly, and is really quite
interesting to listen to, as you fly along.  On the
way back, I circled over a friends house (another
pilot). He heard the plane, and knew immediately what
it was.  He called and told me that he ran outside and
watched it as I circled the lake, and then came back
for another pass.  He said that it look like it was
going really fast, but it really was only doing the
120 kts.  I guess that the swept wing Cozy must look
fast, even when you're going slow.

At any rate, I was thrilled with the flight, and
should be able to add several hours on my next trip
down to SC to fly.  Living 4.5 hours away from the
plane has really put a crimp in the flying.

I've got about 13 hours now, and with any luck, I hope
to let Rusty's record of getting to the 40 hours,
stand.  I've still got a small oil leak, and need to
calibrate my fuel guage, but nothing bad enough to
keep me from flying.  I'm not sure what my fuel burn
was, but I would imagine that it wasn't too bad at the
low power level.  I have a digital fuel guage, and the
bar graph display went down one bar, but the gallons
still stay 12, which is what it stopped at, not having
been calibrated.  I think that it is fairly accurate
from 1 to 12, because it was reading correctly when I
filled it 5 gallons at a time.  For now, I fly with
plenty of fuel in the left tank, and at least 12
additional in the right (transfer) tank.

Steve Brooks
Cozy MKIV N75CZ
Turbo Rotary (stock turbo still alive)


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