NetHeads, I just got back from a couple of wonderful flying hours. Just buzzing around with no real plans...drop in and do a few touch and goes here and there, circle somebody's house, check on the new construction...that sort of thing. I did something like 22 touch and goes at five different airports. The air was so smooth I didn't do a single crappy landing. I just put some new tires on the plane, as well as the first new tailwheel. It wasn't really needed, but I figure after 1100 landings, it probably deserves a break anyway. I also reconfigured the tail spring to give me a couple of inches of clearance under the rudder, and while I was at it, pretty much took all the slack out of the tail wheel cables (which don't have springs either). I really like the way it handles now. I put 35 psi in the tires, so it rolls nicely, and I swear I think it lands better, but maybe that was just the smooth air. I also found out the new radio is working great, and although I hear a lot of background noise in the headphones, everybody says I'm loud and clear.
Last Sunday morning I went for another nice flight, visiting 6 airports and doing another 25 touch and goes, all in two hours time.. This thing is really a blast to fly, but this was really a test to see if I'd fixed a pesky oil leak that deposited a fine mist of oil on my canopy after an hour or so of flying. It turns out that the woodruf key between the crank and the gear was leaking a tad of oil, which centrifugal force would send out to the spinner backplate, and then over the cowling and onto the "windscreen". Keep in mind that I now have 25 hours on this oil change and can't discern a drop in the oil level, and I've yet to see a drop of oil on the hangar floor, just a thin mist of oil on the front of the canopy. After 2 hours today with lots of full throttle time, not one molecule of 20W-50 to be found. Something that's been giving me a few moments of intraspection is the "prang" (that's Aussie for "crash") of Peter's BD5. Phil Matheson sent me a photo of Peter flying formation with Allen Buzza over Fremantle Harbor (where the Americas Cup race is held) at sunset. This one's a real keeper (see http://www.krnet.org/krs/abuzza/peter_allen.jpg ). You've seen the picture of the fiery rescue. Now I hear that he's probably going to be a parapelegic. This guy is no different from me and you....eaten up with building and flying...and having a blast doing it...and a really friendly "mate"...and now there's a major kink in the works. Already there's talk of flying his KR with hands only. I'm betting he's going to show us how to do it too... Mark Langford, Harvest, AL see homebuilt airplane at http://www.N56ML.com email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net
