Originally Posted by SteveT.

Looks Good Chris!!

SteveT.

Thanks Steve, you're very kind to someone who's not that great at installing wiring. So long as it works I'll be happy.

Perfect Flying weather her today. One final push to get the last few bits finished and we were good to go.

2.36 pm the wheels left the ground after a short, I mean very short take off run. Needed four or five beeps of up trim (some since removed as I moved the CG back) and that was that. Little bit of flying around and did a first landing. EASY PEASY! Right on the strip no problem, slowed down perfectly.

Taxied back, made sure nothing was falling off and took off again. Everything is soooo smooth (no wind helps ) and docile. Tried out a few manoeuvres, rolls, knife edge, simple harrier. All need work for timing but no problem with those huge ailerons and a very powerful elevator. I wondered if I was a bit short of throw on Elevator but not at all, about 45* is easily enough. Tried flaps and definitely needs some down elevator mix.

6 mins, did final landing and took a breath, PHEW!

Changed packs and had another go. Lift off to vertical climb, stall turn and power across the sky, WOO HOOOOO!!!!!! . This plane is going to be a lot of fun. My flying was poop but whatever, I enjoyed it. Having mixed a bit of down elevator with the flap tried them again. AWESOME. Plane slows right down and make landing, even on my teeny strip a doddle, waaaay easier than the 74 Slick! Had some more fun and landed just after the 6 min mark. Couldn't resist a final circuit so did one more and shut down after landing (I could do touch and goes all day, so much fun) at 6.41 on the timer.

Plane is now covered in grass and mud, just like any good bush plane should be.

Having got the first flight out of the way I will now tidy up the wiring a bit, fir the landing gear Cuffs and buy myself a nice looking spinner (forgot that!). I was thinking a chrome one like a lot of gas turbine planes have.

Video to follow when it's uploaded (rubbish upload speed) but some photos pre maiden (just in case).

p.s. Having completed the first flight I realised after that I hadn't programmed any expo at all into the Tx. Speaks volumes for the plane that everything was so easy without expo. Have added 25% to ease the elevator and ailerons around the centre.

Here's the maiden flight. Proof of flight at least. Total consumption 2700 mah

20181231 144603 (8 min 12 sec)

And here's flight two. Bit more fun. Total consumption 3100 mah

20181231 150539 (8 min 20 sec)

Looking great Chris!! Congrats!!! Just need some bigger 'bush wheels'..

SteveT.

Agreed. Nice set of Kavan inflatables should do the job.

Chris, flight #2 just brought back memories for me- back in 1983 or so I went to a local, small airshow and saw the “drunken farmer” routine, where an expert pilot dresses up in rags, asks for a flight, kicks the ‘real’ pilot out of the plane (it was a piper cub in my case), and procedes to fly a big, slow aerobatic routine.

This plane looks like a ton of fun

Originally Posted by twest

Chris, flight #2 just brought back memories for me- back in 1983 or so I went to a local, small airshow and saw the “drunken farmer” routine, where an expert pilot dresses up in rags, asks for a flight, kicks the ‘real’ pilot out of the plane (it was a piper cub in my case), and procedes to fly a big, slow aerobatic routine.

This plane looks like a ton of fun

It is a ton of fun. Very different to anything else I've ever had. Put a couple more flights on her today. Just tootling around with a bit of harrier, rolls etc. Did start playing with the flaps more and STOL is a blast. The take off is measured in inches! and the landing only about 3 plane lengths long, in ZERO wind conditions. With a breeze the landing roll will be zero too.

It flies really light for such a huge plane. As I get more confident with it I can see it getting pushed more and more. .

I am uploading flights 4 and 5 from today. Not impressive like Supa Tim but I'm having fun...

And 'that' is the whole idea of this hobby... to have fun!!

BTW Chris.. did you get your firewood cut?

SteveT.

Originally Posted by SteveT.

And 'that' is the whole idea of this hobby... to have fun!!

BTW Chris.. did you get your firewood cut?

SteveT.

Damn right. And just to prove I'm having fun here's some more of me having fun with my new plane.

20190101 141906 (7 min 40 sec)

And yes, I did get a good stack of firewood cut, wielding that chainsaw like a pro, and then cleared a ton of wet leaves off the drive, phew!

I just 'finally' found your runway looking on Google Earth. I knew where your home was, but could never quite figure out where the runway was. Landmarks in the video helped me find it!! So there you go, you can see your runway from space!!

SteveT.

Originally Posted by SteveT.

I just 'finally' found your runway looking on Google Earth. I knew where your home was, but could never quite figure out where the runway was. Landmarks in the video helped me find it!! So there you go, you can see your runway from space!!

SteveT.

How cool. That's a very new picture. I was looking a few weeks ago and it was still an old photo that didn't show the runway. It even shows the stack of wood slowly being turned into logs.

Funny about the runway. I spent some time this year making it bigger for the Mega and the irony is I could fly it off a quarter of the length. Need more room for the 60 Extra....

TBM don't need no long runway!! Just clearance for those long wings!!

SteveT.

Originally Posted by Chris SW

Agreed. Nice set of Kavan inflatables should do the job.

I just put the 6" Kavans on mine--looks much better Sullivan and Dubro make some 7 & 8" wheels, but they are MUCH heavier. The Kavans are actually lighter than the stockers. Time (and a bunch of touch n go's ) will tell if the plastic hub/bushing Kavan's hold up to 26 lbs...

Originally Posted by wyo69cowboy

I just put the 6" Kavans on mine--looks much better Sullivan and Dubro make some 7 & 8" wheels, but they are MUCH heavier. The Kavans are actually lighter than the stockers. Time (and a bunch of touch n go's ) will tell if the plastic hub/bushing Kavan's hold up to 26 lbs...

Good to know. They seem a bit harder to get over here but I will treat myself to some when I spot some.

And touch and Goes are such damn good fun with this plane.

Originally Posted by SteveT.

TBM don't need no long runway!! Just clearance for those long wings!!

SteveT.

Ha Haah. You're right. But in may case the long wings are above the grass level at the side of the strip so only need it as wide as the U/Cart!!!!