Sonex 815 - Continuing the Kitlog


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1/16/10 Flight 110 - To KRYN

0.4 flight time, 1 ldg. Actually about equal taxi time as in-the-air time. Went down to Ryan for the EAA meeting. Had to remind myself how to operate through a towered airport (with ground control & ATIS). Not a big deal.

1/16/10 Flight 111 - From KRYN

0.4 flight time, 1 ldg. Thought return might be quicker - only by about 2 minutes. Still about equal taxi time as air time. Stopped for fuel prior to returning - price was a little lower at KRYN. A few people stopped by after the meeting to check out the plane.

1/17/10 Flight 112

0.5 flight time, 1 ldg. Cruised down past the ultralight field, swung out west, looked over the mine and the glider field. Listened to a group of 3 or 4 in a gaggle trying to find their way to the cement plant to enter downwind to 12 - lots of talking between those guys. I pushed the nose down a little and got in the pattern before them. Pulled the wheel pants off after landing. Need to add a door for accessing the tire valve, and an anti-rotate feature (tab washer) for the outboard attach screw.

1/23/10 Gear Leg Fairings, Wheel Pants

Trimmed some contact areas on the gear leg fairings. On both, at the rivets for the nutplates at the top end (a not-to-plans addition I made). On both, at the upper forwards wheel pant bolt head. Filed edges smooth. On the wheel pants, made up tab washers to secure the outboard bolt. Plan here is to use a drilled head bolt (already have - can buy these drilled from Spruce) and safety wire. Measured out the tire valve access door on both wheel pants, but did not cut out. Drilled wheel pant for the tab washer tab hole, using one of the holes already in the doubler plate for location.

1/24/10 Install Leg Fairings and Wheel Pants

Installed the wheel pants using the tab washers, drilled bolts, and safety wire for the outboard fasteners. Installed the gear leg fairings. The RH one is perfect at the top end - the clearances I filed for the nutplate rivets are right on. On the LH side, the clearances still are a little small for the nutplate rivets in the fuselage floor. Now, other than the big rectangles of tape marking off the future tire valve access doors, they look a lot better with the tab washers.

Water in the river on today's flight.

New I-10 exit shaping up.

Tab washers installed. Tire valve access doors marked.

1/24/10 Flight 113

0.5 flight time, 1 ldg. Quick flight to look at the I-10 construction project with water in the river. There has been a lot of rain over the past week. The bridge actually has water under most of it now. Then flew out west for a few minutes and did some steep turns. Very smooth air, but cold (about 44F at 4000-5500'). One landing, very smooth. Running nice.

Water in the river on today's flight.

Water in the river on today's flight.

The home field, KAVQ.

1/29/10 Flight 114

0.6 flight time, 2 ldg. Went out a little later today, about 830. Storm moved through yesterday, so still clouds at 8500'. Climbed out west of the field to about 6000 MSL (4000 AGL) and did steep turns R&L, lazy 8's, and some more steep turns. Did a big slip to descend towards the airport, losing about 1400 fpm. Back in the pattern, 2 took off before I got there, but when I did the first T&G, nobody else was there, so I decided to go back around for a low approach. Throttle not even full, ran down the runway at 200 AGL and 170 mph indicated, then swung back around for a full stop. I felt like I was a little fast & long, but held the tail up while applying brakes, let the tail settle, and still had to add throttle and wait to get to the first turn off, so it can't be that bad. End of flight got down to just over 8 gallons indicated - what I need to take my father-in-law for a ride.

RH tab washer.

LH tab washer.

1/31/10 Flight 115 - Mixture Experiment

0.6 flight time, 1 ldg. Someone asked what if the mixture cable broke? Test I devised would check what if it broke at altitude at some lean setting - would there be enough power to land. Went up to 7000' MSL. Leaned for 1350 F on the higher EGT at 2880 rpm. Pulled power back to get a descent (without excessive airspeed). Descended to 3000' MSL (ground is ~2000 around here). Brought power back up until high EGT was right around 1350. Was making 2720 rpm, so not that big of a power loss. Then richening the mixture at that throttle setting, rpm came up to about 2900, so there is some power loss, but not that much. Returned did a low pass, then a full stop, landing long to make the turn off to the fuel island. 5.5 indicated after flight, added 10. Noticed about 5 cracks in the canopy all along the hinge side. Will need to determine what to do about that.

1/31/10 Making a List

I had a list last month. Seems like there's always something. Here is this month:

1. Stop drill canopy cracks (man, I hope that works!)

2. Back-fill instrument fasteners (borrowed some for new com radio)

3. Rivet behind-tank angles (clecoes off the glare shield)

4. Move passenger intercom jacks (see #5)

5. Install g-meter in 2.25" hole where jacks are now.

6. Install flap gap seal angles to fuselage.

7. Exhaust leaks - either wrap or try that expander tool w/ impact wrench.

8. Clock bracket for panel. It's velcroed to the kneeboard now.

9. Rearview mirror bracket. Did the paper pattern, now do the metal.

10. Doors in wheel pants (what I just ordered parts for)

11. Fix PTT lead on passenger's stick (shorted).

12. Improve location of OAT gauge. It's taped inside the windshield now.

2/6/10 Flight 116 San Manuel with Dad

0.9 flight time, 2 ldg. Took Dad for a ride to San Manuel and return. Pretty bumpy. Went over at 5500', back at 6500', but the air was descending, so I let the airplane gradually descend rather than fight it, since it was bumpy regardless. OAT was about 58F, but it sure gets hot under that big bubble. Not sure if I can take all-day X-C's like this or not. Engine stumbled a little on the return - I wonder if there's something getting hot and making bubbles. As this log has shown, I've made the fuel system about as short and direct as possible, and the fuel line ahead of the firewall is insulated. Perhaps heat in the carb itself makes bubbles at the end of the flow path.

Base leg, San Manuel RWY 11.

Short Final, San Manuel.

Back at KAVQ. Need to finish the tire valve access doors!

2/10/10 Fuel System Checks and List Items

Installed the 4-40 screws needed to finish off the radio and back fill the EIS. Installed the rivets on the tank support angles. Checked the Aerocarb needle - still solid, so that's not why it seemed to be going lean on the last flight. Checked the tank vent. Took it off the tank, blew through it. Stuck a wire all the way through it. No, that's not a problem either.

2/12/10 List Items - Exhaust Sealing

Sealed the exhaust with a wrap. Used 3 short pieces on each side wrapping each pipe individually, secured with safety wire. Then over-wrapped that with 1 longer piece. Added 1/2 quart oil, as it was indicating a little low.

2/12/10 Flight 117

0.5 flight time, 5 ldg. Checked out the plane after the last flight where the mixture was seeming to go lean. Didn't notice anything unusual at all. Except the smell for the first 2x around the pattern of the exhaust wrap cooking off (whatever it cooks off). 4 wheel landings, 1 3pt when the guy in front was rolling to the far turn off. Pretty efficient use of time, even with other planes coming in and out of the pattern.