Still too lazy to post flight logs, lol!

Its been a month and a half since doing by flight log blog, terrible!  I have been flying albeit not as frequently due to wind, rain, cold. 

Today I flew my SNAFU.  Mainly I wanted to get it out to tune the engine better since I know it was not running well last time.  Before heading out, I fattened up the low speed idle screw on the OS52FS in the plane.  That helped but the engine faltered a little on the first flight, and also died after landing runout.  I fiddled with it out more, back in , and then finally found a sweet spot which I am sure is richer than what I started with.  Also had to richen the high speed needle.  The engine seems to be singing nicely now....stronger with more smoke trail.  Got in four flights today with many touch and gos to practice landings.  We'll see if it still runs as well next time out.  BTW it was light fog with a low ceiling at first, then burning off enough for regular flying.

Two days ago, I flew my Osiris in slightly less fog.  Got in four flights.  Nobody else there on both days....too cold or dreary looking for them.  It was above 40F both times, with very light winds.

Since last posting in mid October, I got the wheel pants installed on the Val with new mounting hardware that Alex designed and printed for me with his 3D machine.  They look awesome!

I have been flying the Giles 202 several times since putting the new OS160FX engine into it.  Runs well, still breaking in each flight with a slightly leaner setting each time.  It's good not to be running so rich that the power is questionable.  Now there is power to avoid trouble.

The RV-4 has been back up as well.  I installed the wheel pants and have not destroyed them yet, as almost any grass landings just wear FG wheel pants out.  The plane is a joy to fly, and so impressive in the air.  My fave view of the plane is a steady landing approach with flaps down...so pretty.

I have actually made a little progress on the Stinson Reliant!  The elevator is perfectly (so I say) squared up to the fuselage and wing, and now firmly glued in place.  I have also epoxied all hinges for the flight surfaces.  Note I replaced the stock CA hinges for the elevators with hardy Robart point hinges.  Phoenix used big point hinges everywhere else on the plane and it baffles me that they didnt do so on the elevators too.  it was tedious work to clear the hinge locations, test the hinges as located, put vaseline on the hinge lines to prevent epoxy intrusion, then epoxy one side, let dry, then epoxy the other side of each pair of mated surfaces.  I am going to move on to servo installation for the ailerons and flaps next.

Last news.  I ordered the Old School Model Works Robinhood 80 laser cut kit!  $200 plus $5 SH.  Crazy me....heres hoping I actually build it someday!

Last last news.  Tad has long promised me the DLE-35 he never used.  So I decided I want the Hangar 9 Ultrastick 30cc for that engine.  The boys are giving it to me for Christmas!

Flight log: 07/026/2019

2 flights on the Val today.  Takeoffs good, landings good....no broken pants or bent LG wires, a successful day.  Had fun on both flights but especially the second when Bob flew his PT-19 at the same time.  Two warbirds, both four strokes.  It sounded great and the planes were very even in speed.  We made a bunch of passes in tandem, and some turns together that looked awesome just a few wingtips apart.  Fun day with the crew today....everyone was there....Don, Ken, Cliff, Bill, Doug/Donuts, Bob, Mike, Doug, Gary, Geno, Joe, Pat.  These are the days memories are made of!

Flight log for many days

July 5:  2 flights of Toledo Special with the new aluminum spinner provided by don....good flights.  Definitely the front bearing is loosening up and causing the beginnings of the tractor sound.  Gonna fly it til it cries to be replaced!

July 6:  Warbird Day at the Wingdingers!  3 flights of the P-47 and one with the Val.  Oh so fun!  Best flight was my single flight of the Val in tandem with Bob’s blue nose P-51.  We had so much fun flying formation and zipping fast low passes.  A couple guys told me that was the best entertainment of the day.

July 7:   I arrived first...flew the X5 twice and 7HV thrice, plus the Starstream four times.  It’s a funny lil fun plane that flies kinda touchy yet totally spirited and controllable.   I like it lots but just wish the  3s 2200 packs would provide longer flight times than 3.5 minutes!

 Tad flew his Avanti three times, twice with Quang and his Avanti.  They might awesome closeby, low, and fast passes over the runway.  Actually Quang was too close, lol, but all went well.  Those jets took off in nay 2/3 of the grass runway.  They landed well too, but the grass makes good brakes.  Might be tough to stop on a smooth surfaces runway.

Flight log: 06/25/2019

 Yesterday  I maidened the Aichi Val.  It was good!  Pretty unremarkable actually.  The OS70 Surpass II ran very well, on the rich side purposely since it’s brand new.  First flight was pretty perfect with a long straight takeoff and nice climb out, a couple clicks of down trim, some rolls, loops, inverted
flight, and a good landing with no flaps.  Full six minutes.

The second flight was not so good.  Takeoff was too fast with too much power too soo, resulting in the button hook left on takeoff and steep climb out to near stall conditions, lol.  No prob, it recovered, and the flight was great until I ran out of fuel at about four minutes.  I had to keep the wings level and fly just above stall speed, luckily into the tall rye grass on the south side of our runway.  That tore the left LG pants apron off the wing, taking some wood with it.  Looked worse than it was, because after maybe two hours of work at home, it was all repaired and ready to go.

Aichi Val completion

For all intents and purposes, this plane is completed and ready for a maiden.  Might add a few ounces of lead in the  nose to assure the plane is not tail heavy for the maiden, but it balances real close to the CG per the manual as is.  Actually I do have to break-in the engine.  Later in the day, I added 2.3 oz of lead to the nose by screwing two lead globs of about 1oz each to each side of the beam engine mounts.  This is the furthest forward point without using heavyweight hub spinners.

Aichi Val by VQ Models

I have been assembling this new plane for a couple months or more.  Not done but getting there in my slugs pace!  WS is 60”, power is a brand new OS70 Surpass II that I got from Jerry for $75 last year! Chose it for unique look, fixed gear to simplify, elliptical wing for plentiful area and typical good flying characteristics like the P-47, Sea Fury, Spitfire.  Wanted a larger warbird of 30cc size but couldn’t find a plane I loved, so settled for this to tide me over and keep amused.  I need a second warbird to my Jug after the T-28 expired about two years ago.