First real X country trip report!

[C5Engineer 1170]

I took advantage of the good weather today and flew my first Cross Country. I flew 80 Statue Miles to a Fly in Restraunt for breakfast. On the way back I played the whole way. Ended up logging 3.0 hours. I averaged 80mph on the ground speed running 5800 rpms. Looks like I'm burning right around 5gph at that power setting. I got just a small taste of what this bird is capable of today. I can't wait to keep expanding the envelope. Only 9 more hours till I'm out of Phase I. I have not flown 40 hours in the past three years I can't believe I've flown off my time in 4 months. Here's the pics!!

On the ramp at Nancy's Restraunt in Willows, CA

Headed back

Playing with the camera

My first real off airport experience. This was a ridgetop out in the Boonies. Plenty of length and width. I was stopped within 200 ft but it was uphill.

Here's a shot of it on the lift. I finally remembered to take a shot.

[C5Engineer 1170]

Short video

[horsepower 24]

I took advantage of the good weather today and flew my first Cross Country. I flew 80 Statue Miles to a Fly in Restraunt for breakfast. On the way back I played the whole way. Ended up logging 3.0 hours. I averaged 80mph on the ground speed running 5800 rpms. Looks like I'm burning right around 5gph at that power setting. I got just a small taste of what this bird is capable of today. I can't wait to keep expanding the envelope. Only 9 more hours till I'm out of Phase I. I have not flown 40 hours in the past three years I can't believe I've flown off my time in 4 months. Here's the pics!!

On the ramp at Nancy's Restraunt in Willows, CA

Headed back

Playing with the camera

My first real off airport experience. This was a ridgetop out in the Boonies. Plenty of length and width. I was stopped within 200 ft but it was uphill.

Here's a shot of it on the lift. I finally remembered to take a shot.

Thats cool Joey,are you happy with your new engine? Im getting ready to cover my fuselage so Im hoping to get it in the air this summer.Maybe I can get down your way or if you get back up to Idaho give me a buzz.Randy

[C5Engineer 1170]

Thats cool Joey,are you happy with your new engine? Im getting ready to cover my fuselage so Im hoping to get it in the air this summer.Maybe I can get down your way or if you get back up to Idaho give me a buzz.Randy

Love the Blue Head it's running like a champ..lots of power. Planning a trip to Idaho the last week of June.

[Av8r3400 1179]

Looking good, Joey. You'll soon be an off-airport addict.

Be sure to give a PIRep on that new tailwheel, ASAP!

[akflyer 1427]

definitely need a report on that tail wheel. I am thinking the 8" needs to go on my plane this summer if I go back to wheels! Off airport is where it is at with these birds! once you really get comfortable with it, you will be amazed at the places you can take these little planes! One thing I would keep a close eye on is the weld on the gear where the bungies wrap around. The cross leg that ties into the gear is where I have seen all the failures. Two on my plane and one on my brothers. The pic shows the failure on my brothers gear that was the exact same on mine twice (that is how I ended up with the plane after it went on its back!)

[dholly 718]

Joey- pretty neat! Are those the coastal mountains NW of you or the big ones to the east?

[C5Engineer 1170]

definitely need a report on that tail wheel. I am thinking the 8" needs to go on my plane this summer if I go back to wheels! Off airport is where it is at with these birds! once you really get comfortable with it, you will be amazed at the places you can take these little planes! One thing I would keep a close eye on is the weld on the gear where the bungies wrap around. The cross leg that ties into the gear is where I have seen all the failures. Two on my plane and one on my brothers. The pic shows the failure on my brothers gear that was the exact same on mine twice (that is how I ended up with the plane after it went on its back!)

Thanks for the info. I have the Matco on my work bench but I want to weigh the two before I swap them so I can redo my W&B. I think the Matco might actually be lighter even though it's bigger. I flew about 6 approaches to that spot and drug it once before I landed it. Took me a little while to get up the balls to do it. It had a pretty decent uphill slope and the approach had a peak you had to clear and then dive down so to maximize the length. Not totally committed but def a little pucker factor. I was pretty proud of myself considering I have 30 hours in an Avid and 42 hours tail dragger time. I am def going to need to upgrade to disk brakes though if I really want to get into some short stuff. I can get off a lot shorter than I can stop right now.

[akflyer 1427]

Thanks for the info. I have the Matco on my work bench but I want to weigh the two before I swap them so I can redo my W&B. I think the Matco might actually be lighter even though it's bigger. I flew about 6 approaches to that spot and drug it once before I landed it. Took me a little while to get up the balls to do it. It had a pretty decent uphill slope and the approach had a peak you had to clear and then dive down so to maximize the length. Not totally committed but def a little pucker factor. I was pretty proud of myself considering I have 30 hours in an Avid and 42 hours tail dragger time. I am def going to need to upgrade to disk brakes though if I really want to get into some short stuff. I can get off a lot shorter than I can stop right now.

That is the best money you could spend on the plane right now. I have been doing test flights on a buddies Model "A" with the gocart wanna be brakes.. best things you can do with those it take them off and toss them in the river.. they are a bit of a false sense of security... if it starts to get away from you, there is no way in hell your bringing it back with those brakes! Whoever decided to put mechanical brakes on an airplane needs to be junk punched

Being cautious and dragging the strip to make sure it is good and doing a few approaches is the smartest thing you can do! I flew in and out of an 800' strip that was plowed down to ice today on the floats.. that was a bit of a pucker factor as there were nice bid snow berms on each end. I touched down within 5' of the approach end at 40 mph and slid up to the far bank and tagged it at about 10 mph. I sure do love those airbags in the floats! Getting out I used less than 1/2 the strip.

[SuberAvid 617]

Way to go Joey; it looks like you have a very cool off airport playground!

I swapped my original Matco single puck brakes for a set of their tripple puck brakes after the single puck ones put me in the bushes while landing on a narrow little strip. I determined later that a gasket in the master cylinder had failed but they never could hold the plane durring runnup anyway. Now it is no problem to lock the brakes and run it up to pick the tail off the ground, even with my 26" bushwheels on. Good brakes give you very good control authority on the ground especially with the wide gear. They are worth the money.

Randy

[Av8r3400 1179]

Suber-- Did you need to change master cylinders? I've got the single puck matcos on my 1050 and they suck at best.

Taildrgfun (I think) - the guy with the dead stick takeoff on YouTube - has dual calipers on his Highlander. Has anyone ever heard of this?

[C5Engineer 1170]

Bumping an old thread....fun stuff...have came a long ways since I posted this.

[EDMO 1078]

Joey,

    Just curious - Looking at your Phase 1 photos on 31 Jan 2010 - Looks like a sleeve or two going across your front crossover tube, and there are some evenly spaced dots across it underneath (rivets?) - What is it and why?  I haven't seen that on any other plane.

EDMO

[Bandit 286]

It's a former for the ws and sl. It is riveted to the crossover tube. They all have them.

[EDMO 1078]

Thanks Bandit,

      I had never seen one before - The Avid Magnum manual only shows the former on the top of the tube - and Kitfox only has it on the top, not on bottom.

EDMO

[C5Engineer 1170]

It was there from the original builder. I will dig out a manual later and take a pic.

[EDMO 1078]

That's OK Joey - I just had never seen it before - Bandit says it is standard on Avids.  I only know Kitfox and Magnum don't have it underneath.

Thanks,

EDMO

Edited 20 May 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[Bandit 286]

It's a former for the ws and sl. It is riveted to the crossover tube. They all have them.

[EDMO 1078]

Bandit,

     I understand what you said - None of the Kitfoxes or Avid Magnum have them riveted underneath - just on sides or top.  I am just real nosey about things I haven't seen before...

EDMO

Edited 20 May 2015 by Ed In Missouri