ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

Well as you most of you know I was out of the flying game for 6 weeks and another 2 weeks weather and parts.

Got out to the airport today readjusted the float bowl level to 3/4 level, fired up the plane let her warm up.  Took off and flew around an extended pattern for safety, but she was purring like a kitten, so i decided to expand a little farther and took off to the north about 10 miles then to the west and made a large square.  I flew a total of 50 minutes nonstop, she never missed a beat, ran very well.  

I hope I am not boring you sharing this kind of stuff, it was so relieving to have it perform so well again.  I checked the fuel level when I put her away, right at three gallons burned  in 50 minutes 10mph north wind average  of 5500 rpms.  It felt great again,

Happy flying,

Dayflyer

Good to hear ! So the problem was fuel level ?
The hungry beast !

congrats, we never get tired of good flying stories

NO the problem was the float needle valve was sticking open causing fuel to keep flowing, and Iguess it also did the opposite as it would hang shut, so I replaced the whole assembly, worked great last night, optimistically I think it will work fine now, think now I am going to have to replace my egt/cht gauge, it fluctuates alot on the egt, even though I took it apart and checked the wiring connections had it working for a while but never right.  I want to speed more time flying and less time working on it though.

Dave

Thanks thunder,


I checked tonight and according to the sectional I flew it 52.5nm  and it was great.  Made me a happy camper I would like to go out tomorrow and fly again for about 100 hours LOL

Congrats on solving issues, Yes  we love flying stories !!
Flew tonight myself about same amount of time ,was smooth as glass out tonight.

It must have felt great being in the air again. Thanks for posting and do it again soon.

yea it really did for got how good it flew.  Here is the funny thing, I was a little nervous before I took off, couldnt believe it.  Soon as i powered it up on rwy 35 and started rolling down the runway, that was gone, when I lifted off joy was flooding my soul,  when I reached tpa I was feeling good, when I flew around the xtended pattern once which was 4 mile legs, I felt confident again, then went for another 46nm or so.  Felt real good.

Dave

Went out to the airport early this saturday morning ready to fly.  I checked the aopa weather showed nothing to worry about.   I got to the airport It was really cloudy and began to sprinkle, I wanted to fly so bad but I decided I would hold  Then the rain moved in from the north east and began to pour.  I thought I will wait it out and let this front pass and then fly.  2 1/2 hours later I decided I would go home.  It rained most of the day at the airport, but at my house 28 miles away, never rained a drop, go figure and the worst part is I wore my new lonesome buzzard tee shirt to fly in.  Oh well maybe tomorrow afternoon, lord willing.

Enjoy your flights

Dave

Well went out to the airport today, temps were good so I took the canopy off.  I readjusted the float level again since I was starving out on take off.  I went to rwy 35  20 miles maybe a little more, but it felt so good, I didn't want to come down.  My heads were getting a little warmer than normal but I had taken some pitch out, when I landed i reset it.  it was a blast.                                                      

Congrats

thanks coop,

I was getting tired of it flying and then dropping.  Its hard to believe it was that finicky on its settings.  I will go out again this week and try again.  I trust it twill be a great flight.

Dave

I got out this afternoon and went through the preflight, everything was good, warmed it up for about 10 minutes then went to the runway 35,  took off.  It was as good as it gets in a mini max;  smooth, even 6000k rpm s climbout, leveled out and flew 45 minutes around 5500rpms 10mph headwind from the north.  I flew close to 50nm, and as I said, it was a good as it gets in a mini max except I can't fly hands off, need to do some trim adjustment.  

but it was great.

dayflyer  

had another great flight yesterday, flew one hour Cant wait to fill it up today and see what the fuel burn is.  I expect 4gph but we  will see.  I tried to fly conservatively around 54-5500rpms but still not sure that it was any better than that.

Dave

went out again today flew for about 1.5 hours.  It was a little more windy but all in all a great flight.  I covered @69nm with ground speed fluctuating from 38mph to 78mph the 38 was only for about  minute then went back to 48mph.  All in all it was a real good flight, the longest one I hve had my mini max in the air at one time so its a little bit of a milestone since the rebuild.  Any way you all hve a great time flying and I will try to do the same.

Dave

I have had three successful flights this past week all about one hour now this is my planned flight next time I am in the air this week hopefully before saturday.



Dave

http://skyvector.com/?ll=39.7275597222222,-94.276375&chart=112&zoom=3

well yet another saga in the bluebird adventures.  I took off tonight knowing that it was  alittle windy, but hey our birds can take a little wind right.  Well I flew about 35minutes north at 73-78mph, it was very rough and was getting tossed around pretty good.  constant aileron deflection one way an then the other, updrafts then down drafts for short burst.   I decided to turn back and my airspeed is 75 but my ground speed is now 32-38mph, so it is now going to take me an hour to get back where I started.  Fortunately I planned for this and had two full wing tanks.  I am bouncing around  pretty good.  I got about 1.5hours of flight but I have to say, this flight wasnt that enjoyable, though I had to admit it.   Its time in the air, but I have had and enjoyed better flights.  HOpe your recent flights are  alittle more desirable.,

Dave

Hey Dave,

With a flight like that the new roller coaster at Dollywood would be a piece of cake for you. lol

Gary

With a 40 mph headwind component you could have slowed it down and flown backwards  

I was going so slow I looked at the ground and wondered if I was moving.  I was many times maintaining 5700 -5850rpms just to make it to 40mph.   It is the same today, extemely windy so  I am sure that a flight today would be a repeat.  What was interesting was the wind shift.  I was going 73-78 and very hard to maintain altitude, very unusual, then when decided to change direction and go back it ws like I hit a 40mph headwind but I didnt have a 40mph tailwind.  curious.

Dave

JUly .  7, 2012 went for a flight this morning, hot and muggy already 90* at 8:30AM .    Climbout was around 300fpm had aheadwind from the north ground speed about 36-38, thermals were abounding almost felt like dutchrolls.   I only flew about 30minutes and then came back, lots of people present and watching and I bounced the landing.  No one is ever present for the perfect landing but bounce it one time and everybody is present.  LOL  Anyway it was air time, so I can be thankful for that, some people dont get that.

Thankful for another day to fly.

Dave

saturday morning 7:00 went out to the airport, temp is 70*F wind is only 3kts out of the south and its looking good for a flight.  I wanted to do some touch and goes as well as full stops needless to say that burns the gas.  Did a good preflight checked everything but the kitchen sink, bluebird was ready to fly.  Went to the end of 17 taxied out fired her up and down the runway we go, and up we go, man forgot how good that kind of lift felt.  I kept to my intention and flew the pattern, watched a naughty 172 come in without a radio glad i saw him because he didnt see me.  
My flying just included climbing to TPA and flying the pattern and coming into land, got 4 of those done and all went well, I didnt realize how long it took to fly the pattern 4 times and land take off again climb to TPA again and do it all over again, and I guess I burnt about 4gallons of fuel, that might be heavy but when I was flying with one tank, I would rather figure heavy than light.  It was really a great day to fly, wish Ihad taken a good cross country but I wanted to do an hour of nothing but T.O. and Lds.   I really enjoyed it.

Dave

sometimes it good to just do pattern work. if i have time after returning from a cross country i like to do a few laps aroud the pattern and do some TO and landings myself. in fact hope to get out in next few days and spend atleast an hour doing the same thing to try and get wheel landings down better, i can 3 point my max all day long perfectly smooth but have only ever done one wheel landing without bouncing it so want to get them down better so i can be more comfortable with them. glad to see you logging some good flight time

Thunder,

I am just the opposite I do wheel landing almost all the time.  As long as I pay attention with proper throttle input it rarely bounces but if back the throttle out to much then it will bounce.  I can do three point pretty good on grass I dont like them to much on the concrete did one Saturday, guess I just need to practice them more.  Hitting to hard will flaten the arm for the tail wheel and I dont' want to do that.   Just plan on using more runway on your wheel landings.

Dave

I also love wheel landings. Grass surface, 8 psi on the tires, no spring suspension and  most important  zero degree angle of attack,  what's going to make it go up?  .

Well the next good day I get  I am going for the 100 nm fllight or the 134nm I have them both planned out.   I have about 8 or 9 hours since I put the new carb kit in it, and its been running great thus far, weather hasn't been the best the engine has ran great.   I will keep you posted and will try to bring a video of it at least part of it.