> > My opinion is that a second pilot in a KR on the first flight is a > recipe for disaster. There is a reason that the FAA has required only > one pilot and working your way up with increased weight and exploring > the CG envelope in steps has been the way it has been done in the past. > An already overweight KR on it first flight and exploring slow flight > and stalls before the first landing does not sound good. With something > like an RV that is nearly the same as any other RV out there the second > pilot idea might not be that bad. >
I really have to echo what Brian said. With the seating moving the CG aft, KRs handle quite differently with two people up vs a single person in the cockpit. The handling characteristics of a KR that is still in a legal aft CG configuration is that it becomes much more unstable in pitch and highly pitch sensitive. In an unfamiliar aircraft (like a first flight) that leads to the infamous pilot induced oscillations, which can lead to loss of control. While I think it would be highly beneficial in many aircraft to have a qualified test pilot on board as well as the owner/builder, in the KR series of aircraft, I would strongly recommend that a choice be made as to whether the builder/owner will act as a test pilot vs having a test pilot do the first flight(s). Until the aircraft has flown, you can only predict what it's handling characteristics will be. But in the KR series aircraft, we know the original design tends to be neutral to unstable in pitch which is exacerbated as the CG moves aft. In my opinion, performing the initial test flight with two up, which will cause the CG to move aft, would be a questionable decision that would put two people at risk for little to no benefit. -Jeff Scott Los Alamos, NM
