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After 2 years 7 months N360RH made its first flight under the expert
hands of Mike DeHate on 28 March. Since then it has accumulated about 10
uneventful hours. Performance is the impressive nominal for an IO360
powered LNC2. The experience of the first flight and those since has been
very rewarding but almost overshadowing the first flight was what I learned
during the final days leading up to it. I'd like to pass along some of
that now.
Recommendation: Definitely use an experienced test pilot but go with
one who has had experience building the airplane and if possible find one
who is an A&P. I found several pilots who were definitely capable and
willing to test fly my airplane. Mike said he had no doubt that I could
have safely flown the plane, if nothing abnormal had taken place. Mike has
test flown about 50 Lancairs and has been doing that sort of thing for
Piper for the last couple of years. Perhaps more importantly, you also
want someone who has built them. In addition to the two place, Mike has
also built a IV and a number of less stimulating airplanes in the pre
composite ear of aviation. (This of course begs the question of why is he
now flying an old radial engine Cessna and all I can say is it must be some
age thing with him.) All of this made it so Mike brought the risks of the
first flight down considerably. When everything was examined and tweaked
he was ready for the first flight. On the following flights we slowly
expanded the envelop, verifying performance and building overall confidence
after each post flight examination. He was not in and out the same day. He was not a wing walker. He did not roll my investment on the first
flight during a high speed low pass. What I got was an education from
someone who worked with me to go through and fix a few things and improve
many others over several days leading up to the flight and for a day or so
after. I would strongly recommend that all builders find just that sort of
building and flying attention to detail person to get your planes safely
into the air. In the process, I learned a few builder/A&P tricks from Mike...several
of which I would like to pass along now. 1. Rudder pedal springs - you can cut and re bend the end of springs
purchased at your local hardware store. The key is getting springs with
the proper tension to hold the pedals up and not become a resistance
problem when pushing the other pedal or so wimpy that after a few pulls
they look like wet spagetti. The length should be a little shorter than
the distance at the neutral pedal position. So go for the right tension
and then cut them down to length, bending a loop at the end to attach to
whatever you have set up for it to attach to on the firewall. Also, don't
add a rudder trim tab, fixed or adjustable until into flight test. You may
not need it. If you have a slightly displaced ball you can to put a
slightly stronger spring on one side to pull the rudder over as needed. I
don't think I will need to do either but I will opt for the sping over the
trim tab.
2. Getting way up the tail end of your airplane. I had run out to get
something and came back to the hanger to see Mike waaaay back into the tail
section of my plane. His whole body was in the baggage compartment. I
normally crawl across the back seat, push both my arms forward through the
aft hole and rest my chest on the "hatshelf" while cutting off circulation
to my brain and arms. Here is how he did it. Sit facing the rear of the
aircraft on the center glove box. Carefully raise each leg, extend it
rearward and over the seat back. Put each foot on the bottom of the
fuselage behind the seat backs while pulling yourself over the seat back,
putting head in chest to clear the rear arch. (You may have to exhale and
contort yourself to do this (I'm 5'11" and Mike is a little lower.) It
gets really tight here but stick with it you might make it after all. Once
past this pass-out-from-lack-of-oxygen-phase you lean forward placing one
knee on each side of the tunnel as close as you can to the rear bulkhead. Once you are in it is definitely more comfortable than laying across the
seat back and onto the "hatshelf". On the otherhand, you may have several
days of a sore neck/back. Shorter builders will have less of a problem. 3. Less grunts from hinge pin removal/insertion: I used
hinges for the lower cowl attachments to the fuselage and for attaching the
foward deck to the fuselage sides. An easy way to grip the wire which does
not mark up the wire with plyer grip marks and is less stressful on the
hands and likely to bend the wire is to use the plyers but the opposite
side you would normally grip. Some plyers cut on that side so be careful. The needle nose plyers I have are perfect. Mine have flat surfaces which
make griping the wire and pushing it in without bending it a piece of cake.
Take your time, a couple of inches at a shove and they are in in no time
with a lot less effort.
I don't have the numbers on my CG range with me now but a pilot of
proper weight brings it .2 inch into the forward end of the revised CG
range. This will now be my excuse for not needing to go on a diet ever
again. The good news is that I don't think my wife owns anything with
sufficient density to move the CG aft of the rear most safe position. Thankfully the baggage compartment was not made any larger. (I have the
long mount.)
Final recommendation: Don't use the single strand control cable for
anything important. It will break or come off whatever it is attached to
at the end. I replaced those that I had with threaded ends, except the non
critical RAM air and the cabin heat valves. When rigging the RAM air valve
I knew I only had about an inch of pull to get a full 90 degree throw on
the valve. So when I pulled it at about 6500 feet and got a whopping 1.5
inches of additional manifold pressure I just knew deep down inside that I
could get MORE RAM pressure out of the bugger if I just pulled it a little
more. When I stopped pulling and held up about 24 inches of cable to take
a look at Mike said, "well, what are you going to do with it now." Saying
nothing I immediately shoved it back in the panel which of course drew the
comment about it not working again until we are on the ground and pleadings
to not do that with any of the other controls. It is at such moments that
Mike will utter a phrase I have heard no one else use but all probably
understand...."Oh Hockey Puck!"
In addition to a very tolerate family and Mike I would like to thank
Orin, Doug and Mark at Lancair for all their help and advice during the
buying and building process. I am one who thinks the manuals for the 320
left a great deal to the wrong imaginations but the one thing that made up
for it was the truly outstanding technical support. They were always there
and always helpful. Let us do hope however, that the Legacy sets a higher
standard for builder manuals/revisions. I should also thank Marv and all of you who have contributed to the
builder discussion Marv started. The building process was much more
productive because of it.
Richard Helms
N360RH
LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair
Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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