Essex Flyer – Building and Flying a Rans S6ES

What a great flight today and Rosemary finally flew again after 6 months without a flight! It was fairly cold and very light winds today. After adjusting the idle speed (and getting it double checked) we went for a flight, keeping watch on the weather. The air was silky smooth and I was flying by just resting my feet on the pedals and controlling the stick by thumb pressure alone.

We bimbled about around the local area watching the mist forming on the land south of the Medway. After about 45 minutes we decided to head back. On approaching the field, another aircraft was taking off from 24 so we just went into the circuit for 24 without looking at the windsock (lesson:- don’t assume LOOK at the windsock). On finals we came in fairly fast as the idle speed was a couple of hundred rpm too high and (although we did not know it) we had a couple of mph tailwind. I did not touch down before half way along the runway, so we went around. The next approach was slower and I touched down earlier and switched off the engine to slow us down. It was only walking back to the club hut that we noticed the wind direction

All in all a good day. It is good to be back flying again. No real video blog today as the main camera did not want to work. We did take some shots on digital camera, as shown below.

A time lapse video of building G-RTHS from the day the 2 big boxes arrived to the maiden flight

It’s a bit late, I know, but having looked at last years flying, I have set myself some targets this year. Last year I was grounded for 4 months and only got 19 hours flying in This year I am aiming to double that!

I am also going to go for my ground to air radio licence as we need more radio operators at our flying club.

The last resolution is to NOT have such an interesting flying year as last year

Here is a short video of the last flight of 2011 mentioned previously. The music is by Clint Price.

Edit:- version 2 of the video, improving the look of the 2nd camera and modifying the music. (4-Jan-2012)

For the last couple of days I have been watching the weather forecasts for today and they kept on showing a 3 to 4 hour window for flying. As this is the first chance I have had to fly since the end of November, I had my doubts it would happen

However, I got up early this morning and the weather looked good. So we rushed down to the airfield to get an early flight in before the rain came. On checking Hotel Sierra I found there was not quite as much fuel in her as I thought, but enough for nearly an hour’s flight with my 12 litres spare at the end. On the ground the winds were light and the vis reasonable so I went for a flight.

There was a bit of a shock at about 50’ I suddenly entered a 20 knot crosswind, so started flying sideways, but the air was smooth and I went for a short flight north of the Thames, watching the weather behind me and the fuel gauge. After about half an hour, the fuel was going down well so turned for home. Crossing the Thames back into Kent, the low fuel warning came on so I had timed that very well, being only 10 minutes away from the airfield.

A great flight, if a bit short, and it blew out all the Christmas cobwebs, ready for the New Year party.

We had a great day out today at the Flying show at the NEC. There were a good number of new aircraft to look at as well as the usual accessories shops. Flylight showed it’s new flexwing, what can I say… it looks like something you would see in a children’s comic book! All curves and white plastic. I am sure it will be a success, but it looks really heavy and bulky to me.

We attended a seminar by Dr Simon Keeling on how to read surface weather charts including little tips that are not really obvious. A very good ‘day’ (5 1/2 hours travelling and 2 /12 hours walking round the show).

Despite getting over a cold, I thought it would be a good day to go flying, not too high just circuits to get the feeling of Hotel Sierra again and to give her a bit more of a shakedown flight after her re-build. It was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky and very light winds. PERFECT.

After giving her a good checking over, I took off for a couple of circuits, take off and down wind were fine, I turned base, no problems and then I turned final…. The sun caught the back of the propeller and it started to strobe with red white and blue flashes! This totally mucked up any concentration for landing as the closer I got to the ground the worse it seemed to get. I could not judge heights at all, I kept coming in too high and too fast. Not good. On the third try, I was able to block out some of the strobing a bit and came in with a few more revs and very flat and did quite a good landing.

I checked the back of the new propeller and found it was very slightly rougher than my previous propeller and wondered if the light was catching on the ridges and refracting the light back to me. So out came the Pledge and I polished the back of the propeller until it was smooth with no noticeable rough patches. I turned Hotel Sierra onto the runway heading and ran her at 2000 rpm and it seemed a lot better. So I decided to try it for real.

The next flight, I decided to give her a longer run so I went local flying, forgetting about my cold. It was a beautiful flight with no turbulence at all until you passed downwind of the power station (as normal) and even that was very mild. Coming back to Stoke, they had changed to the opposite runway so I was not able to test the polishing of the back of the propeller for strobing, It was a reasonable landing with only one mild bounce. When I switched off the engine, I then realised I was about 90% deaf due to flying with a cold. Serves me right! I got my hearing back about an hour later.

All in all a great day.

We spent all day at the airfield waiting for the clouds to go above 300′ and the visibilty to go above 3000m with no luck We then woke up today to bright sunshine, and we can’t go flying today

Oh well, better luck next week. We took part in the test for the olympics flight plans yesterday and everyone was rejected as the program used (Skydemon Lite) did not fill out the airfield details properly. I hope they sort it out next year!

While down at the airfield today, I had a phone call from Dave at Skycraft, my permit arrived today in the post Unfortunately the weather was not flyable today, but hopefully next Saturday it will be.

Still waiting for the paperwork to allow me to fly Hotel Sierra. It is with the LAA and the head of the technical dept, who is on a course for a week

Still today, Roger, Keith and I were putting bracings on the hangers to allow them to be safe when the snow arrives and the hangars should not collapse under the weight. I must admit, for safety I will still put a couple of props up as well.

Hopefully I will be flying again soon.

Today started early with a 2¼ hour taxi ride to Lincolnshire to pick up Hotel Sierra and fly her home. What a great flight. She behaved perfectly. The fuel computer was not working, but I got a 1:20 hour flight in for 10 litres of Avgas at 85 mph! Having the carbs serviced has made a big difference to the feel of the engine and the fuel economy. I also wonder if the new propeller is very slightly courser then the previous one? (although it is the same ‘spec’ as the previous one). When I sort out the fuel computer I will do more tests on the fuel consumption.

I got a bit nervous when coming in to land as it has been so long since I flew Hotel Sierra and I came in a little fast at 60 mph rather than the normal 55 mph, so she floated down the runway a bit, but she touched down very lightly and I was over the moon. My little girl is back home and ready to fly!

Some photos of the trip home, approaching the Thames.

The river Blackwater

Hanningfield Resevoir

The Thames... nearly home!

Yeh, some good news for a change. Hotel Sierra has passed her test flights, now ready for collection… tomorrow?

I had half an hour with my instructor today, just doing circuits to blow out the cobwebs. I really enjoyed it and it took my mind off everything else going on at the moment.

A good day today, I am ready to go flying! I am insured again, I have a 30 minute flight booked with my old instructor on Saturday to blow out the cobwebs and my flying watch (clear to see dial) is going again. The battery ran out just after the crash. Life is good!

Here is the latest photo of Hotel Sierra. She is ready for her flight test as soon as the test pilot is well enough to fly her.

UPDATE: A replacement test pilot might have been found subject to insurance. Fingers crossed!

Waiting for her test flight

Reports earlier today stated that  the safety cage was connected to the rear fuselage and that Hotel Sierra was back on her own 3 wheels! They were just connecting up all the controls. Getting exited now.

New Safety cage... at last.

After a delay in getting the safety cage from Rans in the USA, we are nearly there. I visited Skycraft today and they were taking Hotel Sierra apart. She ‘should’ be all re-assembled ready to be reunited with her wings on Friday!

G-RTHS being stripped down ready for re-building

All we need then is some flying weather!