Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 05:39 AM - Rockets In The Mail... (Rob Mokry)
2. 07:05 AM - Harry Paine visits the steaming hot midwest (Frazier, Vincent A)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Rockets In The Mail... |
--> Rocket-List message posted by: Rob Mokry <robmokry@pacbell.net>
In case you havn't seen it yet, Big John's III graces the cover of this
months Sport Aviation.
I still have that article back from '93 that started all this madness
Rob Mokry
N540RM
Big Bad Blue
Message 2
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| Subject: | Harry Paine visits the steaming hot midwest |
--> Rocket-List message posted by: "Frazier, Vincent A" <VFrazier@usi.edu>
> Harry Paine had asked if I'd like to have a ride in his Rocket. You bet I would!
Harry and Bob Pattee stopped in at Carmi on the way home from the East coast.
>
> It was a typical July day in the Midwest. Temperature was about 99 and the humidity
was 99% also. IIRC, that gives a heat index of HELL. The stiff breeze
out of the southwest only served to make the TOLs more exciting. After a brief
BS session, Harry and I piled into the Rocket. A few hundred feet later and
we were airborne. A couple minutes later, on the downwind leg of the pattern,
and we were at 3500'. Very nice indeed!
>
> I've been lucky enough to snag a ride with Tom Martin a couple times. The takeoff
in Harry's plane confirmed what I'd seen before... smooth power and rapid
acceleration. The growl of that big six cylinder Lycoming up front rumbles
up through your feet, past your butt, and rattles your big, toothy grin as you
get pushed back into the seat by the acceleration. It's hard to keep from yelling
"Yeehah" into the mic. The climbout is more of the same. Your jaw is hanging
open with awe..."Somebody built this in their garage?" "Not possible!
This is way too cool." protests your Cessna conditioned brain. But it's true!
Is this a great country or what?!
>
> We slowed down for a little slow flight. Harry dropped the flaps and turned
the stick over to me. I didn't have any rudders in the back seat. We did several
stalls and when the left wing dropped it caused me to stomp on the right
footwell out of habit. We had the Rocket all over the sky, but I loved every
minute of it. The Rocket behaved much like my old RV-4, giving a little shudder
before the break, dropping the left wing slightly, and recovering quickly.
Harry pointed out that we probably lost a bit more altitude than you might in
an RV-4. The heavier weight and smaller wing do have an effect. However, jamming
the noise lever forward positively puts an end to any altitude loss. "This
is so cool."
>
> The big Lycoming was starting to need some cool air after 10 minutes of this,
so Harry took over and let the speed build up... and up.... and up. "Woo hoo!
I have got to get one of these!" I asked Harry how he handles a descent to
pattern altitude. I wanted to know if he planned a leisurely descent from miles
out, to avoid overcooling the engine, while meticulously monitoring temps and
RPMs, etc, etc. His procedure was a little different from the fixed pitch
RVs that I've grown accustomed to. I'm not sure, but I think it went like this:
Pull the prop and power back a bit, roll into a 90 degree left bank, and go
screaming down toward the ground. Once again, "Not possible! This is way too
cool." protests my brain.
>
> Soon we were on short final, skimming the steamy cornfields at the north end
of runway 18. As always, a few blackbirds went whizzing by much too close for
comfort. Harry made a nice wheel landing into the quartering crosswind. The
springy titanium gear shrugged off the heat soaked runway expansion joint bumps
easily. We turned off at the intersection without any difficulties. It was
about now that I realized how hot it was getting under the greenhouse of a canopy.
"SO WHAT... this is too cool!"
>
> Harry coasted up to the gas pumps for a load of blue juice. Poor guy. I don't
think he's accustomed to the jungle humidity we have here. He looked like
a wet rag doll as he filled the tanks. I offered again to drive over to one of
the local choke and pukes, but Bob and Harry had another date. They were headed
to Les Featherston's for their overnight stop. Lucky guys. I'm sure Les
took care of them and got them cooled and refreshed.
>
> Hey Harry, thanks for stopping in! I really enjoyed it. Vince
>
> Pictures of Harry's plane can be seen at:
> http://www.usi.edu/science/chemistry/vfrazier/Pilot%20reports.html>
>
>
> Vince Frazier
> 3965 Caborn Road
> Mount Vernon, IN 47620
> 812-464-1839 work
> 812-985-7309 home
> 1946 Stinson, NC97535, FOR SALE (the world's nicest Stinson... really!)
> F-1H Rocket, "Shangrila", N540VF reserved,
> <http://www.usi.edu/science/chemistry/vfrazier/page1.html>
>
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