So to speak …

The last minute incision I had to make just before test flight day – to replace my dead battery – left me with the need to cut my rear access panel out at some point and put a full new nice neat taught section back in.

The ‘break point’ turned out to be just right and a simple cut to remove that section was easy .. Ensuring that the test of the complete side .. Reg all the way up to the nose remains intact and untouched.

Simple and quick section back in … Doubler strips going on and new leather circular pinked access patches on the rudder and steerable cable exit lines will complete the job

Now ready for nice long flight testing hopefully Sunday as forecasting F2 on runway 26 so that will be over the sea .. Cliff edge … Left hand circuit over Corbiere lighthouse down over St Brelades bay then left at Noirmont Point over St Aubins bay for a left hand base back

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If these go well then I plan to widen to proper ’round the island …..

Updates to follow .. Will try to learn how go pro operates and get wing tip and cockpit footage for uploads

Taxiing back after the first test hop … Pretty excited at this point as it had lifted a full 4′ off the ground and flown beautiful straight and amazingly steady … Brought back all my memories of the Stampe .. Very similar

Taxiing into the club and a pre planned de brief with Graham, Bob and Bob and Peter from Channel Island Aero Services .. It was hard to stop the trial hops but a sensible stop point to check all was still tight secure and looking good.

Guy at the club took these amazing shots … Yellow against that sky … Probably a full 10 seconds after take off

She flies just straight off the plan ! and out of the workshop

That smile that means .. She flies !!

How do you hug a ‘plane ! just climbed out and elated

… Very elated !

I had been experiencing some issues with an RPM reading on my infinity multi gauge unit and although the airspeed and EGT, CHT, Oil Temp and Pressure were all reading fine the RPM was defiantly playing up and not reading.

I had given up on the photo cell unit in the early days as I just couldn’t get it to work but on checking with another fellow builder (Danny Baker – who has been a great help) he advised he had spliced into the regulator-alternator circuit and set for 5 pulses per revolution.

Still couldn’t get a result so needed more investigation

Yesterday I finally found something .. I had chosen in my wiring to not use totally white cables to aid any problem resolution and identification later. I had also put a number of ‘spare’ cables into the 3 harnesses I had built in.

I had one spare BLUE cable – I thought … And had terminated this with a handshake connector and sheathed it. On re- checking, I had put two blue cables in and connected one to the Yellow of the regulator passed this through the bulkhead and to the rear of the panel. It was this one I had accidentally terminated and secured (without connecting!)

Both the RED and the YELLOW from the regulator need to connect to the positive bus.

Connected up and bingo ! I have a nice solid reading on the top of the Infinity gauge and also now have a big positive charge going into the battery ..

Learning all the time !!

Tuesday 6th September … LAA certificate arrived and we had a Force 2-3 from around South to Southwest giving me a tricky little crosswind as well as the ‘wrong’ runway at Jersey ? Had hoped for 26 as it has a steep cliff at the end and so provides a nice run off in case of engine problems just after take off .. But wind favoured 08 which has a road, trees, petrol station !

The SATCO approved a quiet test slot of 1600-1700 local as we had only 2 planned Airbus 320’s due in .. Easyjet and BA from Gatwick …

CIAS were all on hand to provide their usual great guidance

The airport Fire and Rescue laid on the FULL compliment ! 3 massive tenders and 3 landrovers !

the scene was set !!

First hop was ok .. Lined up nicely .. Tail up almost immediately .. Aileron into wind and only a slight bit of drift … Aim was to get to around 4′ high, fly level and then power down and land .. Ideally BEFORE the end of the runway ! Second hop got a little higher by mistake but flare was nice and straight and down

I then hit a snag as I had been trailing the brakes through extensive taxiing and braking on landing .. Eventually the right brake said I’ve had enough and just way too HOT .. So stopped working !

called the tower and advised I was having small problem and parked on a Blus Island vacant stand – stand 6 ! Fire crew came up to assist and brake cooled after a few minutes .. Crew pushed on the leading edge as I braked and checked it as indeed stopping

off we went again for third hop ….

Big wing drop on this one .. Perhaps it was cross wind, perhaps it was me not applying sufficient power and easing off too early .. In any event the starboard wing was going down and heading into cartwheel territory ! pushed power and the wing lifted immediately .. Nice straight and level was restored

nice straight flare and power off to gentle touchdown ..  Those (in the know  ie pilots) at the club were hearts in the mouth moments !

I returned to the club and shut down for a chat with the engineers in CIAS .. Nice calm advice and settling … Then out for fourth hop

this was a very smooth affair … And nicely settled on the runway

So taxi back .. And await the A320 from BA to land and wait for wake turbulence to clear … Lined up .., Full throttle … And she just flew into the beautiful blue sky … Steady as a rock ….

One tight bad weather left hand circuit and time to sing at the top of my voice downwind !!! nice tight left base over the beach in st Ouen and roll out onto final

Touchdown 17:15 local

Having got very close to the final sign off there was a bit of a hold up as the Aero model demanded closer review. Paul H S has been in discussion with Francis Donaldson (Chief Engineer at the LAA) and they have been thrashing out the finer detail.

i had already placed the battery up front and wired accordingly so the plan to relocate some 3.5 m further back was quite a change .. The aim, the LAA advised was to remove the excess ballast weight of some 3kg

Another tray was ordered from TLAC and put together and a temporary fit put in the body

Have now decided to put a mains breaker in here as the battery will be difficult to separate when charging .. Ran new power cable to the front solenoid

Old post put in retrospectively

Spent a few hours pre fitting the top and bottom cowls a few weeks back to help me ensure that I got the side covering lined up correctly

The planned lines are coming together now 😃