Larry, I've been at my KR off and on for 15 years now.
It's good to hear your first flight story! -- Ross ----- Original Message ----- From: larry flesner <fles...@midwest.net> List-Post: krnet@list.krnet.org Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2003 08:40:37 -0600 To: KRnet <kr...@mylist.net> Subject: KR>first flight story (long) > > Netters, > > I spent an hour or two yesterday morning writing up the story of my > first flight in the KR for our local EAA chapter newsletter and decided > to share it with the net. It's rather long so if you're not interested, just > hit the delete key. I'm still trying to get the grin off my face.! :-) > > Larry Flesner > Carterville, Illinois > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > THE BIRTHING OF 211LF > > > Thirteen years building, designing, changing, rebuilding, re-doing and > assembly, and the KR2, in its highly modified form, was finally ready to > fly. No point to put it off any longer. It either flies or it becomes a > strong candidate for firewood. I know there are people more qualified than > me to make this first flight but I have to prove it can fly and that I can > fly it. I'm also hoping I don't have to pay the ultimate price for my > foolishness. I've spent several hours on the runway doing high speed taxi > test and have gotten comfortable with the handling to the point of liftoff > but what happens after that? What's that old saying, "Pride cometh before > the stall"! > > I'm setting in the KR in front of the hangar trying to strap myself in and > getting mentally prepared for the flight as Bill Riggin approaches. > Without his help I wouldn't be to this point right now. I can't recall > later exactly what they were but he has some final words of advice, > probably something like "don't do anything stupid". I acknowledge him with > an agreement but I'm probably past the point of advisement. The engine > starts right up and everything looks good. I try not to think too far > ahead but stay focused on the moment. This is no time to overlook > something simple. > > As I get to the runway I decide to do a short taxi run to get comfortable > on the rudders and head up RW36 for about 1000 feet. It feels just like > the thirty or more times I've done this before so I turn around and > back-taxi for takeoff. A run-up confirms everything is ready so I go over > the checklist one more time. The last item says, "ready for takeoff" and > the reality of the moment sinks in. Today's the day! > > I pull back onto the runway and roll for lineup on the centerline. Once > established I start to feed in the power. The airspeed builds and the tail > comes up just like my taxi runs but this time I'm not cutting the power. > In a matter of seconds the KR feels light and seems to want to drift left > with the slight crosswind blowing today. Without looking at the airspeed > indicator I decide it's time to fly. With thumb and two fingers I apply a > slight backpressure to the stick and I'm airborne! It feels great and the > KR is stable as a rock. After three or four seconds I realize I'm > committed to flight. In what seems like a half frozen state I only move > the stick to keep the wings level and the nose right where it's at on the > horizon. A slight pressure with no real movement is all it takes. After > 30 seconds or so I decide it's time for a left turn to stay in the pattern > so I put a little side pressure on the stick. The KR responds without > hesitation. It's at this point I finally remember to look at the airspeed > indicator and I'm doing 80K's and climbing at 750 fpm. This baby is a > natural flier! > > I make a wide circle of the field as I climb for altitude. All engine > gauges are in the green and everything seems to be working fine as I level > off at 3000 feet. I try some shallow turns and begin to feel it out for > handling. I intended to keep the speed down to 120mph on the first flight > but everything feels so smooth that after a few minutes I let it stretch > it's legs for about thirty seconds in level flight at full throttle. The > ASI creeps around the dial to 135K's and the tach needle is wiggling > toward, but cant' quite reach, 2500rpm. (I later found the tach to be in > error, reading about 75 rpm too fast). With no wheel pants and what appears > to be a bit too much prop, I start to get the warm fuzzy feeling that this > thing is going to fly just the way I thought it would for the past thirteen > years. > > With that warm fuzzy feeling came the realization that I was also going to > have to land this thing in a few minutes. Time for another reality check. > I back off the power to a high idle and explore a little slow flight. > Everything feels good so I start descending toward the airport. At 1600 > rpm and 110K's I'm getting a very modest decent rate. This bird is really > slick. Although I haven't tried it yet I'm feeling good about that speed > brake hanging on the belly. > > I get set up in a wide pattern for landing. I don't want anything > happening too quickly. The approach on final is nice and stable but as I > cross the numbers I realize I'm a bit fast. I'm not used to that silly ASI > reading out in knots. I bring in the power and start a go-around. I > decide it's time to test the speed brake and climb back to 1600 feet. I > slow to 80K's and get stabilized. I start to work the speed brake down > slowly and note the handling changes if any. It feels good at half down > with a very slight airframe buffet as would be expected. The controls feel > good so I start lowering it towards full down, still noting how the KR > responds. As the brake goes down the nose pitches down slightly. Good. > At full down, 90 degrees, there is considerable airframe buffeting and a > noticeable reduction in airspeed. Some gentle turns confirm that the > rudder and elevator controls have not been affected. I bring the brake up > and head back to the airport. Another long stable approach and everything > is looking good. I bring the speed brake to full down on about a half-mile > final and get stabilized. It looks good all the way down to the numbers. > When it comes time to flare I make the mistake of actually moving the > stick. The KR does exactly what I tell it to do and levels off about four > to five feet above the runway. I compound the problem by actually moving > the stick again to get the nose down. After a few seconds I'm starting to > get the feeling that I may just be along for the ride here and all I doing > is messing things up. I relax the controls with the KR in a rather nose > high attitude and close to the runway. The tailwheel touches with the > mains still about two feet in the air and that brings them down with a good > solid bounce of about six inches or more. Several bobbles, a few wiggles, > and I appear to be rolling down the runway somewhat under control and begin > to think I might just pull this off. About that time it reminds me it is a > taildragger and I slightly over control the last two directional wiggles. > In a matter of seconds I have it down to a fast taxi speed and I'm ready to > turn around and taxi back to the ramp. I'll be d*m*ed! I did it! > > As I taxied in to the ramp I was getting thumbs up from the few people that > witnessed the event. Man, does this feel great or what! Congratulations > and pictures were in order and I tried to savor the moment that I had > worked so hard and long to bring to reality. It took days to get the grin > off my face and I still get excited each time I get to tell the story > again. I hope the feeling never wears off. > > I owe a special thank you to my family for their patience and support > during the long building process and a thank you to the many EAA chapter > members who helped me along the way with everything from parts to advise. > I also owe a great deal to the many KR builders and fliers that have > proceeded me to this point and also helped point the way. A special thank > you goes to Bill Riggin who looked over my shoulder for most of the > thirteen years of building time. His help and advice helped make my dream > a reality. > > At this point I can only share with you the advice on a card that Sallie > had been saving for years and gave to me before the first flight. It said, > " If your dream takes flight - follow it". Mine has, I did, and IT'S GREAT! > > Larry Flesner > > (Update) > After four flights, I've pulled the prop and sent it back for re-pitching. > I'm using the downtime to do some engine work. I'm replacing all the > intake hoses and gaskets, rerouting the fuel line, looking to build a cabin > heat muff, attack some oil leaks and other miscellaneous details. I hope > to have the KR back in the air by mid January. In the mean time I'll > continue to scratch the flying itch with the trusty Ol' Tripacer. Hum, I > wonder if there is a federal regulation against a bigamist relationship > with airplanes. If there is I'm nailed. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > see KRnet list details at http://www.krnet.org/instructions.html -- ___________________________________________________ Check out the latest SMS services @ http://www.operamail.com, which allows you to send SMS through your mailbox. Powered by Outblaze
