Third test flight for 1.2 hour

 August 14 2024

After many times doing ground runs to prove problems have been solved I finally got up in the air flight testing.  A clean set of spark plugs were installed so as to alleviate any popping/backfiring or oil soaked plug conditions.  As noted from my first test flight balance was a bit nose heavy.  This time I had 25 pounds of lead in the baggage compartment and the same amount of fuel.   Using pitch trim I was now able to trim with almost full up nose trim.  I completed a 1.2 hour flight adjacent to the Springbank airport CYBW under radar control of Calgary VFR terminal control.  Fuel pressure is behaving much better now that the fuel lines were made as short as possible and then wrapped in a thermal blanket on top of the existing firesleeve.  The heat deflectors on the exhaust pipe locations is also helping keep heat away from the fuel lines.  Engine ran very good with all CHT and EGT and Oil temperatures staying in the green.  The Manifold pressure was stable at about 21.5 inches and I was running 2450 RPM at 6000 ft and 6500 feet altitude averaging about 156 knots groundspeed.

My flight was cut short once again as my alternator problem continues to give me grief.  It worked for a while after startup then quit for a while then came on again for 2 minutes and then quit for good 1/4 way through my flight.  I have good instrument and audio warnings of my voltage and my amps draw so continued the flight until the battery was showing 11.7 volts and then requested to land right away.  Landing this time was really good although in the flair I did a couple of little floating up and down before it settled firmly on the runway.  I focused on the centerline giving the rudder immediate corrections and had a very good roll out this time.  I am very happy with the modifications I made  to the tail spring and steering links.

In two days I am taking the alternator into a repair shop to find out why it is not giving constant output.  Now I will spend some time to try and figure why my radio is hissing loudly when not transmitting.  Something to work on while the alternator id away.