Message-Id: <5.0.0.25.2.20011214215248.00a5f988@127.0.0.1>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 21:55:07 -0500
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
From: Paul Kapcin <pkapcin@olsusa.com>
Subject: First Flight SUCCESSFUL
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Reposted for: JIMRHER@aol.com


              Lancair N6XE, sexy is an airplane,

 Early this December 13 th morning Dave Morss and I got to the Bend, OR.
hangar at 7:15 am and the weather didn't look like it would be good for flight.
The pavement was wet with light scattered rain but the wind was 15 to 20 kts 
and the ceiling looked like less then 2000 ft. So we put in the new (2nd) oil 
pressure gauge, to back up the electric gauging. Mike Custard took the 
pilots seat cushion out so Dave could where his helmet. Dave told me to get the
list of AD's on the engine, which is required paper work by the FAA.While I was 
surfing the web at TCM Link, which wouldn't take my customer number. So I was 
trying every computer thing I knew when Dave came and got me to say that I 
might want to come out there because he was going to fly my plane. I dropped 
what I was doing and ran to my cameras and only had time to get my video 
camera. I froze my hand off, outside in the wind at first, then the rest of 
me. The temperature was about 35* but the wind-chill was what was bad. I 
only got video and no stills so it's not Web friendly. Mike C got the car and 
I jumped in to follow N6XE out. We thought that he may not go since the wind 
was getting worse and the rain kept me in the car wiping off the lens. Dave did 
a full powered hi speed taxi and returned back to the end of
runway 16. He 
called out on the radio that he was going. He rotated at 65 kts and it flew 
off very shortly, of course the 30 kt wind helped right down the runway. All 
the engine gauges were reading perfect with almost too cold of cylinders at 
260* was the hottest. The two oil pressure gauges read within 5 lbs and 
in the green so he tried to put the landing gear up, it was locked. After 
several tries he left the gear down because it was so rough at 2500 ft.over 
the runway that he said that he wouldn't have gone any 
faster had it come 
up. The wires need to be reversed on the switch to be "off" in the air and 
"on" when on the ground. So the only thing that didn't get checked on this 
flight was the gear cycle in the air, which I will do later. It was then signed 
off and I was given the Phase l directions and the Phase ll briefing so I can 
do the rest. Remaining to done is to fly the 25 hours off in the Bend area and 
during that time I need to take the plane to Lancair in Redmond and do 
the calibration of the SFS fuel probes and the AHRS to within 1* of 
heading.
  But, the big But is the weather. I took Dave back to Redmond and hoped 
to get some more flight time logged in the factory plane so I can get my 
certificate, allowing me to fly my now flyable plane. The wind was 40 plus 
kts in Redmond  and the ceiling was lower and getting lower, so I gave it up 
for today. The next two days look even worse with a cold front coming in 
and Snow for 3 days forecast. I will wait and see. The good thing about the 
first flight is that it flew straight and doesn't
need any changes 
to the flying surfaces. NO heavy wing or trim that is out of center. Engine is 
perfect and no leaks. All the electrical things have not been tested but I 
will have fun learning if it's them or me that need fixing.
It's too cold for 
champagne but tomorrow everyone is invited to the hangar for champagne and 
everything. I'm very thrilled, and now about 10 hours later it is finally 
setting in.
Cheers to all, JIM Hergert

                                                    
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