Jim,
Congrats on your solo I am glad to hear your piloting your own jet.... Jim,
and all in the group take note of the flight testing suggestions, all to
often builders fly around in circles for 40 hours and don't do much, heck I
just met a gentleman this weekend that had 60 hours on a bird (not going to
mention the design but it wasn't a lightning) and he had not even stalled
the aircraft, important to know don't ya think. Any ways when you get into a
Cessna or piper they have come up with all the info, but now you have. Fuel
burns at different power settings, approach speeds based on your aircrafts
performance in stalls and such ( remember each system is different and
you're ASI might be different than your friends). Well you get my point, but
if your are doing your job as new experimental pilot you should never be
bored and it should take all 40 hours to get a good feel of your Jet and
what it does.
nick
_____
From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of
N1BZRich@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 12:49 PM
To: lightning-list@matronics.com
Subject: Re: I flew, I flew!!!
In a message dated 8/24/2008 12:52:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
clive.james@uk.bp.com writes:
40 hours must be a real pain,
Has the EAA never tried to get it reduced? 40 hours is a
lot of flying just for the sake of it. Even if you do some creative
accounting......
Two points:
First, if you are using a certified prop and a certified engine it is just
25 hours. The current 40 hours (or 25) is down from the original 50 hours.
Can't remember when that changed, but that is what I had to fly off on my
homebuilt Pitts even with a certified prop and engine back in 1977 - yes, I
am an old fart.
Second, if you actually fly all the test profiles that should be flown to
determine all needed data points for your airplane, it will take quite a few
flights and hours to complete the testing. It took me close to 30 hours of
actual test flying time on the Esqual to complete everything that should be
done. The other 10 hours (to get to 40 total) were well spent learning all
the neat things that my Grand Rapids EFIS was capable of doing - such as
highway in the sky steering to a simulated instrument approach to any runway
that is in the GPS data. Really neat.
Too many builders just fly off the 40 hours and never really know their
specific airplanes. They can get away with this because most have built
airplanes that have been around for a long time and they just use the data
that others have come up with, but they really don't know the actual data
points for their airplanes. What is the real Vx, Vy, best glide (flaps and
no flaps) for your airplane. What is your best fuel burn at different
altitudes for different airspeeds or rpm?. What EGTs should you be seeing
at various power settings? What is the best prop for your airplane? I
could go on and on with examples, but hope everyone gets the point. It
really does take about 40 hours to complete all the needed test profiles for
your airplane. Without knowing these things how do you come up with a
useful aircraft flight manual (pilot's operating handbook) for your airplane
- as required by regulations?
The FAA regulations on this (FAR 21 and 91) as well as FAA Advisory Circular
90-89A are pretty specific as to what you should be doing. They call the 40
hours (or 25) phase one testing. The EAA also has some good information on
flight testing that is available through the EAA Flight Advisor Program. I
encourage all of you to go to these sources and check with your friendly EAA
flight advisor before you start your flight testing. Accidents on first
flights have greatly decreased since the EAA Flight Advisor program has been
in effect.
For my own use, I have divided the FAA 40 hours (phase one testing) into a 5
phase program that I have used successfully on several different aircraft.
The five phases that I have broken the 40 hours down to are:
-phase 1 - Initial flight plus two others
-phase 2 - Build data on aircraft and engine performance
-phase 3 - Determine all V speeds
-phase 4 - Structural and Stability tests
-phase 5 - Max gross weight and CG test
I have specific profile objectives for each phase and specific flight
profiles for the first flights and then later flight profiles are developed
based on data gathered to that point.
It really does take close to 40 hours if you do all that should be done.
You really need a plan for each flight in order to be efficient with the
time that you have. You also need a good way to record flight data that you
will use to develop such things as performance graphs. I use a digital
recorder with a lapel mic that I put into one of my ear phone cups. With a
voice operated intercom I just say the data that I want recorded and the
mic picks up me talking and saves it for future playback on the recorder.
Also, many of the new EFIS set ups have a way to record flight data for
later download which is also useful.
Bottom line, have a specific plan for each flight, follow that plan, record
your data after the flight, and then plan the next flight based on what you
learn on the previous flight and what you need to accomplish on the next
flight.
Blue Skies,
Buz
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