First Test Flight

 August 10 2022

Today was the big day for getting the first flight completed.  The object of the flight today is to break in the Lycoming engine as per the Lycoming recommendation for a totally rebuilt engine which was not run in at a shop after rebuild.  The run in of the engine is supposed to be 2 hours of flight at 2450 rpm and leaned properly for the conditions.  During the second hour the rpm's can be varied from 2350 through to 2550 for seating of the rings to the cylinder walls.  Of course this was only if the airframe would fly as expected.  Weather conditions were just perfect with clear skies and no wind.  At 10:00 in the morning I was airborne and completed racetrack pattern flights 1.0 miles (minimum) from the active runway at my local airport.  Temperature was 20 C and flight altitude was at 6500 feet.  

Here is some additional information for those that are building this "Vision" experimental aircraft.  My engine is very similar to the Lycoming O-320 but is a 1960's variant, Lycoming O-340 build by Lycoming specifically for the Navion twin aircraft. (They only manufactured this engine for about 8 years and was replaced by the O-360).   My engine is a totally rebuilt engine with zero time on it.   It has slightly higher compression and cylinder size than the 0-320 and is rated 140 HP.  The engine performed very well and was showing an indicated airspeed of 158 knots.  Compensating for temperature and altitude on this day the true airspeed was 180 knots.  This is right where I was hoping to see  my speeds.

One of my friends agreed to be my safety person to watch over me in case of issues where my wife might have to be notified, thankfully there was no need.  The flight lasted 2.2 hours and was recorded by my Mode S Dynon transponder to FlightAware.  During the complete time of my test flight I was under the surveillance of Calgary Class C airspace radar persons.  The flight went quite well but my landings were very bad, the first a 2 bounce go around the second a 2 bounce go around and the third a 1 bounce that  sent me 45 degrees off runway stopping in the grass.  After 6 years flying my Quickie Q2 I had some ingrained landing habits I needed to get rid of.  In short this was the tendency to keep pulling back on the stick in landing to pin the tailwheel of the Quickie.  This aircraft requires a flatter approach in ground effect to lessen any tendency to cause the airframe to balloon me back up after touchdown.  More details will be given in a upcoming post.