I wanted an all metal airplane with an aircraft engine in it. I started on the project almost 8 years ago and put it on hold for 3 years while I got my masters degree, and quit working on it a couple of times because I was disgusted with myself for not making it perfect. It's pretty perfect though. I also needed to save money to buy more stuff. My Sonex is plans built and I should have saved my money and bought a kit. I would have been done years ago.
Saturday October 18th, I was ready!! The wind wasn't.
So at the crack of dawn Sunday I cranked up my plane and headed out to the runway…. I was not as nervous as I thought I'd be.
With the engine warm, I taxied into position on the runway and lowered the flaps to 10 degrees. I pushed the throttle forward and the plane wanted to turn left (It is supposed to, but I was not prepared for how much) I pushed right rudder, and more right rudder and then I was in the air.
It climbs like a rocket! Now I was a bit nervous. There are a lot of things that could go wrong the first time. Even though I have been over every nut, bolt, rivet, washer and cotter pin many times, I thought “What if I forgot something?”
I didn't.
When I got to the point of being able to turn around and land if the engine quit, I relaxed a bit. I turned out from the airport and climbed to 3000' and slowed the plane down. I needed to get the feel of it in slow flight to prepare for landing. I did some turns, accelerated, decelerated and did a stall (you slow the airplane to the point it won't fly anymore) it buffeted and ducked down just a bit. That was it! I could not ask for a better flying airplane.
I only stayed up about 20 minutes and the oil pressure and oil temperature were too high, so I throttled back and headed back down.
I gave it just a touch of throttle before touching down, and greased it on. Probably the best landing I ever made.
All the sweat, tears, cussing and blood are now worth it!
I have flown it nearly 4 hours now with few problems. I put an automotive oil pressure ga and oil temp ga in and taped them to the floor to check the engine monitor values. With my engine monitor, they were reading high, but the other gauges show the temp and pressure is what it should be. I'll get those bugs worked out, but I'm having a blast
9 comments:
I told you a couple of years ago to get that pile of metal out of the attic and finish it. Looks like you listened. Congradulations Bob, I know you have worked your ass off on it. It looks PERFECT.
Mate, that is so fucking cool !!!
You must be very proud.
Takes a lot of guts to fly a home-made plane...
You have no idea how cool it is. I wasn't all that nervous until I got up a couple thousand feet and figured I was going to have to land it.
That is so cool, Bob, but it gives me butterflies in my stomach! And you're flying that to Austin - wow!
Hey Trav,
It'll be a while before I fly to Austin. I have a 40 hour flight test program I have to complete first, then I'm going to paint it and then maybe in the summer.
I want to see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from my plane.
According to my calculations you'll need to be at about 1,500,000 feet to do that, Buzz...
Major Tom to ground control.
I think you need to check your trigonometry mate. You can see way more than both oceans from the space station and it is only 1,320,000 feet up.
Regardless, I'm going to need a lot more power and a different propeller.
"To infinity and beyond!"
I can't believe you checked my figures, Pythagoras...
I had to. I used to teach math.
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