Some of you are getting some repeat of this,
but here goes. The plane performed flawlessly the entire trip.
I've learned things and
will be doing some changes when I get the time and gumption.
These changes will be mainly focused in the engine baffling. To again
increase engine cooling in the CHT area. The designer feels I'm
doing well for what I have but will not get true success until I do what
everybody else is doing.
The flight up to Oshkosh. I left the bar VK alone at about
0620 the 27th. Just enough light to be able to make a forced landing
if needed
and then the coolest part of the day for aircraft performance.
I watched the sun rise over lake Texoma, which again reminded me that I
was now piloting a feisty little airplane about 3 hours before I should
be getting out of bed! I made my first fuel stop at Siloam Springs
Arkansas about 2 hours later with out incident. Here I met my
traveling partners Niva and Kip in her 140 Cessna nicely polished for the
show at
Oshkosh. Not having an electrical system or starter, I had to
go through the ritual of teaching the line boy how to run my fuel valve,
so
that I could do the hot start procedure for the VW and Posa carb.
combination. (When it fires, fuel valve on, and don't flinch, it
is
just me coming over the wing to grab the throttle!) We left there
about 45 minutes later and headed north east for a point we would never
make.
After being airborne about 10 minutes we came
across weather (rain and low ceilings, too low to run through with out
a seeing eye dog) that
ended up forcing us down to a little airport at Aurora Missouri.
Here we took the time to eat lunch and visit with the locals that were
preparing a KR2 for it's first flight. The project by my understanding
had been in process about as long as my Sonerai (25 years). They
also
were entertained by the fact that I was driving a VW engine on a long
cross country. Ceilings had lifted, all 2 gallons of fuel taken on,
line boy trained, and we were off on what was to be our most interesting
leg of the day.
A skinny runway, about 1500 ft elevation,
mid 80's and hills off both ends made this a less than boring takeoff.
I stayed on the deck
accelerating for the needed positive climb. Commenting to Kip,
my squadron leader, about my displeasure with the terrain, he could only
declare just how good my little white airplane looked against the rich
green trees and hills. Against is ok,. . . in the hills, was what
I was
concerned about. The humor was gone within the next 10 minutes
with the onset more light rain and low ceilings that would stay with us
for the
next 150 or more miles. In these miles we probably disturbed
better than 80% of the bootleggers of the hill country in a masterful scud
running formation flight that rarely saw more than 500 feet below us
to the trees. I sat at 7 o'clock high on the 140, watching them weave
the
path while I followed, pointing out options for airports or courses
if needed. Great tool that GPS "goto" Nearest button! Real
beautiful
country, I'll have to return someday when I can relax and enjoy it
in something bigger than the Sonerai! Something about running ridges
in a
VW powered ship that didn't appeal to me. The airplane however,
loved the cool air that came down with the showers, allowing the engine
to
cool off measurably. We flew over the Lake of the Ozarks shrouded
in the mist then further to the Missouri River with all it's beautiful/
looming tall rock faced walls. I still wonder what those people
on the other side of that ridge thought as we were only visible for a second
or
two. "Dem new beetles are fast!" Though fuel wasn't critical,
we deserved a break and fell into Moberly Missouri for fuel and a needed
leg stretch. Here we met the local insurance salesman and had
great conversation. I felt that he was fighting the responsible urge
to go
back to work, wanting to become an airport bum for the afternoon.
He did walk me down to the neighboring hanger to show me a little airplane
that was "kind of like yours." It was a pretty Sonerai II with
a nice Blue and gold paint job. What's better is that it looked like
a working, fun airplane, not a hanger queen!
We now realized from this point that the arrival
at oshkosh in one day was now doable. This leg had much better weather
but it still
refused to leave us alone totally. We climbed up to 5500 feet
and headed again in a straight line towards our next fuel stop. With
the
higher altitudes and better weather I let myself pull away from the
slower 140 and thus found myself being the point man for my troops.
After established at altitude came the first pretty little puffy clouds
below us. This would have been fine but they all started holding
hands
and standing taller! VFR could no longer be maintained so, every
man for him self and find a hole! One thing neat about the Sonerai
is that
when you are cruising at 125, you still have another 100 mph before
you Vne of 225! This means you can pretty well choose your angle
of
decent. This can make the smallest holes plenty large enough
for a vertical 180 +mph pylon racer. Being a nice guy I warned my
partners
behind me so they could make a less fun, but more Cessna type of decent.
This happened twice to us on this leg, the second time I found
myself over the Davenport airspace. When I would put my nose
down my GPS would quickly inform me that I was diving into controlled airspace.
So I had to step over to a more westerly hole to honor my GPS's desires
to keep me from getting violated. Davenport had been our next fuel
stop, but do to the better time and higher altitudes we were to press
on to Monroe Wisconsin.
This decision to press on, taught me something
about my airplane that will keep me from repeating a past error.
When I built my airplane
I went to great efforts to mark the fuel sight tube for useable information.
I leveled the airplane for the weight and balance and used
this positioning and called it level flight attitude. I then
added one gallon at a time and made a mark for each gallon on the gauge.
Flying
with a friend one day I decided that the fuel onboard was too low to
play any longer, and headed home. I saw with my markings that I easily
had enough fuel for even VFR reserves, but boy did it go away in a
hurry! An old aviator once told me that you haven't heard quiet until
you have flown a glider. Wrong! You haven't heard quite
until your flying a single engine airplane that is minus the noise of one
engine!?
I was furious, but safe, as I landed on my home runway, and for weeks
pondered why I let it get to that. I now know. Back to the present
situation. With over 4 gallons indicating on my gauge I new the
added 50 miles would be no problem. 25 minutes at less than 4 gallons
per
hour. Every time I looked away from my gauge, from there on out,
somebody would steal a gallon! I stopped looking away and it still
was
going away in a hurry! I left my wing man and headed for the
nearest airport that showed gas, on my GPS. No cars, no pumps visible,
I
climbed back up with out landing. Then the decision, go on, or
immediate search for fuel became critical. Not wanting to be violated
for flying a glider with out a license, I set my sites on Freeport
Illinois. I pointed it right to the end of the nearest runway, and
landed with a slight tailwind but mainly a left cross that made my
landing put most of the air show routines at Oshkosh to shame. 9.3
gallons in a ten gallon tank, I could have flown a pattern after all!?
Apparently the airplane rides considerably farther tail down than I had
figured. We will later determine the actual flight attitude and
remark our fuel gauge.
Back in the air I met my flight over the Monroe
Wisconsin airport. We headed slightly east to avoid the Madison airspace
as requested in
the Notams for the fly in, then direct to the Ripon intersection for
the VFR radio arrival. Our controller seemed to be very happy with
us, as
there were now six aircraft in a nice little line heading at him at
Fisk intersection. He asked if any of us would be interested in landing
on
the 36 runways (this is air show center if you haven't been there.)
If so, rock your wings! I shook my little ship so he could see me
about
six miles away. "I think I saw the little guy, number 3 in line,
confirm by repeating!" So I did. About 3 miles later he turned
me east
and sent me to the tower frequency. Goal in site! Tower
didn't even see me! I had to inform him that I was on short base
to final turn!
"Oh yeah!, the little guy, your cleared to land on 36L and enjoy the
show!" I turned out to be the show. This landing was even more
a show
than the last, but I didn't care at this point. I had made it!
I taxied to my place among the other Sonerai's with a well placed and
earned grin on my face. (I later found the reason, or excuse,
for my bad landing at Oshkosh. My landing at Freeport Il. had bent
my tail
wheel steering rod, so when the tail came down, I was suddenly pointed
the wrong way. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)
I couldn't get anything done, due to
all the people that were asking questions about the plane, admiring it,
and discussing in disbelief that I had flown the tiny little VW powered
craft all the way from Dallas Texas area, and then in one day even!
I finally popped open the cowling and looked the engine over real quickly
and pulled my tie downs from the cheek cowling area and put it to bed for
the night. I came out the next morning and uncovered the canopy and
cleaned off the bugs and rain so it would look it's best. I then
trekked over to register the airplane, and again had to them tell the stories,
and yes, all the way from Dallas. Then over to the home builders
office to register with them and claim my very nice Showplane Participant
coffee mug and a ribbon for finishing the aircraft and flying it in to
Oshkosh, in the same year! I am hot stuff! Upon returning to
my airplane, I notice a new pretty little bird setting off my wing.
A Hummel Bird! Exactly one half of a VW engine, and flew it all the way
from Santa Fe
New Mexico! He stole my thunder! I was no longer the farthest
and the smallest! Real nice fellow in spite of himself!
For the trip up, the stats seem to come in
as follows. 28mph, 8.5 hobbs hours, about 3.75 gph for a total burn
of 31.9 gallons. Fuel burn
is still a little higher than I would expect, but I'm letting it run
rich to cool the cylinder heads. More about the week there, mechanical
findings, and the trip home in the next "Issue".
Sorry about the length, I'm trying to write it in
as much detail as possible so it can possibly be used as an article in
a number of newsletters in the area. Maybe even a Polish magazine!
When I have some more time I'll try to go over the trip home. Later
all. . .jim
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