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So SO Close!

RayMc

Active Member
It has been a LONG 9 months since the arrival of my first Kit from Van's. It was the Avionics kit, which was the last kit needed by the way. But, I have the documents all submitted for the airworthiness inspection, so if I didn't screw up something and the DAR can push the FSDO a little I have an inspection scheduled this Friday, Apr 14th, 2023.

Fired up the Dual G3X's and the 650Xi a few days ago... looks so cool. Everything now works. Initially the Pitch servo couldn't be found, a pin not fully inserted by Stein was the culprit, pushed in all the way and all's well.

Yesterday The engine was fired up for the first run. Coolant temp got close to red line. Shut it down and popped a couple hoses thinking it might let some air out, added more coolant and restarted. Second run the temps came up to a much lower number and stabilized... Success!

The hard part is that I am going out of town the following day for nearly a month! so the first flight/Flt testing will have to wait! :mad:
 
9 months, wow, congratulations! We just had our first flight on 3/28 after a 3-year build. Then we found out the prop was waaay out of balance due to an error by Sensenich. And what a coincidence, we also lost our test pilot for a month - apparently, a trip to England was more important haha.
 
Congrats to you on your First flight. I can't wait for mine but it looks like I have to!
I just read your post about the prop balance issue... I think all industries have been severely disrupted by the covid closures and since people were off work so long every business is having trouble getting employees let alone good quality employees.
That's just stupid for something so critical as a propeller to slide through QC checks like that. That much out of balance must have been a pretty rough vibration!
 
Congrats to you on your First flight. I can't wait for mine but it looks like I have to!
I just read your post about the prop balance issue... I think all industries have been severely disrupted by the covid closures and since people were off work so long every business is having trouble getting employees let alone good quality employees.
That's just stupid for something so critical as a propeller to slide through QC checks like that. That much out of balance must have been a pretty rough vibration!

My first engine start (in another thread somewhere) was an unmitigated disaster. Once I got it running "normally" I was disappointed in how rough it was, but I didn't have any frame of reference for that engine or the airframe really (other than a ride Joe Gore's plane three years ago). I asked around and was told it could be related to engine preservation at the factory, possibly injectors. I was also told by an A&P IA that the iS runs rougher than the ULS, although Van's did not agree with that. Lockwood said the only thing that might make the iS seem "rougher" to some would be the overload clutch, which had to be switched from 30 degrees in the ULS to 0 degrees in the iS due to the electronic engine control. (I hope I got those details correct)

My test pilot said it was the roughest 912 installation he had experienced, but it wasn't bad enough to give him concern about doing the first flight. During all the ground runs running up to and after the first flight I could definitely feel some improvement in the overall vibration - that was likely the factory preservation effects clearing out. I was about to pull the injectors for cleaning when we decided to get a dynamic balance baseline first.
 
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Just WOW!
Good thing you tried the balance. that would be extremely hard on the gear box engine airframe and your nervs!
 
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