Following lots of grotty weather over the recent months my test certificate provided by the LAA ran out so I needed an extension. Also, my slightly hot running engine meant I needed to review and run a final test of the climb and (as suggested by the LAA Deputy Chief Engineer Jon Viner) a stall test.
Duly got my new certificate signed by the local Engineer (Bob Wright from CIAS) and took off 15 minutes later ! – not like i’m keen or anything ….
Having added the wing roots the take off and climb out were amazingly different and found myself trying to stop her climbing so much .. throttling back gave me a good rate of climb and a much calmer engine !
Flew down to the South East training area of Jersey .. idyllic as the tide was out revealing lovely beaches and rcoks and shallow clear blue water. Slow turning climb and more power but still running a little warm so decided to end up having a fun 30 mins handling and then redid the stall test. Again – she just wants to keep flying .. 40 and she is till reluctant to go … finally full back and around 1,000 rpm and the nose bobbed down…
Back into a lovely sunset and slow landing. As the handling had changed significantly I suspected it was going to behave differently and I managed my worst landing to date in the 42 so far ! .. touching poss a little tail first … NOT the ideal … It was gentle and stayed put on the first arrival.
I then created and fitted a temporary gurney to see if I could coax more air to suck out of the lower cowl by providing a pressure drop in front of the lower exit hole. Quick circuit test proved it didn’t work ! running much hotter BUT it did prove I was in the right area 🙂
Plan now is to increase through flow through the top cowl by checking air dams in the top cowls (forcing more air over the rear cylinders) and also block the front area around the new oil cooler to prevent ‘Leakage’ through the lower cowl and hence devaluing the high pressure in the upper cowl ..
Wow .. the stuff you have to learn ! Whish I had my own wind tunnel !
Jersey Sherwood Ranger 
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