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What are you building/flying ?

Don’t some of the Belgian fly-ins organise a waiver for foreign aircraft to visit?

I have always suspected so, especially regarding the EBDT Schaffen/Diest event, which used to see lots of UK visitors with planes ranging from Jodels to Falco’s. Unfortunately their numbers have only decreased over the recent years. Anyway I have no factual information. Perhaps I ought to inquire with some of the organisations, but I must admit I have no personal connections.

EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

Snowbirdxx wrote:

235 KTs at FL 140

That is nearly 290 TAS. 70l/h sounds very low for that speed, but it is a small plane.

United Kingdom

Snowbirdxx wrote:

I did this Turbine powered " Pocket Rocket"

Wow. There is something right with a turbine in a plane.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

In cold weather I can do 298 KTS TAS, but NOT 300 without outtemping. I guess I need the B17 engine that has 100 HP more. It will also give me better rate of clinbs, which should always be above 5000 ft/ min. the cheaper way to see impressive numbers would be to set the DYNON to mph and the VSI to m/ sec. Well “la vie ce dure”"

EDTQ / Sarentino

That turboprop is absolutely amazing!

Try getting that on the UK LAA’s G-reg

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Snowbirdxx,
That is one of the best aeroplanes I’ve ever seen and I am very envious, not just of the aeroplane but the strip too!

Forever learning
EGTB

The turboprop seems to three point nicely

Agree on all three counts, airplane, landing strip and the perfect three pointer – does it have the prop clearance for a wheeler landing? or is it like the Pitts preferably only three pointer?

If you took it up to FL280 might you have to reduce your Mmo or Vmo due to flutter/reduced aerodynamic damping? I guess the turbine would not risk overtemping at this altitude and you would be north of M0.55?

Does it have a barber pole, and if possible post a picture?

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

Exceptional. This is exactly why we need the Non-Certified forum. Best thing I have seen on here in ages. It’s so nice I’m almost wondering if it’s just a CGI trick.

In 2003 I could auction from the Italian Army 3 SIAI Marchetti Sm1019A. One was not civilian certifiable and was ment to be used as spares. But then the idea came up to put the Turbine in a small kick ass airframe that moves, plus it had to have the capability to land in Sarentino or almost any other grass strip. So a fixed gear and big tires were a must. I could use the molds of the Impulse100 Ultralight for a major part of the fuselage . The layups were reconsidered and changed to be able to withstand the loads at 300 KTS with the FAR23 gusts, which resulted in a 11g structure.
All major parts were static tested to ultimate load of15 gs before finishing. Its amazing how light a strong Carbon honeycomwb wing can be at 32 Kg each. Major parts were finished within 2 years and then the frustration started, working on details. Some years went by, just looking at the project in frustration. But in 2012, with a couple of evenings per week, the project continued to a point that in early 2013, I could fire up the Turbine the first time. The Turbine – Prop combination never ran , so some adjusting of the Betarange was necessary. I adjusted flight idle rather sharp, with little thrust left. My concern was, that the plane would not be able to land engine on. On the other hand , a too low flightidle could block my tailfeathers.
Without gearfairings, and with a rudimentary cockpit, no steerable tailwheel, no trim systems and no autopilot, no vents and heater, the maiden flight was made to see if the project is worth all the hazzle. Control surface deflections were set at max. A bad idea. The airplane was twitchy in pitch like hell, later we measured at the top of the stick, a 2,2mm deflection was needed for the whole flight regime. Plus staticports were on a bad place, nailing the airspeed to anywhere from 120 to 160 KTS, more or less regardless how the plane flew. A vid of the maiden flight is on Youtube.

Elevator forces were too low, Aileron forces too high. The torque change by moving the trottle 5mm forward or backwards was very noticable. Its like a large hammer hitting a wingtip. I climbed with 50% power and 2000 ft/ min to 6000 ft above the strip Valle Gaffaro. There I went to full power, to see if the Betatube was adjusted right. In case of a wrong adjustment the prop could feather or go flat. Nothing you want to see on the approach or on takeoff. Betatube was fine, now it was time to se,e if I could land engine on and when the tail may start blocking. Plan B was to shut the Turbine down and land as a glider. Flaps in and 100% N2 ( prop ) the plane started descending at 14% power. Airspeed unknown, since the ASI indicated between 120 and 160 KTS . Slowly I reduced power further to see how the plane will react to a flatter pitch. When reaching the flight idle detend, I brought the nose up to 5° and flew a 360, rate of descend was above 3500ft/min. Pitch and rudder control was good. Anyway I decided to use a rather shallow power on final descend and the landing was a greaser.

After that first flight the motivation to finish the project was bigger than ever. It took me another year to finish the plane as it is now.

Landings are alwasy 3 point. There is plenty of prop clearance, but simply no reason for a wheellanding. On the 3 point, I wait for the direction to stabilize, then go to flightidle. That is more braking action then slamming on the brakes in any other small plane I flew. Since the prop is turning at 1600 RPM in idle, the gyroscopic effect on the ground, when transitioning from 2 to 3 point is very noticable. I never tried reverse to avoid bigger desaters.

Fligtcontrols are now very balanced with a nice increasing stickforce gradient and the sick needs now almost 3 cm travel for the normal flight regime which is very relaxing. Static souce is now a Prantel Tube under the wing. The final approach is flown only by watching the AOA indicator. The plane has very little pitch changes.

All flight surfaces are 100% mass balanced to avoid flutter at altidud and speed. Last week in a shallow dive I xceeded Mach .5. No, have no barberpole on the ASI, but maybe one day if I find a decent priced one available….

During flighttesting and adding the tailwheelfairing, I experienced vibration on the airframe. Flightcontrols were quiet, vibration was not engine or prop related. Flying above 180 KTS was worse and slowing below 100 was even worser. After landing nothing was found , the vibration was so strong that I was afraid of loosing the engine. With mixed feelings I fueled and flew home. No vibrations. Before landing, I simulated the takeoff again where the vibs came up and ooops, here they were again.
After landing I removed the tailwheel and had the following findings: Wheel not balanced. wheelbearing play too big which allowed the tailwheel to turn very easy. At high AOAs the tailwheel sticking out at the bottom of the fairing, got accelerated by the airflow. Due to the easy turning and unbalanced tailwheel, all these vibrations were transferred into the carbon structure. Replaced the wheel and tighten the wheelbearings, no more vibrations since then.

If you plan to come visiting in Sarentino, we have different cables crossing the valley in the final approach. One of them is X ing the valley on 500m final from top left to bottom right. Sorry, no landing permissions without a prior checkout. Even if you pass the cables and a tad too high, no GO around option due to rapily raising terrain..

heres the first takeoff:

heres a vid of the first landing

Sorry for thehumble vids, but they were made by a cellphone.

EDTQ / Sarentino
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